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Neumann Grocery: 1910
... trees in our yard. In spring it was pure joy riding our bikes in the street with all the blossoms. Next subdivision over were in a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 12:30pm -

The Edw. Neumann grocery at Broadway Market in Detroit circa 1910. 8x10 glass plate negative, Detroit Publishing. View superjumbo full size. (Which is still less than half the pixel dimensions of the full-resolution, 6100 x 5000 image -- i.e., less than a quarter of the available detail!) Who'll be the first to count all the cans?
Neumann GroceryThis display is a work of art, although it must have been a stockboy's worst nightmare.  The amount of detail is just incredible.
Considering the amount of perishable fruit and vegetables on display, this store must have done a high volume of business.  And the refrigerated cases were a surprise for 1910.  Who knew?
All that white asparagus, both fresh and canned, is beyond yummy!
Beautiful displayCompare this to the 1952 Grand Union photo ... the Neumann Grocery is so much more inviting and interesting than that sterile, fluorescent dead zone of the 50s.
[Yes it is very pretty. And of course there's another difference -- the Grand Union is all self-service. - Dave]
Neumann MarketCan I get a time machine and go work there for a few weeks?  Isn't it just wonderful.
Neumann GroceryThanks Shorpy, sure enjoyed this photo. I am amazed at the sheer weight of the filled glass jars in the upper cabinets. 
Libby's AsparagusIf you look at the cans at the top of the store, the labels read "Libby's."  This was a large cannery that my mother worked at in California.  The original name of the cannery was Libby, McNeil, Libby.
I believe it was located in the Mountain View area near El Camino Real. My mother told me she was around 16 years old at the time and worked night shifts.  She said it was really loud due to the machinery and the trains arriving to pick up the canned goods.
She also told me she processed a variety of fruits/vegetables and would have to pit them by hand.  I still have her tools.
Edw. Neumann GroceryI found this book listed on a culinary website: "Selected Recipes and Valuable Food Information," by Edw. Neumann  Stores, Detroit , MI, 1932. This is the link. 
http://clarke.cmich.edu/cookbooks/author.htm
It's in alpha order as Edw. Neumann Stores
Neumann GroceryI found this on Google Books. It’s from Bulletin No. 200-201, May-June, 1912, issued by the State of Michigan Dairy and Food Department. 
“No. 26135, S.705. Sample of Brillat Imported Canned Peas handled by G. & R. McMillan Co., Detroit, and procured from the store of Ed. Neumann, Broadway Market, Detroit. Colored with copper sulphate and held to be injurious to health.”
Anyone see a can of peas on the shelves? 
"I'd like...a can of asparagus, please. No, up there, on the left. That one; thanks. No, right next to it... NO! the one NEXT to it; yes, THAT one! Thanks.  Oh, is this the large size; do you have anything smaller?"
Denny Gill
Chugiak, Alaska
RefrigeratedLooks like a cooler on bottom - I count six frozen-over condensers.
Baskets and liliesBaskets and lilies - it must be Eastertime.
And a very lonely bunch of bananas, well I think they are bananas, anyway.
[Could be Easter. Or shopping baskets. Or both. - Dave]
Libby's CanneryThe Libby's cannery in Sunnyvale was on the north side of the tracks from Evelyn Street. Brings back lots of memories.  In 1964 we moved into a new subdivision in Sunnyvale and lived in a cherry orchard - five cherry trees in our yard.  In spring it was pure joy riding our bikes in the street with all the blossoms.  Next subdivision over were in a plum orchard.   The entire "Silicon Valley" Bay Area used to be farm/orchard country, the soil and climate were perfect.  It sure has changed.
The DetailOn the Super Jumbo Sized photo is incredible! I can even see the patterns of the water from the mop on the floor. Now that is pretty darn cool!
AmazingThis photograph and "Extra Fancy" never fail to fascinate me. I used to work at a grocery store, and it's amazing how much processed and prepared foods have overtaken fresh ingredients. I'd touch cans more than vegetables. And somehow I never realized that there was a time when grocery stores weren't self service.
Broadway MarketMy grandfather was Edward Neumann from Detroit.  Although I cannot be certain, I think that I was told that he did have a store in Broadway Market before the store on Farmer Street (1420 Farmer Street, just behind J.L. Hudson Co) in Detroit.  The display in the picture is very much like what I remember from the produce department at the Farmer Street Store.  Of course, I was a very, very little girl at the time, but I do have pleasant memories as well as a lingering preference for Crosse & Blackwell foods.
BeautifulMy father was in the grocery business. He passed away September 2009, he would have loved this picture. This is so beautiful, imagine this much food in a store in 1910. I grew up in rural south Georgia, and it seems all the older people I knew were so poor and had bare necessities. Looking at all these pictures makes me think life in the North was so much more advanced and modern. Maybe that is just me. I don't know, but this is truly a beautiful store.
Pass the peas pleaseReplying to Joe Manning: I found the can of peas; or at least A can of peas.  Look just under the Edw. Neumann sign. The picture shows peas (still in the pods); of course, everything had the label "Enco", so I can't be sure if these are Brillat Imported Canned Peas or not.
I. am. overwhelmed. I cant imagine any store doing enough business to move that many artichokes before they went bad, I work in a very busy produce store, and we can sell basically any obscure fruit or vegetable, but this is incredible. I love love LOVE this, I wish time travel were possible
(The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets)

Vital Foods: 1937
... 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. ... 
 
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)

Tashmoo Trippers: 1900
... Detroit. - Dave] Lovely day Great collection of bikes, too. Do you think the group of white-coated boys is a band, or a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 8:18pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1900. "Excursionists on steamer Tashmoo." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
LifeboatsAmazing photo, so much detail. It would be interesting to know the capacity of the lifeboats compared to the number of passengers.
What's that lady doing?I've been enjoying Shorpy's new submittals every day for a few months, and I would say this one is probably my favorite to date. So many intriguing faces and expressions, making me wonder what each person's life was like that year, that moment. So many great hats! The coal(?) carts, ice blocks melting on the dock, bicycles, parasols, buildings, boats... this is one wonderful, busy picture. The lady on the top deck below the pilot house is either stretching or throwing a fit. I love it. Hats off to Dave and anyone else who contributes to finding, restoring, and posting these great pictures.

Tashmoo's date with doomhttp://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=22
According to the story, Tashmoo went into service in 1900.  Wonder if this photo was the first cruise?
So many peopleAnd only a handful seem to be aware of the photographer. 
Bee in her bonnetPerhaps that lady is the origin of the expression. Great photo!
Announcement.Commenters claiming to see excursionists on cellphones will be escorted overboard, posthaste. Four so far!
Re: lifeboatsThe Tashmoo was rated for 3500 passengers, but according to the Ship Inspection Regulations of 1900, a vessel of her size (1344 tons) was required to carry only six launchable lifeboats.
Hissy fitThe lady on the right of the woman throwing the fit is thinking "OOOOOOH, I guess we shouldn't have mentioned the number of lifeboats on board!"
A lookerThe woman seated on the top deck, toward the front, holding the umbrella (seated) is BEAUTIFUL !!!
KerchiefedSeveral of the men are wearing kerchiefs around their necks. There's one above the word "Tashmoo" in the caption with another one almost directly over him. Another on the top deck, almost all the way to the right with his arm on the railing. Are they to keep their collars clean? Absorb sweat.
I'm also intrigued by the two women below and to the right of the pilothouse in their print dresses. They look so out of place.
Lifeboats The last voyage of the Tashmoo, as related in John Howard's link, shows why riverboats and small-lake steamers didn't need a full complement of lifeboats. Despite incurring a "Titanic" wound to the hull, the captain and crew were able to reach a wharf where all passengers were safely debarked before the vessel settled on the bottom. 
White LineThis is Detroit.  Where are the black passengers?  Were they prohibited from boarding in 1900?
[This was back before the Great Migration. Not that many black folks in Detroit. - Dave]
Lovely dayGreat collection of bikes, too.
Do you think the group of white-coated boys is a band, or a bunch of porters?  They have a lot of onlookers.
And the Band Stood AroundThere's a 16 member band gathered on the dock.  I spy a couple horns resting on the ground and a large bass drum and cymbal.  As only part of the crowd is paying the band any attention I'd guess that the band just arrived and is getting ready to begin playing.
Skinny & PointedThe bow sure seems skinny and pointy to me. I'm more accustomed to ferries having a blunt shape at each end.
[This is an excursion steamer, not a ferry. - Dave]
Lifeboats may be somewhat overratedNo doubt many Shorpyites are aware of the story of the SS Eastland.  
A Great Lakes steamer roughly contemporary with the Tashmoo, she was marginally stable to begin with, and became critically topheavy after the post-Titanic legislation requiring "lifeboats for all" put a batch of boats on her top deck.
She capsized that same year while loading passengers in Chicago and over eight hundred died.
I think there have only been two major shipwrecks in which there was enough time that all the passengers were (or could have been) evacuated by lifeboat - the Titanic, and the Andrea Doria*.  The Lusitania, Empress of Ireland, Estonia, Dona Paz and others sank so fast that boats were almost irrelevant to the loss of life.
Tell the passengers that, though.
* Now need to include the Costa Concordia!
A Jaunty Rake"A hat's not a HAT till it's tilted." Lots of style in this photo. Sharp!
Tashmoo ParkMany of these folks are heading for Tashmoo Park, an amusment park in Algonac, MI. The steamer stopped there during trips between Detroit and Port Huron. Tashmoo Park made the news this summer when a diver found a message in a bottle from 1915.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC)

Birmingham Messenger: 1914
... Lee birmingham messenger interestingly, fixed gear bikes are especially popular among urban bike messengers. fixed gear baby! ... I've been on touring rides where a few of riders had track bikes: they are tough going up hill and scary downhill. A number of years ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:39pm -

October 1914. Birmingham, Alabama. "A typical Birmingham messenger." Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size.
Birmingham MessengerJust curious how he stopped the bike since there appears to be neither a "coaster" brake nor hand brakes?
birmingham messengerThis would most likely be a fixed gear bike, which is stopped by applying stopping force to the pedals while moving.  There is no ability to coast.  Some people still ride these type of bicycles today!      Lee
birmingham messengerinterestingly, fixed gear bikes are especially popular among urban bike messengers.
fixed gear baby!fixed gear baby!
[Recent NYT article on fixies here. - Dave]
Track BikeThis type of bike is also favored by extremely serious bike riders/racers.  I've been on touring rides where a few of riders had track bikes:  they are tough going up hill and scary downhill.
A number of years ago I knew a woman who lived in Washington and commuted to work at the Library of Congress on one.  One day a local punk tried to ride off on it and went down almost immediately when he tried to freewheel.  She walked over, picked up here bike and to the jerk, "My bike doesn't like strangers riding it."
(The Gallery, Bicycles, Birmingham, Lewis Hine)

Raymond Bykes: 1911
... thing now with the pedals on the curb. For utilitarian bikes kickstands are also back in favor. Bykes? Why do I get the ... to the top tube. Deux Fixies I think both the bikes are fixed gears. Note the lack of rim brakes or a reaction arm for a ... 
 
