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Hidden Dangers: 1920
... pay a dime to see that. How about you? (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Kids, Movies, Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:32pm -

Washington, D.C., 1920. "Dixie Theater crowd, H Street." Now playing: "Hidden Dangers" (Episode 2, "The Murder Mood"), "The Primal Lure" and "When Cowboy Was King." Kids get in for 11 cents! Next door: People's Drug Store No. 5. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Fast ForwardAbout 1946 after school one afternoon, I went to the Loews 167th Street Theatre in the Bronx. Previously I had brought two milk bottles into a local grocer and collected the 3¢ deposit on each, I added 3¢ of my own and bought a 9¢ ticket to a double feature. Eleven centsI remember the Saturday matinee for 7 cents in 1951 for two cowboy movies, a newsreel, the Three Stooges and a cartoon or two. A rough looking bunchI can't recall a more delinquent looking bunch on Shorpy, even the Newsies look downright respectable compared to these kids. It took two Cops and a Billy Club to keep them in line! Dime StoryThere was a beat-up, run-down old movie theater on a side street in Poughkeepsie that showed third-rate stuff for about a dime. The joke among us kids was that you had to take two pieces of bread with you if you went in there : one to sit on and the other to feed the rats with. A curious mixture of scruffy and neatI'm surprised that bow ties appear to be part of police uniform. Also, one would have hoped that they would have had their coats done up for the photo! I'm presuming that these are in fact cops. Looks like Larry Semonin the poster behind the bald guy. Larry Semon and other thingsThe lobby cards to the left of the box office appear to be for "Humbugs and Husbands", a Larry Semon Vitagraph comedy from 1918. The Primal Lure, which was directed by William S. Hart himself, was originally released in 1916. When Cowboy Was King was copyrighted Sept. 20, 1919 and directed by Aubrey M. Kennedy. Hidden Dangers was a 15 part 1920 serial directed by William Bertram that critic George Ralph Doyle called "(the) worst serial I have ever seen". Serial Squadron says it's "entirely lost" (they've published a book based on the original press materials), and that's a shame because it sounds kind of nuts, really. It involves a doctor whose Jekyll-and-Hyde complex turns him into a super villain that commits crimes with "the mysterious and powerful 'double X ray'". I'd pay a dime to see that. How about you? (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Kids, Movies, Natl Photo)
Manley Boy: 1917
... given the birth information himself. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Kids, Lewis Hine, OKC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/04/2018 - 11:31am -

March 15, 1917. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. "Manley Creasson [Creason], 914 West Sixth Street. Messenger #6, MacKay Telegraph Co. Says he is 14; school records say 13. Says he has steady job -- 'Been a messenger for years. Get $15 for 2 weeks' pay'." Silver gelatin print by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Hard LifeIf my Ancestry.com research is correct, Manley died in 1941 at the age of 38 in Dallas, after serving some time in Leavenworth Prison in the 1930s. In the 1930 census, he is shown as a married boarder, with no job. A Manly Man, to the EndManly R. Creason (the correct spelling) was born in, either, 1902 0r 1903, depending upon which account is correct. He died in Texas in 1941 of tuberculosis The School was Wrong (at least according to the State of Texas)If you go by his death certificate issued in Texas in 1941 (he died from pulmonary tuberculosis at the age of 38). As per the 1940 census he and his wife, Jewell, were the owners of either a cafe (1940 census) or a 'recreational club' (death certificate). That said, his census records each have him listed as being born around 1904, so perhaps Texas was wrong after all. They had a daughter, Mary George, and Jewell lived until 1985, apparently never remarrying as she retained her maiden name according to her record in the Social Security Death index. Birthdate According to his headstone he was born in 1903. Track StandIt looks to me that Manley's bike isn't in motion, that he is executing a "track stand," a technique in which a rider balances his bike with little to no forward motion. His pedal cranks are horizontal and the front wheel is turned slightly, which is the signature look of a track stand. AwesomeThat's what my son said when I shared this Shorpy with him this AM. He's a bike messenger in Chicago and has shared it with everyone at work! Reliability of Information on Death CertificatesA deceased person's vital statistics on a death certificate are usually provided by an informant. The informant may be anyone, such as a relative or a neighbor. Those vital statistics, such as birthdate, may therefore be subject to error as informants may not be able to provide accurate data. Even spouses don't always know the correct birthdates or birth places for their mates. The medical information on the certificate is usually provided by a doctor or some other medical official. In the case Mr. Creason, I would tend to think that the birth data provided by the census is probably closer to the truth than that given in the death certificate. He may have given the birth information himself. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Kids, Lewis Hine, OKC)
Gifted Children: 1941
... see a boa constrictor grab a stevedore. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Christmas, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/22/2015 - 12:28pm -

December 1941. "Christmas in the home of a government executive in Virginia." Photo by John Collier taken in the home of his brother, Department of Agriculture official Charles Wood Collier. The boys are Charles's sons Lionel (Leo) and Charles Rawson Collier. View full size. Our United States PuzzlesFrom eBay. True colorsChristmas gifts are not supposed to be B&W. And 70 years laterFrom the Berkeley Daily Planet's obituary for Charles Rawson Collier (1935-2011): "Charles had a mischievous enjoyment and childlike enthusiasm for inventions, creations, and disruptions of the norm." Full obituary here. WilhelminaAs a Dutchman, I got intrigued by the book "Wilhelmina" among the gifts, as at that time (1941) Wilhelmina was Queen of the Netherlands (in exile in London). I could not imagine that a book for children could have anything to do with Queen Wilhelmina. It took me some time but I finally found the book, and to my surprise it did have a dutch connection! The book in question is: Wilhelmina - a little dutch girl by Janet P. Johl, illustrated by Rosalie L. Lane. In it an illustration which depicts Santa Claus' name giver: Sinterklaas. The Puzzle That Made War InterestingMy friend Robert B. and I used to spend many lazy summer evenings on his front porch playing the old card game War combined with the wooden US map puzzle (upper right on Vintagetvs' illustration). Win a trick and you win a state to add to your collection. We had many variations to make the usually boring and long lasting card game shorter and more interesting plus we learned the 48 states, their locations, shapes and capitols. Sounds boring compared to today's juvenile distractions but we had fun playing it plus while playing we could plan the adventures we would do the next day such as take a bike ride down to the harbor and catch a cool breeze as we watched a banana boat unloading on Pratt Street. We hoped to see but never did see a boa constrictor grab a stevedore. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Christmas, Kids)
Postal Boys: 1911
... the over the road delivery business. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Kids, Lewis Hine) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:59pm -

June 1911. Norfolk, Virginia. "A typical group of Postal Messengers. Smallest on left end, Wilmore Johnson, been there one year. Works days only. The Postal boys are not nearly so young in Norfolk and also in other Virginia cities as are the Western Union boys." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Real fixies without brakes?Although the coaster brake was invented a little more than ten years before this picture was taken, they weren't ubiquitous yet, but the second bike from the right does appear to have some kind of band on the left rear stay, possibly to secure a torque arm... recycled board racers?Except for the center bike with the auto horn and spring seat, these bikes look like they had earlier been board track racers. Bare bones frame with serrated metal pedals, smooth tires, sans chain guard and rigid racing seats. Just reset the handlebars downward to racing position. Tuck in, and ride like the wind. A grand old nameAdams Express continues in business today. Like other express companies of past centuries, such as American Express and Wells Fargo, their principle business became financial services. The kid on the leftThe look on his face tells me that the bike frame just might be causing him a wee bit of discomfort. Perhaps he is telling Hines to "Hurry up and take the picture.....this is killing me!" Adams EtcAdams Express, American Express, Southern Express and a few others were merged into the Railway Express Company (REA) in 1917. The Feds needed to control the railways for the WW1 emergency. It was accomplished by the United States Railway Administration (USRA) to assure that that the Rail Systems operated efficiently during wartime. Railway Express was with us until 1975 when it went out of business. The Interstate Highway System became their downfall when UPS et al went into the over the road delivery business. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Kids, Lewis Hine)
The Sherman: 1899
... simply another name for saloon. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/16/2018 - 5:38pm -

