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Kelly's Klipper: 1942
... that guy in the middle, beside Grumpy Girl: he could be a blacksmith. And the hair! The ‘do on Mr. 1945 looks like a delicious ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2019 - 5:55pm -

May 1942. Washington, D.C. "Student's car in front of University Club on K Street N.W." Medium format negative by John Ferrell for the Office of War Information. View full size. Old in 1942Funny they considered this Model A Ford an old car in 1942, when it was only 13 or 14 years old. Automobile style and technology had certainly changed a lot in those years. Lots of cars from 2005 and 2006 (and much older!) on the road today, and they certainly don't stand out. By the looks of himSecond from the left sure looks like he knows his way around a set of knuckles. Old, schmoldAt its most venerable, that "old" ride would be the equivalent of a 2007 model today ... in chronological terms. Technologically, those years between 1927 and 1942 brought many changes to even low-price cars, most notably synchromesh transmissions and hydraulic brakes, though Ford was the last of the Majors to adopt the latter. Now in the aesthetics of style, it's a different story! Coining a phraseDon't laugh, it's paid for. Time TravellingMike Wallace interviews local students on car slogans for next episode of "60 Minutes". Real menThe average group of male college students nowadays would, I’m afraid, look more like boys than these men. Check that guy in the middle, beside Grumpy Girl: he could be a blacksmith. And the hair! The ‘do on Mr. 1945 looks like a delicious pastry. What a difference.Imagine, they wrote "love you all" on the back fender. Today you can imagine the sophomoric, lewd and crude things / writing they would be putting on, or hang on their cars 1945?Puzzling, the "1945" on the sweater in 1942, was he an earlier Dr. Who? [So you think those sweaters are like calendars? You've never been in college! - Dave] No, I live in Australia. We did not have anything like that. My Dad? Nope, can't be.My father was a student at GW and bore a fairly close resemblance to the guy with the tie in this photo. But my father's college career was interrupted by WWII and he wasn't anywhere near D.C. in 1942. When he finally was able to resume his studies (in 1947) he became one of the older Delta Tau Delta pledges in history, lived in the basement of the frat house on 22nd St NW, and was called "Pops" or "Gramps" by one and all. I wonder if he ever hung near the University Club? I'd like to think so. More Friendly Than They LookThe powerfully-built gent in the center is not a GWU student. The others congenially invited him to take a break from the project visibly underway on the right and join in their photo. What else would explain that apparently abandoned toolbox? [Um, the explanation would be that the toolbox belongs to any of the billion or so people who aren't in the photo. - Dave] Oh the irony!They wrote: "Don't laugh, you will be old too!" (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., John Ferrell)
The Flying Merkel: 1915
... simply because the motorcycle did not appear to be a blacksmith special with help from a rusty hacksaw and no clue about machining ... 
 
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)
Gee's Bend: 1937
... full project was developed there including schools, store, blacksmith shop and cooperative cotton gin. The photo shows the "swept ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 10:49am -

February 1937. Gee's Bend, Alabama. Descendants of former slaves of the Pettway Plantation. They are still living under primitive conditions there. Meat in sacks hangs from tree limbs to be cured. Medium format nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Gee's BendGee's Bend was perceived by many of the academics of the day as a pure distillation of slavery. The New Deal saw them like the exotic, mysterious folk found in deepest Amazon or darkest Africa. The FSA project that was created there was entirely different from all the other 1930s projects because of these perceptions. The Pettway Plantation was purchased in 1937 by the FSA and a full project was developed there including schools, store, blacksmith shop and cooperative cotton gin. The photo shows the "swept yard" of the cabins and the China Berry tree where meat was stored as part of the curing process. Gee's Bend still exists as an African American community in Alabama. Gee's BendGuess there wasn't too much to do after dark except.... Gee's Bend and Civil RightsHere is a great article on Gee's Bend and the amazing quilts that come from there. I have been thinking about this article since Shorpy.com published the picture of the Gee's Bend Ferry... This paragraph contains one of the most chilling comments I have ever heard. I don't think I will ever forget it. Many who marched or registered to vote in rural Alabama in the 1960s lost their jobs. Some even lost their homes. And the residents of Gee's Bend, 60 miles southwest of Montgomery, lost the ferry that connected them to Camden and a direct route to the outside world. "We didn't close the ferry because they were black," Sheriff Lummie Jenkins reportedly said at the time. "We closed it because they forgot they were black." I am a newcomer to Shorpy, and I love the amazing photographs...but I am also glad that it provides a forum to remember both the good and bad of American history. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Gee's Bend, Kids)
Black Earth: 1941
... But go to most any farm, construction or logging site or blacksmith, woodshop, you can still see them. Right or wrong, I've judged a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/20/2020 - 12:45pm -