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)

Over and Under: 1900
... still! The General A picture of the boys and their bikes would be interesting enough but this is an amazing picture. There's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:44pm -

Circa 1900. "Grade separation near Arlington, New Jersey." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Transit SuperiorityTruly the two most romantic forms of travel man has ever created.
Classic 4-4-0That's about the most beautiful locomotive I've ever seen!  They must have been burning special coal to have no visible smoke coming from the stack (bet it helped keep it clean too).  By 1900, though, that classic layout was already considered obsolete.
You could probably see your reflection in the polished connecting rods and valve linkage.
Does anyone know what railroad this is?  I can see lettering on the passenger car but can't quite read it even in HR.  It isn't "PRR" (Pennsylvania, the one I remember from my NJ childhood).  
[This is the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western locomotive seen earlier here. - Dave]

Two great looking wheelsand the cleanest steam locomotive on earth.
Howard Boulevard and Route 80I remember this from when I was a kid in the sixties. That's right by the back entrance to the Hercules powder plant. Today there is a park-and-ride. 
Dressed to the ninesBoth the dapper looking youngsters and that gorgeous engine!  The engine, quaint even by the standards of 1900, would look like it's going 100 MPH sitting still!
The GeneralA picture of the boys and their bikes would be interesting enough but this is an amazing picture. There's obviously something more interesting to look at than the camera or the train. The locomotive itself reminds me of Buster Keaton's "The General."
Road of AnthraciteThis is indeed the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RR. The Lackawanna promoted its clean passenger service using "Hard coal, no cinders" with a creation of the ad guys known as Phoebe Snow.
A pretty lady was hired to be Miss Snow, and the campaign ran for many years before the Great War. A modern diesel powered streamliner placed in service after WWII was named "The Phoebe Snow" in honor of the original.
All of the fuss was about the DL&W burning lump anthracite, which didn't create cinders as soft coal did. The little American-type locomotive above has a long, narrow firebox [under the back end of the boiler and forward of the cab] which identifies the 128 as a lump burner.
These engines ran commuter trains from all over northern New Jersey to the Hoboken ferries at the turn of the last century. They had brief careers, however. They were replaced by larger engines that were demoted from mainline service by about 1910.
Hi-def look at the coach reveals a small "M&E" on the left end of the letterboard. This refers to the Morris and Essex Division.  The coach also is lettered below the windows possibly indicating some sort of photographer's car.
[The car was the "Detroit Photographic Co. Special," which we'll be seeing more of, and whose progenitors carried DPC partner William Henry Jackson through Mexico and the American West in the 1880s and 1890s when he was exposing his "mammoth plates" -- 18x22 inch glass negatives taken by giant view cameras that were the Imax equivalent of the era, so massive they required a locomotive to haul around and develop. - Dave]
DPC SpecialThis special train was used by the Detroit Photographic Company to haul its photographers, equipment, and darkroom all over the country.  The locomotives varied but the passenger car was specially fitted just for the company and as Dave noted, was owned by the Lackawanna.  From what I understand, the DPC made at least two railroad excursion trips - one in 1899 and a second in 1902.  Clearly they made other trips to gather photos that spanned several decades but the photo trains may have been more limited. 
In quite a few other DPC photos you can see a locomotive pulling a single DPC passenger car somewhere in the distance. Before good roads and automobiles, the train was pretty much the only way to get anywhere that was more than a few miles away. 
The photo below from the collection shows William Henry jackson sitting inside the DPC car.
Slick and sleekIt looks like this loco has been 'hot rodded'. Very slick indeed.
In three years that cycle on the left looks like it might have a Harley-Davidson motor slung into its frame.
Wonderful image, once again.
Dickson 4-4-0 Standard?

Railway and locomotive engineering, Vol. 8, 1895. 


Equipment Notes

The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western have ordered two eight-wheel passenger engines from the Dickson Locomotive Works. They have received bids for 500 coal cars, and expect to award the contract this month. The road is very short of coal cars.

The pictured locomotive could be one of DL&W's Dickson Locomotive Works 4-4-0 Standard engines. Related photos on the web: here and here.  The Lackawanna also owned several Dickson 4-4-0 Camelbacks but this photo is clearly not a camelback.
Straight skinny on the DL&W 128I had to go through my books and look this up.
The 19th century DL&W had the peculiar practice of having separate number series for each division.
Thus, our 128 was built by Dickson in 1876 with shop number 183, as DL&W Morris and Essex Div. no. 100 [During this period, she was named, logically enough, "Centennial"]. She weighed 87000 lbs in working order, and was renumbered in the general renumbering [1899, I think] to DL&W no.128. She was scrapped in 1909.
Detroit Photographic CarThe car may have changed depending on the railroad.  The Denver Public Library has quite a collection of Detroit Photographic images as well, including these showing the car and a locomotive on the Chicago and North Western railroad.
http://digital.denverlibrary.org/u?/p15330coll21,8799
http://digital.denverlibrary.org/u?/p15330coll21,8796
The car is clearly a C&NW car.
Upgrading a bikeI noticed that the older boy has upscaled his bike to cool by flipping the handlebars over.  Very racer looking.
(The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Kids, Railroads)

Bike Chained: 1920
... Flyer to the snout could have been handy. Speaking of bikes it seems that coaster brake technology had been developed by 1920 since ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2015 - 12:07am -

May 1920. "Sailor Tony Pizzo passing through Washington on a Coast to Coast bicycle run handcuffed to his machine. The handcuffs were sealed by Mayor Hylan in New York April 24 and are not to be opened until his return to that city. Pizzo made a California to New York trip in like manner in 1919." View full size.
Buttons on his jumperBack during the Vietnam War ,when I was in the Navy, sailors modified their jumpers to make a better, and tighter, fit. These uniforms were called "tailor mades" Modern versions have a zipper. I suppose that they still do today.
The morning regularI am less impressed by the physical feat of crossing the country handcuffed to a bike than I am with the thought of simply taking care of, shall we say, the less pleasant daily chores of life, and finding places (and people willing to help him) to do so.  I choose to believe that he was allowed his own key to the handcuffs to facilitate his “private time”.
Bathroom BreakI will be the first to ask since I know that almost every Shorpyite wants to know.
How did he go to the bathroom chained to a bike?
Also, did he sleep on top of the bike or underneath?
Just asking?
According to the story I found, he was not allowed to unchain himself and had done the necessary whilst still chained to the bike. It was, however, specially designed for him to be able to do that.
More About TonyTony suffered from tuberculosis and was about to be discharged from the Navy when he undertook the trip from CA to NY. 
More about that here.
He had a pal who got hit by a car on the first trip and had to go it alone the first time.
His friend was his manager the on the trip viewed here.
When they tested him in 1920 he was clear of Tuberculosis and was able to stay in the Navy.
Where did he ride?It looks like he might have started out in Central Park, because he has a pistol hanging under his seat.
What!  No Chain Guard?As a kid I would roll up my pants leg to keep my threads from becoming ensnared while pedaling merrily down the street.....wonder if Tony did the same.
A Gun!?!, etcI guess things could get pretty dicey out in the wilds of Kansas or wherever. Though, as a kid I got chased by a lot of mean dogs while on a bike that could probably go faster than the one he's on. The ability to have a ranged weapon rather than relying on a PF Flyer to the snout could have been handy.
Speaking of bikes it seems that coaster brake technology had been developed by 1920 since it doesn't appear that there are any brake levers on the handle bars.
A Pair of IversThe bicycle is an Iver Johnson.  Not sure of the year, but likely mid teens.
The grips on the revolver also look Iver Johnson-ish too.
Fall of 1920The overcoats are a clue but the Motion Picture magazine in the woman's arm is from November, 1920.
ImpressedI can't even imagine riding that bike even 10 miles, let alone across the country. Twice!
I recently did a 210 mile bike ride over two days.
I rode a bike with 27 gears that I'm sure weighs half of what this bike weighed. I was able to wear modern technical clothing. I wasn't chained to the bike. I had mechanical support along the route, several rest stops fully stocked with snacks. And there was a truck to carry my tent and sleeping bag to my overnight location.
Compared to this guy, I'm a softie. Maybe next year I'll try it his way.
Holster legend?Does it say "Dogs Only" on his holster?
So, aside from the other private matters, he could not change his shirt, with both hands chained. Hmmm.
[Notice how long the chains are and the buttons up the entire length of the sleeve. -tterrace]
What about tire changes?It seems like an unnecessary measure to have those chains on. What's he going to do, conspire to defraud the public trust?
[It's a stunt. -tterrace]
Ready for anythingJunkyard bike: check.
Semi-flat front tire: check.
Handcuffs: check and double check.
"Repel boarders" equipment: check.
Helmet: er..... check.
Odd looking pedal resistant shoes: check.
I am familiar with 13-button trousers, but the button-down-the-sides-and-down-the-sleeves dress blue jumper is new to me.  It may have been standard in 1920, but I suspect that it is an accommodation to Seaman Pizzo's particular situation.  I'm sure that the trip through Needles in dark blue wool clothing would have been less than pleasant.  Maybe he had tropical whites in the trunk.
Bike equipmentOr more importantly the lack of it.  I used to put in about a thousand miles a year back in the day and I gotta say those shoes must have been painful.  And the pedals don't have even the most basic toe clips to give some pedal lifting during the power cycle.
It looks like the pistol might rub against his leg and one wonders what he's planning offing.  But I vividly remember cycling into Yellowstone Park and noticing a sign that said, "Keep Windows up" 
Counting the milesI was immediately drawn to the odd-looking nut near the front axle, and recognized the mileage counter located there. The counter on my old Carlton was the same compact style.
My mileage counter ... was manufactured by Lucas and purchased in the '50s. It is possibly an updated design since the mount looks the same.
You can see the actuating pin mounted on one of the spokes - it moves the "Cyclometer" 1/5th of a turn for each revolution of the bicycle wheel.
For you bicycle enthusiasts this was (and still is) mounted on a one-owner 1948 Hex-Tube Monark Silver King.
ButtonsI served over 20 years in the US Navy.  From 1983 to 2006 and the men's Service Dress Blue jumper never had zippers.  The trousers had buttons and the jumper was "tailored" for a fitted appearance but had no zipper or buttons other than those at the cuffs.  Sailors would take their jumpers to a tailor shop and have a zipper put into the side seam to make it easier to put on/take off, especially as we put a few pounds on as the jumper was fitted during boot camp.
Needles isn't always so hotThere was a remark on here about the bicyclist being overdressed for Needles. I live in Needles and it does get hot here in the summer. It is a four season location, although the winters aren't nearly as severe as the summers. One comment was made about the magazine in the woman's arm being dated November 1920. If that's the case and the magazine is new, he was dressed fine for Needles, except he might even need a pea coat. It's cold between November and March.
(The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Harris + Ewing)

Rabbiteers: 1954
... located up on Balltown Rd.) Also, we used to ride our bikes to go swimming at Grout Park, adjacent to that school. Thank you, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 7:06pm -

