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Genesee Street: 1904
... from numerous cities, but I can't recall any with so many bicycles. Rack it Apparently the bank wasted their money on the bike ... View Larger Map (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Stores & Markets, Syracuse) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/25/2014 - 2:19pm -

Syracuse, New York, circa 1904. "Genesee Street." Early-1900s standbys include the usual assortment of painless dentists, and a "Misfit" clothing parlor. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Low self-esteemOddly enough, the majority of the people are clustered around Meyer's Misfits which perhaps would indicate they didn't have a very high opinion of themselves. (Wonder if Marilyn Monroe got her wardrobe there for her movie of the same name). [Looks like a youth outing of some sort. -tterrace] Cyclecuse, NYHas to be the most bike friendly city in the early 1900's. You've posted many street scenes from numerous cities, but I can't recall any with so many bicycles. Rack itApparently the bank wasted their money on the bike racks. They don't seem to be very popular. When we were 21 ?An early film, perhaps? There was to be one in 1921, but I couldn't find anything earlier. [Large movie theaters and feature-length films were still a bit in the future in 1904. The Bastable offered live theater, both vaudeville and plays, such as "When We Were Twenty-One," a 1901 four act comedy by H.V. Esmond. It was also filmed in 1915 and adapted for another in 1930. -tterrace] Darned treesIt's hard to see, but this is pretty much where the image was taken. If you go straight down the tree-lined path, almost all of the buildings on the right hand side seem to be there (actually the Salt Springs Bank on the close left is also still there without its pretty entry). View Larger Map (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Stores & Markets, Syracuse)
Breaking Away: 1908
... with a four-dollar drinking budget! There'd be more than bicycles spinning. Endurance Champions The Evening World, ... him in the movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy." (The Gallery, Bicycles, G.G. Bain, Motorcycles, NYC, Sports) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:32pm -

New York, December 1908. "Six-day bicycle race, Madison Square Garden." 8x10 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. At least three ridershave decided that motors on their bikes will make the six days fly by. Spirits!Think we should call it the six day ghost-rider race ! Motorcycles!It appears that the is inaccurate. Looks like a motorcycle race to me. Looks closely at the bikes, they have tanks and motors. Then there is the advertising for motorcycles. Surely some crossover customers, but if there are bikes racing, they're not visible. [This was a bicycle race. - Dave] When does a bicycle become a motorcycle?Clearly, Indian was out in force for this contest. I wonder who won? Can anyone make out what song was being sung? I'm guessing sheet music was a big thing at the time. Edit: Thanks for letting me know that the motorcycles were for pacing the race. That clears things up. Pacing the raceThe motorcycles are for starting / pacing the race. The Madison SlingMy husband, who used to race track, tells me that there is a specific track race called the Madison Sling that is actually named after the Track Races they used to have at Madison Square Gardens. I think it involves one partner recovering down near the center of the track while the other partner races a lap and then catches their partner and transfers their velocity to them and flings them into the track for their lap. He tried teaching it to me once with disastrous results (crashing hard). Bottled Beer 20 centsYou could get 50 beers then for the price of one beer at MSG now! Ghost RidersMaybe I should point out that the track is full of riders, who are moving too fast to show up in this time exposure. Top Shelf20 cent whiskey! I'll take two please. Judge fall down go Boom!If you look closely at the small tower with what could be the "Judge" for the race, the right hand leg of his chair is about 1/2" from going over through the railing. Drink prices20c for a Beer, 10c for a Soft Drink!! Apparently price gouging for refreshments at sporting events was common even back then! This racing lives on!I think Dave is correct about the racers just being a blur. They'd do a complete lap in just over 10 seconds. You can see a couple of bikes on a tower on the infield. Do a search on YouTube for 6-day madison race to see new and old footage. Awesome poster. There's a great DVD available too called "6-days in the Jazz Age". Most people are amazed to hear what a huge sport it was back then. Pedal of HonorThanks to the superb cyclists Greg Lemond and Lance Armstrong and TV, Americans have been able to learn a lot about (and enjoy) bike endurance racing. But Armstrong's 17,370 career points in 17 years and Lemond's 14,425 (14 years) are dwarfed by the record of the greatest rider of all time, Belgian Eddie Merckx, with 38,333 points in 14 years (1965-1978). He won nearly half of all the races he entered. From Ohio State University’s very nice eHistory site, here’s a look at six-day bike racing by Ari de Wilde. Note that although he wrote “Strapped into single-speed bikes with no brakes, promoters could …”, he did not intend to say the promoters themselves were strapped into (not onto?) bikes, but the races would have been more noteworthy, much like Niagara Falls going the other way. Shot and a shooter for 40 cents!Imagine what a fellow could do at the Garden that day with a four-dollar drinking budget! There'd be more than bicycles spinning. Endurance Champions The Evening World, December 5, 1908. Old-timers on High Wheels were Endurance Champions During the running of the six-day bicycle race in the Garden next week, the question more likely to be heard than any other is whether those among the fifteen teams who can stand the gruelling pace in the test of the final days when stamina counts are not greater endurance than those who first brought this six-day record to America. The answer is furnished by a member of The Evening World's sporting staff who has witnessed nearly all the great six-day events in America from March 13 1886 when Albert Schock in Minneapolis hung up the worlds record of 1,008 miles for seventy-two hours-twelve hours a day-down to 1899 when Walter Miller and Dutch Waller set up a mark of 2,733 miles 4 laps in Madison Square Garden. Conditions are vastly different to-day from those of 20 years ago. The modern bicycle, pneumatic tired and weighing only 22 pounds, is an air ship compared to the 50 pound high-wheeled boneshaker with its hard rubber tires and 57-Inch wheel. Then there is the difference of the scientifically banked track and the unbanked turns of twenty years ago, when a "header" meant almost certain death. Training methods have also changed, the six-day rider of today training almost exclusively for speed and under the team arrangement being relieved on the track at any time, while the old record holders were trained for endurance. Speed has a deteriorating effect similar to the long steady grind, but when I think that Schlock never once left the tract in the first three day except to change wheels, and that his entire resting time was 40 minutes in the 72 hours it seems to be the most marvelous test of endurance I have ever seen-unless it be that of Mlle. Louise Armaindo, who beat Jack Prince in a 24-hour race because she never quit riding in the whole time. In the match race between Prince and Schock in Minneapolis, March 1886, when Prince set up a new world's record of 1,040 miles, neither man was off his wheel more than ten minutes for the entire 72 hours. This race, by the way, was for $1,000 a side, the largest side bet ever made in a similar contest in America. The Outing Magazine, 1909 Bicycling and Its Income James Moran, of Chelsea, Mass., who with [Floyd] McFarland won the six-day race at Madison Square Garden last winter, divided a purse of $1,500 together with outside sums paid by tire concerns and bicycle manufacturers amounting to in all nearly $5,000 with his team mate. This included bonuses from the management of the race. The six-day racers pay dearly for their money, however. The other leading teams in these heartbreaking contests draw from $800 down to $200 in prizes. Round and round they go!Six-day races were, and still are, very exciting races. They consist of several types of races held over the course of six consecutive nights. One type of race, the derny race, was held over a set number of laps while each rider is paced by a derny (motorcycle). These dernys can be recognized by their rollers behind the rear wheels that allow the cyclists to pace as closely as possible. Two can be seen in the photo. Another is the Madison, named for Madison Square Gardens, that involves several two person teams. One teammate races along the lower, inner lanes of the track while the other teammate recovers up near the wall (outer rail). The teammates will exchange places every few laps and will do so with a handsling. During an exchange, the rider going into the race will drop down the track and place his left hand near his hip. The exiting rider will grab his hand and sling him forward, thereby transferring his forward momentum to the other rider. Doing so correctly takes a lot of practice. After several tries, and several failures, I decided Madisons were not for me. I'd stay with match sprints, points races, and miss & outs as they were less dangerous - or so I thought. BTW, one way to tell there is a race in progress - of the spectators whose bodies are in focus, their heads are blurry from following the racers. Cycling through time I used to race for the Century Road Club Assn., in 1950's New York. We were reputedly the oldest bicycle racing club in America, and I remember examining the scores of trophies from the late 1800's and early 1900's. I'm sure some of them must have been from races such as these. I still have scars from pile-ups of several single speed, trap pedal bikes, you just couldn't get your feet down to stop a spill. Nobody saw the signIn the middle of the track is a sign showing songs presented by Cohan & Harris. That is George M. Cohan and Sam Harris. Cohan was a actor & songwriter in the Tin Pan Alley days and eventually became known as "the man who owned Broadway." James Cagney portrayed him in the movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy." (The Gallery, Bicycles, G.G. Bain, Motorcycles, NYC, Sports)
Department of Admissions: 1904
... appropriately named Mr. Gatehouse. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Education, Schools) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/26/2015 - 10:21am -

