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Garbage Out: 1943
... catch the can when tossed back empty. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gordon Parks, NYC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2014 - 8:41pm -

May 1943. "New York. Emptying garbage and trash from Harlem apartment houses." Photo by Gordon Parks, Office of War Information. View full size. Gold star?I can't tell from even the larger photo, but if the banner with the three stars is as Mack W posted, the family has two sons on active duty (blue stars) and a third who died while on active duty (gold star). A family who gave a lot to their country. My grandparents had two blue stars for my father and my uncle until March 1945, when my uncle was killed in Europe. Then one gold and one blue. I have been told that my grandmother was never the same after she heard the news, and she lived another 19 years. MemoriesMemories can be found in the smallest, most mundane objects. Take a look at the second floor window on the left. You can see a circular shade pull. My father was an accountant for a texile mill and I remember him taking me through the factory one day. Seated around a table were three grandmother-types who were crocheting these around a metal ring. They were able to produce a completed pull in under ten seconds, all while carrying on a lively conversation. Service StarsSecond floor window above the trash cans - this family has sons serviing in the military. Given that the date is 1943, this makes perfect sense. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_flag EscalatorI recall these "escalator" garbage trucks (in NYC we did not say "trash") from the days before hydraulic compactors. These were predated by open top trucks - the poor guys in the street would empty the cans thru a side door in the truck, or sometimes have to toss a loaded steel can up to his partner in the truck, and then catch the can when tossed back empty. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gordon Parks, NYC)
Sachs Third Avenue: 1940
... operation for another 18 years. It used 1920's-era "Lo-V" cars until the late 1960's. For the last few years of the line's existence R-12 "Redbird" cars from 1948 operated on the line. On April 28, 1973, revenue service ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2013 - 6:24am -

November 5, 1940. "Sachs Quality Furniture Inc., 150th Street & Third Avenue, New York. General exterior, daylight. Morris Lapidus, Ross-Frankel Inc., clients." Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Sachs' Bronx BranchIn Manhattan, Third Avenue terminates at 128th Street to become the Third Avenue Bridge. This street corner is in the South Bronx. It's now occupied by a pawn shop. No Area Code NeededMelrose 5-5300 was the telephone number that Sachs Quality Furniture used in its radio commercials. It was sung in a jingle that became instantly recognizable. Glen Miller's Pennsylvania 6-5000 it wasn't, but it did deliver the message efficiently. Please don't confuse Sachs Quality Furniture with Saks 5th Avenue, the upscale Department store or Saks 34th Street of "Miracle on 34th Street" fame. Ahead of its timeEven though it was constructed in the late 1930s, the Sachs storefront has many of the elements that defined "googie" coffee-shop architecture of the mid to late 1950s, from the lazy roof edge curves and tall skinny columns to the vast expanses of glass and the "floating" inner roof of the showcase. [This is actually classic Streamline Moderne. -tterrace] MemoriesI just spoke to a 92-year-old friend of mine who grew up a few blocks away from this location in the Bronx and he immediately recalled Sachs' radio jingle with its phone number: MElrose 5-5300. Another ghostly remnantVisible at the upper right corner is some of the track structure for the late lamented Third Avenue El. This would be just north of the 149th Street station, where a free transfer was available to the Third Avenue station of the White Plains Road/Dyer Avenue subway lines, today's 2 and 5 trains. Although the Manhattan and southern Bronx portions of the El closed in 1955, in anticipation of the (sarcasm alert) coming real soon! (/sarcasm alert) Second Avenue Subway, the Bronx portion from 149th Street north to the Gun Hill Road terminal remained in operation for another 18 years. It used 1920's-era "Lo-V" cars until the late 1960's. For the last few years of the line's existence R-12 "Redbird" cars from 1948 operated on the line. On April 28, 1973, revenue service finally ended on the Bronx portion of the Third Avenue El, although there was a "fantrip" for rail enthusiasts the following day. The R-12's went to Flushing 7 line, where they ran for about another decade before being scrapped. Unlike the Manhattan portion of the Third Avenue El, which came down almost as soon as service ended in 1955, the Bronx section north of 149th Street wasn't demolished until several months after the end of service. Some of the old line's steelwork is still visible at the Gun Hill Road elevated station on the 2 line. Aware that the Bronx Third Avenue El's closing could be a financial burden for the residents of the mostly lower-income neighborhoods along the line, who normally would have to pay separate fares to ride buses to the nearest remaining subway stations, the Transit Authority created a new bus line following the El's route and offering free transfers to the subway. This arrangement lasted until 1996, when the MetroCard fare card allowed free subway-bus transfers systemwide. Sach's jingleI too, remember the MElrose 5-5300, along with many other jingles of the time. I'm sure some will recall "National Shoes ring the bell, for all smart women who want to dress well." And, "Nedicks B1." For those of us who were youngsters in the early forties probably remember Tom Mix's song which started "Shredded Ralston for your breakfast" and ended with "Take a tip from Tom, go an tell your mom, Shredded Ralston can't be beat." Ah those memories . . . (The Gallery, NYC, Stores & Markets)
Beauty & the Beast: 1922
... snapped at Hershey PA, October 2011. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/26/2018 - 1:44pm -

