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Ripe Two Mottoes: 1941
April 1941. "Candy stand run by Negro, Southside Chicago." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security ... can just pick it up and take it away. (The Gallery, Chicago, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/30/2018 - 12:24pm -

April 1941. "Candy stand run by Negro, Southside Chicago." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Somebody was a gardenerAs well as the flower boxes in front of the stand, and the painted box at the foot of the stairs, it looks like a terraced box goes all the way up parallel to the railing. I'd like to see a picture from May when the blooms are out. Subject and Predicate ChoiceA thing of beauty is no place like home. Seems secure.This might be my favorite picture. A small businessman making a living on the sidewalk. Do you think he leaves the candy in the shack when he closes up at night? Or does he have a wagon to haul it all home? I know he has the store chained to the light pole, so no one can just pick it up and take it away. (The Gallery, Chicago, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
Hello Kitty: 1958
Chicago circa 1958. "American Cancer Society -- Circus lion tamer." Would you ... pose in the ring with brave souls. (The Gallery, Cats, Chicago, Kids, News Photo Archive) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/22/2015 - 3:04pm -

Chicago circa 1958. "American Cancer Society -- Circus lion tamer." Would you take a check? 4x5 acetate negative from the Shorpy News Archive. View full size. Everybody relaxThe lion doesn't appear to have any teeth. And the little girl is either really sleepy or had a teaspoon of Nyquil. Lion has teethSheba was everything she was supposed to be. Capt. Terrell M. Jacobs, the man in the picture, used this cat for publicity photos. Together they worked with, among other shows, Ringling Bros, Barnum and Bailey. He often had Sheba pose in the ring with brave souls. (The Gallery, Cats, Chicago, Kids, News Photo Archive)
Park Transfer: 1925
... car (N.K.P) is more accurately defined as: NKP - NEW YORK, CHICAGO & ST. LOUIS RR (NICKEL PLATE ROAD) now, of course, the NORFOLK ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2013 - 5:06pm -

Washington, D.C., 1925. Something for the railfans, something for the truckfans. "O.D. Boyle" is all it says here. National Photo glass negative. View full size. ToadsCarmen, inspectors who walked incoming trains before they were switched out (called "Toads" in railroad slang) carried a 1" diameter stick of chalk on their walks. If they found anything that needed minor attention (such as a loose bolt or cotter pin, brake shoes needing replacement, or worn air hose) they would chalk a symbol on the corner of the car to tell other repairmen. These symbols were not universal, and varied from yard to yard. If they found a major defect (such as a brake defect, safety violation, or worn bearings) they stapled a postcard size card onto the side of the car, reading "Bad Order" and what the defect was. When the switchman broke up the train a Bad Order tag superceded any other instructions for the cars routing and it was placed in the "Rip", or repair yard. Timeless boxcarsSome things change, some don't. Cars and trucks have changed tremendously in 88 years but a 1925 boxcar looks very much like a 2013 boxcar. GMCThat's a GMC truck, probably about 1915. First GMCs were built in 1912. Already pretty old at the time of the picture. As I See ItVisible marked rail cars, from left to right, hail from the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O), Nickel Plate (N.K.P.) and Louisville & Nashville (L&N), respectively. As for the truck, I'm thinking it's post-equine drayage. (Wikipedia helps here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drayage.) Team TrackThis would be a Team Track, where rail customers without spurs to them could receive goods. A series of parallel tracks, separated by a roadway where a team of horses with a wagon, and later motor trucks, could pull up alongside the railcars and transload goods from, or destined to, local customers. As I (also) See ItThe reporting mark on that middle car (N.K.P) is more accurately defined as: NKP - NEW YORK, CHICAGO & ST. LOUIS RR (NICKEL PLATE ROAD) now, of course, the NORFOLK SOUTHERN RWY. CO.[*]. The name's origin is interesting as told here: Origin of the Name Nickel Plate Road. Centrifugal Dirt CollectorThe things you learn at Shorpy. A few Googles and I was at pp. 88-89 of the December 1909 issue of "Air Brake Magazine". The subject collector is placed in the air line upstream of the triple valve. The shape of the chamber swirls the dirt around until gravity takes it to the bottom, where it stays. This is the "B" endTo report mechanical issues, or describe anything concerning a railroad car, you need to be able to differentiate one end from the other. The "B" end of any car is the end where the hand brake is located. The opposite end is the "A" end. This practice is still followed today. Boxcars then & nowThere is a world of difference between boxcars of a century ago and those of today, although these do look more modern than the solid-tired GMC truck. These boxcars have corrugated steel endwalls, but the sides of the one to the right are all wood. So you can imagine the steel-rod-and-turnbuckle structure on the bottom, the kind hobos are seen riding in the cartoons, and which needed constant adjustment. The knuckle couplers on these boxcars do not have the horizontal slot intended to receive a link during the transition from link-and-pin couplers of two decades earlier. It remains for better railfans than myself to say how quickly these were upgraded to solid knuckles. Modern boxcars do not have a roofwalk, and the ladders do not reach the roof. Besides the work-related injuries of having brakemen climb up on the roof, there was the ever-present liability of unauthorized persons getting up there. Since the '60s, boxcars, and all revenue rolling stock, have been getting larger. They have steadily been lengthened, and bridges have been raised to accommodate increased height. Finally, journal boxes have given way to Timken roller bearings. I suspect the word "journal" refers to the fact that these bearings once required daily attention. The top-hinged doors on the boxes would seem to attest to this. A major reason cabooses (or cabeese) had cupolas on top was so the crew could watch out for overheating bearings. My dad says that solid bricks of lubricant were available to dump into a problem journal box, as a stop-gap until the train could be brought into the yard. A large portion of his career at Texaco involved the development of an ideal lubricant for roller bearings, which since the '70s have completely replaced journal boxes. Chalk MarkLower right side of closest car, just above the "pole socket": anyone know what it means? O.D. BoyleO.D. Boyle was a yard brakeman for the B&O, working in Washington DC, in 1918. The connection to this photo is beyond me, though. See Page 22 here. Pole SocketsPole sockets were the receptacles for push poles. Sometimes it was necessary (or at least convenient) for various reasons to move a car on an adjacent track that you could not couple your engine to. To accomplish that you used a push pole held in place by a crew member. The inherent danger of such a maneuver caused the practice to be outlawed relatively early on Class I railroads, but on backwoods short lines where operations were not so constricted by rules, it continued much later. And, railroads being railroads, no one really wanted to go to the trouble of changing any blueprints, and pole sockets continued to appear on equipment long after no current employee could remember seeing them used. Here's a photo of a push pole mounted under the tender of a Mississippi Central steam engine, probably from the 1930s. Polin' the carsmichaeljy says the practice of poling cars was abandoned relatively early by Class I roads, but maybe not so ... in Winston Link's masterful history "The Last Steam Railroad in America," he includes two pictures (pages 100 and 101) of a brakeman poling a gondola on the Abingdon division of the Norfolk & Western some time between 1955 and 1957, when the division was dieselized completely. Locomotives continued to be made with pole sockets right up until the end of steam. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads)
Welcome Home: 1925
... in Washington playing the Senators. "Schalk & Mostil, Chicago, 1925." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass ... to neuritis. OK, no, actually it's a blog devoted to the Chicago White Sox. Denny Gill Chugiak, Alaska Red Faber's wife ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 3:02pm -