Mount Clemens, Michigan, circa 1899. "Sherman House." And its Sample Room. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. 119 Years LaterNorthwest corner of Cass and Gratiot where the Sherman House used to stand. Now a Macomb County office building housing, among other things, the offices of the Friend of the Court. The Object across the streetWith the Round Globe and appears it would be colorful. Is It a fancy Barber Pole? Streetcar tracks and---dirt roads, I didn't know they coexisted. Stone TabletsThe stone tablets standing on edge in the gutters were to prevent the utility poles from being struck by wagon wheel hubs. Often you will also see many spirally wound wraps of steel wire around pole bases, or steel sheet, to similarly protect poles from damage. It must have been a real problem. Obsolete CommunicationsTwo types of obsolete communication in this picture struck me. The paperboy and Western Union bike messengers. What the heck would they be sampling? [Booze. - Dave] From the Encyclopedia of Chicago: A second type of drinking place evolved from grocers and provisioners who began to sell hard liquor in wholesale quantities. At first, their sample rooms were places where customers could taste-test the stock; long afterward, "sample room" became simply another name for saloon. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Streetcars)
INB: 1904
... was demolished in 1970 . - Dave] (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Indianapolis) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/16/2018 - 9:22am -

"Indiana National Bank, Virginia Avenue." Continuing our tour of 1904 Indianapolis, sponsored by Omega Oil. Trial Bottle only 10 cents! 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Giving it the ZipI think this is a building at the corner of Washington and Virginia street. It was replaced with Merchant's bank building nicknamed the "zipper bank", and remodeled for the 3rd time, now houses a Brazilian steakhouse. [Actually the bank, at 3 Virginia Avenue, was demolished in 1970. - Dave] (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Indianapolis)
Minor Heroes: 1910
... Maclay. View full size. (The Gallery, Adam Maclay, Bicycles, New Zealand) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/13/2013 - 3:01pm -

New Zealand circa 1910. "Studio portrait of bicycle road racing team with four young men in riding attire with two small cups, manager with polka dot tie and coach alongside, Christchurch." Glass negative by Adam Maclay. View full size. (The Gallery, Adam Maclay, Bicycles, New Zealand)
Boy, Bike, Boat: 1906
... never post too many Tashmoo pictures. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/08/2014 - 6:11pm -

The Detroit River circa 1906. Steamer Tashmoo at St. Clair Flats, Michigan." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What was he thinking?When enlarging these pictures, I often find it riveting to project myself into the picture, especially when they are scenes of serene, tranquil days of yore which don't seem to occur much these days. One cannot help but wonder what the boy's thoughts were but clearly they stopped him in his tracks long enough for him to take some time out to contemplate the grandness of the steamer and the peacefulness of being on such a cruise. The entire setting depicts an era that seems gone forever, an ideal atmosphere of leisurely, gracious calmness, with ladies and gentlemen drifting down the river, passing the park of landscaped, well-kept lawns and hanging gardens of vines and blossoms appealingly draping down over the walls and all of it, together, perfectly defining the meaning of a very pleasant afternoon. I used to imagine myself in the old double postcard pictures of my grandfather's ancient stereoscope as a youngster and also with the 50's View Masters discs but Shorpy's photos are the best ones in which to lose yourself. Can't be doneYou can never post too many Tashmoo pictures. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC)
College Ices: 1908
... thyself. Or maybe that was the problem? (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/17/2013 - 1:33pm -

Circa 1908. "Allyn House, Hartford, Conn." At the drug store: Egg Drinks and "College Ices." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A respectable lifespanDowntown Hartford has many nicely preserved older buildings, alas the Allyn House is not among them. Which isn't to say that it met a premature end. Built in 1857 as the city's first hotel, and standing at the northwest corner of Asylum* and Trumbull streets, it lasted a respectable 103 years before being demolished. It hadn't been used as a hotel for many years. The Allyn House was demolished on account of general decrepitude, not because the site was urgently needed for something else. In fact the site was a parking lot for a decade before the Hartford Civic Center (now the XL Center) was built on it. * = Asylum Street, one of Hartford's major thoroughfares, takes its peculiar moniker from the former name of the American School for the Deaf, once located along it. "College Ice"is just another name for the old fashioned ice cream sundae. My father used to make a "college ice" as a treat for us kids on a Friday night. Vanilla ice cream, Hershey's chocolate syrup and whatever fruit was available. Delicious. Allyn House (1857-1960)From whatwasthere.com: "The Allyn House, on the corner of Asylum Street and Trumbull Street, was the finest hotel in Hartford when constructed in 1857. It was designed by Octavius J. Jordan and was located near the railroad station. It was demolished in 1960. William T. Stevens was the proprietor of the Hartford Optical Co. Charles Avery sold boots and shoes at 148 Asylum Street." Philo W. Newton & Co.I looked up Philo W. Newton & Co., the drug store pictured above in the Allyn House, and found this from the Druggists Circular and Chemical Gazette, April 1904: "Charles F. German, a member of the firm of Philo W. Newton & Co., has recently been quite ill, but is now improving." Druggist, heal thyself. Or maybe that was the problem? (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Belle Isle Bikes: 1899
... Company. View full size. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Detroit Photos, DPC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/26/2017 - 10:47am -

Detroit circa 1899. "Forest Drive, Belle Isle Park." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Boy on a Bike: 1900
... but the same winsome smile. (The Gallery, Bell Studio, Bicycles, D.C., Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/27/2016 - 10:42pm -

"Boy on bicycle ca. 1895-1916" is the improvised title of this 5x7 dry plate from the C.M. Bell portrait studio in Washington, D.C., whose legacy is a collection of some 30,000 glass negatives recently digitized and catalogued by the Library of Congress after spending the better part of a century in "a succession of basements and farm buildings." View full size. Background Fungus?The background was a bit of a puzzle until I recalled something I learned right here on Shorpy: Old negatives can be attacked by fungus. I surmise this is a severe case of fungal attack. (Makes one realize how much of a blessing digitization is.) [The culprit here is most likely mold resulting from water damage. -Dave] The headlight is interesting. It might be a carbide/acetylene lamp like some underground miner's headlamps, or it might be an early dry cell electric. Many years ago, I saw a British-made bicycle headlamp that used a rectangular 3-volt battery which was two cylindrical zinc-carbon cells in a single enclosure. It had brass contact strips on the top and front. I believe these batteries have been obsolete since circa WW2. Judging by the apparent size of this lamp, it might be an electric lamp which takes one of these 3v. batteries. But, the top looks somewhat like a vent, so acetylene still seems like a good guess. PoshA well-dressed kid and a well-appointed bicycle (headlight!)plus, of course, his presence in a photo studio suggests that this is a child of privilege. Who did he grow up to be? He grew to be...TV Tommy Ivo before he got his 4 engine dragster. DigitizationTrue, it doesn't get moldy, but I wonder if a flash drive stored in a damp basement for 100 years would yield any images? Oil?There seems to be a long springy bracket on the front lamp and, together with the vent, suggests to me that there is paraffin (kerosene?) in the bottom tank. Without good springing the flame would go out when shaken on a bumpy road. The valve on the rear tyre looks shorter than the UK one used at that time; would it have a tubular rubber insert? Little Lord Fauntleroy?Without the curly hair, but the same winsome smile. (The Gallery, Bell Studio, Bicycles, D.C., Kids)
Greetings From Asbury Park: 1914
... nothing on wheels rolled in Ocean Grove on Sunday. Not bicycles or baby carriages. Everyone walked. Even cars had to be parked ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 6:44pm -