August 1941. "Farmer at Black Earth, Wisconsin." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A matter of perspectiveThis photo reminds me of one of those rooms in a science museum (or fun house) that demonstrate perspective. The guy on the right is actually the same size as the others, he's just sitting on smaller steps. Iron RangersMade in Red Wing, Minnesota, since 1905. Pretty sure that’s what our farmer on the right is wearing. Darn good boots. Suspendered in timeWhen galluses ruled the world. Conveniently locatedToday, most folks go to Black Earth to visit the Shoe Box, "the Midwest's largest shoe store." About twenty miles west on Route 14 is Spring Green, home of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin. Definitely worth a visit. I used to live in Mount Horeb, ten miles south of Black Earth. Big and Tall Shop Needed?The guy on the right appears to be vertically endowed and he has broad shoulders too. HandsLook at their hands. They are hands that know work. Not a very common sight anymore. But go to most any farm, construction or logging site or blacksmith, woodshop, you can still see them. Right or wrong, I've judged a man's worth by his hands. I know a lot of people don't have jobs that make their hands rough but it does tell you something. And rough hands on a woman can tell you a lot as well. My guess5'4", 5'2", 6'5". A recent hand injury won't keep our giant farmer from doing what he's got to do. Dirt collectorsI know it was the practice to roll up your pants cuffs back then, but if you had any kind of job that involved dirt, dust, chips or chaff you had to empty them out at the end of the day. Size of the matterTwo very small men or one very large man? (The Gallery, Agriculture, John Vachon)
Surrey With the Fringe on Top: 1908
... such as a bulldozer and a backhoe. So I was in the Blacksmith's shop, and the Smith was doing his demos of fashioning various ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 10:22pm -

