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Terminal Warehouse: 1939
... Another Stewart truck is shown here . (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Minneapolis-St. Paul) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/14/2019 - 3:00pm -

September 1939. "Trucks loading at terminal warehouse. Minneapolis, Minnesota." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Deere & Webber Co.Next door to the Ferrin Transfer Co. we see the Deere & Webber company, which was a "branch house" of the John Deere company that we know today. Webber was a grandson of John Deere. Parking rampOblique aerial view - the parking ramp toward the lower right is in the location of the Ferrin Transfer building. Truck IDL-R: Stewart, Diamond T, Chevrolet. Another Stewart truck is shown here. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Minneapolis-St. Paul)
Surfside '64
... for that. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Florida, Found Photos, Miami) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2015 - 5:56pm -

1964. "Miami Beach from Indian Creek." The Fontainebleau Hotel at left. Medium format color transparency, photographer unknown. View full size. Olds, Pontiac, Chevy, oh my!Seems Miami Beach prefers GM vehicles. I see a couple Ramblers and a lot of Falcons and a few other Fords, but the majority seem to be GM product. Goldfinger?This looks an awful lot like the Miami Beach location that kicks off GOLDFINGER (1964) or very close to it. [There's a reason for that. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Florida, Found Photos, Miami)
Dune Buggy: 1926
... Lovely homes for working class families. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, Railroads, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2017 - 8:57am -

San Francisco, 1926. "Paige sedan -- Great Highway." The perambulating Paige last spied here. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Question!That does not look like normal railroad track. Any idea as to what is going on? [Streetcar tracks, possibly for the N Judah Line, which opened in 1928. It ends at Ocean Beach. -tterrace] Streetcar TracksThe girder rail and close spacing of the two tracks are dead giveaways. Watch the GrooveIndeed, those tracks are for what we always called "streetcars." Had to be careful of the groove. Schwinn bike tires could drop in and jam up. I had a Murray Ohio which had fatter tires. Still, steer clear of the groove. I remember in the 50s that there were men in their large coveralls who lubricated the curved tracks. The only sand dunes left were at the future site of St. Ignatius High School in the outer Sunset District. My parents' house, southeast of this shot, had just been built in 1924. Framed in solid redwood, rough cut. Lath and plaster walls. Lovely homes for working class families. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, Railroads, San Francisco)
Buick Transport: 1940
... is here . - Dave] (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/27/2007 - 1:39pm -

February 1940. Courthouse and auto transport carrying Buicks in Chillicothe, Ohio. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the FSA. Enhanced?Is this picture "photoshop-enhanced"? If yes, can we see the original version? [I'm not sure what you mean by "enhanced." The uncropped version of this photograph is here. The 20mb tiff that was used to create it is here. - Dave] (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Main Street: 1907
... (Rochester, NY), Friday, May 28, 1915. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Rochester, Stores & Markets, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/07/2013 - 8:53am -

Circa 1907. "Main Street, Rochester, N.Y." At left, the renowned Hotel Eggleston. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Noticeably AbsentI'm not seeing any dentists on the upper floors or "chop suey" signs as we usually do in these street scenes, but I do see two people balancing themselves on the roof of the Burke Fitzsimmons building. As for the variety of dime stores all in a row, that is how they used to be lined up in cities when I was a kid, so that would be the location I'd do most of my shopping. Toys were not packaged but were loose and touchable in compartments on the counter tops and cookies and candy were sold by the lb. from glass windowed cases where a lady would weigh them out on a scale and bag them for you. Good times. Long gone from the corner of Stone St. and West Main, the Hotel Eggleston has been supplanted by the modern Hyatt Regency just down the block. The two 5 story buildings on the near right side of the picture were newly constructed at the time this photo was taken, their predecessors having been destroyed in the disastrous Sibley's Fire of 1904. The tall building at right center is the Granite Building, which survived the great fire and all the intervening years up to the present. Most of the other structures visible in this scene are gone now except for the Powers Building tower in the distant background. It's always amazing to see the level of pedestrian and commercial activity in these old photos. Nowadays these same downtown streets are fairly barren of midday activity except around the bus shelters. Advertising OpportunityBare wall, approximately 70 feet high, rising above it's building on one corner of Breaker Street across from Burke Fitzsimons. Perfect billboard for Uneeda Biscuit, Fletcher's Castoria, Coca Cola, Kodak or Starbucks. The View TodayFurther to Robo's description, here's what it looks like today. The most desirable articlesFrom The Catholic Journal (Rochester, NY), Friday, May 28, 1915. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Rochester, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Factoryville: 1901
... of being able to load heavy goods directly into freight cars parked on your own siding. Almost makes it seem easy. What a great ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/20/2012 - 10:49am -

