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A Crowded Field: 1943
... 1943. "Pimlico racetrack near Baltimore, Maryland. Parked cars in spite of gas ration." Photo by Arthur Siegel, Office of War ... the Belmont Stakes. Quite a few Upper middle class cars - Packard, Lincoln, etc. There is a non-conformist Ford owner in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/22/2013 - 6:35pm -

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

Dupont Circle: 1905
... dating to 1905-1907, it is clear how very quickly motor cars overtook horse-drawn transport. Here there are no automobiles yet, so no ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/25/2024 - 2:08pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1905. "Dupont Circle at Connecticut and Massachusetts Avenues N.W. White building at left is Patterson House, 15 Dupont Circle." Not to mention all those pedestrians. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size.
Cast of CharactersClick twice to embiggen.

No Exhaust FumesSeeing old photos here dating to 1905-1907, it is clear how very quickly motor cars overtook horse-drawn transport. Here there are no automobiles yet, so no gasoline fumes, just the earthy smell of life, especially in the intersection.
The Patterson placeThis building with all the horses started as the Patterson Mansion. It was designed by Stanford White, and had just been completed a couple of years before this photo. The Patterson family only occasionally stayed there and often lent it out. President Calvin Coolidge lived there during White House renovations; Charles Lindbergh used it after his transatlantic flight. It also spent ~60 years as the Washington Club, before being converted to apartments in the 2010s.

SurprisedOne feature of note for me is that there are bars on all of the ground level windows. Something I guess I have allowed myself to not notice in my naive thinking that so far back times would have been more honest.
Ah ...... the earthly smell of life. So that's what that was. I thought it was low tide.
Level of detailI’m very impressed by the level of detail in the embiggened slice that Dave has provided.  Once I opened it, I embiggened even more and was further impressed by the facial detail in the old woman crossing the street (center) and the mother and daughter walking towards us (right).  Then I noticed the bricks, the leaves, the grass ... amazing.
135I walked a foot-beat here once in the late '70s. The cast of characters included One Armed Johnny and Bad Feet Sam. Fun times.
(The Gallery, D.C., DPC, Horses)

The Summer of '42
... the north still has old single dwelling homes, however Cars from this era Looking at older American cars from this era and even into the 50s and 60s reminds me that SUVs aren't ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 4:35pm -

Detroit, July 1942. "Looking down on a parking lot from the rear of the Fisher Building." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Arthur Siegel. View full size.
Deja View all over againIt looks like Deitrich Furs has replaced the billboards, and, if you enlarge the Deja Vu picture, you can virtually stroll down the street with the private dwellings and see that they are now condos. Looks like one block to the north still has old single dwelling homes, however
Cars from this eraLooking at older American cars from this era and even into the 50s and 60s reminds me that SUVs aren't really an aberration, they're more of a return to our roots!
Wartime Parking LotOiled gravel striped with chalk. I remember those.
HousesI know the cars are the point, in a way, but those huge old houses among the trees are a wonderful sight. I wonder how many are left? All the ones where I live have either been torn down or turned into apartments. Hard to believe those were single family dwellings. One would love to fly down and walk those streets under the shady trees.
Deja ViewPoint of reference: the square skylight. Click to zoom.

The Time, The Place And The CarsI suppose you can put the relative absence of older cars down to a couple of things. First this is a pretty major office building (headquarters of Fisher Body) so you'd expect that at least some of the people who work here to be above the norm in terms of affluence; that is more likely to buy newer cars. Then too this is three years after the start of World War II (although only a few months after the US got into the war). Even though, and maybe because, the United States wasn't at war until December 1941, the war in Europe had a big impact on companies like General Motors and its subsidiary Fisher Body. Increased wartime production meant greater competition for workers which meant higher wages which meant that more people were likely to consider a new car purchase than they might have been if the photo had been taken in say 1936. And who knows, maybe the fact that Fisher is a subsidiary of GM meant there'd be a discount available for employees. One things likely - you weren't going to see many Fords, Dodges or Hudsons in THAT parking lot!
[This was an office building financed by the Fisher family with proceeds from the sale of Fisher Body to GM. It was not a General Motors building, and not the headquarters of Fisher Body. - Dave]
How bored was heI am so bored that I count 181 cars in the parking lot and 10 among them that are not turret-topped/not whoosh-windowed/not round-rumped, aka pre-1936ish, so other than those 10, everything there is less than five or six years old. About the same as most parking lots that I park in today, well maybe not.  Definitely maybe, almost for sure.
Foy
Las Vegas
Trade-InsInteresting that already in 1942 we see few really old cars in this shot with so many cars captured in it.  I see about three or four obviously mid-'thirties cars, and only two possibly late-'twenties or very early-'thirties examples.
Thanks also for the current comparison shot, those are always interesting!
DiveI'm surprised to see the little dive bar in the back of the lot. Can anyone make out the name?
The Fisher Building is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever been in. Along with the Guardian Building and the Book-Cadillac Hotel, Detroit has such gems more people need to see!

Fisher BuildingI'm sitting at work on the seventh floor of the Fisher Building in Detroit at this very moment!
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Arthur Siegel, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos)

Here Come the Cars: 1940
... vehicles Definitely a 1939 GMC hauling the load of cars. In 1940 American auto makers went to sealed beam headlights in place of ... on the 7-Up truck body. Some classic vehicles. More cars Behind the '38 Ford is a '38 Oldsmobile, and beside it is a '39 Chevy. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/10/2012 - 3:46pm -

February 1940. "Auto transport passing through Eufaula, Oklahoma." Now playing at the Chief: "Hunchback of Notre Dame." 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
CarspottingAs best as I can tell:  That's a load of 1940 Pontiacs being hauled by a circa 1939 GMC.  They're passing a parked 1938 Ford Standard.  Immediately behind them is a 1940 Dodge.  The car behind the Dodge is a 1938 Ford Deluxe or a 1939 Ford Standard (hard to tell at this resolution).  
Can any other Shorpyite identify the other vehicles in this picture?  If my dad were still alive (WWII Navy vet--happy Veterans Day, Dad!), I'm sure he could.
Product PlacementAmid the traffic, the Coca-Cola sign and the Pontiacs there magically appears a 7-Up delivery truck.
OKNot a quad cab pickup truck visible on an Oklahoma town's main street? How delightful. Town's folk drove what was practical back then. 
You like it, it likes youAnd I like the 7-Up delivery truck heading down the street. 
Classic vehiclesDefinitely a 1939 GMC hauling the load of cars. In 1940 American auto makers went to sealed beam headlights in place of the old bulb style and GMC had to put the parking lights which had been mounted inside the headlight buckets out on the tops of the fenders.The sedan delivery immediately to the right of the rig looks like it could be a 1933 or 34 Ford and the panel coming out of the side street (with the name TEEL) is  a mid 30s Dodge humpback. I love the fender skirts on the 7-Up truck body. Some classic vehicles. 
More carsBehind the '38 Ford is a '38 Oldsmobile, and beside it is a '39 Chevy.
Surprised no one has commented on the remnants of a marching band in uniform in the background of a shot (note the Sousaphone!) Wonder what the occasion was.
The Eufaula bandRussell Lee's photographs from that day did include shots of a short parade, in which a marching band was followed by a few gentlemen giving rides to others in wheelbarrows.  The notes from the photos in the Library of Congress archives gave no clues of the occasion, but the local newspaper did.  According to the Feb. 15, 1940 Indian Journal (the official publication of the City of Eufaula, Oklahoma), the local Jaycees were planning a "Street Comedy Act," including a marching band, as the culmination of competition between two teams to increase the chapter's membership. The "comedy act" would involve having the losing team's members giving wheelbarrow rides to the winning team's members. 
How'd they do it?How'd they get the car over the transport cab up there?
[I'm guessing a ramp. - tterrace]
Probable loading sequenceThe car over the truck cab was loaded first, using the ramps to bridge the gap between the top of the rear ramp and the truck cab. The middle car was loaded next and the car in the back was loaded last. It took a lot of shifting of the ramps around. I wonder how many cars were damaged during loading and unloading in those days
One moreI believe there is one more new car inside the trailer underneath the top rear car. It has a cover over it to protect it from debris kicked up by the tires of the truck.
Dad's hangoutMy father was about 8 years old and living in Tulsa when this photo was taken. His Aunt Bea (and other relatives) where of Creek heritage and lived in Eufaula at the time. From time to time, he would get to go to Eufaula and visit her for a weekend, or maybe spend a couple of weeks during the summer down there with her. He always spoke fondly of these trips and had a special place in his heart for his aunt. Many of our Creek relatives are buried at the cemetery there near the main highway.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Movies, Russell Lee)

Leave It to Beaver: 1958
... all about how my grandmother's poodles enjoyed riding in cars (or some equally stupid text about my grandmother...the exact words escape ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/15/2018 - 7:10pm -

I was watching an episode from the second season (1958-59) of "Leave It to Beaver" tonight when I got to the part where Ward reads a note from Beaver's principal, Mrs. Rayburn. If you freeze-frame the note it says:

Mr. Ward Cleaver
485 Mapleton Drive
Mayfield, State
My Dear Mr. Cleaver:
This paragraph has absolutely nothing to do with anything.
It is here merely to fill up space. Still, it is words,
rather than repeated letters, since the latter might not
give the proper appearance, namely, that of an actual note.
For that matter, all of this is nonsense, and the only
part of this that is to be read is the last paragraph,
which part is the inspired creation of the producers of
this very fine series.
Another paragraph of stuff. Now is the time for all good
men to come to the aid of their party. The quick brown
fox jumps over the lazy dog. My typing is lousy, but the
typewriter isn’t so hot either. After all, why should I
take the blame for these mechanical imperfections, with
which all of us must contend. Lew Burdette just hit a
home run and Milwaukee leads seven to one in the series.
This is the last line of the filler material of the note.
No, my mistake, that was only the next to last. This is last.
I hope you can find a suitable explanation for Theodore’s
unusual conduct.
Yours truly,
Cornelia Rayburn

To judge by the contents (here's the last line, whoops, no, HERE's the last line) whoever did this folded the note first, to mark the middle third of the paper, then put it in the typewriter, started the body of the letter at the first crease and banged away until he had enough to fill out the middle section.
The Lew Burdette reference would put the date at October 2, 1958 — Game 2 of the World Series between the Braves and the Yankees, and a month before this episode ("Her Idol") aired. I see where this has been referenced elsewhere on the Web but as far as I can tell no one has transcribed the entire letter. Until now!
We now return to our regularly scheduled program. [Postscript: The Jim Letter]