San Francisco circa 1922. "Paige 6-66 touring car." Advertised as "the most beautiful car in America." 5x7 glass negative by Chris Helin. View full size. Got me!For a second there, I was thinking "THAT is one heck of a hood ornament!" It is rather beautiful, but ...I give up. Where's the beast?? [Model 6-66. Hello? - Dave] [Aaarrgh - bohneyjames] A most beautiful carA few minor differences, but here is a survivor, snapped at Hershey PA, October 2011. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Maine Street: 1910
... there! View Larger Map (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2012 - 11:54am -

Portland, Maine, circa 1910. "Congress Street, looking north." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Portland todayA familiar building or two can still be seen there! View Larger Map (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Washington, D.C.: 1935
... be passed off as a modern apartment complex, only the cars and the dress style gives away the time period. Everything but the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/07/2013 - 9:09pm -

Washington tenements, Nov. 1935. View full size. Photo by Carl Mydans. Great PhotoMy father would have been 10 years old in 1935. Looking carefully at the detail of this photo, one wonders if they had plumbing for bathrooms. It's obvious clothes dryers were not in this time period, hence all the clothes on clothes lines. It looks like wash basins were used for seating on the back porches. The problem with B&W photos, although it is nostalgic and it forces you to really look for detail, it makes most photos look "dirty" because you can't see any color. It also gives it a sad ambience. Most people in these older B&W photos are not smiling. Maybe it was the depression era. If these photos were in color, it would be a whole completely different feel. When I think of the early years, I NEVER think of them in my mind in color. Always B&W. I wish I knew how to colorize some of these....just for a different feel. [Here's a color photo from the same city, seven years later (1942). - Dave] Sleeping PorchesThe back alleys of DC looked radically different 40-90 years ago, in part because "sleeping porches" were common. In the absence of air-conditioning families would typically sleep on these porches in high summer. Rickety porches like these were torn down, better built ones were incorporated into the house with walls in the 60s-70s and are a noticeable feature in Georgetown if you know what to look for. TenementsIts amazing how this could be passed off as a modern apartment complex, only the cars and the dress style gives away the time period. Everything but the clotheslinesThe view out the window into my alley in D.C. is very similar. Not so much laundry, but rugs and towels hang from porches. It's cleaner, most of the rubbish is in cans. Instead of washtubs and baskets the porches and alley are cluttered with storage bins, grills, coolers, etc. Yes, my alley looks very similar. (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, D.C., Great Depression)
Lights Up: 1929
... platforms more appropriate to the task. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/17/2017 - 9:18am -

San Francisco circa 1929. "Dodge Brothers truck at City Hall." Where illumination seems to be the order of the day (or night). 5x7 glass negative. View full size. Shocking?This is very odd - why would there be three enormous, ugly, high-tension electrical towers on the lawn of the City hall? Just to provide lighting of the building? Moreover they don't seem to be connected to anything, or even to each other! [Temporary lighting for an event held in the City Hall plaza. -tterrace] Why we have OSHAWe have a guy with no "personal protective equipment" climbing a (metal) ladder (injury lawyers love ladder manufacturers) towards 12kV while the ladder is mounted on a bouncy truck with no stabilizers. Yikes! [The ladder is wood. - Dave] OK, that's a little better, but still...Yikes. Another fine productof the Dodge Light Truck Division. No change in 88 yearsI like to see how things changed over the years but the bell string wire insulators of 1929 look just like the bell string insulators of today. It's all in your perspectiveThe natty vested ladder climber is nowhere near the tower. To get to the tower from his truck, you'd have to cross the sidewalk, go over a low wall, across another walk, then past the woman on the park bench and finally into the shrubbery. It's a camera lens depth of field effect. It looks as though ladderman is actually going to inspect the ordinary streetlight. [What he's really doing is promoting Dodge Brothers trucks. The Helin glass negatives are not documentary photography; they're publicity photos. - Dave] That said, as someone who worked for a major electric utility for two decades, if city hall called us up and asked for the loan of three or more spare 115kV transmission line towers, double-circuited ones at that complete with pre-installed insulators, to just act as temporary spotlight stands, we'd have laughed our heads off. Then quoted a big price if they were insistent. Those things would have to be assembled and taken down fairly painstakingly. Typically 70 or 80 feet tall, you don't just load 'em on a flatbed and truck 'em on over. They'd be bent up and dinged lying flat. Although, judging by the lack of safety standards they might have done just that given a long enough truck. Crazy. Amazing somebody didn't figure out a cheaper way to build temporary lighting platforms more appropriate to the task. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Gasoline Alley: 1926
... you get when you paint with rattle can. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/06/2012 - 7:00pm -