Mackinac Island, Michigan, circa 1908. "New Mackinac and New Murray Hotels." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Not much has changed thereI stayed on the island in the late 1990s and awoke to the clip-clop of the morning delivery wagons. +100Below is the same view from August of 2008. Wheels have changedOn the fringed surreys over the past decade. Bucolic settingTo this day, even the garbage wagons are horse-drawn. No more MackinawAs you can see in the 2008 photo, The New Mackinaw isn't so new anymore. In fact, it's gone. I think the small peaked-roofed building is the Visitor's Information Center. Bailey's Drug StoreDarn, if only it was a Building and Loan. New MackinacAn unusual use of sarcasm in an advertisement. Mackinac, Formerly Michilimackinac, John Read Bailey, M.D., 1897. The New Mackinac This hotel was built for the special comfort of summer boarders. On arrival, each guest will be asked how he likes the situation, and if he says the Hotel ought to have been placed upon Fort Holmes or on Round Island, the location of the Hotel will be immediately changed. Corner front rooms, up one flight, for every guest. Baths, gas, electricity, hot and cold water, laundry, telegraph, restaurant, fire alarm, bar room, billiard table, sewing machine, piano, and all modern conveniences in every room. Meals every minute, and consequently no second table. Every guest will have the best seat in the dining hall. Our clerk was specially educated for the "New Mackinac," he wears the original Koh-i-noor diamond, and is prepared to please everybody. He is always ready to sing, match worsted, take a hand at draw-poker, play billiards. sharpen your pencil, take you out rowing, lead the german, amuse the children, make a fourth at whist, or flirt with any young lady, and will not mind being cut dead when Pa comes down. He will attend to the telephone and answer all questions in Choctaw, Chinese, Chippewa, Volapuk, or any other of the Court languages of Europe. The proprietor will always be happy to hear that some other hotel is "the best in the country." Special attention given to parties who give information as to "how these things are done in Chicago." More News To ComeNot yet on the island's PR band wagon but it can only be a matter of time: "The New White Seal", "The New Baileys Drug Store" and "The New Marquette Furnished Rooms". I've been to the IslandI've been to the Island a number of times, the last time being just last June. It happened to be one of the rare occasions that some motorized vehicles were there: some earth-moving machines such as a bulldozer and a backhoe. So I was in the Blacksmith's shop, and the Smith was doing his demos of fashioning various items from iron stock, and suddenly the backhoe rolled by with extreme noise. Then the bulldozer went by, noisily. The Smith had been there in comparative peace and quite for weeks. He was taken aback, because the last thing he expected was the roar of diesel engines. Somewhere in TimeMany of you are probably already aware that the film "Somewhere in Time" with Jane Seymour and the late Christopher Reeve was shot on the island. Esther Williams made a movie there too, but I have forgotten the name of it. The Island can be clearly seen from the Mackinaw Straits Bridge, a wonder in itself. (The Gallery, DPC, Horses)
Hyattsville Hardware: 1940
... the Hyattsville Hardware building originally housed a blacksmith shop and a carriage maker. The Hyattsville Hardware Company opened ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/10/2016 - 9:01pm -

Prince George's County, Maryland, circa 1940. "Electric Institute of Washington, Potomac Electric Power Co. Stores of electric dealers. Hyattsville Hardware." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size. 5121 Baltimore AvenueStill standing. [Did they change the name of the street? - Dave] Dave - I'm not sure. I did an initial search using Maryland Ave. as a reference but couldn't find anything. I thought maybe the street was an extension of Maryland Ave. coming out of DC, but it didn't seem to line up (even considering possible street realignments over the years) and that it is actually the extension of Rhode Island Ave. I haven't done a more extensive search if any street name changes have occurred. Using the name of the store, I was able to find the building through a reference to the current business. Maryland No MoreIn 1925 Maryland Avenue was federally designated as Route 1, but there was also an area-wide street name change in the town in 1941 that eliminated many of the old historic street names. Built in 1894, the Hyattsville Hardware building originally housed a blacksmith shop and a carriage maker. The Hyattsville Hardware Company opened here in 1914, and it has had several owners including Neuman Dudrow, the Norman brothers, and the Risden family. The store closed in 1990. The Franklin General Store opened in its place in 1992. Now a great restaurant and craft beer venueFranklin's Restaurant on Route One is a popular meeting place for Hyattsville residents. In the taller of the buildings shown is a store with unusual toys, games, candies, wines, and cooking utensils. My Sears kit house was delivered in two railroad cars to the Hyattsville Hardware store, which sits next to the train tracks, in 1926, and delivered to the building site by a horse-drawn wagon. The funky vibe of Franklin's has influenced the Arts District improvement plan for the mile or so north of it on Route One. The many old auto repair stores and dealers there were replaced by attractive row homes and small businesses. Westinghouse AutomealThe electric roaster in the window caught my eye. My 90+ years old aunt has one like that and uses it regularly. If they don't got itYou don't need it. I wish I could shop in that store. I see lots of things I'd love to have. From "Best Paint Made" to "Best Paint Sold" ?But originally from Burtis, Patterson, Sargent Co.. (The Gallery, D.C., Stores & Markets, Theodor Horydczak)
Arkansas Travelers: 1938
... Seven children and eldest son's family. Father was a blacksmith in Paris, Arkansas. Son was a tenant farmer. 'We're bound for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/20/2016 - 5:28pm -