Leave It To Beaver, 1958BEAUTIFUL!! :)
Thanks for the update.
We used to get this show Down Here (Oz) and I can remember watching every episode if possible.
Crikey...that gives my age away!
BK
Canberra
Australia
LITB on DVDSeason 1 and Season 2 are available on DVD from Amazon.
beaver lettertoo funny!!!!!!!!!
Ahh...that's awesome. ThanksAhh...that's awesome. Thanks for posting this!
I love it.That's FANTASTIC. 
Awesome!Back in the 50's they never dreamed anyone would be able to freeze frame on the TV picture.  How funny would it have been had the writer typed something REALLY embarrassing!
Great post!!Great post!!
Fan-freakin- tastic!!This is just too cool for mere words. Nonetheless, words must suffice. Excellent!!
Marvelous!I wish every movie had stuff like that for us to find.
21 inch B&W TV set.That's what you had if you really splurged on a TV for the living room in those days.  No sense buying a color TV, since for the $700 (and up) one of those cost, you got to watch maybe one show a week in color - a variety show "special" with Fred Astaire perhaps.  Anyway, you couldn't possibly read the letter from a 525-line video, no matter how big your TV was.  Film, maybe, but not video.
[I don't know about that. I'm the one who deciphered the letter and created this post, and I used a 10-year-old, 27-inch, 525-line low-definition Sony. The main obstacle to  being able to read it in 1958 would have been that it was onscreen for just a few seconds. - Dave]
Timely...Canadian viewers who get SunTV will be able to catch that episode this Friday (May 4th) at 12:30 pm...
Re: awesome!Don't you know? Back inthe fifties people didn't HAVE embarrassing thoughts that could spill out onto the printed page! Sheesh. Get with the program.
So, did a writer on the show type this up, ordid he hand it off to a secretary for her to type?
This comment has absolutely nothing to do with anythingit's just here to take up space.  I'd use this space to root for my favourite hockey team and thus forever determine the exact time this comment was written but I can't get excited about any of them.
I would guessI would guess the tomfoolery is the prop master's work, and he probably made the prop the day before, or earlier in the day, so it's more likely the actual day of shooting was October 3rd.
["The date" means the date the note was typed. My hunch is that the show's producers, Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, are behind it. They slipped written references to themselves into a number of other episodes. - Dave]
That's tamer than most propThat's tamer than most prop letters I've seen.  In the last play I worked on the prop master ranted for 3 pages about the playwright, added sexual escapades in the characters backstory and other in-jokes.  Thank god the audience is 40 feet away and there's no freeze-frame in live theatre!
wardi can't wait to get the second season. it's a great show. that is one hell of a letter. obviously Mrs. Rayburn is either on a nice dose of pharm's or desperately needs one.
awesome.
Rodine,
NYC
BK Canberra. crikey?For anyone reading BK's reply above, as another resident of australia, let me just assure you that nobody here actually uses the word "crikey". That would be like an american going around saying "dandy", "swell" or even that old chestnut, "geewilllickers". The crocodile hunter only ever used the word "crikey" when teasing an animal or selling something. 
Thanks, 
Dan,
Sydney. 
Prop funIn a high school production of the musical Cinderella, the scroll that's supposed to contain all the names of His Royal Highness Christopher Rupert Windemere Vladimir (and so on) was covered by our props department with just one line, in big bold letters: "DON'T SCREW UP".
I use the word Crikey on occasionAnd have been known to utter the odd 'by jingoes', 'cobber' or, my personal favourite, 'strewth'.
Anyone who doesn't occasionally enjoy such words (especially when overseas) is quite simply un-Australian mate :)
Mark,
Sydney.
PS: Good work on the leave it to Beaver letter - I love this stuff!
LITBGolly geewillikers that was swell.  The absolute bees knees.  Just dandy.  thanks.
Egads......So, where's the text for the second page, which contains the *real* "Roswell Press Release"? :)
That is so awesome!  HowThat is so awesome!  How freaking cool...I got chills reading it, because I'm sure that guy never thought anyone would ever read that letter.  
Sarah
Too much like real lifeReading this, I am suddenly transported back 25 years to my American History class in 10th grade. I was supposed to be writing an essay about American gangsters of the early 20th century, and for some reason I became convinced that my teacher would never read everyone's paper every single time. So being the incredibly wise-ass young man that we all are at 16, I dropped in three or four lines, beginning mid-sentence in a paragraph about Al Capone's bootleg whiskey empire, all about how my grandmother's poodles enjoyed riding in cars (or some equally stupid text about my grandmother...the exact words escape me now), and then went on to say that I know that he (my teacher) would never read everyone's paper and that he would never know these lines were buried in my own paper.  I then went on to finish the rest of the paper normally, and handed it in with a smile on my face. 
The day after I turned in the paper, the teacher stood in front of the whole class and read my paper out loud. Had there been a way to drop through the floor at that time...I'd have taken it. 25 years later, I can STILL feel my face get red, just thinking about it!
I can commiserate with the author of Beaver's letter...
"the typewriter isn't so hot""My typing is lousy, but the typewriter isn’t so hot either"
why do I have this sense that in 1958 people weren't saying "the typewriter isn't so hot"
[I don't know. Why do you? - Dave]
bravo"After all, why should I take the blame for these mechanical imperfections, with which all of us must contend."
GLORIOUS.
greek to meLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Vivamus risus risus, ultrices vel, mollis vel, faucibus sagittis, diam. Nunc dignissim odio in est. In mattis condimentum erat. Nunc ac nunc. Vivamus eget elit. Aliquam pellentesque. Aliquam dignissim tellus vitae tortor. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos hymenaeos. Nam tincidunt pulvinar urna. 
Quisque sed risus. Sed tempus, elit ut tempus iaculis, purus sapien vulputate leo, quis commodo pede magna vel turpis. Cras ac pede. Suspendisse tincidunt, nunc vel ultrices adipiscing, lacus augue bibendum magna, sit amet scelerisque felis nulla eu lectus. Sed sit amet elit. Pellentesque id dui. 
Pellentesque vel justo. Quisque sit amet mi quis tellus rhoncus blandit. Maecenas arcu. Aliquam ipsum. 
[More like "Latin to me" - Dave]
letter to mr. cleaver  I thought it would read:
    "Gee, Ward. Don't you think you were a little hard on the Beaver last night?"
Not a typical American, but...I say "swell" all the time. "Keen" and "Dandy", too.
Lew Burdette's World Series HomerDid come in the bottom of the first inning on October 2, 1958. The Braves had already won the opening game the previous day, also in Milwaukee. The bottom of the first inning, after the Yankees got a 1-0 lead in their first  at bat, began when Bill Bruton hit a 2-2 pitch for a home run to tie the game. The Braves went on to win the second game and then the Yankees won the third. After the Braves also won the fourth game, The Yankees won three in a row to win the series. This had only happened once before in 1925 when the Washington Senators came back with three straight wins after being down 3-1 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ten years later in 1968, the Detroit Tigers came back to win the final three games after being down 3-1 to win the 1968 World Series.
Donald F Nelson
LITB rocksexcellent "leave it to beaver" rocks!! ward rules! june was hot and i dont mean the month.
Common PracticeHaving been a Property Master in the television business for  quite a few years, I can assure you that this is extremely common.  The text could be the actor's lines if they have a tough scene and the prop guy likes them.  Sometimes it is jokes designed to crack the actor up during the first take.  Other times it is exactly this kind of stream-of-consciousness rambling serving no greater purpose than filling up the page.  My specialty was always the fine print on package labels.  The warning on the beer labels in the first "American Pie" movie said that beer could cause pregnancy, cause you to act like an idiot, or just plain F- you up.
Re: greek to me"Lorem ipsum" etc. is Latin not Greek.
Quasi-LatinSee:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorem_ipsum
Cheers!
Have you everHave you ever noticed the newspapers Ward reads during this series? There is usually some reference to a MURDER or some other catastrophe. Highly unusual for Mayfield.
And I thought we were obsessed with Beaver at The First Leave It To Beaver WebSite
Stop by and learn about The Complete Unofficial Leave It To Beaver Trivia Encyclopedia
 Marcus Tee
Speaking of Ward's newspapers...... do they ever include my two favorite column headlines:
New Petitions Against Tax
Building Code Under Fire
After watching nearly 200 old films (courtesy of Mystery Science Theater 3000), these seem to be the two most common newspaper prop filler headlines in films of the '40s and '50s. I wonder if they found their way into '50s and '60s television, too.
I adore thisSo far, this is the highlight of my day. Thanks for transcribing this! 
Love the BeavI love this show. So many great quotes: 
"Gee Dad, I wouldn't mind telling the truth if so much hollering didn't go along with it."
But who knew there were Leave it to Beaver easter eggs? This post made my day.
Re: "crikey"@Dan Re: "crikey"
That was helpful. I've always wondered when Steve Irwin said that why no one from our Australian offices used the term.  You confirmed what I thought. 
Thanks
Lorem Ipsum to BeaverThat is just so much better than the placeholder text one typically sees.
Are there jobs out there for lorem ipsum writers?  Craigslist has not a one.
Excellent post.  Thanks.
the sobsister
http://www.thesobsister.com
Building Code Under FireI think I've seen "Building Code Under Fire," & maybe the other headline as well in episodes of Perry Mason. Obviously some prop house printed a zillion front page mock-ups that were used forever. And often the program-specific headlines are in a completely different font than the rest of the mock-op.
I also dig when a prop magazine is on glossy paper so it will look real, but the glossy stock it's printed on is so heavy it barely moves, let alone looks real.
M. Bouffant
Great!I think that is so very cool! 
interesting interchange!i enjoyed reading this very much. i'm in a library in orlando, florida.
Very funny and entertaining!Very funny and entertaining!  Gotta love all those old B&W shows!!!
It's a pretty common practice.I've read some interesting freeze frames in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Roswell, also.
oh?Can you post some BtVS freezeframes you find of interest?
That's what I'm alwaysThat's what I'm always scared of! too funny!!!
It's like the whole RoswellIt's like the whole Roswell Memo, but more important.
Written on 10/2/58I don't know why but I decided to do some research on the date this letter may have been written and I'm pretty sure it's Thursday October 2nd 1958. I tried to go further and find the time of day but I can only estimate late afternoon pacific time (assuming it was written in LA). The Lew Burdette sentence references the first inning of game 2 in the 1958 World Series between the Milwaukee Braves and New York Yankees. Milwaukee went on to win the game 13 to 5 but the Yankees won the series.
Re: Written 10/2/58Another clue would be the caption under the letter that says it was written during Game 2 of the World Series on Oct. 2, 1958!
Thanks for posting this!It's too, too wonderful.  Thank ghod there are people like you in the world who pay attention to details.
my quiz for allHi all!
You are The Best!!!
G'night 
have you everI have noticed that, even in Mayfield. That was for Ward not the kids, the show was done from a childs view.
Marcus your web site is really great, and the encylopedia with its "map" is a lot of fun.
Nice running into you on this site.
OMGIf you read the letter upside down and backwards, it says that Space Aliens are going to attack the world on May 09, 2007. 
HEY, THAT'S TOMORROW! RUN & HIDE!
Old school Formatting   Well, I tried the paper trick (folding it in thirds and starting the body of the letter at the crease) and now my printer is broken and the red light is flashing. Now what?
Burdette "hit a homerun"?That's very odd, given that he was not a batter, but was instead famously known as the Braves' MVP pitcher, who won three games in the World Series of 1957!
[It's kind of hard to pitch when your team is at bat. Lew hit a three-run homer. - Dave]
Lew Burdette's homerunLew's three-run homer came in the first inning of Game 2.
Leave it to Beaver, 1958Great photo from the archives. I was only 3 years old at the time. I'm sure that I saw it a few years later. Loved the baseball reference. Keep up the good work.  rcisco
Cisco Photo
Carmel, IN
Now you've done it.I always wondered what was written on prop letters, but never did anything to find out.  Now I know how, and every movie I watch on DVD gets freeze frame and zoom.
Last night it was My Fair Lady and while Eliza is working on her 'H's, just over 1 hour into the film...well, you ought to check it out.
My family hates you.
Letters shown on cameraSo I guess Ward didn't read this one out loud as others were read out loud. Wally reading the letter from the Continental Modeling Agency and the letter from the Merchant Marines. Also they don't show the letter from Marathon Records but Beav read it out loud as does Ward reading the letter from Mason Acme Products.
Scrabby
Newspapers on LITBDid you notice how many different newspapers are shown on the show. I had to freeze frame to find them all. 
Mayfield Times
Mayfield Dispatcher
Press Herald
Courier Sun
Mayfield News  anymore?
Scrabby
Newspapers on LITBYou should talk to Marcus Tee at his web site (its posted a few comments down) he is the expert
The Beaver LetterWard did read it out loud - the crucial last paragraph.
Soapy SudsNotice how one magazine Ward is reading always has a Soapy Suds ad on the back. 
Lou, The Braves and the Beav...As a Milwaukee kid (then not quite five years old), I got a special kick out of seeing this. Oct. 2, 1958 was my big sister's 15th birthday.  At that age she was a HUGE Braves fan-- found and mailed the team  four-leaf clovers, etc.  So (the '58 Series outcome notwithstanding) a Braves victory and a three-run shot by Burdette was probably a birthday present for her.
A better letterHow fun! 100 years from now it'll be easier to find your transcription than to watch the entire episode. Perhaps the episode will have been made famous to future generations because they're hoping to catch a quick view of the Famous Letter. Full circle ironics and all that.
P.L. Frederick
Small and Big
The LetterThis is the greatest letter I have ever read.  Thank you.
Other Letters on LITBWonder if the other letters that are sent to the Cleavers are written like this one. For instance the letter Beaver gets from the Continental Modeling Company which we only see the address or the letter from the Merchant Marines.   Sometimes they don't even show the letter like the one from Mason Acme Co or Marathon Record Company.
Lew  BurdetteI remember Lew pitching. He had a routine: Adjust hat, lick fingertips, wipe on chest! I later copied the move when I pitched in Little League!
BeaverI remember when Beav was playing with a set of trains over at Mary Ellen Rodgers's house. The were marked for the JC & BM railroad. Quite a nice layout, wonder who got to keep it.
[Right. JC & BM were Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, the series creators. - Dave]
Currently #1 on RedditThe Beaver Letter has been the No. 1 post on Reddit since around midnight. Check out the comments.
Modern speakWow, they used correct English in that letter.  If that letter were typed today it would read:
Mr. Ward Cleaver
485 Mapleton Drive
Mayfield, State
My Dear Mr. Cleaver:
tl:dr GTFO. LOL, ur son iz dum. k thx
I admit it!I went out with Loren Ipsum in high school and we fooled around behind the stage.
Second base only!
Those 1960s BirthdaysEveryone here looks terrified. My 7th Birthday Party in La Puente, California.
Home Addressshame on that staff writer. If he had only payed paid attention to the opening theme he would know there was a clear shot of front door showing the house number as "211".
But .. specifically:  211 Pine Street, Mayfield, Ohio
[The Cleavers lived in two houses. The first was on Mapleton, the second on Pine. And as for Ohio, Mayfield was famously stateless. - Dave]
Leave it to Beaver - the Skokie ConnectionHere is an update on Leave it to Beaver including vintage stock footage of Skokie, Illinois.  I also very proudly deciphered the Beaver letter featured here, only to find Shorpy beat me to it by several years.  As you'll see, I give full credit where it is due.
http://silentlocations.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/leave-it-to-skokie-and-b...
(Bizarre, Curiosities, Kids, TV)