Chelsea, Michigan, circa 1901. "Glazier Stove Company, general view." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Private SidingIn the days before trucking, imagine the convenience of being able to load heavy goods directly into freight cars parked on your own siding. Almost makes it seem easy. What a great model train layoutI can imagine a huge person in the background, towering over this scene, and a giant hand setting that two-horse freight wagon in place on the other side of the tracks. Lionelville, nexxxxt stop! Get yer tickets ready. Like TopsyIt looks as if the factory "just grew," with a small house right in the middle and various sizes and shapes of buildings going up as needed. And they were equally casual about corporate identity back then. It's like the brass just let the sign painter pick his own lettering style for each building. Or her own, in the case of the one with the little flowery things. Cool PictureI like this picture a lot. Especially the "Railroad Crossing" sign, and the two men at the bottom at the screen. The man on the right looks like he's translucent. OventrepreneurThought the company name had something to do with the manufacturing process, but in fact Glazier Stove Works was owned by Frank Porter Glazier. Somebody give me a handLet's grab that handcar and go for a ride. Oh, how I've always wanted to do that! Home of the RangesA selection of images and maps posted by various folks. I have tweaked the coding and resized the images to make everything behave. Click the pics to enlarge or for more info. View Larger Map WeathervanesThere are at least two weathervanes visible here. The one on the tall pole on building No. 12 has an apparatus for measuring wind velocity, if I am not mistaken. (The Gallery, DPC, Glazier Stove Works, Railroads)
Apocalypse Monday: 1924
... or to bring customers to their doors. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/13/2013 - 7:21pm -

Washington, D.C., 1924. "Ford Motor Co. -- Manhattan Laundry trucks." Emblazoned with the ominous slogan WASH DAY DOOMED. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Florida Ave. N.W.Manhattan Laundry —With the Famous Net Bag System 1336-1346 Florida Ave. N.W. "Make mine Manhattan"My folks used Manhattan, and at that time the jingle was "Make mine Manhattan, Manhattan laundry for me." My mother was a typical '50s wife in a lot ways, but she drew the line at doing my father's shirts. The Final TrumpetInteresting selection of after-market klaxons on these trucks. The Model T of this era was delivered with a weedy sounding buzzer for a horn, not loud enough to raise the dead, or to bring customers to their doors. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
High Modern: 1960
... tires, were were a short-lived affectation on sports cars. The Four Seasons Restaurant Is one of the most beautiful and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/25/2015 - 8:08pm -

July 8, 1960. "New York City views. Seagram Building plaza, from 400 Park Avenue roof." Large-format negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. ThorndaleThis one has a North by Northwest feel to it. InfluentialHigh modern, indeed. It was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, with lobby and some interiors by Philip Johnson, two of the biggest names in modernism. Mies incorporated as many modernist features as he could - little or no ornamentation, the steel structure within reflected by the exterior bronze beams, glass curtain walls, even down to ensuring uniformity in the window shades (down, up or halfway, nothing else). For good or ill, it influenced the design of hundreds of glass box skyscrapers around the world. Steak Dinner $1.95Al Schacht played pro baseball for only three years, pitching for the Senators from 1919 to 1921, but he coached third base for over a dozen years, first for Washington and then for the Red Sox. Being a funny guy, he went into comedy as a solo act and entertained the troops during the war. He opened his restaurant after the war. The menus were round, like big baseballs. British invasion!Amidst the all-American dinosaurs roaming the Summer streets of Gotham on that fine day we spy at least two "Englishmen in New York". An Austin-Healy 3000 roadster, and (I believe) a Hillman Minx. There's a third one just entering frame from the left that I can't I.D. -- anyone else? Car spottingIn row by the curb: 1960 Oldsmobile, Two Tone something, 57 Mercury, Foreign something, 57 Chevy Convertible, 57 Ford, 59 Ford. Those are the easy ones, someone else will have to do the rest. The third "mystery car"Appears to me to be a Simca Vedette, a pretty rare piece in the U.S. even in those Euro-car-loving days. French auto imports were mainly Citroen D-Series, Peugeots and various Renaults. Simcas were quite thin on the ground. The parked Austin-Healey appears to have whitewall tires, were were a short-lived affectation on sports cars. The Four Seasons RestaurantIs one of the most beautiful and famous dining places in New York City. With a bubbling white pool and four seasonally-changing trees at each corner, the Pool Room is breathtakingly beautiful. The Pool Room features The Four Seasons' signature shimmering chain curtains and a collection of furnishings and tablewear that are part of the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection. There are currently highly controversial plans for making changes to this iconic room. [Actually the plan is to kick the restaurant out when its lease expires next year. - Dave] Clown Prince of BaseballWashington Senator pitcher and coach, Al Schacht, served up steaks and the requisite "trimmings" for many years at the location shown. As a kid, I ate there a few times with my parents, and remember being fascinated by the menus, really two-dimensional baseballs. Several hints dropped during the waiter's presence failed to get me one, however. Fin LandAh those wonderful, massive rear fenders of the 50's and 60's. DocumentaryI remember this plaza from the documentary The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces where the film examined the use of the plaza and urban spaces by humans. Lever HouseThe iconic modernist office building, Lever House at 390 Park, shows a corner of itself on the right hand side. Precursor to (by 6 years) and companion of the Seagram Building, Lever's innovative design provided a more usable plaza and a more graciously sized mass but was always overshadowed by its stiff neighbor, aptly named Seagram. (And it was designed by American Gordon Bunshaft rather than a guy named Ludwig.) He must be there somewhereTrying to spot Don Draper in this shot. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Too Much Fun: 1923
... A-22 Sedan, original list price $1365 (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C.) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/14/2011 - 11:20am -