June 1938. "On highway No. 1 of the 'OK' state near Webbers Falls, Muskogee County, Oklahoma. Seven children and eldest son's family. Father was a blacksmith in Paris, Arkansas. Son was a tenant farmer. 'We're bound for Kingfisher (Oklahoma wheat) and Lubbock (Texas cotton). We're not trying to but we'll be in California yet. We're not going back to Arkansas; believe I can better myself'." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Admin. View full size. That last utterancewas briefly considered for the Official Arkansas State Motto. Gasp!Yeah, I know that this is way before OSHA, etc., and at a time when safety details were low on the list of these people's concerns, but it is just a complete abandonment of common sense to leave all those people in the back of this homemade wagon supported by a flimsy-looking, listing jack anchored on an uneven gravel surface! Yikes. "Everyone git in the truck""We're movin' on'." Just imagine June in Oklahoma, 1938, most likely hovering around 100 degrees, constant dirt blowing in the dry wind, loading up the back with all your worldly possessions, mattresses, quilts and family, what looks like about 3 adults and 5 or 6 kids, and Grandpa with Pa and the oldest son sitting in the front seat. Imagine there is no a/c, no amusements, safety belts, car seats, toys, entertainment, snacks, drinks or bathroom facilities, and with no idea what awaits you or how long your vehicle would last as you go down the road looking for a new life. These brave people had incredible fortitude, courage and optimism, not to mention an iron will for tolerating certain, long-term discomfort, all in the hopes that there would be better days ahead. Think of any half dozen kids or adults you may currently know who would or could handle a week-long (or longer) journey like this with a broken down truck, no money and no comprehension of what or why this was happening. I can't help but wonder if people today could deal with such uncertainty and no plans for what happens next. I'm thinking we are all a bunch of spoiled whiners (including me) and maybe we should be ashamed of ourselves for lacking the ability to do what needs to be done to improve our situation, whatever that may be. Tire rims.Those old 3 piece rims were killers. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Kids, On the Road)
In the Shop: 1926
... and adjusting departments. On the far side is located the blacksmith shop, a radiator department and test block for working on motors ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 1:59pm -

"Semmes Motor Co. garage, Washington." The LOC says 1916 or 1917 but the nearest car has a 1926 license plate. View full size. National Photo Company. PoseurAt first I thought, "Whoa! That's some incredible photorealistic painting that somebody did on the side of that truck!" Then I realized that the words "The Hecht…" are on the side of the panel truck that's behind a pickup style truck, and the "photo" is really a guy standing there. Full ServiceSemmes Motor Company was a very busy place. They had thier own radio station, WHAQ (AM 833). In the late teens they ran a bus service. They sold Dodge trucks, too. Ideal Auto ServiceThe Semmes brothers (Raphael and Charles W.) opened the Congressional Garage at 623 Pennsylvania Avenue SE in 1910. Originally dealers for Wilcox trucks, they later became the major dealership for Dodge trucks and cars in Washington. They also ran several bus lines between Washington and southern Maryland. The level of service appears quite progressive in regards to customer relations and standardized costs as evidenced by the following article: Washington Post Nov 23, 1919 Ideal Auto Service Semmes Motor Co. Plans Up-to-Date Methods for Breakdowns. When alterations now under way and those under contemplation on the new Semmes Motor Company Service building at 613 G street [NW], purchased last week by C.W. Semmes, are completed, it is said the building will be one of the most complete of its kind in the country. Six stories in height, it is fireproof throughout. Each floor contains 18,000 square feet of floor space. The two top floors are a present occupied by the government. The remaining four are occupied by the Semmes Motor Company, as a service station for Dodge cars, with the exception of a limited amount of space on the first floor, which is used by the Semmes Motor Line. A car owner can bring his car into this building, and no matter what he wishes to have done to it, his request can be complied with, without having to send the machine or any part of it out of the building. The idea of service is perhaps carried a little further by this company than any other in Washington. On the first floor there is a finely appointed waiting room and information desk, as well as cashier. The owner brings his car into the building, is met by an employ to make note of what he wishes to have done to the car. At the same time the customer is informed just how much each job on the car will amount to. The cost system of each job on a Dodge car has been arrived at after careful study of the various kinds of work that is to be done on one of these machines. ... The cost of parts of materials, if any were necessary, was known in advance, and the computing of the price to the customer for what he wanted done to his car has been worked out that is today a simple matter. If the task can be finished in a few minutes the customer can wait in the courtesy room, where he will find newspapers and magazines to help pass the time more quickly. If unable to wait, or the task is one that takes time, if he or she wishes, they will be sent home or to any part of the city they wish to go in a Dodge limousine, a courtesy car it is called the Semmes Motor Company. When the car is finished, if the customer wishes, the courtesy car is sent to bring him to get his or her own machine. The completed car is brought to the door of the courtesy room and the customer can be on his way. For the services of the courtesy car no charge is made. Once in the building, the floor to which the customer's car is sent depends entirely upon the work to be done. The second floor is given over largely to heavy work, while on the third floor is the paint and trimming shop. The fourth floor contains the stockroom and the repair and adjusting departments. On the far side is located the blacksmith shop, a radiator department and test block for working on motors that have been overhauled and consequently very stiff. On the third floor is also an employees' lunchroom, where coffee is furnished free and other edibles furnished at actual cost. This is a facility that every employee and even C.W. Semmes, president of the firm, avails himself of. ... The building is the largest service station in Washington and one of the largest for an individual car in the United States. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Cotton Queen: 1940
... Nickey Brothers Lumber Company. He had started out as a blacksmith when their deliveries were still made by horse & mule drawn ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/03/2013 - 4:23pm -

