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Chloro Boat: 1921
Workers on a Chloro boat, which was used for disinfecting large outdoor swimming areas. This photo ... Company collection, 1921. View full size. Chloro Boat: 1921 Man, what happened to these things? We could certainly use some mega chloro boats today. Re: Chloro Boat Replaced by more reliable and less hazardous injection at the filter. ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 09/08/2011 - 6:26pm -

Workers on a Chloro boat, which was used for disinfecting large outdoor swimming areas. This photo was likely taken in the Washington, D.C., area. Photo from the National Photo Company collection, 1921. View full size.
Chloro Boat: 1921Man, what happened to these things?
We could certainly use some mega chloro boats today.
Re: Chloro BoatReplaced by more reliable and less hazardous injection at the filter. Many of these pools were just 'ponds' lined with tiles. Drains were used for drastic changes in water level. They did not have any sort of circulation via pipes, as a typical pool does now.
The boat 'looks fun' but as anyone who has ever cleaned a shower with 5% bleach will attest, it was all but fun.
(The Gallery, Natl Photo, Sports)

Potomac Rowers: 1921
"Potomac Boat Club Sema [?] Sig," 1921, with the Key Bridge under construction in the ... size. National Photo Company Collection. Potomac Boat Club This is upriver and from the dock of P.B.C. I have been a member of Potomac Boat Club for over twenty years, they have been around since 1869. The address ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 11:58pm -

"Potomac Boat Club Sema [?] Sig," 1921, with the Key Bridge under construction in the background. View full size. National Photo Company Collection.
Potomac Boat ClubThis is upriver and from the dock of P.B.C.  I have been a member of Potomac Boat Club for over twenty years, they have been around since 1869.  The address is 3530 Water Street, Washington D.C. 20007.
Upriver?Looks like this shot was taken upriver of the Key Bridge, so it might the Washington Canoe Club dock http://www.washingtoncanoeclub.org/
They have a beautiful old building which is a landmark on the Georgetown waterfront. We often canoe this stretch of the Potomac, and it's a great way to see the city.
socksWhat's with the socks? Floppy socks, socks with a hole in the toe -- and those socks on the guy who's sitting down, which don't seem to be socks at all.
Potomac Boat ClubIt's definitely PBC. It isn't far enough to be the canoe club.  This is interesting, I had no idea that the boathouse was older than Key Bridge.
Aqueduct BridgeThe old Aqueduct Bridge was torn down when the Key Bridge was constructed. The linked photo shows what looks like Potomac Rowing Club's building at the D.C. abutment. So it appears it does predate Key Bridge.
Potomac Boat ClubThis is definitely PBC, which sits up against the old aqueduct abutment. The star is their insignia.
Key BridgeJust returned from a stay at the Key Bridge Holiday Inn. We could see the old abutment and dock with star on it from our balcony, and when I got home I googled to see what it was and spent an enjoyable hour or so reading up on the history of the old aqueduct and the general neighborhood. How cool to see this now, knowing a little about the area.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, D.C., Natl Photo)

U.S.S. Onondaga: 1864
... know what the three objects hanging over the side of the boat are? Appropriate Headgear For once, someone's wearing a boater in a boat. . . . Low in the water. It would not take much to swamp this ship. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 5:20pm -