"Asbury Park, New Jersey." The North End Hotel on the Ocean Grove side of the boardwalk circa 1914. George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. "In the Beautiful Seaside Air"That's the title of a Victor record by Billy Murray and the Peerless Quartet, circa 1915. My late Grandma's favorite vacation spot was Asbury Park, and I'm glad that she didn't live long enough to see the boardwalk fall into ruin. One of the large buildings (the Exhibition Hall?) once had a museum of player pianos and mechanical music boxes, which all worked. I wonder what happened to them? Postcard View Trim and FitA fantastic picture. Caught in mid-conversation, everyone seems so animated, even the onlookers on the benches. The men, as always, were in ties, sport coats and hats, even though it was probably summer. But what is really astonishing is that absolutely everyone in that picture is trim and fit, no fatties in sight anywhere that I can detect. Ninety-five years later, another picture taken in the same area would undoubtedly yield a broad selection of suburban New Jersey heavyweights. In case of fire -- run for your lifeThe lace on each of those dresses is gorgeous, and the expressions on the faces make you feel that you were really there. But on the far right is a bucket labeled for fire. If you tried to put out anything larger than a burning napkin with that little bucket you would be in sorry shape. There is no apparent supply of water with the bucket. What did they expect you to do, run off the boardwalk, over to the waves, and run back, one bucket at a time, to splash the fire out? [Weren't fire buckets usually full of sand? - Dave] Fourth of July, Asbury ParkGossip overheard on the boardwalk this day: "Did you hear, the cops finally busted Madam Marie for tellin' fortunes better than they do?" Feels like I am right there.I love that you can get all the root beer and ginger ale you want for 5 cents! A Derby?Guy at bottom right: "You're on holiday, man - where's your straw boater?" DynamicsWhat a wonderful negative. I marvel at these treasures, some of which are well over 100 years old. I wonder how well our current generation of digital images will fare over this same time. My fear is that most of them will be lost forever. (I've already heard people bemoaning the loss of pictures they were to "busy" to transfer from an old computer to a new one.) But I digress. This picture is a wonderful microcosm of American society. There are dynamics at work here. A father and his "soon-to be flapper" daughter just exiting the bottom of the frame. Three young girls walking up the boardwalk, one of whom seems to be casting an eye back ... to what? (a rival?) Not far away is an animated discussion between three men. A little farther up, a family (?) of six females and two small boys, stretched out in a line. A man all alone, suffering from a cold (?) and on and on. Until up on the right, most disturbing of all, a small knot of men clustered at the swimming pool fence. Ansel Adams had the Zone System. I'm working on the points system. First I points it here, and then I points it there ... So Many ScenariosOne need not walk into the "SCENARIO" entrance to see them. For free, a lot of them are playing out right here. Here are some favorites: The Prohibition is clearly in force here. Against smiling. What a grim bunch of happy vacationers. The man talking in front right to the other two - he is flashing "East Side," homie. I hope he got the right sign back, for the sake of the man in the bowler. The man, dead center, blowing his nose. Look at the wide latitude he is given. No wonder. A runny nose in 1914 was fearsome. I give up trying to see what the young girl, front bottom center, is turning around to spy upon. If a young man is returning that gaze, about 20-30 people might be alive today as a direct result. The Summer of '47Wow! This brought me back to 62 years ago. I spent a week in Ocean Grove with a family of neighbors while my dad was on a business trip in Europe. High spots of the time there was at the Carousel on the Asbury side of the lagoon, going for the brass ring, and seeing a performance of "Pirates of Penzance" in the huge old wooden auditorium. Ocean Grove was an old Methodist tent-meeting resort back then, like Ocean City farther down the Jersey Coast, and Oak Bluffs up on Martha's Vineyard. At Saturday midnight, chains were put up on all streets entering the Grove to prevent any auto traffic on Sundays. I wonder if they still do that there. And thanks for putting up the old postcard to reorient me. Everyone is so thinin a good way. "By the sea........by the sea, by the beautiful sea, you and me, you and me, oh, how happy we'll be..." I don't know the rest of the words but it seems to precisely describe this photo of the halcyon days of 1914. Looks like a "barbershop quintet" of five similarly dressed males who just might be entertainers. Wish I was there. Oh, the clothes!I know, I know. If all we talked about in Shorpy comments was clothes, we could still be here all day. But this is one of my favorite fashion eras, where the elaborate styles of the nineteenth century were enjoying a happy marriage with the simpler, more practical ones of the twentieth. I could spend hours just poring over the lace insets the black-hatted lady in the lower right is sporting on her summer frock. The bemiddied teen girls at center are adorable, yet comfortable enough to play with the boys. And every man is Maurice Chevalier! Re: Can you hear me now?Is that person serious? You get a lot of comments like this, Dave? [No comment. - Dave] Can you hear me now?This is such a detailed recreation, it almost had me fooled. The man with the cell phone gives it away as a fake. He is about even with the man blowing his nose, a few paces to his right. Clever, Dave. But not clever enough :-) [Seeing as how his hand is empty, he's probably not chatting on his cell. - Dave] It was a jokeUm, I was joking. I guess I sounded too much like some of the genuine comments that insist Dave is trying to pull the wool over our eyes in some fashion. I'll try to be more obvious in my attempt at humor from now on. Love the site, and this picture in particular. Sunday DriversBob, sorry but they no longer put up the chains across the roads on Sunday. It ended back in the Seventies. Someone from New York, vacationing in Ocean Grove, complained that a Newspaper Delivery man was allowed to enter the Grove in the early hours on Sunday to deliver the Sunday paper. A lawsuit ensued and now the chains are gone. At one time nothing on wheels rolled in Ocean Grove on Sunday. Not bicycles or baby carriages. Everyone walked. Even cars had to be parked either in garages or out of town. Not on the streets of Ocean Grove. Most everything in Asbury Park and Ocean Grove, from that time, is gone. Even the carousel that had the brass ring is gone. I was born in Neptune and raised there about 60 years ago, and still live down by the beach. (The Gallery, Asbury Park, G.G. Bain, Sports)
Instant Messenger: 1913
... poorest downtrodden sections of town. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Kids, Lewis Hine) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/28/2014 - 7:41pm -

November 1913. Shreveport, Louisiana. "Western Union messenger No. 2, fourteen years old. Says he goes to the Red Light district all the time." Glass negative by Lewis Wickes Hine for the National Child Labor Committee. View full size. Telegram for Miss ScarletAs pointed out in another photo's comment, Mr. L. W. Hine seems to have had a broad assortment of moral axes to grind. I'd be surprised if prostitutes were really frequent recipients of Western Union Telegrams. The bicycle's tires look to be skinny like modern day bike tires are. I guess the big balloon tires as used on the Schwinns that I remember came later. Bike to the FutureThe cars from 1913 have hardly any resemblance to the ones made these days other than having four wheels and a body, but this bike is within a few percent of a modern coaster brake bike. Sure, a few subtle details are different, but wheels and the drive train could have been made last week. Red LightMy question has always been with regards to this "red light district" line that Hine usually put with his messenger photos is, are the prostitutes ordering "drugs" and abusing them? Were the drug stores not under strict scrutiny like today? I imagine this to be true. Anyone else out there have any knowledge of this being the case? [If you were in that line of work, there's one item in particular you might need plenty of that comes from a drugstore. And it's not drugs. - Dave] SchwinnishIt might actually be a Schwinn. The circles within a circle pattern in the front sprocket is definitely a pattern that later Schwinns used. And if you look at the shadow you can see that it is a skip-link. On modern bikes the teeth on the sprockets are right next to each other. But on this bike, there is a large gap between the teeth. This is due to the way the chain was made. On modern chains the pattern is hinge, hole for the gear tooth, hinge (ASCII art: *-*-*-). On old bikes the pattern was hinge, hinge, hole for the gear tooth, hinge, hinge (**-**-**-), so there needed to be a big gap between the teeth on the gears. This concludes Hank's obscure bike trivia lesson. [Click below to enlarge. - Dave] Midnight SpecialFrom 1903 till 1917 Shreveport had legalized prostitution confined to a designated Red Light district. This was an area near Fannin street in the St. Paul Bottoms area. The area was named after a nearby church and the low lying area. St. Paul Bottoms was recently renamed Ledbetter Heights in honor of blues singer Huddie Ledbetter, Lead Belly, who honed his style playing the Bottoms' brothels, saloons, and dance halls. Midnight Special is one of his most famous songs. Maybe Messenger #2 heard Lead Belly play Fannin Street! Selected Lyrics: My mama told me My sister too Said, 'The Shreveport women, son, Will be the death of you' Said to my mama, 'Mama, you don't know If the Fannin Street women gonna kill me Well, you might as well let me go' I got a woman Lives back of the jail Makes an honest livin' By the wigglin' of her tail Even after the optimistic name change the area is still referred to as The Bottoms by many locals and remains one of the poorest downtrodden sections of town. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Kids, Lewis Hine)
The Sandpeeper: 1901
... Publishing Company. View full size. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Swimming) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/19/2017 - 9:16pm -

The Jersey Shore circa 1901. "Driveway and beach at Long Branch." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Swimming)
The Vanderbilt: 1907
... Franklin, Model E parked at the curb (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Syracuse) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/18/2015 - 7:59pm -