The North Yard: 1942
... and retarders used to direct and control the speed of cars that have been shoved over the top of the hump and roll by gravity to ... and retarder operators (in their small towers) slow the cars by squeezing their wheels so that they roll their intended distance before ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/11/2024 - 1:36pm -

November 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. General view of the north classification yard at an Illinois Central railyard." Acetate negative by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size.
All downhill from hereThis image shows the many power switches and retarders used to direct and control the speed of cars that have been shoved over the top of the hump and roll by gravity to their intended classification tracks.  The hump yardmaster (located behind the photographer) arranges the switches and retarder operators (in their small towers) slow the cars by squeezing their wheels so that they roll their intended distance before coupling up to cars already in the track.  Wind, different car weights and number of cars already in the track require a lot of judgment to prevent a car from "stalling" before reaching its intended destination or rolling too fast and slamming into a standing car.
I count 13 guysThe north classification yard is not as abandoned as first appears.  There are two men in the center foreground, huddled over working on something together.  Then, straight up from them and a little to the right, is a man walking the tracks.  Beyond him, where the railroad cars are, I count 10 men walking (I'm pretty sure they're all men).
I hoped to see one of the control (switch?) towers occupied, but no.
(The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Landscapes, Railroads)

Jackson Park: 1907
... to the ground on March 31, 1925. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, DPC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/19/2024 - 4:39pm -

Chicago circa 1907. "Lake Shore Drive, Jackson Park." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Surprisingly unchanged +105Google gives us nearly the exact same view. I can almost see the ghosts of the girls walking there:

The land now in the background across the water is Promontory Point, a man-made peninsula opened in 1937.
German BuildingThe picturesque building rising behind the stand of trees is the German Building, built for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. This is one of the few survivors of that spectacular world's fair, which covered the whole of Jackson Park and spilled over into the nearby Midway (a block wide swath of real estate between 59th and 60th Streets, then as now connecting Jackson Park with Washington Park). The German Building faced the shore of Lake Michigan, not far from the Fair's Fine Arts Building (later rebuilt as the present-day Museum of Science and Industry). Different accounts hold that it was converted into a beach house and a museum of some sort after the Fair ended. In the wave of anti-German sentiment that accompanied World War I, it was renamed the "Liberty Building" (just as sauerkraut was renamed "liberty cabbage," I guess); the structure met an untimely end when it burned to the ground on March 31, 1925.  
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, DPC)

Miracle Ham: 1941
... Administration. View full size. Pretty New Cars Facing us far left is a 1940 Mercury (first year); closer behind the ... work is why. That's a radio repair shop. - Dave] Cars The coupe in front of the '37-'38 Buick is a '37 or '38 Chevy and the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/25/2018 - 10:29am -

April 1941. "South Side Chicago, 47th Street (Bronzeville)." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Pretty New CarsFacing us far left is a 1940 Mercury (first year); closer behind the truck is '40 Chevrolet; at the curb on the opposite side is a '39 Ford Tudor behind a '37 or '38 Buick; farther down that side ahead of the coupe at an angle is another '39 Ford.
Always surprises me how often the '38, '39, '40 Fords show up in these pics.
Spiritual Parochial school luncheonA Miracle Ham sandwich with Miracle Whip on Wonder Bread and for dessert, Heavenly Hash with Angelfood cake.  Of course, if it is on a Friday, the sandwich would be Holy Mackerel.  (no meat on Fridays for Catholics in 1941) and don't forget to say Grace before your meal. 
47th St & Indiana AveIn the novel "Native Son," this corner was the location of Ernie's Kitchen Shack, where Bigger takes Mary and Jan, who want to see an authentic place "where colored people eat".
The book (released in the spring of 1940) revolves around the neighborhood where Russell Lee was photographing in 1941.
If we continue walking towards the L, we will find the shoeshine we met a while ago on Shorpy.
Miracle on 47th StreetI wonder what is "Miracle" about the ham.
That it was pre-cooked?
Inspector Of Radios?The sign in the lower left has aroused my curiosity - RADIOS INSPECTED FREE.
I was born in 1943 and I have never before seen such a sign.
Why, in 1941, would a radio have a need to become inspected?
[It's broken and doesn't work is why. That's a radio repair shop. - Dave]
CarsThe coupe in front of the '37-'38 Buick is a '37 or '38 Chevy and the Mercury on the far left is a 1939, the first year for the marque.
Shiny Nash?I believe the very shiny car, either new or freshly waxed, parked at the curb facing the camera in the bottom of the frame is a 1939 Nash sedan. The squared-off headlights seemed to be a trend for a couple of car manufacturers that year.
I am struck by how much the scene resembles the area in the movie "The Sting" where Robert Redford's character Johnny Hooker rented a room, right down to the lunch counter on the corner. 
Not much left of this viewYou can see 119 on a sign across 47th, and the street crossing appears to be Indiana (better seen on the LOC image), today the view on E 47th looking east toward South Indiana looks like this:

In both viewsIn the modern street view, the old building a block away just to the left of the light pole can be seen - just the top of it - in the old view, but it is quite apparently the same building still there. Amazing how much is gone from the new view - I wonder when it was torn down.
Old buildingsThough extensively changed, the row of stores across the street (where is now a vacant lot) was still there until at least 2014; the Packing Town Market building with its entry columns is still identifiable from them.
Also on Shorpy ...The photo was taken from the roof above William Green's Electrical Appliances shop as seen at Mr. Radio: 1942 and Tommy Dorsey: 1942.
(The Gallery, Chicago, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)

Mass Transit: 1910
... arena. Breezy I would think that those open-sided cars get a little breezy. Then and Now The tracks are gone and the Long ... it for everyone to see. Love the open-sided subway cars! Can we assume these cars ran aboveground at all times? You couldn't go ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/14/2020 - 1:25pm -

        A better-quality version of an image first posted here in 2008.
Brooklyn, N.Y., circa 1910. "Atlantic Avenue subway entrance." Plus an elevated railway and streetcar tracks. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
Rock and FultonLooks like the poster for the Brighton Beach Music Hall (which later became a Yiddish theater) is advertising William Rock and Maude Fulton. They were apparently heading the bill written about here in the Aug. 7, 1910, New York Times.
Still StandingThe subway entrance in the foreground is still there. The elevated and the railroad terminal building are not. The Atlantic Avenue-Pacific Street subway station is home to (If I remember correctly) nine subway lines.  The LIRR still has its terminus at Flatbush Avenue.  Because of the great mass transit, this is the site where the NJ Nets are building their new arena.
The surface traffic is horrendous now.  That's why the neighborhood is pretty much against building the arena.
BreezyI would think that those open-sided cars get a little breezy.
Then and NowThe tracks are gone and the Long Island RR Building in the back was transformed into a mall. The small building on the Island that says "Atlantic Avenue" is still there. My son lives around the corner. I'll take a picture and post it for everyone to see.
Love the open-sided subway cars!Can we assume these cars ran aboveground at all times? You couldn't go underground in these cars. Or you could.....but you'd need hosing down at the end of the ride.
NYC TransitI used to ride these cars as a kid. The transportation system in NYC was so far superior before 1940, at a nickel a pop for over 40 years, that people today cannot even imagine how easily, safely, and pleasantly it was back then.
To El and BackJune 1, 1940, was when the City of New York took over the trolleys, elevated railways and subways of the BMT and began the abandonments. The Fifth Avenue El, the Fulton Street El, Fulton Street trolleys, Gates Avenue trolleys and Putnam Halsey cars ran their last on May 30. Both Els were torn down the summer of 1941.
Atlantic AvenueThe subway entrance is still there, but it's no longer in use as such. The MTA renovated it when it expanded and refurbished the Atlantic Avenue subway station, but because the entrance is on a traffic island in the middle of a very busy intersection, you can no longer use it to enter the station. Instead, it now serves as a skylight for the underground station.
There's a spot in the station where you can stand about 20 or 30 feet underneath the old station house, look up, and see it directly above you, hollowed out and streaming light into the station. If I still lived in Brooklyn, I'd get a photo.
You can see it here, photographed from Flatbush Avenue:
View Larger Map
The mall that 9:26 AT refers to you would be behind you in this shot. I tried to get a Google Map image from the vantage point of the 1910 photo, but a large truck was between the Google Map camera and the old station entrance. I believe the 1910 image was photographed from roughly where the PC Richard currently stands.
There's a much better view of the current state of the old entrance here, in a photo from April of this year: http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?82823
You can also see it, boarded over and in disrepair, in this 1997 photo: http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?426
Finally, the New York Times has a good article from 2003 about the renovation of the Atlantic Avenue station, including a couple of paragraphs about the old station house. I used the station daily during the renovation, and the work they did was remarkable.
Ashcan schoolThe Ashcan school of artists was known for painting New York street scenes similar to this.  John Sloan's famous and, in this writer's opinion, beautiful painting, Six O'Clock, Winter, painted in 1912, may have been painted at this station or a similar one in the city.