1864. "James River, Virginia. Monitor U.S.S. Onondaga; soldiers in rowboat. From photographs of the Federal Navy, and seaborne expeditions against the Atlantic Coast of the Confederacy." Wet plate glass negative. View full size.
HangersDoes anyone know what the three objects hanging over the side of the boat are?
Appropriate HeadgearFor once, someone's wearing a boater in a boat. . . .
Low in the water.It would not take much to swamp this ship. Questions? Why were they built to ride so low? What is in those little bags tied next to the oars on the sides of the rowboat? I suspect the older man with the pipe at the stern using a rough stick is acting as a rudder. Interesting snapshot of life!
How Low Can You Go?Not a lot of freeboard on the good ship Onondaga.
[The Onondaga was, as noted in the caption, a monitor or ironclad. - Dave]
historical shipI looked the Ol' Onondaga up and she had quite a history. She was built in New York and sent to Virginia where she saw several important engagements. She was decommissioned in 1865 and sold to the French navy and refitted with rifled cannons of just over 9 inch. Replacing the 8 in smooth bore guns of American vintage. She was scrapped in 1902. Pretty impressive!
Buffers-low in  the  waterMonitors  were  built very  low  in  the  water in order to  present  as little  as  possible of a target  to an enemy gunner.   They  were  very  useful  in  inland  waterways,  on  the  open  seas,  in  any  bad  weather,  they  would  be  in  serious  danger.
My  guess  on  the  three  bags  on  the  launch is  they  are  buffers  to  keep  the  wood  of  the  boat's    side  from  getting  banged  up  when  it  is  up  against  a  wharf  or  another  vessel  in  wavy  water
BumpersThose, probably leather, bags over the rowboat's side are fenders/bumpers meant to protect the sides of ships when docking.  Today we use plastic fenders which are plastic and much larger (shaped like a serious hot dog).
Ride So LowMonitors were river craft essentially floating gun platforms.  They are not ships in the normal sense.  Their freeboard (distance between the main deck and water line) was very small so they would present less of a target to opposition fire.  Heavily armored above the main deck, they could withstand direct hits from the guns of the day without serious injury.
Boat FendersThe small round objects hanging over the side are boat fenders, used to prevent damage to the rails when the boat is moored alongside something like a dock or the Onondaga. These are probably made of leather, and if they contain anything, it's probably more leather padding or perhaps a disk of soft wood.
According to Wikipedia ....The good ship Onondaga was built in 1864, near the end of the Civil War and was sold to France after the war. She continued in service in the French Navy until 1903. 
The delivery cruise to France must have been terrifying.
Interestinghttp://americancivilwar.com/tcwn/civil_war/Navy_Ships/USS_onandaga.html
Across the waves.The Onondaga was sold to France after the war.  How did they deliver it?  Surely they didn't sail her!
OnandagaThe bags on the longboats are probably bumpers, designed to keep the boat from being damaged when at a dock, or tied up alongside a ship with a low freeboard.
Monitors were designed by Ericsson to sit low in the water to improve stability by bringing the mass of the turret down, and to make them a far more difficult target to hit. The hull was protected by the water and it was hard to strike below the waterline. This made them maneuverable and hard to hit but could make them very unseaworthy in bad weather. Monitor - Ericsson's original "cheesebox on a raft" sank off Cape Hatteras in a 1862. Other monitors were designed to be more seaworthy. Onondaga hull was built entirely of iron rather than wood like earlier monitors.
As for Onondaga, she was sold back to her builder in 1867 and then sold to the French where she served as a coastal defense ship. She was scrapped by the French in 1904, making her the longest lived of the Civil War monitors.
Those hanging thingies ...look like bumpers to me.  They are all at the right height.
Low FreeboardThe very low freeboard on this (and every other) monitor was designed to make the ship very hard for another ship to hit with cannon fire. 
When the monitors were "cleared for action", everything but the turrets were stripped down and stored or thrown overboard. The rigging and life boats were eliminated, and the ship was steered from a small armored box only a few feet high. Even the funnel (chimney) was dismantled so that only a small stub protruded from the deck so as to present the smallest target possible.
Monitors worked fairly well in protected estuaries, bays, and navigable rivers, but monitors were notoriously poor sea-going ships. Many foundered and were lost, often with all hands, in heavy seas. 
In every other nation, the monitors were regarded as a design fluke and were not widely copied. The U.S., however, continued to use monitors well into the 1880s and beyond....mostly because Congress refused to fund a modern navy. 
Does anyone know what the three objects hanging over the side ofThey are fenders.
Why so low?Why were they built to ride so low?
To make a small target. Great in battle. Not so good at sea, as the original USS Monitor proved.
What is in those little bags tied next to the oars?
I was curious about that, too. I couldn't Google up an answer, but my guess is simple oarlocks. Place the oar in the slot, then flop the weighted line over the shaft.
The high-tech nature of the civil war continually surprises. Even though it was still a time of cavalry and slavery, there were also ironclads, telegraphy, balloons, Gatling guns and railroads.
Freeboard or Lack Thereof...If you look up the U.S.S. Onondaga on Google you will find that after the war it was decommissioned and then transferred to the French navy. With so little freeboard how did they get it to France?
I can understand the low freeboard patrolling the coastal rivers, but even there it probably had to enter the Atlantic to get from the northern ports to the southern ports. 
How dey do dat?
Could the three objectsCould the three objects hanging over the side be fenders?  That is:  padding for when the bout bangs alongside the mother ship?  
Lil' bagsThose little bags are in fact bumpers to protect the side of the row boat from damage.
FendersThey be fenders to protect the boat's planking when coming alongside I should think.
Those wooden things on theThose wooden things on the side of the boats are most likely to prevent scuffing and other damage, when the boat is moored. Unfortunately I have no idea, what is the proper English word for those. these days they are made of plastic, and resembles big, straight sausages....
Hanging ObjectsI think they are cushions, to keep the side of the boat from banging directly against the side of another vessell when boarding, disembarking etc.
FendersBoat fenders, that is, is what the little bags are.
Hangers maybeI'm thinking those are clean drinking water for the rowers.
I'd suspect the guy to theI'd suspect the guy to the left of the guy smoking a pipe is the one who actually has a hand on the tiller.  As far as the three objects handing over the starboard gunwale, they might be fenders, although they do seem small.
As far as the freeboard goes, it is very low in the water.  The Monitors were susceptible to being swapped as evidenced by the original USS Monitor, which went down in a storm off the coast of North Carolina.
FendersThe objects hanging over the side of the small boat(s) are probably fenders, meant to keep the painted wood from grinding against the edge of the larger boat - which would be particularly punishing given the low iron deck of the Monitors.
Hangers@GeezerNYC
Bumpers
Nautical KnowledgeThe hanging things on the boat are fenders, aka bumpers, that prevent rubbing and damage when alongside other boats and docks. They are still required gear for boats of all sizes, though of different design.
The gent with the pipe is probably putting his stick in the water. The tiller is more likely in the hands of the soldier in the aft. The boats in the background have rudders and tillers, so this should one as well. 
Barrier?In the background, are those sunken ships forming a barrier?
I'd rudder not bump, if you don't mind.Following exhaustive research efforts, our crack Civil War historical artifacts team members have reached a somewhat tenuous conclusion. After sometimes heated discussions, it has been narrowly decided that the device held by the pipe smoking gentleman in the above photo should be rightfully placed under the "P.S." category of 19th century naval devices. In layman's terms the P.S. would simply designate this instrument as a "pushoff stick." Either that, or the man was an utterly misguided landlubber with a proclivity in providing great mirth to the more nautically savant.
In regard to the mysterious pouch-like objects hanging from the sides of the launch, the less than timorous artifacts team has proffered the suggestion that these would likely be called bumpers in today's parlance. Please note that our team does take all our suggestions quite lightly.
On monitors and freeboardsMonitors, throughout their history (Roughly the U.S. Civil War to WWII), were built to be coastal ships. A large freeboard (which means more ship to build, and a larger target) was not necessary because the ships were never intended to leave inland waterways or shallow coasts. This also worked well with U.S. foreign policy which was more concerned with its own waters. I'm sure many people are familiar with the story of U.S.S. Monitor (the original monitor) which was swamped and sank in a storm off Cape Hatteras. 
Monitor FactoidsThe "monitor" was a radical new warship design by engineer John Ericsson during the US Civll War. The standard high-sided wooden warship with its "broadside" of guns was still designed for sail power and to repel boarders. He conceived a fully mechanized ironclad "ship-killer" that presented a much smaller target and had several much larger guns housed in heavily armored rotating turrets. This proved quite deadly against wooden ships especially in breaking through blockades. Although not totally seaworthy, most waves washed harmlessly over the low deck. The concept gradually evolved to larger more seaworthy battleships with "real" armor-plated hulls, but the large, turret mounted guns became the new standard. The "canteens" alongside the rowboat are fenders to keep its hull from scraping against the sides of the ship. 
IDing the ObjectsThe things hanging over the side of the boat are called bumpers, buoys, or fenders.  They're to stop the sides from hitting and scraping other boats and docks.
Hangers...Id say these are used to draw wather from boat. Sorry for my poor enlish :/
The Objectsare bumpers.  Coiled rope inside tarred leather to keep from scratching the boat or the ship.  Much like the rubber ones we have today.
She was a river monitorRiver monitors were not designed with high freeboard because it was needed. They were not supposed to put to sea, and the lower the freeboard the better because it made less of a target. HTH
Re:HangersMy best guess is they are bumpers to protect the wooden sides of the rowboat when
along side a ship or wharf.
Notice the other rowboats pictured have them as well. What I see here is the
bumpers were fitted for the average ship or dock and the ironclad, being so low
in the water, caused the scraping and damage to side of this rowboat below the
bumpers.
Built low for a reasonWonderful photo!
One of the ideas behind the Union's ironclads (called "Monitors" after the archetype U.S.S. Monitor) was that if little sticks above the water, there is little to effectively shoot at.  Hence, the only things that are exposed are the (heavily armored) revolving gun turret(s).  Note that this ship has two revolving turrets, in contrast to the U.S.S. Monitor, which just had one.  Needless to say, though, these monitors were not the greatest thing to be used in rough open seas -- that's how the U.S.S. Monitor was lost.
The Confederates took an entirely different approach (as with the C.S.S. Virginia, née Merrimack).  Their ironclad vessels were heavily armored structures built upon traditional wooden hulls. Because most of the Confederate ship stuck out of the water, it would have to employ a lot more armor plating which added weight and made it much less manueverable and less able to be employed in shallow areas.
Low FreeboardIndeed, as earlier comments note, this monitor has unusually low freeboard (not sure if they all did; certainly, all monitors had relatively low freeboard compared to "normal" ships.)  The function of this feature was to reduce the target area that could be hit by shellfire, both to make hits less likely and to reduce the weight of armor required to cover the vertical side. (The deck was also lightly armored, since the technology of directing long range fire made a plunging, high angle hit very unlikely; the deck armor was enough to deflect a glancing hit whose angle of fall was only a few degrees).
What was neglected in this design compromise was the fact that there was hardly any reserve buoyancy...a leak too big for the pumps to control would result in the deck edge going under and the ship sinking in a rather short time...and in fact, this happened to the Monitor herself on an open ocean passage on the last day of 1862.
The objects dangling over the rail on the boats (both the manned boat in the foreground and the empty boats tied up to the ship) are probably fenders, although they look rather small for the purpose.  Needless to say, protecting the side of a small, lightly built wooden boat coming alongside a vessel armored with iron was quite important.
Re: Hangers (@GeezerNYC)I'd think that the objects on the boat are fenders, to keep the boat from banging into docks or the ship.
MonitorThe Monitor-class ironclads like that in this photo were designed to offer as little a target to Confederate artillery as possible; most of their hull was kept below water, and practically the only structures above it were the chimney (those were steam-powered ships) and two revolving, armored turrets. 
The most famous of these ships, the U.S.S. Monitor (which gave its name to this class of vessels) took part in the first battle between "ironclads", or ships made or covered on metal, which took place on march 9, 1862, and is known as the Battle of Hampton Road. 
Quoting from an excellent article on Wikipedia: "...While the design of Monitor was well-suited for river combat, her low freeboard and heavy turret made her highly unseaworthy in rough waters. This feature probably led to the early loss of the original Monitor, which foundered during a heavy storm. Swamped by high waves while under tow by Rhode Island, she sank on December 31, 1862 in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. 16 of 62 crewmen were lost in the storm."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Monitor
Rubber Baby Buggy Boat BumpersMy guess on the 3 objects hanging off the side of the rowboat (and visible on some of the other rowboats in the photo) is that they are "Boat Bumpers" a.k.a. "Dock Fenders". These prevent the side of the boat from coming in direct contact with another boat or the dock when the boat is tied up.
FendersI took those things hanging from the gunwale of all the small boats in the photo to be fenders, used as a cushioning bumper when tied up against a dock or another hull. Modern versions:
http://tinyurl.com/m4jgzu
Somehow it crossed the Atlantic!According to Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Onondaga_(1864)
after it was decommissioned in 1865 it was sold to the
French navy and here's a photo of it in Brest
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cc/USS_Onondaga_60211.jpg
I can't imagine it out in the Atlantic, even on a very calm day!
objects on side of boatThey look like typical boat bumpers of the small variety..
Hangers Answer?Ballast, or bumpers. 
It's a monitorYes, it would be easy to swamp this ship- it was designed for inlets and calm waters; it is a double turreted descendent of the Monitor- the famous ironclad that did battle with the Merrimack/Virginia. It sits so low in the water so as to be an extremely difficult target. The turrets, along with relatively petite size allowed the monitor vessels to be extremely maneuverable and effective- although the crew had qualms with living below the waterline- which is why there are so many canopies on deck. Johan Eriksson, the designer of the original Monitor was one of the first developers of the propeller, and on his signature ship he patented hundreds of brilliant inventions from a then state-of-the-art ventilation system, to the rotating gun turret, and the first operable marine toilet.
HangersCould be to scoop out water eh?
three objects"Does anyone know what the three objects hanging over the side of the boat are?"
Bumpers.
Re: Hangers, et al.The 3 little bags visible near the oars are the Civil War-era version of fenders.  They were generally filled with corncobs or sawdust and served as spacers to prevent the wooden boat from brushing against the ironclad and becoming damaged.  
Of more interest is the canvas coverings over parts of the ironclad.  These signify that the monitor is in Union-held waters as they would never be used where there was a risk of battle.  Ironclads were just that, iron plates laid over a wooden hull and still vulnerable to fire.
The Answer: Fenders!The bag-shaped objects are fenders, or as you land-lubbers would say, bumpers. You hang them over the side to save your paint job when you're tied up to the dock or to a ship. I'm guessing they're made of leather or rubber.
The Onondaga sits low in the water to decrease her vulnerability to enemy artillery fire -- by design, not by accident.
Re: U.S.S. Onondagathose little thingys are bumpers for pulling next to a stell ship with a wooden boat. This was definitly a 'Lessons Learned' device
From a River Far Far Away . . .The two circular towers that have awnings on them - they remind me of Jabba the Hutt's sail barge in Return of the Jedi.  I'm just saying.
Monitor designThe design of the USS Monitor and follow-on ships such as the Onondaga were revolutionary for the time.  The idea of mounting one or two guns in a rotating turret versus rows of guns along the sides of a ship enabled monitors to bring more accurate firepower to bear more quickly, and most importantly, independently of the direction of the ship's travel.  While some earlier ships had turreted weapons, I believe the USS Monitor was the first to rely on its turret as its only weapons station.  
Monitors were low to the water to provide a smaller silhouette for the enemy gunners.  Most shipboard cannons at the time would have had rather low, flat trajectories, which would have slammed into the sides of opposing ships rather than higher trajectories which would have sent plunging fire through the decks.  Obviously a ship that sat lower in the water would have presented a much more difficult target for other ships--it practically didn't have sides to hit!  It also made them difficult to see--in the days before submarines, these were the original stealth ships. 
These ships were generally designed to work in what are now called "littoral" operations, close to shore, in bays or rivers.  In those environments, heavy sea states that would cause a problem with the low freeboard design were not a major concern.  Riverboat steamers had similarly low freeboards.  
As for the items hanging along the gunwales of the rowboat, the look like bumpers to protect the rowboat and its mothership from bouncing off one another.  Today they're a rubbery plastic, but I don't know what they would have been back then, maybe cork inside a waxed canvas bag?  
Re: Hangers>Hangers
>Submitted by GeezerNYC on Sat, 08/01/2009 - 10:29pm.
>Does anyone know what the three objects hanging over the >side of the boat are?
They look to be bumpers. All the boats in the background have them, or some form of them, too.
Low in the waterTo answer Woodchopper's question, Monitors (originally intended for harbor defense as floating batteries) were designed to expose as little of the ship above the waterline to minimize the target available to enemy gunners.  With less to see, there is less to hit.
While naval architecture changed over the years, this design is coming back into vogue with naval designers in examples like the DD(X) programs.
BumpersUpon reading ALL the comments and not finding a clue and after a thorough and painstaking research I have come to the conclusion that those three objects hanging over the side of the boat are bumpers! 
Now hold down the applause. You can thank me later.
More if you haven't googled yet...http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/onondaga.htm
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Civil War)

American Girl: 1922
... pneumonia at age 37. View full size. In the same boat They're all beautiful -- back in a time where it was healthy for women ... the oar as a guitar -- something I'd do. Beauts in a boat Is the class clown on the end playing air ukulele? I can only imagine ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2012 - 4:56pm -

Washington, D.C. "Kay Laurell, 1922." The star of stage and screen, Kay (reclining) was "an American girl who leaped from stenographer to Queen of Bohemia in a night ... she appears in magazine illustrations, and in the new salon pictures -- also on butchers' calendars, soap ads, and so on." Five years after this photo was taken, Kay was dead of pneumonia at age 37. View full size.
In the same boatThey're all beautiful -- back in a time where it was healthy for women to "have a little meat on their bones" (I just think they're healthy looking!)  I love the girl who's playing the oar as a guitar -- something I'd do.
Beauts in a boatIs the class clown on the end playing air ukulele?  I can only imagine the comments this is going to generate from the male demographic.  Yes, the swimsuits are unflattering.  And yes, the real knockout is the one sitting behind the Queen of Bohemia.  
Proud to call any of 'em "grandma"They are all so lovely and charming and all the age of my father's mother. Sorry about the pneumonia, hope the rest had happy and fulfilling lives. Love the kooky hat, pinned-up suit, and the smoldering look of the second from left. Great picture.
Farrrrr leftShe is the cutest loveliest thing ever seen on Shorpy yet.
To each his own, but --The girl in the boat with the "Queen of Bohemia" is by far the hottest.  Wowza!
As a ManI appreciate the low standard established for us. It doesn't take much effort to rise above such a low bar.
Wet and WoollyThey're all adorable, and I'm surprised how sexy those wool swimsuits look.  To my surprise, I'm especially captivated by the buxom cutie standing up beside the boat with her hair covered.  She looks like she gets all the BS about the queen of Bohemia and is fonder of the water than any of this nonsense. 
Most appealing though is the dark haired girl with bangs sitting in the boat.  Her face is calm and she seems really for real.  
Great photo.
Playing  at the Belasco

Washington Post, Jul 6, 1922 


Coming to the Theaters
Belasco

The Belasco Players, augmented by such notables as Kay Laurell, the famous Follies beauty, and Eleanor Griffith, late of "The Last Waltz," will next week present the Avery Hopwood comedy of turkish bath locale, "Ladies' Night," beginning Sunday evening.

