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Stakes and a Grille: 1940
... I wonder how they paid tolls? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/11/2018 - 12:17pm -

San Francisco, 1940. "International stake bed truck." Ready to roll up its sleeves and get to work. 8x10 inch acetate negative. View full size. Enhance!Unusually good opportunity to see the photographer (woman?) in action. A survivorDunham, Carrigan & Hayden was listed at being at 8th and Townsend, but this shot appears to have been taken on Vermont St. The building dates from 1915 and now is part of the San Francisco Design Center complex. Buildings on the left are gone, the space now occupied by an elevated freeway carrying U.S. 101. "Stuck in the middle again!"On occasion one can still see trucks of this type, typically built to carry various pieces of steel or pipes, loaded on either side of the doors, as they could be as long as the truck. Drivers had to access the cab through the windows or a roof opening, as the doors would be blocked. I wonder how they paid tolls? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
Big Rig: 1947
... "Duel" truck A great movie! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2018 - 6:17pm -

San Francisco, 1947. "International Harvester tractor, front view." Today's entry in the Shorpy Treasury of Triassic Trucks. 8x10 Ansco film negative. View full size. "Duel"This is an IH and the truck from the movie is a Peterbilt but the horn in the middle of the roof instantly brought me to the movie. If you look quick the trucks are similar. Down below the bumper is the regular steering wheel activated horn. She Looks Ready to Go to Work TodayOf course any self-respecting trucker would want bigger side view mirrors, additional marker lights, turn signals and would certainly enjoy playing with the turn signal semaphore. "Duel" truckA great movie! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco)
Hooked: 1919
... posted on Shorpy. luvinthelacquerFoy (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Pretty Girls, W. Stanley) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/16/2014 - 12:34pm -

Circa 1919. "Angler next to Studebaker 'Big Six' touring car." One of the girls last seen here. 6.5 x 8.5 glass negative, scanned by Shorpy, originally from the Wyland Stanley Collection of San Francisco memorabilia. View full size. The way to a man's heartis a girl in waders. Not to mention a full stringer of trout. Shiny ShorpyThese Studebaker plates are some of the best pictures ever posted on Shorpy. luvinthelacquerFoy (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Pretty Girls, W. Stanley)
Wurlitzer: 1910
... to be supporting the overhead power line for the street cars. Or is the post it uses just outside of the frame. I must be blind ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 2:42pm -

Cincinnati, Ohio, circa 1910. "Fourth Street east from Race Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Ingalls BuildingThat tall building in the middle of the photo (left side of Fourth Street) is the Ingalls Building - the first reinforced concrete skyscraper in the world. It's still there. The stone structure on the right would be the Chamber of Commerce designed by H.H. Richardson. It burned down. Now the site of the PNC Tower (originally the Union Central Life building) designed by Cass Gilbert -- very similar to the Woolworth Building. A few are still standingThe tall building on the left with the awnings folded is still there and looks very similar, except the awnings have given way to modern air conditioning. The building on the left with the stone facade and massive columns might still be there. However it appears to have been given a face lift and the magnificent columns are gone. Most of the other buildings have been replaced with more modern styles. I love the bay windows on the building on the right in the foreground. WiredI hadn't noticed this in prior photos, but were the supporting cables for the street car lines attached to or anchored into buildings along the way? The really neat balcony at the far right seems to be supporting the overhead power line for the street cars. Or is the post it uses just outside of the frame. I must be blindBut I don't see anything with the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. name on it. Wurlitzer's original company headquarters was in Cincinnati, but the building burned in December 1904. Its replacement at 121 E. 4th Street wasn't completed until 1906. Edit: Aha! Streetcar Span WiresWired's comments about the trolley span wire attached to the building is correct. All the other spans appear to be attached to steel support poles. The balcony overhang may have prevented the installation of a pole. On the left side of the photo you can see two very heavy "feeder" cables, which end at the second pole. If you look at the second and third spans you can see the feeder taps, where power from the positive and negative source is fed into the trolley wire from above. There are coiled sections of wire that drop down to achieve this. Most streetcar systems used a single positive trolley wire with a negative ground return through the tracks (DC current). What made Cincinnati interesting is that it was one of very few cities where the streetcars had two poles(one positive and the other negative), similar to electric trolley buses. The reason for this was to avoid stray return current that could corrode underground pipes. Span Wires & FeedersI think that the coiled droppers are just interconnectors to equalise voltages in the "in" and "out" trolley wires -- there's no sign of any feeders coming up the traction poles. As an edit I would note that there's no apparent connection between what might be the + and - feeder wires and the trolley wires themselves - I'm open to correction on this one... The arrester coils are to limit current from lightning strikes - in another life I was involved in the reconstruction of a Glasgow tramcar and the arrester coil in it had come all the way from Keokuk, Iowa! There was also a spark gap to discharge the energy from a lightning strike to earth (ground in US parlance). I'm not cognisant of the weather conditions in Cincinnati, but in the Central Belt of Scotland lightning strikes are not at all common. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC)
Vanderbilt Cup: 1908
... Duray with the Lorraine-Dietrich #18. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, G.G. Bain, Sports) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/09/2009 - 10:52pm -

Janatzy in the Vanderbilt Cup auto race. Possibly October 1908. View full size. George Grantham Bain Collection. More posts from the race follow. 1906The Belgium driver Camille Jenatzy did not run in the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup. This photo is from the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup held on October 6 on Long Island. Jenatzy drove the Mercedes 120hp #3 and in the back is Arthur Duray with the Lorraine-Dietrich #18. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, G.G. Bain, Sports)
Ex-Tourist Attraction
... View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, tterrapix) ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 07/31/2017 - 10:06pm -

