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All the Livelong Day: 1901
Joliet, Illinois, circa 1901. "Chicago & Alton Railroad. Track elevating at grade crossing." 8x10 inch ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 2:31pm -

Joliet, Illinois, circa 1901. "Chicago & Alton Railroad. Track elevating at grade crossing." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
At-grade crossingNice of the railroad to be so considerate of those traveling down that road!
Working on the railroadWhatever these guys are doing here, it looks like hard work. 
Rough crossingFrom the partly buried fence posts next to the right-of-way and the naked dirt of the visible rail bed it looks like the railroad has raised their grade around three feet or so, whoever was maintaining that road had some shovel-work ahead of them.
LocomotiveSeems like the 0-6-0 layout wasn't common in US locomotives at any time.  Could this be a specialized switch engine or something?
The Locomotive2-6-0 Prairie type.
Second OpinionA Prairie would be a 2-6-2, but in any case I don't see either a leading or trailing truck. It looks to me like an older (1870s-'80s) Mogul converted to a switcher by removing the leading truck; B&O did that to one of theirs about this time. It could even have been an older American with an extra driver added.
Opinion 1.1Oops, I was wrong. I would have sworn I saw a pony truck but I would still be wrong. There does seem to be a lot of empty space in front and I'm betting you are correct that it was a conversion. this was in the days when railroads built and maintained things to last forever. It very well could be a American conversion.
(The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)

Grit n Coke: 1938
... Chase Yourself Joe Penner & Lucille Ball In Old Chicago Tyrone Power & Don Ameche Mr. Moto's Gamble Peter Lorre ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/05/2009 - 2:34am -

May 1938. Farm boy who sells "Grit." Irwinville Farms, Georgia. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration.
Grit infohttp://www.grit.com/
[Grit, which started out as one of the first nationally distributed newspapers, is now a glossy bimonthly magazine. Lead article: "Why Are Barns Red?" - Dave]
Grit RingtonesI think I remember comic book ads about selling Grit. Dave, you have to check out the ringtones, priceless.
[Hmm. I'm torn between "Tractor in Reverse" and "Tractor Idling." - Dave]
Grit MemoryI think the first time I saw a Grit ad was in Boys Life. The Boy Scout magazine 
Of minor noteYou'll see that the sign for Dr Pepper contains a period after the "Dr", an abbreviation indicator they later dropped for typographical reasons.
Store in BackgroundMy Grandfather, John C. Miller, ran the only store in Irwinville Farms (Georgia) during the depression. I'm pretty sure this is the store behind the young boy.
[In addition to the store above, which was a farmers' cooperative (another view below), the archives show this small grocery. - Dave]


Now PlayingAccording to the poster in the window, the following movies from 1938 are showing at the local theater:
Go Chase Yourself
 Joe Penner & Lucille Ball
In Old Chicago
 Tyrone Power & Don Ameche
Mr. Moto's Gamble
 Peter Lorre & Keye Luke
Merrily We Live
 Constance Bennett & Brian Aherne
Rawhide
 Smith Bellew & Baseball's Lou Gehrig
(The Gallery, Great Depression, John Vachon, Kids, Rural America)

Right There: 1957
... would be a on my watch list. (The Gallery, Chicago, Eateries & Bars, News Photo Archive) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2015 - 3:06pm -

        The teenaged sisters were missing for 25 days before their naked, frozen bodies were found the morning of Jan. 22, 1957, when a passing construction worker spotted what appeared to be two discarded clothing-store mannequins lying next to a guardrail on German Church Road. -- From "True Crime Illinois," by Troy Taylor
"Grimes case -- 1/25/57." Diner employees who say they were among the last to see Patricia and Barbara Grimes, aged 13 and 15, alive. Their murder remains unsolved to this day. 4x5 acetate negative from the News Archive. View full size.
I'm not pointing any fingers --But I think Mr. Hands-Behind-His-Back would be a on my watch list.
(The Gallery, Chicago, Eateries & Bars, News Photo Archive)

Murphy's Hotel: 1905
... [It's a bar. - Dave] From the Encyclopedia of Chicago: A second type of drinking place evolved from grocers and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2018 - 5:00pm -

Richmond, Virginia, circa 1905. "Murphy's Hotel." Also seen here. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Early high-rise firefightingAre those fire hose connections running alongside the right-hand building's fire escape? I wonder if they would've connected the bottom of that pipe to a pumper or to the hydrant across the road.
[They're standpipes of the type also seen in this post. - Dave]
Murphy's HotelWhat can go wrong here does go wrong here.
"Sample Room"Does anyone know what a sample room is? Obviously it's associated with a billiard parlor.
[It's a bar. - Dave]
From the Encyclopedia of Chicago:
A second type of drinking place evolved from grocers and provisioners who began to sell hard liquor in wholesale quantities. At first, their sample rooms were places where customers could taste test the stock; long afterward, "sample room" became simply another name for saloon.
Murphy's Lawalso applied to the hotel.  Demolished in 2007.  Some photos of the demolition on Flickr.
[This is not the same building. - Dave]
O'Toole's LawMurphy was an optimist.
Pedestrian SkywayAn early example is seen here. When they proliferated in urban architecture in the 1960s and '70s, a witty substitute name was "honky tube."
Ponte dei SospiriThe infamous Bridge of Sighs from the interrogation rooms of the Doge's Palace to its prison cells comes to mind.
(The Gallery, DPC, Richmond)