Nov. 1, 1954. Schenectady, N.Y. "Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Grout Park School, Hamburg Street. Television in library." Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size.
Lovely bunch of coconutsThe driftwood and coconut sculpture is the best.  And the teacher looks hot from the back.
[There's no driftwood there. That's a coconut inflorescence: Spadix, spathe, nuts. - Dave]
FlooredWow, as a kid in the 60's I think every public building had the same floor tile.
Perfect PostureNot part of today's classroom. I'm just sayin'.
What's OnCan we zoom in on the TV?
Coconut Inflorescence!My initial thoughts were how the room or building must be new, as the TV table (with "hairpin" legs), chairs, floor, side tables and card catalog all look so unused. For a "public" room it has quite the 50s retro look which many fail to achieve today in their own living rooms. So many people have such a cliched image of Midecentury Modern, where had they perused some old photos they would learn so much.
Rich (from Jersey!)
Crooked KidsI see quite a few slouchers. Good posture started to go out in the '20s.
WRGBThe kids might be watching WRGB, Schenectady, the first television station in the United States.
Me, I miss the Freddie Freihofer Show.
The School at NortheastNow transmogrified into this blah-looking bunker of lower education.
View Larger Map
Wanton DesireI'd take any of the furniture, and possibly the teacher, home in a heartbeat.
10 to 12Do you think ONE teacher with twenty-some students of that age could have them all sitting quietly and paying attention today?  Not in my opinion.
The rabbitWhy isn't the title Rabbit Ears? What am I missing?
[Annette Funicello. - Dave]
Card CatalogueAs Cosmo Kramer famously noted, "That Dewey Decimal System -- what a scam that turned out to be, huh?"
My wayback machine!I was on the Freddy Freihofer Show for my 8th birthday! (1956) 
My brother Mike got to do a "squiggle." I came home with a birthday cake and fudge cupcakes, courtesy of Freihofer's Bakery. The show was done at the station's old downtown location, corner of State St and Washington Ave, at the Schenectady end of the Western Gateway Bridge. (WRGB is now located up on Balltown Rd.)
Also, we used to ride our bikes to go swimming at Grout Park, adjacent to that school.
Thank you, asbestos!I am trying to guess which of the possible colours the floor tile is... I am going with either green and white or that sort of brick-ish pink and white "Kenflex"-type. Indubitably, it is vinyl and asbestos.
Very progressive school. Chairs? Sitting on the floor on cushions? A television that isn't bolted to a 9-foot tall, horribly topheavy wheeled cart? Incredible. Watching something on TV in the classroom that isn't a Mercury or Gemini launch? Unheard of. 
WRGBJust had to wonder what these kids were watching, so I looked up the TV listings for 11/4/54. No doubt it's WRGB. The only other station to operate at that time of day was Channel 41 (now WTEN), and they ran a test pattern half the day. 
So, the schedule for WRGB was
8am  - NBC's Today show
9am  - Home Fare
9:30 - Conservation Road *my guess as to the program on tv
10am - Ding Dong School (pre-school program)
10:30- Weigh Your Words
11:00- Home
12:00 to 1pm - soap operas
1:00 - Farm Spotlite
1:15 - With Stone
1:30 - Dave Cameron
2pm  - Taste Time
2:30 - Trader Van
3pm  - Strike It Rich
3:30 - Bob Crosby Show
4pm  - Brighter Day
ETV (educational television), beginning of PBSI wonder if they aren't watching classroom educational programming. A year earlier, we had that in DC schools.  Can't remember what we were taught, but remember a TV being brought for the class, and sitting on the desks to watch it. My only memory of the programs themselves, were that they were boring.
Here's a link on ETV.
(The Gallery, Education, Schools, Gottscho-Schleisner)

A Crowded Field: 1943
... this photo was taken my friend Bob and I jumped on our bikes and went off on an adventure. We would load up our war surplus ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/22/2013 - 6:35pm -

May 1943. "Pimlico racetrack near Baltimore, Maryland. Parked cars in spite of gas ration." Photo by Arthur Siegel, Office of War Information. View full size.
The 1943 PreaknessWon by eight lengths by Kentucky Derby winner Count Fleet, ridden by future hall of fame jockey Johnny Longden. Two weeks later Count Fleet earned the Triple Crown by winning the Belmont Stakes.
Quite a fewUpper middle class cars - Packard, Lincoln, etc.  There is a non-conformist Ford owner in the crowd, who doesn't know parallel parking from perpendicular parking.  He's probably the only one at the track who's not wearing a tie.
Where are the old cars?I'm surprised at how (relatively) recent all those cars were in 1943. I see one mid-30's car but most are relatively 'modern'. Where are all the 10-15 year old cars that were still so common during WWII? I can only guess this was a much more upscale crowd than usual. Not one Model A, let alone a Model T, among them.
An artificial shortageThe US had sufficient petroleum production capacity to supply home front as well as military demand. There was no inherent need to ration fuel.
The critical material we really lacked was rubber. Although the crop originated in the Amazon basin, the majority of the world's supply during the war was in regions controlled by Japan. Large-scale production of synthetic rubber did not take off until later in the war, and even then was not nearly sufficient for demand. The production of tires for civilian use was halted very early, but it was feared that lack of availability would not deter people from wearing out their tires.
Gasoline rationing and a nationwide speed limit of 35 miles per hour were effective ways of forcing people to conserve their tires for the duration of the war.
AmazingHow did they manage to get all those cars parked without any space lines marked out in the grass? And yes that is a sarcastic comment on the inability of so many of todays' drivers to park correctly. 
Buick Rally!Awful lot of '41 and '42 Buicks in that bunch.
I don't know what it is with those car designersI don't know what it is with those car designers and with those car makers. All those cars look more and more alike. If it wasn't for the ornaments there would be no telling one type of car from the other.
CarsNot only upper middle class cars. I see many Chevys and Plymouths, along with the Fords and also a Pontiac! I also note that there seems to be a big number of '42 Buicks in the group. Many of these patrons were able to get a hold of one of these beauties before they stopped civilian auto production around February of 1942.
Going in StyleLooks like everyone was dressed to the nines to go to the races... almost everyone, men and women, were wearing hats. Suits or jackets and ties for the men (or I spot a few military uniforms), and many of the women are wearing suits- must not have been a very warm day in May either. I love how everyone dressed up in style for a day at the races.
Where's MY car?Wow!  And I thought today's cars all look alike!
What car is thisnot sure how to search the internet for 1940's front ends, but what is this oddball?
[1942 Lincoln. -tterrace]
Embarrassment of riches Imagine that sight if you were a restorer of old autos.
What's left?Looking toward West Belvedere Avenue, I think. Not much remains of those big old houses, but some bits are still recognizable.
Extra lightsThat Lincoln seems to have extra lights between the headlights and the grill.  Police car maybe?
BuicksBack in the day when health insurance didn't exist It used to be said that doctors preferred to drive Buicks.  It showed that they made enough money to demonstrate that they didn't have too many patients die on them; yet they didn't make enough so that folks would say they were over charging
There Goes a Herd of HorsesAbout ten years after this photo was taken my friend Bob and I jumped on our bikes and went off on an adventure. 
We would load up our war surplus canteens with plain old tap water, our Moms would pack a sandwich and a Tastycake and off we would go playing our own game "Let's Get Lost" which consisted of heading off to nowhere in particular just to see if we could get lost. 
The only admonition from Mom was to be sure to get home before dark. We went out Belair Road took a left on Northern Parkway and a few hours later a couple of Northeast Baltimore kids were in the wilds of Northwest Baltimore.
We saw off to our left a herd of horses rounding a track and heard a roar coming from the Old Pimlico's grandstands and to our right where these huge Victorian mansions. 
Since in our neighborhood the only horses we ever saw were the Araber's produce wagons and housing to us was brick row houses we both called it... We Are Lost!. 
Fortunately we had own own internal GPS and were able to make it home before dark.
Something is not what it appears to beHow can this photo be from 1943 when I see mid/late 40's cars in it??? Might also be the reason why there aren't very many older cars in it. Booming economy after the war equals many newer autos.
[None of these are post-war cars. The reason some resemble them is because most of the earliest 1946-1948 cars were retooled versions their last pre-war models, some of which are seen in this photo. -tterrace]
(The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Baltimore, Cars, Trucks, Buses, WW2)

Junior Driver: 1949
... much closer to those of a motorcycle than the bigger bikes possessed. When I outgrew it, I inherited my mother's Schwinn, complete ... 
 
Posted by historic52 - 12/08/2012 - 5:25pm -

A Schwinn bike and its garage-mates circa 1949, from a set of 35mm Kodachromes I acquired in northern New Jersey. View full size.
Too old for the trainersThe kid looks a little too old for training wheels. Maybe it's just the suite and tie. 
Definitely not carbon fiber composite and Shimano parts.That bike looks as heavy as a tank too. I think when cars hit these the cars got damaged NOT the bike.
Trunk TrimThe trim on the Pontiac, the car on the right, indicates that it is a 1951 model.  The 1949, 1950, and 1952 trims were all different so it is easy to tell the year by looking at the trunk.
Similarly, the Chevrolet parked next to it is a 1950 model.  The 1949 model had different trunk trim and the 1951 and later models had the tail lights on the outermost part of the fenders instead of on the slope between the fender and trunk.
The photos below show the differences between the years.
New Jersey license plates from both 1949 and 1951 were white lettering on a black background.
Tight SqueezeIf the driver of the Pontiac wanted to leave first, how would they get in?
Clip-on tieBoys' bow ties of that era were usually clip-on. Know this firsthand. Also the license plate on the Pontiac is a 1951 New Jersey tag.
Quite impressiveTaking into consideration everything; the well dressed kid, the bike, and the cars, this was a very well to do family in 1951!
Sunday MorningLooks like Sunday morning before getting into the car for church...
Good Job Zcarstvnz!Great ID on the model years Zcarstvnz. My initial guess was '50 on the Pontiac and '49 on the Chevy, but I could not find any good rear photos for confirmation.
Nice informative post.
Clip-onsI grew up in the 1950s, and any special event required all the boys and girls to "dress up." My dresser drawer had a selection of clip-on bow ties, and I don't recall learning to tie a Windsor knot until I was about 10. Was this boy's tie a clip on? It sure looks like one. When I was dressed up, my mother wouldn't let me near my bicycle.
I wasn't alone?I thought that I was the only kid dressed that way!  I had the same bike too but with a blue/cream coloration.
Possible Reason for the Suit and TieOne possible reason for our young man to be riding his bike in a suitcoat and tie - it is Easter morning.  I have a number of these same kind of pictures that seem to have the exact same feel to them. A bright, sunny Spring day and me dressed up in new Easter clothes waiting for the rest of the family to finish getting ready and go to church. (Look at his clothes and especially his shoes - way too new for a young boy to keep taht clean)  I would be bored silly as I was the youngest and usually the first to be gotten ready so I would go off to find something to do while I waited.  "Don't get into anything" would be the command from my mother.  Most of the time I didn't...  
Perfect ProportionsI, too, had that model Schwinn, minus light and training wheels.  I've always thought it was a particularly attractive machine, with proportions much closer to those of a motorcycle than the bigger bikes possessed.  When I outgrew it, I inherited my mother's Schwinn, complete with tank horn, sprung fork, and Pierce-Arrow-style headlamp.  Having a silly given name and riding a girl's bike guarantees that one will grow up to be a decent boxer ... if one grows up at all.
1950 Chevrolet and 1951 Pontiac1950 Chevy with Powerglide on the left, and a 1951 Pontiac Catalina.
Gotta hurryMr. White's gonna kill me if I miss another deadline at the Daily Planet!
Guaranteed for as long as he owns itLooks like the lucky lad has himself a 20 inch Model J-46 Schwinn. 
The circular badge just forward of the left tail light on the Pontiac identifies it as either a 1951 or 1952.
Just like meI didn't know there was another kid who put on his coat and tie to ride his bike. I didn't use training wheels, though, and I had a regular tie with a windsor knot. Didn't know how to tie a bow tie. 
OptionalLicense plates? Maybe the owner of the new Pontiac was saving the Chevy for a Barret-Jackson Auction in 2013?
Young Pee Wee Hermanheads off on his first Big Adventure.
Great Caesar's Ghost!He's even wearing Jimmy Olsen's bow tie! 
(ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)

Momma: 1964
... on the iron range of northern Minnesota. We kids rode our bikes through the ore residue, and ran races through the dust, and thought ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/05/2010 - 6:28pm -