The White Sox in Washington playing the Senators. "Schalk & Mostil, Chicago, 1925." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Ball BoyWho is the guy in the background? He's on the field but not in uniform. Could it be a ball boy? Did they have ball boys in those days? The KidProbably a bat boy. A barefoot bat boy! "Bananas"Johnny Mostil (nickname "Bananas") played his entire career for the White Sox, for most seasons as a center fielder. By all measures his career was undistinguished. However, two incidents stand out. In 1927, in a hotel room in Shreveport, Louisiana, "Bananas" took a razor to himself, inflicting 13 deep cuts on his wrist, neck and arms. At the time, the attempted suicide incident was blamed on either neuritis, a disease that caused Mostil great pain and suffering, or the fact that he had been discovered having an affair with the wife of Red Faber, a White Sox pitcher and teammate; this, too, was believed to have had the potential to cause him great pain. Whatever the reason, Mostil missed most of the 1927 season. In 1929, Mostil broke his right leg tripping on home plate as a base runner, on the front half of an uncontested double steal. The break ended his active playing career. Interestingly, Johnny Mostil's Razor is the title of a blog maintained by "Doug," which discusses all things related to neuritis. OK, no, actually it's a blog devoted to the Chicago White Sox. Denny Gill Chugiak, Alaska Red Faber's wifeThere were whispers of a relationship between Red Faber's (first) wife and Johnny Mostil, but in researching my book "Red Faber: A Biography of the Hall of Fame Spitball Pitcher" (McFarland & Co., 2007) I determined that it was not Mrs. Faber but Mostil's own girlfriend/fiancee who was the source of his discontent. But there was a teammate connection. Seems that Mostil's girl dumped him for White Sox player Bill Barrett. Eventually, Barrett married her. High-FiveLook, Schalk's giving Mostil a high-five. I didn't realize people did that in the 1920s. High-FiveOn the high 5...it's much more likely he was holding both hands up high as a signal to his teammate that the throw was going to be late, so don't slide. A common signal everyone still uses from Little League to the pros. Score twoChicago White Sox at Washington Senators, either July 28, 1925 (Game 1 of doubleheader) or September 19, 1925 (Game 2 of doubleheader). The White Sox won both games, and Ted Lyons was the winning pitcher in each. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
General Outdoor: 1941
July 1941. Chicago parking lot. View full size. 35mm negative by John Vachon. ... find my automobile! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, John Vachon) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 11:21am -

July 1941. Chicago parking lot. View full size. 35mm negative by John Vachon. Killer parking lot!That's the most! Now if I can just find my automobile! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, John Vachon)
Mule Room Boys: 1911
... he went to Detroit, MI. By 1930 he he had moved to Chicago, IL and he was a salesman for a soda fountain supply company. He married Charlotte Strand on December 15, 1931 in Chicago. They later moved to Los Angeles, California where Cornelius died on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/22/2009 - 8:07pm -

October 1911. Lowell, Massachusetts. "Robert Magee (smallest), 270 Suffolk Street, apparently 12 years, been working in Mule Room #1, Merrimac Mill, one year. Michael Keefe (next in size), 32 Marion Street, been at work in #1 Mule Room for eight months; apparently 13 years old. Cornelius Hurley, 298 Adams Street, been at work in #1 Mule Room for six months; about 13 or 14 probably." Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. What the heckis a mule room? [It's the room in a cotton mill that houses the mules, or yarn-spinning machines. - Dave] Ya gotta lovethose shoes! Sense of prideWhen I see these old photos of boys outside of their workplace (and sometimes inside), they seem so proud of themselves. I wonder if it's because they are having their photo taken or because they have a job? I'm not saying bring back child labor, but there's a difference in the faces of a tween in a school photo and in a work photo from back then. If ya ask meI'd say the big boy is sweet on the little boy! And if ya ask meBig brother just gave little brother a "Wet Willie!" Hurley FamilyCornelius Hurley's father was Michael Hurley who worked for the city as a laborer (pick and shovel), was 41 in 1910, and was a widower before 1900. His mother's maiden name was Sarah Dempsey. Cornelius (13) had two brothers and a sister. His brothers John J. (16) and Michael J. (15) both worked in a carpet mill and had not attended school in the last year. He and his sister May/Mary A. (14) were still attending school in 1910. He served in WWI. By 1920 their last name had changed to Herlihey. His father is still working for the city as a laborer and Cornelius has now joined him in the same capacity with the city. His brother John is a weaver at a carpet mill. His brother Michael and sister Mary are working as clerks for a candy manufacturer. They are all still living at 298 Adams Street. In 1926 he went to Detroit, MI. By 1930 he he had moved to Chicago, IL and he was a salesman for a soda fountain supply company. He married Charlotte Strand on December 15, 1931 in Chicago. They later moved to Los Angeles, California where Cornelius died on November 1, 1953. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Bar Mizpah: 1937
... Beerbank, California. In the background You see the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad depot and the tracks. This building ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/15/2014 - 1:04pm -

August 1937. "Former bank, now a saloon. Mizpah, Minnesota." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Record breakerMizpah had a population of 56 in the 2010 census. It holds the record for the latest snowfall in the state: an inch and a half on June 4, 1935. Grain Belt BeersGrain Belt 'Premium', a pretty decent beer, was sold in the bar/restaurant of the old Hector Field airport at Fargo, North Dakota during the 1970s. Lucky StrikeEndorsing Lucky Strike cigarettes ("It's Toasted!") from beneath the awning is British actress Madeleine Carroll, the cool blonde in Hitchcock's 1935 thriller, "The 39 Steps." In '37, she appeared in three films: "On The Avenue," "It's All Yours," and the superb "The Prisoner of Zenda." What it isIt's a Cannonball Alarm Company "Bug" bank vault alarm box, as seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43678707@N02/5738392330 You gotta love the internet! Another GuessThe mystery box could be the exhaust for the vault ventilator. BTW, I liked "Liquid Assets" better but "Bar Mizpah" is pretty darn good too. Box on the Wall???What is the box on the wall above the awning near the roof line? I am betting that it is an exterior alarm bell left over from the buildings earlier days as a bank. If not then it appears to contain a giant spider. Edit... WOW! Based on betabox's research in his post above I was almost right on both counts. The only difference is his link looks more like a beetle than my giant spider. Building, built to lastI wonder what its used for these days? View Larger Map Architectural DetailsWhat the heck is this. Excellent business planI reckon nobody ever went broke turning anything into a bar in rural Minnesota. Mizpah, Minnesota The building, located at 101 Woodland Ave, is currently the home of the Mizpah Post Office. I called them, and the clerk confirmed it. [Actually, the post office is in a newer building a block and a half north at Woodland and Cedar, as noted in a comment above. -tterrace] Boy, was I offI thought this was Beerbank, California. In the backgroundYou see the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad depot and the tracks. This building is located at the corner of Woodland Ave. & Pleasant St. The Post Office building is at Woodland Ave. & Cedar St. Not a CB&Q (Burlington Route) depotbut rather Northern Pacific Railroad. (Minnesota & International subsidiary anyway). The "Q" never went anywhere near this far north. Burlington Northern took up the rails here in about 1992 and is probably why someone thought this was former "Burlington". (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Manned by Women: 1942
August 1942. Republic Drill and Tool Co., Chicago. "Pioneers of the production line, these two young workers are among ... They're glowing August of '42 in a machine shop in Chicago. I'd say it was pretty warm in there. Women Can Do It! Even my ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/01/2014 - 12:26pm -