Open platform El carsAfter the Malbone Street wreck in 1918, wooden cars were banned from the subways. Open-platform wooden cars continued to be used on the Els in Brooklyn until 1958, when the last of the "BU" El cars ran on Myrtle Avenue. The IRT ran wood open platform El cars in Manhattan and the Bronx until the early 1950s. In 1938 the "Q" class El cars had steel ends added to enclose the open platforms of 1903 wood El cars; they were used on the Flushing line for the 1939 World's Fair. After that the "Q" cars ran on the Third Avenue El in Manhattan and the Bronx before finishing out their days on Myrtle Avenue in 1969. Open platform El cars were typical of rapid transit from the 1870s through the mid teens. They were labor intensive, with a conductor needed between every two cars. 
A nicer timeI live not far from here, and this photo is so much nicer than what it is today -- a mall with trash and insane traffic. Makes me wish I was there back in 1910. 
Polka dots and moonbeamsI'd love to make the acquaintance of the lovely lady in polka dots. And, check out the lady's amazing hat!
Fashion ForwardThe lovely lady in the polka dot dress must just have gotten back from Paris, as she is wearing the latest Paul Poiret inspired hobble skirt/pagoda tunic, with a Japanese- bridal style hat.  All of the other ladies in the photo, with full flared skirts, blousson bodices, and huge, but very lightweight picture hats will be following her style by next Spring, at the latest. 
Famous time travelers caught on glass   Now it can be told:  many celebrities were also, in fact, secret travelers through time.  Although I am not at liberty to disclose their methods, I am permitted to point out a few well known faces.
   On the far left, we see W.C. Fields, wearing false whiskers, attempting to look casual.  Moving right, we see a stylish Brian Donlevy striking a pose as he boldly looks directly at the camera.  Just behind the policeman on the right is a young Gary Cooper, who is not quite as tall as he would be later in life.  The young lady in the au courant outfit is lovely Laura La Plante.  And now we come to the true master of time travel, Charles Durning, who is both the policeman on the right *and* the man in the white hat, on the other side of the pole, with his back to his policeman self.
Take the "A" train.Unlike the other els mentioned, the Fulton Street el (in the picture) had been replaced by a subway before being torn down. Through service to Manhattan at last. 
Yes, the "A" train. 
"Circa 1910" indeedThere's no "circa" about it given that the "3 Eagles" newsstand is displaying the Aug 6, 1910, issues of The Saturday Evening Post .
My old stomping groundsBefore my transfer to Garden City.  View of the same location October 2018.  By the way the Brooklyn Daily Eagle is archived for free online access: https://bklyn.newspapers.com/

About the policemen's hatsAccording to the Internet (so it must be true), the New York City police wore "custodian helmets," grey for summer and blue for winter, from 1880 to 1912. 
(The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads, Streetcars)

Expert Truss Fitting: 1900
... home of an American standard in every kitchen: Jell-O! Cars? Sign says "cars leave every 15 minutes"...I don't see any cars, it's 1900 (or so) What do ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 12:35pm -

"Main Street, Buffalo, N.Y., circa 1900." The merchants of Buffalo, aside from making that fine city a haven for the herniated, also offered a wide range of "deformity appliances." Detroit Publishing Co. glass negative. View full size.
Fireproof indeed!The fireproof tiles on the roof of the Iroquois were a big selling point after the horrific fire that destroyed the Richmond Hotel, which stood on the same site until 1887.
Mirror Writing?The reverse lettering above the motorman's head looks like the back of a glass sign that says SMOKING ENTRANCE REAR SEATS ONLY, whatever that means exactly.
[The signs says "Smoking on three rear seats only." - Dave]
Safe CityThat is one safety-conscious city. Note the pedestrian catcher mounted on the front of the trolley.
Niagara Falls!!!!Niagara Falls!
"Slowly I turned...step by step...inch by inch..."
From the Three Stooges short "Gents Without Cents"
Oh MyWhat a picture. This is definitely a  downtown scene. I am curious about the rides to Lockport, Lewiston and Queenston. Are they  entrance cities to Canada? Perhaps they are tourist destinations like Niagara Falls. This photo will take a while to gather it all and to understand Buffalo as a major U.S. city at the time.
[Those cities were excursion destinations. - Dave]
Shuffle off to Buffalo...So much detail to take in.
Wonder what a "Deformity Appliance" is.
[I am thinking something along the lines of a super-dangerous cake mixer. - Dave]
Bustling BuffaloNothing is more depressing than seeing the once-bustling major city that is now Buffalo. Interesting that the streetcar was the main mode of public transportation, and yet the newer "metro" line (consisting of one short rail from HSBC to the University of Buffalo) has contributed to the death of downtown.
Martha!And "I Love Lucy."
Your neighbor the sign painterBesides the five (or six or seven) signs of his own, Mr. Scott seems to have painted all the other signs on that building. I wonder if he traded signs for trolly rides, cigars, or deformity appliances.
Trolleys Then and NowThe open-seat single-truck trolleys seen in this picture (with smoking allowed in the three rear seats only) have long been absent from the City of Buffalo.  The line is now the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority's Buffalo Metro Rail light rail line.  Interesting that the tracks on Main Street have survived, while those on Church Street, and all of the surrounding buildings, including the Iroquois Hotel, have all vanished.
View Larger Map 
No heritage hereSo, is this was were the Main Street Mall now resides?  Seems all these blocks were demolished.  The Iroquois Hotel was torn down in 1940.
The Perfect VignetteWhat a great photo!  The "Signs" signs, the omnipresent hats, the fancy streetlight.  I love the advertisement for the "tobacconist"--that would make a catchy little business card, I think.  Some people are dentists, some are salespeople, and then there are the tobacconists.  And I wonder what got thrown into the wires crossing the street?
I also love the trolleys in the picture--somehow, my daily bus ride doesn't seem quite as cool as this. One question. What is the net in front for? I would guess it's for luggage or large packages? 
[The net would be for inattentive or careless pedestrians. - Dave]
LockportLockport was and is a neat little city in NW central New York State where canal boats travel down a series of locks.  It's fun to watch.  The city is also the home of an American standard in every kitchen: Jell-O!
Cars?Sign says "cars leave every 15 minutes"...I don't see any cars, it's 1900 (or so) What do they mean by "cars"?
[Streetcars. - Dave]
The GlobeSure would like to be able to see more detail on that globe painted on the left side - looks like the continents have been anthropomorphized into pinup gals.

BuffaloCool! I stayed a night in Buffalo early last month. Had it still been standing, I would have chosen the Iroquois over the Holiday Inn for sure. Looks like a fun city, but you've never seen anything more depressing than Niagara Falls (the town) in winter.
You Are HereIn response to the many requests seen in comments for a time machine: here you are. Absolutely fantastic picture. 
Pan-American ExpoThat's the logo for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, held in Buffalo -- where President McKinley was shot and later died.
Trolly carsThey mean Trolly cars.
[Or maybe trolley cars. ("Cars" = streetcars.) - Dave]
Look out above!The top three floors of the Iroquois were "superadded" for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. In 1923, owner Ellsworth Statler opened another hotel, and the Iroquois became the Gerrans Office Building. The building with the tower was transformed into one of the earliest movie theaters, the Strand.
Steve Miller
Someplace near the crossroads of America
Leroy not LockportLeroy is the home of Jell-O, not Lockport! Visit the jello museum in Leroy to learn more about the product invented by a man named Pearl.
CSI: BuffaloNice Cigar Store Indian on the right.

Oh that logo
The Pan-American Exposition Company chose Raphael Beck's design from over 400 entries, awarded him $100.  They copyrighted it as the official logo in 1899.  At first the design was to be used only for "dignified purposes," but due to its popularity, the decision was made to license its use.  The logo was soon available on souvenirs of every conceivable description and was plastered on "everything that didn't move and some things that did."  Some unscrupulous vendors ignored the licensing process and sold unofficial souvenirs with the logo.  Here is a plate and a watch souvenir (both official):


Beck made sketches of President McKinley when the president toured the fair and made a speech there.  After McKinley died Beck completed the painting titled "President McKinley Delivering His Last Great Speech at the Pan-American Exposition, Sept. 5, 1901."
Beck went on to design the logo for the 1905 Portland, Oregon Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition.  His father Augustus—who designed the bas relief at the base of the Washington Monument—named his son after the famous painter Raphael.
+122Below is the same view from September of 2022.
(The Gallery, Buffalo NY, DPC, Streetcars)

The Case of the Battered Buick
... the News Archive. View full size. Three Police Cars With the antenna mounted on the Chevy across the street from the Ford ... some skid marks, I would think. re: Three Police Cars Mounting a whip antenna on an unmarked car would somewhat defeat the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/06/2015 - 11:37am -

Oakland, Calif., circa 1958, and yet another fender-bender. Let's move along, folks. Nothing to see here! 4x5 acetate negative from the News Archive. View full size.
Three Police CarsWith the antenna mounted on the Chevy across the street from the Ford cruiser I believe it's an unmarked car. Looks like something Dan Mathews would drive when he wanted to be inconspicuous. 
Jethro's TruckWith Jethro's truck parked right in front of the barely adequate stop sign, it is no wonder there are so many Buick and Oldsmobile  casualties in Oakland. I'm beginning to wonder if the Superintendent of Traffic Safety owns a few body shops in town? His brother-in-law probably runs the only ambulance service in town, too!
Looks like someone ran the stop sign but ...... how did the Buick get way over there? That right front wheel looks too damaged for it to have driven over there. At least not without leaving some skid marks, I would think. 
re: Three Police CarsMounting a whip antenna on an unmarked car would somewhat defeat the purpose.  It's odd that the marked cars do not appear to have antennas.  
My guess was that the photographer drove the Chevy and had a police radio to get him the accident reports.  
Or, he could simply have one of those new-fangled radios for the Class D Citizen Band that was created in 1958 and used it to stay in touch with someone monitoring the police calls.  Both would operate in the range of 27-30 Mc and the antennas would look virtually identical.
[The car doesn't have an exempt license plate, so it's not a police or other government-owned vehicle. -tterrace]
The unmarked police car theory would necessitate plain plates anyway.
RoadmasterLooks to be a 1951 Buick Roadmaster Riviera sedan. Having owned one I can attest to its very quiet, comfortable ride and powerful straight 8 OHV engine.
Herzog & AlcatrazThe houses on the corners match up.

Plates not an issue?@ tterrace:
Why would an undercover / unmarked car have exempt plates? Kind of defeats the purpose. But I do like the idea it might be the photographer's car.
[There's a difference between unmarked and undercover police cars. -tterrace]
1957 210The car in question across the street is a mid price range 1957 210 Chevy. We owned one and it was a smooth and easy shifting standard shift.
Educated Guess # 237The accident turned the Buick and it was able to 'wobble' over to where it came to rest; note that the RF wheel is atop the curb so it [the wheel] would not have touched the pavement during this brief journey. Think the Mercury fared worse.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, News Photo Archive, Signal 30)

Traveleze: 1959
... colors, for cost savings. (ShorpyBlog, Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/03/2012 - 5:57pm -

This 35mm Kodachrome found in a thrift store is dated August 1959 and bears the notation "Jim, Bristlecone." The color-coordinated Chevrolet truck and Traveleze trailer are a nice late-Fifties touch. View full size.
Classic Forest  ServiceClassic pickup. Classic trailer. Jim looks pretty classic, too, even classy for livin' in the woods all summer. All in minty green. I feel like I'm 4 years old all over again and staring out the open window of an unairconditioned '60 Chevy Bel Air on a two-lane road out West.
GreenIt appears Jim is member of the US Forest service according to the lettering on the truck. The Traveleze is probably his "ranger" cabin!
USFS truckThe Chevrolet half-ton pickup (called Apaches in 1958-59) belonged to the US Forest Service, part of the US Department of Agriculture.  USFS trucks have been their own particular shade of green for many years, but I can't recall them ever having been two-toned.  Would be interesting to learn whether the USFS commissioned matching travel trailers; can any Shorpyites confirm? (edit: Thank you DougR for the confirmation of two-toned USFS trucks!)
Unchanged after all these yearsForest Service Green
Found in thrift storeI this where I can expect all my photos to end up? and then find them here on Shorpy?
Where's Timmy?I almost expect to see Lassie bounding in to lead him to Timmy, who's gotten himself into another predicament.
I love this site.Where else could one stumble on something like this, nicely blown up for close viewing? I drove one of these pickups up in the Colorado Rockies with the Forest Service for two summers back in the mid '60s. Four on the floor (with a super-low stump-yanker first gear, good only for hauling heavy loads up 4% grades--most of the time you started in 2nd if you wanted to make progress), and yes, mine was two-tone as well. The rest of the stable included a '58 Ford F100, also two tone, and a couple of shiny new Dodge Ram V8s that were all-green, and two Jeeps, a Wagoneer and a CJ5. It was a joy and a privilege to motor around in such a beautiful mountain setting (much like in this shot) in such a cool vehicle. Thanks for the memory!
Civilization Nearby...Jim can't be too far off the beaten track. It looks like there is a telephone line connected to his trailer.
Not BristleconesThese are  not Bristlecone Pines in the background. They look to be some kind of fir. And this does not look like the area where the pines grow above Bishop Calif. Although he could be lower on the mountain. Bristlecones also grow in Utah, Nevada as well as eastern California. There are also similar, but not as ancient, Foxtail pines. But these trees don't appear to be foxtails either. Has anyone been able to see what state the license plates are from? This could be a "Bristlecone camp" in some other area entirely.
[It's a U.S. Government license plate. - tterrace]
BristleconeAssuming "Bristlecone" refers to the Bristlecone pine forest east of Bishop, Calif high up in the mountains along the Nevada border. The oldest trees in the world.. so they say. Been there, seen that.
Side mirrors?Relative youngster here as I wasn't even born when this pickup was made.  But I notice two side mirrors on the truck - one high, one low - both circular.  Was this common back in the day?
Ask the man who owns one!Except for the gentleman pictured being in uniform and the truck having government plates and identification on the doors, this could be straight out of a period magazine ad for the truck. ...Or the trailer.
U.S. Forest Service TravelezeThe U.S. Forest service did have "Traveleze" trailers. I have photos of the exact same trailer with date code and number of units.
FS "Gray & Green"When I joined the Forest Service in 1978, we had a few of these old vehicles with the light gray cab roofs in the parking lot, which the old-timers called "green & grays".  
This paint scheme came on all vehicles that the FS owned, but after the General Services Administration (GSA) took over all Government vehicle fleet management, all FS vehicles were the same color for a while.  Yes, that weird minty "green like no other green" color.
By the 1980's the GSA provided rigs in all commercial colors, for cost savings.
(ShorpyBlog, Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses)