Washington, D.C., 1926. "Semmes Motor Co. -- Rudolph & West Co. truck." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Dodge BrosThe truck is a Dodge Brothers, you can tell by the DB in the hub caps. The car in the background shows just how great those lacquer paint jobs look when they are new - doesn't last long though. Paint jobAnd the Dodge truck shows what you get when you paint with rattle can. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Surely You Joust: 1927
... considerably quieter operation -- a plus in upper-bracket cars -- though at greater manufacturing cost and, alas, a significant increase ... for ostentatious wealth. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2017 - 2:08pm -

San Francisco circa 1927. "Willys-Knight Model 66 sedan." Note the knight radiator cap. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Once a Knight ...The compound marque name indicates that the car was produced by Willys using a Knight-type engine, i.e., with "sleeve" valves rather than conventional poppets. In the Knight system, a moving sleeve around each cylinder was cam driven to alternately expose and cover intake and exhaust ports. Other than novelty and bragging rights, the sleeve-valve engine provided considerably quieter operation -- a plus in upper-bracket cars -- though at greater manufacturing cost and, alas, a significant increase in oil consumption and attendant "blue" exhaust. All that extra metal going merrily up and down limited attainable RPM as well, but most people springing the premium for a Willys-Knight over a plain vanilla Willys weren't doing it for higher engine speed but, rather, quieter, smoother motoring. A number of luxury makes tried sleeve-valve engines over the years, including Minerva (Belgium), Voisin (France), and several other American brands. Huntington ParkThe car is parked on California Street, on the south side of Huntington Park, on Nob Hlll. Taylor Street, the nearest cross-street, is a short distance to the left. The building to the right is the Flood Mansion, which houses the Pacific-Union Club (a private men's club with ninety-nine members), as it did in 1927. This is the area that gave Nob Hill its reputation for ostentatious wealth. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Sidesaddle Automobilist
... Someone oughta tell her ... her dog is dead. (Cars, Trucks, Buses, G.G. Bain) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/10/2007 - 5:03pm -

Ruth McDonald and roadster circa 1925. View full size. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. (So, who was Ruth McDonald?) She was a woman with a greatShe was a woman with a great hat and a strange fur! Someone oughta tell her... her dog is dead. (Cars, Trucks, Buses, G.G. Bain)
The Wrong Side: 1938
... This scene just about has it all -- forlorn woman, old cars, derelict buildings, turkey, scrap pile, outhouse. Got to be a country ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2017 - 9:26am -

November 1938. "Houses along the railroad tracks. Omaha, Nebraska." Photo by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Omaha? Are you sure?Couple of my Omaha friends and I have been trying to site this shot, but are striking out. First, we have not found Gross Manufacturing in any of the City Directories for the 30's - either before or after 1938. Next, we see a UP and a C&NW box car in the upper left, but the locomotives in the upper right look like CB&Q engines. We are not objecting to the scene as depicting Omaha poverty in the '30's, but are trying to place the buildings and location. No doubt Vachon was photographing in the area of the UP and CB&Q yards in and near the Missouri River (witness the coal-fired power plant earlier) but this shot is tough to place! Some of that turkey's descendants roam my neighborhood even today!!! Lucky TurkeyI'm amazed the gobbler managed to get that big in this neighborhood. He's definitely living on borrowed time. Omaha, Sure?@rcadog: The 1940 Omaha White Pages lists Gross Mfg & Box Co at 610 Leavenworth (ATlantic-9414, if you had a nickel). On today's Google Maps, 610 Leavenworth is between 6th and 7th Streets, about a quarter mile west of the river, and just north of the present-day Amtrak station, which abuts a former rail yard. It is also just west of railroad tracks that run north-south along the west bank of the river. Perhaps the elevated structure in the Shorpy image that ends to the right of the Gross building was a track (or road) leading to/from a bridge over the river. A period map of Omaha might provide the answer. John Vachon, storytellerWow! This scene just about has it all -- forlorn woman, old cars, derelict buildings, turkey, scrap pile, outhouse. Got to be a country song in here somewhere. Bad pressOmaha has not been getting a lot of good PR on Shorpy these last few days. Very slovenly. Cold ComfortI sure hope that small square structure in the left foreground with the lattice work isn't the "necessary". It's going to be awfully cold in Omaha during the winter while using that thing. Gross Manufacturing Co.Merged with Disgusting Products in 1952. Paint and tarpaperWhen looking at Depression era (or even some later) pictures of buildings, I am always struck by the fact that tarpaper is substituting for shingles, and the walls clearly haven't been touched by paint for a long, long time. Even abandoned homes in places like Detroit don't seem to show that level of neglect today. Agreed that those turkeys are living on borrowed time, or their owners are quite vigilant! For those wondering, Yes - this is Omaha in the picture. I found out for sure now that this picture is 100% taken in Omaha. In the attachment of this comment is a picture of this same area but from a different angle. The Harriman Dispatching Center can be seen on the top left of the picture. When you zoom in, you can see the distinct brick patterns that are above the windows. A zoomed-in shot of the brick pattern can be seen in the second attachment, and can be compared with the pattern of the top left building in the first attachment. This means that this picture from 1938 is located where the Conagra Brands buildings are today. It’s Omaha! I was looking myself, but thanks to another Shorpy user, we can confirm it’s Omaha! https://www.reddit.com/r/Omaha/comments/e566he/omaha_ne_during_the_depre... (The Gallery, John Vachon, Kids, Omaha, Railroads)
Smash Hit: 1917
... of Venetian style blind on the outside. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/03/2015 - 9:10am -