Syracuse, New York, 1907. "Vanderbilt House." With "Credit Parlors," billiards, a bowling alley and Trunks just around the corner. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Jamestown Exposition "Held in Norfolk, Virginia, from April 26 to November 30, 1907" Perhaps that narrows the date down a little closer, or maybe they were selling tickets in advance, for $15.45? [Oh! Good eye. - Dave] The reason there are no streetcarson those tracks is because they are not streetcar tracks. Syracuse was notorious for its street level railroads with supposedly up to 100 trains a day traveling down the middle of Washington Street (which I believe is the line we see here) by the early 1930s. There are some pictures in this article about some recently dug up Washington Street tracks. And more about the early railroads of Syracuse. Trolley guardsThe tracks coming in from lower right are apparently a steam railroad. The trolley line crossing these tracks has the most common form of trolley guard, a woven metal cage running above the wire, which catches the trolley pole in case of a dewirement, and supplies power for the trolley to get across the crossing. Note that the guards for the two tracks are staggered, so they can protect the pole located toward the rear of the cars. The guards are probably overkill in this case, as the steam trains would have been moving down the street trackage at very slow speed. However, dewirements were rather frequent, resulting in the conductor grabbing the retriever rope and "fishing" the pole back onto the wire. I've seen it happen many times. Looking at patent records and Google books turns up some alternative designs, which were apparently unsuccessful. 1907 Pawn Stars?Tried researching "credit parlors" to no avail. Were they turn-of-the-century Amscots? Or were they an early pawn shop? I'm assuming that there was a business relationship to the many nearby billiard "parlors". [A credit parlor was a clothing store that offered time payments. - Dave] Come On DownI think what they were really trying to sell were the Railroad tickets. FrankieLooks like a '05 Franklin, Model E parked at the curb (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Syracuse)
The Shining: 1939
... his death in 1987." (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Bicycles, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2018 - 2:00pm -

January 1939. "Coal miner in business center of Colp, Illinois." Acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Beautiful signThat's really a beautiful sign, despite the lower part suffering from weather exposure. The art of hand-lettered sign painting is making a minor comeback in this age of digital/machine-made signs, and any current student of the craft could take inspiration from this one. KoKoNut RollThe mystery sign below the Baby Ruth and Butterfinger signs is the equally high in dextrose KoKoNut Roll: The Shining ParlorThe Shining Parlor It was a drab street A white man's street . . . Jammed with automobiles Streetcars and trucks; Bee-hived with fruit vendors' stalls, Real estate concerns, meat shops, Dental clinics, and soft drink stands. It was a drab street A white man's street . . . But it held the shining parlor-- A boot-black booth, Commandeered by a black man, Who spent much time smiling out Upon the hub-bub of the thoroughfare. Ever . . . serenely smiling . . . With a brush and soiled rag in his hands. Often . . . white patrons wait for Their boots to be "shined," Wondering the while At the wonder-- Of the black man's smile. ~ Anita Scott Coleman Bloody WilliamsonColp is located in Williamson County. A compelling history of that county is "Bloody Williamson: A Chapter in American Lawlessness" by Paul Angle and John Simon. Reads like the fiction of Elmore Leonard, but it happened. Mayor CaliperLike others I'm sure I enjoy researching these small towns that are featured in these wonderful photos. According to Wikipedia: "Colp community leader Frank Caliper was one of the state's longest-serving elected officials. He served 52 years as mayor from 1935 until his death in 1987." (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Bicycles, Stores & Markets)
Nusbaum's Lining Store: 1906
... drawers, combinations and the like. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Rochester, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2020 - 10:01am -

Rochester, New York, circa 1906. "Masonic Temple, North Clinton Avenue and Mortimer Street." District headquarters of the Free & Accepted Masons, whose retail tenants include Wunder Tailor, Nusbaum's Lining Store, E.J. Egbert & Co. and Underwood Typewriter. This imposing edifice, completed in 1902, was razed in 1932 to make room for a movie theater parking lot. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Masonic allegoryThe frieze above the column, an allegory for death and mortality, is referred as the "Broken Column". Know when to stopThe brickwork above the cornice seems superfluous at best; the acroteria adorning it even more. Perhaps it conceals the mechanicals for the new-fangled elevators, but a more graceful enclosure could surely have been designed. Can someone explain the Lining Store? Does it possibly supply Wunder, next door? The window display has certainly caught the attention of the only non-smudgeperson in the photo. Buried TreasureThis great little building was razed in 1932 to create a parking lot for the new RKO Palace theater next door. Recently, both lots were converted to a bus terminal and numerous items from the old lodge were found 30 feet below street level. Story below. https://paigedoerner.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/masonic-sculptures-discove... Take your pickThe movie theater parking lot is also gone. Today this location is either a bus station or a parking garage. The loss of this building is a shame. Because of masonic philosophy, their temples are exceptionally well built. There is a recent story of a couple who bought a 90yr+ masonic temple in Huntington, Indiana and are converting it into a private home. The article does not mention any structural problems, plumbing issues, or even a roof leak. Granted, it's challenging to find an alternate purpose for a temple. Lots to joinThe Lodge appears to have a good assembly of dependent orders also. On the façade I see symbols for the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar, the Eastern Star, and the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. I’m not sure what the cornice allegory is about, although it might have to do with Hiram the Widow’s Son. The branch could be the branch of acacia which was supposed to mark his grave. Lining Store?Like Bob down below, I's be interested to know what the Lining Store provided linings for. A quick dive into Google didn't help. 1906 Drone? How would a photographer get this vantage point? It seems too tall for a ladder, and too close to be from a building across the street. I know they didn't have drones in 1906. Did they? [For an 8x10 view camera. this is not "too close" to be across the street. - Dave] Whose Lining?A lining store sold wool, silk, and other fabrics used to line women's skirts. They also sold petticoats and other unmentionables. Also, today I learned that Li-Ning is a line of badminton gear. Great minds think alikeArchfan, I must have done the same search as you! Badminton, anyone? Unconscious Lovecraftian touches?The antifixes (I think that's the right term. I mean the small sculptural features along the top of the roof) have a real Cthulhu vibe to my eye. [Antefixes. See also: acroteria. - Dave] The whole thing??An entire store devoted to fabric for linings?!? The mind boggles... While we still have specialized fiber stores today ( trimmings, closures, quilting, etc ), I've never heard of a lining store. A testament I suppose to our ancestors' predilections for petticoats, chemises, drawers, combinations and the like. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Rochester, Stores & Markets)
Pan-American: 1935
... afford one of them "English racers". (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Harris + Ewing) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/18/2015 - 7:32pm -

        Ready for international bicycle ride. Henry G. Slaughter of Washington, supported by those interested in publicizing the Inter-American Highway, prepares to leave for a trip which will carry him, if he is successful, down into the tropics through Central America to the Argentine. November 23, 1935. Washington, D.C. "Henry G. Slaughter." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. BustA blurb in the Loredo Times from Feb. 6, 1936 reported that Mr. Slaughter decided to abandon "the idea." He had written a friend that he had encountered delays in entering Guatemala on account of very strict laws of entry, and now that the rainy season had begun in that country he had decided to abandon the trip. By June 1936, however, The Carthage Watchman reported that Henry and his handlebar-based typewriter were about to make a second attempt. Foot HelpI have no idea what was available back in the day, but riding without at least toe clips makes it a lot harder when climbing. I logged many thousand miles on a bicycle back in the 1970s including a parts of Montana and Wyoming in 1976. Gee, I wonder why my knees hurt so much these days? If you look hardyou can see the revolution counter on the front fork and the pin to turn it on one of the spokes. I'll wager -I'll bet that he doffs his necktie before he reaches San Luis Obispo. [Which would have been a major detour on a trip from D.C. to Argentina. - Dave] Wobble InstabilityYou can pile any amount of stuff as high as you want on a bicycle so long as it doesn't flex under side forces. Otherwise the bike goes unstable. The front bag looks bad in this regard unless it's all rigid. Also it blocks his light from shining on the road, which in 1935 is surely all potholes. So I'd guess he didn't make it, unless he piled the front bag in the back and strapped it down. Incomplete PreparationThis guy isn't fully prepared for such a long trip and doesn't appear to understand what's cool. For example, he has no streamers coming out of his handlebars, and no playing cards rubbing against his spokes. Nor does he have a hub polisher on either wheel. Not to mention he's not wearing a bow tie and a houndstooth suit. Pure Amateur Hour. I bet he didn't make it. Story of EvolutionEarly nerd. Panama or BustHenry had just left San Antonio, Texas and bound for Panama a week after this photo, Methinks there are some inaccuracies abounding. See attached article from the San Antonio Light, published 30 November 1935. Not So Fast!Seems Henry did make it as far as Panama. May of 1936 had him in front of the US Capitol after a 3400 mile trip. He made the front page of the Erie County Independent. (NY) At that point he has a typewriter attached to his handlebars to ". . . type notes. . . " - I bet the paper was beat up by the bottom of the page. Pith Helmet and Linemans bootsJust like they use in the Tour de France. Wobble InstabilityForgive me for posting twice, but rhhardin's comment about Wobble Instability reminded me of the enormous front basket I had on my one speed J.C. Higgins nerd bike when I was a kid so I could deliver papers. It had so much weight forward, especially with a load of papers, that I had to be extremely careful making turns, and I dumped it more than once. I learned to hate that hill I had to climb halfway through my route, and envied those "rich kids" who had parents that could afford one of them "English racers". (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Good Afternoon: 1905
... not want to be that hapless pedestrian. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/26/2020 - 1:49pm -