August 1942. Republic Drill and Tool Co., Chicago. "Pioneers of the production line, these two young workers are among the first women ever to operate a center­less grinder, a machine requiring both the knowledge of precision measuring inst­ruments, and considerable experience and skill in setting up. In this Midwest drill and tool plant, manned almost exclusively by women, centerless grinders have been efficiently operated by women for more than a year, and company prod­uction figures have continued to soar." Medium-format nitrate negative by Ann Rosener for the Office of War Information. View full size. Curious captionThe caption nicely puts to bed all those arguments that women can't do men's work, simply by stating that they can and have been doing so, rather successfully. Then all those women had to skedaddle home to make room for their husbands in the factories when the war ended, because this is men's work. They're glowingAugust of '42 in a machine shop in Chicago. I'd say it was pretty warm in there. Women Can Do It!Even my 20-something sons have said they notice the "lack of respect for women" just watching movies from the 1970s. The center won't hold.Can anyone more mechanically inclined explain what a centerless grinder is, and what they're used for? It certainly seems like an impressive, complicated gizmo. Centerless grindingWikipedia. I worked in machine shopsI worked in machine shops during the summer in Chicago and, yes, it was hot. For one summer I did rough-machining of the outside diameter of cast pistons used in Diesel locomotives, this at the plant of the Electro-Motive Division of GM. I put the casting on a pre-war Ingersoll machining lathe where I removed a good deal of stock. The final machining was done by a centerless grinder (made by Rockford, I think). The piece sits on a small platform between two rotating wheels, operating in the same direction but at differing speeds. One wheel is stationary with an abrasive surface to remove stock, while the other advances laterally pushing the piece against the other wheels' surface, that movement controlled by the operator to determine how much stock is removed (generally using micrometer calipers). By the late '60s when I was doing this sort of thing numerical control was becoming prevalent, reducing (somewhat) the need for operator skill. I guess you could say I was doing center grinding, while the finish operation was centerless grinding. These women are undoubtedly machining stock to a certain diameter that will be turned into drill bits and reamers, considering where they work. I had experience with that, too, operating a Cincinnati Bickford radial drill press (also of World War II vintage) for Brad Foote Gear Works in Cicero for a couple of summers. Old GrinderThat is a Cincinnati centerless. I ran several for 30+ years. The wheel on the left is the movable wheel or the rubber wheel, the stone wheel is on the right. The device on the left is the dresser for the rubber wheel. We ground front bearing retainers for truck/car transmissions, the shaft that the thro-out bearing rides on. Center grinders needed either centers drilled into the work or a device with centers that the work could be mounted. Our grinders were still in use in the mid 1990s. (The Gallery, Ann Rosener, Factories, WW2)
Hot Mama: 1946
" Montrose Beach , Chicago, 1946." Our Michigan mother, last seen here and here , working ... [He's reading a newspaper. -tterrace] (Kodachromes, Chicago, Michigan Kodachromes, Swimming) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/15/2018 - 10:37am -

"Montrose Beach, Chicago, 1946." Our Michigan mother, last seen here and here, working on a Great Lakes suntan. 35mm Kodachrome slide. View full size. What Is That Thing?What is that gentleman on the left holding up? A sun reflector, a poor man's shade maker or light weights for a low impact workout? [He's reading a newspaper. -tterrace] (Kodachromes, Chicago, Michigan Kodachromes, Swimming)
Newsies and Dog: 1909
... dad, born 1919, loved to demonsrate his pitch, "St. Louis, Chicago, and Denver aaaaaper" which he used while selling newspapers in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2012 - 9:38am -

Sunday 5 a.m. Newsies starting out. Boston, Massachusetts. October 1909. View full size. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. my grandfatherMy grandfather was a newsie in Cambridge MA. He was born in 1896. Newspaper boysNewsies probably had it better than suburban newspaper boys, at least they got their money on the spot. I had to collect from the customers every week, and often some of them refused to pay: "My paper was wet on Tuesday. I'm not paying for it." Globe, Traveler, American! Paper here!I sold newspapers on the street outside one of the the subway kiosks in Central Square in Cambridge in 1950 or 1951, when I was 11 or 12. After school. The afternoon papers were the Globe (afternoon edition), the Traveler (the afternoon version of the Herald), and the American (P.M. edition of the Record). Papers were a nickel (of which I got a penny), but the tips were decent and I earned my walking-around money. Piggott, ArkansasMy dad, born 1919, loved to demonsrate his pitch, "St. Louis, Chicago, and Denver aaaaaper" which he used while selling newspapers in the downtown square of small town Piggott, Arkansas, about 1930. One of my best memories. (The Gallery, Boston, Dogs, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Sun Porch: 1920
... of universities at the same time - at the University of Chicago and M.I.T. The charm of the old house Many of these sun ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 2:24pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Mrs. Wilson Compton." One of 10 glass negatives so labeled, none of them actually showing Mrs. Compton. View full size. The Compton FamilyWilson Compton was a diplomat and president of Washington State University. Brothers Karl and Arthur were physicists; Arthur won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1927 and was prominent in the Manhattan Project. No word on Mrs. Compton's accomplishments other than maintaining a nice sun room. A little bit about Mr. Compton's careerMr. Compton appears to have been involved with the trade association(s) for the lumber industry; he did some time in government in Washington as well (FTC, and so on). There's a nice bio here (and photo of him, but not the missus), where his papers are archived: http://fhsnb.oit.duke.edu/Research/Faids/Compton.html BlendA very comfortable mix of materials and textures, from the tiled floor to the stone work to the plaster ceiling. A space that would be very easy to spend a day in. She wasn't required! That's very prettyI'd love to relax there with a book and a glass of iced tea. There's nothing really "dated" about it, either, except maybe the ashtray. Smoke if you got 'em.Nice roomy ashtray. What is the box on top for? Matches, maybe a cigar cutter? A true homemakerAround 1920, former FTC economist Wilson Compton (1890-1967) was the secretary of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association. His wife, the former Helen Harrington of Bowling Green, Ohio, was a high school teacher who had become a homebuilder in Bowling Green. In the two years before their marriage in 1917, she had constructed fifteen homes. Daughter Catherine (the future Catherine Compton Chase) would arrive in 1921. Wilson Compton would ultimately become president of Washington State University, notable in part because his brothers were also serving as presidents of universities at the same time - at the University of Chicago and M.I.T. The charm of the old houseMany of these sun porches survive in older communities, and they are still a delight to behold and (I hope) use. A theoryPerhaps Mrs. Compton was invisible and chose to conduct the photography session in the nude. My Aunt Phyllis was like that. Every time a camera would come out, she'd disappear. "None of them actually showing Mrs. Compton."Au contraire. I think every detail of this sunporch reflects Mrs. Compton. "Come play with us, Danny"It's a lovely porch - but there's something about the dead-straight composition that makes me think of Stanley Kubrick's version of "The Shining." What horrors took place out of the frame? (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
W.M. Freeny: 1920
... Albert Spalding opened his first sporting goods store in Chicago in 1875 or '76 with his brother. Spalding was a well known pitcher and by 1876 was playing with the Chicago White Stockings (now the Cubs) so his name on a store was going to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 12:51pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "W.M. Freeny Co., front." The W.M. Freeny men's clothing store on 14th Street. National Photo Co. glass negative. View full size. Flotsam and jetsamStrange that the photographer would have left that ugly ladder standing there to detract from his photo. And what in the world is it that was won by the Police in 1917? We'll probably never know...... I remember haberdasherieswhose well-trained clerks who worked in such fine stores supplying all manner of men's furnishings. Harry Truman was one before he became president. And they provided such good service that they would do free alterations to make your clothes fit perfectly, even if they were not custom-made. And then, if you found clothes that would fit, you could go next-door to Velati's and stock up on famous caramels, bonbons, chocolates and pastries. This was what a typical Main Street looked like when I was young and I must say, I found it much more personal than going into a cavernous super huge warehouse that sells everything under the sun, you push a massive, two-story shopping cart, walk a mile or more to find ALL your needs and finally take a number to check out. Believe me young ones, some things were better in the olden days. Mysterious LadderThat looks like an extension ladder for work in trees, or maybe street lamps. Fruit pickers had ladders like these, narrow at the top to make them easier to use in the branches, but it would work as well on sidewalk light standards. Probably not the photographer's. The shop window it's propped against (glass already cracked) looks like maybe the display window for a pawn broker. There's also a set of golf clubs and a croquet set in the window with the police trophy, and maybe a radio tuner. The odd array of giblets for sale isn't packed densely enough for a hardware or sporting goods store. [It's the A.G. Spalding & Bros. sporting goods store at 613 14th Street -- A.G. being Albert Goodwill Spalding of baseball fame. - Dave] Velati CaramelsMy dad always said that if he had his life to live over, he'd live over a delicatessen. I might choose the Velati Famous Caramels shop. Freeny lit upLooks like a warm late afternoon when this pic was snapped. I would love to have seen what the Freeny sign looked like at night, all lit up. Shorpy viewers are the best!As soon as I saw this shot, I wondered just how quickly we'd know about the businesses on either side. You guys are just great. Thank you and Happy Fourth to all! [More on Velati Caramels here and here. - Dave] Sporting SpaldingAmazing detective work! So was this store part of a chain? Where's the window cleaner?The ladder is very likely a widow cleaner's. There are at least a couple of window cleaners here who ply there business walking from location to location, carrying their equipment including a ladder like this. Albert G Spalding"So was this store part of a chain?" Yes. Spalding Sporting Goods began when Albert Spalding opened his first sporting goods store in Chicago in 1875 or '76 with his brother. Spalding was a well known pitcher and by 1876 was playing with the Chicago White Stockings (now the Cubs) so his name on a store was going to drive traffic. Spalding published the first guide to the rules of baseball, and an annual Baseball Guide. By 1901 the store in Chicago had grown to a chain of 14 stores. Spalding died in 1915 but the company still exists, although not as a retail entity - it is Spalding Sporting Goods and produces balls for many sports - although as far as I can tell from their website, they no longer make baseballs. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Near Normal: 1900
... Location Mile post C124, must be 124 miles to Chicago, Ill. Rail to be straightened. The rail to be straightened ... they've obviously been well maintained. This is along the Chicago & Alton route between Chicago and St. Louis. Archbar trucks and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/09/2015 - 12:43pm -