Dangerous to Men: 1920
... of Psychology and Philosophy at the University of Chicago before he was bitten by the acting bug. He had a very successful ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 6:46pm -

1920. "Crandall's Savoy Lobby." In this Washington, D.C., movie theater, lobby cards for "Dangerous to Men," "Youthful Folly," "Reclaimed" and "Treasure Island." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
Fame and DeathInteresting that Olive Thomas died in rather sordid circumstances the year this picture was taken, while Viola Dana lived on until 1987. At any rate, what a gorgeous poster that was for "Youthful Folly"!
The PickfordsSpeaking of the Pickfords, I do believe I see a photo of Mary over there on the left-side wall:

It seems that woman was everywhere in the late 'Teens and early 'Twenties!
What a way to make an entranceThat tile floor is spectacular!  Wish I could see it in color.  
Gilded PopcornI really would love to see the snack stand actually.  I can just imagine the elegance of it.
GorgeousThis is a truly gorgeous lobby, reflecting the new respectability that movies had achieved in less than a decade. Inside for evening performances at least, there would most likely have been a small orchestra playing during the film, with music cues sent along by the studios. The myth of the little old lady playing a rinky-dink piano and deciding on the music based on the mood of the scene wasn't entirely wrong but at an establishment like this, in a city like Washington it was hardly the norm. Indeed, one of the repercussions of the advent of sound in movies was the sudden unemployment of musicians who, up to that point, had played in movie theaters.
The Movies:
Let's start with "Treasure Island" which is unusual in that the poster doesn't name the cast - Maurice Tourneur, whose name is as large as the name of the film, was the director as well as the film's producer. He had an extensive career in silent movies in Hollywood before returning to France when sound came in. Like most of his work before 1922, he shot it the New York area - Fort Lee New Jersey had been the "first Hollywood." The film, now considered lost, starred 55 year-old Charles Ogle, who had been a leading man in the early movies, as Long John Silver, Shirley Mason as Jim Hawkins, and Lon Chaney as Pew. Mason was the younger sister of Viola Dana, who starred in "Dangerous to Men."
There seems to be nothing known about "Reclaimed" (full title "Reclaimed: The Struggle for a Soul Between Love and Hate"). It stars Niles Welch and Mabel Julienne Scott, of whom we know just slightly more than we know about the film.
"Dangerous to Men" was a comedy starring Viola Dana and Milton Sills. The actors are quite famous but the film seems to be lost. Sills came from a wealthy family and had been a professor of Psychology and Philosophy at the University of Chicago before he was bitten by the acting bug. He had a very successful career, and made the transition to sound easily, starring as Wolf Larson in the 1930 production of "The Sea Wolf," but died suddenly of a heart attack at age 48. Viola Dana (born Virginia Flugarth) on the other hand lived to the age of 90. Her first husband died during the Spanish Influenza epidemic. She talks about her experiences in Hollywood (including the death of her lover, pilot Ormer Locklear) in the TV series "Hollywood" by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill (well worth seeing, if you can find it).
Olive Thomas, who starred in "Youthful Folly" is one of the great Hollywood tragedies. Born in 1894 as Olive Duffy, she came from a working class family in Charleroi Pennsylvania. She was briefly married at age 16 before going to New York to work in a Harlem department store. She entered a contest for the "most beautiful girl in New York" and won. This in turn led her to become the star of Florenz Ziegfeld's rather racy "Midnight Frolics" where she was often dressed only in balloons. She made the jump to movies in 1917, the same year that she married Jack Pickford, the brother of Mary Pickford. The relationship was stormy in part because of Pickford's alcoholism. Both of them enjoyed the partying lifestyle. In 1920 they went on a second honeymoon to France. During their stay she drank a liquid solution of mercury bichloride (prescribed for her husband's chronic syphilis). Although there were rumours of suicide or murder, the subsequent investigation ruled her death accidental since the label of the bottle was in French. She was 25 years old when she died. Before her death she starred in a picture that gave a name for the women of the decade: "The Flapper."
It's OK I guessI mean if you like elegance and stuff. I like loud places, with fluorescent lights, where you can't concentrate on anything at for more than 3 seconds. This place doesn't look like it has video games, slushies or any movies by Jerry Bruckheimer.
And the movies probably suck eggs because they're so cheap and you can watch like three in a row ... and those posters look like somebody drew them, I mean don't they have a camera, or a computer ... and why isn't everything in this picture catered to children 8-12 years old? I don't see any cartoons. Where are the cartoons!
Elegance, craftsmanship, artistry! Where's the pretzels covered in cheese?
(The Gallery, D.C., Movies, Natl Photo)

CCC & StL: 1938
... side view, 3/7/38." Property of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway. View full size. Known as The Big Four ... Proud Member of the Big Four The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway was also known as New York Central's Big Four ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/17/2016 - 2:28pm -