Yosemite National Park, July 1962. My shot of my father maneuvering our 1956 Rambler station wagon through the Wawona Tunnel Tree was one of thousands of similar photos taken until it toppled over seven years later under the weight of a tremendous snowfall. 127 Ektachrome slide. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, tterrapix)
Sign Gang: 1925
... "mushroom signs". (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/18/2015 - 12:26pm -

San Francisco, 1925. "California State Automobile Association. Setting sign for Golden Gate Park Conservatory." Before there were state or federal highway departments to do the job, it was the auto clubs that put up road signs. 8x10 film negative, originally from the Wyland Stanley collection. View full size. No ParkingIn the 1970s I remember seeing porcelain-enamel NO PARKING signs along the curb in Redwood City with the CSAA diamond at the bottom. Dapper Men at WorkDay-Glo orange vests suffer by comparison to the Homburg and bowtie. Road signs history in the NetherlandsIn our country we had a similar history for placing road signs. They have been placed in the beginning by the Dutch Tourist Association, the ANWB. Interesting is that they started in 1883 as the Nederlandsche Vélocipèdisten-Bond (Dutch Velocipedes Association), renamed in 1885 in Algemene Nederlandse Wielrijdersbond or ANWB (General Dutch Bicyclists' Association), which changed its name in 1905 officially into the Koninklijke Nederlandse Toeristenbond (Royal Dutch Tourist Club), which made the letters ANWB from then on meaningless. In 1898 a similar organisation especially for automobilists was formed, the N.A.C. (de Nederlandse Automobiel Club, or Dutch Automobile Association), in 1913 the Association got the predicate "Royal", and was hence named K.N.A.C. Koninklijke Nederlandse Automobiel Club (Royal Dutch Automobile Association) from then on. K.N.A.C was one of the founding members of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). Nevertheless, the road signs for motorists have been placed during decades by the ANWB. Especially for bicyclists ANWB placed so-called "mushroom signs". (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
Tin Can Tourists: 1921
... at the fringe in the windows of the car. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 1:26pm -

"Tin can tourists. 1921 or 1922." Car camping and watermelon in or around Washington, D.C. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Oh, my!Look at the fringe in the windows of the car. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
What, Me Worry?
... the fake Rolls-Royce radiator appeals. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/25/2016 - 9:38am -

San Francisco, 1919. "Roamer touring car." Transportation for the young man who's going places. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Air to the SpareLooks like his spare is a bit low on air. Style NotesNot a very convincing spare tire, but the fake Rolls-Royce radiator appeals. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
The Levee Was Dry: 1942
... songwriting is hard! (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Memphis, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/09/2018 - 11:00am -

January 1942. "Memphis, Tennessee. Mississippi River levee." Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein, Farm Security Administration. View full size. There's still a Chevy by the Levee, today. Drove the Buick --to the levee -- no, that's not it. Drove the Desoto to the levee -- no that doesn't work either. It's on the tip of my tongue. Man this songwriting is hard! (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Memphis, Railroads)
Dogs to Go: 1923
... due to vendor/caterer Harry M. Stevens. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Eateries & Bars, San Francisco, W. Stanley) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/05/2014 - 8:33pm -

San Francisco circa 1923. "Buick touring car at Victor's Dog." Not to be confused with Nipper, that other (RCA) Victor dog, and where's the bun? 6½ x 8½ inch glass negative, originally from the Wyland Stanley collection. View full size. Curb ServiceThe attractive young woman on roller skates is a few years off. Cliff HouseThe Buick is parked in front of the Cliff House on Point Lobos Avenue in the city. On the sidewalk, actually. Here's a 1912 comparison view that shows the same storefront albeit with a different occupant. This is the third incarnation of the Cliff House, finished in 1909. The restaurant portion is to the left with the curtained windows, while Victor's Dog occupies an addition built around 1911. It's easily discernible by the color change and slight offset in the facade. A close examination of the original print of the 1912 photo indicates a cigar vendor was the original occupant. The previous two Cliff Houses, both built of wood, burned to the ground in 1894 and 1907 respectively. The owner didn't need another warning, and this version was constructed of bunker-like concrete nearly a foot thick. It's still standing today. [Cliff House in 1955. - Dave] SurvivorsFinally. In this series of fine automobiles of yesteryear a brand that is still with us. Same for the hot dog that rose to national fame due to vendor/caterer Harry M. Stevens. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Eateries & Bars, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
The Long, Long Factory: 1941
... easy to find---the one with a window. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Industry & Public Works, John Vachon) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/17/2021 - 6:44pm -

October 1941. "General Motors Fisher Body Ternstedt Division manufacturing plant. West Trenton, New Jersey." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Let's meet in my office.It's easy to find---the one with a window. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Industry & Public Works, John Vachon)
Looking Back: 1972
... looking back." Our daily dose of the Cornetts and their cars. Print from 35mm negative by William Gedney. Gedney Photographs and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/05/2010 - 6:11pm -

"Cornett family, Kentucky, 1972. Family in car, baby looking back." Our daily dose of the Cornetts and their cars. Print from 35mm negative by William Gedney. Gedney Photographs and Writings Collection, Duke University. View full size.
Testing Fire Engines: 1913
... the old-fashioned solid rubber kind. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, G.G. Bain, NYC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 11:57am -