Circa 1900. "Track to be straightened. Normal, Ill's." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. StraighteningThe straightening spoken of is probably just that. The curvature may be too severe for the escalating speeds that railroads were beginning to see. Realigning was sometimes done to gain grade improvements as well. The derail probably remained if cars were still left on that track if they could endanger the main line. Air BrakesThe car in the background by the platform does have air brakes, as evidenced by the presence of a brake hose dangling to the right of the coupler. The car in the left foreground does not appear to have air brakes. The air brake in its present form was introduce in 1869, but there was no requirement that they be installed on all cars. Cars without air brake equipment were run at the rear of the train so that the cars with the equipment could be strung together at the front of the train under the control of the engineer. If the engineer needed more braking force than could be provided the equipped cars alone, whistle signals advised the conductor and rear trainman to walk to the top of the train setting handbrakes. The type of control valves in use by 1900 were only reliable for trains up to about 20 cars, so frequently longer trains were run with the air hoses connected on only the front portion of the train and the remainder of the train was still controlled by handbrakes as described above. These were called "part air" trains. Improvements to brake valves introduced in 1906 allowed longer trains, with up to 40 cars controlled by air brakes. The type AB brake valve on cars, introduced in 1933, permitted reliable control of a train with air of up to 150 cars, and part air trains disappeared shortly after that. Arch bar trucksArch bar trucks were legal on interchange railroads until 1940, but they had been being phased out for decades before that. They were used a lot longer than that on non-interchange lines like the SP narrow gauge -- one of the boxcars in our collection (SP 10) was still in service on the Inyo-Kern SP in 1960. Southern Pacific Boxcar 10 Repack Date This wooden Carter built boxcar was originally built in 1880. It is still sitting on trucks on our track in Fremont, CA. It could be one of the longest 'in service' box cars in the world--hard to say though. LocationMile post C124, must be 124 miles to Chicago, Ill. Rail to be straightened.The rail to be straightened reference you mentioned is a derail and is controlled by rodwork from either a tower in back of the photographer or the depot building. Interesting bit of trackworkThere is a derail built into the rail closest to the viewer. It is controlled by the rods along side the track. Its purpose was to prevent runaway cars from fouling the main line. Seldom seen in the modern era. Interesting scene.Archbar trucks were legal for many years after this photo. Interesting details here: note the grain door in the boxcar at left; also the point derail in foreground and dwarf signal operated by pipe rodding from a tower behind the photographer. Another detail is the home signal on the gantry ... it is two-position with only red and white colors, which was standard on most railroads until a few years later. The signal is operated with long wires, which you can see alongside the pipe rodding in foreground. Old CarsI know steam locomotives, not cars, but these seem a bit outdated even for 1900. They look at best 1880's vintage, though they've obviously been well maintained. This is along the Chicago & Alton route between Chicago and St. Louis. Archbar trucks and brakewheelsDefinitely a transition era-- the wooden box cars have archbar trucks with wooden bolsters; journal boxes with babbit metal bearings; body hung brakes with no signs of airbrakes, but they have Janney knuckle couplers. Can you image being a brakeman on these boxcars? Having to run on the roofwalk and jump between cars to turn the brakewheels to stop or slow these cars. yikes. If it wasn't labeled "Normal [Ill.]I might have placed the scene in Peculiar, Mo. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Whoosh: 1942
... December 1942. Time exposure of repair tracks of the Chicago & North Western R.R. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome ... by Jack Delano. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 12:00pm -

December 1942. Time exposure of repair tracks of the Chicago & North Western R.R. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
A Bird in the Pan: 1943
January 1943. "Chicago, Illinois. In the kitchen of one of the Fred Harvey restaurants at ... it's a shell of what it used to be. (The Gallery, Chicago, Eateries & Bars, Jack Delano, Kitchens etc.) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/22/2017 - 1:40pm -

January 1943. "Chicago, Illinois. In the kitchen of one of the Fred Harvey restaurants at Union Station." A tray of turkeys, a hill of beans, and thou. Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Thought bubblesThey're fashioned out of copper. Aluminium, I believeEither way, I'd guess those pans are the survivors of a larger "stash", much of which made trips over Berlin and Tokyo. Look how battered a lot of them are, and the insides as well. They've been well used and well loved. I would bet those cooks knew their business--they had to compete both with the excellent cooks on dining cars, and also the excellent restaurants train passengers knew were in the Loop. Sad to say, Union Station is all fast food now. It's still a beautiful building--my wife and I have gone there a few times, including on our honeymoon--but it's a shell of what it used to be. (The Gallery, Chicago, Eateries & Bars, Jack Delano, Kitchens etc.)
Howard's Chicken Shack: 1943
... man myself Delivery available today! Harold's is a Chicago institution! 559 2nd Ave According to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/03/2016 - 12:14pm -

February 1943. "Daytona Beach, Florida. Street scene." Howard's Chicken Shack -- we're going to phone 9363 and see if they can deliver to 2016. Medium format negative by Gordon Parks for the Office of War Information. View full size. We DeliverIf you are good today, we will let you deliver the phone order on the bicycle. If you are not good, we will make you drive the (between 12 and 16 years old-depending on how close it was to a 1927 or 1931 production) Model A Ford. That is, if we have any ration coupons to put gas in it. I'm a Harold's man myselfDelivery available today! Harold's is a Chicago institution! 559 2nd AveAccording to https://volusiahistory.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/early-daytonas-forgotten... 2nd Ave is now known as Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Blvd. https://goo.gl/maps/UuGw392TpYw re: Custom NeonHarold probably got much of his sign's cost paid for by 7-Up for advertising rights. Custom NeonHoward must have been pretty prosperous to afford custom neon on his signage. Wonder what image was on top of the sign? Had to be a chicken....right? All bicycles had to have police issued license plate in the 40's? A Small PuzzleI looked at Model A Fords on Google Images and couldn't find any with the 'large' wheel hubs the car here has; it had me wondering if it really was a Model A, but the tail light and bumpers say it was. Apparently later wheels (Model B?) could be used. '40 Ford TudorBlack sedan is a 1940 Ford Deluxe Tudor (you can see the Deluxe script on the side of the hood )with an accessory spotlight and accessory bumper guards on the end of the front bumper. At first I was going to say '39 or '40, but the steering wheel is a '40, '39 would have a banjo wheel. Bike PlateI remember getting a bike plate in Florida even in the 60's. We filled out a form and paid a few dollars, and got them at my elementary school. We looked forward to it since we thought they were cool to have on our bikes. 40 indeedThat sure is a '40, for all the reasons you state. Another spotting feature is the wing window. 1939s didn't have them. The wheel bolt pattern on the model A was the same as cars up until '48, and even later on five-lug pickups. This cars' change was probably done to take advantage of the better tires available by then. My ElginThe bicycle strongly resembles the ancient hand-me-down Elgin upon which I learned to ride. The heavy frame featured a second upper bar exactly as shown here. From recent research, I believe mine was an Elgin Four Star model. I can't see the characteristic painted stars on the fenders of the bike in this photo, but everything else matches my memory. This was a massive bicycle, really too large and heavy for a young rider. Even with the seat all the way down, I could barely reach the ground. I had to walk it up most hills, as it was a single speed. The very large balloon tires gave it a very nice ride. Like a lot of long-gone things, I wish I had it today! (The Gallery, Bicycles, Eateries & Bars, Florida, Gordon Parks)
The Final Cut: 1960
... barber shop. Republic Building, 209 South State Street, Chicago. Architects, Holabird & Roche. Completed 1905; demolished 1961." ... a bit of time going back in time here. (The Gallery, Chicago, HABS) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/25/2016 - 7:48pm -