Washington, D.C. "U.S. News. Freight car, side view, 3/7/38." Property of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway. View full size.
Known as The Big Four RouteThis large subsidiary of the New York Central formed its network of lines in the Midwest. An excellent map is here.
CCC & StL also known asThe "Big Four". Although affiliated with NYC System for many years, they even lettered their equipment Big Four for many years.
Visible to the car's right is a B&O "wagon top" boxcar. B&O built many boxcars and some covered hoppers to this unique design, with some in revenue service into the 1970's. 
CompositionNice long second look, tie all elements of photo together and...voila, beautiful composition out of nothing.
No offence to railroad buffs.
A Proud Member of the Big FourThe Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway was also known as New York Central's Big Four Route.  It along with the New York Central was folded into the Penn Central in 1968.  That railroad shortly thereafter experienced the largest ever US bankruptcy to date.  (Search for the video "Penn Central 1974" to get an idea of the conditions.)  The remainder of Penn Central and several other railroads was folded into Conrail in 1976.  After a shaky start that railroad prospered to the point it was purchased at great cost and segmented by Norfolk Southern and CSX.
So that's a boxcar!I've always wondered what they looked like without the graffiti.
Note the brake wheel on this carIt is in the horizontal position as they were on all freight cars, originally. 
Freight cars also had walkways across the tops.
Brakemen rode the tops of these cars during switching operations; a rather scary part of their occupation.
Eventually, this dangerous practice was outlawed and the brake wheels were moved to the ends of the cars, but in a vertical position. This can be seen in the B&O "wagon top" boxcar next to it.
A brakeman's job still has its hazards particularly in cold snowy climates.
One major improvement is the introduction of continuous voice-to-voice contact with the engineer now available through technology.
It also meant that cabooses were dropped from the consist and freight train crews were reduced to two-person operations.
G
(The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Railroads)

Fellow Travelers: 1899
... measurements are from NYC to Buffalo and eventually Chicago (when you include their Michigan Southern subsidiary). Today ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/18/2016 - 12:43pm -

Circa 1899. "R.R. depot at Garrison, New York." En route to their final destination. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size.
Beautiful locationThe Metro-North Hudson line runs along the Hudson River up to Poughkeepsie. A truly beautiful train ride around sunset.
Chair legs I'd venture a guess that the fellow second from right is the telegraph operator, due to the fact the chair he is sitting in has glass telegraph insulators on the front legs.
I have heard of rangers on watch duty in forest fire towers and telegraph operators doing that in case of a lighning strike, but they would put them on all four, not just the front ones.
Insulated leg extensionsIt looks like the young man sitting on the left has his chair propped up on some telegraph pole insulators. I would imagine they have a few boxes stored there. 
Dressed upGranted that people dressed up to go anywhere in those days, but the level of best-of-the-Sunday-best sort of suggests a trip to NYC itself.
Bolivia BoundButch Cassidy leans nonchalantly agains the window sill while Sundance assumes an agressive stance to his left.  Their traveling companion, Etta Place, has just went inside to buy their tickets.
Hello DollyThe Garrison train station is used as the set (standing in for Yonkers) in the movie Hello Dolly.  Lots of information if you scroll down to "Garrison New York Location" here.
New York Central RailroadBeing that Garrison Station is now Metro North RR today this means it is a very good probability that at the time of the photograph this was a New York Central Railroad Station.
RevolutionaryNew York City 50 miles this-a-way (south), and Boston 390 miles that-a-way (northeast).
BTW, called Garrison, because General Washington garrisoned his troops there as a blocking force to protect control of the Hudson River while the British occupied 50 miles this-a-way (south) aka NYC. If the British got control of the Hudson, they would have had a wedge between New England and the remainder of the 13 colonies.
B is for BuffaloThe "B 390" stands for Buffalo, NY, not Boston.  The New York Central did eventually reach Boston, but via a subsidiary railroad called the Boston and Albany (which it didn't assume control of until a year after this photo was taken).  Milepost measurements are from NYC to Buffalo and eventually Chicago (when you include their Michigan Southern subsidiary).
Today Garrison itself still has a rural feel to it, but this station building is long gone, replaced by modern high-level concrete platforms.
(The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)

Y Girl: 1919
... waited for her bundles of papers — her Paris Heralds, Chicago Tribunes and Daily Mails, to be ready to load so that she might get ... waited for her bundles of papers — her Paris Heralds, Chicago Tribunes and Daily Mails, to be ready to load so that she might get ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 3:10pm -