Water HazardI can hear their mothers saying, "Don't go out in those skimpy suits, you'll catch your death of pneumonia!"
Carole HanelGirl second from right was Carole Hanel, a redhead. Knew her granddaughter.
She's playingoar guitar
Va va voomA boat full of women in bathing suits. What could be better?
Kay in a NutshellTypical show-biz tragedy. Small town girl from Erie, Pennsylvania goes to New York to make it big. While working as a secretary, is discovered in 1914, and became a big hit as a Ziegfeld Girl in the "Follies" shows of 1914 and 1915. Then hits pay dirt -- marrying uber-rich movie producer Winfield Sheehan in 1916. Hits the zenith of her career in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1918, where a very intentional costume malfunction (as the partially exposed French Liberte in a patriotic wartime extravaganza) makes her an international sensation. Heads out west to Hollywood to make movies, like everyone else in the silent era. Gains a reputation of a hard worker, and tries to make the tough transition from chorus girl to "real" actress.
Then it all goes south. Gets divorced from big studio sugar daddy in late 1918 or 1919. Unlike most other former chorus girls, she is unwilling to get ahead by way of the casting couch. Is in a serious car accident in 1919, running off the road at 1:30 a.m. and takes a pretty hard banging around, requiring stitches and hospitalization. Makes only one other movie after that, in 1921. Returns to New York to find stage work. A cast player in one play in 1923 that runs a respectable five months, and then one poor effort in 1925 that flops and closes overnight. Feeling washed up in both theater and film, she retires to London, where she dies of pneumonia in 1927. 
I hope she didn't own a dachshund.
On the LeftCan those be shadows on her legs? Looks like socks with cuffs, or stockings, and then from beneath her suit legs to her knees? The world's weirdest sun burn? Or what?
[Those are girdle marks. Just like your ankles might look after taking off tight socks. - Dave]
Before the days of antibioticsHer story reminds us of the many greats in history who had everything but with one cold, TB or pandemic illness were struck down. Today her pneumonia would be easily treated with a shot of antibiotics and some bed rest.  In some ways even the poorest of us has the ability to live longer because of cures offered by modern medicine.
mehI love how any photo with women in it gets subjected to choosing which of them is the hottest. I'm sure the the same thing happens with all of the photos of men. Yep.
[Stick around. - Dave]
As a womanI still say the swimsuits are ugly.  Now that no one else has asked, I simply must know what the strange round protuberance is near the nether regions of the second lady from the viewer's left.  Anyone?  A place to put a cork to help her stay afloat?    
Available drugsThis young woman's death is almost familiar to me. My grandmother died of pneumonia in the early 1930's, within three days of the onset of illness. My mother always noted, when speaking of her mother's death, that the best drug they had to fight the pneumonia then was quinine. The sulfa drugs didn't become available until the late 1930s.
By the way, I disagree about the cause of the marks on the one girl's legs. I suspect that the rings were left by stockings rolled over an elastic garter.
You Gotta Be Kidding MeWhat happened to slim and trim?
Goose lard and whiskey A few years after Kaye Laurel died of pneumonia, my grandfather contracted double pneumonia. The doctors basically threw up their hands and said there was nothing more they could do. Well, his mother, one of the most bull-headed people who ever lived, showed up at the hospital with a jar of goose lard and a bottle of whiskey.  Several times a day, she would go and rub lard on Grandpa's chest and give him a shot of whiskey.  This was in about 1932.  Grandpa was with us until 1992. 
Grandpa said it was divine intervention that saved his life.  My great grandmother said it was the goose lard and whiskey.  Maybe it was some of both!
Cause of her deathWikipedia states she died in childbirth, which was initially reported as pneumonia since the child was out of wedlock.  Wonderful descriptions of her Ziegfield tableaux in that link as well.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)

Show Boat: 1900
... her head and shoulders. Neat. Whatever floats your boat James Lee: Built in 1898 at Jeffersonville, Indiana for the Lee Line of ... 230-foot sidewheel packet. Converted to an excursion boat in 1917. Destroyed by ice, winter 1917-1918. Harry Lee: A split ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 5:24pm -

The Mississippi River circa 1900. "The levee at Memphis. Sidewheeler James Lee." In addition to the sternwheelers Harry Lee and City of St. Joseph. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
James and his brother, HarryMust have named the closest paddle wheelers.
Huck?Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I have to wonder if this was posted in light of the recent news regarding Huckleberry Finn.
One DressThere is a lady walking away in this photo. She has a simple dress on so I'm assuming she would have been a worker? She is still fashionable enough to have the poofy sleeves of the era. Looks like the dress has buttons or some sort of detail all the way down her back. She is also wearing a black veil or shawl over her head and shoulders. Neat.
Whatever floats your boatJames Lee: Built in 1898 at Jeffersonville, Indiana for the Lee Line of Memphis. 230-foot sidewheel packet. Converted to an excursion boat in 1917. Destroyed by ice, winter 1917-1918.
Harry Lee: A split sternwheel packet boat built at Clarington, Ohio in 1899. 169 feet. Sank once and raised in 1911. Burned in 1914 at Memphis.
City of St. Joseph: 162-foot sternwheeler built in 1901 at St. Joseph, Missouri. A boiler explosion in 1911 killed 18 crewmen. Renamed Eclipse in 1916. Lost on a snag in 1925 at Osceola, Arkansas.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Memphis)

If I Had a Boat: 1921
... Shouldn't he be working on an ark? Restoring the Boat? If that's his reference picture on the left he's never going to get it ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/24/2013 - 4:06pm -

January 22, 1921. Washington, D.C. "Paul E. Garber (Smithsonian museum)." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
It's a dirty jobbut someone had to do it.
His Pants Say FloodShouldn't he be working on an ark?
Restoring the Boat?If that's his reference picture on the left he's never going to get it to look like that!
Sky's the LimitMr. Garber joined the Smithsonian the previous year (1920), and would eventually become the first head of the Institution's National Air Museum. Now, the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility is spread among 32 buildings in Maryland. 
And in his spare time, Garber led the crusade to legalize kite-flying on the National Mall. 
So Much More Than a Model Fixer-UpperGarber can be said to have been the heart and soul of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum (NASM). He joined the Smithsonian the year before this photo was taken after working for the U.S. air mail service. He died in 1992 at age 93. Historic aviation treasures he personally was responsible for obtaining for the Smithsonian are many including Charles Lindbergh's Ryan that flew the Atlantic in 1927, the Wright Brothers' plane that flew at Kitty Hawk in 1903, and the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan, the "Enola Gay" (named after pilot Paul Tibbet's mother). Here's my photo of the Enola Gay.  
Following instructionsI hope the drawing on the wall wasn't the plan for what was to be built.
"Clipper" Fishing Schooner?The model also went on to bigger and better things, like Mr Garber.  I believe it is one of the "clipper" fishing schooners (c. 1855-1870) described by Howard I. Chapelle in two books, "The History of American Sailing Ships" (1946?) and "American Fishing Schooners" (1973).  I think the model, prettied up with clean, non-stained sails and re-painted, is currently in a large display case with a number of other sailing small craft, in the National Museum of American History.
The "clipper" schooners were technically very advanced and achieved unusual speeds, but they had "the fatal ability to capsize when heeled beyond a certain point" (Chapelle's own words) and triggered a series of bad accidents.   Eventually, owners switched to the seaworthy deep-keel schooners that fished the Grand Banks from about 1895 to 1933.  South Street Seaport's "Howard" is one of the earliest of these.
Locomotion (not Little Eva!)It's behind you. George Stephenson's 'Locomotion' introduced on the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1825. There's a working replica a the Beamish Museum in County Durham.
RR observationsThe rail buffs have weighed in.  The photo in back of the modelmaker is Pennsylvania RR's JOHN BULL.
Locomotive(s)The locomotive pictured on the column is clearly the Stourbidge Lion. The vital clue is the inscription below the photo which says 'The Locomotive "Lion"'. 
However, I don't think that's the image that z396z28 is talking about. Directly behind Mr. Garber, visible between his right arm and his head is another photograph of a railcar and locomotive. I think THAT is what is being identified - rightly or wrongly - as JOHN BULL.
No BullThis (Locomotive on picture on column)is actually the Stourbridge Lion,  British built for use in the USA.   Smaller than the "John Bull" and larger than "Locomotion".    Look close at the caption and compare with the Lion's pictures.    
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Natl Photo)

TRX: 1910
... man. Norway? I can’t make out the name of the boat, and regardless it doesn’t appear that there’s a country listed, but ... a bench to check the unloading in comfort. The banana boat is Norwegian As evidenced by the flag. It's from Bergen and its name ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/19/2023 - 3:58pm -

Mobile, Alabama, circa 1910. "Unloading bananas." Tropical Refrigerator Express reefers at the ready. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Open Air Ship's WheelThis is likely an emergency wheel located close to the steering mechanism. The regular-use wheel is forward, in the bridge of this steamship.
BananasThis was about a decade into the long march of the United Fruit Company through Latin America, leaving in its wake "banana republics", untold injustices, and the lasting model for multinational corporations.
Open door policyI'm guessing that the reefers are in "ventilated car" mode, since bananas, while temperature sensitive, don't require the level of cooling some products do (namely frozen ones). The hatches are in the up position to facilitate air flow,  rather than for icing.

Where's Harry?I don't see the tally man.
Norway?I can’t make out the name of the boat, and regardless it doesn’t appear that there’s a country listed, but the flag looks Norwegian to me. Does that even make sense?
Mr TallymanThe tallyman and his buddy are on post, they even arranged a bench to check the unloading in comfort.
The banana boat is NorwegianAs evidenced by the flag.  It's from Bergen and its name ends in "DØ" The beginning is obscured by the flag
Ship's WheelI don't remember seeing a ship's wheel quite so exposed to the elements outside of a pirate movie. 
Sidewheeler IDJas. A. Carney 1894 according to page 219 of the 1910 Annual List of Merchant Vessels of the United Stares 
WHAT Bananas?I see coal and not bananas!
"Yes, we have no bananas?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QqkrIDeTeA
or if you prefer originals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDd8shcLvHI
Where's the Day-O?
Yes, we have no ...I'm banana blind -- not one in sight.
Yes -- bananas!Look carefully at the conveyor just above the righthand white ventilator. The conveyor consists of a series of slings, each one lifting a bunch of bananas.