December 1960. "Interior, barber shop. Republic Building, 209 South State Street, Chicago. Architects, Holabird & Roche. Completed 1905; demolished 1961." Photo by Richard Nickel the Historic American Buildings Survey. View full size. Sterile environmentImpressed by the Antiseptic Sterilizers! The room has the look of an old dental surgery. The hairdresser I go to today just uses the same scissors, combs and apparatus on everyone! Richard Nickel!As a long time Chicagoan / photography fan / architecture fan, Richard Nickel is one of my heroes. I'm very glad to see some of his work on your site. This is the first one I've noticed - are there more? Thanks for the great site - I spend quite a bit of time going back in time here. (The Gallery, Chicago, HABS)
The Mailpipe: New York
... The tubes -- others snaked under Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and St. Louis -- were put into use by the United States Post Office in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2012 - 1:47pm -

"N.Y. Post Office Pneumatic Tube" c. 1912. View full size. G.G. Bain Collection. So does that mean......that mail was delivered by a ‘series of tubes’? The tubes......carry metal cylinders that are pumped through the system. The gentleman in the center is leaning against one with his left hand on it. The mail was placed in the tubes as part of the sorting process. PneumaticA "series of tubes." That's hilarious. Nicely played, Andy. Postal MuseumPostal Museum history of pneumatic mail. New York Pneumatic Mail SystemA brief history of the pneumatic system in New York. (Robin Pogrebin, NY Times, May 7, 2001) In the bowels of New York City a century ago, not only was there the whoosh of water through pipes and the whiz of subways through tunnels, there was the zip of mail moving through pneumatic tubes at about 30 miles per hour. The tubes -- others snaked under Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and St. Louis -- were put into use by the United States Post Office in 1897. In Manhattan, they extended about 27 miles, from the old Custom House in Battery Park to Harlem and back through Times Square, Grand Central Terminal and the main post office near Pennsylvania Station. At the City Hall station, the mail went over the Brooklyn Bridge to the general post office in Brooklyn. In describing the system's effectiveness during a snowstorm, a 1914 congressional report of the Pneumatic Tube Postal Commission said: "New York Streets were almost impassable -- New York business houses nevertheless received their important mail on time! The pneumatic tubes carried the mails." For the time, the system was thoroughly modern, even high-tech, a subterranean network for priority and first-class mail powered by pressurized air. Only a few decades later it was mostly a dinosaur, made obsolete by the motor wagon and then the automobile. The pneumatic tubes were introduced by the post office to deliver mail in large urban areas. The system used pressurized air to move a mail canister through an underground eight-inch cast-iron pipe. " 'Mail shot from guns' may be an apt description," said Post Haste, an internal newsletter of the post office in 1950, adding that the metal carriers resembled heavy artillery shells. "Unaware that this network exists," the newsletter said, "the ordinary citizen of New York nevertheless benefits from the rapid transmission of his more important mail through these subterranean channels." The newsletter also explained that the tubes were lubricated to facilitate the passage of the containers by sending perforated steel cylinders filled with oil through the channels. "I still remember those canisters popping out of the tube," said Nathan Halpern, a veteran postal worker, in an internal newsletter. "They were spaced one every minute or so, and when they came out, they were a little warm with a slight slick of oil." At its greatest expansion, there were more than 56 miles of mail tubes on the East Coast delivering as many as 200,000 letters per tube every hour. (Legend has it that a live cat was sent through as a test in 1896.) Western Union also used pneumatic tubes, linking its main telegraph office to some of the exchanges. When the system was first installed, pneumatic transport was considerably faster than horse-drawn wagon, then the most common vehicle for mail delivery. In New York City, two pipes were used along each route, one for sending, the other for receiving. The pipes were buried 4 to 12 feet underground, though in some places the tubes were placed within subway tunnels, parallel to the 4, 5 and 6 lines. Each two-foot-long mail canister had felt and leather packing on each end to create an airtight seal, as well as four small wheels, which helped prevent the canister from becoming lodged at a junction in the pipes. (Records from the early 1930's indicate that there had been at least three incidents of malfunction.) Each container was labeled to indicate the destination of its contents. Special delivery letters were delivered within one hour; regular letters within three. About $4 million was spent on the construction in New York City. The original contractor was the Tubular Dispatch Company, which built the original pneumatic prototype for Philadelphia in 1893. Construction of the tubes began in the late 1890's and they were in operation by 1898. Before the end of the original 10-year contract, the pneumatic service was taken over by the American Pneumatic Service Company, which later became the New York Mail & Newspaper Transportation Company. Charles Emory Smith, the former postmaster general, predicted in The Brooklyn Eagle in 1900 that one day every household would be linked to every other by means of pneumatic tubes. Around the turn of the century, there were even several proposals to build a system between North America and Europe. The service continued in most cities until 1918, when the high costs of maintenance -- $17,000 per mile per year -- were thought to be impractical for the small volume of mail transported. When a post office moved, for example, the streets had to be dug up to reroute the tubes. And the pneumatic service began to pale next to the new technology of the motor-wagon, which could deliver mail two to three times faster than a horse-drawn cart with equal or greater volume and more than 10 times the volume of a pneumatic tube, while only slightly slower. Subsequent improvements in the speed of the motor-wagon and its successor, the automobile, signaled the end of the pneumatic tube. In New York City, because of the high population density and a great amount of lobbying from contractors, the tube system remained in operation until Dec. 1, 1953, when it was suspended pending a review. Later that month, the post office ended the contract. The New York Mail Company, the owner of the pipes, made several attempts to sell the defunct system -- offering it to Con Edison and the United Parcel Service -- with no success. Slight correctionActually, $17,000 per year per mile was the RENT on the system in NYC, not the maintenance costs. As stated above, the system was not owned by the govmt. First ClassOf all the cool things I've learned on Shorpy (and they have been numerous), this is definitely one of the most interesting. I had no idea such a thing existed. Thanks Dave and knowledgable commentators! (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC)
Marilyn: 1921
... (3-35)" ordered for the princely sum of $10,000 at the Chicago Auto Fair in early 1920. See here for what I've been able to piece ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 9:57pm -

New York circa 1921. "Miller." Stage actress Marilyn Miller in the driver's seat. 5x7 inch dry plate glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Amazing "print" qualityKudos on such stunning tonal reproduction. I'm certain there was never a paper print made from that piece of film which had such superb detail and such full dynamic range gradation. Wow. [Strictly speaking, there's no film here. This is a glass plate. - Dave] ContrastsThere is something so engaging about this photograph. The dark background, contrasting with every pintuck and frill on her collar and cuffs, the slight untidiness of her hair as a breeze lifted it - action arrested, a Real Person doing Real Things. (Well, pretending to, at least.) I love how huge those steering wheels were. Very famous gal in her dayMM had quite the life; lots of successes, marriages and divorces (no kids) and an early death at 37; too sadly typical for Hollywood starlets. [It was sinus surgery that did her in. - Dave] Broadway legendMaybe not intentional a description, but Miller should never be in the same sentence as "Hollywood starlet." She was a bona fide Broadway legend of the highest rank in the 1920s. She made a few early talkie movies, but her fame was unparalleled on the stage, however tragically brief. Colorized version of MarilynI couldn't resist. Here is the small view. Hopefully the larger version will be here soon. The carI think you'll find this is the very same car Marilyn's first husband, Frank Carter, killed himself in. I couldn't believe it when a friend and I pieced it all together. If you look in the lower right of the image, just below the start of the vertical lines on the glass plate, you can make out an overpainted "MM&", the very same monogram visible in a larger version of the attached image which was taken outside of the Packard offices in Detroit. It's a "1920 Packard Twin Six 4-passenger Special Touring by Fleetwood (3-35)" ordered for the princely sum of $10,000 at the Chicago Auto Fair in early 1920. See here for what I've been able to piece together... https://www.facebook.com/TheOriginalMarilyn/posts/1090593304391577 (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, G.G. Bain, Movies)
Mad Men: 1943
... and Carbon Building not the famous skyscraper in Chicago, but the more modest one in New York City. The Union Carbide and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/16/2014 - 10:19am -