October 5, 1923. Washington, D.C. "Galen Gough." The war hero and former invalid Galen Gough, known as the "Miracle Strong Man" after recovering from having his head caved in by bomb shrapnel in France. Seen earlier here and here. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. DurantThe car is a 1923 Durant Model A-22 Sedan, original list price $1365 (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C.)
Yosemite Cadillac: 1919
... You just cropped tight and were a hero. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, W. Stanley) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2015 - 6:13pm -

The high Sierras circa 1919. "Cadillac touring car at Yosemite in snow." With the Sentinel Hotel in the background. 6½x8½ inch glass negative. View full size. Sentinel Hotel"Near view of the three-story Sentinel Hotel, early 1920s, Yosemite Valley; with three autos parked along street, and valley cliffs in distance." From the San Joaquin Valley & Sierra Foothills Photo Heritage. Artist Beautiful photograph. The talent of the photographer comes through and makes me all that more envious of what was accomplished when considering the materials and processes that they worked with back in the day. [Those "materials and processes" are why the photo turned out so well. Giant glass negatives make better pictures than smaller-format film. - Dave] Medium- and large-format negsChurchkey, in the mid-to-late 1960s, we couldn't use 35mm as it wasn't considered, at least by the folks who ran the newspaper I worked on, as a professional format. I didn't care, as I loved my medium-format twin-lens relex Rolleis and Mamiya cameras. Plus, especially with large-format film like in the Speed Graphics, shooting ball games was much easier than with a 35mm. As long as you pointed in the right direction and tripped the shutter at the right time, the action was somewhere on that big neg. You just cropped tight and were a hero. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, W. Stanley)
Work Zone: 1930
... stretch of roadway. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/02/2015 - 3:49pm -

San Francisco in 1930. "Oldsmobile sedan on Alemany Boulevard." On the sunny side of the street. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. San Jose Ave.Looking back at 1930 aerial photos. I believe this is actually San Jose Avenue in lieu of Alemany Boulevard as stated above. In the attached aerial you can make out the two bridges. Also in Google Earth street view you can still clearly make out the roof lines on the left in the above photo (though the bridges have been modified slightly). Alternate TrinityA line from one of my favorite movies: "Some men are Catholics, some men are Protestants; my father was an OLDSMOBILE man." The steamroller is goneBut much of this scene is still there. Alemany is now to the south of here. The odd shaped double house with the doglegs is still there, the 2 halves painted 2 different colors, and they replaced the center piers of the 2 bridges with very odd squared off arches. Right city, wrong street.Following this great site for a couple years now but this is my first comment. Alemany Boulevard in S.F. is not depressed like this. This has to be the modern day San Jose Avenue, which used to be Bernal Street in the 1930s. The bridges are the same except modified to clear span across the road bed and the road is now a divided highway with the Muni Metro light rail tracks in the middle. Edited 1/3/15: The embankments in the original photo are quite steep and the one on the left appears to approach a 1:1 slope (45 degrees). This is always a concern for engineers as the slope could erode and possibly fail depositing whatever is at the top to the bottom, in this case houses. The Google Street View shows they mitigated that by installing a higher retaining wall to reduce the incline. On another note, you can see the stairs beyond each bridge still exist if you "drive" up the street in Street View. View Larger Map Falling RockA common sign on the roads of my youth. Could have used a few on this stretch of roadway. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Ah, Wilderness: 1941
... this is but definitely a '40 Stude! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Collier) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/20/2012 - 11:37am -