Poughkeepsie, N.Y., circa 1904. "The entrance, Vassar College." Note the sign. 8x10 inch glass transparency, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Welcome to Vassar!Velocipedes Verboten. Wow -- Cheesy '60s HorrorI hear Don Knotts playing the organ somewhere. Sign notwithstandingThe lawn through the gate looks to be covered with bicycle tracks. [Their pattern seems more consistent with carriage tracks. -tterrace] Address1313 Mockingbird Lane, right? Purity and Wisdom (Vassar motto)Since I have neither, I've never been there. PostcardColorized postcard. Replaced 1913The gate house, designed by James Renwick, Jr., was replaced in 1913 by Taylor Hall. Evidently the gatekeeper and his family lived in the south tower and the north tower was occupied originally by the college engineer, appropriately named Mr. Gatehouse. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Education, Schools)
The Three Basketeers: 1924
... in Baltimore yesterday. They are making their tour on bicycles and have visited Bowling Green, Fredericksburg, and Alexandria, Va., ... William S. Baer for an injured leg. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boy Scouts, D.C., Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/04/2014 - 6:59pm -

August 8, 1924. "Stewart Shortt, John Ayers, Eliott Smith at White House." Who seem to be bicycling to Atlantic City in August. Might want to loosen those bowties, boys. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Petersburg Promoters Baltimore Sun, August 11, 1924. Boys on Tour To Advertise Petersburg, Va., Reach City Three Youths Will Visit Mayor Today —Expect To Go To Atlantic City. Three boys who are advertising their city—Petersburg, Va.—arrived in Baltimore yesterday. They are making their tour on bicycles and have visited Bowling Green, Fredericksburg, and Alexandria, Va., and Washington. They plan to complete the trip August 20, when they expect to arrive at Atlantic City. Today the boys—Stuart A. Shortt, Elliott A. Smith and John W. Ayers—will visit Mayor Jackson and A.S. Goldsborough, executive secretary of the Baltimore Association of Commerce. They are carrying pamphlets explanatory of Petersburg's growth as an industrial city. Their visit to Baltimore will be lengthened in order that Shortt may receive treatment from Dr. William S. Baer for an injured leg. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boy Scouts, D.C., Natl Photo)
Raymond Bykes: 1911
... wall or lay it on the ground these days. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Kids, Lewis Hine, Norfolk) ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 08/13/2013 - 3:37pm -

Raymond Bykes, Western Union No. 23, Norfolk Va. Said he was fourteen. Works until after one a.m. every night. He is precocious and not a little "tough." Has been here at this office for only three months, but he already knows the Red Light District thoroughly and goes there constantly. He told me he often sleeps down at the Bay Line boat docks all night. Several times I saw his mother hanging around the office, but she seemed more concerned about getting his pay envelope than anything else. Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine, 1911. View full size The BicycleBicycle design and geometry hasn't changed much in a 100 years. pedal as kick standNote how the bike in the middle is being held upright by leaning on a pedal -- I remember practicing for hours, trying to position the pedal just right so the bike would do that. Where I lived in the 1950's, it wasn't cool to use a kick stand. What to people use now? pedal/kick standWe do the same thing now with the pedals on the curb. For utilitarian bikes kickstands are also back in favor. Bykes?Why do I get the impression that "Bykes" is not the kid's real name? re: pedal as kick standIn my country, locks are necessary. Things have changed for the better. Short inseam, big bikeCheck his inseam vs the distance from the pedals to the top tube. Deux FixiesI think both the bikes are fixed gears. Note the lack of rim brakes or a reaction arm for a coaster brake. Fixies are much easier to prop against a curb using the pedal because the wheel and pedal are locked together. When one turns, the other does, too. No coasting! People generally just lean the bike against a wall or lay it on the ground these days. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Kids, Lewis Hine, Norfolk)
Hybrid: 1918
... what sort of shutter time was needed? (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Motorcycles) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:34pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1918. "Woman on motorized bicycle." What won't they think of next! Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. A truism?Girls on motorcycles, fantastic in any era! Her dress is covering up the most interesting...part of the Motorcycle. Nice helmetI wonder if more people would wear them if they still looked like that. It's going to get a whole lot more interesting...when that dress gets caught in that chain! Unmitigated elegance Even under such demanding circumstances, m’lady demonstrates real elegance and poise. She’s lovely! The motorcycle reminds me of our neighbors Whizzer back in the early 50s. Did I say the driver is lovely? Sherman MonumentTook me a while to figure out which District of Columbia equestrian statue is shown in the background. It's clearly not the prancing horse of Nate Green. Nor the steed of George Henry Thomas, John Logan, George Washington or Phillip Sheridan. Lacking a clear view of the rider, the details of the pedestal were key. The statue is the General William Tecumseh Sherman Monument. The photo is taken looking east from East Executive Ave. None of the buildings in the background remain. Cleveland motorcycleThat "bicycle" is actually a lightweight and popular Cleveland motorcycle. It had a two stroke engine and was a good motorcycle. I would love to have one today. My how times change.Today she would have a dozen tatoos and be wearing skin tight blue jeans. Impressive action shot...for a plate camera. She's obviously moving or accelerating quite quickly (see the upward curve in the lower side of the drive chain). Wonder what sort of shutter time was needed? (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Motorcycles)
The Ohio Building: 1906
... Coal and W. Agostini & Co. Coal. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Toledo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/04/2022 - 10:59pm -

