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Look Downward Angle: 1941
... July 1941. No caption here, "here" being somewhere in Chicago at 9:37. Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm ... 37 (a month before his 38th birthday). (The Gallery, Chicago, John Vachon) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/05/2020 - 11:57am -

July 1941. No caption here, "here" being somewhere in Chicago at 9:37. Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Bombs Away!I feel like I should be holding a water balloon out of this window while deciding who my target will be. Punmeister-pieceAlthough the header here presents a pun-perfect literary allusion, best to be careful about crying Wolfe. Yipes!I suffer, like many, from an extreme fear of heights. Pictures like this in print and on TV literally cause my palms to sweat. Yes, I know it's not really a dangerous situation, but tell that to my phobia. Ice AwayMy mom used to tell a story about my uncle and her tossing ice cubes out a second story window while their parents were entertaining business clients in another room of their hotel suite. This all stopped when a policeman knocked on the door. Really irritated since he got hit with a bucket of ice cubes. It's the kind of picture I would takeI'm going to guess what prompted John Vachon to take this photograph: there are four sets of two men walking towards a mutual intersection point. Behind three of the pairs of men there is a single man. Vachon snapped this photo just before the man at the bottom disappeared under the building's ledge. It has more impact if you imagine it in motion. I would also bet there wasn't much other foot traffic, which made this near collision more noticeable. Nine. Thirty-seven.I'm loving the reference to Look Homeward, Angel -- a book that I (and most) consider Thomas Wolfe's greatest work. Incidentally (considering the time that JV took the photo), TW died on September 15, 1938, at age 37 (two-plus weeks shy of his 38th birthday). My own father (a pilot, not a writer) was born almost exactly 30 years after Thomas Wolfe, in October 1930. He died on September 13, 1968, at age 37 (a month before his 38th birthday). (The Gallery, Chicago, John Vachon)
The Coasters: 1941
... "Instructors in roller skating at the Savoy Ballroom in Chicago." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee. View full size. ... will be "Stompin' at the Savoy" soon. (The Gallery, Chicago, Russell Lee) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/04/2018 - 8:37pm -

April 1941. "Instructors in roller skating at the Savoy Ballroom in Chicago." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Kalorama roller skate ushersI respected these guys. They could outskate anybody. Sometimes at half time they would show you their skills. If they asked you to leave, you left, no sass. Nobody wants to be banned from the roller rink. Kids being KidsA bunch of dead-serious middle-aged men on roller skates - and two kids doing what comes naturally! I love this picture. Kids These Days!Just like now Counting down.By the looks of the poster at the upper left, it appears as though Count Basie will be "Stompin' at the Savoy" soon. (The Gallery, Chicago, Russell Lee)
The Inferno: 1900
... Banjo Signal The signal visible above the first Chicago & Alton gondola, on the left, is a Banjo signal, these were early ... Up in Smoke I live in Joliet, and ride the train to Chicago every day on this same line. I'm pretty sure this view is due north, in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 4:57pm -

Circa 1900. "Illinois Steel Works, Joliet." Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Gimme the WorksLooks like steel, coke, railroad ties, soot and stone works all rolled in one. Different levels of hellThis makes me not feel so bad about working in a cube. Banjo SignalThe signal visible above the first Chicago & Alton gondola, on the left, is a Banjo signal, these were early percursors of todays searchlight signals. They used colored cloth to give two indications. Also of note is the 0-4-0 switcher pushing two bottle cars, probably containing slag. Hot MetalThe cars the 0-4-0 is pushing are early hot metal cars, predecessors of the later huge bottle cars. They were filled with molten iron at the blast furnaces in the left background, and are being pushed up the ramp to be charged into whatever kind of steelmaking furnace they had at the time, either Bessemer Converter or Open Hearth. Later, this would have been a Basic Oxygen Furnace. The configuration of a ramp trestle up to the charging level has remained constant until recent times, although metal sides were added to the trestle later to contain spilled hot metal. Up in SmokeI live in Joliet, and ride the train to Chicago every day on this same line. I'm pretty sure this view is due north, in which case all of the buildings to the left have been torn down (though their foundations are still there, and are the basis of a county heritage park) though some of the buildings on the right are probably still there. Pete (The Gallery, DPC, Factories, Railroads)
Wanamaker's: 1906
... all over the coast line and far into the interior, even to Chicago, appeals for news of the disaster were heaped upon the temporary ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 5:45pm -

New York circa 1906. "John Wanamaker store, Broadway and 10th Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. My condiments to the chefThis was taken several years before Ivan Frank and the Hamburger brothers merged to form their extremely successful sports food monopoly. Early radio, tooBoston American, April 16, 1912 - ...The [wireless office of the Wanamaker stores at Broadway and Eighth streets] was directed by David Sarnoff, manager of the station, assisted by J. H. Hughes, an expert Marconi operator. With every bit of energy at their command the men stood by their work and fired scores of messages and caught many concerning the wreck [of the Titanic]. From all over the coast line and far into the interior, even to Chicago, appeals for news of the disaster were heaped upon the temporary office. Sarnoff went on to become a business and broadcasting legend as leader of both NBC and RCA. The wireless station was in the 14-story annex, built in the years immediately after the 1906 photo was taken. The Little Tramp.I do believe that's Charlie Chaplin, leaning on a lamppost at the corner of the street, in case a certain little lady comes by. Oh me, oh my! Beautiful buildingMore about the building here and here. Pathé has newsreel footage of it burning in July 1956. Wanamaker'swas originally A.T. Stewarts store, is now occupied by the Stewart House co-ops. The building in the Shorpy photo burned down in 1956. Wanamaker's other building, one block south still stands. Hamburger BrothersThere's a name you don't see anymore, attached to anything but sandwiches. Wanamaker's, on the other hand, is so decorous that for the lack of signage, the only way to find it is to stop at the line of waiting Hansom cabs. AnnexI used to work in the early 70's for Amex. It was located in 770 Broadway. It had been the Wanamaker's Annex (were the sign that says "Annex" is in the picture). It had been converted to office space when the store closed. The elevators went from the lobby with he first stop at "3". I never thought about it until some of us decided that instead of waiting for the elevator at five that we would walk down. The stairway still had the old gas jets, but what was really interesting was that there was a door on the second floor (the one that the elevators could not stop at) that said "U S Army Engineers Manhattan District"! I never forgot that. The three youngsters near the cornerLooks like they knew they were getting their picture taken! Early TelevisionIn 1945 the DuMont Television Network created three studios at Wanamaker's including one of 2,000 square feet, seating 280. DuMont's local station was WABD Channel 5, now WNYW "Fox 5." The Annex - Take 2I think we can push the date of this photograph back a few years, because Wanamaker's Annex is nowhere to be seen. [Look closer. - Dave] Dave, that's not the 14-story building I'm talking about (Wanamaker's Annex, D. H. Burnham & Co., 1903-1907) - you know, the building I described in the paragraph I sent you, before you edited it down to one sentence. Guys & DollsMarry the Man Today: At Wanamaker's and Saks and Klein's A lesson I've been taught You can't get alterations on a dress you haven't bought At any vegetable market from Borneo to Nome You mustn't squeeze a melon till you get the melon home You've simply got to gamble You get no guarantee Now doesn't that kind of apply to you and I? You and me! Why not? Why not what? Marry the man today Trouble though he may be Much as he likes to play Crazy and wild and free Marry the man today Rather than sigh in sorrow Marry the man today And change his ways tomorrow (The Gallery, NYC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Proviso Yard: 1942
Classification yard at the Chicago & North Western Proviso Yard. December 1942. View full size. ... as best as I can make out. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 9:29am -