Washington, D.C., 1917. "Auto wreck." Our fourth look (one, two, three) at this motoring mishap on Embassy Row at Massachusetts Avenue and 21st Street N.W. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. As if it never happened!No hint of the drama featured there 97 years ago: View Larger Map Exterior blindsI don't ever recall seeing a building with some type of Venetian style blind on the outside. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
1st Women's Fire Dept.: 1929
... net," boys. Oh, the good old days...) (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 1:11pm -

"First Women's Fire Department." At the 1929 Firemen's Labor Day Parade in Washington, D.C. View full size. National Photo Company Collection. Okay......these are GUYS, right? (Ha, ha...very funny "hose" and "life net," boys. Oh, the good old days...) (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Death Car: 1923
... by DC's quadrant system at some point. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 12:11pm -

"Auto wreck. December 31, 1923." Continuing this week's theme of vehicular mishaps on (and off) the roads of Washington, D.C. On New Year's Eve, this car was in the drink. See the comments for details about this fatal accident in the Tidal Basin. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Terrific reportage, stanton_square!Nothing like making the past come alive again! (no pun intended, sorry) This red house may well be 211 10th SW. It's across the street from Google's 212. Mr. Hammen's C Street address no longer exists. May I ask you, please? How were you able to access the coroner's inquest? View Larger Map Look out! It's..."Sergt. Miskell, motorcycle man." I love the image this conjored up in my head. This may become my new online alias. Tidal Plunge 2 Drown When Auto Sinks in Tidal Basin Two men were drowned and another rescued when the automobile in which they were riding crashed through a guard rail and plunged into the Tidal basin, in Potomac park, shortly after midnight. The two victims were trapped in the big touring machine, which was submerged in 18 feet of water. Robert McLeman, 43 years old, 221 Tenth street northwest, threw himself clear of the hurtling car, and was rescued from the basin by park policemen. McLeman said one of the dead men was John Craven, residing at the Tenth street address. All he knew of the other was that he was from Virginia. Washington Post, Dec 26, 1923 Body of Tidal Basin Victim is Identified; Driver of Car Held Scene of Accident Long Considered Peril to Safety of Motorists Essige Hammen, 50 years old, 477 C street southwest, was identified last night at the morgue as the second victim of the accident which carried an automobile, containing three men, into the Tidal basin early yesterday. Funeral services for John J. Craven, 55 years old, 211 Tenth street southwest, Hammen's companion in the automobile, will be held tomorrow in the Church of the Holy Comforter, and at the residence of his sister, Mrs. Mary A. Bellenger, 1216 D street northeast. Interment will be in Mount Olivet cemetary. ... Hammen's identification was established by Samuel Scklattereggia, 481 C street southwest, brother of a huckster who employed him. The condition of Robert McLennan, 43 years old, driver of the automobile, who was rescued from the water by park policemen, was reported much improved at Emergency hospital. He is still under police guard pending an inquest which Dr. Herbert E. Martyn, deputy coroner, said would be help Friday. The automobile is still in 20 feet of water near the southern floodgate of the Tidal basin. Harbor police have no equipment with which to raise it. Whether the engineer commissioner's office would take means to raise the car police could not say. The accident, it is believed, will hasten a reconstruction of the floodgate bridge, which according to Lieut. Col. C.O. Sherrill, in charge of public buildings and grounds, has been a "constant source of danger to motorists. The span is only 25 feet wide and Col. Sherrill has asked for $20,000 appropriation to widen it 10 feet. McLennan said he was turning onto the bridge and, in order to avoid striking a car coming toward him, swerved off sharply. This, he believed, caused a break in his steering gear and he could not control the car. The machine crashed through the iron railing, hurtled 18 feet across a sloping embankment and landed 20 feet out into the basin. McLennan told the police he was driving slowly. McLennan fell clear, but the others were trapped. A passing motorist notified a park policeman several blocks away. Sergt. Miskell, motorcycle man, despatched three other men who reached the sea wall just as McLennan was about to go under a second time. The officers, Sergt. Rease and Private Jenkins and Rainey, formed a human ladder and pulled him ashore. Washington Post, Dec 27, 1923 Robert McLennan was a stone worker and sculptor. At the coroner's inquest, the park policemen who pulled McLennan from the water testified that they had smelled alcohol on his breath. McLennan admitted he had had a glass of wine, but blamed the accident on defective steering apparatus. He was subsequently indicted for murder, which was later reduced to manslaughter. In the end he was acquitted of all charges. He died July 7th, 1927 as a result of injuries suffered in an automobile accident when his car collided with that of Detective Arthur T. Fihelly on July 4th, 1927. Again there were reports of alcohol on his breath after the accident but an inquest failed to reach a conclusion that he had been driving under the influence of liquor. Karma? Update I: Well, maybe not karma. After more careful reading the newspaper reports of the coroner's inquest, McLennan died by what today moght be considered gross negligence, if not criminal action, by the police. McLennan was pinned under the wreckage of his car: after being taken to hospital he was examined for spinal injury. A doctor declared he was "O.K." and the police subsequently carted him off to the police station for questioning. While in police custody, he lost movement and sensation in his legs and was returned to hospital where he died from the consequences of fractured cervical vertebrae and hemorrhage. Update II: In reply to Stinky: Coroner's inquest as reported in Washington Post, July 9th, 1927. Also, the google streetview in Stinky's post is from NE, not SW. Everyone gets screwed up by DC's quadrant system at some point. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Unhitched: 1941
... to get a color --- blue from the cold! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, M.P. Wolcott) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/07/2015 - 3:39pm -