Hartford, Connecticut, circa 1905. "Main Street and City Hall." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Old State HouseWhen I first looked at this photo, I spent a few minutes trying to locate what I know as Hartford City Hall, thinking I was crazy. Of course, it was staring me in the face the whole time: Hartford used the Charles Bulfinch designed (one of his earliest buildings) State House as its city hall from the 1890s until erecting a new building in the 1910s. The state government, after ending the Hartford-New Haven co-capital arrangement that had been in place since 1701, consolidated to Hartford and moved to its grand new castle nearby in 1878. Safety FirstThe streetcar in the foreground is equipped with an Eclipse Acme Type Fender made by Eclipse Railway Supply of Cleveland. When the car encounters a wayward pedestrian, rather than running them down with dreadful results, the Eclipse device springs to action by banging them on the ankles and causing them to gently fall onto the horizontal spring-type catcher. SpoiledShorpy, you are spoiling us. I'd be happy to see one of these 10"x8" Glass Plate gems once a month, but we've been bombarded with them. Each one an artistic and technical marvel. Thank you. Have said it before but will say it again, there is nothing to compare with the depth, resolution and tonal gradient detail in these images. You are drawn into the image, not just looking at it, as with digital capture photography. Flawed sales pitchIn response to Phare Pleigh, the definition of "gently fall" depends primarily on the speed of the tramcar. I, for one, would not want to be that hapless pedestrian. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Streetcars)
Small Government: 1937
... a house to live in. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Small Towns) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/27/2017 - 2:18pm -

September 1937. "Town clerk's office. Hyde Park, Vermont." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. From public service to privateand still there, too! What's in the window?Looks like something very similar to the attached. A B-run HouseFor all the Tegu theatre is a small-town show, its bills are pretty current. For their grand opening they booked Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938 (Warner Baxter, Joan Bennett), and the next week they feature Public Cowboy No. 1 (Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Ann Rutherford), Stella Dallas (Barbara Stanwyck, John Boles, Anne Shirley), and Call of the Wild (Clark Gable, Loretta Young, Jack Oakie). Of all those, only Call of the Wild is a back-catalogue release (1935). I'm kinda impressed. And across the street, the Chicken InnWhoa, talk about déjà vu. When I clicked in the Google Maps view, I saw a large red wooden building across the street and down the block, currently the Philip Edwards furniture store. I knew I'd seen that here before, in the comments for a picture that featured it in an earlier time. Sure enough, it was the Chicken Inn, photographed during the same Rothstein visit. Some Words Of Prevention. Never ever pile your cord wood against any wooden structure since it's an open invitation for a pregnant termite queen to start a new colony. Even if she passes there are other destructive insects who would love to use this as an entry into your house. Pile it away from the house on a steel plate or a solid concrete surface with driven steel rods as place holders for your wood. You may have to walk further for your wood but at least your great grandchildren will have a house to live in. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Small Towns)
Cool bike
... but not least, we sawed the forks off our old, worn-out bicycles, slid the forks of our new bicycle into them good and snug, and ... have fond memories of Schwinn banana-seat Sting-Ray bicycles such as this. I was totally jealous of the neighborhood boy "Clifton" ... 
 
Posted by Gman77 - 05/05/2009 - 6:07pm -

My brother's cool bike with banana seat, sissy bar, hand brakes and either a 3 or 5 speed transmission. Sometime in 1969. Boy, does this photo bring back memoriesI had a bike exactly like that (in the late 60s as well) except it was blue. Pretty sure this was a three-speed, mine was. My older brother and I spent many a summer afternoon mowing lawns in the neighborhood so we could 'customize' our bikes with sissy bars, bananna seats, battery operated headlamps and horns, high-rise handlebars, and last but not least, we sawed the forks off our old, worn-out bicycles, slid the forks of our new bicycle into them good and snug, and bingo-bango, we had a "chopper"! Good times. Cool shortsLove the fringe. Gender NormsI also have fond memories of Schwinn banana-seat Sting-Ray bicycles such as this. I was totally jealous of the neighborhood boy "Clifton" who had a similar bike. Until this post, I had completely forgotten the term "sissy bar." On a related meme (and not to knock your brother), I am totally struck by the transitory nature of gender norms. While I am sure this was the height of "cool fashion" at the time, by today's standards the hair style, knit tank top, and fringe shorts all are currently exclusive to the realm of feminine fashion. I think its a testament to how quick we are to judge and assume certain styles are intrinsically indicative of gender. So much of what we perceive as gender is truly a social construct. Best Bike EverSchwinn Stingrays were the muscle cars of the kid world at the time this photo was taken. The model pictured would have represented the top of the line with handbrakes and stickshift-style gear selector. Stingrays were perfectly designed for kids, being very nimble, comfortable to ride, and sturdy as hell. And of course cool to look at. Very, very cool. Schwinn Lemon PeelerIf I'm not mistaken, this was a Schwinn "Lemon Peeler" Stingray -- it came only in this color, with the sissy-bar and the stick shift. My friend Tim got one for his birthday in 1969, and he was the envy of the entire neighborhood! The seat doesn't look correct.. but otherwise, you could tell by the chain guard on the other side if it was indeed a "Lemon Peeler." I'd give my eye-teeth to have one now!! True that butThat's not a Schwinn Crate -- swept back handlebars, no derailleur and frame geometry are all wrong. But I will still you my 8 track player for it! It's a HawthorneSold by Montgomery Ward. About half the price of a Schwinn Sting-Ray Krate. My sweet rideAll the boys in our neighborhood made choppers. I can't think of one that didn;t and that would have been in the late 60s, early 70s. I myself had a sweet purple Stingray with banana seat and ape bars, loved that bike, I lived on it. I cried so hard the day it was stolen from in front of W.T. Grant's. I had gotten it for my 13th birthday the summer before. Coolest bike around!I had a Mohawk version of this bike in sparkle blue that my dad got for me at the Emporium in San Jose for my birthday around 1973. Alas, my mom left the garage door open while she drove me to school one day and my beloved bike was stolen. I wanted nothing more than a bike with a "stick shift." Best present ever! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
East Grand: 1902
... thoroughfare during their long history. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Detroit Photos, DPC, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/28/2018 - 11:25am -

1902. "Residences on East Grand Boulevard, Detroit, Michigan." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. East Grand Nursing HomeThe House on the right side is still there ! I See Dead People A body? A napper? Kind of close to the road for a siesta. Nursing Home Alone130 East Grand Boulevard, Detroit. It was apparently closed down in 2011 "after numerous citations were found on an inspection." It's apparently been an assisted living residence for the elderly since 1947. A two-story brick addition was built in 1962, at which time the original house became primarily administrative. A little more history and interior pictures as of 2015 can be seen here (a surprising amount of original interior detail remains): http://detroit-ish.com/photos/east-grand-nursing-home/ And, an August, 2018 Google street view (different vantage point thanks to a large car carrier) can be seen here - talk about sturdy bones. Biking BlissIt must have been wonderful to go for a bike ride and not worry about speeding, inattentive car drivers running over you. Just watch out for wagons and horse poop. Exact LocationThis photo was taken somewhat north of the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and E. Grand Boulevard. if you turned around you would be facing south and headed toward the Belle Isle bridge. Off to the right (and out of the frame of view) in 1909 the Anderson Electric Car Co. would be construct an electric charging garage for their "Detroit Electric" brand of cars. See inside -- what a dump!In 2011, East Grand Nursing Home was closed by the State of Michigan after numerous citations were found on an inspection. It had also started to receive complaints from the residents and some of the conditions were subpar. It eventually went bankrupt and closed. http://detroit-ish.com/photos/east-grand-nursing-home/ The Grand RingIt's nearly like traveling one of New Orleans streets that make a sweeping curve through the city, in that Grand Boulevard was designed to be much wider than most of the city's streets at the time, nearly defining with a lengthy semicircle the old city limits of the pre-1900 era, and certainly laid out with the intention of having plenty of room for the electric streetcars which would end up crisscrossing so much of the Motor City for decades to come. But it was not to be. They would cross it here and there, but none of the streetcar lines would ever ply any of this very wide Detroit thoroughfare during their long history. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Detroit Photos, DPC, Kids)
Rover Boys: 1900
... bike lamp in our photo. -Dave] (The Gallery, Bicycles, Found Photos) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/19/2014 - 1:23pm -