Washington, D.C., 1919. "Frances Gulick, Y.M.C.A. girl." Frances, a Y.M.C.A. welfare worker attached to the First Engineers in Europe, was awarded a citation for valor and courage during the aerial bombardment of Varmaise, France, where she operated a canteen. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size.
Francy GuSounds like a girls' book series of the 1920s -- "Frances Gulick: YMCA Girl and the Canteen." Wherein our heroine saves the lives of doughboys in Europe and survives a terrible bombardment by the Hun.
It's an inspirational story for young ladies 10 to 18 years of age. The heroine is self-sacrificing and long-suffering while loyal to the Allied cause ...
Sparkling eyesShe's not much of a looker but I bet she was really fun to be around.
WowMy heroine! What an inspiration! I am making my daughter of the same age read about her.
What a Gal!From "That Damn Y: A Record of Overseas Service" by Katherine Mayo
Dorothy Francis and Marjory Skelding, Charlotte Hand, Mary Arrowsmith, Frances Gulick, Gertrude Ely, and the rest served through their apprenticeship of warfare with a steadiness that put their case beyond dispute and that clinched with unshakable strength the earlier link between the First and its Y.
Frances Gulick, for example, made her little canteen like a cozy sitting-room at home. Her stove was always busy, cooking for the boys, and the boys always swamped the place. Sometimes you found her reading aloud to them. Sometimes telling stories to the crowd, while she mended blouses or sewed on new-won chevrons. Sometimes just cooking, and singing to them while they waited for the "party" to be ready to devour.
And nearly every day that very town was shelled. Every fair night for five weeks running it was extra-smashed from the air.
"Oh, I'm all right!" she would laugh, day after day, when they urged her to rest, steadfastly refusing to quit the post.
Later came a time when they put her on a camionnette, to deliver newspapers. She could not only drive a car, but repair it too, you see; which latter attainment was more than desirable in that line of work. For the newspaper service to the Front, like the carrying-up of ammunition, and the passage of Y supply trucks to the forward canteens, was wholly night business. Moreover you had to drive without lights.
And the roads were full of shell-holes, so that now and again, despite every care, in you lurched and stuck fast, or gave your car a fearful, dislocating wrench. Shells burst before you, beside you, on your nightly road. Craters opened almost under your wheels. And your little tin Lizzie, after a trip or two, got so speckled and dented and sliced by flying shrapnel that scarcely a hand's-breadth of surface remained untouched.
But the men in the front-line trench system watched for those regular consignments of daily papers with an eagerness that almost surpassed their desire for smokes. And Frances Gulick drove her car along the shell-swept midnight roads with an unbroken steadiness and a superb, laughing dash that almost discounted its own credit, so utterly steady-nerved did it show her to be.
A creature so built was glorious to behold; yet—one of some nervous sensibility might really show more merit in the act.
So had thought even that famous character, "the Count." [?] One night, however, "the Count" happened to be in the room with Frances Gulick while she waited for her bundles of papers — her Paris Heralds, Chicago Tribunes and Daily Mails, to be ready to load so that she might get away to her job.
room with Frances Gulick while she waited for her bundles of papers — her Paris Heralds, Chicago Tribunes and Daily Mails, to be ready to load so that she might get away to her job.
As the two lingered, talking, a Boche bombing-plane, with its ghostly, pulsing hum, swung close overhead. The girl switched off the light, but opened the window blind and stood looking out.
"Come away from there!" snapped "the Count," laying a hand on her arm in his haste to pull her back.
In that instant it was that he met one of the real surprises of an eventful life.
With his hand so on her arm, he knew that her whole body was shaking — big tremors flooding her muscles, as hammering waves flood and shake a ship.
"What in the world is the matter with you? " he exclaimed.
"Oh, don't notice me!" she retorted, more than a little annoyed. " Why, I've been like this every single night, from the very start. I never get used to it! And nobody has seen it before. Don't you ever dare tell! . . ."
But on Frances Gulick's Army citation1 for valor and courage on the field, her general's endorsement reads: "A splendid type of woman welfare worker with combat troops."
The citation itself runs:
Miss Frances Gulick, Y.M.C.A. (attached to 1st U.S. Engineers) welfare worker, who has displayed the finest qualities of energy, courage and devotion in the discharge of her duties throughout the war and occupation of hostile territory, notably during the aerial bombardment at Vernaise, May 30, 1918, where, in spite of many casualties in the town, she remained at her post. From then until the division was relieved in July, 1918, Miss Gulick, with total disregard for her own personal safety, continued to operate her canteen, although the town was shelled and bombed at different times by the enemy, and her canteen itself struck.
The full story of her bravery, devotion, and actual achievements, but faintly shadowed here, would place her easily among the outstanding heroines of history. Yet she is instanced, not as a bright, particular light, but, on the contrary, as a fair common example, in character and in record, of the fighting divisions women of the Y.
WWI WomenI love these active gals from WWI - they always look so comfortable and competent.  Consider the layers of clothing worn just 10 years before this picture and look at the practical uniform Frances is wearing.  "How you gonna get them back in tight corsets and long skirts after they've run a canteen in Varmaise!" 
A little silver starMiss Gulick wears what looks like the ribbon for the World War I Victory Medal, with 2 bronze campaign stars and 1 silver citation star (though the ribbon may be a YMCA award). Other than the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, or the Navy Cross, valor awards were recognized with a silver star attachment to the ribbon and service medal. The little silver star would become the Silver Star Medal in 1932.
Plus, she has 3 overseas service stripes on her sleeve, representing 18 months service.
The Big Red OneOn her shoulder, Miss Frances is wearing the patch of the fabled First Infantry Division -- "The Big Red One" -- hard to believe that would happen in this era.
My Hero(ine)What a woman!  She embodies the old saying "Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the mastery of it."
(The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, WWI)

Jupiter's Darling: 1954
... football player who had recently been drafted by the Chicago Cardinals. Hold Your Breath! On one of the evening news programs ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/07/2013 - 9:23am -