"Cornett family, Kentucky, 1964." Vivian Cornett (1928-1994) and one of her twelve children on the front porch. Print from 35mm negative by William Gedney. Gedney Photographs and Writings Collection, Duke University.  View full size.
All you needis love, Love. Love is all you need.
M is for ..Love them all equally, make each one feel special. That's what mothers do. Good ones anyway.
Keep 'em coming!This is a great series! My siblings and I grew up in a rural area much like that pictured, and just about the same time. Some of the negative comments remind me of our Northern city cousins. They always seemed to feel sorry for us, and we always felt sorry for them. We stayed close as we grew up while our cousins have suffered a very dysfunctional family life.
Only MotherWe each have only one mother, and only she can provide the comfort and succor we crave. I wonder if it grieved Vivian Cornett that she, her children, and their clothes were so dirty? Or if it was simply a matter of practicality: you do your washing and bathing once a week, and the rest of the time you simply wait it out. Bear in mind this woman was probably no older than her mid-thirties at this time.
I'm NOT an old hippieAt the risk of sounding like one, here are a few lines from a Rod McKuen poem (paraphrased) that popped into my head when I first saw this picture:
Watching children grow
is like threatening the ivy
to climb the garden wall
Giving love to children
has made us older overnight.
I AM old but I'm not a hippie.  This is a photo of a  young woman growing old giving love to children.  It is a beautiful mom and a beautiful child.
Southern ComfortI am from Kentucky. While I love the California photos of tterrace, for instance, they are a world away from what I grew up with. The evocative photos of "country" people and the rural Southern buildings, including the general store photos, speak to my soul in a very special way that sometimes can bring tears to my eyes. They take me home in my mind's eye to a place that is locked away in my heart. Thank you for the best website going.
We know where this is goingPerhaps the Detroit Publishing Company and the National Photo Company Collection have slowed down the supply of glass negatives images from the turn of the century so now Shorpy is filling space with 1964 pictures of rural families.  Coming next will be 1988 photos of Texas kids with kittens and puppies.
[Or perhaps dodos in Ontario. - Dave]
Fierce loveThat's typical of families of that area; strong bonds, holding on to each other to make it through life.  I'm going to ask my father if he knew Willie and Vivian; they're not far from where he grew up and I'm positive they're distant cousins, at least.
Go Joe!Joe Manning, you are our hero, once again!  Please keep us posted!
Momma Cornett: 1964The child is probably Bernice, who was born in 1961. 
The richest people in the worldThe affection shown in this photo is timeless. The times may change, but the special bond between children and parents is eternal. 
It's photos like this that keep me coming back to Shorpy. Love you, guys!
Momma CornettVivian passed away in 1994. I just talked to the daughter of one of the boys in the photo. She confirmed that the girl is Bernice. I am hoping to arrange an interview if the family is willing.
[Thank you, Joe! - Dave]
AmericanaThanks for this series, Dave.  The strength of this country was derived from the courage, sacrifice, hard work and love of people like these. I reckon a foreigner just ain't gonna understand.
Not ALL DodosAs non-Dodo Ontarian, I would just like to say that I appreciate ALL the photos posted on Shorpy.
Thank you, JoeBecause I am of Appalachian heritage (southwestern Virginia, Scotch-Irish, Cherokee, other), I felt as if I were back in my mother's stomping grounds while looking at the Cornett family series. Hoping that Joe Manning would show up to give the circularity and connection he so often can, I can only sit here and say, "Thank you, Joe."
Wow,just wow.  William Gedney knew how to make the connection between subject and viewer, didn't he? Keep 'em coming, Dave.  These photos are touching a soft, warm spot in the hearts of many of us. Thanks.
Another Then and Now, sortaI grew up on the iron range of northern Minnesota. We kids rode our bikes through the ore residue, and ran races through the dust, and thought nothing of it. Then our mother got ahold of us. "Soap and water is cheap. Don't come in my house with that dirt on you." We did not have junk cars either, but we knew kids who did and thought it was cool. Life was a better then. We had more money than the Cornetts, and looking at Mrs. Cornett snuggling her baby I think "I wish she had been my mother." I also think "12 kids!! I hope she could afford a doctor to tie a knot in her bladder. Yikes!"
Shorpy is just the best! I enjoy it so very much and Dave, your comments are always spot on !
Cornett FamilyI talked again to the daughter of one of the boys in the family. She called her grandfather, Willie, the father in the picture. He prefers that I do not interview the family, for privacy reasons. I am disappointed, but that has to be respected. However, he mentioned that there is a well-known book about William Gedney and his writings about the family. It's called "What Was True: The Photographs and Writings of William Gedney." It's currently out of print, but expensive used copies are listed on Amazon. There is also the Duke University website devoted to the works of Gedney, including a gallery of the Cornett family photos.
(Cornett Family, William Gedney)

The New Olds: 1919
... cookie sheet under it to catch the oil drips. Old British bikes had the endearing habit of leaving puddles of oil wherever they were ... a Commando and an Atlas, and the comment "Old British bikes had the endearing habit of leaving puddles of oil" reminds me of the old ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 7:24pm -

Washington, D.C. "Oldsmobile Sales Co. interior, 1919 or 1920." National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size.
AccessoriesWow! Look at that classic office furniture! Oh, yeah; nice car, too.
Catch PanI guess leaks came with buying a new car in the early 1900s. Can you imagine going into a showroom today and seeing a catch pan underneath it?
FurnitureThings really haven't changed all the much have they? The desks are crammed up real close in the showroom. And instead of PCs on the desks, they have inkwells. They even have the glass offices to run to to get a manager to "approve" a deal.
Drip, drip, dripThis reminds me of the time I let a friend roll his 1975 Norton Commando into my living room to escape a rainstorm.  The first thing I did was slide a cookie sheet under it to catch the oil drips.  Old British bikes had the endearing habit of leaving puddles of oil wherever they were parked.
Your Great-Grandfather's OldsmobileLooks like a 1920 Model 37A
Floor wax, folks!Must be my hausfrau heart, but it seems like floors in the era needed a good waxing.
OldsI didn't immediately realise how early this is as far as cars go and how quickly they were developing. Just looking at the front of this car...no front brakes, big scrub radius because the kingpins aren't inclined to bring the contact patch into line with them, no carbon black in the tyres etc. I bet that's ordinary plate glass in the windows as well, not tempered. Also, I can't see any front dampers...were they tucked up under the chassis rails or was it simply undamped? Must have been a bouncy thing if so!
Drip LubricationMany vehicles would drip oil as a normal and intended part of their operation.  Metered oil feeds slowly drip oil on various parts that need lubrication.  One very renowned comment aimed at Harley Davidson motorcycles was the misconception that they always leaked oil.  I guess you could call these drippings "leaks".  Intentional ones. Another photo on Shorpy shows a block of oil sight glasses accessible to the driver of an automobile with little thumbscrews on top to adjust the drip rate on each one.
English motorcyclesI had a couple of old Nortons, a Commando and an Atlas, and the comment "Old British bikes had the endearing habit of leaving puddles of oil" reminds me of the old joke:
Q:  What does it mean if your English motorcycle isn't leaking oil?
A:  It's out of oil.
Hey...English motorcycles and cars don't really leak oil....they just 'mark their territory'!
There is the start...The customer's chairs...the salesmen's desks...and the dreaded windows "I'll just pass this by the Sales Manager...you never know"
Anyone wanna bet that is a mirror?I have an Olds of that age and it doesn't leak much oil. Olds had one of the first slanted windshields to prevent glare from headlights from behind. If you think the office furniture is nice, you should see the interior of that car! Pure class! I say that is a mirror to show off the undercarriage.
[Below: A decidedly non-reflective drip pan. - Dave]

(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)

Big Wheel: 1977
... own world pretending to be the characters of CHiPs on our 'bikes.' Super-size it, you say? Here's the Marx page (it is Big Wheel's ... 
 
Posted by rizzman1953 - 06/03/2012 - 3:06pm -

Medford, Mass., late fall 1977. A vintage Big Wheel toy by Mattel. (You can tell it's Mattel -- it's swell!) Kids were crazy for these things. Back when kids played outside! View full size.
SeatYessiree.  Thems was the days.  Remember the seat had 3 positions?  I think everyone had a "flat spot" on the front wheel!  I bet around back is the GREEN MACHINE.
Safe CityI guess in 1977 Medford you could leave a toy like that outside at night and it would still be there in the morning
My Dad Invented the Big WheelOn my fourth Christmas in 1950 I was the recipient of a Murray Tricycle and a Fire Chief peddle car.  As you can see from the picture the Murray was built like a tank and sported a dual spring cushioned seat and rear hubcaps.  About 4 years later my interest was shifting to a two wheeler.  In an apparent attempt to stave off such a purchase, my Dad modified the old Murray.  He basically swapped the handle bars with the front wheel and flipped the frame over.  A new hole was drilled in the frame for the seat.  It was an instant hit with me and all the kids in the neighborhood, low slung and almost impossible to tip over. In those days there were no ads on the radio or TV urging you to patent your invention.  There must have been Mattel spies in the neighborhood.  The rest is history.  
Big Wheel's limitationsAs a little kid in Houston in the early 70s, no doubt the Big Wheel was one of my favorites. However, we moved out to the country in 1973 and soon found that the Big Wheel didn't have an all-terrain capability. One needed lots of paved sidewalks for it to run at peak performance.
Thanks for the memories, Rizzman, and keep 'em coming.
Mattel?  Sure Mattel is swell, but the Big Wheel was actually the last dying gasp of the Marx Toy Company!
Here's a commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjTAA_da97w
BigWheel KidsOur 2 children, now in their 40s, were genuine Big Wheel kids. Our son, especially. He could make his spin and slide in imitation of those car chase scenes in movies.
Royal CrownDear rizzman1953,
To my eye you are the Night-Time Ansel Adams of 1970s Eastern Massachusetts. Not merely nostalgic family snaps, but composed art brimming with tone and texture. Please keep them coming.  
Wanted the Green MachineYup, had a Big Wheel, but my backyard neighbor and best friend had a Green Machine, which I thought was way cooler and loved whenever I had a chance to try it. And yes, eventually the front wheel got a flat spot, resulting in a distinctive clunk-clunk-clunk sound while racing around the neighborhood. We probably drove the neighbors crazy with the noise, but we were in our own world pretending to be the characters of CHiPs on our 'bikes.'
Super-size it, you say?Here's the Marx page (it is Big Wheel's 40th anniversary) with a super-super-sized Big Wheel as well as one in Adult Extra Large, with an engine.
http://www.marxmuseum.com/thebigtoys.html
Super-size it!My kids had these and I thought Big Wheels also should have been been available in adult size. That would have been real father-son bonding!
Fingernails on the blackboardGosh. How many times did I gently hiss dark oaths through clenched teeth as those hollow plastic wheels screeched and clattered about the neighborhood? The kiddos may have loved them, but Big Wheels caused one to want to live up on a mountainside faaar awaaaay from civilization and Big Wheels.
Heck's AngelsMy daughter, now 33, and her buddies used to tear up the sidewalk in front of the house, racing, spinning out, skidding to a halt in a cloud of dust.
She managed to wear through the plastic front wheel doing that and was heartbroken when we couldn't find one to replace it.
Great memories!
A Great Little RideOh yeah, I had one of those.  It was awesome! They originally came with little springs on the back wheels that caused them click and clack very loudly. Oddly enough, mine was "modified" by dad not too long after Christmas!
Wish I still had it.
B&W Big WheelI always look at the picture before the title or date, so these B&W shots from the 70s always throw me for a second!  I think I'm looking at something from the 50s or before, until I see something like a Big Wheel!  My kids weren't born for a few more years, but I can still picture my sons, at age 2-4, flying up the hills of the small German town we lived in, at the time, on their Big Wheels.  The kids who did that developed extra large thigh muscles!
Good old advertising.  Upon watching the old commercial for the H.W., I can't help but wonder what they did to make that kid go spinning on his trike. They never show how he initiates the spin, and the cut begins just as the spin takes effect. Ah, the magic of advertising.
Thank goodness a low center of gravityOur kids used them on a very long steep driveway that curved and shot across a small bridge over a stream that bisected our friends property.  If they didn't get lined up right for the final approach they went sailing over the side into the creek - they had to keep their feet up as they rocketed down or they'd catch a foot and flip (big tears and road rash) - they loved every minute of it.
If We Make It... It Can Take ItAll of the kids in my neighborhood had a Marx Big Wheel. They were AWESOME! I wore holes in the front tire of mine from locking the pedals up and sliding. Don't even ask about the right rear tire. Great times and great fun!
No airbagOne Sunday morning I crashed one of these into the neighbors' wooden fence sometime before 1973.  I cut my forehead open and my mother took me to the doctor for stitches.  When I got home, my father said I looked like Frankenstein.
Ben is rightNow I finally know where the big wheel came from, an upside down trycycle. Fascinating
(ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)