Icemobile: 1905
... Publishing Company. View full size. Pullman cars Some interesting information and illustrations here . Seems there ... illustration of one of the real innovations in passenger cars - vestibules at the ends of the cars that allowed passengers to move from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 5:25pm -

Circa 1905. "Grand Trunk car ferry crossing the Detroit River in winter." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Pullman carsSome interesting information and illustrations here.  Seems there are examples at his museum, and a few in other countries.
Titanic Worries!"What was that, Hon? You want me to sit with you in the rail car? No thanks. I think I'll just stay out here in the lifeboat if you don't mind."
Just Chillin' on the VerandaBut what a smoke screen those poor passengers had to endure.  I wonder what sort of sturdy craft the photographer was perched on in order to "get the shot."  The hardy occupants of the coach nearest the camera had apparently already weathered a nasty storm on the rails; that car's frosted like a wedding cake!
[The "sturdy craft" was land. - Dave]
ExtraordinaryWhat a captivating and dramatic riverscape.
Maybe the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen are heading out on another adventure?
VestibulesNice shot of the railroad ferries that plied many waters on the Great Lakes.  Similar ships were used, for instance, on the Straits of Mackinac for decades. 
The picture is a great illustration of one of the real innovations in passenger cars - vestibules at the ends of the cars that allowed passengers to move from car to car through the train while it was in motion.  Better yet, the photo shows the car on the left with the earlier, so-called open vestibule (still had some open platform) while the car on the right was the newer, fully-closed vestibule. Not only did the vestibules make moving between cars easier but the Pullman Company (which invented and patented them) tried to convince passengers that they strengthened the cars in the event of a collision. The tighter coupling was said to prevent the cars from telescoping into one another.  This had been a real problem in the old open-platform cars.  It was such a great idea that the designs were quickly knocked off by the other passenger car companies and it became the standard of the industry.
Thanks DaveI am planning on building a model of the Lansdowne and the definition on this photo shows detail I have not seen before. The Lansdowne was built in 1884 for the Grand Trunk Railway. She was powered by a pair of horizontal low pressure engines working at 55 psi, until some engineer forgot to drain one on startup in 1971 and blew the cylinder head off it, instantly converting it to a barge.
She was pushed by a tug for a few years then laid up and converted to a restaurant on the Detroit waterfront. Her hulk still rests partially submerged in Erie, PA. Being a sidewheeler with each paddle capable of independent operation, she was considered a very good ice boat.
RivetedJust what I was thinking, Jeff! Very steampunk looking. Great shot.
Here's How It WorksThe couple on the Stern may be setting the scene for a film to be made some 90 years later. The Director electing to use a younger pair and move them to the front of the ship, many of the cast and the movie itself would eventually win Oscars and VHS tapes would be handed out to purchasers of Happy Meals.
The Addams Family at SeaLooking at those wheelhouses, I don't think I've ever seen a ship built with a mansard roof.
ParticulatesThe lack of pollution control back in the day is startling.  The amount of thick black smoke would certainly not be tolerated today.  It would take several more years until emission control standards would be adopted.
[Several more decades! - Dave]
The Lansdownewas towed from Erie to Buffalo in 2008 and broken up there that year.
Life as a restaurantPictures of the Lansdowne as a floating restaurant on the Detroit waterfront are hard to come by (see below).  She lost one side wheel and a pair of funnels, and had a steel structure built on top with two old railroad observation cars at one end.  The interiors (and exteriors) were just cheap 1980s ersatz "luxury," with little connection or even acknowledgment of her Victorian past.  It could have been built on any old barge and been the same.  By the end of its restaurant career, it was dirty, poorly managed and had awful food. 
Photo SourceTry as I might I can not locate this image on the LOC site. Did you obtain it from them? I'd like to play with the full size Tiff copy they usually have on the site.
[It's here. You can find these by searching LOC for the filename (for this one, "4a15742" -- right-click on the Shorpy image, choose "properties" or "view image info") - Dave]
Restaurant Observation CarsThe observation cars on the photo of the Lansdowne as a restaurant photo that bigguy1960 posted are a pair of Milwaukee Road Skytop Observation Cars that were built in 1949 when they re-equipped their Hiawatha trains. Ten of  these were built, six in the original design with the extended skypod observation area and four with a shortened skypod; the latter class are the cars on the Lansdowne. They were withdrawn from service in 1970. Apparently the railcars were undamaged when the Lansdowne sank at Erie, but couldn't be salvaged intact and were each cut into three pieces. There was reportedly an effort underway to salvage them to make one complete car out of the two but I have no knowledge of whether this was carried out.
Update: To answer swissarch's question, several of the ten Skytop cars have survived. One that I know of for sure, Cedar Rapids, is operational and sometimes used on excursions. She would be a true sister of the cars on the Lansdowne. The car is owned by a group called "Friends of 261" and can even be rented for whatever reason. At least two other cars Coffee Creek and Dell Rapids either still exist or are in the process of being restored.
ExtraThat's what I'd pay to ride in one of those Obervation Cars.  It must have been truly exciting to be in one of those thundering along at about 80 mph, watching the world rush by.  Shame they're lost; were any saved?
Spectacular shotQuestion for the boat engineers. It seems that a lot of the inland vessels back then used paddlewheels. What is the advantage of a paddlewheel over a screw? Why were they so popular then and not now? And why are some sidewheelers and some sternwheelers?
Postcard based on the photographFound on the Web.
[Very nice -- it looks like a watercolor. - Dave]

(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)

Carr Fork Canyon: 1942
... from a bit later; there are a several late '40s-early '50s cars in it, and the light car facing us in the center of the picture has a 1955 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/29/2023 - 7:29pm -

November 1942. "Bingham Copper Mine, Utah. Carr Fork Canyon as seen from the 'G' Bridge." Kodachrome by Andreas Feininger for the office of War Information. View full size.
shorpy.com SponsorshipGood to see that shorpy.com was already sponsoring all those copper digs and the bridges which spanned the area. Impressive advertising. :)
Shorpy's bridgeHe was a regular little industrialist, that kid.
Carr Fork Canyon: 1942wow! In a strange way, it's almost beautiful.
carr fork canyonthis is one of the most beautiful photos I've ever seen.
carr fork canyonBeautiful photo
Just a great picture.Just a great picture.
PhotographerThose who follow photography recognize Andreas Feininger as one of the premier photographers of the era... It is Andreas's sense of composition and exposure that makes this arresting image...  You can be sure that he climbed all over that slope in freezing weather carrying a heavy 4x5 camera and tripod, looking for 'the' shot...
denny - old photographer
Bingham Canyon MineI used to work there. It is an open pit mine and as you can imagine it has grown quite a bit since this photo was taken. The mine just celebrated its 100 year anniversary in 2004. It still holds the record for the largest man made excavation. That entire canyon is now part of the open pit and no longer exists. I have a CD with about 500 photos of this particular mine on it. Steam shovels steam engines and all.
I lived here in the 1950sMy family of 12 were born and grew up here. Our neighborhood was called "Dinkeyville" and it was a wonderful enchanted hometown.  In the winter we went sledding in those canyons  -- in the summertime we went exploring and hiking and playing with our friends.  They have a reunion in August for all who want to share photos and memories, at Copperton Park on August 21 in Copperton, Utah. Here are a few photos, and us as little kids.
Love these old photosI heard a lot about Bingham Canyon growing up.  My mother was Athena Spetsas, a daughter of a Greek immigrant.  It's nice to see pictures to go with the stories I have heard, especially since most of the area has now been mined out.
A Fiddly NoteThat "View of Bingham's main street in 1946" in the comment below must be from a bit later; there are a several late '40s-early '50s cars in it, and the light car facing us in the center of the picture has a 1955 Ford-ish air about it, although it's hard to be sure.
So cold!What a great rendition of a cool winter morning. I shiver just looking at it!
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Andreas Feininger, Mining)

Ride the Cars: 1938
... very little. In fact, some of the hardware used in the new cars was salvaged from old streetcars. There's an identical station at the ... Upscale This was a big improvement over the older cars, where the operators had to stand on a outside platform. Strangely ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2017 - 9:24am -

November 1938. "Streetcar motorman in Omaha, Nebraska." 35mm negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. 
How simple, how sweet ...... life must have looked from those windows.
Some things change very little over time...I was recently down on Ybor City (Tampa) Florida and took a ride in one of their new retro streetcars. The operators station has changed very little. In fact, some of the hardware used in the new cars was salvaged from old streetcars. There's an identical station at the opposite end of the car so the driver can just walk to the other end of the car (flipping the wooden seats as he goes) and drive the opposite route.
Must fight the urge  to do a Tennessee Williams pun.
Actually, I was sorta thrilled by it. 
A pain in the a...I cannot imagine how uncomfortable it would be to ride all day one what looks and probably felt like a piano stool, with your legs dangling at an uncomfortable angle.
WattmanAt the time where streetcars were popular, here in Belgium and France the conductor was called a "Wattman". The name was based of course on the control they had on the power of that thing ...
Vibration DamperI had a long bus trip in Detroit during the early 1960's to get to high school.  Even will all the Motor City engineering know-how, they had not solved the problem of dampening the heavy rattling fare boxes which were built like safes.  One hand on the wheel and the other quieting the fare box.  
Next stop the 1930sThe inclusion of the car makes this photo for me. One way ticket to the 1930s please!
UpscaleThis was a big improvement over the older cars, where the operators had to stand on a outside platform.
Strangely familiarIt looks a lot like the streetcars I've ridden on Main Street in Memphis.
Crash that puppy... and you cold lose the family jewels on the coin changer!
As Uncomfortable as It Might AppearThis arrangement was far superior to the Motorman's accomodations on earlier streetcars and horsecars.  I recall reading a book about Baltimore's system whereby the company refused to provide any protection beyond a waist high dash until an operator died from exposure during a winter storm.
...OR ELSE!I love the sign. It's like they're threatening you.
Fare BoxThe motorman is resting his hand on top of the fare box. I have often seen bus drivers do this, as well. The explanation I got was that it keeps the damn thing from rattling too much and making a racket. 
An outstanding jobUntil the 1910s or 1920s most motormen were required to stand, and this was when they had 10 or 12 hour shifts.  Early streetcars (and the horsecars and cable cars that preceded them) usually had open front vestibules, so if it was rainy and cold, the poor motorman just had to take it while standing the whole time!  
Still Running in TucsonIf you want to try the real thing there are still some running on the Old Pueblo Trolley line in Tucson!
http://www.oldpueblotrolley.org/
Back and forthMy grandfather drove a streetcar in Binghamton NY at about the same time as this picture. My mother rode with him to the end of the line and flipped the seats around to face the other direction before walking on home. We still have the stool he used, with the footrest very worn.
"Ride the Cars"Omaha was the site of a violent streetcar strike in 1935.  I wonder if the sign is an attempt to dispel any lingering anger over the strike.
The motorman's woesFor an account (albeit fictional) of a motorman's miserable day, find the episode in "Sister Carrie" where Hurstwood tries to be a scab motorman while the union is on strike in late 1800s Chicago.
Streetcar seatsI heard a Fibber McGee & Molly radio show from the 1930s with the joke, "What do motormen do at the end of the shift?"
"Turn their seats around and go home."
See the Streetcar Museum!And apropos of streetcars and Baltimore, I recommend their streetcar museum for anyone interested in the subject. I first learned about from my father-in-law, who did a good deal of volunteer work for them, and a couple of years ago we finally got there. (Warning: it's not easy to find or get to; for best results, phone and ask for directions.)
The museum occupies part of a Ma & Pa (Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad) maintenance yard, and runs their excursions on a section of Ma & Pa line. Right next to the museum, railfans will note the roundhouse converted by the state of Maryland to a road maintenance yard; the engine stalls now shelter piles of sand, gravel, and salt.
(The Gallery, John Vachon, Omaha, Streetcars)