"Testing Fire Engines" in New York City, September 1913. View full size. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. The Autopiano CompanyYou can see The Autopiano Company in the background and they made (Yes you guessed it) player pianos Solid Rubber?The tires on these monsters look like the old-fashioned solid rubber kind. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, G.G. Bain, NYC)
A Late Start: 1940
... 1928-32, it sure looked very different from the "new" 1940 cars; nowadays a ten or twelve year old car much more closely resembles the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/02/2012 - 5:33pm -

October 1940. "Oldest Sauer boy cranking family car. Cavalier County, North Dakota." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Evolving Automotive Design Though this handsome big sedan was likely a model from about 1928-32, it sure looked very different from the "new" 1940 cars; nowadays a ten or twelve year old car much more closely resembles the 2012 models. The Car1928-29 Dodge Victory Six. SpinmeisterLooks like that kid knows what he's doing, as he appears to be pulling on that crank instead of pushing -- one of two precautions necessary to avoid a broken arm/wrist should the engine kick back. The other precaution was to grasp the crank so as to keep the thumb on the same side of the handle as the fingers. Incidentally, emergency cranks are still supplied with small marine diesel engines. At least one model, made in Japan, carries a warning label: "Adult males only! Women and children not allowed!" The trunkNow I know why they call it that. My oh myit really is flat in North Dakota, I think I can see Moose Jaw across the border. Watchful dogHe's keeping an eye on any oncoming traffic. A Late Start: 1940There are 14 other photos of the family that were taken by John Vachon, but none gave the first names of any of the family members. My research indicates clearly that the father in the truck was Peter Sauer, and the son was Clarence Sauer. Clarence died in Cavalier County is 2006. I talked to the widow of one of Clarence's brothers. She didn't know about the photos. She is going to get me in touch with one of Clarence's sisters, who is in at least one of the other photos. [The number of photos is at least 25, including many not in this gallery that don't have captions. For example, three other photos of this car. - Dave] Sauer is a familiar name.....I grew up with a family of Sauers who lived around and in the towns of Carpio and Foxholm North Dakota. I wonder if they are related to the Sauer pictured in this photograph? (The Gallery, John Vachon, Rural America)
Expert Lubrication: 1939
... and farming classes based on need. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Russell Lee) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/17/2017 - 11:36am -

February 1939. "Service station in Harlingen, Texas." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Cans Along the BorderThis is the service station of Lonnie Wade Molder (1911-1993), the son of Abraham Molder and Pearl Adair. Lonnie graduated from Harlingen High School in 1928, and then Brownsville Junior College in 1930. He married Edna Faye Swisher in 1935, and they had four children. It appears that he owned this station based on Harlingen city directory entries from 1944 to 1948. Of interest in the photo is the array of oil cans that are the border to the shrubs at both the left and right of the photo as well as the change in gas price, from 16 to 15 cents, as seen on the sign on the canopy above the pumps. All of the planters, including the ones attached to the windows, appear to be reutilized gas tanks. A clearer view of the "Won Up" soda sign is below. The Chevrolet pickup truck is a 1937 model and cost $515. This was the first year for the all steel cab (no wood). Based on the license plate, I believe this photo is actually from 1938 (the 1939 - 1941 commercial plates had "Texas" at the top). The enlarged license plate is also below. Molder continued to own and operate the station into at least 1948. By 1950 he was a partner in North Side Welding & Repair down the street at 622 Commerce. By 1956 he had become the assistant manager for the service station at Harlingen Air Force Base (now Valley International Airport). He eventually went back to welding, and he was employed with Gulf Welding Supply in Harlingen for many years. It appears that he retired in 1975. He and his wife then moved to LaFeria, Texas, in 1979, and by 1992 they were living in Ingram. He died the next year, Edna in 2006. From her obituary we learn that they met while she was still in grade school at South Ward School (now Bowie Elementary). Since he was seven years older, they would not have attended school together for any long period of time. Molder's obituary mentions his involvement in the Masonic Lodge of both Harlingen and LaFeria. He served as the secretary for the Harlingen lodge for 35 years, he was a 32nd Degree Mason, and he received their Golden Trowel award in 1991. Try that todayTexaco and Shell pumps at the same station! Competing Brands?This is the first gas station I've ever seen with pumps for at least two different brands of gas, and the third pump seems to be unmarked. Was this common before WWII? [For more buffet-style gas, click the links below. - Dave] https://www.shorpy.com/node/4287 https://www.shorpy.com/node/20712 Flowers by FordI believe that the planter on the ground at center is made from a Model T gas tank. Who dropped the ball?Unless my vision is failing me, this is one of the first pictures of a service station, convenience store or street scene that does not have an advertising sign for Coca-Cola, although I do see that the 7 Up rep and some other unknown beverage did get advertising signs as did the telephone company that is also a fixture in most old Shorpy photos of this nature. [No Coke. Pepsi! - Dave] An original "pumping gas story"During WWII, my uncle in Vinita, Oklahoma, owned a wholesale gasoline business. He had a 750-gallon tanker truck and would deliver to nearby country gas stations and to farms that had their own small storage tanks. My cousin and I, both 10 years old, would ride along to add interest to our lazy summer. In those days, there were two grades of gas, Ethyl and Regular. At one stop, he made the error of filling the Ethyl underground tank with Regular. In a hurry, he left the two of us to hand pump the Regular into the glass bowl and then drain it into the Regular tank. Ten gallons at a time. When he returned, both of us kids were really worn out. An aside: all gas was rationed. Civilians had 3 classes: A, B, and C. I think for 4, 8, and 12 gallons per week. Then there were commercial and farming classes based on need. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Russell Lee)
In the Cloud: 1923
... -tterrace Argh! Trying again... (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/20/2016 - 2:57pm -