Esther Williams, star of silver screen and swimming pool who died yesterday at age 91, shown filming a scene for the underwater epic "Jupiter's Darling" in 1954. Photo by Earl Theisen and Robert Vose for Look magazine. View full size.
June 24, 2013 [error]A full day of films by Williams on TCM.  
CORRECTION: June 13, 2013 at 8:00 PM eastern time.
Sorry, glad I caught it in time!
Hydro TestingOK, that makeup and lipstick pass the waterproof test!
MusculatureNot in the statue, but in the gorgeous human: biceps and shoulder of right arm,  taut right thigh, toes of right foot curled under metal apparatus, pointed left foot.  Thank you, Dave, for noting the passing of this beautiful and elegant woman.  (And, tterrace, for breaking the news yesterday in the comment on the pool photo.)
Fullback to Esther's backThe role of "Principal Swimming Statue" was credited to John Olszewski, perhaps the California football player who had recently been drafted by the Chicago Cardinals.
Hold Your Breath!On one of the evening news programs last night in NYC, there was an interview (from some years ago) with Esther Williams. She related, in a very modest way, that she had the uncanny ability to hold her breath for long periods of time with very little effort.
Makes sense.... as you can see from the photo, she is very calm and relaxed. A natural ability put to a wonderful, entertaining use.
RIP, Esther! The heavenly pool is all yours today!
Beautiful!Just about the most beautiful total woman on the planet.
Million Dollar MermaidThe lovely Ms. Williams was Louis B. Mayer's answer to Sonja Henie.  She had made the 1940 Olympic swimming team, but the Olympics were not held because of the war.  MGM built a $250,000 pool to film her.
RIP EstherAnother actress from the Golden Era of Hollywood gone.  God bless Esther Williams.
(LOOK, Movies, Swimming)

Downtown: 1942
... El. Different Town: 2013 We still have the "L" in Chicago. And our weather matched the 1942 Shorpy photo this Memorial Day ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/22/2013 - 10:43am -

September 1942. "New York. Looking downtown from the Third Avenue elevated railway in the 'Fifties'." A platform on the long-vanished El. Medium format nitrate negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size.
In the heat of the dayThe woman looking out her 3rd floor window in the heat of a New York City summer is probably seeking a breath of fresh air. As a train comes into the station every 5 or 10 minutes or so she may close the window because the noise was deafening. 
"Hazy lazy crazy days of summer"Love this shot of the train headed out with the framing of the two tallest buildings at the time, Empire State and Chrysler.
Said Mother McG to her gullible sonThe first Christmas Eve after this was torn down the neighbors sang a song about it along Third Avenue.
Another StunnerThere are aspects of this photo that remind me of the work by David Plowden.
67th StreetThis view is not from the "fifties," it is from the 67th Street station of the Third Avenue El.
The mansard roofed building on the left just south of the platform is the "Car Barn" of the Third Avenue Railway company which ran most of the streetcars in Manhattan at the time, which was not affiliated with the Third Avenue El.
Different Town: 2013We still have the "L" in Chicago. And our weather matched the 1942 Shorpy photo this Memorial Day weekend.
SkylineActually, I think we can see the three tallest buildings at the time.  Isn't that 40 Wall Street way off in the distance (just to the right of the right hand pillar)?
I think the other buildings that we can see in silhouette include the Hemsley Building, the Waldorf Astoria and the RCA Victor (later General Electric) Building.
The distant one"Isn't that 40 Wall Street way off in the distance (just to the right of the right hand pillar)?"
Turns out a straight line down 3rd Ave passes just east of 70 Pine (60 Wall), so that must be the distant building. Our view of 40 Wall is blocked by the nearer building.
(The Gallery, Marjory Collins, NYC, Railroads)

S.S. Utica: 1910
... interests who renamed her Quintay. She was towed down the Chicago River, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the Illinois River, and eventually the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 8:50pm -

Circa 1910. "Freighter S.S. Utica, New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Line." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
1904-1949Constructed by the Detroit Ship Building Co., this 325-foot package freighter was launched April 28, 1904, at Wyandotte for the Western Transit Company, the marine operation of the New York Central on the Great Lakes.
In 1915 the Interstate Commerce Commission, citing the 1912 Panama Canal Act, ruled that American railroads could not also engage in marine transportation, and the NYC (as well as Erie, Pennsylvania, and Lehigh Valley) sold their steamship operations on the Great Lakes.  Many of the vessels were consolidated under a new firm, Great Lakes Transit Corporation, for which the Utica ran from 1916 until 1945.  That year, GLTC sold her to Chilean interests who renamed her Quintay.  She was towed down the Chicago River, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the Illinois River, and eventually the Mississippi to New Orleans.
The Quintay stranded and became a total loss on Penguin Island in the Messier Channel, Chile, on April 28, 1949, on a voyage from Callao to Punta Arenas while carrying general cargo and drums of oil.
Steamship Utica

Beeson's Marine Directory of the Northwestern Lakes, 1908 

Steamship Utica, built in 1904 for the Western Transit Co. of Buffalo, N.Y.  Gross tonnage: 3533, length: 325 ft., beam: 44 ft.