Big Six: 1921
... 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927 . - Dave] Open cars v closed cars The hassles with putting up those side curtains was one of the reasons ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/13/2022 - 10:33am -

San Francisco or vicinity circa 1921. "Studebaker 'Big Six' touring car." Cigar-chomping Army brass at the wheel. 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size.
Big Cigfor the Big Six.
Not factory issueThere's a spotlight mounted along the driver's side window.  It's odd they photographed the car when it was so dirty, especially if for military use.
Side curtains My God, what a tremendous hassle side curtains must have been when skies started to threaten. Pull over, dig them out from wherever they were stored, sort them out, make sure you didn’t have the driver’s side rear when you wanted the passenger side, and how sweltering it must have been in a summer storm under all that black oilcloth, and how frigid in the winter. I’m sure this guy just had to shout and six enlisted men would appear from someplace and take care of it. 
Accident waiting to happenThat front tire might or might not be a retread, but in any case, it is coming apart.
Nice ride!What a classic, but what a pain it must have been to put air in the tires!  I wonder what the small round opening just ahead of the rear wheel is for?
[Access to the leaf spring front shackle grease fitting. - Dave]
Thanks!
Side CurtainsStudebaker had a system called "Jiffy Curtains" that worked by suspending the top of each curtain to a cable that ran along each side of the top from front to back. Just unclip the bottom and side edges and fold up the curtain like an accordion, then slide towards the rear like a shower curtain. There was a flap over the rear window where it would all be stored.
Not An Attractive CarThis model must have not lasted for long. Sorry to say, it is not at all attractive.
[Sorry to say, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927.  - Dave]
Open cars v closed carsThe hassles with putting up those side curtains was one of the reasons that by 1925 closed-bodied cars outsold open-touring cars in the United States.
 Trapped I wonder what it took to get out of the backseat with those curtains in place?
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)

Hawaii: 1962
... new year You're a wise and considerate young man. Cars I used to have a 1959 Olds just like the one behind that red 55 Chevy wagon. Re: Cars That's a 1956 Chevy wagon. And the car behind it is a 1959 Chevy, not ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2011 - 10:19pm -

Somewhere in Hawaii in 1962 - who can tell us where? 35mm Ektachrome transparency from a California thrift store. View full size.
Found it!After some Google map searching for the sign in the background there: KAUNA??KAI SALES & SERVICE, I found Kaunakakai, Hawaii, on the island of Molokai. Then I went to flickr and looked around the photo maps and found a few good shots of the area. I think that the Shell station in the background is now Kalama Service at 53 Ala Malama St.
Great site!
-Chris
http://eagleapex.com
Hyman Roth does not live to see the new yearYou're a wise and considerate young man.
CarsI used to have a 1959 Olds just like the one behind that red 55 Chevy wagon.
Re: CarsThat's a 1956 Chevy wagon. And the car behind it is a 1959 Chevy, not an Oldsmobile.
Except for the jeep, onlyExcept for the jeep, only Chevys, a Ford and a Plymouth. The low-priced three.
Yes, that's Kaunakakai, theYes, that's Kaunakakai, the main town on the island of Molokai where I grew up.  I was 11 years old when that picture was taken; my family is still there.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Kodachromes 1, Travel & Vacation)

Greatest Hits: 1963
... and longitudinal ribbing of the headliner. - Dave] (Cars, Trucks, Buses, Florida, LOOK, Miami, Sports) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/17/2023 - 2:36pm -

February 1963. Miami, Florida. "Prizefighter (and Olympic gold medalist) Cassius Clay in his Cadillac, which is equipped with a phonograph player." View full size.
Not The Greatest ... OrganizerThis companion photo makes me smile because just swap out these 45s for CDs and you have millions of us in the '80s and '90s, the days before plug-in playlists. We didn't sideswipe while texting, but while juggling a dozen discs and jewel cases. Here, it was identified as a Philips record player for any experts here in totally obsolete car audio.
[The player is a Norelco (Philips) "Auto Mignon." - Dave]
It's loadedSeeing the switch below the corner of the windshield, this Cadillac has the optional power vent windows.  I'll bet it also has cruise control, and Guide-Matic (automatic headlamp dimming).
[That's the power window switch. The ventipane switch is on the armrest, out of view. Power vent windows were standard on this model, the 1960 Fleetwood Sixty Special sedan. The major option present on this car is air conditioning. - Dave]
Dave, you are correct - I didn't realize this was a Fleetwood.  From Page 14 of the 1960 Owners Manual (courtesy of the invaluable oldcarbrochures.com).
[We know this is a 60 Special because of the door panel design and longitudinal ribbing of the headliner. - Dave]
(Cars, Trucks, Buses, Florida, LOOK, Miami, Sports)

Palace Laundry: 1925
... View Larger Map Parked Can someone identify the cars? Slight Anomalies? Two things struck me about this photo. First ... "approximately." Where are the car experts? - Dave] Cars I think both cars are GM products. The one on the left looks like a GM ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 1:00pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1925. "Palace Laundry." 1811 Adams Mill Road N.W. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
McCrory 5 & 10?Could that be a McCrory 5 & 10 on the left?
[Sanitary Grocery. - Dave]
Tree SignI've never seen a tree used as a signpost like this one -- ONE WAY DO NOT ENTER, wired about the trunk. The D.C. city traffic managers were obviously "green" long before their time.
Trendy neighborhoodThere's a BB&T bank occupying the building to the right with the arched windows. That peculiar window that's halfway in the stone facade and half in the red brick is still there. There seems to be a cafe in the buildings to the left.
View Larger Map
ParkedCan someone identify the cars?
Slight Anomalies?Two things struck me about this photo.  First was the font used for the "Palace Laundry." In cursive, with all lowercase letters, it seems more like something from the 1940's or 1950's. Quite unusual, I think, for the time.
Second is the dark sedan on our left.  It looks just slightly later than 1925; with its curved, not squared, roof lines, I would have guessed it as a 1927 or 1928 model.
[It could be 1928. "Circa" means "around" or "approximately." Where are the car experts? - Dave]
CarsI think both cars are GM products. The one on the left looks like a GM product from 1927-1931, it's looks similar to a 1927 Buick and the car on the right looks like a 1919 Buick. I'm not 100% sure.
[Neither one is from GM. The car on the left is a circa 1928 Studebaker Dictator. The one on the right is a Hudson. - Dave]
Cars IIThanks for the info. I thought I'd give it a shot since noone else did. I'm not too familier with '10s and '20s cars. '40s and '50s cars I can name in an instant.
Adams-MorganThis is in an area now referred to as Adams-Morgan, party central for people in their 20s. I can't recall the name of the cafe on the left but it's big with the local kickball league.
Crazy CoincidenceI was going thru the DC 1935 Addresses and found that the relative I was researching was working at the Palace Laundry then. Thanks for posting the photo. 
Palace LaundryThe Palace Laundry and the Redskins have something in common -- both were owned by George Preston Marshall. In fact, Marshall's profitable laundry chain (which had more than 50 stores at its peak) enabled him to buy a pro football team, the Boston Redskins, which he moved to his hometown of Washington in 1937.
Incidentally, the Palace Laundry's slogan was "Long live linen."
The Missing Half Year & The UnknownThe first car is a 1928 1/2 Studebaker.  The long hood length indicates this is actually a President 8 (the Dictator was on a much shorter wheelbase). 
The 1928 1/2 year models had a new narrower radiator design and a very short visor (military style) over the windshield.  The wheels are also unusual, but they are not unique to this year (they were definitely available in 1927 and both 1928 model years).
The 1929 closed Studebaker models had a curved "A" post at the windshield so it is easy to identify this as a 1928 1/2 year model.
The second car does not appear to be a Hudson.  On almost all Hudson's the Hudson triangle is visible on the hubcaps.  I cannot see any here (but the photo also does not show the hubcaps as clearly as I would like).  Also, the front of the grill should have a flat portion below the corporate logo for a Hudson.  Lastly, I cannot find any pictures of a Hudson with the large number of vertical louvers on the hood as seen here.
I would have guessed the second car as a Lincoln, but the grill also does not match.  I have not been able to determine the exact make of the second car.
(P.S. Based on the previously posted information should the title be updated to reflect the year 1928 or 1929 as well as the caption?)
Not a StudebakerThe first car is definitely NOT a Studebaker of any year or model. Nothing matches up including body shape, cowl lights radiator shell. Not sure what it is, but sure what it isn't! 
Disc wheelsThe large car with the disc wheels is a 1929 Nash. Their ad stressed the fact that their motor had seven main bearings making it exceptionally smooth.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)

Saturday in Florence: 1942
... Hudson production for the 1942 model year was 40,661 cars. - Dave] Florence, Alabama My grandmother gave me a cast iron ... show a gentle perhaps kinder time. People socializing, cars washed, traffic rules obeyed, clean streets, just great. Where did it all ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/01/2023 - 8:49pm -

June 1942. "Florence, Alabama, Saturday afternoon." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Office of War Information. View full size. 
This pic is great!I love all the detail. It makes me wonder where everybody in the pic is today? Wonder where they were going? Love the contrast!
Stop and GoTraffic lights sure have become more elaborate since then. You would have trouble getting such a clear shot at a big intersection like that these days without a bunch of poles and signals getting in your way.
Majestic TheaterFrom Movie Theater Information:
The Majestic opened Saturday, August 30, 1919, at 204 North Court Street next to the new First National Bank. It's not clear what was shown on opening day, but the primary advertisements announced a Paramount Artcraft Special -- a motion picture style show with living models called "That Well Dressed Look" for September 1 and 2. The theater seated 400. The last night of business seems to have been June 9, 1951.
1945/  46 HudsonThe Hudson in the center of the photo is a 1945 or 1946.
[Nope. It's a 1942 Hudson. - Dave]

AwesomeWonderful scan . . .Bravo!
Foy
Isn't this great?Isn't this great? Women wore skirts, and you could drive a car called Hudson.
1942 HudsonIt seems to me that a 1942 Hudson would be a relatively rare beast. I realize that production and sales on the 1942s started in September 1941, but they'd still have a shortened production run once the government ordered a halt to new automotive production because of the war.
[Total Hudson production for the 1942 model year was 40,661 cars. - Dave]
Florence, AlabamaMy grandmother gave me a cast iron skillet (that had been her mother’s) that was made in Florence. Some of her family had moved from that area in the 1850s, and I’ve always wondered if that skillet is that old or not. Whatever the case, I made some cornbread in it the other night, so it's still working fine, however old it is.
A Super pictureEven though WW II was raging, the picture show a gentle perhaps kinder time. People socializing, cars washed, traffic rules obeyed, clean streets, just great. Where did it all go?
Bruce
Saturday afternoon, Florence, AlabamaA much simpler time, what a fantastic picture. It could be a Norman Rockwell painting. 
Florence, Alabama  This is my hometown and the hometown of my parents and grandparents. This picture had to have been taken from the old courthouse, which is long gone, but the buildings in the picture still exist!
I wishI wish it looked that good today! I live less than a mile from where this was taken. I would love to see that many people walking and socializing on the sidewalks again.
Looking for somethingI'm looking for an old pic of THIS area right here, only its older (I'd say late 1800's) it's b/w and shows horse troughs on the ground below where traffic lights now hang. Tennessee / Court street. Anyone know about it?
if so:
patrickseth81@yahoo.com
Court & MobileThis is the corner of Court and Mobile in downtown Florence. The camera seems to be perched in the old Rogers Department Store building. The modern Street View image is sadly not as interesting, though the City Cafe building and the building just to its left are both still standing today. I was born and raised in Florence. It's a great place to live, and downtown has fared a lot better than many cities its size.
(The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Small Towns)