San Francisco, 1923. "Studebaker rally car." Possibly a veteran of one of the brass-era Glidden Tours or similar event. 5x7 glass negative. View full size. Bio neededThe young guy with the armband -- I want to know every single tidbit of his life from that moment forward. Such is the Shorpy allure. Stockton?Just wondering: why does this old Stude have the name "Stockton" emblazoned across the radiator? [Emblazoning your radiator with a custom badge proclaiming your home town seems to have been A Thing for several decades, as with this later San Francisco Studebaker. -tterrace] Interesting, but for me it raises the question: only in California? Exactly - I had never noticed this particular emblazoning on ANY old car before this one, from ANY state. Maybe someone will chime in with more information... Enter, stage rightI'm pretty sure the Studebaker is making its entrance on the stage of the U.C. Berkeley's Greek Theatre. The doorways and columns sure look the same. See photo below. The campus location might also explain the two "California" pennants prominently displayed across the auto. [I think you're right, but there was no photo attached to your comment. -tterrace Argh! Trying again... (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
The Hill: 1938
... The men were treated like cattle: they slept in box cars. When the strike ended, so did their wages. But the money helped build ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/24/2011 - 10:46pm -

July 1938. Houses on "The Hill" slum section of Pittsburgh. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. The Hill? Which one?Which hill? Pittsburgh is known to have multiple hills... There was 20 inclined cable railways in Pittsburgh all around the hills of the city... now there are only two of them... Dave... did you find any great old photos of the Pittsburgh old inclined railways? I found some old picts at the Library of Congress... http://www.funimag.com/Funimag-Links-OldUSpictures.php ...but the quality is not so good compare to the picts you publish on your blog! If you can find old picts of the Pittsburgh inclines that would be great!! ----------------------------------------- Funimag, the web magazine about Funiculars http://www.funimag.com Funimag Photoblog http://www.funimag.com/photoblog/ Not the power poleBased on the sag, I'd say that the clothesline isn't attached to the power pole but rather to something on the building across the street. We're running into the old question of perspective in a two dimensional representation of a three dimensional situation. The sage problem is inherent in a laundry line - you don't want it too taut or the weight of the clothes could break the line or contraction during the winter. And in that sort of situation you really don't want to have to splice the line! ClotheslineI'm intrigued by the clothesline. Someone had to climb a power pole to rig that! I have one of these in my backyard in the midwest because it allows one end to be high and out of the way. Kids can run around in safety under it. Have not solved the sag problem though. Also known as the HillAlso known as the Hill District. History of the HillThe Hill district was long a place for immigrants. The Irene Kaufmann Settlement House helped people from Eastern Europe find baths and a decent life. There were a lot of different ethnic groups up there. Then, during World War I, more Southern Blacks came North for a better life. Others were brought in as strike breakers during the 1919 steel strike. The men were treated like cattle: they slept in box cars. When the strike ended, so did their wages. But the money helped build the so-called "Harlem Renaissance" of Black culture during the 1920's. Look for documentaries by Rick Sebak. He does a lot of stuff about Pittsburgh, and he's made one film about the Hill. He's good, if you don't mind corn. Wylie Avenue DaysI believe the Rick Sebak documentary you're thinking of is Wylie Avenue Days What the HillIn many cities and towns, an area known as "The Hill" is an affluent area. When I first visited Pittsburgh in 1974 to find a place to live prior to attending graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh, I was looking at a city map and saw "The Hill" listed as an area not far from the Pitt campus. Thinking it might be a nice area, I drove up there. Big surprise! It was "lock the doors and roll up the windows" time. Is it any better today? (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Pittsburgh)
Aquatic Park: 1966
For a change, here are some cars in San Francisco that aren't 90 to 100 years old. My favorite part, ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/08/2018 - 10:23am -

For a change, here are some cars in San Francisco that aren't 90 to 100 years old. My favorite part, though, is the family photo op in progress over on the left, which I just now noticed. I was in Ghirardelli Square when I took this Kodachrome slide in summer 1966. View full size. Chevrolet Impala 1963Those two guys in the white shirts checking the Super Sport flags on the front fender. Hopefully it was a 409. Great SpotAnd it looks like the folks by the VW Bus and the very red service truck are waiting for you to take the shot and join them. Nicely timed. That green VWI wonder if it's the same one that kept appearing during the "Bullitt" chase scenes? Intriguing Moment!My eye was drawn to the red Chevy truck on the right, perhaps belonging to a sign company, with a very tall stepladder and another lying on its side on the sidewalk -- looks almost like a setup for a slapstick comedy movie, especially with the remarkably large man walking toward it in the background. I wonder if the guys in the white shirts might have been looking at that 1962 Cadillac convertible parked at the curb. Impressive car. Made in JapanI'm curious about the Japanese Group 2 merchant ship docked pierside on the right -- the rising sun is clearly astern. Maybe its a the delivery of transistor radios, or the first Honda motorcycles. It certainly wasn't the first of many that brought cheaper merchandise to the USA. Japanese shipsDowner asked about one of the ships. I just happened to go over to Pier 45 that day and took this shot of them. The closer is the Djakarta Maru; even fully enlarged all I can make out of the other is [Something] Maru in small letters below five Japanese characters. Click to enlarge. Klaveness shipI made a mistake in my post. That ship is not Klaveness, it looks to be instead a K Line ship (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha) Gray car at far leftLooks like an Austin A55 Cambridge. '55 Olds 88Grey and white car parked in front of the Cadillac convertible. Aquatic Parkcirca 1930s Japanese shipThe grey vessel was owned by K-Lines, which still exists to this day and operates car carrier and container vessels. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Daniels & Fisher: 1910
... next to me now as I am writing this. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/06/2018 - 9:39pm -