October 1941. "Mohawk Trail picnic park in Massachusetts. Folks from the mill towns come up on week-ends to view the fall foliage and read the Sunday paper." Medium-format nitrate negative by John Collier. View full size. Reasonable IdeaDrive way up into the forest and read your paper without all the big city distractions. Makes perfect sense. Mohawk Park on the Mohawk TrailI grew up about twenty miles from Mohawk Park, in northwestern Massachusetts. It was located on the Mohawk Trail, on the way to Albany, NY, on Route 2. Spent a few Sundays under the raised arms of the Mohawk Indian statue at the entrance to the park. Lots of nice sunny days. I mostly remember the crisp fall days and sometimes the spring days. It was right on the river there. Don't recall the name of the river, its been 45+ since I've been back for more than a quick visit. Its still there though with lots of tables and things for picnicking and day use. RiverThat would be the Deerfield River We need a brand, type & year for the car!Where are the car fetishists? We need a brand, type & year! Come on boys, you are always the first to react. (I am a bit late, but had other things to do the last months: the moving of our food bank, which provides more than 400 clients a food supply each week). Studebakering!Never been to Mohawk Park but have spent many an hour behind the wheel of a 1940 Studebaker President Eight similar to this one (though mine was a 2 door Club Sedan). The Commander Six was nearly identical so no way to tell which this is but definitely a '40 Stude! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Collier)
Amity Hall: 1937
... of the it's intersection with Bass Ln. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Edwin Locke) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2017 - 1:15pm -

August 1937. "Automobile convoys at Amity Hall, Pennsylvania. Truckers' facilities are, according to the drivers, model accommodations and of a kind not found elsewhere." Photo by Edwin Locke, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Amity Hall MemoriesDuring the course of my lifetime-I'm approaching 70-I've watched Amity Hall deteriorate from a hotel/restaurant (my dad liked the sandwiches) to a roadhouse tavern to an abandoned hulk with a heartbreaking hole in its roof to a pointless exit. Economic evolution, I suppose, but it was still a good place in the '60s and '70s. Lotta... Dodges. [And Plymouths. -tterrace] Not Much LeftFive vandals set fire to the hotel in May of 2009, but firefighters were able to stop the blaze before the building was entirely lost. Here's a great drone flyover of the area done a few years ago: The remains of the hall were bulldozed recently as seen in Google Maps with only the land scars remaining near the Amity Hall exit of US 22/322, East of River Rd South of the it's intersection with Bass Ln. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Edwin Locke)
Eureka: 1925
... any children were born in the 1920s. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, W. Stanley) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/24/2014 - 8:50am -

Circa 1925. "Man pointing at California State Automobile Association signage; woman with pennant reading BOOST THE REDWOOD HIGHWAY." A souvenir from the early days of motoring, when signage was a do-it-yourself affair, with routes marked and mapped by automobile clubs. 6½x8½ inch glass negative originally from the Wyland Stanley collection of San Francisciana. View full size. Garberville, not just 39but 39 and 5/10 miles. A Family ConnectionMy mother worked her way through San Jose State Teachers College by waiting table at a Redwood Highway resort called Lane's Redwood Flats, and after graduation taught school in Willits. One of these days I'll have to get off my duff and scan in some of the pictures from her album. Hasn't changed muchThis would be at or near the intersection of Bell Springs Road and current US 101 (Redwood Highway) about ten miles north of Laytonville. The area is still as bucolic as it appears in the picture -- Bell Springs Road is a twisty, graded gravel road, its routing likely unchanged since this picture was taken, and 101 is mostly two-lane road into and through Laytonville. Oh Lord,The styles! It's a wonder any children were born in the 1920s. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, W. Stanley)
The Candy Kid: 1926
... had similar candy judges on his route. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 10:29pm -