Toledo circa 1906. "Ohio Building, Madison Avenue and Superior Street." Nexus of ghost pedestrians! 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. O-HI-oSpelling out the name of your building is too literal to an architect that can turn it into a decorative detail. This is on the main entrance on Madison Avenue. HorsepowerIt seems from most of these Shorpy city pix from the early 20th century that 1905 or so is when automobile numbers exploded. Here, Toledo in 1906, the numbers of horse-drawn vehicles and automobiles is already about equal. The economics of postcard publishingI was just cogitating on this, having seen so many DPC photos on Shorpy in the last decade or more. Postcards were (are, they still exist, I think?) a small-format medium. Why an 8x10 negative? It seems, to me, more important in our time, for posterity, than for the market demands of over a century ago. But what an enterprise that demand supported. It's hard to imagine today, the resources that DPC brought to a market that is today trivial. Special trains? In an era when the entire nation traveled by rail, it's hard to imagine a practical alternative, despite the cost. Yet I look at the photo of William Henry Jackson in his private railroad car (post-dated by a decade at least, since he's clearly not a day over 40 here), and imagine he'd toss aside that luxury for the freedom of Dorothea Lange's 1934 Ford. Don't go changingThe Ohio Building looks largely unchanged. Even the cornice seems to have escaped the Great Cornice Purge of the 1950s. Coal, coal, coalOhio, home to thousands of abandoned coal mines. In this building we can find Geo. M. Jones Coal, Jackson Coal and W. Agostini & Co. Coal. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Toledo)
The Barber of Poughkeepsie: 1904
... bicycle, when leaving it unattended. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/11/2014 - 10:15am -

1904. "Nelson House, Poughkeepsie, N.Y." Whose resident barber, Louis L. Herles, offers "Hair Cutting, Shampooing, Shaving & __." Note also: "Ladies' Entrance." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Co. View full size. Borrowing a Line:From Joni Mitchell ....... they did tear it down and put up a parking lot. For real! Postcard perfectFrom the 1950s. Not quite gone yet.Heavily altered, but what remains from an earlier demolition is still somewhat recognizable. View Larger Map Somebody Parked a very hungry horse too close to that tree. The Latest StylesAnd a nice assortment of calendars. I learned something from this photo.I had no idea you could park a bike at a curb without using a kickstand. Po'townAll these Poughkeepsie pictures are bringing back great memories of my college days at Vassar. The Poughkeepsie Journal has an 2012 article and four-minute video with wonderful Nelson House stories. Unfortunately, the video ends with pictures of its demolition. The good 'ol daysBack when you didn't need a chain and lock that weighed more than your bicycle, when leaving it unattended. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Our New Ride: 1921
... be a "trials" bike for doing tricks. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:38pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "Times bicycle contest." Winners of a Mead Ranger bike for selling 30 newspaper subscriptions. National Photo Co. View full size. On the fringeLooks very close to the bikes we had in the 50's. Just add handle bar fringe and a few playing cards in the spokes. Peewee Herman would be proud. Ride a Ranger All the Year 'RoundClick to enlarge. Nice PrizeFrom a few period ads, it appears that a Mead Ranger bike might fetch about $20. In today's money, that's about $240. Pretty nice prize! Hot WheelsThat is one hell of a bicycle! It has all the bells and whistles, even an oo-gah horn. That kid is living the dream. Wouldn't notice the differenceIf you took this bike out of this time and set it in the 50's the only thing that kids would notice different, if they looked close, would be no chain guards and maybe the strange battery size and location. Darn!All I ever got for new customers on my Detroit Times route was tickets to Tiger ballgames. Thrilled to deathNeither of them look particularly thrilled. Do you suppose they had to share the bike? Or perhaps they were wishing they had won the $60 motor bike for selling 35 subscriptions. Window dressingThe lady's bike in the window is something to admire too. Bikes were built for transportation back then, not just playing a sport as so many are these days. Such beautiful styling! As lovely as a retro cruiser with extras or a Pashley bike from England. "Newspapers?"Yes, I have heard of these "newspaper" things you write of. Were they not popular before dying an inglorious death in the early twenty-first century, overcome by that intertube net thingy? Everything exceptIt even has whitewall tires but, it doesn't have a chain guard. Not a problem for those two young men. How old are those kids?Twelve? Thirteen? What sort of legitimate, recognized job is there that a child that age can hold today? How can they earn spending money and, possibly, transportation? And that bicycle would have enabled them to expand their route, as well, since they would have more time. A bike like that used to hang in my grandparents' basement, in back of the furnace. It disappeared around 1980, when the basement was cleaned out of a lot of scrap wood and old metal. Half NelsonBig Brother apparently is not "pleased as punch" with the spoils, and little brother only slightly less glum (stunned?). Little B looks like Ricky from "Ozzie and Harriet." Interesting contrastWalking away, she's quite a fashionable woman with her high heels and fancy hat. And then there's the man in his baggy suit and tattered shoes badly in need of a shine. That bikeDandy and very deluxe in its day. Plus it has a built-in light with a generator and a battery. $240 may or may not be an accurate conversion of $20 in 1921 dollars. However, $240 today will not get you a dream bike. I'd say you'd need $500-$1000 or more to get something as juicy and impressive today, and I'm not talking about a vintage bike. Just a 2010 bike with "all the bells & whistles". Today that might be a "trials" bike for doing tricks. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo)
Speedy Cyclists: 1913
... Darin On the far right? (The Gallery, Adam Maclay, Bicycles, New Zealand) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2013 - 7:36pm -

Christchurch, New Zealand, circa 1913. "Jack Suckling (center right with watch chain) and cyclists outside Speedy Cycle Works, Manchester Street. Champion cyclist Phil O'Shea is third from right." Photo by Adam Maclay. View full size. No Lycra hereAn old acquaintance owns a couple of large and successful bike shops in Maryland. On his web site [bike123.com] he has a quote from his daughter: "Laurel's famous quote as a toddler was "bike rides are where you see more people in Lycra that shouldn't be!" Given the thighs on some of the guys, no Lycra needed. Re: Phil O'SheaMust have been a bit of honor to have Phil O'Shea show up for your picture taking. A very full cycling life. Suits?I wonder how the guys with jackets and long pants did racing alongside the guys in shorts? FixiesThese guys were riding fixed gear bikes before it was cool... in fact, it was just about their only choice for another decade or two. Still thereView Larger Map Great legs!There are some pretty impressive thigh muscles among that group! Mr. BeanOn the far right? David Copperfield's PalIn which Dickens novel was Jack Suckling a character? Old roadiesAn interesting mix of moustache bars and drop bars here. No brakes, balloon tires on wood rims and wool shorts. Geez I'm gonna feel like such a wuss the next time I go riding. Bobby DarinOn the far right? (The Gallery, Adam Maclay, Bicycles, New Zealand)
ADT Messengers: 1908
... on a street with any amount of water. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Indianapolis, Kids, Lewis Hine) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:02pm -