Denver c. 1910. "Daniels & Fisher Stores Co., 16th and Arapahoe." View full size. Mostly still there.And standing proudly: Now I want to go to Denver for the cabaret!From the Denver.org website: DANIELS & FISHER TOWER Hear those bells tolling? That’s the D&F Tower (Daniels & Fisher), one of 16th Street’s most distinctive buildings. When it was completed in 1910, this was the highest building west of the Mississippi River. It is modeled after The Campanile (St. Mark’s Bell Tower) in the Piazza San Marco in Venice, and its four clocks (one for each side) are a whopping 16-feet high. So, if you’re caught without a watch, just look up. The Tower was built to house one of Denver's largest early 19th century department stores. Today, the basement of the D&F Tower has been renovated into Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret, an entertainment venue. An Obvious Copy of the Metropolitan Life TowerThe tower is a very obvious copy of the recently completed Metropolitan Life Insurance Tower in New York, designed by Napoleon Le Brun & Sons and built 1907-1909. At 700 feet in height, the Metropolitan Tower was then the tallest building in the world, having wrested that title from the Singer Tower (1906-1908), also in New York. The Met Life Tower is clearly modeled on the Campanile (Bell Tower) of San Marco in Venice, a famous feature of that city's celebrated Piazza San Marco. Although Le Brun & Sons (really Pierre Le Brun, as his father Napoleon was already dead by then) was widely criticized for such literal copying, it should be noted that when the Met Life Tower was designed, the Venice landmark lay in ruins; it had collapsed in a heap of bricks in 1902, and it was not rebuilt (exactly "as it was, where it was," but this time with an elevator) until 1912. So both the New York and Denver copies could be considered honest homages to the then absent Campanile. Tall Tales of the TowerHere are a couple of fun facts about the Daniels & Fisher Tower... 1. It was modeled on the Campanile in the Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy. The funny thing is, the D & F Tower is actually older than the Campanile. The original Campanile collapsed in 1902, the D & F Tower went up in 1910 and the Campanile wasn't rebuilt until 1912. 2. To emphasize the scale of the tower, which was the tallest building between St. Louis and the West Coast for decades, the owners of the store hired 7-foot, 5-inch Carl Sandell as a doorman. He held that post from 1911 until the store closed in 1958. The Daniels & Fisher Department Store merged with the May Company to form May D&F. It absorbed the Denver Dry Goods Company. In turn, May D&F was absorbed by Foley's, then Foley's was absorbed by Macy's. Sic transit gloria mundi. I'm just wonderinghow they got rid of the rest of the building without damaging or destroying the tower. Some good engineering there! My memory of D & FIn 1956, I was home on Navy Christmas leave and was shopping at Woolworth's for a gift for my evil stepmother. I saw a young woman who I recognized from High School and we started a conversation that continued in the coffee shop at Daniels & Fisher. She is standing next to me now as I am writing this. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Stores & Markets)
Fledgling Fageols: 1918
... of bearings! Very labor-intensive!" (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Factories, W. Stanley) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/03/2018 - 6:01pm -

"Fageol Motors Co. truck assembly -- Oakland, California, 1918." 8x10 glass negative by the Cheney Photo Advertising Company. View full size. Almost finishedThe fully assembled truck didn't look much different. The Bench Vise and the Bearing ScraperIf I'm reading it correctly, and recognizing the silhouette, that vise says "C. Parker Co. / Meriden Conn." Parker vises were great. The survivors are much sought after for use today. There's a bearing shell in the vise, and a handled bearing scraper, or perhaps a file, resting on the back of the vise. Bearing scrapers come in several shapes: https://www.csosborneindustrialtools.com/bearing-scraper-set-no-mt2/ Like files, bearing are often sold without handles so that the user can install his/her preferred type of handle. The real meaning of this is "Wow! HAND-FITTING of bearings! Very labor-intensive!" (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Factories, W. Stanley)
Steuben Glass: 1937
... Love that Checker Cab! They built some weird looking cars over the years. New York's first glass house The Steuben ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2013 - 4:21pm -