Circa 1900, back at the Handlebars Homestead. Lettis, bikes. f5.6 no filter +2" shirts is what it says on the sleeve. 4x5 inch glass negative. View full size. Interesting TiresThose tires have flat treads and they are made of vulcanized natural rubber (as opposed to synthetic.) I imagine cyclists slid out a lot and got a lot of flats in those days. Old thoughts exposedI'm not familiar with the abilities of early cameras. However, I wonder if he meant that there were two f-stops difference between the surrounding area under the shade trees and the brightness of the white shirts, and found that f5.6 worked best overall. Track Stand It's cheating to wedge the rear wheel into a fence to do a track stand. The rat-trap pedals were current until quite recently, only they'd have an additional strap over the top so you could apply more forward force to the pedal without bending the thing. Nowadays shoe cleats are favored. Printing instructionsThe info on the sleeve is probably for whomever was printing from that neg. likely the shirts were overexposed and needed an additional 2 seconds of exposure (burning in) when printing in the darkroom. F/5.6 would have been the aperture for the enlarging lens. siding on the houseNote how the siding boards on the house align exactly with the tops and bottoms of the windows. Old-time carpenters adjusted siding spacing to do that. It's a detail you'll never see with modern vinyl or metal siding. Tires ExposedI've been riding on natural rubber tires year round in Minneapolis for ten years. Smooth ride in the summer and great traction in the winter down to -15° F when I bale. It's funny how modern materials have been hyped for a while when that what they replaced is actually better. 2" shirtsWith reference to the length of the sleeves of the outer shirt of the cigar-chomping, photo-bombing guy who obviously doesn't care about his long inner sleeves extending beyond the outer shirt sleeves? [He appears to be: a. in long johns and, b. not the kind of guy you'd criticize to his face. -tterrace] I very much agree. I'm a big talker at a distance of 114 years. Oh, and he needs to mow his lawn. Wait..."Rat Traps" Still PopularCleated or "clipless" pedals are used almost exclusively in road racing where a secure foothold is adventageous and some power may be transmitted on the upstroke. However, for single-track biking, mountain biking, cyclocross and other cycling competitions where the rider needs to constantly and quickly drop a foot, not only are cleated/clipless shoes a hinderance, so are the straps of "rat trap/mounse trap" style pedal clips. In these cases strapless toe clips and even no clips, just a simple platform pedal are preferred. Also many bike commuters and touring bikers prefer "rat trap/mouse trap" pedals which allow for the use of regular shoes for ease of walking and lower cost since cleated bike shoes cast more and must be used with "clipless" pedals. However there is no denying the popluarity of "clipless" pedals among casual riders. Acetylene Lamps Well Into the 1950sThat "steampunk" acetyline headlamp reminded me of a bicycling memoir I read a couple of years ago where the author wrote about touring the Welsh countryside in the late 1950's and early 60s with acetylene headlamps. [That's a paraffin bike lamp in our photo. -Dave] (The Gallery, Bicycles, Found Photos)
Old Hat: 1920
... the left has much more to offer. Indian brand motorcycles, bicycles and tricycles are all on display. What a treasure trove. Also,the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 12:01pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "814-816 Ninth Street N.W." Moldy negative of a decrepit storefront, with many musty details. National Photo Co. View full size. Motocycles?I just learned that the folks at Indian didn't know how to spell "motorcycle." The Indian Motocycle shopI find the partial view of the Indian Motocycle shop more interesting than the almost-derelict storefront that's the subject of the photo. Here's a photo of a 1920 Indian Motocycle; the "Indian" name and the fuel tank (I assume) it's on look the same as in the window of that shop. http://parkerindian.com.au/1920PP.html "Silent" OlsonThe poster above the For Rent sign is for a wrestling match between Joe Turner and Silent Olson, a deaf-mute. "Christmas night he beat Joe Turner, for ten years champion middleweight wrestler." They came and went.BEAUTIFUL Indian in the window next door. One please, to go ! Washington RedskinsWhile the out of business hat store has its decrepit charm the store to the left has much more to offer. Indian brand motorcycles, bicycles and tricycles are all on display. What a treasure trove. Also,the reflection in the hat store window shows cars in the street and what looks like someones legs on a ladder or scaffold rung. I wonder if it is somebody in the store working or perhaps the reflection of the photographer in the street getting a raised perspective. The Gold Medal Flour sign up above states "Why Not Now?" No time like the present indeed. Elementary ParticlesNot sure, but that curved white line with the little black teardrop at the top ... I think it's the Higgs Boson! New HatIt's all gone now, replaced by the U.S. Mint Headquarters. View Larger Map Lady of the Lamp Looks like she left it on the sidewalk in front of the Indian dealership. Also looks like the rear of the hat store has collapsed. Sniper!Top window, second floor! Or maybe it's some sort of Rube Goldberg drainage system. The Lady of the LampThe sign in the window to the right is a play by Earl Carroll, closed November 1920. The sign states Dec. 6. Seems it never made it to that date. http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=8963 [December 6 is the performance date in Washington. The Broadway Database dates are for performances on Broadway, in New York. - Dave] Motocycles and motorcyclesThe corporate name was always "Indian Motocycle Company" but it made motorcycles and advertised them as such. Well the nearly new 1946 Chief I owned was called a motorcycle, but company name was still "Motocycle." Dang, I sold the thing for $75 in 1958 to a guy who had never ridden one. I had to drive the bike into his pickup truck and he said he was going to unload it in a 40 acre pasture and learn to ride. He figured there weren't many things to hit in a pasture except for the cow patties. Too dark to see in the daytimeWhat's with the kerosene lantern on the sidewalk? Now a Parking LotNo, not the U.S. Mint headquarters; that's on the east side of Ninth Street, the odd-numbered side. Where 814-816 Ninth Street was is now a vast parking lot, where the old new Convention Center used to be, till it was mercifully torn down. Even a parking lot is preferable to that awful building. If the Hoover FBI building and the OPM building at 20th and E could go the way of the old new Convention Center, even if they became nothing but parking lots, Washington would be a better place. F.L. Leishear, Indian MotorcyclesThat's F.L. Leishear's motorcycle shop to the left, also seen in Shorpy post Wireless Apparatus: 1919. The previously open D. Neufeld Hat Manufacturer has since closed and lost its most prominent signage. Washington Post, Jun 23, 1921 Motorcycles PRICES reduced 20% on new 1921 Indian motorcycles and side cars; also used machines at exceptional prices. F.L. Leishear, 812 9th st. nw. A LeopardIt seems strange that there is a leopard skin in the Indian window. One item that Indian made that does not appear to be on display is a canoe and trailer that can be used with a motorcycle. (The Gallery, D.C., Motorcycles, Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
The Gospel Wagon: 1900
... Services - the forerunner of the CIA. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Buffalo NY, DPC, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/16/2017 - 9:43am -

Buffalo, N.Y., circa 1900. "Ellicott Square Building." At the time of its completion 1896, the largest office building in the world. Our title for this post comes from lower down (and higher up). 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. I like the Gospel Wagon idea..At least there not out knocking on your door during the Pittsburgh Steeler games. Progressive?What does one sell in a "progressive" store? ["Progressive" as in the sense of "modern," as in this article, which seems unintentionally prescient. -tterrace] Phoenix Reflected The Phoenix Brewery, (a very popular name used through out the country), operated in Buffalo from 1887 to 1920, closed for prohibition from 1920 to 1934, operated again from 1934 to final closing in 1957. The title refers to the "BEER" reflection in one of the store windows across the street to the left. Signs of the TimesThere are at least five separate railroad ticket offices in the building: Erie; Pennsylvania; Buffalo Rochester and Pittsburgh; Chicago and Northwestern, and Nickel Plate. There may be more, but they're too fuzzy to read. Also like the interesting phonograph store selling Columbia and Edison cylinders and players (no they were not compatible). Ministering On Main StreetThe Ellicott Square Building (283-309 Main Street) was completed in mid-1896 and still stands today. Six workmen died during the building's construction. Across the street was 304 Main, home to Palmer's Florist and the Albany Dental Parlor. “Sam. Welsh's Progressive Store” was the cigar store of brothers Samuel and Charles E. Welsh. They opened their 311 Main Street store in November of 1899, having previously operated the Progressive Cigar Store at 331 Main Street. Perhaps the Gospel Wagon Association thought that those buying cigars and phonographs needed to be exposed to something a little more “redeeming.” Sidewalk Sign DesignI am interested if anyone knows the purpose of the signs placed along the sidewalks, which seem to be advertising above, and vertical bars of some sort below. Perhaps stops for public transportation, but why so many? And what are the bars for? A classic Shorpy mystery for me. [A rare sight in early Shorpy street scenes: a bicycle rack, like the one in use here. -tterrace] Future office of Wild Bill DonovanWhen this was taken, a local Buffalo teen named William Joseph Donovan was in St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, with big dreams. He would enroll in Niagara University for two years before transferring to Columbia, where he received a B.A. and law degree. Returning to his hometown, "Wild Bill" went into private practice with Love & Keating in 464 Ellicott Square. He would remain there until he scratched the itch to form his own law firm in 1912. O'Brian, Hamlin, Donovan & Goodyear moved into the brand-new Iroquois Gas Building. Donovan's office grew dusty as he devoted more and more time to reawakening New York's militia and turning it, by 1917, into the "Fighting 69th" New York Infantry. As its colonel, Donovan became nationally famous, leading to a series of positions that would culminate as his appointment during World War II to begin the Office of Strategic Services - the forerunner of the CIA. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Buffalo NY, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Louisville Levee: 1905
... L&N at the time of its construction. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Louisville) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:45pm -