Hellø BodøHere we see the diminutive 181-foot Norwegian steamer Bodø, launched as the Xenia in 1894 at Bergen by Bergens Mekaniske Versteder for Bergh & Helland of that city.  At 666 gross and 398 net tons, it was powered by a triple expansion steam engine supplied by a Scotch boiler. It became the Bodø in 1899 and was chartered to the United Fruit Company to haul fruit, primarily bananas, between Jamaica and the the East Coast.  United Fruit chartered many Norwegian vessels around the turn-of-the-last century beginning in 1899.  Later named Plentingen, Polar, Samos and Ikaria, it was dismantled in Greece in late 1928.  It has appeared before on Shorpy (as has a similar comment of mine!)
Gaillard-Johnson Coal CompanyFrom the 1909 Mobile city directory. When cities had more than one telephone company. Coalyard located at foot of St. Anthony. Phone Bell 248 or Home 51.
[City directories go back to before people even had telephones. - Dave]
Walking the GangplankAs a free-range kid in Mobile, I have personally watched bananas being unloaded from a ship, circa 1950. It was nothing like this photo. There was a slanting gangplank between the ship and the dock, and a continuous line of men descending with stalks of bananas over their shoulders. I recall the gangplank being wooden, but am not sure of this.
Nor do I recall how the men got back on board, but obviously they did.
“Lighter”I’m interested in the boat off to the right of the ship. It’s actually a barge called a Lighter. These were, and in some cases still are, used to service ships in port. In this case the Lighter is providing coal to fuel the steam boilers.  It has never been clear to me where the term came from. Some have suggested it’s from the German “Lichter” as some barges were used to off load (lighten) small deliveries to shore from large ships. 
Another great photo. 
Source of photo?The source of this great photo is described as Detroit Publishing Co., Library of Congress, but I am unable to find this photo at the Library of Congress website. Could someone provide me with a link to the photo? I've tried every search term I can think of.
[This was one of a group of hundreds of damaged glass negatives added to the LOC archive in February. They have yet to be captioned, so will not show up in search results. - Dave]
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Mobile, Railroads)

Belle Isle Ferry: 1905
... on the edge of the building (partially obscured by the boat), so this dock was likely at the foot of Woodward, an area currently ... gasps of horror and disbelief. Don't shake the boat! I love this picture, there are so many things to look at. But the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/02/2018 - 2:29pm -

Circa 1905. "Belle Isle Park ferry dock, Detroit." The steamer Garland at the dock. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size.
ClassSince becoming a Shorpy addict it almost seems that you have to go back 100 years or so to enjoy class, beauty and style.
Off in the distance.....Way off in the distance on the left edge of the picture you can just make out a rail car ferry, the darker gray against the lighter gray of the shoreline - the twin stacks and the white deckhouse above the aft end are visible.  Also, you can just make out "Woodward Avenue" on the edge of the building (partially obscured by the boat), so this dock was likely at the foot of Woodward, an area currently occupied by Hart Plaza, about 2 miles downriver from Belle Isle.
Simply marvelous.Great shot of a slice of life long ago. The clothing and the hats! Everyone was just so civilized and proper. A far, far cry from today's world. It would be fun to send back one of the pierced and tattooed men or women of today, with spiked hair and tattered clothing, and here the gasps of horror and disbelief. 
Don't shake the boat!I love this picture, there are so many things to look at.  But the biggest thing that I noticed is that boat appears to be really top heavy.
GarlandI like the wreath for the namesake on top of the Wheel House
Not so shakyI could not find specs for the Garland, but a sister in the fleet, the S.S. Pleasure, was listed at 140 feet long by 39½ wide with a 14-foot draft. A boat this size would probably displace about 1600 tons. Very stable.
Only two lifeboats!Great details of period clothing, but I cringe at the paucity of lifeboats.  Of course, after Titanic, boats like these were required to carry more, which caused stability problems and may have contributed to the 1915 Eastland disaster in Chicago.
Bowled me over.It's been a long time since one needed to take a steamer to reach
Belle Isle. There are still a lot of things to see, one thing you probably won't see are so many bowler hats!
Killer boat!In 1880, the Garland ran over a chartered yacht on the Detroit River and killed 17 people.  Most of them were young boys.
Neat but slightly creepy.What a great image!  I love the two young lads on either side of the pushcart.  With their hats down over their brows, you can tell they are waiting to check out the young ladies who might be arriving on the ferry.  
However, I must say that the shadowy figure on the far left gives me the creeps.
Just for Shade?Was there a "nautical" reason for the canvas covering across the bow of the ferry?
[The "nautical" reason for the canvas windscreen would be to keep the passengers' hats from setting sail. - Dave]
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC)

Young Salts: 1900
... who wants to get to the top of the greasy pole. That Boat Is a gaff rigged schooner. Vessel in Background is a Two-mast ... to reach the top of that post. Can anybody I.D. the boat in the background? Or, what type is it? Ketch? Yawl? Loved those ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/09/2016 - 8:35pm -

The Jersey Shore circa 1900. "Children playing in the surf at Asbury Park." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
There's always onewho wants to get to the top of the greasy pole.
That BoatIs a gaff rigged schooner.
Vessel in Background is a Two-mast SchoonerThe vessel in the background is a two-mast (or "two-masted") schooner. The identifying feature is that the rear mast is taller than the foremast. (Yawls and Ketches have the larger mast forward.) 
It is most likely a fishing or coastal freighting schooner, rather than a yacht.
Note the large yawlboat being towed behind.
John Ruth 
Post PositionI'm thinking it was no easy feat to reach the top of that post.
Can anybody I.D. the boat in the background?Or, what type is it? Ketch? Yawl? 
Loved those ropesAs a kid in the 1950s, I remember those ropes. Of course, I am sure they were not the same ones as in this picture, but some variation of these "safety ropes" helped many a non-swimmer (like me) enjoy the water without being swept away by a rogue wave.
They had them at beaches in Atlantic City (pre-casino days) and also at Long Branch, and most other NJ shore beaches. I'm sure other Shorpyites will recall them.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Kids, Swimming)

On the Boat to Bimini: c.1964
When my wife was a young lass her parents took her on a trip to Bimini and this photo was taken as she climbed up to the top deck. She bought a new purse just for the trip. I believe the year was 1964 or 65, but I could be mistaken. View full si ... 
 
Posted by Baxado - 03/13/2015 - 7:23pm -

When my wife was a young lass her parents took her on a trip to Bimini and this photo was taken as she climbed up to the top deck. She bought a new purse just for the trip. I believe the year was 1964 or 65, but I could be mistaken. View full size.
Sea SicknessI will have to ask my wife if she got sick on the cruise. Although she does look rather happy there.
Calypso LinerBuilt in 1954 in Germany (with partial funding by a subsidy from the Marshall Plan) as the Rüstringen, a passenger ferry and excursion ship; sold in 1961 to US companies who register it in Liberia and rename it the Calypso Liner; put into service between Miami and the Bahamas; then sold and renamed at least three more times (Lucaya Queen, Carib Queen, Fiesta) until it is broken up in 1980.  According to a story in The Miami News on June 18, 1962, "The poor man's cruise ship, the Calypso Liner, sailed an hour late for Bimini today with a hastily recruited crew after the new operators fired the old crew from the captain down."  The crew complained of low wages ($3.30 a day when union scale was $11), lousy food ("mashed potatoes six days a week, breakfast, lunch and supper"), and inadequate quarters ("worse than the glory holes").  The article also notes that "Passengers often complain of sea sickness aboard the widely rolling vessel and from time to time some switch to a plane ride home from Bimini."
Calypso LinerCame across the picture you posted of your wife after Google searching "Calypso Liner Bimini" to research this picture of my dad.  In the early 60's he and a friend drove from St. Louis to Miami on a whim to get to the Bahamas.  
On a whimThat is almost exactly the same picture, although I do believe it is later at night. There must have been a photographer at the top of the ramp taking pictures. Wonder what kind of camera he used?
(ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)

The Submarine Boat: 1904
New York circa 1904. "The Submarine Boat, Coney Island." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing ... for your infant? After you take in the Submarine Boat, step right down and grab one for your ride home. Ice cream? Yuck. ... We can get an infant incubator over by the submarine boat. Prime Attraction At 15 cents a pop, this was the E-ticket ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 1:30pm -

New York circa 1904. "The Submarine Boat, Coney Island." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Get your incubators here!Boy, Coney Island had everything back then!  Been needing an incubator for your infant?  After you take in the Submarine Boat, step right down and grab one for your ride home.
Ice cream? Yuck.Hundreds of people on the boardwalk, and not one wants any ice cream.
Love the fake guns!Total kitsch!  The lifeboats, smokestack, boiler room ventilators, even a pretty good imitation of a torpedo at the foot of the steps.  
The heck with the Submarine BoatsLet's go see the Baby Incubators! 
Now that's something not even Disney has in its parks.
Stub HubIn any case the price was right, 15¢ for Adults, 10¢ for Children. I guess it was affordable. What does that Capt Nemo Submarine Ride at Disneyland (or is it Disney World) cost?
C'mon MargeWe can get an infant incubator over by the submarine boat.
Prime AttractionAt 15 cents a pop, this was the E-ticket attraction of its day.
Sixty Years Before Disney's Submarine Ride"Under and Over the Sea," the park's showstopper,. was located on the west promenade near Beacon Tower. The building was constructed along the lines of a Man-of-War with turrets, protruding guns, lifeboats and a deck. E.C. Boyce's attraction offered the public a simulated submarine ride under the Atlantic, where viewing the action through portholes, they experienced a confrontation with a giant squid, sharks and other strange inhabitants of the deep. It was reminiscent of the adventure scenes in Jules Verne's exciting novels which boys read enthusiastically at the turn of the century. Those waiting in line for the ride on a miniature island could trace the submarine's path via a little flag remaining above the surface.
["The Submarine Boat" and "Under and Over the Sea" were two different rides. More on the various Dreamland attractions here. - Dave]
Infant Incubators?I'm not sure I really want to know.
[Quite interesting. More here. - Dave]
The Best PartFunny, I think the guy behind the counter of the ice cream stand with the tray on the counter is the best part of the picture. Just a workaday guy getting ready for business. You don't usually see something like that in old pictures.
Only "quite interesting"?I did some following up and found the whole story of Coney Island infant incubators to be absolutely fascinating. It's a tremendous story -- and was rather a shock to realise, that for so many years, hospitals didn't think premature infants were worth saving.
My father was born very prematurely in 1929 - and ended up in the warming tray of the oven to keep him alive because no facilities existed in the local hospitals - I suppose I rather think he was worth saving! 
I'd assumed incubators hadn't been invented... but they'd actually been available for years. 
There is a little more (actually a lot more) information here if anyone is interested. 
http://www.neonatology.org/pinups/coneyislandnurses.html
(The Gallery, Coney Island, DPC)

A Dickey Christmas: 1919
... upset Thats a Marklin "La Dague" Steam powered Torpedo Boat worth between $18,000 and $20,000. And someone has already broken off one ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/20/2023 - 3:27pm -

"Dickey Christmas tree, 1919." The family of Washington, D.C.,  lawyer Raymond Dickey. 8x6 inch glass negative, National Photo Co. View full size.
It's Not Christmas Without The DickeysAlways look forward to the latest Dickey Christmas picture. If someone made a book of all the pictures I would buy it. They intrigue me, despite their gloominess! I would love to see what they looked like smiling. I read they lived at 1702 Kilbourne NW in Washington DC, it can be found on Google Street View. I wonder what it looks like inside there now.
Happier than they look.I would bet they aren't nearly as gloomy as their pictures suggest.
Clearly this is a family that loved Christmas enough to get a tree that all out of proportion to the room, decorate it haphazardly and have the most unflattering portraits made of themselves. 
This is not the picture of a rigid, organized, disciplinarian father with an iron fist.
Children of the DamnedI think the younger Dickey boy is attempting to will them out of yet another Dickey Christmas with yet one more rotund tree.  Judging from the molecular disturbance around Dad and Sis, I think his efforts at quantum phase-shifting just might be working.  We'll know for sure when the gunboat disappears.
Well of course they're upsetThats a Marklin "La Dague" Steam powered Torpedo Boat worth between $18,000 and $20,000. And someone has already broken off one of the smokestacks. I would be upset too!
Dickeyensian ChristmasThey may well have been the most pleasant of families, but their consistently disturbing Christmas portraits always seem to hint at some dark, Stephen Kingesque, ongoing abuse; something along the lines of "Sybil."
Unanswered prayersKid at center: "Please don't let the mold eat me like it has the rest of the -- oops, too late!"
Obviously a lawyer ahead of his time.He and his family are already thinking "This will eventually be Public Domain".  
Good and EvilThe younger brother's Christmas prayer is that his evil sister and her voodoo doll will leave home and never return.  While their older brother, Emilio Estevez, keeps his distance from this entire clan huddled beneath the Griswold family Christmas tree.
The doll fits in with the family well.The eyes have it.
Meet the DickeysDoing a quick Google on Raymond Dickey, I found that there was a Raymond R. Dickey who was a political intimate of William Casey, late head of the CIA and a "Republican Party Stalwart". He died somewhere in the second half of the Twentieth Century (one of the sons?) Also there is a J. Raymond Dickey (grandson?) still practicing law in the Washington area.
Marklin ShipActually the ship is a Marklin USS New York.  Count the rear portholes at rear; in the picture there are about 6, the other ship proposed has nine visible.
What do you mean? Smile? I *am* smiling. 
Xmas Lesson #1When the tree is too tall, cut at the bottom, not at the top. 
The weight of the world -- or something -- seems to be pressing down on this family. Is it the tree? The ceiling?
Dickey family informationI found the Raymond Dickey family in the 1910 and the 1920 US Census.  In 1910 Raymond and Rose lived at 1358 Otis Place NW with two children, Granville and Alice, and two servants, a 33-year-old woman and her 16-year-old son.  The son also worked as a laborer in a store.  When the house last sold in 2003, it was 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1,776 square feet.  In Street View below, 1358 is the house to the right, trimmed in blue and white.
In the 1920 Census Raymond and Rose lived at 1702 Kilbourne Place NW with four children (welcome John and Raymond Jr.) and four women lodgers, all in their early 20s, two were sisters.  One was a stenographer and three were clerks.  When the house last sold in 1996 it was 5 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2,631 sf.  In Street View it is the house painted white.
Raymond was born in Maryland and Rose in Indiana.  Why they chose such an unusual Christmas tree each year is still a mystery.