Copper Hopper: 1942
... "Anaconda smelter, Anaconda Copper Mining Company. Cars containing 50 tons of copper ore are dumped by an unloading mechanism into ... can be rolled out of that area. This is same way that coal cars are emptied at electric power plants. In most cases the cars have couplers ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/30/2023 - 2:29pm -

September 1942. Deer Lodge County, Montana. "Anaconda smelter, Anaconda Copper Mining Company. Cars containing 50 tons of copper ore are dumped by an unloading mechanism into a 200-ton hopper." Acetate negative by Russell Lee, Office of War Information. View full size.
Waste notI've never seen such sight. What happened to the cart that rolled into that chamber on those tracks? Did it just roll off the tracks down into oblivion along with its load of copper? And look at the flimsy housing they built around such a powerful impressive machine. Strange.
[That "cart" is a fifty-ton railcar. It goes back on the train tracks after being emptied. - Dave]
NOW I see the railcar still in there. I didn't realize I was looking at the back of the railcar. I thought it was just the back of the chamber. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
STAND BACK!That is one nasty pinch-point.
The car on the tracksis actually still on the rails. The mechanism which rolls the car over clamps the car and the tracks together, and as soon as the car is empty, it rolls on over so that the car can be rolled out of that area. This is same way that coal cars are emptied at electric power plants. In most cases the cars have couplers which can swivel so that a car still in a train can also be emptied, one car at a time.
Impressions ProgressFirst - What are we looking at?
Second - Ok, now we get what's going on.
Third - Still scary.
(The Gallery, Mining, Railroads, Russell Lee)

Broad Street: 1911
... cornice detail it once had. Non-clearance Curve The CARS PASS HERE sign likely refers to the fact that if streetcars travelling in ... to pass each other on the curve, they would collide. Cars Pass The Cars Pass here sign is not uncommon on older streetcar systems ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/01/2014 - 8:05am -

Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1911. "Broad Street looking west." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
What is this thing?Hearse?  Food cart?
[Delivery van for the Jet-White steam laundry. - Dave]
No Google Street View HereInterestingly, Google does not have street view for this part of Broad Street.  The drug store on the right was razed, and is now a Wachovia (soon to be Wells Fargo).  Also, the tall building on the right is now lacking the wonderful cornice detail it once had.
Non-clearance CurveThe CARS PASS HERE sign likely refers to the fact that if streetcars travelling in opposite directions attempted to pass each other on the curve, they would collide.
Cars PassThe Cars Pass here sign is not uncommon on older streetcar systems that have upgraded from the short 2 axle cars to longer 4 axle ones.  
The problem, that cities found, was that the existing trackwork didn't always have the best clearances.  Where two shorter cars may pass fine on such a curve, longer cars would often over hang and strike each other.  Since most (not all of course) streetcar systems worked on "sight" or without signals with the motormen maintaining safe distance on their own based on what they see, you would often find signs like this near pinch points.  Basically what it tells the motorman is that if they saw another car (there should be a mirror somewhere on a building for this) that the driver was to stop and wait for the car to pass him before starting forward.
CARS PASS HEREPerhaps the sign refers to the crossover track below.
On another subject, the cigar store Indian brings to mind a question - what's the reason for that association that was so common in those days?
[Indians introduced tobacco to the white man. - Dave]
Walker-EvansWho knew he was a stationer at the age of 7?
Tonics for the NervesVigorone and Coca Celery.
Broad ViewSo many details about life a century ago are in this picture:
1. Utility poles are not 100% straight and still have the knots from where their branches once grew.
2. Those poles are planted in the street, amid the cobblestones. They are also inventoried and labeled by their owner (as if pole rustling was a problem back then).
3. The Indian not only has wheels, he has a custom box to stand on--again out in the street. Likewise the postcard/cigar/soda water sign. And if you have a barrel full of whatever is in that barrel, put it out beyond the curb too. The street is not for transportation. It is part of the front yard of the stores.
4.Repainting signs is not important. Everyone knows where Folio Bros Cigars and Carolina Building Material are, so no need to keep the sign from fading or peeling.
5. You can park your car on either side of the street, facing either direction. Just be sure to look before you step out, so you don't step in any equine by-products.
6. Lots of mounting blocks and hitching posts for those horses.
7. Next to the Walker Evans pole is a great place to hang out and socialize.
8. The middle of the street is a good place to walk along.
9. It is very much a man's world. I see only one women and no children along the entire street.
Utility PolesThe reason that the utility poles are numbered is to keep track of maintenance and alterations. Also, in some areas back then there might well be a difference as to who was responsible for the electric power and the telephone poles (vs one leasing space on the other).  Most of the overhead clutter of wires and crossarms was before multi-conductor telephone cables were developed.
Buildings of NoteThis view is taken from the foot of Broad Street at East Bay Street. The tall building on the right is Charleston's first skyscraper, the People's National Bank Building; it was designed by Thompson and Frohling of New York and built in 1910-1911. Today it houses condominiums. In the distance at the left can be seen the tower of St. Michael's Church, built 1752-1761 and still standing at what Charlestonians call the "Four Corners of Law" (the intersection of Broad and Meeting Streets).
+99Below is the same view from July of 2010.
(The Gallery, Charleston, DPC)

Christina Klunk: 1942
... of a truck. - Dave] (The Gallery, Boy Scouts, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/02/2023 - 7:50pm -

October 1942. "Butte, Montana. Boy Scouts with a truckload of scrap during the salvage campaign." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Family resemblanceThe driver and the boy on the fender.
SMILE!The dude driving is waaaay too happy.
Truck ID suggestionReo Speed Wagon circa 1927 followed by a 1939-1940 Chevrolet truck.
Who's Christina Klunk?Who's Christina Klunk?
[If you mean *what* is Christina Klunk, it's the name on the front of the truck. - Dave]
Who not WhatDoes anyone know WHO Christina Klunk was?
[Um, there is no "who." It's just a cute name for that clunker of a truck. - Dave]
(The Gallery, Boy Scouts, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee, WW2)

Big Mack: 1942
... for a second windshield wiper. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Industry & Public Works, John Vachon, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/05/2023 - 12:31pm -

October 1942. "Tulsa, Oklahoma. Trucks being loaded with motor oil at the Mid-Continent refinery." Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Factory FreshThat Mack looks brand new.  It is not sporting a dented fender or well-worn steer tires.  The same cannot be said of the International.
Small rearview mirrorsMack does have two , don't see a passenger side mirror on the International . Good picture ! Thanks !
Five Bucks MoreOr thereabouts, for a second windshield wiper.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Industry & Public Works, John Vachon, Railroads)

Picnic Munch: 1942
... use. When I was a kid we would collect bottles thrown from cars on the roadside, and pocketed the deposit money for candy. I remember ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2023 - 2:08pm -

July 1942. "Hayti, Missouri. Cotton Carnival picnic. Boy eating." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Returnable bottlesI remember when Coke bottles (and others too) were returnable for a deposit refund. The base of each bottle had the name of the city in which the bottle was manufactured.
2 cents worthThe glass in returnable bottles was heavy duty and the bottles were washed and refilled hundreds of times until they were too worn to use. When I was a kid we would collect bottles thrown from cars on the roadside, and pocketed the deposit money for candy. I remember getting 2 cents a bottle. Much later, distributors started using cheaper glass that could be thrown in the trash so the deposit system ended and our garbage multiplied.
Coke ColaI didn't come along until 1957 and we lived in Louisiana, but one of the constants of my childhood (and there were not all that many) was the Coke Cola (that's what we always called it, both words, but phonetically it sounded more like ko-kola) in the little glass bottle. It was the ideal serving size. My maternal grandmother and her sister, my mother's Aunt Jenny, both had their fridges crammed full of these. At the festive holidays, everyone got a bottle with their meal. When you went for a visit any time of year, the grown-ups drank Community coffee made in small batches in tiny aluminum coffee pots while the kids were welcome to grab a Coke. Holding your own bottle and sipping it as you pleased without having to share with your sister was pure bliss, and is probably the one thing I most strongly associate with those people in that place at that time.
(The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Small Towns)

Copper Country: 1942
... 1942. Deer Lodge County, Montana. "Anaconda smelter. Ore cars and smokestack." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Office of War ... shows the electric locomotives that brought the ore cars from Butte to the smelter in Anaconda. Electric power for the railway came ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/29/2023 - 3:08pm -

September 1942. Deer Lodge County, Montana. "Anaconda smelter. Ore cars and smokestack." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Copious copperIt's indeed a beautiful picture. And look at all the copper! It takes a lot of electricity to run an operation to mine the metal.
Sootpunk chicI'm not sure which bowl game -- if any -- Utah would compete against Montana, but they're definitely facing off in the most photogenic mining infrastructure contest. Carr Fork Canyon, also -- and probably not coincidentally -- 1942, won my heart first,  but this shot tests my loyalty,
Answer: Right there at Anaconda, MontanaQuestion: Where were the bricks made to build the smokestack?
I can't find a modern reference to support this September 1905 trade journal article.  But it seems in Deer Lodge County, Montana, "There is no clay in the world that produces such durable and heat-resisting bricks as those that are turned out at the Anaconda yards.  The silica brick made here surpasses the celebrated Swansea brick ..." Swansea brick is made in Wales.
Click to embiggen:

Butte, Anaconda and Pacific RailwayThis photo from the Butte - Silver Bow Public Archives shows the electric locomotives that brought the ore cars from Butte to the smelter in Anaconda. Electric power for the railway came from Great Falls, Montana. The power was converted from AC to 2,400 volts Direct Current at several substations along the line. 
How GreenAn absolutely amazing photograph.
I'm getting a 'How Green Was My Valley' (John Ford 1941) impression.
(The Gallery, Factories, Industry & Public Works, Mining, Railroads, Russell Lee)

Delta County: 1940
... era and post WWII than the wagon trains and railroads. Cars And they've done nothing but befoul our atmosphere and ruin city ... other thing: Get you where you want to go. - Dave] Cars Not to mention enabling the greatest wealth and standard of living the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/27/2009 - 7:30am -

1940. Delta County, Colorado. "Hay stack and automobiles of peach pickers." View full size. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee for the FSA.
Will RogersWill Rogers once said something like "This is the only country in the world that ever went to the poorhouse in an automobile". The motor car probably had more to do with the westward migration of Americans during the depression era and post WWII than the wagon trains and railroads.
CarsAnd they've done nothing but befoul our atmosphere and ruin city planning ever since! They are pretty, though.
[They do one other thing: Get you where you want to go. - Dave]
CarsNot to mention enabling the greatest wealth and standard of living the world has ever seen.
Wonder how many horses would be required to replace those cars??? And the resources required by city planners to support them.  Guess we could all go back to walking or bicycling across the country.  But then you'd need to give up on fresh fruit and veggies.  
The world would certainly get much bigger again for the masses.
(The Gallery, Agriculture, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee)

The Trees' Knees: 1897
... by William Henry Jackson. View full size. The cars -- the cars. Those cars certainly are not Harriman Standard ones. They didn't exist ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/23/2017 - 4:22pm -

"A cypress swamp," somewhere in Mississippi circa 1897. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size.
The cars -- the cars.Those cars certainly are not Harriman Standard ones. They didn't exist until 1906, and were all steel cars. H-S constituted a big step in safety and utility to the railroads, along with the other steel cars that began showing up around the same time. Some steel cars retained the clerestory roof.
I don't know if this is Jackson's train (or even photo), but it isn't likely to be the one linked to in another post.
Fishing Gentleman, Hidden DragonNote the passenger train hiding in the background.  At a guess, a 4-4-0 pulling a rake of Harriman cars.
Photo Special?The train in the background could well be Jackson's Special that brought him to the location as seen in this image.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Landscapes, W.H. Jackson)

Johnnie X: 1908
... These were the direct precursors of the "ice reefer" cars. The hatches on the end may have contained ice occasionally, but the icers ... probably being used to ship cotton, or wool. Freight Cars These ventilator-style boxcars were also known as watermelon cars. Cars ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2008 - 12:35am -