The Ohio River circa 1905. "The levee -- Louisville, Kentucky. Sternwheeler Georgia Lee." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Gothic Cathedrals on the riverI plain love the pictures of those old steamboats. You can see the structural design at work. Specifically the hogging chains (or cables or rods as they might have been by 1905) which were necessary to keep those flat wooden hulls from braking in two. You can see where the loads and stresses go, just like on a Gothic ribbed vault. Steel hulls don't need them. Much stronger material and totally different way of handling loads and stresses. By the way, hogging chains (et al) are the thingies which come up through the front end of the superstructure, are fixed on pillars amidships and go back down at the stern. By the way, No. 2., all ships hog. But those sternwheelers hog real bad with the boilers at one end and the engine at the other. Go down to the levee!Hard lookers enjoying the efforts of a few hard workers. How much easier in the future with some modern equipment. I can see lumber, barbed wire, axle grease and cotton for sure. Are the large cylinder shaped containers tobacco? Boring?Louisville in that time period must have been very boring. Otherwise, why should so many well-dressed men (and one boy on a bicycle) have come to the levee to watch the steamer load? Why, it's barely more exciting than watching grass grow! Maybe it happened during lunch hour for white collar workers? Why are there no, or hardly any, women in the audience? Interesting to modern shipspotters is the network of rods or cables above the weather deck -- possibly a framework for awnings. Bridge TrussesIn the background, we get a good view of the design of the trusses used in the bridge across the Ohio River. The central span appears to be a Pratt truss, which allows clearance for riverboats to pass beneath it. The other trusses appear to be Fink trusses. Only made it to 20.Built in 1898 for $18,000, at the Howard shipyards of Jeffersonville, Indiana, for the Lee Line of Memphis, Tennessee. She was 210' x 43'. Destroyed by ice in 1918 at Memphis. Capn_Jack, that framework is known as hogchains, and it ties the ribbing in the hull together with the upper decks. Common on most wood hulled steamboats. SpectatorsActually, I think most of those well dressed fellows are "through-passengers" waiting for the loading to be completed and have nothing else to do. Their womenfolk are no doubt still comfortably aboard, having tea in the salon or napping in staterooms. I think the tip-off here is the fact that there is fire in the boilers and steam escaping. The two guys near the rail aft are no doubt part of the crew tending fires and boilers, etc. I don't think they would burning fuel if the voyage was originating here; I think this is just a "stopoff" to partially unload and add the freight that's stockpiled on the riverbank. Loungin' on the LeveeWhat we 21st century sophisticates might not realize is that in the 19th and into the 20th century, in river towns, when the stern and paddle wheelers came in, this was a connection with the outside world! Besides those boats carrying goods and merchandise from far away places -- and taking on goods from that particular city and its surroundings to be shipped and sold -- they also were a means of carrying passengers. In many cases, mail was carried from city to city by river boats. In the picture, look on the upper deck and you'll see a group of men, women and children in their best traveling clothes taking in the sites of the port of Louisville. This was a big deal for those who traveled on these boats. I agree with DepotHack that those on the shore are most likely passengers who got off for a stretch and a smoke and to get the latest scoop on the levee at Louisville or were waiting for someone to disembark who was coming to visit or had business in the city. In those days, the activity that took place down around the levee in river towns and cities was equivalent to that at a train station or -- in years to come -- an airport. These days -- and it was just on the news a couple of days ago -- the folks along the Mississippi and the Missouri and other rivers are singing the blues about low water levels and how that will limit the amount of river traffic. Alot of us forget (or just don't realize anymore) that a majority of our produce and goods here in the good ole USA are still shipped up and down our rivers. The BridgeI was curious about the bridge in the background - almost certainly it was a railroad bridge. So did a little checking and I think it may be the bridge built in 1868 for the Pennsylvania Railroad. If so, it is now called the Fourteenth Street Bridge and is still in service (according to Wikipedia). Those are Fink trussesThe bridge in the background is the 14th Street bridge, although the single-track deck was replaced in 1916-1919 because of heavier rail equipment and traffic. (300+ trains a day in the early 1900's!) The stone piers remain the same to this day. The bridge was actually built by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad and only a few years later was this line sold to the Pennsylvania as their only foray into Kentucky with this Indianapolis to Louisville line. Albert Fink, German inventor of this style truss bridge, was employed by the L&N at the time of its construction. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Louisville)
Market Street: 1905
... 2 glass negatives of this area with people walking, riding bicycles, horse and buggy, but no vehicles. I don't see the arch in this ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 12:31pm -