A. D. T. Messengers, August 1908. Location: Indianapolis, Indiana. (ADT, or American District Telegraph, was the forerunner of today's home security company.) Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. ADTFinally, now I know what ADT stands for, even the people working there today didn't know what ADT stood for. Thanks to Shorpy, now I know. Well at least some of us do...I am a current ADT employee American District Telegraph locationI found a copy of the 1909 Indianapolis City Directory and located ADT's office at 29 Monument Circle (formerly known as 'Monument Place'). This is on the southeast quadrant of the Circle. See the Google pic below: The location is now occupied by the Indianapolis Power & Light headquarters (1 Monument Circle). The marquee of the Circle Theater next door can be seen, the address of which is 45. I also included a section from the City Directory for 'Telegraph Companies." {edit] I came across a wider shot of this same corner, taken in 1905. At the time, the building on the right is where Western Union had their offices. The next building over was called the Rhodius Building and contained the Circle Park Hotel. Look closely at the gap between these two buildings. It and the building to the right are also in the ADT photo. The white pillar can be seen on both views, as can the ironwork supporting the hanging sign. No FendersOn those bikes. Trust me: you will get very wet on a street with any amount of water. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Indianapolis, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Bicycle Queen: 1959
... the Mickey Mouse Club dreamed about her. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Pretty Girls) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/01/2014 - 5:01pm -

March 20, 1959. "Sixteen-year-old actress Annette Funicello, Bicycle Queen of 1959." New York World-Telegram and Sun Photo Collection. View full size. She Gets Around a LotAnnette's posed in front of the guard shack at the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank facing South Buena Vista Street. Though lovely in 1959-She truly blossomed in the styles and fashions of 1960s on the golden California beaches, and her films from that era will always be a treat, particularly to those of us of who initially saw them as teenagers. A StarletIronically enough it seems she's riding the Schwinn "Starlet" model. See: The 1959 Schwinn Catalog online Bicycle Queen of 1959And queen of my heart forever. My First "Crush"First of all: Thanks! BIG MIKE for saying it all; you put my very thoughts into words. Well Said! In 1959, I was 11 years old, and Annette, at 16 was the "older woman" in my life. I wonder how many of "us of a certain age" remember how we dreamed of a date with Annette: going to a soda shop, or the movies, or even a bike ride. She was the sweetheart of my pre-teen years! One Classy LadyThose of us of a certain age grew up with Annette on the Mickey Mouse Club and her later ventures into music and films and remember her well. A beautiful young lady and woman who I'm sure passed up many offers from the Men's magazines of the day for a bit more. She remained a classy and courageous lady 'til the end and is a fond memory for all of us. My First HeartthrobAnnette was my 1st dream girl. All the young boys watched her on the Mickey Mouse Club dreamed about her. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Pretty Girls)
Vital Foods: 1937
... The aluminum tube held the batteries. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Harris + Ewing) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:35pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1937. Exterior of the Happy News Cafe (described in a 1933 news item as "the new dietitian restaurant for the unemployed") at 1727 Seventh Street N.W. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. The font says, "It's circus time!"There's nothing like Bozo The Clown-style lettering on the sign to put the patrons in a good mood... but I doubt that they got any Coney Island red hots, popcorn, or cotton candy inside. Am I wrong, or is this a charity soup kitchen that was "tricked out" to look like a real restaurant? Maybe in an attempt to spare people the embarrassment of taking a handout meal? Bernarr McFadden connectionNote the name "Bernarr McFadden Foundation." McFadden was a famous proponent of exercise and nutrition. A search on Google for "Bernarr McFadden" "Happy News Cafe" turns up exactly one reference - on Google Books - which explains the connection nicely. Day by day in every wayDay by day in every way, I am getting well (Ha!) I am filled with health and strength, More than I can tell (Ho!) Now I know, I can go All along the way (Ha!) Growing better all the time, And singing every day! (Ho!) -- Marching anthem by Bernarr Macfadden, to be sung with gusto Don't know if I would want to eat there. Some interesting articles written about him and his Foundation. Makes Mr. Kellogg's health regime seem mild. The bikeCan someone identify that great bicycle parked out front? What is that cylindrical object between the frame members? Tough TimesI note the "Ladies Dining Room" is upstairs... We wouldn't want any fraternizing with the enemy! And since they make a point that the food is actually served at a table, you know these were tough days in the Depression because that means that many places were more like soup lines. Tire pumpThe cylindrical object on the bike is a tire pump. I carry one on my bike in exactly the same place. Clowns to the Left, Jokers to the RightDig the "Ladies Dining Room." Speaking as a man, I say let's bring this idea back. About Bernarr MacfaddenIt's worth checking out the somewhat hilarious Wikipedia entry on him. Apparently a bit of a celebrity in his time, this was the first I've heard of him. The FoundationI see the Happy News Cafe was sponsored by the Bernarr MacFadden Foundation. MacFadden was a physical-culture promoter and magazine publisher. Interesting, that in the next picture, the cafe customers are all African Americans. Was the restaurant segregated or perhaps, was it placed in a black neighborhood intentionally? Were there other places like this in DC at the time? GraphicsThat main sign is super! It really helps make the point about the establishment! But if the "Ladies Dining Room" was upstairs, why need that No Smoking sign downstairs? It would appear that there was really no bother about where the Ladies ate. Which would be logical. [Because there were plenty of ladies who ate downstairs. - Dave] Elder Solomon Michaux and Bernarr MacfaddenAccording to his obituary in the New York Times, Elder Solomon Michaux's Good Neighbor League fed "250,000 indigent people at its Happy News Cafe on Seventh Street in Washington" in 1933. Bernarr Macfadden was the author of books like "Virile Powers of Superb Manhood" (1900) and "Strenuous Lover" (1904), as well as "Constipation: Its Cause, Effect, and Treatment" (1924) and the always-compelling "Predetermine Your Baby's Sex" (1926). In other words, he appears to have been into most of the fads -- many of them now viewed as hard science -- of the 20th century. 9-Cent Banquet Washington Post, Jul 1, 1933 Educators Attend 9-Cent "Banquet" A Barnarr McFadden "banquet," at a cost of 9 cents a person, was attended yesterday at the new dietitian restaurant for unemployed, 1727 Seventh street northwest, by Dr. Mordecai W. Johnson, president of Howard University, and Garnet C. Wilkinson, assistant superintendent of schools. They inspected the penny plant and expressed approval of its sanitary and scientific features. Elder Michaux, who is giving all surplus foods each day for benefit of worthy colored families, was also in the party, as was Dr. Emmett J. Scott, Howard University secretary, and member of the parole board. Arthur C. Newman, Guy D. Glassford and Eloise Skinner, completed the party. LadiesThere appears to some discrepencies between this photo and the previous one of the same cafe. In this one there is a sign that says the ladies dining room is upstairs while the previous one shows everyone eating together. There is also a sign on the window of this one that says everyone is "served at the table" while the previous one shows everyone going through a line cafeteria style. [Lots of restaurants had "ladies dining rooms" for women who preferred them. That doesn't mean they couldn't eat downstairs in mixed company. - Dave] Still there! Happy News!Just older and drabber, that's all. View Larger Map Battery case.I think the cylinder is the battery case for the headlight. I'm working on the bike brand. Bike is either a Colson or a Huffman Best I can tell. Both of these bikes of this vintage had the radical curve in the twin bars near the seat. Stuck in the dining room with...Dig the "Ladies Dining Room." Speaking as a man, I say let's bring this idea back. Speaking as a lady, I couldn't agree more. Throwing a history fitI wonder if there is a plaque or any historical marker attached to that building? That cafe was a pretty cool and historically significant place, in my opinion. Is it on the historical preservation list? It appears that the buildings to either side have been replaced since 1937. What is the use of the building today? It looks pretty shabby and forgotten in time. No Lock!Best thing about the bike is that I don't see a lock.....probably had no need for one in those days. Wow, A time full of honesty! Final wordIn these days, maybe it would be appropriate for some enterprising individual to reopen the Happy News Cafe in the original location. Great name for a coffee shoppe as well! And a tribute to the building's past glory. Why not? Shelby AirfloThe bike is a mid to late 1930's Shelby Airflo. It's unusual to see this model sporting the chrome (or stainless steel) fenders but without the "tank." It is loaded with the lighting accessories. Delta "Silver-Ray" headlight on the front fender, a Delta "Horn-Lite" (horn and a headlight combined) on the handlebar, and the Delta "Defender" taillight. The aluminum tube held the batteries. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Harris + Ewing)
Percy Neville: 1913
... showing this. I love this photo. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Kids, Lewis Hine) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:11pm -