HmmmmI wonder what the three planks on the side of the hull are.
[Docking fenders. - Dave]
Rounding the Eastern Continent?I was not aware a vessel of this size could move South out of Lake Michigan and down thru to New Orleans in the canal/river system.
[As noted below, the Utica was a Great Lakes freighter. - Dave]
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)

Airport 1941
... my mother was head ticket agent for United Air Lines at Chicago's Municipal (later Midway) Airport. She always told us about how she ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/18/2019 - 1:36pm -

July 1941. "Observation deck and airliner on the field seen through the window of the waiting room. Municipal (National) airport, Washington, D.C." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano. View full size.
A popular hangoutThis is what I remember it looking like when I was a kid.  I wish this were a color photo - my memory has the floor being a green and black terrazzo tile.  I took my first flight from there in 1959 at the age of 5 - Capital Airlines to Minneapolis.
Culture changesMy attention was drawn to the well dressed women.  There was a time when either flying or greeting was a huge event either by air or rail.  Love the nostalgia nudge.
You can still visit todayHistoric Terminal A.
A different eraWhen flying was still romantic and adventurous. And nobody drew the shades over the windows while there was still something to see outside. Of course, the tickets were much dearer, too. 
Counting beans, the C-47 (first flight December 23, 1941, 10,174 built) was the military version of the DC-3 (first flight December 17, 1935, 607 built). 
Photo OrientationLooking over the Potomac and toward the mouth of the Anacostia River in the distance?
Ended in a cane fieldEastern took possession of five DC-3's in September of 1940.  Registered as N15595 through N15599, this one, N15597, crashed into a sugar cane field in the Dominican Republic, (as Victoria Air), in June 1991.  All 35 passengers survived.
History AwaitsLooks like a DC-3, the civilian version of the Army Air Corps Douglas C-47 "Skytrain." Just a few years later (1944) hundreds of these would be crossing the English Channel carrying parachute troops to be dropped off behind enemy lines for the D-Day invasion.
What an eraI was introduced to the work of Jack Delano through Shorpy. I'm now a big fan. It's fascinating to think that he was active at a time when both steam engines and airplanes were in common use.
The Great Silver FleetI just had to go to Wikipedia to see what it said on the side of that DC-3!
The Three and MeI was a Foreign Service brat, born into the last days of the Chinese Revolution and civil war in Nanking.
As the remnant of US representation shriveled and moved from place to place with the nationalist government, my first rides were in a Marine Corps Douglas. I think the Navy/Marine C47 equivalent was called the R4D.
We went on to Colombia, where as in all of South America the DC3's and C47's ruled the skies.  I loved the blasts of fire and noise as the radials fired up in the Andean dawn and the wonderful visuals of low-altitude flight, now lost to travelers.
We could watch people as we flew between the mountains and see individual fish in the Caribbean.  All Colombian pilots were avid readers of "Terry and the Pirates" and were great fans of the WWII look. They invariably wore battered leather flight jackets and 50-mission hats crushed to "Just Right," and kept their nickel plated .38 revolvers in shoulder holsters. One did not hijack planes in those days!
Our Dachshund achieved fame in aviation circles -- he broke out of the tail baggage compartment, waited til someone opened the bathroom door, and joined us at our seats.  The Colombians quite understood. I preferred the freighters we often flew to the passenger 3's. I could walk around exploring, read AAF overhaul plaques from Calcutta 1944, and just marvel at the beauty of it all.
Someday, planes might carry 40 or 50 people!In 1942 my mother was head ticket agent for United Air Lines at Chicago's Municipal (later Midway) Airport. She always told us about how she and the other agents imagined the future of flight where airplanes might hold as many as "forty or fifty people!"
She also explained that she was required to climb that little set of stairs and hand the flight manifest directly to the pilot through his window.
(The Gallery, Aviation, D.C., Jack Delano)

Third and Houston: 1910
... unlike the subway type that pivots off the truck frame. Chicago transit still uses that system. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 6:16pm -

Elevated tracks in New York circa 1910. "Third Avenue 'L' at Houston Street." View full size. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection.
NYC ElWhat an incredible picture. The "sky" makes this one great.
No third rail?No third rail -- so not electrically powered?
No Third rail?Perhaps you missed it.  The 3rd Avenue El was electrified in 1903 when it was leased to the IRT.
Third railThere is most definitely a third rail there.  It's easy to miss because the wooden guard rails block the view of the support chairs.
I work around third rail to this day, so I literally HAVE to know how to look for it!
As rebuilt circa 1915The original line here from 1878 was two single-track structures over the curb line, leaving most of the street open to the sky.  Many old postcards and stereoviews show the structure in that state.  This shows the rebuild as a three-track elevated over the middle of the street, which was done in 1914 or 1915.
Third railThird rail on the Els did not have coverboard like the IRT subway and most later systems.  The third rail shoes were located above the rail and bore straight down on it unlike the subway type that pivots off the truck frame.  Chicago transit still uses that system.
(The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, Railroads)

Harbor Belt: 1943
... operations on the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad between Chicago and Hammond, Indiana. The train passes many interlocking towers on the ... has their own priorities. Anyone who has ever worked a Chicago tower will know well what I speak of. Attached is a picture of a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/23/2014 - 6:52pm -