January 1941. "Guests of Sarasota, Fla., trailer park enjoying the sun and sea breeze at the beach." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size. 1940 OldsmobileAt least half of it... Got color?The wrapped up sunshine recipients remind my wife and me of the several times we ventured down to the Gulf coast in winter to get a color --- blue from the cold! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, M.P. Wolcott)
Chicago Noir: 1942
... Yard This a hump yard, where a locomotive pushes cars up a small hill (behind the camera) and the cars are uncoupled individually or in groups to roll down the other side of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/06/2011 - 1:38pm -

December 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. Work goes on twenty-four hours a day at this Chicago and North Western Railroad yard." View full size. Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. C&NW YardThis a hump yard, where a locomotive pushes cars up a small hill (behind the camera) and the cars are uncoupled individually or in groups to roll down the other side of the hump to their respective tracks. The thing on the ground around the rails is a pneumatic retarder that slows the cars to a safe coupling speed by gripping the wheels. The switches are controlled by the towers in the photo. It's an interesting operation to watch. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads, WW2)
Road of the Streamliners: 1939
... and a projecting headlight fairing. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Railroads, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/11/2015 - 11:27am -

"Golden Gate International Exposition, San Francisco, 1939. Transportation hall." Exhibits by General Motors and Union Pacific dominate this view, with TWA, Greyhound and Santa Fe also showing up. 8x10 acetate negative. View full size. $793That's just the down payment, right? UP ChallengersThe Challengers were a fleet of economy passenger trains operating over the Union Pacific/Chicago Northwestern in the late 1930s. Economy meaning all-coach equipment, though the Challengers could still boast larger seats, fine food, and faster service than a Greyhound bus. Not so fast as TWA, but a hell of a lot cheaper. The UP also owned a fleet of 4-6-6-4 steam locomotives called Challengers, the first ever in that wheel arrangement, which would be used by many roads before the end of steam. Santa Fe has come to play, putting on display a large model of their latest GM streamlined locomotive, an E-2 or E-3, difficult to say. Passenger trains in America were always themselves a money-losing endeavor. They were clever advertising more than anything else, the hope being that by offering good service to the traveling public, businessmen in particular, these same people would ship freight through them. Thus all the $$ spent on magazine ads and displays such as this. Model railroad displayIf you look closely you can see a large model railroad display around the base of the pedestal supporting the Santa Fe diesel. This display was built by Minton Cronkhite, one of the early pioneers of the model railroad hobby. Cronkhite built several other large display layouts in the 30s and 40s, including the layout that was in Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry for many years until it was replaced by a more modern one about ten years ago. There is more information about Cronkhite and the Santa Fe's exhibit at the 1939 San Francisco Exhibition here. Vacationland BuildingA far cry from the spectacular exhibits at the New York World's Fair, or even Chicago's Century of Progress a few years earlier! The "Hall of Transportation" was actually part of the Vacationland Building, and it looks more like a crowded trade show than a World's Fair. At least Ford had a separate exhibition hall nearby; for the 1940 season of the fair General Motors stepped up its game and moved into its own building next to Ford. Early passenger dieselsThe model is an E1, all of which were built for the Santa Fe. Besides the paint, the giveaways are the longer slope on the nose and the way the headlight is faired into the body; all the higher-numbered E units had a steeper slope and a projecting headlight fairing. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Railroads, San Francisco)
Private Coach: 1931
... coach bodied by Eureka are also shown. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/24/2017 - 12:59pm -