Bah, humbugThe Dickey family's collective ponder of father's comment regarding the cost of photography has been captured for the archives.  A good son will pray that he doesn't blur the investment.
Remnants of the Kaiser's army may have returned to the toy factory, but shell shock has impacted quality control.  Regardless, Marklin models must have been a difficult get in 1919, even for wealthy Americans.  The toy museum is worth a visit if you go to Goppingen.
I have a treasured photo of my father's Christmas tree circa 1919-1921.  The cast iron carbide cannon under the tree now sits on my living room end table. The tree is decorated with dozens of unlit candles in clip-on candle holders.  Scary! 
Six years too early for the Office PartyI thought, by digitally adding some color, that it might would improve their holiday outlook ... but then I realized their real problem. No doubt, they are despondent over the fact that they are six years too early for the Office Christmas Party-1925!
Trite but trueI've said it before and I'll say it again, with no judgment or unkindness intended, but merely as an observation: Mrs. Dickey is hammered.
More Dickey family informationSome years are a little off, but I think I have the correct family members. Raymond Dickey wed Rose Maxwell in 1901 when Raymond was 23 and Rose was 21.  Her father, the Reverend John A. Maxwell performed the ceremony in Washington.  Raymond died in 1940 at the age of 62 and is buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Prince George's County, Maryland.  Rose died in 1967 at the age of 87 and is also buried in Cedar Hill.  It appears she did not remarry. 
Granville was born in 1902.  In 1924 he graduated from the College of Journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago, where he was a member of the varsity swim team, and in his senior year was named a member of the all-American swim team.  In 1928 he married La Verne Carnes and the couple settled in Chicago where Granville was an advertising manager for a large wholesale house.  By 1942 he was living in Maryland and employed at the U.S. Conservation Corps in DC.  The move may have been due to a divorce and remarriage.  He divorced in 1941 and an Evening Star death notice said Granville’s second wife passed away April 5, 1945.  Granville died in 1948 at the age of 45 and is buried in the same cemetery as his parents.  His obituary references his surviving sister as Mrs. Alice Beaton.
I could not find Alice.  Raymond Jr.'s 1981 obituary referenced survivors included his sister, Mrs. John Beaton of St. Croix, Virgin Islands.
I did not find a grave or obituary for John.  But in the 1940 Census I found a 28yr old J. M. Dickey, attorney, born in DC.  Divorced, he was living at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel in Clarksburg, West Virginia. I did not find anyone who might be John in the 1950 Census.  He was referenced as a survivor in Granville's 1948 obituary, but not of Raymond Jr. in 1981.
Raymond Jr. became a very influential Washington D.C. lawyer.  His first law firm was Dickey and Dickey in which he was a partner from 1940 (when he was 22) to 1942.  This would seem to be with his father or brother, except his father died in 1940 and his brother was in West Virginia.  Married three times, twice divorced, Raymond died of cancer in 1981 at the age of 63.  A place of internment was not given.
AgonyOur family went thru the agony of Christmas pictures every year.  Since we lived overseas, my folks would have the pictures taken in September.  That gave my mom enough time to get the prints, write the annual missive, and get them in the mail in October.  She mailed them via surface mail (would take just about two months to get to the US) since in those days air mail was too expensive for the number of folks the missive went to.
I was so thankful one year that I was going to be leaving home in July.  I thought I would not have to go thru the agony.  Nope, the folks just took the pictures a week before I left.  And the following year, when I was not home, my folks had my grandparents take a photo in July and mail the negatives home.
I tried to find out when the Dickey photos were taken.  Curious as to whether these photos were taken early to share with friends or taken in December just for the family.  Unfortunately, at LOC, all I could find is the year taken, no month.  
Poor Mrs. DickeyHammered or not, she has to put up with Mr. Dickey.  And there’s less speculation about his consumption habits, because we’ve seen the outline of his flask in other years.
(The Gallery, Bizarre, Christmas, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo, The Dickeys)

Waiting for the Sunday Boat: 1902
Florida circa 1902. "Waiting for the Sunday boat." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit ... hear what's being said and sung. Where will that Sunday boat carry them? Give a guy a hat and he'll make it his own I can ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 4:25pm -

Florida circa 1902. "Waiting for the Sunday boat." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
You call that hoofin'?The guy to the rear seems to be thinking,"Why don't you step aside and let me show you how a real song and dance man gets it done."
CoolThird from the left, leaning against the wall, is one cool dude.
Good As It GetsWell, this is about as great a picture as you could ever find in this world.
Waiting his turnThe young man third from the left looks like a young "Bojangles." He would have been 24 years old in 1902.
Silver Springs StationThis is the dock side of the rail and steamboat station at Silver Springs, Florida.  Shorpy has featured a number of Silver Springs photographs in the past, including this view of the station, with the Hart Line steamer Okeehumkee docked in front of where these men are standing.  Jackson's photograph of the Lucas' New Line steamer Metamora appears to have been taken from the same spot, but with the camera facing the springs.
This is such a great photoSuch movement!
Lsiten carefullyOnce again, I look at an image on Shorpy and find myself wishing that I could hear what's being said and sung. Where will that Sunday boat carry them?
Give a guy a hat and he'll make it his ownI can clearly see 6 hats and each one has its own personality.
Musical questionsWell dressed, lighthearted, is this the entertainment on the boat tonight? Or do they plan to perform for the disembarking passengers?
And is that a gun belt on the man in the back?
There's a story here.
I Would PayThe price of a Beatles White Album unopened for a recording of that impromptu jam session.
Looks FamiliarThis shot was used as the cover of "The Best of the Memphis Jug Band." Is this the Jug Band?
[The Memphis Jug Band was formed in 1927, so no. - Dave]
Hats Off!The hats alone, and the way they are worn, make this a million dollar shot.
Pic of great feelingsI came to my office this morning with a bad case of the Monday blues. I did not want to start work so I went to this site and when I saw this pic I lost my blues and lit up feeling like I'm ready for the world.
Now, this evening I am home and was back to feeling like crap because of some nasty dealings from my bank. So I went to this pic and now once again I feel GREAT.
Thanks for this most wonderful picture. I hope the people pictured had lives that were long and full of the happiness I am sure they gave to many. 
Martin "parlor"The guitar in this picture looks like an early "parlor" type Martin. I wish owned this guitar today it would be worth quite a bit.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Florida, Music, W.H. Jackson)

Oyster Luggers: 1908
... on the rig; Chesapeake Bay was once full of them. Boat and more boats This is a wonderful picture. The Center For Wooden Boats ... "the only dipping lugsail to be used in an American work-boat type in the late 19th century." A plan of a New Orleans lugger is figure ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 2:02pm -

New Orleans circa 1908. "Oyster and charcoal luggers in the old basin." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Shorpy UI think the posts for this photo demonstrate big time the second major virtue of Shorpy, the first one being the seemingly endless unveiling of one fascinating image after another. That second virture is the education and enlightenment provided by people who know what they're talking about. Look at what you learn (about boats and the oyster biz, in this case) in "Tonguers", "Long Tongs", "Couldn't See..." and other posts. It's like Introduction to Sailboats 101 or something. Marvelous, totally marvelous. Thank you, oh learned Shorpians.
Great lines on that scow schooner in the backgroundBoats like this, built with simple materials and for a specific purpose, are often more beautiful than the fanciest yacht.  Much more graceful looking than any modern glass racing sailboat.
'Arster DrudgersThese little flat bottom boats with a center board keel were fast sailers and had a beautiful line to them as exemplified by "1708 SUPERIOR" in the photo above. Sometimes referred to as Skipjacks, Bugeyes, Sharpies and other names depending on the rig; Chesapeake Bay was once full of them.
Boat and more boatsThis is a wonderful picture. The Center For Wooden Boats in Seattle WA www.cwb.org has two big sharpies in daily use.
Those little flatiron skiffs like the one in the foreground aren't so bad, either, and are now rarely to be found.  
Long tongsNot a mechanical dredge in sight.  Lots of long tongs are visible.  Oystermen in this area started using mechanical dredges around this time of the century but stopped doing so when they realized the damage that dredges caused to the oyster beds.  They returned to the hand tongs again.   Did anyone notice that one of the crew seemed to be plucking a broom for the camera?
TonguersThere are several types of boats in this scene.  The "luggers" of the title are the ones with the booms secured to the masts at about a one third point, like "___ Tedesco 93" close to the middle of the scene.  Several of them have what looks like sail covers of a dark material -- today we generally think sail covers were not needed in the time period of canvas sails that do not deteriorate when exposed to sunlight.
The balanced lug rig was common in France during the Age of Sail.  Could it be that the type is actually a survivor from the period when New Orleans was a French colony?  Howard I. Chapelle, in "American Small Sailing Craft," 1951, says the lug rig came from the Channel coast (used on both the French and British sides), but the hull evolved here.  The rig is "the only dipping lugsail  to be used in an American work-boat type in the late 19th century."  A plan of a New Orleans lugger is figure 104 in Chapelle, and it looks almost exactly like Tedesco 93 here.  In the photo, there seems to be a parrel holding the yard to the mast, making it hard to imagine how the lugsail would be dipped to get it to the other side of the mast.
Several of the luggers also have long poles stacked up with one end in the bows and the other resting on the booms near the mast.  These look like they might be tongs.  Therefore, the boats probably do not dredge for the bivalves, they tong.  This conclusion is also supported by the small size of the craft and the absence of winches and tackle for handling a dredge.  The luggers are fully molded in form, not flat or V-bottomed like scows or most of Cheaspeake Bay's skipjacks.  They have but one mast and sail.
There are schooners in the scene and one conventional gaff sloop with headsails, in the foreground, named Minerva.  The craft behind her, 1708 Superior, seems to be a schooner with quite a large boomed headsail on a bowsprit (Look up at the masts -- it's easier to tell).
Before wood was replaced by other materials in boatbuilding, every region of the country had its own types of fishing and cargo craft, even down to quite small sizes. 
Swab the DeckFor working boats they sure are very clean, I'm impressed.
I wonder what they did with these boats when a hurricane rolled through? They probably didn't get as much of a warning that one was coming like we do today.
Couldn't see any sharpies in thereMy family began their oyster business in New Haven about 1868, and sharpies had been in use for some decades before that. The sharpie is a cat-rigged (mast at the very bow) vessel renowned for its speed and ability to hold a big load of oysters.
There is a  sharpie on display at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut.
As oyster gathering shifted to dragging, rather than tonging, the boats became larger and eventually powered. The last of the old era was just before WWII. In 1940 my mother filmed a Sunday seagoing picnic  on one of the family's draggers, the Catherine M. Wedmore, built in 1924, named after my great-grandmother, and still in service dragging oysters and clams. 
We always said that warm-water oysters weren't particularly good, and my opinion on that matter has not changed.
Pretty SailsI like the scallop edging on the sails on the right. Must have looked great.
Pepino Tedesco's Boat

First Annual Report of the Oyster Commission of Louisiana, 1904.