Classification yard at the Chicago & North Western Proviso Yard. December 1942. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. Yard pictAnother great Jack Delano picture, can you count how many steam locos are in the photo, I counted about 8 as best as I can make out. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Willow Springs: 1900
... service was established between Willow Springs and Chicago, city folk used it to reach what was considered a nice place to picnic. ... and busy highway interchange, including Interstate 294 (Chicago bypass), U.S. highways 12, 20 and 45, and Illinois 171. It also hosts, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/13/2012 - 1:13pm -

Circa 1900. "Station at Willow Springs, Illinois." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. 8 x 10 Glass Negatives.I love photos from those 8 x 10 glass negatives. This one is focused a little close to the camera to be a great photo, and there are some scratches towards the bottom, but it is almost like you can step into the scene. Picnic at your own risk these daysOne source reports that when railroad service was established between Willow Springs and Chicago, city folk used it to reach what was considered a nice place to picnic. How things have changed. Today the community is host to a very large and busy highway interchange, including Interstate 294 (Chicago bypass), U.S. highways 12, 20 and 45, and Illinois 171. It also hosts, in part, a huge (2,130,000 square foot) United Parcel Service hub that processes 1.6 million packages a day, many of which are shuttled to the adjacent BNSF intermodal yard (another very large facility). I assume the fellow in the image is the station agent, a prestigious position at the time. Perhaps some knowledgeable Shorpy reader can tell us what the indication is for the semaphore aspect. Proceed? Not Bucolic AnymoreThis Illinois town was chosen as the site of a large intermodal highway/rail terminal, because it was far enough away from Chicago's core to avoid congestion, but near enough to be convenient to the Interstate Highway systen. Repair ListLooks like the chimney could use a bit of work. Electrically bondedI noticed that the far left rail has bonding wires at the joint. For 1900 I am surprised to see that this line probably has some form of signalization. Whether that be for aspects or just track occupancy I can't tell. More than likely just to make a light light up or bell ring inside the station to let the station attendant know there was a approaching. I can see the wires on the left main, but don't see them on the track on the right, could be a siding. As for the semaphores at the station, these were used for signaling the train to pick up train orders at the station; instructions for the crew for the next and/or subsequent sections of the line (where to take a siding for a meet, speed restrictions, construction, etc...) There are two, one for each direction. Generally down indicated no need to stop or receive orders. The SemaphoresThere are 2 semaphore signals seen. They are both what are known as 2 aspect semaphores. They can only indicate slow and stop. Further away in each direction you would find 3 aspect semaphore signals that would indicate either; proceed, slow or stop. Further down on the right is a mail pick-up device. I'm quite sure there is also one for the other track in back of the camera. The mail pouch is suspended from the arm and as the train goes by, an arm is extended from the mail car to snatch it and draw it inside. If there is mail for the station, it is tossed onto the platform. Commuter trains still stop at this location. Train order signalThe train order signal is set for "clear" in both directions. If there were train orders or a message to be delivered, it would be set horizontally. This signal itself doesn't convey any information to a train about the condition or occupancy of the track ahead, and would be used only for messages. Great photo, the track appears immaculate. My Father's Predecessor?There are two railroads that run through Willow Springs. I'm guessing that this is the Santa Fe depot. My father was the Santa Fe Signal Maintainer at Willows Springs Ill. throughout the 1960's. I'm assuming this photo was taken facing north and that is Willow Springs Road crossing the tracks. Thank you for wonderful picture. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Par Avion: 1918
... 1927 due to bad situations he got into flying into Chicago. He fortunately bailed out each time. That first day had its ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 1:41pm -

May 1918. Washington, D.C. "Air Mail, inauguration of service, polo grounds. Maj. R.H. Fleet beside Curtiss JN46H plane." Note the map tied to the major's leg. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Reuben H. FleetThe pilot is Reuben H. Fleet who went on to found the Consolidated Aircraft company. The Science Museum and planetarium in San Diego's Balboa Park is named in his honor. Same plane as Lindbergh's!Hard to imagine now, with all the airports and navigational ads and what not, but it was a real challenge to fly from one city to another back then. No radio, no radar, almost no onboard instruments other than a compass, a level indicator and a clock... having to rely on visual references, and praying that there wouldn't be fog or rain in your route... wow. Those early pilots really had to be brave and a bit of daredavils, and the demeanor of this guy clearly shows those traits. Love that leatherMaj. Fleet appears to be well dressed for the cold in his leather flying suit. This outfit would make quite a statement today in Haute Couture society. Fleet's FactoryHow startling to see such a familiar San Diego face on Shorpy. Although there was already a burgeoning aircraft industry in San Diego when Fleet moved here in 1935 (Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis" was built by Ryan Aeronautical in San Diego), the vast Consolidated Vultee Aircraft factory he built here and its output during World War II and the Cold War permanently transformed San Diego. The Convair aircraft factory stretched almost continuously for more than two miles along Pacific Highway, adjacent to Lindbergh Field, our airport on San Diego Bay and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. Just one portion of the plant's Building One is visible in the 1943 photo below. Most of the factory is now long gone, but Building Two now houses the U.S. Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR). The San Diego Aerospace Museum in Balboa Park houses the Convair/General Dynamics company papers and photo archives. www.aerospacemuseum.org/library/convair.html 1918 Navaids Back in those days they all flew IFR - as in 'I Follow Roads' (or Rails). Cold up there...One of our neighbours where I grew up had been a gunner on 2-seater WWI fighter/bomber aircraft, and he told me that it got to be -20 F "up there". They were dressed for bitter cold: even their faces were smeared with axle grease to prevent frostbite. As soon as I saw this picture, I remembered my neighbour's words. &*$#!I guess road-maps have always been tough to refold. Plenty of DangerIt was said that the early days of flying the mail was almost as bad as flying in combat. So many pilots were lost that the government had to suspend the program for a time. It sure was dangerous!Lindbergh himself crashed his mail plane twice between October 1925 and February 1927 due to bad situations he got into flying into Chicago. He fortunately bailed out each time. That first day had its adventuresThis was May 15 and until the U.S. Post Office hired its own pilots who took over on August 12, Fleet and six other army pilots carried the load, so to speak. The trips that day were to Philly and continuing on to NYC. Other flights left from New York for Washington. One pilot was Lieutenant George Boyle, chosen not because of his experience (he had fewer than 60 hours) but because his fiancee was the daughter of Interstate Commerce Commissioner Charles McChord. With President Wilson, other high level politicos and, I’d imagine, his admiring girl friend in the crowd, Boyle couldn’t get his Jenny started. Someone forgot to fuel it. That was a minor snag for the young aviator, though, because he got lost en route to Philadelphia and crashed in Maryland about 25 miles from takeoff. Another account says he got lost twice trying to fly from Washington to Philadelphia. “The Atlantic Ocean and lack of gas prevent him going further,” Fleet said. Fleet’s trip that day and the other pilots’ were completed. I wonder if the leaf hanging on the wire or cable held on all the way. He’s got his map folded exactly as I did on long car trips for years before GPS. He's drawn a straight line down to his first destination. Making a folded point at the one end contains the rest of the map underneath. Strangely, his map outline looks quite a lot like an overhead view of the SR-71 Blackbird (Los Angeles to Dulles in 58 minutes). Here is an excellent story about early air mail and its pilots, featuring the central Pennsylvania town of Bellefonte, the first refueling stop established for air mail flights. Lindbergh knew the field quite well; Wiley Post, Amelia Earhart, Eddie Rickenbacker, Will Rogers, Admiral Richard Byrd had reasons to land there, too. Many early air mail aviators were something special, including colorful pilot Harold “Slim” Lewis, of whom an admirer said, “He was the which than which there was no whicher.” http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/Slim_Lewis_Slept_Here.html?... The Air & Space site itself is terrific. (The Gallery, Aviation, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
On Little Cat Feet: 1942
December 1942. "Chicago. An unusually heavy fog in the early afternoon." Medium format negative ... looks east on Sunnyside. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/11/2017 - 8:20pm -