San Francisco circa 1931. "Pierce-Arrow limousine." Latest entry in the Shorpy File of Funereally Funky Phaetons. 5x7 glass negative by Chris Helin. View full size. Are you sure?A Pierce Arrow without the bigeye headlamps? I'm no expert but that's the first thing I noticed. Also those not period correct 1" whitewall tires. [You're right about one thing. - Dave] Service carIf you look on the back of the car, you will see what looks like a door handle and no trunk rack. This leads me to think that this is some type of service car, along the lines of a private ambulance. Perchance an AmbulanceThe 1924 Pierce Arrow Model 33 Ambulance depicted here https://en.wheelsage.org/pierce-arrow/model_33/79830/pictures/z35bjq/ appears to be a predecessor. Barrett's your visionary tire manNot only did the Akron based India Tire Company manufacture skinny whitewalls in the 1930s, in the late 1920s they offered red striped tires decades before it became a fad in the 1960s. San Francisco City employees could get the same discount as the City Purchasing Agent did—this from the March 1932 edition of the "San Francisco Municipal Record" Born 1926 or EarlierThe hood, wheels, and fenders expose this vehicles origins as a 1921 to early 1926 Pierce-Arrow Series 33. The grouping of the hood louvers in the pattern shown was not used on any other model or during any other model years. By 1931 the hub caps covered the lug nuts as well as the axle ends, and the side mounted spare tires were placed much deeper into the front fenders. Possibly this vehicle was converted to the body style shown here at the time of the photo. When produced without the headlights built into the fenders, most Pierce Arrows of the early 1920s came from the factory with drum style headlights as shown in the photo below of a 1923 Pierce-Arrow Model 33 limousine. A 1924 ambulance and a 1931 Pierce-Arrow funeral coach bodied by Eureka are also shown. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Philly Up: 1943
... From the visible trim looks like a '40. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Jack Delano, Philadelphia) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/30/2017 - 5:03pm -

June 1943. "Miss Ruth Gusick, formerly a clerk in a drugstore, now works as a garage attendant at one of the Atlantic Refining Company service stations in Philadelphia." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. Eveready Dodge Note the Paper Tag tucked under the hood for "Eveready Prestone Anti-Freeze." I recall seeing tags like this letting you know that the car had "Permanent" antifreeze and not alcohol that had to be removed seasonally. Based on the side rail chrome, it's a 1940. Dodgethat ram! From the visible trim looks like a '40. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Jack Delano, Philadelphia)
French Market: 1910
... had to walk on those uneven stones while pulling loaded cars. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 4:03pm -

Circa 1910. "French Market, New Orleans." Our second look at the market at N. Peters and Decatur streets. Detroit Publishing Co. glass negative. View full size. "The House Next Door"J.E. Dodson was an accomplished Broadway actor who appeared in several shows. "The House Next Door" was produced on Broadway by George M. Cohan & Sam Harris in 1909. The French Market is eternalI lived in New Orleans in the late 1970s and early 80s and shopped at the French Market quite often. It's amazing how little it changed from this photo taken seventy years earlier, except for the clothing. I'm sure if I were to visit there again, it would be much the same. Where the horsepower hits the streetJudging by the lack of wires over the tracks, and the generous, ah, deposits between the large cobbles, these tram tracks must have still been horse powered. Keep your skirts up ladies! And yes, we have green bananas! [The streetcars here were electric, powered from the wires seen overhead. - Dave] Mind the gapLook at those gutters.....deep as trenches! It's so pleasant to see Decatur free of bead and T-shirt shops. Central Grocery, half a block from where we're standing, was four years old when this photo was taken. Mr. Dodson... playing in "The House Next Door," advertised on the utility pole, in a photograph taken the same year: Cartoon fodder!There is a little drama going on here between that dog and the cat. Glad the horses were sparedDave is correct, I missed the trolley wires amongst the other overhead wires. Glad that horses no longer had to walk on those uneven stones while pulling loaded cars. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans, Stores & Markets)
The Pergola-Casino: 1911
... while taking in the picturesque view." (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Eateries & Bars, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/09/2019 - 7:50pm -