Sept. 8, 1937. "Steuben Glass, 718 Fifth Ave., New York. Exterior, general view. William & Geoffrey Platt, architects." Gottscho-Schleisner photo. View full size. Hacked up hack?I am a streetrodder and general gearhead, and Dennis M's comment about that Checker Cab got me going. At first I thought it was a hacked-up mid-30's 4dr sedan, probably customized by its owner/driver, but then I "checked up" on Checker: behold, a 1937 Checker Model Y. (Y as in "Yowsa") Owens-Corning@ Maniak Productions: And then there was Owens-Corning. The Road To RichesThat Checker Taxi Cab needs a NYC issued license, called a Medallion, in order to pick up fares in the City. First issued during the Depression Era to regulate the number of Cabs on the streets, the cost was $10 yearly. There were about 16,000 Medallions issued, they eventually dwindled to about 11,000. The value of these licenses rose to about $5,000 in the 1950s. The purchases allowed working people and many new immigrants a way to enter the self employed ranks. By working hard, many of them worked 12 and 18 hour days to pay back to the private Medallion Brokers their loans and accrued interest. Once they wholly owned the tags they could make a good living and by hiring another driver to work the times that the owner wasn't using the cab they did even better. To shorten this monologue, the current value of these Medallions is in excess of one million dollars each. About 40% of them are owned by companies that have 6 or more of them. Checker CabLove that Checker Cab! They built some weird looking cars over the years. New York's first glass houseThe Steuben Building (aka Corning Building), an Art Deco building by William and Geoffrey Platt, completed in 1937, and was sold in 1959 to Harry Winston Jeweler. Winston hired Jacques Regnault to redesign the facade in an eighteenth century French style... the original design lasted only 23 years. Ada Louise Hustable called it "architecture as play acting"...and in regard to accepting an imitation as the real thing "wouldn't work with Mr. Winston's jewels and it doesn't really work with architecture either." Harry WinstonThis is now the Harry Winston building. The Times did this great Streetscape about the lot a few years ago. Still extantTwo of the buildings on the right are still around today. The fourth or fifth building behind Steuben Glass, with the big arch in its facade and the address of 10 West 56th Street, used to be Elizabeth Taylor's New York pied-a-terre. A couple of years ago the richest person in the world, Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim, bought it for $15 million. Somehow I doubt he had to apply for a mortgage. Continuing with the Latin theme, the building next to it, with the Charles London sign, is now the embassy of Argentina. Dalva BrothersDalva Brothers antiques is still in existence. Their website notes that they were founded in 1933 and recently moved from E57th street to a new building on 77th street after 60 years of business there! All those glass blocksSilverton mentioned the Corning building. Pyrex, of Corning, NY, was eventually purchased by the Corning glass company. Oddly enough, all the glass blocks were made by Owens-Illinois, a company that later morphed into Armstrong (who also absorbed the Whitall-Tatum glass co.), then Kerr. Sounds like this building was privvy to a lot of US glass making history at one time. Long Sang Ti and MajongLy Hoi Sang (Ly Yu Sang) was born in 1870 and in 1920 published a book with a descriptive and explanatory story about the game of "ma-ch'iau" or "mah jongg" or mahjong which apparently was all the fad in the 1920s. This book,among others, was published in New York by The Long Sang Ti Chinese Curios Co., inc. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Petroleum Panorama: 1922
... Free adjustments and advice will be given on all cars. Consult me if your car is not running right. Ladies driving their own cars will find us always ready to make any adjustments on their tires, radiator ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 9:58pm -

"Service station, First Street and Maryland Avenue." Spectacularly detailed view of the Capital Gasoline Station in Washington, D.C., in 1922. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View even larger. Supreme locationAmazingly detailed photo. The mechanic conferring with someone, possibly owner. Another man getting what looks to be a sip of water. And its location at 1st and Maryland placed it right across the street from the Capitol, near or on the spot of the Supreme Court building (cornerstone laid 1932, completed 1935). [Not quite. This was at First and Maryland SW, not NE. Thanks to PER for the nifty 1923 map. - Dave] Capitol GasThis is the Capitol Gasoline Station,"The Home of Filtered Gas," at First and Maryland Southwest; Arther Seagren, proprietor. It appears to have opened in 1919 and survived until at least 1930. Now the location of the U.S. Botanic Garden. Free adjustments and advice will be given on all cars. Consult me if your car is not running right. Ladies driving their own cars will find us always ready to make any adjustments on their tires, radiator or batteries. .... No waiting; large cement driveways. Ten visible oil and gasoline pumps which show you the amount and quality of the gas you buy. .... Air boys who will fill your tires and batteries free of charge. No charge for changing oils in motors. Transmissions and rear axles filled while you wait. ... Alemite Service - we are now equipped to alemite any make of car. Having recently installed the very latest alemite equipment and three large alemite stands, we can alemite your car in a very few minutes and day until 6:30 p.m. ... Open every evening until 11 o'clock Going up?Is that a ladder to nowhere or a "Stairway to Heaven"? Just curious...Why is there a ladder leading straight up (to nowhere) on the top of the building on the left? (The Gallery, D.C., Gas Stations, Natl Photo)
American Dream: 1936
... www.bigbrutus.org (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2014 - 12:59pm -