Burro Drawer: 1912
... in places like Africa and Mexico. The Tote Goat trail bikes got their name from these sure-footed ancestors. Leggings! The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 11:49am -

Washington, D.C., or vicinity ca. 1912. "U.S. Army burro and cart." (The caption on the negative sleeve actually says "U.S. Army goat and cart" but I will go out on a limb and say that the fellow on the left is no goat.) View full size.
Wagons ho, but kinda slowThis photo gives new meaning to the term army draft.
Government IssueThat cart looks rather makeshift for the Army.  I guess this was before huge defense contracts and $1000 toilet seats.  The burro seems well equipped for winter temperatures.
Who has it worse?The donkey is looking semi-miserable, but has a long thick coat against the cold. But Mr. Donkey Cart driver had to have had sore legs/butt from sitting astride the edge of the cart like that. How on earth does one get assigned to this duty!?
How does a guy get out of this chicken outfit?....is what the look on his face seems to be saying. I'd be requesting a transfer too.
Fort MyerI'd guess Fort Myer in Virginia. The duplexes look like officers' quarters.
The Original Tote GoatThose carts were originally called "tote goats." Easy to assemble, they were used worldwide. Burros were low maintenance and are still a common means of transportation in places like Africa and Mexico. The Tote Goat trail bikes got their name from these sure-footed ancestors.
Leggings!The soldier is wearing exactly the same kind of leggings we wore as navy recruits in 1962.  Come to think of it - they look identical - thanks to recycling?
Little GTOMaybe he got caught with the post commander's wife, daughter or son. Just thinking.
Be all that you can be!The photo reminds me of a Bill Mauldin cartoon drawn during the invasion of Italy. His bone-tired soldiers Willie and Joe are working on a muddy hillside in a driving rain, building a log pathway to a latrine. One of them looks disgusted and the other says, "Quit your complaining! You're learning a trade!"
Furry donkey with a bad haircutThere's only one type of donkey that could look that ugly - the "Baudet du Poitou" from France. Today there only about 200 or so purebreds left, and at one time they were close to extinction, with only 44 known to exist. What one of these truly strange French beasts is doing working for the U.S. Army in 1912 is a real mystery. The Poitou was brought over to the US to crossbreed with other breeds of donkeys (maybe after a few beers, perhaps) to develop the American Mammoth donkey.  
It is a goatThis was a recently declassified, pre-Great War, covert operation to smuggle goats behind enemy lines by disguising them as donkeys. Taft was a clever man.
Amazing!It never ceases to amaze me how can such a small animal be strong enough to pull a cart, its contents, the man sitting on it, plus its harness. Someone mentioned they felt sorry for the soldier. I feel sorry for the burrito too.
Amazing Indeed!You shouldn't fell too sorry for the burrito.  That's how the burro keeps his strength up.
[Fun fact: "Burrito," the diminutive of "burro," means "little burro." - Dave]
(The Gallery, Animals, D.C., Natl Photo)

Mobilized: 1940
... wishing we had one of those big bullet headlights on our bikes. About This Photograph ... In Groups of Twos The two men leaning ... door. That would also possibly explain the cluster of bikes sitting outside. I like the placement of the Shorpy watermark. In my ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2019 - 1:46pm -

December 1940. "Soldiers on street corner in Starke, Florida. Boomtown in defense district." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size.
Piss off, Indeed (Plus added information)Dave,
That guy is wacko. I'm on your side.
My mother-in-law was a St. John and I thought this might be family. Not to be though.
The Western Auto owner, Vincent Selleck St. John, was born in Connecticut in 1892 and died in Florida in 1970.
The soldiers were from Camp Blanding located about 9 miles NW in Clay County. My father was inducted into the Army there in 1945. I served in the Army Reserves and attended several weekend training exercises at Camp Blanding.
Kansas City IconThe iconic sign in downtown KC was restored to working order on July 13th, 2018.  The building now houses residential lofts.
[I love my job! - Dave]
Piss off!Gee, I'm glad I only purchased 2 of your overpriced prints before realizing what an asshole you are, Dave!
[So you post a comment about Kansas City under a photo of Starke, Florida (along with the inexplicable attachment of a cable TV contract) and you're complaining about me? I love my job!  - Dave]
Look Ma, No HandsThe bike on the right is missing its handlebars! Theft prevention, or did the rider really ride without them?
By the numbersI'll say this one time, you two. Don't make me count to three.
Takes me back, though not so farI worked for Western Auto for 6 months while waiting to be drafted in a later war.
Other sideMy late father used to tell me the way to tell which side of a car the battery was on by looking which side the tailpipe was on. Batteries don't like heat so it was placed opposite where the exhaust manifold was. This only applied to inline engines.
I never asked him why that information was valuable. 
Western Auto Will Soon Be GoneThis corner (100 W. Call St) will soon change. Evidence?
Old view -- (different angle) http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/33980
New view -- http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/21944/photos/22406
At least the Western Auto was replaced by a cool moderne movie theatre, and that place is still showing movies. 
Western AutoFor my friends and me, the Western Auto was like the new car showroom for bicycles. We were regulars there, looking, kicking tires, beeping horns, being mesmerized by all the chrome, lusting over the Stewart Warner Speedometers and wishing we had one of those big bullet headlights on our bikes.
About This Photograph ... In Groups of TwosThe two men leaning up against the building, left of the front door, appear to be father and son.  The identical position of their mouths makes me believe they are making the same statement to the men and boy walking past them.
There is an interesting comparison/contrast between the two soldiers staring at the camera and the two men at far right.   Only one of the four is not holding a cigarette, but he likely also smoked.
The Western Auto Associate Store appears to have also dealt in bicycles -- there are some just inside the front door.  That would also possibly explain the cluster of bikes sitting outside.
I like the placement of the Shorpy watermark.  In my mind it says, "Enjoy Shorpy".
LanguageOne: If readers don't know by now that they'd have to get up really, really early in the morning to get anything over on Dave, then they're more than NOT paying attention; they're daft, drunk, or both. 
Which may in fact be the problem here.
Two: I come here not only for fascinating photography, but because it's one of the few places online where intelligence and a startling (and refreshing) lack of profanity rule the day.
May it ever be so.
What are you looking at?Given that about half the guys in the photo look like they're spoiling for a fight, maybe that set the tone for comments.
Mean and CoolEverybody's lookin' mean and cool today in this photo. You can't put anything over on these guys. They didn't just fall off the turnip truck yesterday. 
(The Gallery, Bicycles, Florida, M.P. Wolcott, Stores & Markets, WW2)

The Summer of '42
... to judge from the license and lack of one on the two bikes. Catching Up Along with some relaxation and lunch, looks like ... Been there Done that! My wife and I used to ride our bikes there and later drive that in the early 60s when we were dating. It was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:34pm -

July 1942. "Sunday loungers at Hains Point." Peaceful wartime Washington. Photo by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size.
WhewI can just feel the stifling heat.
Uncle Sam Does't Want YouAt first I wondered why a fellow that age wasn't in uniform given the time period. Then I noticed his spectacles. Maybe defective peepers kept him out of the war?
[Not even half of draft-age American men were in military service during the war. The notion that just about any young guy you might see in these WW2-era photos was destined for military service is something of a fallacy. - Dave]
Draft AgeInteresting...
My grandfather entered WW2 service in 1944 at age 33, much older than many inductees. He was married with 3 children at the time. I've been told the pool of eligible draftees had really dwindled by then, and he may have enlisted to avoid being drafted. He was always very proud of his overseas service.
Sturmey Archer HubThe girl's bike has a Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub, and is probably a Raleigh. The guy's bike is more used, probably a Schwinn one speed. The live in different towns, to judge from the license and lack of one on the two bikes.
Catching UpAlong with some relaxation and lunch,  looks like they may be catching up on their newspaper reading,  most likely war news at the time.
Low Hanging FruitI'll take the three easiest cars to I.D.  L to R:  1940 Hudson, 1937 Ford, and 1940 Ford Standard.
Bike licenseWhat's the story on a "bicycle license"?  Theft prevention / proof of ownership? Prosecution of traffic violations? Tax collection? Other? Right now I would put my money on the tax people.
Is This Trip Really Necessary?There's a War on, You Know!
Apparently neither gas rationing nor those oft-used slogans from the era were on the minds of all those automobile drivers.  Or, maybe this was one last chance to get out for a drive before feeling the full effect of restrictions started just a few months earlier.
[Nationwide gasoline rationing was 5 months away, starting Dec. 1, 1942. - tterrace]
Actually, this may have been photographed at the end of the 'Eastern Seaboard Card Rationing' program that regulated 17 states along the east coast beginning in Feb '42. That program ended July 22nd, after which a 'card rationing' program was instituted which created the famous 'A', 'B', etc rationing coupons.  
Yes, it was not until December that the rest of the nation was under rationing controls.
Been there Done that!My wife and I used to ride our bikes there and later drive that in the early 60s when we were dating.  It was also a lovers lane at night. We may have gone that dozens of times. It was a very nice place to go to.  Sometimes we would park at the northern end and walk all the way to the tip on one side and back up the other side.
And the Spring of '47My dad spent the war years in the Pacific. Mom & Dad were married in May 1947, and I was born 2/21/48 (Dad didn't waste any time!) They honeymooned in Washington, DC - I can't tell you how many pix I have of them in poses similar to this.
The War yearsDad spent WWII in the Pacific as well, in the SeaBees. I can't recall when he enlisted, but it was probably '43, when he was 44 years old. (WWI vet, as well; lied about his age to enlist!) Puts me in the near forefront of Boomers, class of '46.
Out of state plateThe bike on the left is a Schwinn New World with a fillet-brazed chrome-molybdenum frame and a Hamilton Ohio license tag (it was one step below the top of the line, lugged frame Paramount model). Nice bike!
Many localities at the time encouraged/required bicycles to be registered and have metal mini license plates attached because it supposedly greatly increased the chances of getting a bike back if it got lost or stolen, at least that's what we were told by the police who occasionally came to chat about such things at our school assemblies. I shudder to think about what they must talk about now...
(The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Marjory Collins)

Bicycles, Cadillacs: 1910
... October 2009 General Store? Ah yes, autos, bikes and... funnels? I guess fueling up could be quite the adventure in those ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 11:58am -

New Orleans circa 1910. A close-up of the H.A. Testard Bicycles & Automobiles storefront from the previous post. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
And Motorcycles Too!Sure is a motorcycle prominent at the end of the window. I can't
tell what make it is (there were a lot). But, back in those days
motorcycles had more in common with pedal bicycles than not.
What a lovely old car!And it's under repair - the far side of the bonnet (or hood, as it's American) is open. I can't make out a manufacturer's name on the front: does anyone know what kind it is?
[It's a Cadillac. - Dave]
Move along, nothing to see here...Unless you want your SOUL to be EATEN!  
Still around.There are some of those cars around today thanks to collectors.It would be great if this car was one of them.
French ConnectionCouldn't help but notice the similarities with this bike shop, still functioning in Montreal.
View Larger Map
Bugs in Your TeethHere's the Cadillac, with optional no windshield, snapped at Hershey, Pennsylvania, October 2009
General Store? Ah yes, autos, bikes and... funnels? I guess fueling up could be quite the adventure in those days.
1910 Indian singleAs far as I can make out the motorcycle is a Indian 1910 single. A current photo of one can be seen in
Classic American Motorcycles by Tod Rafferty. According to the book they sold that year for $215.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Motorcycles, New Orleans)

Adult Swim: 1942
... as ball game with UFO in background, boy and girl with bikes lying on grass and two girl swimmers. East Potomac Park Yes, thank ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/21/2013 - 6:02pm -