List of Vessels Other Than Fishing Skiffs Licensed by the Oyster Commission of Louisisana.

License Number, Name of Vessel, Name of Owner, Address, Capacity in BBLS, Tonnage.
…
59, Lugger Chavere Tedesco, Pepino Tedesco, New Orleans, 141, 8.
…
93, Lugger Joseph Tedesco, Tedesco, Tedesco & Lazard, New Orleans, 106, 6.
…
1708, Lugger Superior, Marco Koparitich, New Orleans, 107, 6.
...

Tedesco Oyster Luggers - 1908   My grandfather Salvatore Tedesco, brothers listed in "Pepino Tedesco Boat" were Pepino (Joseph) Tedesco and Chavere (Saverio)Tedesco.  Lazard is Pepino's son-in-law Alberto Lazaro.
    A response to "Swab the Deck" regarding hurricanes.  On October 2, 1893 a storm which would be known as the Cheniere Caminda hurricane which hit on the Louisiana mainland just west of Grand Isle with winds of 135 mph unexpectedly.   Captain Chavere Tedesco and three crew men were in Biloxi waters when the storm hit. The crew men were lost and Chavere was in the water three days before being rescued. Another brother, Tony Tedesco, was in the lugger F. W. Elmer (Biloxi waters) with two crew men all three were lost. There is an estimate of 2,000 persons lost their lives and many were fishermen.  This information came from Pepino's daughter Josephine who passed away this year at 103 years old and the Times Picayune newspaper.  During the month of October, 1893 the Times Picayune lists many of the persons that died and the persons that survived.  The articles are detailed and very informative.
Storm of 1893 - Cheniere CaminadaGiuseppe Tedesco had 3 brothers, Agostino, Chaverio and Antonino (Tony).  Two of them were in luggers when the storm of 1893 (hurricane).  They were in Biloxi waters when the storm hit - they did not know it was coming.  Chaverio's boat was lost and he was in the water 3 days before he was rescued and Tony and two other men in their lugger were lost.  Below is a link to the Louisiana Genweb Archives Project - Newspaper Articles which I added some of the newspaper articles that ran in October, 1893.  They were posted during the months of May and June, 2007.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/orleans/newspapr4.htm
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, New Orleans)

Banana Boat: 1906
Circa 1906. "Banana docks, New York." An interesting cast of characters. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What is it? What is that device the man in the foreground is operating with the rop ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 3:17pm -

Circa 1906. "Banana docks, New York." An interesting cast of characters. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
What is it?What is that device the man in the foreground is operating with the rope?
[A produce scale. - Dave]
Someone isn't properly dressedMiddle right, underneath the dinghy -- who left their very nice hat and coat unattended?
Banana InspectorThe guy with the pipe has a pocket full of bananas, most likely taking them back to the lab to assure their quality.
Which oneis "Mister tally man"?
Merry Christmas to Dave and all of the Shorpy followers!!
The Doomed DisaThe SS Disa, built by O.A. Brodin of Gefle, Sweden, in 1903, was a steamer of 788 tons.
On Aug. 25, 1915, the Disa, on a voyage from London to Hernösand with a cargo of salt, was sunk by a mine from the German submarine UC-6 (Matthias Graf von Schmettow), 5-6 miles NxE of the Shipwash lightvessel. There were no casualties.
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?70026
That's him -- The guy with the hat, and he's eating a banana.
Produce scaleI think its a counter, not a produce scale
Pimp My RideCuneo's wagon is quite the ride: every wood slat/pole is detailed, and there are at least four fox(?) tails hanging from the rear view mirror (so to speak). Not to mention that the wagon's master is wearing his Saturday Night Fever white suit and busting-an-attention-getting-move during the exposure.
That mandoes not look as if he's enjoying that banana.
The Daily ShowThe reason almost everyone is smiling and laughing, those 2 hatless guys performing the noontime banana toss.
NiftyI love this guy. Merry Christmas.
Scale or tally?I think the device being operated by the man in the foreground is a tally meter. I'm guessing that bananas were sold by the "each" rather than by the pound and that the tally meter has a display large enough for everyone to see and also a bell so that everyone knows that each bunch has been counted.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC)

Boat Drill: 1899
... 1: "The Difference Between Oars and Sails." 1899. "Boat drill -- U.S.S. New York ." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by ... adjusting the leverage of the oarsman as the side of the boat tapers to bow or stern. There's a rule of thumb for estimating where the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/19/2016 - 12:35pm -

Drill No. 1: "The Difference Between Oars and Sails."
1899. "Boat drill -- U.S.S. New York." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by Edward H. Hart, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size.
Different Oars ExplanationOars of different sizes are more common than not in rowing craft with more than 2 rowing positions. They provide a means of adjusting the leverage of the oarsman as the side of the boat tapers to bow or stern. There's a rule of thumb for estimating where the pivot point should be on the oar, depending, among other things, on whether sliding seats are used -- I'm remembering 4:1 but that might be for sliding seats.
Galleys with oars all the same size certainly existed (still do) but they require an oar-box -- a rectangular structure that provides mountings for the oarlocks all the same distance off centerline -- or the outriggers racing shells have. If the entire crew is equally large and muscular, it's an advantage in performance to have the oars all the same size.
"Oars"IIRC was the command given by the coxswain to have oars in this position.  I attended boot camp over the summer of 1962 and apparently the Navy had just discontinued lifeboat drills as we didn't participate nor even watch any via film.  The traditions, they die hard.  Even the old "flat hats" are now gone (even though we received them as part of our uniform they were not authorized for wear in any Naval district).
Different oarsI never noticed they used smaller oars at for and aft.  Must be to lessen cavitation for the central power.  Anyone know?
"Toss Oars"No, they are at "Toss Oars" a salute. "Oars" is oars horizontal with blades flat.
Why Only 13 Stars?There were 45 states in 1899...
[Wikipedia: "During the 19th century, for its smaller-sized ensigns, the U.S. Navy used a 13-star flag which became known as "boat flag" due to its predominant use on boats (i.e., launches, gigs and tenders)... The reason for the lesser number of stars was so that the stars in a smaller size flag would have greater visibility at a distance." -tterrace]
Thanks tterrace.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, E.H. Hart)

The Luxe Boat: 1912
... Let it flow, it floats back to you. The luxe boat soon will be making another run ... The luxe boat promises something for everyone. Set a course for adventure, your mind ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 4:14pm -

Circa 1912. "Steamer City of Detroit III, grand salon, looking forward." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Almost perfectI was going to say I finally found where I want to have my funeral, but I don't think it's quite big enough to accommodate a performance of the Berlioz Requiem.
Classical DecorVery fancy decor from the era of the Titanic.
To judge from the wings on the man, the center painting looks to be of Cupid and Psyche. The bas-relief above it is a nereid riding a hippocampus, which fits in a bit better with a nautical theme.
As seen on TVLuxe, exciting and new.
Come aboard, we're expecting you.
Luxe, life's sweetest reward.
Let it flow, it floats back to you. 
The luxe boat soon will be making another run ...
The luxe boat promises something for everyone.
Set a course for adventure, your mind on a new romance. 
And ... Luxe won't hurt anymore.
It's an open smile, on a friendly shore.
Yes LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUXE!
Welcome aboard, it's LUUUUUUUUUUUUUXE!
Too Bland It needs slot machines, card tables, neon effects ad nauseam, and oh yes at least one gift shop. Then it would look like a real cruise ship.
You can lounge there todayThe Dossin Great Lakes Museum in Detroit has the ship's ornate Gothic stained-glass smoking lounge.
Photos
Museum info
WowI'm positive the word "utilitarian" never found its way into the designer's lexicon.  
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)

4th of July Boat Parade: 1941
... vacation on the Metedeconk River, NJ, always meant a boat parade on the 4th of July. This was taken in 1941, five months before the ... Wrong class! This was a "Seagull Class" wooden boat, #216, 18 feet long. The next boat Dad built was a Lightning, #1004. At ... 
 
Posted by microanne - 03/12/2011 - 3:10pm -

Summer vacation on the Metedeconk River, NJ, always meant a boat parade on the 4th of July. This was taken in 1941, five months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Our lives changed that year. Dad was busy building ships for the U.S. Navy, I went on to college and the young man steering the "Patsy Anne" finished high school and enlisted in the US Maritime Service (Merchant Marine). We married 50 years later and are living happily ever after. View full size.
Lightning Strikes TwiceInternational Lightning Class was once (and may still be) the most popular one design in the world.  I spent a couple of summers teaching sailing at a Maine resort in wood Lightnings of this vintage in the mid 1980s.  Within a few years they were left to rot in the woods and had been replaced with fiberglass boats.
Fifty years?Why did the big lug make you wait fifty years before marrying you? (Hahahah! We all know what you mean; you just didn't type it out that way.)
You could call that shot the "Calm Before the Storm."
Wonderful Photo!I love the details, not too unlike boating today. Good looking crew, too!
Patsyanne & AnneTwo of Harry's beauties!
Wrong class!This was a "Seagull Class" wooden boat, #216, 18 feet long. The next boat Dad built was a Lightning, #1004. At the end of WW2, he designed and built a 40-foot all steel yawl. I'll post it today. Named "Silhouette," it is currently living in Uruguay! 
(ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)

Old Man River: 1906
... their strange shutters and whistles. The Gingerbread Boat The railings and detail work you see was generally factory made and ... I thought it would be nice to take a well equipped pontoon boat down the Mississippi from Minneapolis to New Orleans stopping at small ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 3:19pm -