Lake George, New York, circa 1911. "The Pergola-Casino, Fort William Henry Hotel." Two years après-feu. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The GrottoAfter visiting The Casino, we might go to The Grotto, provided that it has been rebuilt as well. Read the Hotel's history here. The carOn the left is a 1911 Packard. The plate is visible so if the records existed we would know whose car it was. New in 1911From https://www.fortwilliamhenry.com/resort-overview/history/: "A year after the fire [in 1909], the hotel’s owners, the Delaware & Hudson Railroad, committed to rebuilding a much smaller hotel that would accommodate around 150 guests. On June 17, 1911, the second Fort William Henry Hotel opened for business. The white stucco building was 3 stories with a red tile roof, and was designed to be less susceptible to a catastrophic fire, like the one that destroyed the first hotel. While the hotel itself was smaller, the emphasis on being a lavish resort remained. The most notable new feature was the marble and concrete pergola along the lakefront. A walkway connected the hotel to the pergola. Guests would cross a bridge over the shore road which is now the location of the Beach Road public parking lot. People danced to music provided by a resident orchestra, and enjoyed refreshments while taking in the picturesque view." (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Eateries & Bars, Kids)
Caught in Passing: 1941
... business coupe Could be Marlowe. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, Edwin Rosskam) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/05/2014 - 12:42pm -

April 1941. "Street scene, Chicago 'Black Belt'." 35mm nitrate negative by Edwin Rosskam for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Nice TouchA bit of motion blur on the Shorpy logo. Nice. 1937 Plymouth business coupeCould be Marlowe. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, Edwin Rosskam)
The Louvers of Power: 1954
... "louvers" actualy mean venetian blinds? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Theodor Horydczak) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/25/2017 - 7:32pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1954. "General Accounting Office, G Street N.W. -- International Nickel Co., installation of louvers." 8x10 acetate negative by that impresario of esoteric architectural imagery, Theodor Horydczak. View full size. Rare street scene in early 50's.Not a Ford or Chevrolet in sight. Monolithic MonstrosityAnd it's still there. Louvers? Blinds?Could "louvers" actualy mean venetian blinds? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Theodor Horydczak)
Bright Eyes: 1931
... The amazing and rewarding Shorpy! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/08/2015 - 11:48am -

San Francisco circa 1931. "Auburn at Golden Gate Park." This feline phaeton is the latest entry in the Shorpy Catalog of Discontinued Conveyances. 5x7 inch glass negative by automotive amanuensis Christopher Helin. View full size. Bargain KittyAuburns of almost any description were decided bargains in the '30s, offering splendid performance, mechanical excellence, and beautiful factory bodies that rivaled those available from brands like Packard and Cadillac, and for a relative pittance. Lamentably, Auburn and its siblings, the legendary Duesenberg and the innovative Cord, suffered not only from a hostile economic climate in which to market but also from the disastrous financial machinations of company CEO E.L. Cord, and had disappeared by 1937. Amanuensis I had to look that one up, and now I know a new word! The amazing and rewarding Shorpy! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Island Queen: 1907
... vents in the sidewalk for subways). The wheels of the cars going over them make a noise that has led to the Roebling sometimes being ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 2:39pm -

The Coney Island Co. side-wheeler Island Queen passing beneath the Roebling Suspension Bridge on the Ohio River between Covington, Kentucky, and Cincinnati in 1907. View full size. Detroit Publishing Co. If this bridge looks familiarit's because John Roebling, its designer and builder, is the same man who started building the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC. His son, Washington Roebling, finished it after John died. Roebling BridgeHow cool, it really is a smaller twin of the Brooklyn Bridge. Wow, I lived and grew upWow, I lived and grew up just a couple miles from where that picture was taken. Have stood on that exact spot even I think. Very cool, and amazing that the bridge is still going strong. You can't tell from the photo, but the road 'surface' is actually steel grates (like vents in the sidewalk for subways). The wheels of the cars going over them make a noise that has led to the Roebling sometimes being called the 'Singing Bridge'. Two bridgesConstruction on the Roebling bridge was actually begun before work on the Brooklyn bridge. however, due to worries of Confederate advances into the industrial heart of Ohio, work was halted, and the Brooklyn bridge was completed first, making it the world's first completed suspension bridge. +101Below is the same view from August of 2008 looking north across the Ohio River toward Cincinnati from Covington, Kentucky. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cincinnati Photos, DPC)
Traffic-Stopper: 1928
... came into the driver's field of view. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/21/2018 - 12:34am -