Market Street at Eighth in Philadelphia circa 1905, with the Lit Brothers building at right. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. Don't Make 'Um Like They Use TaThe architectural variety in this picture is just amazing. This makes my jaw drop much further than any modern skyscraper. Modern LifePopping out of a subway tunnel and into the hustle and bustle of the big city, anyone would think this is modern times until they saw the clothes and the horses. So much is going on! Market Street, PhiladelphiaI was stationed in Philadelphia with the Navy, 1957-59. The trolley cars were still active when I first arrived. We rode them many times from the Navy Base into center city. Many streets were still cobblestone at that time. I met my wife there and we will have been married 49 years in a few days. PhillyphileThanks for the photo. I work in Philly and have lived here all my life. I love old pictures of the city. Philly SubwayWas there really a subway in 1900? Wikipedia seems to say there wasn't one at that time. Is it like one of those London subways, which is really just a tunnel from one side of the street to the other? Lit BrothersThe Lit Brothers and the Strawbridge & Clothier buildings are both standing but sadly not as department stores. The Strawbridge building is on the other side of 8th street. Both are used as office space. BuzzedAbout ten years after that photo was taken, my grandfather and a friend of his who owned a plane flew down Market Street between the buildings. It hadn't been made illegal yet. Philly UndergroundAccording to: http://www.urbanrail.net/am/phil/philadelphia.htm Market-Frankford Line 1907: 69th St- 15th St (all elevated) 1908: 15th St - 2nd St (underground) 1915-1922: 2nd St - Frankford (Bridge-Pratt) (elevated) 1955: 40th St - 15th St rebuilt underground Philadelphia SubwayOpened December 1905. That's where I am right now!As I read this I am currently on the 4th floor of the Lit Brothers Building, which still looks much the same, though due mostly to an extensive restoration about 15 years back. And indeed it is mostly offices with a Ross Dept. Store on the 1st floor. The IRS and Mellon Bank have offices there. Many of those buildings are still there (at least more than I'd have thought) though they've gone through that very unfortunate phenomenon of the 70's and 80's where some nitwit decided to "wrap" the 1st floor (and some 2nd) facade in retail crap decor, which ages horribly and ends up looking crappier than you can imagine. But then you look UP and see all this wonderfully ornate and diverse architecture. Its a bit of a split personality disorder. For instance Thomas Eakins' studios were in this utterly fantastic Second Empire (I think) style corner building. It is so detailed and gorgeous, but some nut job (apparently not stopped by the city or any historic commission) wrapped the bottom in an atrocious Valu-mart, which is in very poor disrepair. But look up and you are like "Holy Crap!" Plus it's neat to think that, while highly unlikely, one or two of those busy bustlers were my great grandparents who lived and worked downtown, right during this period. Could be, anyway, right? Market StreetWow. I lived in Philly for eight years near Market Street, which I walked frequently from Olde City to Broad. The scene looks remarkably similar today. As a previous commenter mentioned, the altered first-floor facades really trashed up the appearance of the architecture, but above those I would say more than a good half of the buildings in the pic still look the same. One of the truly remarkable things about Philly is its architecture. Unfortunately most people forget to look up a little when walking down the street. Market Street Subway.The Market Street subway was always underground from river to river. The extension in the 1950s buried the elevated portion from 23rd to 46th streets. It was never elevated at 15th. Question about buildings.What is the name of the building in the center, with the clock tower and man on top? Also the building to the left of it that has a pagoda looking top. I have 2 glass negatives of this area with people walking, riding bicycles, horse and buggy, but no vehicles. I don't see the arch in this picture. [The building with the clock tower is City Hall. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia, Stores & Markets)
Special Delivery: 1917
... stamps bore illustrations of such uniformed boys riding on bicycles: The Mailman Cometh I second your comment with a hubba ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 2:41pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1917. "Post Office postmen on scooters." Kind of a Segway vibe here. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Cool old scootersEarly Autoped Ever-Ready scooters. They were new in 1914, according to Wikipedia, so that narrows the date of the photo down a bit. [Thanks! Below: Article from 1914, ad from 1916. - Dave] I wonderI wonder why these didn't catch on? They look almost identical to some of the *extremely* noisy motorized scooters we have today. Perhaps they broke down, or they made an ungodly racket, or people just weren't so walking-averse as they are today. Wonder no more:You hit a small rock or crack in the pavement and over the handle bars you go. Perhaps too many carriers were going onto the injured list. Flash in the Pan?Looks like they had the staying power of Segues, also. Smithsonian has oneIt's here. A 1918 model with some usability improvements but not as spiffy looking. HuminaThey don't make mailmen the way they used to. Pretty simple design.Looks like its basically a horizontal shaft engine with the front wheel being attached to the shaft, with some sort of clutch mechanism. Guess it gave mailmen the chance to get away from the local dogs. ReflectionsIn the window, you can just barely see a sign for the Hotel Harrington (which would put this at least after 1914). That would mean that this could be the post office on Penn between 12th and 13th. Cool it ain'tDo you suppose these men felt as dorky as they look? Precursor to SegwayWow, you'd think we would have learned our lesson already. Remember how the Segway was going to change the world? I think they are used in Post Offices (somewhere), and I have seen police use them. Scoot!"Wow, you'd think we would have learned our lesson already. Remember how the Segway was going to change the world?" Not at $5,000 each (the price that I've seen), they wouldn't. Special-Delivery MessengersThese aren't regular letter carriers, aka mailmen, but special-delivery messengers. According to Sec. 864 PL&R (Postal Laws and Regulations) of 1913, these could be, at the discretion of the local postmaster, "boys 16 years of age or older." Contemporary Special Delivery postage stamps bore illustrations of such uniformed boys riding on bicycles: The Mailman ComethI second your comment with a hubba hubba. Forget the milkman, bring on the mailman! Scooter spot todayThis was at the Main Post Office (now the National Postal Museum) adjacent to Union Station. Here's the spot today, on North Capitol St. NE. View Larger Map (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Boiled Dinners: 1910
... that it's more likely to be 1908 or '07. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/10/2017 - 7:42pm -

Detroit circa 1910. "Monroe Avenue and City Hall." Points of interest include, starting from the left, Pittsburg Dairy Lunch, Considine's (serving Budweiser Imported Pilsner Beer), McNamara Sign Co. (SIGNS, ELECTRIC SIGNS), the Detroit Billiard & Pool Room, McGough's Restaurant (Boiled Dinners 25¢; "We Draw the Best Glass of Beer in the City"), Gies's Restaurant, Sweeney's Billiards, the Hotel Fowler, the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, the Hammond Building (and, rising behind it, the Ford Building), a "moonlight tower" arc lamp stanchion, and the bunting-bedecked City Hall. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Like Mother used to makeBoiled dinners were a common meal in my childhood home as we all loved them and they were easy to make. Most common was the ham, cabbage and potato combo (Polish soul food), but you could also use corned beef, cabbage, carrots and spuds (Irish soul food), or the seafood version of a summer supper boil with shrimp, kielbasa, corn on the cob, potatoes, etc. My mom was born in that year, 1910, and I never ate in a restaurant until I went on a class trip to NYC when I was fourteen. Years later, when I moved to the Southwest, I was amazed to see babies in high chairs eating chips and salsa in Mexican restaurants. How privileged I was to have a cooking mother who fed our faces as well as our souls. The Johnson BlockThis is now an empty lot across from the CompuWare building. The lower profile buildings are part of the Johnson block and dated from the 1850s. All of these buildings were demolished about 1990. Unelectric "Electric Sign" signIt's interesting that the sign company's "Electric Signs" sign is not an electric sign. Picking Over the RemainsAlmost all of the buildings in this photo have disappeared. I believe that all that remains now are the Ford Building, the early part of the Penobscot Building peeking above City Hall, and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument (although that has been moved several hundred feet to the west). As Strasbourg16 says below, all of the buildings on the left were torn down in 1990. They were cleared, after a lengthy preservation struggle and years of neglect, for a shopping center that was never built. here is some more information on these buildings and some photos of them both in their heyday and in their sad last days before demolition. Also, looking at the stores on the Monroe block on the left (as well as the thorough lack of cars), I think the dating of this photo may be a little late and that it's more likely to be 1908 or '07. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Grass Routes: 1940
... like Kansas City or even farther!!! (The Gallery, Bicycles, M.P. Wolcott) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/20/2017 - 1:03pm -

July 1940. "Boys in Natchitoches, Louisiana, folding papers before delivering them in the afternoon." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size. Same for many years . . .At least until 1964, paper boys (and I hated that expression) did it the same way these kids did, riding a balloon-tired Schwinn or Western Auto bike with a big basket on the front. I'll never forget one Friday in 1963. I collected for my papers on Fridays, and that usually took an hour-and-a-half for my 25-or-so subscribers. That day, it took five hours as every subscriber wanted to discuss their horror at President Kennedy's assassination. Houma, Louisiana, November 22, 1963. WhackI'd always do that task standing up, the better to whack the paper against the front of my thigh after I'd made the fold-and-tuck. Elgin Four-StarI believe the bicycle on the far right is also an Elgin, this one being the "Four Star" model which has "over/under" double upper frame members. As you can see, this model does have a conventional seat pillar. It was my first bike, a hand me down from an older cousin. He, in turn, must have received it as a hand-me-down, because it's from the 1930's. Wish I still had it! Ah yes, paperboy memories:Some 10-15 years after this picture was taken, until I was old enough to work in the stores, I delivered the Miami Daily News in the N.E. section of Miami and later on in West Hollywood, Florida after school. The Sunday morning edition was the exception to this routine. I had similar bikes, I had both 26" and 28" Schwinns. And yes, I said that right, not a 24" and 26" sizes. I was the proud owner of a fairly rare 28" Schwinn. It was a real workhorse for a paperboy My handlebar basket was twice as big as on these boy's bikes and I had a pair of saddle bag style wire baskets on the back like the bike on the right. These were usually large enough to carry all of my papers 6 days a week. On Sunday mornings I had to add a large pair of canvas saddle bags over the wire ones to carry all of those thicker papers. If the bike fell over, which was frequently, I had to unload it, prop it against something and reload it before continuing on. I rarely folded a newspaper and even though I would buy a box of rubber bands from my route manager they usually lasted me for months. I walked the paper to the porch, placed it between the doors and usually made as much in tips as I did my share after settling my "paper bill" on Saturday afternoon. Ah yes, those were the days. Love the old bikes.Back in 1952 as a 10 year old my Dad took me to Sears to buy my J.C. Higgins bike. The memory comes back every time I see one of these old American bikes. Paper and PopThe highlight of my paper route was stopping by the grain elevator for an ice cold coke. I had a route in the country and only had about 46 customers, but had to ride several miles each day to deliver them all. There is a nice Elgin Twinbar bicycle second from the left. Notice that it has twin bars making up the frame and that there is no seat tube on the frame. Roll and tuckAlthough it has been many years since I have had a paper route, I still roll & tuck newspapers before realizing I've done it. Folding paper.Salina Journal, (Kansas). I learned to fold my papers from an older kid, fold it flat. I could "wing it" like a boomerang while riding my Schwinn down the sidewalk. The paper would land within a foot of where I was aiming. We had one extra paper each day and if a large tractor-trailer truck drove past we'd throw the extra paper on the roof of the trailer thinking that it might end up in some exotic place like Kansas City or even farther!!! (The Gallery, Bicycles, M.P. Wolcott)
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