"Mississippi River Landing." Circa 1906, an exceptionally detailed view of the sternwheeler "Belle of Calhoun" and sidewheeler "Belle of the Bends" taking on cargo. Detroit Publishing Company 8x10 glass negative. View full size.
I really like this photo!I can feel the motion, almost hear the  sounds, smell the aromas....quite amazing. Gives me a strong hint of the era just over 100 years ago.
WoodworkThe amount of woodwork that must have gone into making one of these vessels is amazing. The detail work on the railings comes to mind. Wonder what it would cost today to build one to spec?
Lifting BalesI see people lifting that bale, but I don't see anyone toting that barge.
Not that I'd know barge-toting when I saw it, though...
Belle of CalhounAt 451 gross tons, with 27 staterooms and 60 berths, the Belle could carry 119 passengers including 30 in deck and steerage. She also was certified to carry freight.
Old Glory......is looking awfully tired and threadbare on Belle of the Bends.
VicksburgThis could be anywhere along the length of the Mississippi River, but something reminds me of Vicksburg.  All that's missing from the scene is the I-20/US80 Bridge, the Old Vicksburg Bridge, and the Casino Boats. On second thought I don't miss those at all, this is a better image.
Vicksburg & GreenvilleVicksburg & Greenville Packet Co., it says on Belle of the Bends wheel cover. I wonder if that tattered flag held some historical significance, it seems stark in contrast with the shiny bell. There's so much interesting detail in the open fronted wheelhouses alone with their strange shutters and whistles.
The Gingerbread BoatThe railings and detail work you see was generally factory made and could be ordered through mail-order catalogs. What made it go out of style was not the hand work needed to make it, it was the hand work needed to keep it painted. That's why you saw a lot of Victorian houses painted one color in later years when originally the trim was painted in a contrasting color (or colors) to the main body of the house.
Travel on the riverAt one time I thought it would be nice to take a well equipped pontoon boat down the Mississippi from Minneapolis to New Orleans stopping at small towns, having lunch, talking to people, fishing etc. What stopped me is that it would not be safe. There are to many bad people in America.
[Smart move. So many kayakers these days getting waylaid by highwaymen and barge pirates. - Dave]
Falstaff BeerNote Falstaff wagon at far right.  According to falstaffbrewing.com, it's been made under that brand label since 1899.  Fascinating shot, Dave, I feel like I'm right there.
*Sigh*Shopped
[*Sigh.* Dumb. - Dave]
Shopped?The only thing worse than reading someone complain that a particular picture at this site has been Photoshopped is someone complaining that a picture has been Photoshopped without providing an explanation of why they think this is the case. Not that the explanations are true but it's amusing to read their theories. Sort of like the explanations of why the Moon Landing photos are fakes.
[We use Photoshop on all of these. These photos don't appear on your screen via magic or telepathy -- you have to have some kind of image editor to get them sized, cropped, adjusted for contrast and changed from tiffs into jpegs. Plus the negatives have to be inverted to get positives. The "Shopped" commenters seem to have vague notions that something fishy is afoot. - Dave]
Nimitz Was There ... Where's Halsey?In 1900 an A F Nimitz was Captain.
Any genealogists out there who might be able to connect any family lines to Admiral Nimitz of WWII fame?
Belle Of The Woods
Type:         Sidewheel wooden hull packet   Size: 210' X 32.6' X 7.4'
Power:        18's-8 ft., 3 boilers, each 44" X 28'
Launched:     1898, Jeffersonvile, Ind. by the Howard Yard
Destroyed;    1919, Oct.  dismantled by John F. Klein
Area:         Ohio R. Greenville-Vicksburg
              1910-11, winter, New Orleans, excursions
              1918-19, Cairo, Ill., excursions
Owners:       1898- Vicksburg And Greenville Packet Company
              1910-or so, purchased by Capt Morrissy
Captains:     1900, Master, A. F. Nimtz
              1901, Pilots, Billy Newbill and Joe Delahunt
              1910, Morrissy
              At one time, Joe Ballard, Vicksburg to Greenville, Miss.
Comments:     1909, Sept., 40 mi. below Viskburg, sank and was raised.
              1910, Fitler's Landing, 20 mi. below Lake Providence, sank.  Raised.
              1910, or between 1918-19, renamed LIBERTY
              1940, her bell was at Altheimer Plantation near Pine Bluff Ark.
              1910, Fitler's Landing, 20 mi. below Lake Providence, sank.  Raised.
              1910, or between 1918-19, renamed LIBERTY
              1940, her bell was at Altheimer Plantation near Pine Bluff Ark.
Nimtz, not NimitzIt's listed as Nimtz down in the text. Not Nimitz.
"Mark" my words...Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
- Mark Twain
8x10 glass neg!Wow, the resolution on a century old glass neg is as good as anything today it appears. Amazing technical expertise.
True DaysThis is before my time by 45 years, but my father was old when he had me and saw all of this on the Mississippi. Mark Twain's stories tell much about it. I've been on the Ol' Miss a few times, but now live near the Mekong in SE Asia. I would have liked to have seen it here at that time too.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)

Banana Boat: 1903
... especially on the basis of a vignette. Unloading a banana boat in the days before useful mechanization involved several different tasks, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:39pm -

Circa 1903. "Unloading bananas at New Orleans, Louisiana." An alternate view of this scene. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
Reminds me of my former officeI counted 57 people in the scene around the "reefer", 17 of them were leaning, posing, smoking pipes, and watching all the others doing the actual work, nothing has changed.
Union JackThe ship being unloaded is flying the Civil Ensign of Great Britain.  This merchant flag has the Union Jack in the canton and a red field.
Note the thicknessof the doors of the refrigerated rail car in the foreground. Also note that all the longshoremen are white. Southern cities generally had competing black and white longshoremens' unions.
Wooden Railroad car...and moreAs a railroad historian, the wooden reefer car grabbed my attention- Arched bar trucks, outside body hung brake beams - outside of the airbrake line this car could have been built in 1880. The Fruit Growers Express and Continental Growers Express were owned by Armour & Co. and they operated until the early 20th century when they were broken apart in a nasty monopoly case. 
As a labor historian, I was bemused by the relatively few African-Americans unloading fruit. The New Orleans water front was controlled by a number of unions, mostly segregated (hey! it was 1903! That any at all were integrated is amazing), but a set of agreements had been setup by the Port's Council of Unions which set quotas for the workers supplied by the 'black unions' and 'white unions'for any particular job- the work gangs should have been more mixed up if it was a normal crew. 
This workforce is largely European. This leads me to suspect that this may be an image taken during one of the  fairly common labor strikes. The companies (Railroad and Fruit shippers) would hire strike breakers among the recently arrived immigrants to replace the union workers during the strike. 
These jobs were very desirable. The union wages for longshoremen was 40 cents an hour in 1903 New Orleans compared to that of railway cargo handlers at around 30 cents an hour. Both groups would work unloading and loading fruit. 
This was a good wage in 1903 (a beer was 20 cents) and a blue-plate dinner was 75 cents (no payroll taxes either) and these jobs were in high demand. 
This photo (and its other view) lead me to believe that these are at the Thalia Street Wharf just down river  from the Garden District in New Orleans. 
The loafers are a mixture of foreman, a coat watcher (who apparently likes bananas (look at the peels), and probably a few stevedores (labor brokers)..
Lots of WorkNew Orleans is and has always been a different place. It's a city in the South, but not a "Southern city" in the sense of the often fairly accurate stereotype.
There were businesses and organizations composed entirely of blacks, others that were white, and a few that were integrated. The groups dealt with one another fairly freely but didn't mingle as individuals, and while black and mixed groups were somewhat lower-status than those of whites it wasn't by much. There were many wealthy and middle-class blacks, who held their own in the general society. This arrangement survives today, at least somewhat, visible in the "crewes" who set up the Mardi Gras floats and extravaganzas.
As ajlcary notes, before the general unrest and union consolidation of the Thirties, the New Orleans waterfront was organized along those lines. There were many small Unions, each represented on the Council of Union leaders. As recently as the late Sixties, there were groups continuing the tradition within the overall subhead of the ILA. Union leaders tended to assign them to work as groups, rather than as individuals.
It is never wise to judge events in New Orleans by the standards of, say, Atlanta or Birmingham, especially on the basis of a vignette. Unloading a banana boat in the days before useful mechanization involved several different tasks, some nastier than others, and during the unloading the groups involved would trade off after the breaks. It's entirely possible that, at the moment the photograph was taken, there was a black Union "diving" in the hold (the nastiest job) and a white Union "passing", that is, on deck transferring fruit along the deck (the easiest work), while the mixed group we see "docks", loads the freight car. An hour or so later we might well have seen the white group docking, the blacks passing, and the mixed group down in the dark, dirty, tarantula-infested hold. Another hour might have produced another tradeoff, and most of the people we would see on the gangplank and dock would be black. 
United Fruit CompanyStack logo of the steamship is that of the United Fruit Company which ceased operations (at least its fleet did) in 1970.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, New Orleans, Railroads)

Boat Club Rowers: 1919
September 20, 1919. "Potomac Boat Club eight." On the river at the old Aqueduct Bridge. National Photo ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 2:32pm -

September 20, 1919. "Potomac Boat Club eight." On the river at the old Aqueduct Bridge. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
Aqueduct BridgeYou can see one of piers of the Aqueduct Bridge in the Shorpy photo. The span was superseded by the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge, completed downriver in 1923. The Aqueduct was dismantled 10 years later.
Little of the original bridge remains, but the abutment on the Washington shore is still there (see photo below.) This would be to the viewer's immediate right in the Shorpy photo. The rowing club is still there, too.
It's the Jocks in Socks!Same guys, same order, same uniform, same teamwork, same disgusting socks.
https://www.shorpy.com/node/6306
Pre-ParkwayYou can see a house up on the Virginia palisades that must have had a gorgeous view before the GW Parkway was built, and presumably this and many other houses were torn down.  I wonder how many houses were lost due to the construction of the road.
Attn. Mr. LeyendeckerYour afternoon models have arrived. Mr. Middle Boy says he met you at a party.
The "house on the hill" appears to have survived.Bing's (Microsoft) Bird's Eye View seems to show the nice columned home on the bluff is still there.
The home is off the end of 24th Street N. in the wedge between Spout Run Parkway and GW Parkway.
Re: Attn. Mr. LeyendeckerThis comment made me happy. 
Actually, there's something about the processing here (I know nothing about photography, alas) that has made the last young man on the right look rather like an illustration himself. He could be right out of a superhero comic.
Strapping boysNot that kind of strapping!! Question for any rowing expert out there. What's the deal with tethering your ankle to your oar. It's not like you're a surfer who'd have to swim for his board when he eats it on a wave.
[Nobody's ankle is tethered to an oar. At least not in this photo. - Dave]
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)

Flying Boat: 1900
... October 13, 1900. Wyandotte, Michigan. "Launch of fire boat James Battle." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 9:14pm -

October 13, 1900. Wyandotte, Michigan. "Launch of fire boat James Battle." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Yaaaaaaaahhhh!That fellow on the seaward side of the deckhouse had a brief but thrilling ride.
James Battle, scrapped.Oct. 18 (1991) -- There was a surprise arrival at Marine Salvage in Ramey's Bend, Humberstone, as the McAllister Towing & Salvage Inc. tug SALVAGE MONARCH towed her venerable fleetmate JAMES BATTLE into the scrapyard. The former City of Detroit Fire Commission, 198 grt fire tug, a product of the Detroit Shipbuilding Company of Wyandotte, was launched on October 13, 1900 as Hull # 137. In 1941, she was sold to Canadian interests, repowered and later absorbed into the McAllister Towing fleet in 1969. At Ramey's Bend, the tug's entire upper deck was to be removed for preservation, and, by mid-November, the 91 year old JAMES BATTLE had been completely stripped and cutting had begun.
-- Lake Huron Lore

The upper deck cabins can be found in the weeds at Ramey's Bend on the Welland Canal near Port Colborne, Ontario.