Washington, Sixth and L streets S.W., circa 1926. "Semmes Motor Co. J.W. Hurley truck." National Photo Co. Collection glass negative. View full size. Long GoneView Larger Map From the look of things everything in this photograph was torn down long ago. Even the intersection itself was obliterated. Ohhhh...So the rim clamps onto the spoked part of the wheel? Gotcha. I learn something new everyday around here. Thanks Dave! Dings and dentsLooks like this truck had a few scrapes with some eager kiddies! I always wondered about those spare tires without rims. How where you supposed to change that along the roadside? Wouldn't you need a tire machine, and air pump? Was the extra tire just for use when you were towed to the garage? [This spare is already on a rim. - Dave] Fortified TreesI'm surprised the trees are gone, they appear to be well protected in their fortifications. Also I remember the iron fencing from my childhood in Philadelphia. We used to jump over the fences in the alley, occasionally our pants would get caught on the post and rip. It didn't hurt as much as explaining to our mothers how our pants ripped. One more question for Dave, is the lady or brand advertised on the poster in the window identified? [Afraid not. - Dave] Thank you for another glimpse into American Life. Aaah! The Candy man!When we were kids my grandfather owned a small grocery store. He sold mostly penny candies from a large glass display in front. If you had a nickel, it might take 10 minutes to decided exactly how to spend it all. There was a candy man named Ralph. He would show up every two weeks with a station wagon full of candy to restock the display. My sister and I and our five cousins knew when Ralph was due to return. I remember dancing around yelling "The candy man's here!" when Ralph's station wagon pulled up to the store. Ralph would have us kids try all his new candies. We became his trusted panel of candy judges. Grandpa usually bought his candy based on our opinions. I'll bet this candy man had similar candy judges on his route. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Car Merry-Go-Round: 1908
... the mystery of the haunted toy show... (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Christmas, G.G. Bain, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2012 - 1:17pm -

Merry-go-round display at Madison Square Garden toy show, 1908. View full size. George Grantham Bain Collection. Oooooo ...This is like something out of an Edward Gorey cartoon. Jeepers!Go get the gang and we'll solve the mystery of the haunted toy show... (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Christmas, G.G. Bain, Kids)
Brougham Alone: 1927
... out under the name Graham-Paige. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/28/2016 - 4:11pm -

San Francisco circa 1927. "Paige 6-45 Brougham -- $1350 as equipped," it says on the front of the car. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. The shoesDon't look quite big enough. 2016 PaigeThe car today would cost $18,475, although in this condition would be worth a lot more. New Addition Coming Soon1927 was the last model year for the (just plain) Paige name. The company was bought by the Graham Brothers that year and the 1928 models were brought out under the name Graham-Paige. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Covert Auction: 1938
... a 1928 or 1929 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dorothea Lange, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/28/2017 - 3:33pm -

July 1938. Douglas, Georgia. "Wife of sharecropper in town to sell their crop at the tobacco auction." Medium format negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size. I'll betThat she's not much over 40. That's a tough life. Those handsThat is a hard-working woman right there. The CarIf I am not mistaken, the car appears to be a 1928 or 1929 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dorothea Lange, Kids)
Mr. and Mrs C. J. Franklin
... Image features a Mr. and Mrs C. J. Franklin and their cars. They appear to have taken a famous trip from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, ... (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Very Old Ads) ... 
 
Posted by crackdog - 09/20/2011 - 11:07pm -

Photos are original and glued to newspaper layout with original illustrations drawn directly on the board. Image features a Mr. and Mrs C. J. Franklin and their cars. They appear to have taken a famous trip from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington in 1907. Bottom image is from 1915 or later. View full size. The story behind this photocan be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/crackdog/4964398188/ (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Very Old Ads)
Stump Ranchers: 1939
... well established in the US and Canada and using tractors, cars, motorbikes, etc. They were also upstanding members of their ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 12:31pm -

October 1939. The Unruf family. Mennonite wheat farmers from Kansas, now developing a stump ranch in Boundary County, Idaho. The mother, father and hardworking 15-year-old son with other children in yard before the barn. Father and son have cleared 30 acres of raw stump land in three years. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the FSA. View full size. Mennonite?There are more than one flavor of Mennonite. Church and community "rules" can vary from place to place. One of the reasons the Mennonites and Amish went their separate ways long, long ago was over the issue of modernization, the Amish preferring an even more conservative approach than the Mennonites. German Mennonite farmers in Russia in the 19th century (my family) readily adopted modern farming techniques and steam powered farm equipment. By 1939 my family was well established in the US and Canada and using tractors, cars, motorbikes, etc. They were also upstanding members of their congregations and in some cases were pastors in addition to being farmers. For a look at how much things can vary even amongst the modern day Amish (some coverage of the Old Order Mennonites also) visit the very excellent blog: http://amishamerica.typepad.com/amish_america/ Doug Mennonite? Maybe.Certainly not old order/traditional--they have zippers instead of buttons, the females' heads are uncovered and they have a truck instead of a horse and buggy. You could not tell these people are Mennonite by any characteristic. Having been around them all my life, this is odd. UnruhI have to agree that Unruh seems to be more likely - my grandmother was an Unruh and I grew up Mennonite, we weren't old order Mennonites. One interesting thing I found in researching my Mennonite roots is the fact that Mennonites in Russia were well known distillers of brandy while here in America they became teetotalers. Spelling?My family background is Mennonite and we have some Unruh people in one branch of the family. Yes, that's an h on the end, not an f. I've not heard of the Unruf name variation before so perhaps there's a typo somewhere between 1939 and now? No matter, wonderful photo as are most all of them on Shorpy. Doug [I agree, Unruh seems more likely to be correct. Although the family's name is spelled Unruf in the four LOC caption records. - Dave] (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange, Kids, Rural America)
Four O'Clock Shadow: 1941
... jingle that I can't get out of my head?) (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/11/2020 - 11:54am -