July 1942. "Sunbathers on the grass next to the municipal swimming pool on Sunday." The pasty white underbelly of wartime Washington. Medium format negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Men's swimwearThrough the mid-1930s, tank tops seemed to be standard swimwear for me. By the early 1940s, nearly everyone wore trunks. Am I correct in thinking that the change happened very quickly? What caused the change in fashion? 
Pasty WhiteIn the 1960s I had the honour to serve in the US Navy at a sub base in Holy Loch, Scotland. After having been there for 18 months, my ship the USS Simon Lake was relieved by another, the USS Canopus. I transferred to the Canopus for another tour. Some of my new shipmates asked me how come I was sooo white. I pointed out that there was little sunshine in Scotland, and shortly they would be just as pasty, too.
Long story short, a nice tan was not a very important thing in 1942, unless you were Cary Grant.
More Men's Swimwear10 and 15 years later, in the mid 1950s, when I was old enough to remember swimming pools, these lads, grown up and now fathers, were still wearing those Superman trunks. We kids, however, were stuck with little children's boxers.
Those were Philadelphia and South Jersey memories.  A New York City friend says that up there, male swimmers went directly from old fashioned suits to boxers.
An urban legend is that a wartime shortage of cloth brought the end of coverup suits and also the arrival of bikinis.
Casual, almost indifferentWhat strikes me about this photo is the casual atmosphere of the scene. One might not realize a war was underway - the previous month, the US Navy had fought the critical battle of Midway.
The soldiers depicted in this photo have the casual, even sloppy appearance (headgear at improper angles; collars loosened, etc) of clerks assigned to DC area offices. If they had been recent trainees, one would hope that the spit and polish regime was still present.
Photo might be captioned: "At ease on the homefront".
I'm Not a Big FanI'm just a little one with an oscillating gear drive, silhouetted inside the little window of the frame shack.
Pool Pass?Are the GIs just taking an opportunity to wander by the pool, sightseeing, or has the USO or other agency arranged for pool passes? If anyone knows which way the entrance is from this shot, maybe it would help figure that out.
Since it's early in the war, the U-boats are working right off the coast and probably more than one GI is thinking, "Hmmm, maybe I ought to work on my backstroke?" These guys knew they most likely weren't flying anywhere to fight, unless it was in a warplane going overseas, too.
The pasty white underbelly of wartime WashingtonImagine where all those guys in Army uniforms were eventually to go.  They look so young.
But then I was 18 years + 3 months when my turn came.
LeanWe were certainly a trimmer nation.
Men's SwimwearSewickley, I made the same comment several weeks ago when there were swim pictures from 1939 and then right after the war. In the pre-war pictures all the men had swimsuits with tops and after only bottoms. I guessed that perhaps it was because GI's bathed in just their shorts and when they came back it just carried over. However it appears the change was even quicker (as you commented) as this picture in 1942 shows only one male with a swim top. I am like you curious as to what caused the change. Perhaps we have someone from the fashion industry that could answer this question.
[Googling {men's swimwear history} gets you off to a good start. - tterrace]
Pasty White IndeedAnd the brothers and sisters would be swimming ... where, exactly?  Not to be more than usually preachy, but this shot is a pretty good indication that such places in our nation's capital were still segregated back then (like military units, housing areas, and almost every other public facility).  It is fitting for Americans of all races to remember that the good old days were replete with bad features and that, as a people, we have indeed come a long way since then.
Back of the subBuilding in the background is now the U.S. Park Police Central Substation.
July in DCJuly in the District of Columbia can be blisteringly hot.  It can easily reach 100 degrees that time of year.  I'm amazed that the guys in uniform don't look a lot sloppier.
SW DCIf you look a little to the right of the lamppost you will see the USDA building, which runs along C Street SW from 12th to 14th Streets.  The pool must have been near where 12th Street merges into Maine Avenue.  The lanes of I-395 run through the location today.
SwimmingI think this is the building.
There is a pool here too.
LocationEast Potomac Pool on Hain's Point is probably where photo was taken.  Same location as ball game with UFO in background, boy and girl with bikes lying on grass and two girl swimmers.
East Potomac ParkYes, thank you, you're right.  My range estimate was way off.  It's across the channel in East Potomac Park.  
The pool may have been a WPA project.  People could swim in the Tidal Basin until the late 1920s.
Top of Washington MonumentThe top of the Washington Monument can be seen in the background.  Here's a 1934 photo of the top:
(The Gallery, D.C., Marjory Collins, Swimming)

Eastman Kodak: 1905
... in these photos. The fellow leaning out the window. The bikes left at the curb. RIP Kodachrome I assume that Shorpy readers ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 11:55am -

Circa 1905. "Eastman Kodak Co., State Street factory and main office. Rochester, New York." Future home of the late lamented Kodachrome. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Love OrnateSomeone please tell mt that the wonderful little building next door (that housed the moving company) is still standing. If you look closely, you can see a person going into the store. Also, the street cleaner bucket on wheels looks just like the one in the old Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.
Notice the bicyclesNo locks!  I reiterate, NO LOCKS!
Kodak is alive and wellA year ago I went out to Kodak in Rochester for training on their computer to plate and workflow systems. I assure you there is still a huge number of Kodak employees in Rochester. The George Eastman house was an experience of a lifetime. I want to go back and experience the world's largest collection of photographic images.
In the wagon:Barrels of Dektol and D-76.
Good Ole FredHe'll take anything you have and move it or store it for you. I'm guessing he has a bigger building elsewhere!
Human ResourcesThis past summer I struck up a conversation with another diner in a restaurant. He was from Rochester, so the conversation drifted to Eastman Kodak. He asked me to guess how many employees Kodak had that were still in Rochester, I said 100. His answer, six. I thought about it later and couldn't figure out what those 6 people were doing. Licensing the Kodak name? Administering the pension system? Anybody know?
[Eastman Kodak has over 20,000 employees and annual revenues of around $8 billion. Its headquarters are still in Rochester, so I'd bet that more than six people work there! - Dave]
I think you're right Dave, I just went on their Website and they appear to have about 20 Job openings in Rochester. 
A Kodak momentThis picture wipes me out. The plainness of the buildings is their beauty. A few modes of transportation going on, except for a car. A trolley, bicycle, horse and wagon/carriage. I wonder if people named their horses back then. Notice the man looking out the window, 4th floor, right building. I wonder what he was thinking about. 
DetailsI like the human details in these photos. The fellow leaning out the window. The bikes left at the curb. 
RIP KodachromeI assume that Shorpy readers will have heard the news that Dwayne's Photos, the sole remaining Kodachrome processor, used up the last batch of chemicals produced by Kodak just before Dec 31, 2010 to process all remaining submissions of Kodachrome. Now I'll never know what's on the half-roll of Super-8 stuck in my camera when the motor jammed 35 years ago. 
All of it goneI checked google street view, and I don't see any of the buildings from this picture. Is it fair to assume all of it is lost? 
Love the picture though!
Kodak in Rochester todayI've lived in Rochester my entire life and remember Kodak in when it was the largest employer in the city. According to an article in the Rochester Business Journal Kodak now employs about 7400 people in the area.
Sadly these buildings are long gone and the location is now a parking lot for Kodak Tower which was built around 1913. This photo is looking south down State Street at Platt Street.
View Larger Map
kodak is a disgracewhat you fail to realize is that kodak used to employe over 60,000 people in rochester, now they employe less than 4000, most of which are in management positions. my father was a 3rd generation kodak worker who was recently laid off after 35 years of faithful service. that company was his life and they hung him out to dry. those 20,000 are mostly in mexico, since kodak china went belly up, and those job openings are all temp. jobs. kodak wants to keep downsizing until they can sell the kodak name to someone like fuji, who is the biggest film and imaging business. george eastman would be ashamed of what his empire has become.
[What nonsense. George Eastman was intelligent man and a believer in scientific progress, so he'd hardly be surprised (much less "ashamed") that his business would encounter difficulties once its main product became obsolete. Corporations don't last forever; most are lucky to number their years in decades.  This one has lasted a more than a century -- a long and distinguished history. - Dave]
Kodak momentWonderful photo. I work at Kodak's State Street facility as a contractor. I'm very interested in local history and specifically the history of Kodak and its buildings. In my job I get to access parts of the Kodak facility which most people don't see and although a lot of the historic aspects are gone, details still remain and to an amateur historian it's wonderful to be able to walk the halls where history was made. To clear up the employment question, there are currently around 7600 direct hire employees at Kodak in the Rochester facilities plus many hundreds more contract workers. This photo shows the State Street frontage prior to the construction of the iconic Tower in 1912, which would be seen in more recent photos rising behind the far left side of the six story building in the foreground. All have now been replaced by more modern structures (the last constructed around 1948). It's sad to see the buildings which have been lost to time, but Kodak had to be progressive and modern and as buildings became outdated and even structurally unsound, they had no choice but to rebuild. 
(The Gallery, DPC, Rochester)

Look, Ma: 1921
... how pedaling energy and speed is affected. Most modern bikes now have a drive sprocket that is several times as big as the driven one. ... for trick riding). Modern "trials" and other trick bikes have the same kind of gearing. About the saddle, which looks rather ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:06pm -

January 29, 1921. Washington, D.C. "Herbert Bell and Joe Garso," a duo of one-legged trick cyclists who were probably war veterans. Which one this is, I'm not sure. National Photo Co. Collection glass negative. View full size.
Twin sprocketsI wonder how pedaling energy and speed is affected. Most modern bikes now have a drive sprocket that is several times as big as the driven one. Seems like it would be a bear to get moving up to speed. With one leg no less.
Wow!I can't imagine the trick he is trying to perform here, the handlebars are straight, the tire is at a 90 degree angle and he is pulling something from his back pocket. And the calm look on his face shows he knows exactly how this is going to end.
Cringeworthy.The sight of someone's fingers intertwined within the spokes of a bike must be the visual equivalent of nails on a chalkboard because this photo, viewed large especially, made me actually flinch!
P.S. And I'm guessing your hunch about these two being war veterans is a sound one...here's hoping they made buckets of money and had tons of fun with their bike tricks.
FixeeThat's one heckuva track stand!
SprocketsYes, most modern, and ancient, bicycles have a front sprocket that is several times the size of the rear sprocket.  However, this bicycle is a very specialized one, designed for doing trick riding.  Having this small front sprocket allows one great control at low speed (the only speed required for trick riding).  Modern "trials" and other trick bikes have the same kind of gearing.
About the saddle, which looks rather more like a baguette, I have no idea. 
(The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Herb & Joe, Natl Photo, Sports)

Instant Messenger: 1913
... 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 ... hole for the gear tooth, hinge (ASCII art: *-*-*-). On old bikes the pattern was hinge, hinge, hole for the gear tooth, hinge, hinge ... 
 