December 1942. "Chicago. An unusually heavy fog in the early afternoon." Medium format negative by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. The fog comeson little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on. Dave's Trading Post, corner of Broadway and Sunnyside1025 West Sunnyside, at the corner of Broadway and Sunnyside. We have another view of this corner store in this other Shorpy photo. The image above looks south down Broadway. The other picture looks east on Sunnyside. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Stores & Markets)
Detroit Rubber Works: 1908
... maker of bicycle tires when, in 1906, they moved from Chicago to Detroit to exploit the needs of the growing automobile industry. In ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 6:16pm -

Detroit, Michigan, 1908. "Detroit Rubber Works." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What do they manufacture? Vulcanized, galoshes and boots, rubber bands, or condoms? [Hmm. Detroit? Rubber? Morgan & Wright was the world's largest maker of bicycle tires when, in 1906, they moved from Chicago to Detroit to exploit the needs of the growing automobile industry. In 1911 the company was sold to the U.S. Rubber Co., renamed Uniroyal in 1961.] I found the steam whistle!Just to the left of the two "smoking" smoke stacks. Cookin' With GasGreat view of a gasometer complete with promotional message on it. Story in dBusiness Magazine this MonthI just read a story about them/Uniroyal in the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of dBusiness magazine (a Detroit business periodical). Morgan & Wright's Wartime WomenDuring World War I, Morgan & Wright hired many women to fill essential production jobs previously held by men. Here's a photo from the collection of Wayne State University. Amelia Bloomer and Parisian fashion designers usually get the credit for introducing women to wearing trousers, but it's likely that more American women got to experience this for the first time during their temporary wartime jobs. Strange PhotoIt looks like something painted by Edward Hopper. Not even a rubber band can be found there today.[Area immediately southwest of MacArthur Bridge Park.] View Larger Map What did they make?Bet they made some Baby Buggy Bumpers. Uni, Roy & AlUni, Roy & Al say "Cook with Gas". (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Factories)
Not by Bread Alone: 1941
April 1941. "Abandoned building, South Side of Chicago." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm ... [Not to mention "Lubrication." - Dave] (The Gallery, Chicago, Russell Lee) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 11:42am -

April 1941. "Abandoned building, South Side of Chicago." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. Study in ContrastsClassical architectural order vs. decay and disorder; spiritual needs vs. beer n' burgers. Great shot! [Not to mention "Lubrication." - Dave] (The Gallery, Chicago, Russell Lee)
Honeymoon Hotel: 1941
... say, saloons, houses of ill-repute, safehavens for 1930's Chicago gangsters, and yes, I work in a building just a stone's throw from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/28/2008 - 11:11am -

August 1941. "Boardinghouse in Baraga, Michigan," a.k.a. the Honeymoon Hotel. View full size. Medium format safety negative by John Vachon for the FSA. This was scanned from an uncaptioned and somewhat misfiled print of the negative. Thanks to Anonymous Tipster for pointing us in the right direction (north). Wait, Toto, we are in KansasI would guess this was in Kansas. Not many, if any, of these Second Empire style houses in Oklahoma. Kansas had the earlier settlements that would have built in this style, when Oklahoma was Indian Territory. [This call number for this photo puts it in a batch of pictures taken in Cimarron County, Oklahoma, in April 1936. - Dave] No, no Toto, we are in Michigan!Yay, finally a photo from my home area. This is the old Honeymoon Hotel in Baraga, Michigan, on the Keweenaw Bay Indian Reservation in the Upper Peninsula. This view looks east toward downtown Baraga and across the bay of Keweenaw with the town of L'Anse on the far side. For another view of this once stately building, see: http://www.highway41north.com/baraga.html Scroll down to 1940's, pictures #3 and #4. Thanks to Shorpy for this photo even though not as intended but perhaps it will open to its viewers an area that is rich in Indian, fur trade, lumbering, mining history and say, saloons, houses of ill-repute, safehavens for 1930's Chicago gangsters, and yes, I work in a building just a stone's throw from where this photo was taken.... [Oklahoma, Kansas ... Michigan. And it's by John Vachon, not Arthur Rothstein. From 1941, not 1936. So I was pretty close! Caption updated. Thanks. - Dave] Not another view - same photoVery interesting - the picture #3 that you reference isn't just another view of the same building - as far as I can tell it's the exact same photo. Makes one wonder about the path they've both taken to make it onto the web. Presumably the picture#3 image is scanned from a print... [Pics #2 thru #5 on Highway41north.com are all from the LOC archive and were taken by John Vachon. #3 is a low-res scan of a negative; our photo was scanned from a print. - Dave] Some honeymoon!Lovely accommodations for Mr. and Mrs. Bates. While in the neighborhood....The buildings noted in Highway41north.com, #2, #3/#4 are long gone but St. Anne's Catholic Church in #5 looks pretty much the same however it has an addition towards the rear and some needed landscaping around the steps.... Looks Like a Hopper PaintingThat sky is spooky. Not a soul in sight. Amazing photo. Cool! My jaw dropped when I saw the pic and caption! I grew up in this area, and it's always fun to stumble upon these things on the web!! Thanks for posting, and thanks to the previous poster for the website with all the other pictures! I am a sucker for history and historical buildings and how things were back then.... This is a very haunting building... I love the ambience of it. Very cool! Forty years earlier...The hotel 40 years earlier. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Rural America)
40th Street Shops: 1942
... 1942. "Working on the cylinder of a locomotive at the Chicago & North Western R.R. 40th Street shops, Chicago, Illinois." Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/31/2018 - 12:41pm -

December 1942. "Working on the cylinder of a locomotive at the Chicago & North Western R.R. 40th Street shops, Chicago, Illinois." Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. 40th Street ain't what it used to beChicagoans will immediately think the shops were located at 4000 south on the grid. Nope, surprise! The 40th Street shops were 4000 west, at present day Pulaski. Here's a 1915 map and also the current Google aerial view. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
The Lunch Crowd: 1941
July 1941. "Stockyard workers during lunch hour. Chicago, Illinois." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm ... has unzipped or torn pants. (The Gallery, Chicago, John Vachon) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/12/2020 - 2:16pm -