March 1943. "New York, New York. Madison Avenue on a rainy day." Photo by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. So evocativeYou can smell the wet wool and hear the tires on the asphalt. Somewhere a short subway ride away, my parents were busy being toddlers. Date with the wrecker's ballBuilt in 1913, the 23-story Union Carbide & Carbon building was on the southwest corner of Madison Avenue and 42nd Street. In this picture the photographer is on the northwest corner of Madison and 42nd and the view is diagonally across the intersection. Union Carbide vacated the building in the 1970's when it moved to an office park in suburban Connecticut. The "Carbon" had vanished from its name sometime earlier. The building was renamed the Madison Plaza Building and housed a variety of tenants until its demolition in 2001. Today the much larger PriceWaterhouseCoopers Building occupies the site. Union Carbide and Carbon Buildingnot the famous skyscraper in Chicago, but the more modest one in New York City. The Union Carbide and Carbon Building at 30 East 42nd Street: (The Gallery, John Vachon, NYC)
House Beautiful: 1959
... president at one time of the Kimball Piano Company out of Chicago. While I couldn't find much on him online, his wife, Wilmot, was a ... two children, and four servants at 1415 Astor Street in Chicago, where he was renting an apartment for $500. That would be somewhere ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/30/2014 - 3:29pm -

Feb. 23, 1959. "Salisbury, residence in Hobe Sound, Fla. Ocean facade. William Kemp Caler, architect. For House Beautiful." The cocktail hour commences on the patio in five minutes. 5x7 inch negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Classic mid-century designThis is one of the best mid-century designs. When I contrast this with the McMansions being constructed today I would choose this in a heart beat. Livable spaces, excellent use of space, reasonable cost of construction and single level explains why this one of the best family home designs of the 20th century. Today building lots are narrow and multiple story designs are popular, but I would choose this is a Mississippi minute! Fortunately there are a lot of these homes on the re-sale market. And at DuskThe tiki torches come out in force. Lots of RoomFor a pool and a fire pit. Invited guests onlyNo alligators or snakes, and no children or small animals to draw them. Lean on meWhen the big wind comes those tree "braces" will snap like toothpicks Heir to the WW Kimball Piano CompanyKimball Salisbury was president at one time of the Kimball Piano Company out of Chicago. While I couldn't find much on him online, his wife, Wilmot, was a darling of the Society pages in the newspapers -- google "Mrs Kimball Salisbury" and you'll get a slew of articles. I haven't pegged where the house was actually located in Hobe Sound, but I doubt I'd be able to because it was listed as an "estate" in one newspaper article, which means it probably wouldn't be visible by Google Street View anyhow. Mr. Salisbury appears in the 1930 Census living with his wife, two children, and four servants at 1415 Astor Street in Chicago, where he was renting an apartment for $500. That would be somewhere north of $7,000 a month in 2014 money. I couldn't find them for whatever reason in 1940. Not a fanThose windows look jalousie. [Louver come back. - Dave] Perfect for a house concert!With a few hundred of your best friends on blankets in the grass, the band on the patio, guys on surfboards groovin to the tunes... Heaven! On the beachif it's ocean facade as the intro states, it's likely Jupiter Island. I've seen many similar style homes there. (The Gallery, Florida, Gottscho-Schleisner)
Caught in Passing: 1941
April 1941. "Street scene, Chicago 'Black Belt'." 35mm nitrate negative by Edwin Rosskam for the ... Could be Marlowe. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, Edwin Rosskam) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/05/2014 - 12:42pm -

April 1941. "Street scene, Chicago 'Black Belt'." 35mm nitrate negative by Edwin Rosskam for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Nice TouchA bit of motion blur on the Shorpy logo. Nice. 1937 Plymouth business coupeCould be Marlowe. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, Edwin Rosskam)
Land Title Trust: 1905
... right of the Annex. Both buildings were the work of the Chicago office of D. H. Burnham & Co. - the first building built in 1897, ... The first building adheres closely to the designs of the Chicago School, and it looks very much like a classicized version of Burnham's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 10:09pm -

Philadelphia circa 1905. "Land Title Trust Building." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Yes sir - those were the days!Click the Hi-Def or View Full Size and bring in just the bottom quarter of the photo - looks exactly like the opening scene of a movie taking place at the turn of the century, perhaps staring Dan Dailey or Betty Grable. Union League and Land Title Bldg.These are pretty much the same today as they were back then I believe. Though these days women can join the Union League -- the smaller red brick building with the elegant curving stairs -- but that's a very recent development. Daniel Burnham Strikes Again!The big building in the center of the picture is the Annex (or South Tower) of the original Land Title and Trust Building, a sliver of which may be seen to the right of the Annex. Both buildings were the work of the Chicago office of D. H. Burnham & Co. - the first building built in 1897, the second in 1902. The first building adheres closely to the designs of the Chicago School, and it looks very much like a classicized version of Burnham's Fisher Building in Chicago (1895-1896). The second building, designed with contributions by the Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer, fits fully into the Beaux-Arts skyscraper mode, with a tripartite facade composition featuring columns at the bottom and also near the top. Other building?Can anyone tell what was in the third building on the crossing we see? "THE NORTH ......CAN" before the "CAN" there must be a B, D, P or R, I think. [The one at the right is the North American Building. - tterrace] RestroomsLast year, I had to visit that building once per week during the last quarter. The restrooms feature water-free urinals and other state of the art equipment. Not bad for a building well over a century old. (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia)
R.F.K., R.I.P.: 1968
... Admiral",an express train heading to New York City from Chicago came around the curve just south of the station. "The Admiral's" GG1 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/13/2013 - 8:54pm -