March 1941. "Newport News, Virginia. Shipyard employees getting out at 4 p.m." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Made this crossing many timesI used to work NNSYDDC back in 1985-'87 and made this crossing many times, but the trolley was long gone by then. I'm sure with WWII right around the corner, that rush crowd would have been like human soup. [WW2 and the U.S. Government's Emergency Shipbuilding Program were already well underway by March 1941, which is why John Vachon was assigned to take these photos. - Dave] Those leaping Rams on their hoodsIdentify two Dodges, the one on the left practically new from 1940 and the one on the right from the mid-'30s with its still fabric roof center. The middle car is just a Chevrolet. In one hourthese men will be removing the dreaded five o'clock shadow. (Was it the Gillette Blue Blades jingle that I can't get out of my head?) (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Streetcars)
Starry Starry Night: 1940
... drive those tall, ungainly, skinny-tired, rear-wheel-drive cars on ice like that! The Real Skinny Heretical though the idea may ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/21/2020 - 12:07pm -

December 1940. "Trailer parked near service station. Bath, Maine." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. On Route 1, I would guessI lived in Maine for 25 years, and this feels like home to me. Heat it to beat it.I wonder if they move out of the house in the background and into the smaller trailer in the foreground because it's easier and cheaper to heat in the winter? Looks like an "addition" has been added to the trailer to lower the chance of winter claustrophobia. That light in the window sure looks warm and homey. [The trailers in these photos were housing for war workers at the Bath shipyard and iron works. - Dave] The sky is fallingLook at the stars. It must have been a long exposure time and I imagine the photographer would have to be patient in that cold. But the exposure time and the cold air made the image really sharp and bright. War of the Worlds?Either this photo was a long exposure or there was an alien attack. Yikes!My hat is off to anyone who could drive those tall, ungainly, skinny-tired, rear-wheel-drive cars on ice like that! The Real SkinnyHeretical though the idea may seem today, those skinny tires were quite capable in winter traction conditions. Instead of maximizing flotation, as do modern wider tires, they tended to cut through snow and ice and get to the bottom of things. However, that is not a desirable characteristic in deep mud, where it is obviously best to stay on top. Lights, camera ...There is something about incandescent lights that make a scene feel so warm. We have three 1950s-era radial-wave streetlights on our long-ish driveway and I just love the light they cast off. Ever Slower Grinding MoanThis frigid scene reminds me of the pleasures of starting an icy cold carbureted engine with a 6-volt electrical system. Pull out the choke, press the accelerator deeply two or three times, turn on the ignition switch, press the starter peddle with your toe, position your left foot on the accelerator peddle and hope. A cold winter night in MaineI can just hear those 6 volt batteries groaning in the morning trying to turn those engines over. Grinding moanI learned to drive in the seventies on an automatic, in a very cold place (Winnipeg), and my dad always warned me that on the coldest days you had only one crack. Press the gas pedal to the floor and, as you ever-so-slowly eased up on it, turn the key and don’t let up till the motor catches. If it didn’t turn over, you’d get that depressing, fading, dying sound (Phare Pleigh’s grinding moan), which meant you had to give it a few minutes rest so as not to flood it, and even then, good luck with that second try. Hello darknessAs a kid, I marveled at the brilliance of stars in the pitch black night sky. When the mercury vapor lights started showing up on the occasional farm, they were almost like earthbound stars. These days the sky stays a dim gray all night long from all the city lights. I envy those folks who live out west where they can still enjoy the night. (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Jack Delano)
Tire Jockey: 1943
... doesn't look posed. I am impressed. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Jack Delano, Philadelphia) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/02/2017 - 11:35pm -