January 1943. "Freight operations on the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad between Chicago and Hammond, Indiana. The train passes many interlocking towers on the way and the conductor watches them for any special messages." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size.
Wooden DodoVirtually every track crossing of any importance had an interlocking tower guarding it; some were single story shantys, and some were massive brick or block structures. But most were very much like this one. As busy as this tower looks capable of, it likely was manned 24/7. 
The rods visible left of the track physically align switches, derails and even semaphore signals. More modern interlockings had electric motors to move these things, although I worked around such a plant as this well into the 1980's. 
Towers such as this are Dodo birds, or very nearly so. The function of protecting a level crossing,interlocking or a junction is today controlled from many miles away, and the towers have been falling all over the country for decades; if any are still in use for intended purpose, they are few in number.
InterestingI don't know why, but I love the wintry-scene railway photographs.
I am curious what the lines running along the track are, on the left.  Are they signal lines?  They seem too far away from the tracks to be an electric engine power source, and the supports would interfere with power engine power shoes.
>>>>>>> Thanks to Olde Buck!  They are control rods for signals and turnouts, which makes much more sense.  I've read that those controls took some muscle to use, and no wonder!
An Armstrong OperationWhen I was about 14 a tower man in Cumberland, MD let me try my hand at an interlocking lever. It wouldn't budge. The name is apt. That tower also had a timer which had to be set before any levers could be thrown, then each lever was locked in its new position until the timer expired after the next train passed. It was to make the operator think out his moves carefully, and prevent last minute changes.
I H B R RSeems the name went from  Indiana Harbor Belt Rail Road to Indiana Harbor Belt R R, to Indiana Harbor Belt, then to Harbor Belt finally on its later diesel engines it was just Harbor.
Location on "The Harbor."Looking to the northwest at McCook, the Santa Fe crossing. I recognize the jog in the mainline on the other side of the diamond. 
Manual interlockings The Harbor (IHB) had about a dozen or so interlocking towers back in the day, each one a busy place. I’m going to hazard a guess and suggest, for several reasons, the featured picture is the old IHB Ivanhoe tower, controlling movements of IHB and EJE traffic across the diamond about a mile east of Gibson at 160th Street. To the best of my knowledge: 1) Dolton Tower, controlling movements across the UP (north/south) and IHB (east/west) is still manned by an interlocking operator, 2) the GTW tower at Blue Island is still a manual interlocking, as is 3) Gibson Yard west end tower. At one point most, if not all, of these towers were "strongarm" plants. Remote controlled switches and signals have replaced the Stone Age technology, but the operator headaches can still be intense. He/she has to balance the interests and wishes of a yardmaster, a dispatcher, and a trainmaster, among others, each of which has their own priorities. Anyone who has ever worked a Chicago tower will know well what I speak of.
Attached is a picture of a strongarm operator lining a switch, one perhaps several hundred feet from the tower.  
McCook: Home of EMDJust on the other side of that aggregate pile in the background is General Motor's Electro-Motive Division, at 55th St. and old U.S. 66. All new EMD diesel locomotives delivered from this plant were handled by the IHB first. 
Manual interlockings photokreriver, what tower is shown in the photo you posted? It doesn't look like an IHB tower to me.
(The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)

Rails and Rivets: 1943
January 1943. "Freight operations on the Chicago & North Western R.R. between Chicago and Clinton, Iowa. The train crosses a long steel bridge." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/05/2013 - 10:38am -

January 1943. "Freight operations on the Chicago & North Western R.R. between Chicago and Clinton, Iowa. The train crosses a long steel bridge." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.
The shadowThe bridge casts a terrific shadow in Google's satellite view.
View Larger Map
Run LeftWhile almost every railroad in America ran or still runs on the right hand side, like driving a car, the C&NW ran on the left like the British do. I agree that this was taken from the back of another train running on the left main line. You can see the smoke from the steam engine as well as a head end car, a baggage car and then the passenger cars. 
West bound freightIt looks like it was taken from the rear platform of the caboose. Also it looks like the Mississippi river bridge.
Freight Operations?The cars in front of the passenger car don't seem to be freight cars either. Wonder if the "freight" being hauled was troops.
[The freight train is what the camera is on. -Dave]
Where?I hope someone familiar with this route can comment on where this might be, and if it's still in service.
HmmmIsn't that a passenger car?  I guess the C&NW might have been deadheading it somewhere on a freight train?
Bridge shotTerrific photo of the RR bridge, shows the structural massiveness required to get trains over rivers. I've done the same shooting from the rear on Amtrak trains, with video, especially going to St Louis, that's a really cool bridge to ride over.  
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Jack Delano, Railroads)

Road of the Streamliners: 1939
... economy passenger trains operating over the Union Pacific/Chicago Northwestern in the late 1930s. Economy meaning all-coach equipment, ... in the 30s and 40s, including the layout that was in Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry for many years until it was replaced ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/11/2015 - 11:27am -

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

Pennsylvania Lines: 1900
... Also represented: Cars of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full ... of existing railroads. The Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago (P FW & C) was the railroad that swallowed up the others. Then, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2016 - 3:07pm -