November 1913. Shreveport, Louisiana. "Percy Neville, 11 years old. Messenger boy #6 for Mackay Telegraph Company. He has been messenger for different companies for four years. Goes to the Reservation [red light district] every day." View full size. Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. HandlebarsInteresting; I don't believe I've seen exactly this "gull-wing" style before. These mustache bars are a modern recreation of an early 20th-century style. Denny Gill Chugiak, Alaska Urgent businessThe standard comment about these messenger boys is, "Has been to the Reservation." Can someone please tell me who is sending telegrams to cathouses and why? [If the cathouse doesn't have a telephone, you send a telegram by messenger. - Dave] HandlebarsThis style handlebar is actually hinged in the center so you can adjust the angle. When you see bars dropped down really low, the bikes were called "scorchers" -- really popular before WWI (possibly later too). There are a lot of bicycle photos on Shorpy showing this. I love this photo. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Mount Vernon: 1903
... for Fourth Street businesses here . (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Small Towns, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/26/2017 - 6:43am -

Westchester County, New York, circa 1903. "South Fourth Avenue, Mount Vernon." 5x7 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Same view todayUsing the address 55 for reference, a few old buildings still stand: Casing the Joint?Apparently Jarvis Jewelers was robbed in a smash and grab in 1915. I wonder if those kids are young Louis, Harry and Frank planning the heist and it took them 12 years to work up the nerve. They like knowin' the time.There appear to be three clocks in this block. The closest one says 8:20 the third one looks like 10:20 and the middle one’s (hiding behind the tree) hands aren’t visible but I would guess 10:20 too Street's WetBut not the sidewalks. Which can only mean the street sprinkler just passed by. At exactly 8:17:28 On a rainy day according to Jarvis Jewelers. [Shorpy regulars will recognize 8:18 as jewelry-store-sign time. - Dave] The Daily ArgusSome ads for Fourth Street businesses here. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Bevo 10 Cents: 1917
... if it's fixed or has a coaster brake. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Eateries & Bars, Kids, Lewis Hine, OKC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/04/2018 - 11:32am -

March 15, 1917. Oklahoma City. Jack Ryan is 6-year-old newsie who lives at 126½ West Reno Street. View full size. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. Nice pattern matching...on the man's plaid cap! BevoThat Bevo must have been some concoction to warrant a dime a bottle! Probably a quart bottle, though. After all, when I was a kid in the '50s, Cokes were still only a nickel. [Bevo was a popular nonalcoholic malt beverage made by Anheuser Busch. Wikipedia link. - Dave] That bikeAmazing bike. HUGE bars, and check out the saddle. I would love to ride that thing around town. I wonder if it's fixed or has a coaster brake. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Eateries & Bars, Kids, Lewis Hine, OKC)
D.C. Police: 1901
... Previously seen here at Shorpy. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., D.C. Street Survey, Eateries & Bars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/17/2021 - 10:07pm -

Washington circa 1901. "Police Station, 12th Street N.W., west side, looking south from D at Pennsylvania Avenue." 5x7 inch glass negative, D.C. Street Survey Collection. View full size. Time Marches OnThis whole block was replaced in the '30s with what is now called the Ariel Rios Federal Building. And if you turn to the left, you'll be looking at the Old Post Office Building, now the Trump International Hotel. Local sudsAbner-Drury, operating from 1898 to 1938, was a brewery in D.C.'s Foggy Bottom neighborhood. It went into bankruptcy in 1935 and was subsequently reorganized as Washington Brewery Inc. It went out of business permanently in 1938. Post Office RestaurantSounds like the place to get a bowl of alphabet soup ... because alphabet soup is full of letters, see? Like a post office, see? Never mind. Middle of the road kind of guyShows you what Abner & Drury can do for you. The Post Office Restaurant Previously seen here at Shorpy. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., D.C. Street Survey, Eateries & Bars)
Lafayette Square: 1905
... [City folk didn't ride horses like they were bicycles. They took the streetcar or sidewalk (or biked) to get where they were ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 10:42am -