July 1941. "Stockyard workers during lunch hour. Chicago, Illinois." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Blessed contentment“Nowhere in the world will such a brotherly feeling of confidence be experienced as amongst those who sit together smoking their pipes.” – The Results and Merits of Tobacco, 1844, Doctor Barnstein Salad, please.I might be wrong, but I suspect that a morning in the meat-packing plant would kill my appetite for meat. Young Mr. White Shirt is handsome!Less scuffed shoes, no pants patches and drinking milk = I spot a newbie. Poor man on the far left embarrassingly has unzipped or torn pants. (The Gallery, Chicago, John Vachon)
Meanwhile, Back in Petoskey: 1900
... eras, through Pullmans were carried from Cincinnati and Chicago, dropping wealthy tourists close to their lake front hotels. Tank ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 12:05am -

Petoskey, Michigan, circa 1901. "Grand Rapids & Indiana R.R. station." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Always a first hereNever have seen a boat on a baggage carrier before. Engine/TenderI'd like to see that engine and tender from the side; it appears that it's a commuter run (from the crowd on the platform) but it must run in reverse a lot because of the cow-catcher on the tender. No turn wye at either end of its run? Railfans - help? Typical Trolley StopOk typical turn of the century trolley stop. two trolleys numerous interesting people, wait a second go back the sort of dapper guy in the foreground with the lapstrake skiff on a hand truck. Excuse me buddy but you can't take your fishing boat on the trolley even if you pay 2 fares. I am really trying to figure this one out and just what is he doing with the boat at a trolley stop, we will probably never know. [He's taking it (or sending it) somewhere else. This is, as noted in the caption, a railroad station, not a a trolley stop. - Dave] Sorry Dave I was only looking at the Trolley that was probably bringing people to the train. But on another note, why is there a man sitting in the boat? is he part of the shipment? Take a ride on the GR&IClick to embiggen. It's a double enderIn this era about the only locomotives with big headlights on both ends were either switchers or double-enders. The catcher on the rear does indeed indicate this hog has regular assignment on a job where half of the trips are backward. The earlier picture of Petoskey shows a train ready to leave here, probably with this very engine, running in reverse. If you search an old GR&I timetable from this time, you'll find out where this train was going. It probably ran to some branch terminal that had no turn facilities, or it may have ended its run at some main line station that had no turn facility. One of the most famous short line steam roads today, Pennsylvania's Strasburg Rail Road has been doing that from the start; there never have been turn facilities at Strasburg. Next StopYou are right, the engine is designed to run tender first at the head of the train. The likely destination is Harbor Springs, which was served by a branch line diverging just north of Petoskey. Another depot photo shows a main line train on the track adjacent to the station, and a branch line train with a similar engine, tender first, on the next track. In some eras, through Pullmans were carried from Cincinnati and Chicago, dropping wealthy tourists close to their lake front hotels. Tank EngineThe loco is a tank engine -- it has no separate tender. Both the coal bunker and water tank are carried on a rearward extension of the loco frame, in this case on a four-wheeled truck. It is a type of engine commonly but not always correctly referred to in the US as a "Forney." They were designed to be run safely at track speed in either direction without turning, making them well suited to suburban trains. Railroad expansion plansCompare this one to the Petoskey depot view posted a few days earlier. Station platform is longer and has a new roof structure in 1908. New station platform surface. More tracks about the depot -- the expansion process is evident in this picture with rock wall stone on the flat cars. Extra track is to be added and the water spout seems to be missing in '08 shot -- as is the station semaphore signal. Engine number 4 is backing toward you in this view -- and may be the engine in the foreground in the 1908 view -- a number 4 seems to be on the forward headlight number board of the 4-4-0 in the '08 view though it is not clear. The engine cabs are a bit different -- back cab windows are at a higher level in the 'o8 photo. Rolling tail light shade is missing in this shot but evident in the '08 view. Suburban Station at PetoskeyThis is the GR&I (later PRR) suburban station at Petoskey, which operated during the summer months for tourists headed out for the day at Walloon lake or Alanson. The steam engine pictured could operate in either direction (without turning on a wye track) to facilitate quick turnarounds. This suburban station was located about two blocks to the south from the main passenger station which still exists in 2011, without passenger train service. "cowcatcher"?? Puleeze!!The proper term used by railroad personnel is "pilot". The "station semaphore" is properly called "order boards" and the "water spout" was commonly called a "standpipe". Possibly, in other parts of the world, these other terms may have been different, but "cowcather": never! (The Gallery, DPC, Petoskey, Railroads)
Blue Train: 1942
December 1942. Train going over the hump at the Chicago & North Western Proviso Yard. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome ... it in the 1940s - now lost. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 10:04pm -

December 1942. Train going over the hump at the Chicago & North Western Proviso Yard. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. Blue TrainI grew up in earshot of the Proviso Yard Hump. Even took a photo of it in the 1940s - now lost. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
This Old Stove: 1940
... downright dangerous. Love Door County Growing up in Chicago in the 1970s, a camping trip to Door County was a treat. The skinny ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/07/2019 - 11:23am -

July 1940. Door County, Wisconsin. "Wife of Farm Security Administration rehabilitation borrower in her kitchen." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. This Old EverythingThe stove isn't the only old thing. Everything, including the house looks old and well worn. This was back in the day when things were used in perpetuum and not discarded because they looked old or out-of-fashion. Today's generation would cringe seeing how their not-too-distant ancestors lived. I'd wager to bet, though, that great Aunt Myrt lived a happier life. I'll betIt was real sense of accomplishment after mastering how to cook a whole meal on a wood stove like this one. There are so many different cooking areas, dampers and vents. I can imagine each area effecting the one next to it so it would be constant adjusting of the vents. I have trouble with an electric stove. [Although you could burn anything you wanted in them, most of these stoves (this particular model is a Ringen "Quick Meal" range) were fired by coal. - Dave] To many combustibles nearbyNewspapers and a motor oil can. Coal in the washtub I imagine. Oil on the floor Oh Boy. Looks downright dangerous. Love Door CountyGrowing up in Chicago in the 1970s, a camping trip to Door County was a treat. The skinny "thumb" of the state that projects into Lake Michigan, Door County is/was staggeringly beautiful, and very remote. But that was 30 years ago so maybe it's all strip malls now? Hot Oil?Storing a possibly leaking gallon can of motor oil next to a hot stove doesn't seem like a good idea. A Special Gourmet TouchFrench fries cooked in motor oil. DangerThis looks like an instructional 'Do Not Do This' photo. The can of motor oil and loose newspapers next to the stove and the rags/cloths hanging above are a fire disaster waiting to happen. Green Bright Motor OilMakes for smooth eating, helps keeps you regular! Decoration and maker's prideI'm always amazed about the extra work they put into decorating items even like that stove. After all, all those leafs, scrollwork and other reliefs did not serve any other purpose that being pretty (as seen at the time). And somebody still had to design that decoration, some workers had to model them, and they may have taken some extra metal. Not much when compared to the whole product, but somebody had to be paid for it. And it added up with mass production. I guess those stovs were sand-molded cast iron? Imagine the engine block of your typical V8 being embellished with scrolls and leaves. Safety FirstNothing says responsible home safety practice like having a leaky can of motor oil leaning against your blazing hot cast iron stove. Extra points for the straw broom fallen over and coming very close or touching the stovepipe, and tub full of flammable rags immediately adjacent. Corny Cookin'My Great Aunt Nettie made some wonderful meals on a very similar stove on a farm just outside Sidney Ohio. She fired her stove with dried corncobs. Nothing went to waste on the farm! Gas is betterI had family in the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania. In addition to cooking, the coal stove heated water for the whole house, and was also the primary source of heat in the winter. It was lit every day of the year, and needed attention keep going. A weekend away meant the ordeal of relighting it. Then there was carrying coal up from the basement, the ashes out to the can near the street, etc. This went on into the early 1970s. No Sleeves RequiredI'm guessing even if this wasn't summer, she could still get by with short sleeves once this thing got heated up. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Kitchens etc.)
Oscar 'Happy' Felsch: 1920
Chicago White Sox centerfielder Oscar "Happy" Felsch in 1920, his final season ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2012 - 1:48pm -