May 1940. "Cotton carnival. Memphis, Tennessee." Waiting for her Royal Crown. Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size. They Go TogetherRC Cola and a moon pie! It appears she is partaking of her moon pie, and she probably has just taken a drink from the bottle on the counter which could be an RC. Pre-FranchiseWhen a customer could choose between Royal Crown, Pepsi, or Coke. In a hurryShe has an appointment with Dorothy in Oz. Yummy!Ice cream in a "Sanitary Can". Nickey BrosMy grandfather was a fleet mechanic for Nickey Brothers Lumber Company. He had started out as a blacksmith when their deliveries were still made by horse & mule drawn wagons, learning the auto/truck mechanic skills as the fleet transition to the horseless carriages. (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Memphis)
Payne Service: 1939
... September 1939. "Combination filling station, garage, blacksmith shop, grocery store. Frank Petty, owner of the wagon, has just had ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2019 - 1:43pm -

September 1939. "Combination filling station, garage, blacksmith shop, grocery store. Frank Petty, owner of the wagon, has just had his mule shod, his corn ground, purchased some kerosene and is returning home. R.F.D. Danville, Pittsylvania County, Virginia." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Oh what I would give to find a decent 1939 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery today. Rare then and extremely rare today. Vehicle IDsL-R: Lincoln Zephyr; mule powered unsprung flatbed; 1939 Chevrolet sedan delivery with Old Gold cigarette package image on the door; 1934 Chevrolet coach. When "full service" meant something ...Can you shoe only one mule at a time? Would you have a mule alignment problem? Otis Meade Paynehttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/132197060/otis-meade-payne# Otis had a son of the same name but in 1939 he would of only been a teenager. Sr. would of been 46. Getting the picture as large as I can, I am going to say its the senior Otis Payne standing in the lot. Otis Meade Payne's address in 1940 is listed as 2125 N. Main Street (Route 293) in Danville. (The Gallery, Gas Stations, M.P. Wolcott, Rural America, Stores & Markets)
Chez Shermour: 1910
... Hardware stores sold kits to make license plates and many blacksmith shops also made early plates. Wood, leather, and metal were all ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/30/2012 - 6:08am -