June 1943. "Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Miss Natalie O'Donald, service station attendant at an Atlantic Refining Company garage." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Before you feel bad-15 cents a gallon back in 1943 = $2.11 today. About the same difference. Not for the Faint of HeartPopping a bead and pulling out the inner tube is not an easy job and based on her greasy forearms, this doesn't look posed. I am impressed. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Jack Delano, Philadelphia)
A Streetcar Called Euclid: 1905
... it without the "Since 1872" comment. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Cleveland, DPC, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/20/2014 - 9:14am -

Circa 1905. "Union League Club building, Cleveland." See you to-night in White City at the "Hilarity Parade." 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Since 1872!“The Union Club is to be by no means a mere hall of conviviality. It will be a place where cultured gentlemen will meet to read and discuss the topics of the day... Properly conducted, such a club becomes the social and intellectual force of a community, the stimulant of a broader culture, and worthier growth.” View Larger Map Never would have known I went by that building every work day for over 2 years, working in the next building down the street. I never would have recognized it without the "Since 1872" comment. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Cleveland, DPC, Streetcars)
Ramblin' Man: 1918
... not original, not being louvred. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/24/2016 - 3:53pm -

San Francisco circa 1918. "Studebaker." Well-used, with traveling cases marked "R.J.W." and "L.A." 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. What's that tank?What is that tank on the running board? [A Prestolite acetylene gas tank for the headlights. - Dave] The CarI own a 1913 Studebaker, and that does not look like a Studebaker to me. 1913 was the last year of right hand drive, at least in the USA, and only the smallest one of that year (Model 25) had Prestolite lighting system. This car has left hand drive, Prestolite system and the cowl and radiator shell look unlike any year of Studebaker of that era. Even if it does have hubcaps that say Studebaker, they may have been swapped out. [The hubcaps are blank. The pointed door molding would seem to be something that Studebakers of the era have in common with this car. - Dave] OK - The body is a 1914 Model SC, but it has been retrofitted with Prestolite Gas lights and has had the hood and radiator shell replaced by something else. Probably a real mess. Also, Prestolite was not a carbide and water system, but an actual tank of acetylene gas. Carbide generators were messy and time consuming to keep up. The pressurized tank was easy by comparison, hence "Presto". Early Cal Custom?Apparently a model SD; the body could be as early as 1914, but the last year I can find for carbide headlamps is 1912, and the side panel on the hood is apparently not original, not being louvred. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Love Car
... eye. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses) ... 
 
Posted by delworthio - 09/22/2011 - 4:28pm -

Rear end of the blue apple of my uncle's eye. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Dodge for 1959
... of its bulbs had the same ribbed detail. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/07/2015 - 5:44pm -

Columbus, Georgia, 1958. "Salesmen and 1959 Dodge." 4x5 acetate negative from the News Photo Archive. View full size. Salesman of the Year?Looks like this guy is getting some kind of award. Maybe a sales award of some kind. They could have picked a more picturesque place for the photo op, like the front of the building. Top ModelAppears to be a Custom Royal Lancer two-door hardtop based on the badge of the front fender just behind the headlights. Great memoriesMy father owned a 1959 Dodge very similar to this, only it was a station wagon. Just looking at the front of that iconic car brings back such wonderful memories. We drove from California to Oklahoma one Christmas to visit my sister and brother-in-law stationed at Fort Sill. It snowed on Christmas day, the only white Christmas I've ever experienced. I have a picture of me bundled up for the cold standing in front of our 59 Dodge. I can still remember the dashboard with its push button transmission. A policeman stopped my father for a burned out taillight. I'll never forget how impressed he was when he saw POWER BRAKES written on the brake pedal. Just Don'tTake it to Oakland CA. Mid-Century DesignOne cannot help being amused at the elaborate styling on this vehicle - look at the ribbed housings around the turn signals, for example. However, just the other day I walked by a modern car with a complex headlight arrangement underneath the streamlined cover that looked like a slide projector on steroids. One of its bulbs had the same ribbed detail. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive)
Brighton Beach: 1910
... he going? Look ma, I'm ahead of everybody else!!! (Cars, Trucks, Buses, G.G. Bain, Sports) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/10/2007 - 5:37pm -

May 14, 1910. Racecar driver Al Poole in his Simplex at Brighton Beach, Coney Island. View full size. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. Focal plane shutterThe distorted shape of the wheels suggests that this picture was taken with a camera with a focal plane shutter. How fast is he going?Look ma, I'm ahead of everybody else!!! (Cars, Trucks, Buses, G.G. Bain, Sports)
Spread It On Thick: 1926
... on the background building? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 8:05pm -

Washington, D.C. "Semmes Motor Co. Meadow Gold Butter truck, 1926." C Street N.W. at 10th. (And running in front of the building at the back was something called "Little B Street.") National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Master of Visual AcuityWas wondering where Dave's photo title came from until I noticed some barely discernable lettering on the side of the vehicle. Out came the magnifier and lo, there was the title! As an avid modeler of scale vehicles, I find these photos are a terrific reference resource. Simply Outstanding! Spread It ThickOr maybe it was just a reference to the word fertilizer painted on the background building? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Boys on a Buick: 1960
... Must have been in inventory. Car Model Years New cars are introduced in the fall of the year, so the 1942 models were in ... 
 