Buffalo, New York, circa 1905. "Lafayette Square." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. You can't park that here! Parking next to a fire hydrant is illegal! The Lafayette Hotelin the center of the shot in currently undergoing a $35M-$40M renovation that will result in one and two bedroom apartments and up to 50 hotel rooms, as well as several businesses on the ground floor. The exterior and much of the interior are being painstakingly restored to their original appearance. Target date for completion is May 1. Three dimensionalThe depth of field and scope of the lens have created one of the coolest looking images yet seen. Great job of scanning to maintain the effect. I feel like I'm looking out a window onto the actual scene. Your policy has expiredI had no intention of commenting until something struck me as humorous in the building on the right hand side. I would bet that the New York "Life Insurance" company did not appreciate one of their employees perching himself in an open fourth story window. Plus 107and the bystanders are less ghostly and considerably less well-dressed. View Larger Map Good to seeThat at least two of the major buildings has survived. What was that glorious masonry gem on the far side of the Square? [The Buffalo Public Library, dedicated 1887, demolished 1963.] Shame What Is It?OK, I have to ask this. Sure, I have only been on Shorpy about 3 months, but have traveled all over Europe and seen these http://www.urinal.net/pissar/ But I have never seen them in old photos such as here. Is this a pissoir? Something for the horse buggies? Fresh water? Something for the drivers to "dispose" certain things of? [Whatever it is, it has an electrical connection to the streetcar grid. - Dave] *MrK replying* I see that Dave, thanks! Missed it the first time. Also, looking at the shadow, the object looks like it does not have the same dimentions all around. Looks wide, but not deep according to the shadow. The photo here on the page is a little too low res to discern where the wire goes or what it is connected to (Dave can you help?). I see what appears to be a fire call box on the furthest trolley pole in that block corner. I will ask a few trolley experts here about it and hope to report back :) Not a lot of automobiles yetbut a year later, on July 4 1906, Buffalo would record its first instance of a pedestrian being fatally mowed down by one of the infernal machines when Henry A Ward, founder of Ward's Natural Science Establishment (and taxidermist of Jumbo the Elephant mount fame) succumbed. re: The TardisIf it is connected by wire, then so are the horses or the coachman standing close by. No, I think the wire simply is passing above, to support another segment of the trolley cable running overhead. [You're looking at the wrong wire. - Dave] Formerly Courthouse SquareThis location was renamed to commemorate the Marquis de LaFayette's visit to Buffalo in 1825, the same year the Erie Canal was completed. This location is just a few blocks north of the Ellicott Square Building, designed by Daniel Burnham and opened in 1896 (the world's largest office building at the time). The Ellicott Square Building was featured on Shorpy a while back: https://www.shorpy.com/node/10750 Big GunThe large cannon at left center is a Civil War-era Parrott Rifle, named after its designer Robert Parker Parrott. These were cutting edge when introduced in 1861 and came in variety of sizes. Both the Army and Navy used them up through the early 1890s. This particular Parrott seems to be a big one, possibly a 200 pounder, meaning it could fire a pointed shell weighing 200 pounds. Military technology moved swiftly in the late 19th century and Parrotts were phased out as more modern artillery came into use. Many obsolete Parrotts and other Civil War cannon ended up as martial ornaments in city parks and military cemeteries. The scrap drives of World War II took a huge toll on ornamental cannon. Wonder if this Parrott survived? The Tardis-identity revealedThis is a police call box. Very common at the time. I've attached a picture of a rather more ornate one, but of the same general layout. I think the wire DOES go to the box, for the telephone inside. The Tardis-identity revealedVery nice find. Makes sense now, following that wire to the fire pull box with this police call box makes sense to bundle the wires and be routed back to the same place. Darn that Chameleon circuit, looks like it will never get fixed! KleinhansI wonder if Kleinhans wouldn't sell their building, so they built the U-shaped New York Life building around it? [That's an integral part of the Brisbane Building, constructed 1894-1896. The previous structure, The Arcade, was completely destroyed by fire in 1893.] Buffalo Tardis: real identity revealedNot a call box, although many had telephone connections in a box OUTSIDE this "booth". These were used by walking patrolmen as one-man jails. A rowdy would be stuffed inside, locked up, and the paddy wagon sent for. They were at various intersections all over Buffalo, until about 1940. See photo and caption here. Hotel LafayetteHere's an update to the previous post about the rehabilitation of the Hotel Lafayette. I appreciate that their original 1905 sign indicated that the hotel is "Fire Proof". Sleep in safety! As a side note, the hotel was designed an built by the first accredited female architect in the AIA, Louise Blanchard Bethune. QuestionsTwo questions. Where is the smoke coming from? It looks to be a warm summer day, so it wouldn't be from furnaces in the buildings. It seems to originate on top of the building between the Hotel LaFayette, and Kleinhans. Or, is it some kind of smudge on the photo plate? [Buffalo was an industrial center with many factories as well as coal-fired locomotives and steamships. - Dave] And, did no one ride horses in the city? Or, did no one ride horses downtown? I don't see any riders in any downtown photos, and I don't see where you'd tie one up. All I see s carriages and cars and streetcars. [City folk didn't ride horses like they were bicycles. They took the streetcar or sidewalk (or biked) to get where they were going. - Dave] If you go to Buffalo, do check out the renovated Hotel LaFayette. Its gorgeous! (The Gallery, Buffalo NY, DPC, Horses, Streetcars)
Look Out World, Here I Come
... bike! Little Rascal It's Weezer! (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:45pm -

Washington, D.C., 1921. "Times boy and bicycle." Winner of a Mead Ranger bike by virtue of selling 30 newspaper subscriptions. The Ranger contest was a promotion of various papers from about 1917 to 1923. National Photo Co. Collection. View full size. WOWnow that is a most excellent velo. just a bit too big for him, is all. Bike!Yes, I too want that bike! Little RascalIt's Weezer! (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo)
Pardridge & Blackwell: 1915
... too far from the location in the photo. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Detroit Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:53pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1915. "Pardridge & Blackwell department store." Many interesting details lurking in the corners here; note the phantom streetcar on the left and billboard advertising "Death-Daring Drivers" in a 24-hour auto race on the right. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Crowley'sThe store became Crowley Milner. I remember the wooden esclators. A perfect Valentine's picfor lovers with initials P&B. Long GoneP&B eventually became Crowley's. This building was torn down in the late 1970s, and the Crowley's chain went under in 1999. P & RI did a double-take when I saw the title of this photo come up. Back in the 1970s up until quite recently, there was a popular PARTRIDGE & ROCKWELL appliance store in Greenwich, Connecticut, where we bought most of our major appliances back then. The name of this Detroit store naturally caught my eye. InnovationHonest-to-gosh bicycle racks, so there's no longer a need to prop your pedal up against the curb. Fly free, little one!This delights me. Christmas ShoppingThis reminds me so much of F & R Lazarus Department store in downtown Columbus when I was a child. They had a giant globe on the roof with a big "L" on it that lit up at night, and at Christmas they would drape lights from it to form a Christmas tree that could be seen for miles in any direction. They were also famous for their animated Christmas windows, and Santaland in the basement. The store is gone now, a victim of multiple mergers and corporate takeovers, and i haven't been to downtown Columbus since. All of my childhood landmarks are gone, so I'll stick with memories ... and Shorpy! I found an image of the Lazarus store lit up for Christmas..had to share! Mild dayThere's a lot of open windows for a winter's day! [Why do we think this is winter? - Dave] GhostsA couple of ghost platoons. Perhaps some Starship Troopers? (First one who figures that reference gets a free internet.) Why?It looks like melting snow on the street, but I can't figure out if it's that, or from a very brief rain shower. [That's street-cleaning water. Posters on the billboard are advertising events in June. - Dave] No fair, you guys using reading and observation. You probably have opposable thumbs, too. re: Why?And then there are all the women and little girls not wearing coats. A Shorpilu ProductionSomeone cue Wilbur Hatch! Wehying Bros.Wehying Brothers jewelers is still in business in Detroit today. They've moved about a mile up Gratiot Avenue, not too far from the location in the photo. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Detroit Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Miss Handlebars: 1900
... the portrait) - a cosy corner of time. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Dogs, Found Photos, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/19/2014 - 1:23pm -