Utica, New York, circa 1910. Title on jacket: "Ex-Governor Seymour's house." Frank Tomaino, history columnist at the Observer-Dispatch of Utica, avers that this is actually the home of Vice President James S. Sherman. Another possibility is that both are true. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. More ParkingIt's a parking lot now, of course. The VP's House in 1909The address of the house is 413 Genesee Street. The 1910 U.S. Census shows this to be the residence of the Vice President of the United States, James S. Sherman, along with his wife, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and two servants. The 1900 census also shows him at this address along with his wife, three sons, a sister-in-law, two servants, and a coachman. The 1890 census was mostly destroyed in a fire so who lived there in 1890 is unknown from census data. Efforts to place Horatio Seymour in this same house have not met with success. The census data shows him as a resident of Deerfield, New York in both 1870 and 1880 (as a Former Governor & farmer). The 1867-8 and 1874 Utica City Directories show that he has an office at 69 Genesee in Utica, but it also states that he resides in Deerfield. The car in the driveway has what is refered to as a prestate New York license plate from 1909 or earlier. License plates in New York from 1901 to 1909 were the responsiblity of the owner to make or have made. The owner of a car was issued a small round disc by the State of New York that had the license number on it. From 1903 to 1909 New York mandated that the license plates be black lettering on a white background with the letters "NY" on the right hand side. Hardware stores sold kits to make license plates and many blacksmith shops also made early plates. Wood, leather, and metal were all common materials used to make license plates. New York did not have state issued license plates until 1910 which, in 1910, were white lettering on a dark blue background. The number on the license plate in the photo was originally issued in 1907. Below is a New York license plate and disc from 1909. Not Terribly SolidAn architectural style best described as "cartoon gothic". But I like it :-) (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dogs, DPC, Utica)
Cove Fort, Utah: c.1940
... the West, including Kitchen, Bedrooms, Telegraph Office, Blacksmith Shop, etc. It's a great place to have a picnic and let the kids run ... 
 
Posted by bdj100 - 11/07/2014 - 6:52pm -

My grandmother, aunt and father. My father comments: "It was taken at Cove Fort, a place our family visited many times while I was growing up. Through the big gate you can see a small building across the street. The woman is my mother, and the two kids have to be me (Douglas) and my sister Barbara. I always wore a hat (fedora) from that early age, although I don't remember any other kids of my age that did. The car in the Cove Fort picture is not one that we ever owned." View full size. Here it is today...Google Maps view from almost the same camera position... View Larger Map Forgotten for a whileThis site was a major resting and refueling stop on old US Hwy 91 for many decades, then in the mid '70s I-15 was built, traffic whizzed on by, and the area fell into complete disuse. Later, when I-70 was built, they connected just a mile or so from Cove Fort, and it now serves as a rest stop again. The LDS Church has refinished it and it serves as a great Museum of the early settling of Utah and the West, including Kitchen, Bedrooms, Telegraph Office, Blacksmith Shop, etc. It's a great place to have a picnic and let the kids run off some energy. (Sadly, there are no fuel pumps or food outlets here anymore.) (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Blacksmiths Peter and Harry Lawrence
... Lawrence, left, and his son Harry operated a welding and blacksmith shop in Erie, PA from the 1920s to 1948, when Peter died. They began ... 
 
Posted by u02bnpx - 07/11/2008 - 2:26pm -

My grandfather Peter Lawrence, left, and his son Harry operated a welding and blacksmith shop in Erie, PA from the 1920s to 1948, when Peter died. They began by shoeing horses, but with the advent of cars, they switched mainly to heating, tempering and sharpening chisels and other steel devices used by the city workers who operated air hammers in street construction and repair. Peter was a native of Riga, Latvia and never learned to drive or to speak English. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Pascagoula: Circa 1910
... backyard about 1910. Leo Rohr, holding baby, was the town blacksmith. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery) ... 
 
Posted by kfr - 05/14/2019 - 9:07am -

1109 S. Pascagoula St. backyard about 1910. Leo Rohr, holding baby, was the town blacksmith. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
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