May 1936. "Home of worker in strip coal mine. Cherokee County, Kansas." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. The Balkans of KansasMy home town of Columbus, Kansas is the county seat of Cherokee County so I am very familiar with the history of coal mining in that county and also the lead and zinc mines in the southeastern corner of that county. Coal production in that area began shortly after 1865 and was in full production by 1900. Cherokee and Crawford counties were often referred to as " The Balkans of Kansas" due to the number of immigrant coal miners into that area. The original mines were deep shaft mines but, later on, the coal was recovered by strip mining. The old strip mines have filled with water over the years and have been used for recreational fishing and camping for a number of years. Others have been reclaimed and are now farmland again. One point of attraction in Cherokee County is Big Brutus which was the worlds largest shovel and has been restored as a museum of the coal mining days. For more information about Big Brutus go to www.bigbrutus.org (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Mining)
Everything Must Go: 1920
... 14th and U NW. Given the advertisements for sight-seeing cars I'm more inclined to think this location is downtown where tourists would ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 1:03pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Affleck's Drug Store." Hurry over now for the big closeout! National Photo Co. Collection, Library of Congress. View full size. Way Down East: 1921Note the movie poster to the right side of photo: "Way Down East" began a one week run at the Garrick on July 11th, 1921. That's the "when", figuring out the "where" is a bit trickier. The original Affleck's Drug Store (proprietor Phillip J. Affleck, Jr) was located at 1429 Pennsylvania Ave. An advertisement in 1914 lists 3 locations: 904 G st NW, 15th and F sts NW, 9th and D sts NW. A 1917 article refers to an additional branch at 14th and U NW. Given the advertisements for sight-seeing cars I'm more inclined to think this location is downtown where tourists would congregate rather than up on U street. Where Are The Crowds?Why aren't the townspeople flocking to this sale to get their one-third-off bathing caps? Maybe they are all next door, at the hat cleaners. A buyout!Peoples Drug, buying out a mom-and-pop pharmacy. A foreshadowing of today's CVS and Walgreens expansion. Way Down EastOn the far right is a poster advertising the silent film "Way Down East" released 9-3-20 - with Lillian Gish and Richard Barthelmess, directed by D W Griffith. Interesting backstory and comments at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0011841/. The movie was remade with the same title in 1935, with Henry Fonda, Spring Byington, Margaret Hamilton and other familiar names Ghostly Shadow of the CrutchHas anyone noticed the shadow of the man at the right with folded papers in his arm seems to include the movement of a crutch? Possibly a news seller who is a vet of the Great War? [Maybe that's his other crutch leaning against the doorway. - Dave] 15th & FDoesn't the writing along the bottom say "Afflecks Drugs, 15th & F"? The Rhodes Tavern, againSo if this is 1921 and 15th and F NW, then this building must be the reconfigured Rhodes Tavern, where the British soldiers drank after burning the White House. (The lamp right above the doorway must be the same lamp in the upper corner of this shot, taken in the opposite direction, about the same time: https://www.shorpy.com/node/4177). As further confirmation, the arrangement of the bricks above the upper story window match those in the drawing of the building on the memorial marker on the current spot: http://flickr.com/photos/65193799@N00/89418033. Rhodes TavernThis looks like the building that was Rhodes Tavern on the NE corner of 15th and F. It was built in the early 18th century and was demolished in the 1980s. There is a plaque on the building now. Way Down Middle EastThe fluttering awnings and arched windows give an almost Middle-Eastern bazaar quality to this shot. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, PDS, Stores & Markets)
Twin Falls II: 1941
... Street View was taken in 2012. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/23/2018 - 10:57am -

        From start to finish, a life on wheels. May 1941. "Main street of Twin Falls, Idaho. According to Idaho State Guide (Federal Writers Project), this town has the distinction, unusual in towns in the section, of being planned." Photo by Russell Lee for the FSA. View full size. Corner of Main Avenue East and HansenThe air-conditioned Rogerson Hotel on our left was at the north corner of Main Avenue East and Hansen Street East, so this view has us looking southeast. +75 Much lower and much leafierMain Avenue East has received a good deal of urban forest plantings in the last three-quarters of a century, while the taller buildings have generally lost their upper stories. The Rogerson Hotel building is visible at left; its top story went after a 1935 fire. The entire building was demolished as too far gone to save in 2016, one year after this Google cap. The Golden Rule in the next block is now a furniture store, and many of the buildings we see have fallen victim to cases of "façade modernization" disease, when they haven't fallen altogether. [Dear people: Please learn how to embed a google Street View before posting. I'm tired of doing it for you. - Dave] Dave, the instructions said "links will be converted" and I trusted that. Bad link removed. How to include Google Street View in a commentDave, it must be frustrating to keep telling people how to include Street View URL links in comments. You did so for me some time ago and I thank you. But the latest time I included such a URL it was just random luck the URL worked. I'd forgotten the trick and had no way to find it. Perhaps the working trick of referencing Street View could be put at the top of the Comment Guidelines? Or even added as an item in the comment entry form? "Paste a street view URL link"? [There is no "trick." Simply apply eyeballs and brain to what's in front of your nose. And of course you could always google it! - Dave] Easier, but ....This angled parking layout was very popular in the Midwest of my youth, though backing out safely often depended on the restraint of one's fellow motorists as well as one's own lumbar flexibility. Unfortunately, becoming accustomed to "nose-in" parking while learning to drive often had a deleterious effect on one's ability to parallel park for the driver's license test! Right over thereHe said he'd leave the package in a gray Plymouth, or was it a Dodge? And NowThe view is Main Street at Hansen, looking southeast. The remains of the air-conditioned Rogerson Hotel are at the left, the building with the ugly (aluminum?) siding. It was torn down after this Street View was taken in 2012. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
National Airport: 1941
... worked for the parking lot there and we used to count cars all night, and watch planes for hours. It was so quiet back then. about ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/26/2014 - 1:23pm -