Circa 1900. "Lettis -- girl with bicycle and dog." 4x5 inch glass negative, photographer and location unknown. View full size. Anti-bobI bet that her unbraided hair is knee length. I'm surprised that her bike has skirt netting on the rear wheel but the chain guard stops at the chain ring. I have a hard enough time keeping my chain from amputating my aglets. Ms. SprocketAmazing hair. Very cool chain guard and bike. Bicycle "Take me away". Freedom at last look on her face. Toto? What happened?Why are we still in Kansas? What happened to that witch, and is that the straw man back there? Old Dog Trey, Ever FaithfulStanding guard to ensure that no strange canine nips at Letitia's comely ankle. Shorpy answers questionsI love that Shorpy answers questions I never knew I had, such as, "I wonder what people's yards looked like prior to the invention of the modern lawn mower." EnchantingHer bike is much like mine but rather more Spartan in its appointments. Lovely hair, fine old house, rampant foliage, baby in wicker pram, doting grandad, loyal pup (looks like they've put his mat there to encourage him to join the portrait) - a cosy corner of time. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Dogs, Found Photos, Kids)
Flash Mob: 1943
... Parks Drugs in the mid-1950s. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Bicycles, Marjory Collins, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/16/2014 - 12:03pm -

April 1943. "Baltimore, Maryland. Third shift workers waiting on a street corner to be picked up by car pools around midnight." Last seen at the lunch counter. Photo by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. Car poolsSo we were wrong about the streetcars. Drugs and Liquorand cut rate, it doesn't get any better than that. "Frankly my dearI'm waiting for my carpool." Clark Gable still looking dapper, even with dirty dungarees, and his lunch pail. TrendsetterThat sure looks like Clark Gable in a hoodie. Handsome fellow! ClarkI never realized that Clark Gable did third shift work. Early doo-wopDrugs, liquor, and some early doo-wop on the street under the light on the street corner. Those were the days! It Happened One NightMost of the folks are waiting for the car pool, but Clark Gable is taking the bus. Is That The Profile I see?Is that Lionel Barrymore I see in the far background facing the crowd showing his famous profile? [It was his brother John who was "The Great Profile." Who'd have been happy to stumble across this liquor store. -tterrace] [Ha! You are right of course. I hope I didn't embarrass the Barrymore family (especially Drew)- baxado] Isadore Jack Parks, 90, owner of two drugstoresFrom a 1998 obit: Isadore Jack Parks, who had owned two drugstores and worked in advertising, died of cancer Wednesday at Stella Maris Hospice. He was 90 and a longtime Pikesville resident. Mr. Parks managed drugstores for the Read Drug and Chemical Co. from 1931 to 1944. In 1944, he opened a drugstore next to the famed Nate's & Leon's, a delicatessen at North and Linden avenues, and another pharmacy on Pennsylvania Avenue. He sold the two Parks Drugs in the mid-1950s. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Bicycles, Marjory Collins, Stores & Markets)
River City: 1901
... years too late. What a terrific photo! (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC, Music) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/05/2014 - 10:33am -

Detroit circa 1901. "Excursion steamers Tashmoo and Idlewild at wharf." No loafing allowed! 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Where's Harold?Looks like the "Professor" has already high-tailed it out of town! The Tashmoowas scrapped in 1936 after hitting a rock and finally sinking after reaching a dock in Amherstburg, Ontario. Here's a view of her from happier days, a 1907 postcard. Uncannily familiarJust try to look at the bow of the Idlewild and not think of Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party". The men here are better dressed, but between the women's garb and that striped awning, it's an amazing resemblance. Top CatsIt appears that simply standing around sporting your hat, with your arms akimbo, was a pastime in itself. They had to put up a sign?The band surely was an attraction for this crowd, but why would loafers be such a problem at other times that they had to erect a sign? Festival of hats!Between the skimmers, boaters, bowlers, fedoras (crushed or not), and a dozen more besides, there's every variety of topper here, and to each one its social class. CaptainIs the captain getting a hug and a kiss from a long skirted member of the fairer sex? [Darn, he's not. -tterrace] Too badI was born about seventy years too late. What a terrific photo! (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC, Music)
The Case of the Dented Dodge
... Your Destination X marks the spot! (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, News Photo Archive, Signal 30) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/08/2016 - 9:01pm -

Oakland circa 1953 and another vehicular misadventure, this time starring the bike that couldn't quite dodge a Dodge. Cameos by two Cadillacs. View full size. Lane MarkersI don't know exactly how those old lane markers (X) are operated, but there are still some of them in use here in the Atlanta area. [I believe the hanging "X" signs relate to the rail tracks that appear to be running along the cross street. -tterrace] 19 cent hamburgersThat seems rather high for 1953, especially since they didn't have to go far to get the meat. X for a CrosswalkI remember seeing those "X" signs used to indicate to drivers that a pedestrian crosswalk was located below. 19¢ hamburgers!Those 19 cent hamburgers would be nice in this day of low wages and tight budgets. The 19¢ hamburger story continuesIt was probably about this time that the Hi-Fi Drive-In on U.S. 101 in downtown Petaluma, California put up their "19¢ Hamburgers" sign, the "19¢" in huge, neon-and-bulbs-illuminated letters. It was my first lesson in the realities of economics when at some point in the 1960s the "Hamburgers" under the "19¢" was changed to "Fries." X for Ped Xing?I remember them as markers for pedestrian crossings. We appear to be at the intersection of Telegraph and Grand, looking down Telegraph with Grand as the cross street. The Key System ran down Telegraph, no tracks on Grand: http://djjr-courses.wikidot.com/soc128:project13-key-system Cancel Previous TransmissionRailroad crossing is plausible, you can see the overhead trolley wires as well as the tracks. Now I'm confused as to which way we're looking. It's only been fifty plus years since I was at that intersection. MEATS MEATSYou just don't see signs like that anymore. Scene todayThanks to the Google Street View Time Machine: You Have Reached Your DestinationX marks the spot! (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, News Photo Archive, Signal 30)
Golden Era: 1908
... cars, there is a lot more of that. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/26/2020 - 12:39pm -

Circa 1908. "North Adams, Massachusetts -- Church Street." Let's meet under the elm tree. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. sighI would love to get a chance to walk that street back then and tour the insides of the homes. Lovely!! Our streetsHow nice our streets would be now without cars parked on each side. Manse and BoyThe brick building on the left is known as the Blackinton Mansion, after the factory owner who built it in the late 1800's, and houses the North Adams public library. Looks like the same house on the leftUnfortunately, most of Church Street is not recorded on streetview but this is probably it. House and street on the right side of the frame matches as well. Hitching posts replaced by parking meters. View Larger Map No cars, but maybe not so niceYou might note the dark clumpy substance in the middle of the street. Without cars, there is a lot more of that. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Kids)
Going Under: 1935
... Era of Tailfins is a mystery to me. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boats & Bridges, Carl Mydans, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/20/2021 - 4:42pm -