San Francisco, 1928. "Pontiac at Golden Gate Park." Not to worry, that dent should Photoshop right out. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Dented FenderBack when a fender was really a fender. What dent?If only car repair was this easy. Parking by BrailleBack in the day, right-front dents were extremely common due to the high hood lines that blocked the driver's view of the offside fender -- an obvious hazard in close quarters. Even though this had been a major consumer complaint for many years, it took stylists until the late '40s to begin to flatten hoods and raise fender lines to the point that the right front corner of the car came into the driver's field of view. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
The New Nash: 1921
... 1917 edition of the Washington Times. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/20/2013 - 2:15pm -

"Nash sedan, 1921." The pride of Kenosha, parked somewhere in Washington. 8x6 inch glass negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size. Henry Frain 1866-1940"Henry Frain -- Painting" reads the sign reflected in the car window. Very possibly this guy: "Mr. Frain, a native and lifelong resident of Washington, was the son of the late Davis and Maria Frain. He succeeded his father in business as a painting contractor." http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=43052291 1343 14th Street NW?I found this ad in the Sunday, April 22, 1917 edition of the Washington Times. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Wash Walker: 1939
... The Chevy is probably a 1935 model. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, M.P. Wolcott) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/29/2015 - 9:10pm -

        For millions of women across America in the first half of the 20th century, working from home might mean "taking in wash" for another family. November 1939. "Negro woman carrying laundry home along highway between Durham and Mebane, North Carolina." 35mm nitrate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Crossing a lineThe driver seems somewhat distracted by all the photographic goings-on. EarlierThe Chevy is probably a 1935 model. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, M.P. Wolcott)
The Bucking Buick II
... View full size. G.G. Bain Collection. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, G.G. Bain, NYC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 11:52am -

Roy Repp circa 1915 in his bucking Buick. View full size. G.G. Bain Collection. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, G.G. Bain, NYC)
Swiping Coal: 1917
... Southern rail yard. Whenever there was a line of coal cars parked in the yard the word soon spread all around Goat Hill, Remington ... ant hill intruder. Some of the boys would climb up the cars and start kicking the mounds of coal to the adults and young girls below ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/30/2020 - 2:36pm -

"Swipin’ coal from the freight yards." Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. April 1917. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Swipin' CoalMy father told us that he would look for coal along the tracks putting the finds into a burlap bag. This would have been around 1930 in the Wilson section of Clairton, PA. Swipin' CoalMy grandmother, who is 101, tells how she and her brother would go and collect coal that fell from the train, so they would have heat. Her father had abandoned the family and her mother did laundry to keep them alive. My grandmother said that sometimes the train folks even threw out coal on purpose for them. Swipin' CoalI live in Australia and steam locomotives ran the rails until the 1970's. In the mining village where I lived the last steam locomotive was retired in October 1967 and replaced by a diesel-hydraulic GE 44 tonner. As a young boy, I lived very close to the railroad tracks. My mum would send my brothers and me off with a metal bucket to pick up loose coal that fell from the locomotive tender as it went about its business. We were lucky though. The engineer, a chap named Laurie, was a family friend and sometimes he would stop and shovel coal into our buckets to save us some time. Great Photo! It brought back a good memory. Rackin' CoalIn the early 1900s my father along with three sisters and four brothers lived in an area in Baltimore then known as Goat Hill (long forgotten now) just off the end of 25th street and not far from what is now a Norfolk Southern rail yard. Whenever there was a line of coal cars parked in the yard the word soon spread all around Goat Hill, Remington and Hampden and an army of adults and kids would swarm the area like fire ants on an ant hill intruder. Some of the boys would climb up the cars and start kicking the mounds of coal to the adults and young girls below while others kept a eye out for any bulls (railroad cops). My Irish grandmother, Estella "Stella" Mannion, even though a very devout Catholic, did not put this in the realm of stealing with her socialist reasoning being that the Big Railroad Men were cheating and stealing from the working people it was only right the working people get something back that was stolen from them. Goat Hill supposedly came from the goats the families kept in their backyards for their milk. My father and uncles always bragged they grew up so strong and handsome because of the goat milk. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, OKC)
Mona Lisa: 1920
... yet fallen to redevelopment: (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/14/2016 - 3:09pm -

San Francisco circa 1920. "Studebaker Special Six touring car at Mona Lisa apartments." Fitted with yet another variation on the "California top." 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Still thereIt got an Art Deco makeover at some point (and lost the awning), but it hasn't yet fallen to redevelopment: (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
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