December 1908. Dillon, South Carolina. Johnnie, works at Maple Mills. 8 years old. Said "Ain't got no last name" when asked for it. Beginning to "help sister spin." View full size. Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine.
Young Mr XHe seems to be better dressed and shod than Hine's other urchins.
Johnnie XSister Spinner could have been much older, and helping Johnnie survive. In any event, he's a tough little nugget. Some urchins were/are better at survival than others.
You Never Sausage a PlaceDillon is right down the road from South of the Border, famous for kitschy signs throughout the area:
"You Never Sausage a Place! You're Always a Wiener at Pedro's!"
"Keep yelling, kids! (They'll stop.)"
Maybe Johnnie X had a chance to visit in later years and sip a beer in the shade of the Sombrero Tower.
Rail CarThe Atlantic Coast Line boxcar is a "ventilator" style car, used mostly for transporting fruit and vegetables to market. These were the direct precursors of the "ice reefer" cars. The hatches on the end may have contained ice occasionally, but the icers that would follow, had special ice bunkers, filled by hatches on the top of the car. Since this car is at a textile mill, it was probably being used to ship cotton, or wool.  
Freight CarsThese ventilator-style boxcars were also known as watermelon cars. Cars from ACL and other Southeastern railroads were used to ship watermelons to Northern cities like Chicago.
Boxcar HatchesRe: "The hatches on the end may have contained ice occasionally"
Those hatches are for the end ventilators, and are opened when the car is used to ship produce.
Ventilated railcarIce cooled refrigerator cars were in use as early as 1880. These ventilated cars were mostly used by Southern railroads to carry produce to Northern cities.
You will note that the car is provided with two doors. The ventilated one and a solid one so the car could be used for general cargo. End doors could be used for extra ventilation or for loading long lumber by hand. 
As for the boy, he does appear to be something of a natty dresser for his station in life. Note what appear to be buttons by his knee. Shirt seems a bit dirty, but nice looking shoes.
ACL melon carsWhen I worked for the Nickel Plate Railroad in Canton Ohio about 1950, a local produce company there often received cars of this type loaded with watermelons.  I was told they were called convertible-door cars.
(The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Railroads)

Sausalito: 1958
... Point in the background. There are some pretty interesting cars in in this shot, including the mysterious little European-looking thing on ... an Anglia looks more like this a 1952 Consul love the cars! I see a Willys-Overland Jeep Station Sedan! Changing face of the ... 
 
Posted by Rute Boye - 07/25/2012 - 8:30pm -

The yacht harbor in Sausalito, California, shot on Anscochrome circa 1958. I believe this is on Richardson Bay, with Belvedere Point in the background. There are some pretty interesting cars in in this shot, including the mysterious little European-looking thing on the far right.  View full size.
SausalitoI believe the "European-looking thing" is an American-made Crosley van. The near ridge is indeed Belvedere Island; beyond that, Tiburon Peninsula. I looked for our 1956 Rambler wagon, but no such luck. [Edited to reflect correction of reversed image.]
Re: BabushkaSo did my Mom's side, all first or second generation California-Italian, despite "Babushka" being Grandmother in Russian...
DaveB
Many, many more boatsA contemporary view of the same parking lot (courtesy of Google Earth) reveals the 1958 photo was taken at approximately 517 Bridgeway in Sausalito. 
Landscaping has softened the edges of the dirt parking lot (originally a train yard for Northwestern Pacific Railroad) and the number of pleasure craft has exploded, but the small sheds lining the pier have remained pretty much unchanged. 
Impala, SchmimpalaDustyrider said: "Super Sport Chevrolets until 1961."
Ummm, no. The Impala was introduced, as the top of the line Chevrolet, in 1958.
[Confusion arises because he split his sentence between the title and the body of the comment. He was attempting to say "There were no Impala Super Sport Chevrolets until 1961." - tterrace]
Bob Bourke MasterpieceAlthough the pictured Studebaker design came out of the Raymond Loewy studio, it was created by Bob Bourke, with help from several other guys. Loewy normally gets the credit for this landmark Studie, but the design was not his. 
Regarding Babushka Lady, does anyone else see a hint of 58 Mercury in the image? Notice that the wing configuration fits a full panoramic windshield, something none of the Chrysler products ever had.
The bodywork on the humble 51 Nash is definitely not the work of George Barris.  
First girlfriend's carThat Chevrolet in the third row on the right side looks like the 53 model that my older woman (17) girlfriend picked me up in.
English FordI recognized the green import center front as an English Ford. I remember seeing them back when my mother drove me around in our black 1959 Chevy Impala Super Sport.
Sausalito TodayI decided to take a quick ride down to Sausalito and see if I could replicate the image from 1958. I think I got pretty close, and the changes can be seen. 
Another European beautyI'm pretty sure the rightmost car on the third row is a Citroen DS.
Not an Anglia?Not sure if its an Anglia looks more like this a 1952 Consul
love the cars!I see a Willys-Overland Jeep Station Sedan!
Changing face of the US auto marketIn addition to that green Ford Consul and yellow Crosley, I see a blue-green Renault Dauphine next to a Cadillac in the second row, and a VW Beetle and Karmann Ghia in the back row, facing away from the viewer.  Still a number of US independents to be seen, in the form of Nash/Ramblers and that lovely black '55 Studebaker hardtop in front of the Consul.
Negative flippedNo one has mentioned that the negative has been flipped here. Notice all the steering wheels are on the wrong side. I want that black Studebaker!
[Wow, extreme blushes from a Marin County native here! It's been fixed, thanks! - tterrace]
Hey! Look for me in the Bay area, 1958I'll be in the VW Bus, California tag #PVD 799.
Summer nights?Hot summer night in Sausalito
Can't stand the heat another mile
Let's drop a quarter in the meter
And hit the sidewalk for a while
--"Sausalito Summer Night"
Diesel, c. 1981
It's a CrosleyA Crosley Panel Truck
1959 or 1960 perhapsI believe I see a 1959 Chevy in the last row, facing the gent walking on the dock.
Little European thingsQuite a few of 'em, actually. Above the Crosley is a Citroen; right in the middle (above the1955 Studebaker Commander Coupe with its, ahem,"European Styling") is a Renault Dauphine; to the left is a black VW Beetle, and above it a black-over-red VW Karmann Ghia. There's also some convertible in the middle of the far row that look vaguely English next to another Bug and to its left, something I'd almost swear was a Volvo PV544. Yep, there's also a '59 Chevy, but it's no Impala.
P.S. I'm told the translation for Reanault Dauphine is, "I rust."
Bound for TahitiAll this talk of cars overlooks a much more significant element to this photo. The large, two-masted schooner at the outermost dock is Sterling Hayden's Wanderer.
Hayden was a major Hollywood heartthrob at the time, but in 1958 he got fed up with the system and walked out on it all. In violation of studio contracts and a court-ordered divorce decree, he sailed off to Tahiti with his four kids on Wanderer. The voyage formed the central thread of the autobiography he published five years later, titled "Wanderer." This photo must have been taken very shortly before he left.
He was not some impulsive pleasure boater though. Hayden had been a sea captain for a long time before falling into Hollywood in the first place. He was frequently canonized as an independent man who didn't care what anybody else thought of him and did not get along with the Hollywood system. But his autobiography paints a much deeper, somewhat sadder picture of a man who never seemed to quite find what he was looking for.
He continued to live in Sausalito for a long time later in life. It's quite likely one of the cars in the foreground of the photo was his, but I don't know what he drove.
Re Hayden, Studebakers, and Precious Bodily FluidsSterling Hayden had an exceedingly interesting life (actor, author, sailor, model, Marine, OSS agent) and I urge everyone to read the Wiki on him. As General Jack Ripper in "Dr. Strangelove", his character's concern for precious bodily fluids helped set the tone for that film's zany atmosphere. 
Regarding Studebakers, I sure can relate to the one in this photo because half a century ago the one below (a '54 Starliner) was mine, properly dechromed, lowered and with the anemic stock engine replaced with a Chevy V-8. I was only two years old, of course, so reaching the pedals was a chore.
More carsA red '53(?) Ford F100 in the row nearest the camera, behind it a '58 or '59 Lincoln, to the left is a '58 Chrysler Imperial. In the row near the water, on the right, a '53 Buick Roadmaster parked at an angle. One row closer and a bit left, a '56 Plymouth. Now my eyes are tired.
So many cars!Thanks to Shorpy viewers, the only three vehicles I couldn't make out were identified (the Crosley Van, English Ford, and the Volvo convertible). I was proud to be able to name all of the rest of them, but I won't bore everyone with a recitation of their makes here, unless someone wants to twist my arm!
The English Ford was truly a California carMy Dad was a Ford employee for years, so when I began to drive in the early 1960's he bought me a used Ford Anglia for a few hundred dollars.  When I started college in 1965, I purchased a used Anglia station wagon with real wood trim.  They were great little cars as long as the temperature was above 28 degrees. Unfortunately Michigan gets much colder in the winter. The starting system didn't have the snap at lower temperatures to start the engine.  AAA finally cut me off from road service on the car because of too many push starts.  Push it up to 10 mph and pop the clutch and it would start no matter what the temperature.  Both had manifold vacuum operated windshield wipers which slowed down when you went up a hill or did a hard acceleration.  Both also had the old vacuum tube radios which used a vibrator power supply to boost the 12 volts to the necessary higher voltages.  The radio took about 25 seconds to warm up.  I still can remember the buzz the vibrator made. I still wonder today what possessed me to buy the second Anglia. 
Hayden the WandererCarl H's identification of Sterling Hayden's yacht has to earn the noticing prize for July, even among the Shorpy eagle eyes.
Hayden's unhappiness circa 1958 had another source: in 1951 he "named names" before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Ever after he expressed "contempt for myself since the day I did that." Tahiti turned out not to be far enough away.
Happily, over the last quarter century of his life, he regularly allowed himself to be lured out of "retirement" to make movies. This gave us General Jack Ripper in "Dr. Strangelove" and the crooked Captain McCluskey in "The Godfather."
Miles and Miles of Memories HereThere are lots of childhood memories amid that parking lot.  When my dad tired of waiting six weeks for penny ante parts from Coventry, England for our Jaguar Mark VII, he bought a '55 Studebaker coupe in two-tone blue.  He loved it.  I preferred the Jaguar and called our new main driver the "Stupidbaker".  But looking at the one here, I can see why my father remained forever fond of it.  And why he was annoyed when at age four, I let the air out of all the tires.
We also had a '57 Chevy coupe and a '59 Impala station wagon that was our favorite family vacation car for many years, so much so that we bought another, identical in every detail and had two for many years.
Our neighbor on one side had a Rambler like the one in the front row, but in metallic kelly green, and another neighbor had a Citreon, in white.  Rode in them often enough.
Interesting story about Hayden.  I'd like to read that book.  Thank you for mentioning it.
There were no ImpalaSuper Sport Chevrolets until 1961.
BabushkaAll the females in my household called the scarf the lady is wearing as she is getting in/out of the Dodge Wagon a babushka.
Volvo ConvertibleAs a long time Volvo owner, not sure if Volvo ever sold a convertible in the US back then; the P1900 was built during this time period [67 built], but it was more of an experiment to test market reaction, it led to the P1800 of 1962.  And a Volvo dealer, Volvoville on Long Island, NY, later converted a few P1800 coupes into convertibles, but without Factory blessing. That PV-544 might be a PV-444; if it's the car I think it is, you can't tell if the windshield is two piece [444] or one piece [544]. Great picture and interesting info about Hayden.  
The UK Ford......is in fact a 'Zephyr', the 6 cylinder big brother to the Consul. The Zephyr has a different front grill and hood and, unlike the Consul, has the chrome hood ornament that can just be seen in the photo. Also evident is the small chrome trim on the side fender just above the front wheel that was also not fitted to the Consul. I spent many an hour back in the day under the various products from Mr Ford, including these models. Thanks again Shorpy for my daily 'fix'!
Punch Bug, Light BluePunch Bug, Light Blue!
or is that Slug Bug?  I never remember.
LuxuryI love seeing the front of the Lincoln Continental and the rear of the Imperial.  Both cars are showing off their most distinctive features.
Sterling Hayden's addressSome are saying that Hayden lived in Sausalito. He had a magnificent old house on the very top of Belvedere Island south, a block away from my parents' after 1958. I remember our dogs didn't get along with his, not that he noticed.
(ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
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