Chicago White Sox centerfielder Oscar "Happy" Felsch in 1920, his final season in the majors before being banned for life for his role as one of the "eight men out" who fixed the 1919 World Series. View full size. Geo. Grantham Bain Collection. Notice the player in theNotice the player in the background. His uniform is filthy. Charles Comiskey, owner of the White Sox, was so cheap he made the players launder their own uniforms. The players resented this and often played in dirty uniforms. Because of this, the White Sox were sometimes called the "Black Sox" even before the scandal of the thrown World Series of 1919. Also...The guy in back is also adjusting his fly... Hap FelschFelsch was portrayed by Charlie Sheen in John Sayles' film version of "Eight Men Out." Good flick -- check it out. John Cusack and D.B. Sweeney were in it too, and even Studs Terkel had a cameo as a newspaper reporter. HappySo named because his mournful visage belied his sobriquet. Happy the ComicAs a young kid in the 50's, I remember Happy standing in front of the bleacher fans at Milwaukee County Stadium during Braves games. Back then the bleachers were truly bleachers. Happy would put his baseball cap on sideways and pitch to an imaginary batter. Always on his last pitch, he would raise his head to the sky and follow the imaginary ball out of the park. All of the bleacher fans (adults and kids) would get a huge laugh out of the skit every time he performed it. It wasn't until many years later after watching "Eight Men Out" that I learned he was a former major leaguer and had been involved in the White Sox scandal. Great memory. I remember too that his hand was always shaking. He might have had Parkinson's disease. I am a Felsch too....It is a pretty rare name in fact I have never met another Felsch outside of my family. At any rate my father used to joke about being related to Happy and I must admit I resemble the man in the picture. Who Knows? Kin to HappyHappy Felsch was my great-great-great uncle, and he went to his grave saying he didn't throw the game. Happy's graddaughterI'm Oscar Felsch's granddaughter. He was a great and kind person. You're 100 percent correct. He was never involved. On his deathbed, he told my dad the facts. He will always be a great and honest player to us, his family. I too am a FelschHap was my father's great-uncle. Anyone out there that would like to get in touch pls email me at beautiful.dysaster (at) yahoo. Happy memoriesI remember a Happy Felsch attending Emmaus Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. He was (as I recall) first in line to get World Series tickets in 1957. We lived near the church and he was always nice to all of the kids at the school. His hands shook all the time. My dad always told me he was not THE Happy Felsch, but a relative. Was Dad mistaken? Did I really know THE Happy Felsch? (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Sports)
The Sentinels: 1900
Circa 1900. "Interlocking signal plant, Chicago & Alton Railway." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit ... further on, as was required by law? (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/06/2011 - 1:39pm -

Circa 1900. "Interlocking signal plant, Chicago & Alton Railway." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Cattle Guards?What are those cattle guard lookin' things -- any ideas? [They're cattle guards. - Dave] No tie plates etcInteresting view--the rails are spiked directly to the rotting ties---no tie plates. Nevertheless, unlike the main on many of today's railroads, the spikes are not partly pulled out by the up and down motion of the trains passing. Perhaps frequent track walkers with sledges keep a watchful eye. The semaphore signals are likely mechanically controlled from the tower---and the light indicators are kerosene fired. There is wiring to the gear box on the signal stand to the right---electric assist? I do not see another railroad crossing and no signals controlling that line which would also be controlled from the tower. So what does the tower control? Perhaps two Alton lines merging somewhere up forward and from the left of the tower. In case you were wonderingIn railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant. An interlocking is designed so that it is impossible to give clear signals to trains unless the route to be used is proved to be safe. Railroad SemaphoresI have known for a long time that these semaphores were used to control traffic on railway lines but I didn't know how it was done or what information was passed to the engineer of a locomotive. There is a very in-depth description of different railway signalling apparatus at this site (www.railroadsignals.us). From their description I would think that both of these semaphores are signalling for the train to stop. Not electricI do not believe these signals are electrically lit. Most likely kerosene, which is why they are equipped with ladders. They are also not in any way electrically assisted. Look at the large number of horizontal pipes which emerge from in front of the tower and run along the ground, most easily seen first at the left edge of the photo when in original view. Those are control rods, moved by men (STRONG men!!) using levers inside the tower, and they are connected to switches, signals and derails which control where the trains go. You can see the control rods at the bottom of the right hand signal. The vertical direction of the movement is accomplished by using a bell crank, and you can see the disk-shaped counterweights which lessen the effort needed to move the semaphore's blades at the base of the signal mast. I think that the trackwork which this tower controls is principally behind the photographer, based on the large number (about a dozen) of control rods heading back behind the viewer. I also think that there is another track, diagonal to the ones we see here, running along a line defined by the telephone poles to the left, which runs under the wooden bridge which appears behind the left of the two cattle guards, and would evidently run under the C&A lines we see. I am also curious (and will be forever if another photo doesn't someday reveal the answer) why the nearest track is separated from the others by the wire fencing and the cattle guard. Are we standing ia cattle pen area where cattle are off-loaded, fed, watered and rested before being reloaded and shipped further on, as was required by law? (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Railroads)
Bad Medicine: 1939
... Walgreens. We sold a fair amount of it too at the Westside Chicago store I worked at. Medicine or flavored liquor? Wampole's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/11/2017 - 11:37am -

Summer 1938. "General store interior. Florence County, South Carolina." A variety of unpleasant-looking nostrums from the punishment pharmacopoeia. Who wants saltpeter? From the FSA archive, credited to "Cox, photographer." View full size. "Try Me" brand drugsI think I remember those from Alice in Wonderland. The Family LaxativeAnd how does senna work? Sennosides derived from the leaves of the senna plant irritate the lining of the bowel, causing a laxative effect. Sometimes the more you read, the less you want to know. Incomplete inventoryHow can a kid make gunpowder if you don't sell the powdered charcoal, too? Uses of alumAlum has been shown to be an effective agent in the formulation of Warner Brothers cartoon gags. Use as DirectedThank heaven they had bottled Shorpy in those days to comfort them! SaltpeterI kinda miss it. We used to buy it (Potassium Nitrate), mix it with icing sugar, pack it into a paper vessel and light 'er up! Great smoke bomb. Probably not so safe. Delayed reactionTwo very old gents in their 90's sitting on a park bench talking about their time serving in WW2. One says to the other, "Remember that stuff they used to put in our food so we wouldn't think about women?" The second guy says "Yeah, I think it was called salt peter." The first says "Right, that's it. Anyway, I think it's finally beginning to kick in." Rx SHORPYAdd 1 Tbsp of SHORPY into 1 cup (or more) of choice beverage and drink slowly 3 or more times a day - or as needed. Truth in Labelling I hope The Dill Company learned their lesson and stopped watering down the spirit of turpentine with kerosene by the time this picture was taken. Back in 1915, they were doing just that. Another Alum UseAn alum douche can be used by ladies to "tighten up" their private parts according to a pharmacist I worked with at Walgreens. We sold a fair amount of it too at the Westside Chicago store I worked at. Medicine or flavored liquor?Wampole's Preparation: alcohol 12% cod liver oil fluid extract of wild cherry compound syrup of hypophosphites CopperasIron or ferrous sulphate, originally called green vitriol. Used as a dye fixative in the textile industry, also to blacken leather and as a constituent of ink, it is used medically to treat iron deficiency anemia. One of the side effects is constipation, which brings us back to my earlier comment on senna... Flavored alcohol is right!My granny wouldn't allow booze of any kind in her house, but she loved her Geritol. I made the mistake of mentioning to her that her twice-a-day, self-prescribed "remedy" was 24-proof only once, and was told to "go find a switch and make it a good one." AlumWe kept alum around for canker sores. It tasted awful and really puckered up your mouth, but it was hell on canker sores. If you applied it at bedtime, the sore was gone the next day. (The Gallery, Medicine, Stores & Markets)
Red, White & Blue: 1942
Truck trailers at the Chicago & North Western R.R. freight house, December 1942. View full ... by Jack Delano. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 10:02pm -