November 1935. "Underground pass at the Radburn, New Jersey, model housing community which alleviates the dangers of the highway. Radburn is a privately financed model town that furnished some of the ideas for the U.S. suburban Resettlement Agency 'Greenbelt' towns." Nitrate negative by Carl Mydans for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Just a very sincere "Thank You!"--Ray in Henderson, NV Another year of memories and review of times long gone. I can't thank you enough for your efforts. I don't think there has one post that I've not totally enjoyed. God bless. Pre-Global Warmingwhen it snowed in Jersey in November. Planned for ProfitabilityHere in suburban New Jersey, there are a number of commercial real estate developments that would appear to have sought to tease the boundaries between subdivision and municipality -- Radburn, part of the town of Fair Lawn, the Short Hills section of Millburn (developed with the fortune of Stuart Hartshorn, inventor of the roll-up window shade), and Llewellyn Park, the development where Edison chose to build his mansion, are among them. We can only guess as to whether the developers hoped to install governments in their projects, or simply wanted to add to the cachet to beef up sales; but they're literally part of the landscape a century later. From the top of the bridge The footpath goes under Howard Ave. That bridge is still there https://www.google.com/maps/@40.944263,-74.1174754,3a,75y,122.09h,84.26t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1syxTilM_5dAWGZ1N_AWLhGg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en [Let us endeavor to embed. - Dave] Here's that footpathJust a few miles and a bend or two up the Passaic River from where I grew up. Tulpa of the daySurely that's Slenderman. As you wishHere is the embedded map. If you swing around you'll see a playground and what I'm guessing is a community swimming pool. HitchcockianThere is something vaguely ominous about this picture. The shadows. The slender serious man walking away from the innocent carefree child. The dark empty car stopped up above. Gives me the shivers. Single-car garage/walk-in closetsThe link to Google Streetview is a good starting place for a tour through an early subdivision characterized by pre-Levittown two-story single family homes and attached duplexes, and dead ends that could have benefitted from cul-de-sacs at the ends. What's striking is how small the garage on each new unit was, by comparison to postwar homes. How so many of them survived the Era of Tailfins is a mystery to me. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boats & Bridges, Carl Mydans, Kids)
The Ormond: 1894
... was doing and took safety seriously. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Florida, W.H. Jackson) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/10/2019 - 1:18pm -

Ormond Beach, Florida, 1894. "The Ormond." At its peak, Henry Flagler's Hotel Ormond was reputed to be the largest wooden structure in the United States, with 400 rooms connected by 11 miles of corridors and breezeways. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size. All that woodand it did not burn! A Thing of BeautyWhat a beautiful and gracious building. One That Slipped ThroughDidn't burn?? How did this get past the Shorpy censors?? A Very Big Place!Here's a link to a great site that has numerous pictures of the Hotel Ormond in 1992 before it was demolished. http://www.historic-structures.com/fl/ormond_beach/ormond_hotel.php Why it didn't burnLook through the pictures that Vonderhees linked (thank you); you will see that the kitchen (and boiler I'd guess) are in a separate, masonry building, and throughout the hotel, there are sprinklers. The neatest part is that in the ballrooms--I'd presume in the older, nicer sections of the hotel--they are built into the plasterwork. If it had been a 1960s or 1970s retrofit, those pipes would likely have been visible. So I'm guessing that from the start, or soon thereafter, somebody knew what he was doing and took safety seriously. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Florida, W.H. Jackson)
Dolly's Go-Cart: 1905
... for a better deal. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, Bicycles, DPC, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:09pm -

Atlantic City, New Jersey, circa 1905. "Dolly's go-cart." Behind this little princess: a pushy mother. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Why are we here?Neither mother nor daughter seem particularly happy. The only one with a semblance of a smile is the doll! By the poundConsidering that it was 1905, their prosperity might be in direct proportion to their girth. Here's an ideaLadies, why don't we stop in here at the Green's and take a sea water bath. Then we can go out on the porch and watch these guys climb around on the billboard. Easter '04The Easter Parade at Green's Hotel. Cute VehicleI've never seen one of these before..for such a big girl! I wonder how Mom could see where she was going. But it is very cute and interesting. Thank you, Shorpy! SweetDespite the seeming grimace on the child (the sun?) this is a sweet picture. Most of the photos from this period the children seem to be in rather purposeful tow with their parents. And there are two dollies in this photo. The little girl has a baby nestled in front of her. Boardwalk RollersThis is one of Atlantic City's celebrated rental "rolling chairs," which have made numerous appearances on Shorpy. Most of them are "double chairs." Nice to have a close-up of a single. Some things never changeIf you've been to Disney World anytime recently you'll know what I mean. There are still "pushy mothers" pushing around strollers overstuffed with older children who are more than capable of walking. Around foreverThey still had the double wicker carts when I was a kid going to Atlantic City in the 50s and early 60s. I remember always wanting to ride in one. They remind me of the kind of bicycle carts you can hop in today in NYC. Rolling chairEven though these are pushed, they are still called "rickshaws" in Atlantic city. You can still get a ride on one now, but it will cost you about five bucks or more. If you're smart you will refuse the first price that they give you and bargain for a better deal. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, Bicycles, DPC, Kids)
Boblo Island Steamers: 1901
... of the park on the island here . (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/09/2015 - 3:10pm -

Detroit circa 1901. "Windsor ferry dock, Woodward Avenue. Steamers to Bois Blanc Island (Boblo Island), Ontario." We're signed up for the 3:30 excursion, but only if Zickel's Orchestra is playing. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. More on the Steamer ExcelsiorCan be found here. Did they play the Kalamazoo corset song? Zickel's Orchestra, 1903 "Zickel was well known in Kalamazoo and made a respectable career out of composing promotional songs and marches for well-known businesses, including “American Beauty March & Two Step” (1908), “My American Beauty Rose” (1910), and “My American Beauty Girl” (1912) for the Kalamazoo Corset Company." Boblo, misplacedUnless it migrated after 1901, Bois Blanc Island isn't in Lake Huron -- it's in the Detroit River, just above Lake Erie. [Bois Blanc Island, Michigan, is indeed in Lake Huron. Bois Blanc Island, Ontario, however, is in the Detroit River. Shorpy regrets the error. - Dave] Where they were steaming off toHistory of the park on the island here. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Geese Better Scurry: 1901
... Best looking water tower I've seen. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Horses) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/07/2016 - 2:43pm -

New Jersey circa 1901. "Coleman House, Asbury Park." Fringe Festival in progress. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Unsecured BicycleHow long until an unlocked bike was purloined in 1901? I'd give it five minutes today. This isn't OklahomaBut you get an Oscar for your Hammerstein reference anyway. Luddite Bicycle JockeyDoesn't trust those newfangled bike racks. FixieNowadays, you have to pay someone to make a bike like that for you. We call them "fixies", and they don't have brakes because they don't have a freewheel: you cannot coast, your legs are always moving. Stop moving your legs, and you stop. Sort-of. Up a hill, not so bad. Down a hill, rather exciting. Stopping is overratedWho needs brakes when you have a bell, though it looks like they may have lost the actual bell part. Razed, not BlazedAccording to http://noweverthen.com/asbury/ap1.1fold/ap1.12.html: "The Coleman was torn down in the '50s and replaced by a modern motel, the Empress." An early drawing of the Coleman, click to embiggen: Back seat driverNote first surrey. stopping is NOT overrated......and entirely possible with a fixed gear bike. Once a necessity, now a hipster status symbol/phenomenon. Google "hipster fixie" if you care to know more. Early auto designI don't ever recall seeing a full-size buggy with wire wheels. Imagining it without the back seat, and the top, (and the horse!) it looks a lot like a early Winton auto. Water tower designTop left of the hotel is what looks like to me a water tower built for the purpose of water pressure throughout the hotel. Best looking water tower I've seen. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Horses)
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