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)

On the Grid: 1939
... looked like as a baby! D.C. Traffic There are bikes in the middle of the street. And a traffic cop, remember those? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 11:06am -

Washington, D.C., in 1939. "Aerial view in front of the Willard Hotel at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, showing pedestrians and rather dense traffic in autos and streetcars." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by David Myers.
AwwwThat's so funny - what "rather dense traffic" looked like as a baby!
D.C. TrafficThere are bikes in the middle of the street. And a traffic cop, remember those?
StreetcarsNotice that the two street cars have their poles down on the roof.  That is because power is being grabbed from the slot between the rails.  This is somewhat like the SF cable cars, but in the case of the DC cars there is a 600v direct current cable in the slot which supplies electricity to the cars.  This is fairly unique to the DC system.
Actually not like San FranciscoThe street car in this picture are electrically powered, drawing current from a "shoe" that runs in the slot. The San Francisco cable cars are an entirely mechanical system. The cars have a grip, which is described as being like a pair of pliers, that grabs hold of a cable that runs under the street on loop from a main power station where there are electric motors for each of the lines. The cable moves and physically pulls the cars along their routes. The advantages of this system over a conventional trolley system is that the cable cars have significantly less trouble dealing with steep hills.
Willard Hotel Streetcar TracksThe caption identifying the location as 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue is incorrect. There were no junction tracks between the routes at the intersection of 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The actual location of that picture is two block north at 14th and G Streets. the picture was taken from the upper floors of the Western Union building that still stands on the northwest corner of that intersection.
[I think you're mistaken. The caption was written by the photographer. Below, photos of the Willard and from the Willard circa 1923, showing the intersection and streetcar tracks. - Dave]

14th & PennsylvaniaThe bottom photo, looking southeast at 14th and Pennsylvania NW, is prior to the 1935-36 Capital Transit reconstruction project, which resulted in a track connection for Route 54 Navy Yard streetcars southbound on 14th Street to southeastbound on Pennsylvania Avenue. The main photograph, however, does show the perpendicular crossing "specialwork" trackage at 14th & G streets.
Rodchenko perspectiveThe style of this photo is very much like those of Alexandr Rodchenko, the Soviet modernist photographer, a decade or two earlier.
Second opinionIt is not too hard for casual visitors and friends of Washington DC to think this view is from the Willard Hotel at 14th & PA Av NW. However, as a streetcar historian living in Washington DC since 1953 and keeping records of track and cars from 1862, I can positively suggest to you that the view is from the office bldg on NE corner of 14th & G Sts NW. The SE corner is the National Bank of Washington. The SW corner was the city ticket office of Pennsylvania RR. The NW corner was the city office of Western Union by the late 1930s. If you look at the width of Pa Av - it is much wider than shown on this view. This switch was used for rush hour trips from Bureau of Engraving/USDA to G St for cars running to North Capital and Hyattsville. I have had this print in possession for more than 50 years. 
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., David Myers, Streetcars)

Galaxie 500: 1964
... paper. Mysterious and tantalizing! A few of us rode our bikes there one Saturday to see whether we could sneak a better look, but were ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/21/2016 - 5:47pm -

June 23, 1964. "Ford showroom in Wheaton, Maryland." 35mm negative by Warren K. Leffler for U.S. News & World Report. View full size.
My Galaxie 500 TodayI have owned this 1966 Galaxie 500 since September 1997. It just celebrated its 50th birthday in May, which makes it as old now as the Model T touring car in the background of the showroom. My car is unrestored and perfectly driveable, and was purchased from the original owner. Galaxie 500s that survive today are but a mere number of the thousands that were produced.
Got my license the day they started makin' Mustangs! I cruised the local Ford dealer regularly as my license was burning a hole in my pocket.  Newly minted, it was my key to freedom.  I remember seeing the first Mustang, $2368 base price, FOB Dearborn.  Shipping to Indianapolis was $53.  There was also an original Cobra, I think with a 289, fenced off from lookie-loos, with the oddball rear facing shift lever. A drag-race version of the Ford Custom 2-door, with heater, radio and rear-seat delete options, in whitest-of-white made an appearance also.  It had a 4-on-the-floor and a 406 under the hood, and black sidewall tires.  Carpet?  Ha, rubber floor mats did the job just fine.  Compared alongside the 4-door hardtop next  to it, a Galaxie 500 with front bucket seats and a floor-mounted Cruise-O-Matic shift lever, it was a stripped wasteland.
 The new 'feature' of the 64 full-size models was the dual-action lower A-arm front suspension, which allowed the wheel to 'kick back' when it encountered a pothole.  Most were replaced when tire wear became a factor.
 When winning NASCAR races became problematic with the T-Bird style chopped roofline, a fastback model was rushed into production.
Cushy comfortI always thought the old large sized bias-ply tires looked sharp. 
Easy breezyBack when you could work on your own car without a need for an engineering, and computer specialist degrees! 
The 390 and the 406 enginescould never keep up with the 409 Chevrolet power plant. Running the single 4 barrel carb the 409 was a beast.
The Tin Lizzie in the backgroundwas at that time about the same age as the cars in the showroom are today, but look at how much progress had been made in that same number of years.  By contrast, the '64s could still look at home on any street and compete in virtually any contest with a modern car in creature comforts and performance if it had the optional 406!  There were no flies on the 390 either.
Never a 64 and thats not the "half" of it!The Mustangs went on sale in April of 64 but were always classified as 65 models.  Over the years the early 65's have picked up the 64 and a half designation but they were always 65's to be accurate.  
So much room under the hoodYou could sleep one adult and two children!
Later in 64The salesman is wearing a Mustang emblem on his jacket so the picture is after April 64 I would guess. 
Fords GaloreI’m not a “car guy” at all, and even I can spot a few interesting items here!  At least two Mustangs lurk in the background, as the salesman wears a blazer emblazoned with the Mustang logo (first year they were offered, right?).  There’s also a Thunderbird back there, and then outside, or in whatever the next space beyond the showroom glass is, there’s a Christopher Helin-era car getting some attention.
Ah, the GalaxieMy first car was my Grandpa's '67 Galaxie 500, with a 390 engine in it, affectionately called "The Slimemobile".
Fun to drive, for a boat.
I used to like to Armorall the back seat, take my friends for a non-seatbelted ride, and take the corners hard.
Good times.
Not so fast...Regarding VictrolaJazz’s comments regarding the degree of improvement in cars from 1920-1964 vs 1964-2016, I respectfully beg to differ.  Straight line 0-60 time is only a tiny part of the whole picture.  More important things like reliability, durability, drivability, functionality, and especially safety of cars didn’t improve as much from 1920 to 1964 as they have from 1964 to 2016.
Galaxie fastback roofIt was actually introduced mid-year 1963.  tomincantonga is correct in that it was for aerodynamics and racing.  These Galaxies were called 1963½ models and it was the first half-year model introduction ever.
Also, that stripped Custom 1964 would have been a 427, as that engine replaced the 406 partway through the 1963 model year to take advantage of NHRA and NASCAR maximum engine size of 7 liters.  It was rated at 425 HP with two four-barrel Holley carbs.  No doubt, this was a conservative rating.
My first "decent" car after getting married was a 1964 Galaxie hardtop coupe.  It had the little 289 V8 engine.  With a little tinkering I found that I could get around 19 mpg on the road by advancing the ignition timing and using premium gas.  With the timing set for regular gas the mileage (and power) would drop to about 17 mpg.
Kraft paper on the windowsThough ours was a GM family, after they stopped making DeSotos, I was fascinated by the Ford Mustang. I remember our school bus driving by the Ford dealer in Houma, Louisiana, and seeing the windows covered in Kraft paper. Mysterious and tantalizing! A few of us rode our bikes there one Saturday to see whether we could sneak a better look, but were given the bum's rush.
My friends and I--all of whom were too young to drive--would bring our Motor Trend and Car and Driver magazines to school and discuss all the new cars that were coming out. I thought the Camaro was the most elegant design around but the Olds Toronado was, to me, the most beautiful American car ever.
I was so upset when, in spite of my pleading, my mom bought a new '67 Riviera GS. 
Just like my father's car.Flashback to my post over 4 years ago with my late father's '64 Galaxie 500XL you can see here.
Hill & Sanders It's the showroom of Hill & Sanders Ford 11250 Veirs Mill Rd, Wheaton, MD
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, LOOK)

Sidesaddle: 1929
... I saw that spring under her. The back side of these early bikes usually had no suspension. The modern Excelsior plant was just ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 12:44pm -

Washington, D.C., 1929. "Motorcycle" is all it says on the label. This post marks the debut of our new Motorcycles tag. National Photo Co. View full size.
Not just a motorcycleIt's a Henderson, built from 1912 to 1931. Ask any  real motorcycle fanatic and they will claim it was (is) the best motorcycle ever made, far ahead of others at the time. The company was revived in 1993, made 2,000 cycles and dissolved in 2000. Truly an American classic.
Can't tell which model exactlyBut appears to be a DeLuxe. There were four different versions made during the '20s.  All shared the four cylinder engine and were prized by police departments of the age over Harleys and Indians for their speed.
Sadly the company was closed in 1931 by the parent company, Schwinn, (yes, the bicycle company) despite having a full order book. Ignatz  Schwinn was  concerned that the Depression would last another eight years and chose to focus on his core business.  
In the Interest of SafetyShe should put the cellphone down and hang on with both hands.
I wonderDid women actually passenger a motorcycle sitting sidesaddle back in those days?
What it isLooks like a 1928 Henderson Deluxe.
Expert opinion neededWho can tell us about the cord going from the handlebar to the guy's knee.
That first turn is a killerAll he has to do is lean in to a sharp right turn and Miss Sidesaddle will be face-down in the dirt.
My favorite bike!They used this inline four engine for aeroplanes also.  I first thought that poor lady was in for a spine compressing ride until I saw that spring under her.  The back side of these early bikes usually had no suspension.
The modern Excelsior plant was just outside of my home area of the twin cities of Minnesota and after a good run is now home to an Italian marble supplier.
Balance on a motorcycleAs any motorcyclist will confirm, a motorcycle is always in balance while it's in motion.  Whether traveling upright in a straight line, or leaned hard over in a turn, the motorcycle and its passengers are always in balance.
No matter which way the motorcycle turns, the position of the riders in relation to the motorcycle does not change and there is no sensation of 'leaning'.  So, Miss Sidesaddle is perfectly safe where she sits. And, considering the clothing she is wearing, sitting sidesaddle was her only lady-like choice this time.
Got binders?That miniscule front brake frightens me.
Side Saddle RidingWhen my wife & I were dating she used to ride side-saddle on my 1967 Triumph TR6C (650cc with high side exhaust pipes). She would put one arm around me and one arm around the sissy bar I had added for her. She would carry our college books on her lap.  I just had to avoid violent maneuvers. Worked out well for us. Going around corners, the centripetal force was balanced by the inward lean. Riding astride behind me she stayed so balanced it was hard to tell she was behind me.
(The Gallery, D.C., Motorcycles, Natl Photo)

Our Little Pony: 1938
... I guess "Cleveland" sounded better), advertised their bikes in Europe with marvelous posters showing western themes -- cowboys and, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/27/2019 - 3:21pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1938. "Native American boys with bicycle." The original caption for this photo, which has been lost, probably did not use the phrase "Native American." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.
Macho ManSometime later one of their descendants would be discovered dancing on the bar at a nightclub in Greenwich Village. And the rest was disco history.
Seems okay to meOne little, two little, three little Indians
Four little, five little, six little Indians
Seven little, eight little, nine little Indians
Ten little Indian boys.
Ten little, nine little, eight little Indians
Seven little, six little, five little Indians
Four little, three little, two little Indians
One little Indian boy.
Actual Note Accompanying These Lyrics:
"This song is considered sensitive and may contain lyrics that cause offensive to some people. Please speak to a parent or guardian for further help.
In BrooklandThe photo appears to have been taken on the grassy field in front of McMahon Hall at Catholic University. 
Math problem, 1 divided by 3Three boys and only one bike? I hope they're brothers, because otherwise, that's a problem.
HandlebarsWhen I was a kid in the 60s, we would turn down the handlebars like these guys are. We thought it looked cool. Dangerous if the grips slid off, as they often did, but cool.
Dances With BicyclesI thought they only stole horses.
Deep thoughtsI can't help wondering if things had gone quite the other way, how I'd feel if a Native photographer dressed a little Caucasian boy up in his daddy's war medals and plunked him by a mockery of a cannon or gave him a pop-gun to hold, just for S&Gs.
Then again, the Anglo population in the US is reportedly dwindling.  I may yet get to find out something of the kind before old age has kicked me humpbacked.
It's like a Cleveland Bicycles poster120 years, ago Cleveland Cycles (of Toledo Ohio, bizarrely. I guess "Cleveland" sounded better), advertised their bikes in Europe with marvelous posters showing western themes -- cowboys and, especially "Native Americans" riding bicycles.
Here's an example.