Truck trailers at the Chicago & North Western R.R. freight house, December 1942. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Siegel Cooper: 1910
... French made for the World's Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago in 1893. The original stood in the middle of the waters of the Fair's ... the designer of the pedestal for the original at the Chicago Fair was the architect Henry Bacon; this foreshadows the later ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 6:30pm -

New York circa 1910. "Siegel Cooper & Co., the fountain. Republic statue." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Moving downscaleNow housing a Bed Bath & Beyond and TJ Maxx. Daniel Chester French This "Republic" is a miniature version of the original 65-foot statue that Daniel Chester French made for the World's Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago in 1893. The original stood in the middle of the waters of the Fair's Beaux-Arts centerpiece, the Court of Honor. Today a smaller replica in gilded bronze, 24 feet high, stands near that site in Jackson Park. Incidentally, the designer of the pedestal for the original at the Chicago Fair was the architect Henry Bacon; this foreshadows the later collaboration between French and Bacon which produced Washington's Lincoln Memorial. Jackson Park: 2009Here is the 24-foot version in Chicago mentioned by Michael R. On moving downscaleLady Republic and her fountain have been ripped out and replaced by four kiosks: Jewelry by Joon Sohng, Your Portrait in a Flash, Nail Talk, and Cellphone Heaven. 32 Sixth AvenueAt West 18th Street. More here. DepthThe depth of field in this image is extraordinary. My guess lens was stopped down to f64. How shutter speed was calculated says much about the photographer's expertise. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Stores & Markets)
Kong Chow Asylum: 1906
... 10-story Mills Building, designed by Burnham & Root of Chicago and built in 1891-1892. It survived the earthquake and fire and was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:41pm -

"Pine Street below Kearney." Aftermath of the great San Francisco earthquake and fire of April 18, 1906. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Smokin'Although not dated precisely, this photo must have been taken within a few days of the fires' being extinguished since the first thing that San Franciscans did after the disaster was to clear the streets. You gotta wonder about the wisp of smoke coming from the chimney atop the high-rise on the background. (The Appraiser's Building?) Did the building's boiler room survive intact so that the heating system still worked? Or was someone burning trash in the basement? Or maybe it's residual smoke from the still-smoldering ruins making its way up the flues? Do Notuse the fire escape on the left. Hats!The world comes to an end, but they still have their hats! The etiquette of the day was such that to not have a hat was considered unusual. http://www.walternelson.com/dr/hatiquette Offensive?Standing alone for nearly 3 years against the scourge of Nazism, I think they are allowed to wear their hats. [Weebitski is talking about the San Francisco earthquake photo.] My apologies. Battle Of BritainLooks like London after the Blitz. Kong ChowKong Chow Beneficial Society (Chinese). Incorporated September 24, 1867. Location of asylum was on north side of Pine street, between Kearny and Dupont [Grant]. Object was to dispense charity to poor and worthy Chinese. Awesome for realIt annoys me the way people throw this word around over a candy-bar or something. Now this is what awesome looks like; this is what awesome is. Quick Clean UpIf the current passion for used brick would have been a trend in 1906, they could have had this all picked up quickly by advertising "rock bottom prices on used brick -all you can carry". Still standing?Are either of the tall buildings still there, or any of the others in this picture? Smoke PlumeHistry2 - I was wondering about the wisp of smoke as well, especially as the building is clearly burnt out. Maybe there was still a lone stoker, working away in the boiler room of the building, unaware that anything had happened outside! Mills BuildingAuntjess - the big building on the right is still standing. It is the 10-story Mills Building, designed by Burnham & Root of Chicago and built in 1891-1892. It survived the earthquake and fire and was rebuilt and enlarged by the succeesor firm of D. H. Burnham and Company in 1907-1908, under the supervision of Willis Polk. The Mills Building was built for Darius Ogden Mills, a Forty-Niner who became a California banking tycoon. Merchants ExchangeAuntjess - the big building with the wisp of smoke is the Merchants Exchange, restored after the earthquake and fire is still standing at 465 California Street. It was, like the Mills Building, designed by Willis Polk while at Burnham & Root. (The Gallery, DPC, Fires, Floods etc., San Francisco)
On Top of Old Steamy: 1943
Clinton, Iowa. April 1943. "Chicago & North Western Railroad. Women wipers at the roundhouse cleaning ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 4:47pm -

Clinton, Iowa. April 1943. "Chicago & North Western Railroad. Women wipers at the roundhouse cleaning one of the giant H-class locomotives." In the red bandanna: Marcella Hart, seen here in a few other posts. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. What a job.That looks really time consuming! Nice cabooseCarry on. Gotta love those 4x5 Kodachromes!These wartime 4x5 Kodachromes are so great! I don't know what it is, the colors may not be exactly accurate, but there's just something about them that grabs me. Some special kind of beauty. And the subjects, of course, pure Americana of the mid-twentieth century, that's the icing on the cake. Keep 'em coming! "Mama, don't take my Kodachrome away!" An inspiring series of photosMy fellow Shorpyfiles might be interested to know that this particular series of photos inspired a re-enactment a few years ago at the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso, Michigan. You can see the photos in this gallery: http://steamspecials.com/image-gallery/?album=1&gallery=41 There are also several posted at railpictures.net. Thanks to Shorpy and Dave for finding and posting these. Toot CoutureThey wear HEELS to climb all over a locomotive? Seems a bit PRECARIOUS to me! Spectactular, transcendent Images!The series of 4x5 Kodachromes from the WWII era are inspiring and transcendent and truly original and beautiful. Kodachrome looks like life. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Coal, Water, Sand: 1942
November 1942. "Chicago. Locomotives loading up with coal, water and sand at an Illinois ... make it back to the top of the hill. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/30/2013 - 12:29pm -

November 1942. "Chicago. Locomotives loading up with coal, water and sand at an Illinois Central Railroad yard before going out on the road." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Yes, sand!The coal fuels the fire that makes steam from the water, and the sand, when dropped on the rail, gives the engine more traction. Most useful when the rail is wet, covered with snow/ice/leaves. Sand actually is essential to get over the railroad. Legend has it an old B&ORR helper engineer dreamed up the idea circa 1840s, and rigged a box up on his locomotive with pipes to the rail. It worked so well the RR's quickly adopted it. He shoulda patented his invention. The newest computerized locos today still have sand boxes with pipes to the rails. SandI was a brakeman on the Penn Central some years ago and we often switched out a couple of pipe yards that were at the bottom of a hill. If it was early morning with dewy tracks, we would sand going down so we could make it back to the top of the hill. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
The Pulpit: 1899
... of that being done. Special Train? The engine is a Chicago & North Western S-2 class 4-6-0 built in 1890. As such it was an ... Train followup. Responding to SouthBendModel34--The Chicago & North Western (C&NW)line through Lewiston I believe started ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/13/2015 - 2:29pm -