Arlington County, Va., circa 1941. "National Airport. Interior of waiting room showing ticket counter." Safety negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size. +75Below is the same view from April of 2016. Old SchoolAnd to some of us, it will always be National. Lovely TerminalI remember flying out of there in 1968 when I was 10, my first time on a plane and first time in an airport. The big bestseller on all the news stands, everywhere there, was "Airport." And I thought, "Yes, airport." All the sophisticated grownups were in the cocktail lounge, which by then was located somewhere on that balcony. Washington National in the '60sI flew in and out of there a few times when I was in the service in the mid- to late-'60s and that's how I remember it looking back then. No relationPennsylvania Central Airlines was not related to the well known Penn Central Railroad. Formed in 1936 through the merger of two smaller carriers, it was originally based in Pittsburgh but moved its headquarters to Washington National Airport in 1941. What with more of its flights being out of Washington than Pennsylvania, the old name didn't fit and the airline changed its name to Capital Airlines in 1948. United Airlines acquired it in 1961. Love the LookA great example of an "institutional modern" look that seemed to peak in the late 50s. This is similar to Dorval Airport in Montreal in the 50s, as I remember it as a kid. It is the national airportI'm an airline pilot and I never have called it Reagan. It's National Airport, period. The terminal in the photo is still there, by the way. I believe it's largely unused now though. I guess it should be obviousBut are the openings in the ceiling recessed lighting or for ventilation or just decorative? To Locals, it's Washington National (forever)It will never be anything but National Airport to everyone I know. We all grew up in DC and that is the name we all know. I watched planes take off from right there in that photo. My then boyfriend worked for the parking lot there and we used to count cars all night, and watch planes for hours. It was so quiet back then. about 1963? It is so huge now, and very busy, with tons of additional buildings and overpasses and underpasses and so much easier to get lost there too. The inside is still beautiful, and the view out the huge window is still outstanding, however it is busy now, so it is different. Great Memories! (The Gallery, Aviation, D.C., Theodor Horydczak)
Desert Trip
... He rarely even did that. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses) ... 
 
Posted by Mvsman - 09/18/2011 - 11:16pm -

A trip back to the early, early days. My folks and I took a trip to one of my Dad's co-worker's cabin way out in the Mojave desert. Here we are, with our 1956 Plymouth Belvedere. We kept the car well into the 1960s, and I remember it had the infamous push button transmission selector. The man who took the picture, and who owned the cabin, was Mischa Pelz, who was a fairly prominent photographer in Southern California back in those days. View full size. Great!What a great photo! re: Desert TripWow! Coffee-table book material! Gorgeous. And I've ranted about this before: would it be too much trouble to have two-tone paint jobs again? And without metallic paint? I know there are some present-day examples, but I'm looking for a wholesale revolution here. Sorry to hijack the topic; I'll go back to drooling over this photo now. Whitewalls and two toneI checked with my 83 yr old mom, and she said the interior was in black and white vinyl. Thanks for your comment and your wonderful posts, like Uncle Frank! My favorite car of 1956When I was 14 this to me was the neatest car on the road. I was partial to Plymouth because our family had a 49 Plymouth with rain guards on all the side windows. My dad never drove over 60 miles an hour unless he was passing another car or truck. He rarely even did that. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Golden Cargo: 1920
... especially watermelons and lettuce. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, Medicine, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/22/2015 - 9:08pm -

Fruit as First Aid to Convalescence         "Two Tons of Oranges -- the Gift of the Alhambra-San Gabriel Red Cross Chapter, to the Sick and Disabled Soldiers at Letterman Hospital, San Francisco. Your Turn Next!"         This legend in bold letters on the side of a two-ton auto truck advertised the merits of fruit as a first aid to convalescence over a circuit of five hundred miles, as the golden cargo made its way along the valley of the Southern California town on to the Pacific Coast. Newspapers all along the route gave a still wider publicity to the generosity of the Fruit Growers of the Sunset state for in addition to the oranges there were quantities of lemons and grapefruit, while at Los Angeles the local Red Cross Chapter added a contribution of seventy-five pounds of candy. --Better Fruit, June 1920 March 1920. "Republic motor truck at Letterman Hospital, San Francisco, with cargo of oranges." 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. In the dayswhen men were men and tires were solid! Before Agricultural InspectionHow they got it across the California border is a question. [They wouldn't have to, since they started out in California. Hello? - Dave] Fruit Was Always WelcomeMy father spent almost two years at Letterman Hospital during WWII and said the most excitement among the patients, all soldiers, was the arrival of fresh fruit, especially watermelons and lettuce. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, Medicine, San Francisco)
Edelweiss Cafe: 1912
... Motor City Interesting photo. 1912 and there are four cars and no horses (or horse droppings) in the shot. I wonder if Detroit ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 8:28pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Glaser's Edelweiss Cafe, Miami Avenue." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Motor CityInteresting photo. 1912 and there are four cars and no horses (or horse droppings) in the shot. I wonder if Detroit adopted the automobile faster than other cities of that period? Kiwanis birthplaceThe Kiwanis Club was founded here in 1915. The best is not yet to comeElegant lampposts and potted plants, there's not even a gum wrapper to be found anywhere on the street. With all the economic problems and city cutbacks Detroit is going through I would hate to see what that corner looks like today. Bratwurst & SudsOh, I'm getting very, very hungry. Somewhat less tropical todayMiami Avenue is now known as Broadway. This restaurant was at the corner of Miami and John R on what is now the site of the parking garage for the nearby Opera House. The details don't stopLook at this cropped front area of the Edelweis. The time and expense budgeted for creating such a remarkable facade with details such as those I arrowed are more or less architectural impossibilities today (unless it's a Dubai project). Incredible and a notice to the populace that the E-weiss was THE place to be seen. Or, at the very least, seen while standing outside there with a toothpick, having dined at Sloppy Dave's down the street. Beautiful street lampsThose must have cost a fortune in the day - they are beautiful as well as functional. I alo notice some great lights on the canopy of the cafe - awesome! TodayIt's actually is pretty okay-looking. View Larger Map (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Eateries & Bars)
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