The silence is deafening.Has the ogre of political correctness become so fearsome that nobody is game to make even the most basic observation or comment?
How sad; a similar social environment to that experienced by the average German citizen in the 1930s: Keep you mouth shut and your thoughts to yourself, just to be on the safe side.
Basic observationThose outfits wold be worth a freakin' fortune today. Bicycle might bring pretty good money, too.
(The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Kids, Native Americans)

Little Kittens: 1941
... Heavy Those bikes look like a lot of steel to be pedaling around. I wonder how much they ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/17/2021 - 1:32pm -

March 1941. "Girls at trailer camp for defense workers. Ocean View, Virginia, outskirts of Norfolk." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size.
Trying, but failingTo understand the gizmo attached to the bottom of the rear fender on the closest bike.  It looks like there is one on the other bike, too.
[It's a kickstand. - Dave]
Well, of course it is.  Pretty obvious.  Thanks, Dave.
Sweet kidsThat girl in the back is beautiful. She could be a model. I wonder how their lives turned out.
Charming childrenWhat beautiful faces and expressions. The joy of the one with the little book is almost palpable. Some are born to sweet delight.
HappyOnce in a while you see a photo that just makes you happy. 
This is one of them !
Wonder womenThese three girls are so charming and elegant, each in her own way.  The windswept hair of the young lady in back is terribly alluring, and the kerchief with braids and leather gloves in front is so grown-up.  Even little kitten girl is styling with that hand-knotted cloth belt.  All three are so pleasing.
Collector's itemIf the young lady who was so proud of her copy of "More About the Four Little Kittens" had taken good care of it, and saved it to this day, she could do quite well selling it online. If my math is right, if she sold it today based on its market price, she could reinvest the proceeds in a Patreon subscription to Shorpy, avoiding ads and getting background versions of pics for three years and four months. 
Cool Car Cold WaterThe car looks to be a 1937 Chevrolet Sport Coupe (with a rumble seat!) and the cold water inlet appears to be a hose attached at the clothes line.  The young girls are probably sisters.  One of them is riding a boys bike but the boy (brother?) is probably okay with it.
I hope no kittens were mistreated."More about the Four Little Kittens" (1938), one of those controversial books by Harry W. Frees that allegedly involved stressful posing of live pets. Delightful for kids, maybe not so much for the kitties.
https://www.barnebys.com/auctions/lot/3_kaqz_69
HeavyThose bikes look like a lot of steel to be pedaling around. I wonder how much they weighed.
Everything to MeFood, shelter, clothing, love and care are essentials but add a bike and books, and life gets pretty close to perfect, and certainly makes other hardships much easier to bear.
Bloody boat anchorsfreddy223, the answer to your question is "between 40 and 50 pounds" (18 to 22 kg). My late mother owned a bike identical to the front one, and it was a trial and a misery to ride due to its weight.
Five window coupeCurvaceous 1935 Ford, showing off it's its well-polished paint. 
(The Gallery, Bicycles, Cats, John Vachon, Kids, Norfolk, WW2)

The Flying Merkel: 1915
... a modern development when they first appeared on Japanese bikes in the late 1970s Shiny Hubs When I was a kid, my bothers and I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/09/2014 - 2:49pm -

Circa 1915, location unknown. "Mailman & motorcycle." And not just any motorbike but a "Flying Merkel," with what looks like an acetylene-gas headlamp. Oh, and Spitting Prohibited by Law, "Except Into Cuspidors." View full size.
The proper dismountIn the late teens of the last century, my father was riding as passenger on an older friend's Flying Merkel when they encountered a patch of loose gravel, skidded in spectacular fashion off the country road, and ended up sore but relatively unhurt in the ditch.  A farmer who'd been plowing nearby halted his team and came ambling over.  "You boys hurt?" he enquired.
"Hell, no, old timer," the friend replied.  "This is a Flying Merkel; we always get off that way!"
Postal CowboyWho wouldn't have wanted to be a mailman in 1915? Especially if you got to wear those cool boots and gloves!  
Acetylene headlightYou can see the small 'mc' acetylene cylinder hooked up to the headlight. That size of acetylene cylinder is to this day known as an 'mc'.  MC for motorcycle. I have one exactly like it sitting right behind me as I type this.  I spent 35 years filling them. Yikes! I hate saying that I did anything for 35 years.  Yikes! I love this site and have been following it
for a long time now. Thanks for all!
The Merkel FlewAlways known for speed, this example seems to at least have a clutch, but no gearbox.  Not exactly set up for local deliveries but it would sure work for express!
Belt driveI didn't know that belt final drives were used at this time - thought they were a modern development when they first appeared on Japanese bikes in the late 1970s
Shiny HubsWhen I was a kid, my bothers and I all had "hub polishers", just like the Flying Merkel's.  Without them, cleaning the hub was a tough and tedious job.
Not bootsActually he is not wearing boots. He is wearing shoes with leather leggings.
The Heyday of the CuspidorThe "Spitting Prohibited By Law" sign marks this picture as having been taken during the great anti-spitting crusade of the early 20th century.  This campaign, undertaken in the cause of slowing the spread of then-endemic tuberculosis infections, caused anti-spitting legislation to be enacted by cities and states across the country. Curbing the once-common habit of regular spitting, both outdoors and indoors, and bringing cuspidors into taverns, theaters, stores, and even homes, everywhere.
It was cheaper than a carThe 1915 Flying Merkel model 750 with belt drive was priced at $240.  The luggage carrier was $5 more.  Still, that was more than half the price of a $440 Ford model T Runabout.
Oh, to have that bike today!In a 2012 Las Vegas motorcycle auction, the top seller of the weekend was a beautifully restored 1910 Flying Merkel, resplendent in the company's bright orange coloring, that garnered $86,800
I'm sure the postman would hand-cancel his forehead in shock & amazement!
Postal ride deluxeWas fascinated by this photograph simply because the motorcycle did not appear to be a blacksmith special with help from a rusty hacksaw and no clue about machining or dynamics, which was typical of the period. 
So I investigated further and found The Flying Merkel website. Well, the machine is even more advanced than I thought. Proper springing front and rear hidden inside the forks and tubing, for a start. Not a bicycle then.  I could go on about the controls and their clever use inside close-fitting tubing so that they worked push and pull. The pushrods have roller followers, ball-bearings were used throughout, and it actually had decent brakes. 
Not your average motorcycle of the time. The price reflected it, too, at almost $300, and WW1 put paid to the company.
That's why I say the mailman had a deluxe ride. The date is not likely 1915 at all, but 1912 since it is a 1912 model and looks brand new. Also flyingmerkel.com says it's 1912 on their copy of the photo. Good enough for me.
By the way, the belt driving the rear wheel isn't rubber, but leather. You could have Renold chain instead, no cost.
Thanks again Shorpy for the really detailed photo. Good one. Learned something today!
(The Gallery, Motorcycles, Natl Photo)

Boody House: 1900
... first paved roads and first road maps were designed with bikes in mind. Boody Facts "A Toledo landmark for fifty-five years, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 8:18pm -

Circa 1900. "Boody House, Toledo, Ohio." The Boody House hotel at St. Clair and Madison. Dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
TowerGotta love the architecture at the top of the tower. Date 1870, simply beautiful.
Bike WorldBefore cars took over, bicycles were considered to be a legitimate mode of transportation.  According to the Smithsonian, the first paved roads and first road maps were designed with bikes in mind.
Boody Facts     "A Toledo landmark for fifty-five years, the Boody House hotel stood at the corner of Madison Avenue and St. Clair Street. The hotel opened in June 1872 with 133 guest rooms, each with its own fireplace. Hot and cold water ran in each room, a novelty for the day. The building was torn down in 1928 to make way for the Ohio Savings Bank and Trust Company."
Amazing lightThe low angle light from the left of the frame gives the woman with the netting on and the two guys behind her a startling definition -- almost looks burned in. Bicycles left at the curb and an early version of Cinnabon at the corner. This is a phenomenal photo.
WiredShorpy viewers are used to seeing huge numbers of single phone lines on multiple crossbeams in old city photos. The few thick phone lines on these poles indicate that Toledo was progressive in the adoption of fewer, larger cables containing many twisted pairs, each replacing many of the old single wires. Note the many empty crossbars on the phone pole on the corner, with iron junction boxes serving to break out lines to each customer. These early cables were insulated with twisted, tarred paper, resulting in a rather ragged appearance in the foreground. 
Was bicycle theft a hanging offense?Those bicycles were expensive compared to average wages, but nobody seems to lock them up.
Boody House key tagI found a key tag for room 75 in Salem Ohio about 3 years ago. The electric company had put in a new pole and the tag was dug up when they drilled the hole.
(The Gallery, DPC, Streetcars, Toledo)

Cool bike
... lawns in the neighborhood so we could 'customize' our bikes with sissy bars, bananna seats, battery operated headlamps and horns, ... 
 
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)

Mr. O.K.: 1942
... tune my ears to the street for the sound of the speeding bikes. Over his shoulder Home of the Wilbur Chocolate Company Nice ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/05/2021 - 10:55am -

November 1942. Lititz, Pennsylvania. "Mr. O.K. Bushong, express agent. Two trains a day pass through Lititz on the Lancaster-Reading Railroad. He says that passenger trade has increased 100 percent since war." Photo by Marjory Collins, Office of War Information. View full size.
Looks like the same spot. 
O.K. Not O.K.Name: Ohmer King Bushong
Age: 57
Born: 1885
Died: Feb. 20, 1945
Education: 2 years high school
Employment: R.R. Station Agent
Address: 202 S. Broad St. Lititz, Pennsylvania
Wife: Gertrude
O.K. Bushong died at age 60 about 27 months after this photo was taken.
Railroad RhetoricYou want to look and listen, not listen and look, because the light arrives before the sound.
In any case "Stop, look, and listen" is hendiadys - substitution of conjunction for subordination.  The original would be "Stop to look and listen."
Stop Listen LookMakes a lot of sense to keep you ears as well as your eyes open for a train.  I’ve found listening is very important in some other aspects of driving.  There’s a curving hilly road I park and drive on once a week, and whole flocks of cyclists come whizzing down the hill after doing the challenge of going up.  When I pull out into traffic from parking at the curb, I can hear the pack coming before I see them coming around the bend, and I always leave my window open and tune my ears to the street for the sound of the speeding bikes.
Over his shoulderHome of the Wilbur Chocolate Company
Nice story about the property here:
https://www.wilburbuds.com/revitalization-wilbur-factory
How times changeI was taught "STOP, LOOK, LISTEN."  Progress, I suppose.
Something's not rightShouldn't the sign read " Stop Look Listen"? It's things like this that keep me awake at night.
[When your sign is a circle, the longest word has to be in the middle. - Dave]
OK hairpieceWould you call that a rug? Glad he is proud of his work. I guess railroads were not hurt by the wartime rationing?
What is he leaning on?That thing with the words ROAD PILOT cast into it, what is it?
["The perfect highway signal." - Dave]

Railroad RationingRationing did impact the railroads in many ways and just about anything that could be moved was pressed into service as a result. As big users of steel, many alloys simply weren't available, and the War Production Board limited locomotive production to existing designs for freight or dual-service engines. Railroads were also obliged to locate and provide parts for these new engines from suppliers or make substitutions. Passenger ridership skyrocketed, but production of new cars was prohibited after 1942. Dining cars were subject to the same food restrictions as consumers. Freight cars weren't immune either, with "war emergency" boxcars and hoppers built with wooden sides.
Been Here Many TimesI've been over this RR crossing many times in my life, this being maybe 15 minutes from where I live. Lititz is my dad's hometown, and most of his side of the family lived there. For many years, being there meant  the ever-present aroma of Wilbur's Chocolate wafting throughout the town, now just a memory. Same goes for most of the relatives who once lived there.  Lititz is a quaint town with many nice little shops, well worth visiting. The Wilbur's building is a nice hotel now, fortunately retaining most of the original factory part of the structure. Many locals, myself included, considered the chocolate once made there, especially "Wilbur Buds," superior to Hershey's.
(The Gallery, Marjory Collins, Railroads, WW2)
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