Circa 1899. "Near Lewiston, Minnesota -- The Pulpit." Yet another rock formation with a fanciful name. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Link and Pin CouplerThat locomotive is equipped with a primitive Link and Pin coupler. You can see a link hanging from the pin, plain as can be. This is a dangerous manual coupling system that exposed RR workers to dismemberment and death. There is no air brake hose visible, either. The 1893 railroad safety appliance act made automatic couplers and air brakes mandatory. It was phased in over seven years, so the actual date of the photo is most likely before 1899 and certainly is not after 1900. Karst TopographyI'd like to have a look in that cave on the right. Does anyone know if the Pulpit still exists? Filling in a trestle.It was common practice when these rail lines were built to erect trestles over low places and when the line was completed and in service go back and fill in around the trestle. This is a good picture of that being done. Special Train?The engine is a Chicago & North Western S-2 class 4-6-0 built in 1890. As such it was an example of the biggest and best the railroad had before 1900. The engine lasted until 1925 when it was scrapped. In this photo it hauls one passenger car--an attendant appears looking out from behind the car suggesting a very special train. Perhaps top management. Perhaps an inspection train. The locomotive is a good deal more powerful than needed for one passenger car--an ornate at that. Special Train followup. Responding to SouthBendModel34--The Chicago & North Western (C&NW)line through Lewiston I believe started life as the Winona & St. Peter Railroad which had a close association with the C&NW. Note the C&NW logo on the front of the smoke box of number 148. Construction was started about 1866 and the C&NW purchased the railroad in about 1867 though it operated it as a separate entity until 1900. The railroads shared motive power designs and classification codes though motive power , numbering and logos on locomotives were kept separate until the final merger. Locomotive 118The number plate at the center of the locomotive smokebox seems to read 118. The line through Lewiston MN is currently the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern, which is a successor to the Chicago and Northwestern Railway. (Which may or may not have constructed this line: can any Shorpy Sleuth come up with a construction date for the RR through Lewiston MN? The trestle fill-in would probably be not too long after the opening of the line. Can photo enhancement read a RR name on the side of the tender, or the name of the single passenger car? (Which is probably the RR's Business Car. This looks like an inspection trip to check on the progress of the trestle fill.) There's curved, raised lettering on the locomotive smokebox which I would guess to be the name of the locomotive. builder. Can that be enhanced ? [Signs on the tender and car aren't legible. -tterrace] PulpitThe cave on the right is a legend about it being the Devil's Hole. (see photo) [The photo you attached related to the Lewiston in New York state, not Minnesota. -tterrace] [Thanks. Being a Brit, I don't know my NY from my MN...] C&NW Business car 104The open platform car was leased (owned?) by the Detroit Photographic Company. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Eat Red Star Yeast: 1936
April 1936. "Housing alongside Chicago and Milwaukee Railroad. Milwaukee, Wisconsin." View full size. 35mm ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 5:13pm -

April 1936. "Housing alongside Chicago and Milwaukee Railroad. Milwaukee, Wisconsin." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Carl Mydans for the FSA. Eat Yeast?Odd way to word it--you'd think they would say "Use Red Star Yeast"--don't recommend eating it! Yeast FolkloreYeast was recommended for pregnant women and people with acne in the 20s and 30s. No, I don't know why, but that's what my mother, now 88, tells me. She doesn't remember the theory, and she guess it's just folklore, kind of like those pregnant women who ate white clay because they thought they needed minerals. Whistling Yeast ChorusMany of the B-vitamins complex tablets or capsules available today in your supermarket or pharmacy are derived from yeast -- though there are formulations which state specifically on the label that they are not yeast-based. The clay-eaters you mention don't just think "they need the minerals." It is a physical compulsion, and known as Pica disorder. Its usually considered to be driven by a biochemical or iron deficiency. (Guess the pickles and ice cream just didn't satisfy, huh?) Steve Miller Someplace near the crossroads of America Yeast CakesBrewer's yeast, a byproduct of beer brewing, is sometimes used for direct human consumption. The yeast is usually killed before being sold for this purpose. Yeast is very high is B-complex vitamins. The Red Star brand of yeast is still commonly available, including nutritional yeast. Rapid Transit LineThis is the Rapid Transit Line of The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company, the forerunner of today's Wisconsin Electric Power Co. Opened in 1930, it was a high-speed, very well engineered electric railroad that allowed for a trip from downtown to suburban Waukesha in about forty minutes. Tragically, for several reasons (including the Depression, public sentiment, labor issues and Milwaukee socialist politics), TMER&L decided to get out of the transportation business in 1936, so this line really never had the chance to develop its full potential. Following progressive abandonment of the system beyond Waukesha and a tragically abortive effort to save the railroad, the Rapid Transit Line was abandoned on June 30, 1951. This part of the line is now in the middle of Interstate 94, which was built on (or next to) most of the line's right of way in the 1960s. LocationOne more note--this is at 28th Street. There was a massive electric substation tower behind the photographer. Red Star still hereThis shot is looking north at the current intersection of about 28th street and I-94. A similar looking tank and steam cloud still exist. My wife made me detour away from this spot when she was pregnant as the yeast smell made her nauseated. Looking west, not northIn the comment, "Red Star till here", commenter, Buzz, stated that the view in this photo is looking north. It is looking to the west. Some of the homes in the background on the hill are still standing. (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, Milwaukee, Railroads)
North by Northwest: 1899
... circa 1899. "Engine of the South Dakota division, Chicago & North Western Ry." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Photographic Co. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/27/2018 - 5:36pm -