(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)

To Boiling Spring: 1902
... is the actual subject of the shot and the ladies in the boat just happened to be there. He seems to be posing for the picture too as if ... under those things. That guy on the roof of the boat Is looking really hard for a glimpse of wrist! That man in the back ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 8:27pm -

Florida circa 1902. "Silver Springs on the Oklawaha." Don't forget your flotation bonnets! Photo by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing. View full size.
I'm Wide AwakeAnd I agree with Slump; this picture has a curious dream-like perspective to it. It's as if the figure in the background is the actual subject of the shot and the ladies in the boat just happened to be there. He seems to be posing for the picture too as if he knew he was the focal point.
It looks like a still from a movie.If that movie was made by David Lynch.
This gives me an ideaFor a comic strip set in a funny-named swamp with animals getting into hilarious situations, topical satire, and flat bottom boats bearing different names.
Looking for the yearling...One of those ladies might be Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, searching out her muse.
Movie?My take on it is David Wark Griffth filming Lilian Gish in her prime.
Hatted and coiffedWell, at least the hats don't look silly.  You could hide cannonballs under those things.
That guy on the roof of the boatIs looking really hard for a glimpse of wrist!
That man in the backThat character in the background sitting on the canopy (?) of that boat (??) looks like he might have jumped straight out of a Toonerville Trolley cartoon.
Flotation DevicesLooks like the lady on the left has more than just her bonnet to keep her afloat unless that's just the wind.
I'm off to bedAnd this photo has the makings of a very odd nightmare.
100 Years LaterNow there's your nightmare.
Where's the sweat?Something always puzzles me about these things. Florida is so hot and humid almost year round yet in the old photos people are always dressed so hot.. I break out in a sweat just looking at this one ... did they not perspire?
[Florida was a winter resort -- not many people went in the summer. As someone who was born in Miami and grew up in Florida, I can assure you that it's not "hot and humid almost year round." - Dave]
HeadgearI love those ancestral sun bonnets that add to the peaceful look of the women in this picture. The only place we get to see one today, is occasionally, on a baby in a pram.
We have met the enemy and he flings poo. The comment by "Walt Kelly" isn't too far from the truth, with a cast of characters suitable for lampooning.   Substitute 'flat' for 'glass' bottom boat (where it was invented), consider that Tarzan made an appearance, and how the story goes that a scenic boat promoter in the 30's let monkeys loose on an island not knowing they could swim, leading to roving bands of them along the river to this day.
Boiling hotWhat always strikes me about pictures of this era is how white the whites are.  These bonnets practically glow!  Even when photographed in the woods, on a train, at the beach, etc., these ladies all looked immaculate.  Testimony (I guess) to lots of boiling water and scrubbing.  I can't make it from my house to my car in white pants without having to turn around and change. Yipes.
Fish CampThis is great! With better-maintained boat houses, a big wide dock with picnic tables and-of course-modern fashions, this could easily be any of the present-day "rustic" fish camps up and down the St. Johns River and lots of other places in Florida. All you need to fill the shot are some egrets and herons and a manatee floating by.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Florida, W.H. Jackson)

Tow Boat
... Probably around the San Pedro area. I am not sure what the boat is towing, but it may have to do with oil drilling. View full size. ... The two white ships (and what looks like a small shore boat) are tied up to each other. No towing here. (ShorpyBlog, Member ... 
 
Posted by mhallack - 04/20/2009 - 4:38pm -

From a group of photos which included my grandmother sometime in the 1930's. Probably around the San Pedro area. I am not sure what the boat is towing, but it may have to do with oil drilling. View full size.
Dry docksI think what we see are two floating dry docks, center and on the left. The two white ships (and what looks like a small shore boat) are tied up to each other. No towing here.
(ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)

The Love Boat: 1908
... there is NOT a "no smoking" sign on the mens side of the boat. In the more civilized days of travel women were often allowed refuge from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/13/2014 - 11:04am -

New York circa 1908. "Municipal ferry Richmond." Where men are port and women are starboard, in theory at least. 8x10 glass negative. View full size.
First of the fleetThe Richmond entered service in 1905, one of a new fleet of five boats the city ordered after it had taken control of the ferry from the railroad that had previously operated the service. Each of the boats was named after a city borough, with "Richmond" being the county name for Staten Island.  With a length of 245 feet and a width of 48 feet, it was somewhat smaller than the six primary boats in the current fleet, though larger than the two boats used for overnight service.  By extrapolating from the capacities of the current boats, the Richmond probably carried between 2,000 and 2,300 passengers. 
Several more boats joined the fleet as passenger traffic increased during the 1920's and 1930's.  After almost 40 years of service the Richmond was withdrawn from service in 1944.  It was converted into a barge, presumably to help with the war effort, and went to the scrappers in 1947. 
Smoking habits might be the reason for the separate Men's and Women's entrances. At the time it wouldn't have been socially appropriate for men and women to smoke in front of the other gender, so public spaces such as train stations often had separate waiting/smoking rooms for men and women.  That could have been the case on the ferry too.  In fact, on the upper deck, which doesn't appear to be gender-separated, there are a couple of signs which appear to read "No Smoking."
Unchanged in 1960sThe Hoboken ferries looked exactly the same in the 1960s, except Men and Women had become Smoking and No Smoking. The gates and hardware were the same. I imagine they had gone to diesel though.
Sex Minus SmokingNotice there is NOT a "no smoking" sign on the mens side of the boat. In the more civilized days of travel women were often allowed refuge from the crude habits and language of many of the opposite sex.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC)

Harbor Police Boat (colorized): 1926
Harbor Police Boat, July 1926 (colorized). View full size. Great! Thanks for ... 
 
Posted by Dennis Klassen - 08/02/2010 - 11:00pm -

Harbor Police Boat, July 1926 (colorized). View full size.
Great!Thanks for sharing your work.  You are very good at it.
(Member Gallery, Colorized Photos)

Titanic Tots: 1912
... another passenger, dressed his sons and took them to the boat deck. "My father entered our cabin where we were sleeping. He dressed me ... White Star ever awarded these orphans... Toy Boat Anyone find it a little macabre that the kid orphaned by a shipwreck is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2012 - 2:14pm -

April 22, 1912. New York. Lolo (Michel) and Edmond Navratil, survivors of the Titanic disaster whose father went down with the ship. View full size. Lolo, the last remaining male survivor of the Titanic, died in 2001. G.G. Bain Collection.
TitanicI was looking at these kids and wondered how much they could remember, I found this:
On the night of the sinking, Michel, Sr., helped by another passenger, dressed his sons and took them to the boat deck. "My father entered our cabin where we were sleeping. He dressed me very warmly and took me in his arms. A stranger did the same for my brother. When I think of it now, I am very moved. They knew they were going to die." Michel, Jr., recalled. The boys were put into collapsible D, the last lifeboat successfully launched from the ship. Michel Sr. went down with the ship.
TitanicCouldn't help but notice the toy being held by the boy on the right . . .
Toy...Jim Pence wrote: "Couldn't help but notice the toy being held by the boy on the right . . ."
Yeah, probably the only compensation White Star ever awarded these orphans...
Toy BoatAnyone find it a little macabre that the kid orphaned by a shipwreck is playing with a toy boat?
[At least it's not a scale-model iceberg. - Dave]
Titanic SurvivorWanted to pass this sad note along, "Barbara West Dainton, believed to be one of the last two survivors from the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, has died in England at age 96."
That would leave only Elizabeth Gladys "Millvina" Dean of Southampton, England, who was 2 months old at the time of the Titanic sinking, is now the disaster's only remaining survivor, according to the Titanic Historical Society.
I recently finished a photo/video on the sinking ... using much information from the Society .. it is definitely a must-visit website.
http://www.titanichistoricalsociety.org/
Also, the youtube piece I produced is located at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwUb0BEkECM
if you have chance .. take a look, would love to hear your comments.
Dale
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Fires, Floods etc., G.G. Bain, Kids)

Mary H. Miller: 1905
... [on the Yazoo River in Mississippi], was removed by a snag boat November 18-20, 1911. The cost of this work, $64.87, was reimbursed the ... the paddle wheel? Maybe it was the galley. Working boat! Its nice to see a typical working boat instead of a showboat. Although ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/29/2021 - 1:27pm -

Circa 1905. "A Mississippi River floating dry dock, Vicksburg." The sternwheeler Mary H. Miller. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size.
I wonder what...they dump out of the window right above the paddle wheel? Maybe it was the galley.
SnaggedThe 1912 annual report of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers records that "The wreck of the steamer 'Mary H. Miller' at lower end of Whites Bar, near Yazoo City [on the Yazoo River in Mississippi], was removed by a snag boat November 18-20, 1911. The cost of this work, $64.87, was reimbursed the United States by the owner of the wreck, under section 20 of the river and harbor act approved March 3, 1899." 
The hull repairs seen in this postcard photo could have been the result of an earlier snagging accident, or possibly the normal periodic maintenance needed to replace rotting hull planks. 
I wonder what...they dump out of the window right above the paddle wheel? Maybe it was the galley.
Working boat!Its nice to see a typical working boat instead of a showboat. Although perhaps the cook could have been a little more careful throwing out the slop.
Galley Hell!That's where the chamber pots were emptied.
Wash MeAfter a big night on the town, Mary would go back to her room, get the bed spins, and hurl out her window.
Dry DockIt looks like the boat is brought onto the platform while it is submerged, and then the pump or ratchet handles are worked manually to raise the platform and boat together. I guess they either have to insert those big saw-horses just before the platform makes contact with the hull, or are the saw-horses permanently attached to the platform? There is a sign on the right front piling encasement -- "Finnie Dry Dock Co." Anyone have an idea how the platform is lifted on the pilings? Are there gears or cogs? Is it a pulley/winch system? Come on Shorpy engineers.
I've seen modern versions of these lift systems with huge hydraulic lifts at the port in Long Beach.
Charlie NobleThe two ports do indeed serve the galley on this fine vessel.  You can tell by the "Charlie Noble" (galley smokestack to you lubbers) poking through the overhead. Charlie was a 19th-century British captain who insisted that the copper stack on his ship be brightly polished. He would be appalled by the sooty condition seen here, and the cook's helper would be in irons.
Floating Dry DockThe caption says "floating dry dock." There is no winch attached to the pilings; the large boxes are tanks that are filled with water to lower the dock and emptied to raise it. Pumping was all done by hand (see the hand pumps on top). You can see a pump inlet/outlet at the base of the tank.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Vicksburg)

SS France Boat Deck: 1963
This is a shot on the boat deck of the SS France that my dad took prior to our departure from Pier 88 ... 
 
Posted by nh-ep5 - 02/01/2013 - 9:07pm -

This is a shot on the boat deck of the SS France that my dad took prior to our departure from Pier 88 in New York. Some of the men are intrigue with the two ladies walking in their summer attire. I’m the little guy at the top of the stairs. Not sure what I’m doing with my hand around my eye, but I think I had a small toy telescope. Obviously it wasn’t pointed in the right direction. View full size.
The boy atop the stairsIt looks to me like you're playing with some sort of toy. There's a stick in your right hand, and if you look in front of your shorts there's a white object that seems to be suspended from your left hand. If there's a string going from the stick to your left hand and then down to the suspended object, I'm guessing that it's some sort of toy. Picture's pretty fuzzy when blown up, but are you wearing glasses?
Strange deviceI didn’t wear glasses back then. I started wearing those 44 years later. The photo is from a 35mm slide, so it is difficult to see some details. It could have been a toy gift given to children upon boarding the ship. 
(ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)

Banana Boat (Colorized): 1906
Colorized from this Shorpy original.This took a long time to colorize! My biggest project yet. View full size. Details! Details! Details Sometimes it is all in the details. I have to say that you are among the best on this site ... 
 
Posted by stennesrc - 05/15/2015 - 7:07pm -

Colorized from this Shorpy original.This took a long time to colorize! My biggest project yet. View full size.
Details! Details! DetailsSometimes it is all in the details. 
I have to say that you are among the best on this site.
Well done!
Bananas aren't shipped yellow...Yellow is more fun, but bananas are definitely shipped green, even back then.  I don't know if they were ripened with ethylene like they are today, but this bit from USDA.gov sounds interesting:
"The first use of natural ethylene in fruit ripening was described in the Bible. The prophet Amos was described as a "gasher and gatherer" of figs. Gashing figs was known to promote stress ethylene production mimicking the action of the wasps when they exit pollinated fruits, and this triggered ripening. Also in ancient times the Chinese placed weighted lids on growing bean sprouts to promote hypocotyl thickening and crispness (Abeles, 1992). Ethylene was used unknowingly to ripen bananas in both East Africa and Samoa by burying them in fire-warmed pits, thus using residual ethylene from the smoke of the fire as the ripening agent."
Colorized previouslyFor some reason I continued to Google NYC banana docks and came across this postcard.
Great jobThanks for your efforts on the colorizing of this picture. The bananas had to be yellow - wouldn't have been as interesting if they were green! 
(Colorized Photos)
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