June 8, 1968. "Funeral cortege of Robert F. Kennedy." Thousands of people lined the tracks as the train carrying RFK's casket made the eight-hour journey from his funeral in New York to Washington, D.C. 35mm Kodachrome transparency. From photos by Paul Fusco and Thomas Koeniges for Look magazine. View full size. CurlersThat was a common thing, to go out before your curls had set, and the butt of not a few jokes. Nobody does that anymore. Do they even still make curlers? In the '80s, my dad worked next door to the Ambassador Hotel, where RFK was shot. I remember him taking me there and showing me the exact spot. A further tragedyAs the funeral train approached Elizabeth, New Jersey, two people who were standing on an adjacent track to get a view of the funeral train were fatally struck by another train. Two SidesWonder what the people looked like on the other side of the tracks. Photographed From?Was this taken from the moving train, or from across the tracks? Something Happening HereFusco's photos from the RFK funeral train (published in book form for the first time a few years ago) present a deeply moving group portrait of a specific instant in American history. You feel all of the country is on display, united, fleetingly, in confusion and grief. The blurred backgrounds, which contribute so much to the sense of the world unfurling outside the train window, were the unwanted but inescapable result of the ASA 25 film he was using. Between this post and the previous two, there's a James Ellroy novel in the making. Re: Photographed From?Definitely from the moving train. As Hackensacker commented on the slow 35mm film, the blurred background is a result of the photographer panning the shot to keep the mid-ground people fixed in the frame. You can see a lesser degree of lateral blurring in the foreground foliage, as well. Time warpI thought Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. [Yes. -tterrace] On display to the world "You feel all of the country is on display..." Yes. When RFK was killed, my parents were stationed by the Foreign Service in Europe; we were in a restaurant in England right after we found out about the shooting, and there was a strong buzz of comments on the order of "These Americans shooting everyone who matters." The comments were genuinely aghast and puzzled, not mean spirited, but we were for sure on display to the world. Martin Luther King had just been shot at a moment when his fame and importance were growing overseas, and I had just been in a rather small "race riot" of demonstrations after his shooting; not a real riot, but exciting and disturbing stuff in my college town of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. As with JFK in 1960, RFK and MLK were overwhelmingly popular overseas, far more so than in there own country. I felt like a citizen of a surreal pariah nation that summer. Three KennedysMr. WMtraveler. You are correct, but not totally right. There were three Kennedy Brothers, John (Jack), Robert (Bobby) and Edward (Teddy). Two of them were assassinated, John in 1963 and Robert in 1968. [There were four Kennedy brothers. -tterrace] Final, 60's version of a tradition?What a wonderful photo of the last gasp of funeral trains and of public observance of such grief. Very 60's. Can't recall any major public funeral trains after this one. Elizabeth, NJ AccidentI was there. The crowd was so large I climbed a fence with a pole alongside. Stood on top of the fence with one arm around the pole, the other holding my camera. Platforms were ground level and the crowd moved onto the tracks to get a view of the special train. "The Admiral",an express train heading to New York City from Chicago came around the curve just south of the station. "The Admiral's" GG1 locomotive sounded its horn,a long loud blast, but some of the people in the crowd did not clear the track in time and sadly two were killed and four seriously injured. After the tragic accident the Penn Central ordered all train movement stopped until the special train passed. The funeral train arrived in Washington's Union Station four hours behind schedule and had caused disruption to the entire railroad. RFK funeral trainDear all, (and AndyB who posted on 05/16/2013) can you please contact me? I would love to get in touch with bystanders of their relatives, who stood alongside the tracks and made photos or films of the funeral train of Robert F. Kennedy. As a Dutch photographer and teacher I am doing research on photography and memory. Even though I do work and live in the Netherlands, I sense that this event will still arouse vivid memories in the minds of many Americans. The images I am looking for don't have to be perfect, any visual material is welcome. I will gladly credit your photos and films wherever they’re used and I can compensate the potential expenses you need to make in digitizing the pictures. If you wish to learn more about my call, please, let me know. Thank you very much in advance for any kind of assistance! Yours faithfully, Rein Jelle Terpstra mail@reinjelleterpstra.nl (LOOK, Railroads)
Park-Vista: 1941
... April 1941. "Kitchenette apartments on South Parkway, Chicago, Illinois. These are rented to Negroes." Medium format negative by ... the apartment. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, Russell Lee) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/25/2018 - 11:55am -

April 1941. "Kitchenette apartments on South Parkway, Chicago, Illinois. These are rented to Negroes." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Renamed and demolishedOn a hunch I figured south parkway became MLK drive, and this website confirms https://chicagology.com/chicagostreets/streetnamechanges/ "Grand Boulevard changed 1923 to South Park Avenue, changed 15 April 1940, 24 September 1940 and 8 October 1940 to South Parkway, changed 31 July 1968 to Martin Luther King Drive" The building next door is still there. Shorpy Vehicle Identification Imperative1937 Chevrolet two-door sedan and an ultra cool 1937 LaSalle four-door sedan with a custom "Landau" top. Parked in front of such a beautiful building. What a great place to hang out, on those balconies! Those second floor dudes be lovin' it, for sure. A shame it had to come down. KitchenetteUpscale way of saying "small kitchen". The Ryan Homes salespeople called the small kitchen in my house a "step-saver" kitchen. Less walking to sink, stove, and refrigerator. I bought a starter (low-cost) home in 1983. Now someone calls or sends me a letter wanting to buy my house about 6 days a week. Real Estate Magic DescriptionsDavid Brinkley wrote about some apartments he was looking at in Georgetown, DC. They were called the Gulfview Apartments. Mr. Brinkley asked his realtor, "How can they be called that if we're thousands of miles from the Gulf of Mexico or any other gulf?" The realtor responded,"Look out this window." There was a Gulf station on the street below the apartment. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, Russell Lee)
Buy a Slug: 1941
April 1941. "South Side Chicago. Telephone booth in Negro tavern." The Bronzeville watering hole known ... the Use of Slugs...". A little research shows that Chicago has a law against using a slug in a fortress pay phone to make a ... box. It's still on the books, at the Municipal Code of Chicago, section 8-8-180. That section only has two clauses, but I think the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/30/2019 - 1:54pm -

April 1941. "South Side Chicago. Telephone booth in Negro tavern." The Bronzeville watering hole known as Tony's Tavern. Acetate negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Those happy carefree days ...... when your chances of being killed in your automobile by someone using the telephone were basically nil. *sigh* Buy a slug?This concept is new to me. Was it intended to discourage nickel thieves? Or was there another reason? Buy a slug, but don't use itI think the WARNING on the back wall of the booths is titled "An Ordinance Prohibiting the Use of Slugs...". A little research shows that Chicago has a law against using a slug in a fortress pay phone to make a free call, or trying to fish a coin out of the coin box. It's still on the books, at the Municipal Code of Chicago, section 8-8-180. That section only has two clauses, but I think the warning in the booths also includes section 8-8-190, which is the penalty. 8-8-180. Manipulating telephone coin boxes. It shall be unlawful for any person to insert, or to attempt to insert, into the coin box or money receptacle of any telephone, any slug, button, or other substance, or to manipulate or operate, or to attempt to manipulate or operate, in any manner whatever, any telephone instrument or any mechanism or device connected or commonly used therewith, with the intent to obtain telephone service without paying therefor. It shall be unlawful for any person to insert, or to attempt to insert, into the coin box or money receptacle of any telephone, any slug, button, wire, hook, or other implements or substances with the intent to obtain from such coin box or money receptacle a legal tender coin of the United States. 8-8-190 Violation - Penalty. Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter, where no other penalty is provided, shall be fined not less than $5.00 nor more than $200.00 for each offense. So ... why does the sticker want you to buy a slug, that the sign tells you that you can't use? Western Electric 160 Series Payphone The Antique Telephone Collectors Association reports about this 3 slot payphone: The original design for the 3 slot pre-pay paystation was the result of an engineering partnership between the Gray Telephone Paystation Company and the Western Electric Company. This partnership was formed after the loss of lawsuits by the Bell System brought by Gray Mfg. ...... The history of the 3-slot payphone is a part of Americana that spans almost 70 years. Right above the vault compartment you may read: “The Gray Telephone Paystation Company and Western Electric Co. Inc. Makers” Wall artI cannot help but notice the wonderful hand painted decorations on the walls. The lower ares between the booths also look to be faux cut stone. Buy a slugI can dimly remember when almost every vending machine had engraved on the coin slot escutcheon "NO SLUGS." I had no idea that the legend might be referring to anything more sophisticated than those round pieces punched out of electrical junction boxes. Later, however, I was to discover that a penny immersed in a certain acid solution for the duration of a high school chemistry lab would be interpreted by at least one city's parking meters as being a dime. As the statute of limitations has long since granted me immunity, I can confess that the four cents profit I made on each one I sold to classmates adumbrated a career possibility to me until my better nature deterred me from such a risky life path -- that and my desire to attend West Point rather than matriculate at San Quentin. Just WonderingWhy would you need a slug to use the phone instead of a proper nickel or a dime? (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Russell Lee)
Johnnie X: 1908
... were used to ship watermelons to Northern cities like Chicago. Boxcar Hatches Re: "The hatches on the end may have contained ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2008 - 12:35am -