Tracy, Minnesota, circa 1899. "Engine of the South Dakota division, Chicago & North Western Ry." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Photographic Co. View full size. Pulp TractionI too found the "paper wheels" comment interesting and it encouraged me to do a bit of research. It led me to this: http://www.cupery.net/wheels.html Paper WheelsOnce again, I learn something new from Shorpy. A regular occurrence, in fact. The knowledge of Shorpyites is amazing! Paper locomotive wheels . . . who would have believed that? Which way to Petticoat Junction?You know Uncle Joe he's moving kinda slow. More about paper wheelsThose may or may not be paper wheels. According to the Locomotive Dictionary of 1906 (yes, there was such a publication) a paper wheel is "A wheel with a steel tire and a center formed of compressed paper held between two iron face plates. It is in limited use. The compressed paper can be turned and polished like wood." They were also used on passenger cars. There were also disc wheels which looked similar, used on passenger cars, in which the cast iron wheel hub had a surrounding integral spider and one or two flat steel plates were riveted to the spider and to a separate steel tire. These were not packed with compressed paper. The purpose of these designs was to make a quieter running wheel. More About the Paper WheelYou can read more about the "Allen" wheel here: https://www.uh.edu/engines/epi758.htm These were always made up with bolts (not rivets). Am I Loco?I think I recognize this photo from long ago on Shorpy, only colorized. Looks quite different. I will try to load the photo. It was so good that I saved a copy to enjoy on my desktop for a while. Someone did a fantastic job of colorizing. [That was from our last ride on this train, five years ago. - Dave] Doggone Dave!I remembered commenting on a CNW engine several years back, but didn't think anything of it. Lo and behold, it's the same durned photo. (And I made very similar comments back then as I did this time; at least I'm consistent.) I've done a fair amount of living since 2013; that's why my memory is so poor. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.) Run her again in 2023 and let's see how we do! Less spit...When this photo was taken the fireman would have used tallow to clean and polish the loco. As the title says Front to backFirstly, this photo is no later than 1899/1900, account of the link and pin couplers still in use. That big "cow catcher" is a different shade in the picture; probably is red. Note the smokebox front has "C&NWR" cast into it: classy. I'd love to have one of those gorgeous brass marker lights. Notice the black sheet metal "hood" on this side of the headlight. These were used to block the bright light while waiting in sidings. After the opposing train passed, the hood was swung out of the way, and they were off. (This made things much easier than turning off the oil headlamp and later relighting it.) See the headlight is mounted on braces attached behind the light; this indicates the smokebox was extended at some point and the original braces were retained. The riveted seam that passes under the light shows the original length of the smokebox. The builder's plate proclaims it a product of Schenectady Locomotive Works, which later became the primary part of American Locomotive Works. See this side of the bell, with what looks like a rod hanging down into a ball; this is an automatic bell ringer, likely air operated. You can see the air line running from the "ball" (it's actually a piston) back to the cab. Those two smaller wheels on either side of the cylinder are made of pressed paper; the numerous rivets give that away. That cylinder front is discolored; I'd bet it's unpainted brass. Finally, the engineer looks young, competent and willing, if not enthusiastic. This loco was likely built as much as twenty-five years earlier, but is well cared for here. The small white jug on the tender is nothing more than probably kerosene, to keep the markers, lanterns and interior cab lights fueled. The large box behind it is full of chains, extra links, etc. The ancient tender trucks proclaim this engine's age. (That first car, the RPO, is a museum piece as well.) [The date on the plate is 1885. - Dave] Classic locoI love the train photos on this site as much for the informative commentary as for the images themselves. I’m really looking forward to the words on this one. As for the locomotive, it’s such a thing of beauty and design and power and polish. If you had to make a museum with only a dozen things in it to show off the achievements of humankind, this would have to be one of the exhibits. And if you were given the task of drawing a steam engine, this could easily be the model. C&NWR survives in TracyAt least as recently as October 2008, this remnant of the C&NWR was on display in Tracy on the west edge of town, on the south side of Route 14. More SpitI will bet it took a lot of spit to spit shine this locomotive but they did a great job of it. Beautiful engine and it shows the pride they took in it. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Christmas 1959
... I took it with us when we visited my mom's family in Chicago. Only a handful of the pictures survive today, but I still have the ... 
 
Posted by palm4springs - 05/16/2009 - 6:31pm -

In 1959, my engineer father was, as his expression shows, not happy that a part to my brother's new magic set was not working by late Christmas morning. This was my second picture with the Argus C-Twenty camera I received that day so long ago. For $29.95, the camera kit came with one 20-exposure roll of Kodachrome daylight, six No. 5 blue flashbulbs, plug-in flash gun, and a slide previewer. My parents spent an extra $4.79 for the top-grain leather case. For some reason, they never discarded the Fall-Winter 1959 Montgomery-Ward catalog in which the camera was featured. The catalog is now in my home. The camera served me well through high school, college and beyond. View full size. Double VisionLooks like somebody got a pair of binoculars for Christmas. I got a pair for Christmas when I was eleven, and I still use them, almost 40 years later. And the catalog...The catalog! What would it take to get you to scan and publish that? OrnamentalistYou can mostly make out your shape in the reflection in the ornament. Awesome! The kitchenThe dog sitting at the table is great! Some things will never change. Are we related??Gosh, your dad and mine could have been brothers! And he was very handy too. What a great photo! Do you have more from this special roll? An Argus C20My parents bought the same camera in 1958 or '59. My dad used it once - the pictures didn't come out and the camera was put away until I found it in 1974. I took it with us when we visited my mom's family in Chicago. Only a handful of the pictures survive today, but I still have the camera, flash & manual in storage. I know how he feelsBeing a parent, I think I was usually more upset than my son if something I bought for him did not work right. Forward Into the PastHope we'll see many more of the pictures from that Argus that served you so well! The dog...seems to be more interested in the magic on the plate of whoever is sitting at the table. What a great dad!God bless him. $29.95 in 1959 is serious money. And God bless the doggie hoping for scraps, with at least a slice of Christmas ham. BinocularityMy dad came back from Japan with a pair of binoculars, and they are still in that same case on my bookcase. They have "Made in Occupied Japan" stamped on them. Lead tinsel!Great stuff! Toxic and beautiful. Our cats specialized in gobbling it down, and then it would reappear a day or two later . . . (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Christmas)
King Midget: 1956
... businessman with offices in the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. It appears that Havva was his wife's name. Alabama? The only ... the thing go by. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, News Photo Archive) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/01/2017 - 7:25pm -

Chicagoland circa 1956. "Peanut man at Havva Hosiery Mills." Piloting (pedaling?) a one-cylinder King Midget. 4x5 inch acetate negative. View full size. TriviaThe Havva Hosier Mills trademark was established in 1952 by Shalom Joseph, an Iranian businessman with offices in the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. It appears that Havva was his wife's name. Alabama?The only Havva manufacturing plant I could turn up was in Phenix City, AL rather than Illinois. Phenix is just across the river from Columbus, GA--any connection in your file photos collection (current Tappan photo is Columbus, GA)? And no blades to sharpen!When I was teenager growing up in Dallas in the '70s, one of our neighbors down the street, a Dallas Police sergeant, commuted to work in a King Midget, in white, with a white convertible top. It sounded like a riding lawn mower, and I always knew when he was coming home, late in the afternoon. I'd run to the window just to watch the thing go by. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, News Photo Archive)
Roller Derby Girls: 1950
... I.D. The lady on the right is Annis Jensen of the Chicago Westerners. Not sure about the lady on the left but she looks like ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2007 - 3:10am -

Women's league roller derby skaters in New York. March 10, 1950. View full size. Photo by Al Aumuller, New York World-Telegram. no fearwow we wear pads, mount guard and helmets now. They look fearless. Zoom Zoom Zetta (Suzette) Rocky Mountain Rollergirls More pleaseAre there more where this came from? colin j. [As far as I can tell this is it. - Dave] Seeing these old-school galsSeeing these old-school gals make me feel like such a pansy. I would never dream of jumping over someone without my kneepads and a mouth guard! Rollerderby photoGreat photo. I actually saw this happen, as I was there. I was only 10 years old at the time and it was powerful and exciting in the light of the times. J. Williams Roller DerbyDo you know which team was playing in this picture? [Sorry, no idea. But I bet someone out there knows! - Dave] I have to come back to thisI have to come back to this photo daily. It's such a great moment of vitality, and adventure. I'm living vicariously through the woman on the right. WOOOO excitement, ready to land, and the momentum to go forward. I.D.The lady on the right is Annis Jensen of the Chicago Westerners. Not sure about the lady on the left but she looks like Edith Branum of the Jersey Jolters. (Sports)
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