Posted by Mvsman - 10/11/2012 - 6:11pm -

The picture was taken by my mom with us on the roof of a 1942 Buick. It happened to be the tallest car around, so my pal Dennis and I (on the left) could feel the excitement (not sure that's quite the word) of seeing Richard Nixon in a campaign swing at the Eastland Shopping Center in West Covina, California. Unfortunately, the POV is on us, and the crowd (seen in my previous photo) is unseen. View full size. Boy,those were the daysWhen you could sit or stand on the roof of a car and it wouldn't even flex let alone cave in like today. Hey!I was there on that day too, Mvsman! Mom took me out of school that day. Never did see Nixon. The crowd was too big. But I didn't have to go to school! So sorry Mr. McCloud (6th grade - Badillo Elementary) I wasn't really sick. Wow, I've finally cleared my conscience after 52 years! 1942 Buick?I'm surprised there was a 1942 automobile given what happened on 12/07/1941. Must have been in inventory. Car Model YearsNew cars are introduced in the fall of the year, so the 1942 models were in production, in the show rooms and on the road by December 7, 1941. Those models built after the war started had "blackout trim", which was painted bright work instead of chrome. Production of passenger vehicles for civilian use ceased in early 1942 and factories shifted over to war production. Arsenal of DemocracyThroughout the the months of January and February, 1942, automakers shut down car production, warehoused their tools, and retooled to manufacture needed war materiel. According to the Buick Heritage Alliance, Buick's shutdown took place on February 2nd. Buick built aircraft engines, M18 Hellcat tank destroyers, and other military equipment. '42 BuickMy dad had a '42 Buick Special coupe also. It was maroon in color and was a straight eight, I believe. He bought it second-hand in 1948. Like the previous message states, the car was probably manufactured in late 1941, before the auto plants retooled for the war effort. Parking Permit?Check out the TWA Parking Permit on the windshield. West Covina not all that close to LAX or ONT, so which airport would this be for? Re: Boy, those were the daysThat roof could get flexed by small objects, easily. On my Shorpy profile is mentioned a car accident on 6th Avenue (Altoona, Pa.). My Dad's 1942 Buick Century fastback and I skidded on wet streetcar tracks and car and teen driver caroomed across a sidewalk and into a brick porch. A woman appeared from somewhere and said, "Oh, my goodness! Did you have a wreck?" as various just-loosened bricks continued to cascade onto the hood and roof. Says I, "I think I'm still wrecking." Up on the RoofOne of my favorite summer games when I was first grade-age was to put a kitchen step-stool up against the family Edsel, and a running garden hose on the roof. The car became a water slide for me and my neighborhood friends. You climbed up the step stool, got on the roof, and slid down the (rather limited) flume across the huge back window and down the trunk. It worked because none of us at that age weighed very much. I still have that car and can certify that the roof is not in any way damaged. As far as my parent's water bill? I suspect that was damaged. But since I don't think they saw me play water slide with the car, I doubt they figured that one out. Car and school infoThe Buick belonged to my grandfather and was a loaner from him to his daughter (my mother). My parents used it for several months while they saved the money for a second car. The TWA sticker is there because Granddad was an inspector for TWA. He signed off on the maintenance performed on the planes serviced at LAX. My mother told me one time the car caught fire while we were driving. It was just Mom and me in the car, returning from shopping. She smelled smoke and pulled over quickly. Some guy in a pickup truck noticed the smoke, pulled out his fire extinguisher and took care of it. After that, I don't know what became of that car! Billl: I attended Rowland Elementary, corner of Rowland and Lark Ellen. Kindergarten! Thanks for commenting, I appreciate it. Buick Boys DateAccording to this, it was October 14, 1960. How timely. It's a transcript of Nixon's remarks. He doesn't mention seeing Mvsman, Dennis or the Buick, however. Nixon snubbed usI spoke to my mother yesterday and she remembers this event. She says she remembers seeing Richard Nixon only from a considerable distance, as the parking lot was very crowded. Thanks tterace, I read the speech and looked in vain for our names! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
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