December 1908. Dillon, South Carolina. Johnnie, works at Maple Mills. 8 years old. Said "Ain't got no last name" when asked for it. Beginning to "help sister spin." View full size. Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. Young Mr XHe seems to be better dressed and shod than Hine's other urchins. Johnnie XSister Spinner could have been much older, and helping Johnnie survive. In any event, he's a tough little nugget. Some urchins were/are better at survival than others. You Never Sausage a PlaceDillon is right down the road from South of the Border, famous for kitschy signs throughout the area: "You Never Sausage a Place! You're Always a Wiener at Pedro's!" "Keep yelling, kids! (They'll stop.)" Maybe Johnnie X had a chance to visit in later years and sip a beer in the shade of the Sombrero Tower. Rail CarThe Atlantic Coast Line boxcar is a "ventilator" style car, used mostly for transporting fruit and vegetables to market. These were the direct precursors of the "ice reefer" cars. The hatches on the end may have contained ice occasionally, but the icers that would follow, had special ice bunkers, filled by hatches on the top of the car. Since this car is at a textile mill, it was probably being used to ship cotton, or wool. Freight CarsThese ventilator-style boxcars were also known as watermelon cars. Cars from ACL and other Southeastern railroads were used to ship watermelons to Northern cities like Chicago. Boxcar HatchesRe: "The hatches on the end may have contained ice occasionally" Those hatches are for the end ventilators, and are opened when the car is used to ship produce. Ventilated railcarIce cooled refrigerator cars were in use as early as 1880. These ventilated cars were mostly used by Southern railroads to carry produce to Northern cities. You will note that the car is provided with two doors. The ventilated one and a solid one so the car could be used for general cargo. End doors could be used for extra ventilation or for loading long lumber by hand. As for the boy, he does appear to be something of a natty dresser for his station in life. Note what appear to be buttons by his knee. Shirt seems a bit dirty, but nice looking shoes. ACL melon carsWhen I worked for the Nickel Plate Railroad in Canton Ohio about 1950, a local produce company there often received cars of this type loaded with watermelons. I was told they were called convertible-door cars. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Railroads)
Attic Bride: 1942
... any mountain home would welcome. Pressed Steel Can Co., Chicago." Photo by Ann Rosener, Office of War Information. View full size. ... 10, 1942." -tterrace] (The Gallery, Ann Rosener, Chicago, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/06/2014 - 3:00pm -

September 1942. "Manpower. Americans all. Husky, bright-eyed Joe Gore Jr. is a young American of Polish descent who is determined that Hitler shall be driven from Poland and kept from America's shores. Machining medium tank parts in a Midwest plant during most of the daylight hours leaves Joe in a quite weary state when evening rolls around. Joe's home shows vestiges of 'old country' influences, but his own personal attic sanctum is solid Americana. Note the Home Bride, and the rocker that any mountain home would welcome. Pressed Steel Can Co., Chicago." Photo by Ann Rosener, Office of War Information. View full size. Pressed SteelI believe the correct name is Pressed Steel Car Company, not Can Company. [Correct. From this link: "In 1940, during World War II, Pressed Steel started to produce large quantities of M-4 armored tanks and allied war materials for the war effort... Pressed Steel Car Company received an award for their excellent job in producing tanks on September 10, 1942." -tterrace] (The Gallery, Ann Rosener, Chicago, WW2)
Suicide Rations: 1945
... C. Robinson, Asheville, Class 44-G; Driskell B. Ponder, Chicago, 43-I; Robert W. Williams, Ottumwa, Iowa, 44-E. Gelatin silver print by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/24/2012 - 6:33pm -

March 1945. "Tuskegee Airmen series. 'Escape kits' (cyanide) being distributed to fighter pilots at air base in Ramitelli, Italy." Theodore G. Lumpkin Jr., seated, with (L-R): Joseph L. "Joe" Chineworth, Memphis, Class 44-E; Robert C. Robinson, Asheville, Class 44-G; Driskell B. Ponder, Chicago, 43-I; Robert W. Williams, Ottumwa, Iowa, 44-E. Gelatin silver print by Toni Frissell. View full size. Lt. William A Johnston, USAAFI had the pleasure to know Tuskegee Airman Lt. William A "Billy" Johnston (1925-2005) of Pennsylvania. He matriculated with class 45-D, too late to join the war. When I knew him in the 1970s, he had a Cessna O-2 Skymaster that he flew from Oberlin, OH to St. Mary's County Maryland (among other places). He had striking, honey-colored eyes. In the attached photo, he's posing in the cockpit of a Curtiss P-40N Warhawk. Handsome Rakes, ALL!PLEASE add them to the aforementioned category! WWII "suicide pills"William Sterling Parsons and several other crew members of the B-29 Super-fortress bombers sent to drop atomic bombs on Japan in World War II were issued with lethal pills, though all aircraft returned safely and none of the pills were used. This was in case they were captured and then tortured by the enemy to reveal classified information regarding (at the time) atomic weapons. We Americans Are Better Than ThatNo American fighting man in WWII was issued a "suicide pill" when going into action in uniform. Yes, Jewish flyers could have their dog tags altered to get their religion "changed" while flying over German territory but the American fighting man then and now does not go into action with suicide as an available option. Pilots and crewmen from an aircraft carried sidearms as a means to resist when shot down. You screwed up Shorpy and my old man with the two Purple Hearts out of WWII ain't happy. My one Heart out of Vietnam as a Marine isn't thrilled either. [Note the quotation marks; this is the caption attached to the photo in the Library of Congress archive. - tterrace] "Could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff"Maps, gum, matches, Hershey bars, etc. Benzedrine tablets ("pep pills," heh heh!) were commonly included, but I agree that the Library of Congress caption is in error about Cyanide. [The LOC caption appears to be the sole source of all online references to cyanide supposedly being included in 'escape kits.' - tterrace] One plausible explanationGullible stateside reporter... [Definitely does not apply to Toni Frissell. The LOC file attributes the identity of the airmen in part to Frissell's notes, but not the caption specifically. - tterrace] (The Gallery, Aviation, Toni Frissell, WW2)
Kiewel Beer: 1940
... View Larger Map Barren Once again, like the Chicago photo, few people and an angle chosen that makes it seem that you're ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/16/2011 - 11:45am -

October 1940. "Grand Forks, North Dakota." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A different use for grainInstead of selling beer, that location is home to a bakery. The Dotty Dunn hat store was at 17 N. 3rd Street. It, the bar and the dry cleaners are all gone, even the cut rate store to the left. The only building that survives is the one to the extreme right. Which appears to have a barber shop. BTW, Dotty Dunn Hats was a chain store operation. View Larger Map BarrenOnce again, like the Chicago photo, few people and an angle chosen that makes it seem that you're looking down on a detailed area of a really cool O-gauge layout. Perhaps that's what Vachon was trying to capture. Bull City Boy has a great question, what is that automobile? A totally different look from the others. I haven't clue alas, [Lincoln Zephyr?] but now I gotta find out. What is it? Anywhere, U.S.A.Nostalgic picture which is so similar to the small town in which I grew up but on the East Coast. Our businesses on Main Street (with the same kind of diagonal parking before meters) were Carroll Cut Rate, Adam's Hats,Gene's Bar featuring Rheingold beer, Pete's Barber Shop and Bashura's Shoe Repair. I used to love the fumes in the shoemakers and cleaners, both now deemed very lethal, i.e. shoe polish, glues, leather-tanning chemicals and carbon tetrachloride. We also had a Hart's Five and Dime and a First National grocery. Kind of neat to think that whether you grew up in the East or Midwest, the small town Main Streets were so similar. Brew NotesAs a side note, Kiewel's Beer was brewed in Little Falls, Minnesota, while Heileman's Old Style (hanging sign over the tavern door) was brewed in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Interior HingesSo, is no one going to identify the autos, especially the fourth from the left? P.S. I've been away for five weeks. Glad to be back and I'll be catching up with Shorpy as best I can. Inflation$1.98 in 1940 would be about $32 today. Not a bad price for a man's hat. Cars ID'dFrom left, 1940 Chevy with deluxe rear center guard. 1937-38 Chrysler 1937 Nash 1939 Chrysler? 1940 Oldsmobile Comments welcome. The vehicle 4th from the left is a 1939 Ford Deluxe 2 door sedan. Better later than never. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon)
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