Circa 1900. "Anchor Line docks and Penna. R.R. coal & ore docks, Erie, Pennsylvania." Also represented: Cars of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
Women's dresses are ShortThose dresses only go down to the women's knees.  Awfully short based on what I have seen for other women's attire for that time period.
[An indication they're children. -tterrace]
Women near the tracks.One thing that children and women did near the tracks in the days of coal burning locomotives was to scavenge lumps of coal that fell from the tenders as the engines passed. Train crews sometimes accidentally caused coal to fall off to help the folks who needed heat in their houses near the tracks, so those bags might just be full of coal!
Someone please tell mewhat are those two women doing by the tracks?
A little PRR Corporate and Lettering HistoryHere's my understanding: 
The PRR, particularly west of Pittsburgh, consolidated a large number of existing railroads.  The Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago (P FW & C) was the railroad that swallowed up the others.  Then, the PRR reorganized into 2 activities, the "Pennsylvania Company" owned and operated railroads east of Pittsburgh, and "Pennsylvania Lines" operated lines west of Pittsburgh.  
In the front left to right, we see an earlier 19th century boxcar for the eastern part of the railroad and then two cars lettered in the turn-of-the-century style for the 'lines west' Then there is a Fast Freight Line car for the Union Line, which at one time was an association of railroads to provide through freight (same car across multiple railroads.)  By this time, though, the Union Line was pretty much a marketing activity of the Pennsylvania company. Finally on the right, a P FW & C car with the earlier lettering.  This also provides a great assortment of PRR 'standard cars'   The car on the far right has the Wagner Door, an early tight sealing/plug arrangement (where the door slides out and then to the left.   This website has a lot of information on the PRR cars, see in particular the PRR XB, XC and XD cars, which are all represented in the photo.
http://prr.railfan.net/freight/
Two womenI saw them, too. Looking closer, they have some bundles of something, so I was wondering if they brought lunch for their husbands and are setting up a little picnic. A lot of the men seem to be standing around, such as near the railing on that loader thing. I also noticed that middle frame is a big steam flume going up, which made me wonder if that was a noontime whistle signaling lunchtime, and the cameraman was waiting for just that moment to snap the shot. Hard to say what's going on.
[Looks more like laundry, perhaps. -tterrace]
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Mining, Railroads)

M-Squad: 1925
... TV show of M Squad with Lee Marvin as Lt. Ballinger of the Chicago Police. Guess they were ahead of their time. Today they would be ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 6:49pm -

Washington, D.C., 1925. "Montrose tennis team." The Eight Racqueteers. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
Good old DooleyHey wait a minute, that's not Dooley Wilson from Casablanca.  Like the M Squad reference Dave.  Takes me back to the 50's TV show of M Squad with Lee Marvin as Lt. Ballinger of the Chicago Police.  Guess they were ahead of their time.  Today they would be called "special units" I suppose.
Quite a contrastTo the photos on either side.
SoWhere's Lee Marvin?
Suburban League ChampsThe Montrose Club tennis squad won the Suburban League series of 1925 with a record of 60 victories and 10 defeats. Players included: David D. Hedekin, Gwynn King, Millard Lewis, W.M. Hoffman and Dooley Mitchell. 
Reading facesThe upper left two guys are trying hard to suppress a smile.  The guy on the right is daydreaming about acing the head of the guy on the bottom right.  
I bet at least one of them is named Reginald -- "Reggie" to his friends.
Back row second from rightis a dead ringer for Kevin Wiseman.
I think he might be the Reginald of this bunch. Or the Bertram.
Uniform Requirements..A sweater with an "M" on the front.. sewn, stapled or nailed was not specified.  
Bowling team at work was required to have "team shirts", they went to Sears and bought  Hawaiian shirts, MATCHING Hawaiian shirts
Later exploitsMillard Lewis became a major general in the U.S. Army Air Corps, and later the Air Force. Capt. David D. Hedekin commanded the Headquarters Company at Fort McPherson, Georgia, from 1936 until 1938 - when he was killed when playing in a polo tournament.  The parade field at Fort McPherson now bears his name. 
(The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)

Caught Wet-Handed: 1904
... catch the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton (CH&D) to Chicago right here and have the porter bring you bottles of whatever. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2018 - 10:54am -

1904. "Tyler Davidson Fountain ('The Genius of Water'), Cincinnati, O." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size.
Slip and Fall accidents can be painfulNo amount of money could make me do this.
Fascinating Fountain Facts... may be found here:
http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/columns/17-facts-tyler-davidson-founta...
School of --Proctology?
[No wonder you couldn't fix my record player. - Dave]
Pretty neat viewFound a really nice 360 of the fountain square.
https://goo.gl/maps/vvXWDKKwVkr
Soggy telegramsHopefully the two messenger boys had made their deliveries for the day.
WKRPAs seen in the opening credits of the TV show WKRP.
That really is  watercoming from her hands -- isn't it?
[Hence the title. - Dave]
Still thereThe fountain is still there, although it's been moved around 40 feet to the right.  Fountain Square, where the fountain sits, is still a popular gathering place downtown.  Mabley & Carew was a longtime department store in Cincinnati.  It, and all the buildings in the photograph, are long-gone.
Going Your Way?
You can catch the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton (CH&D) to Chicago right here and have the porter bring you bottles of whatever.

If you are interested in the history of the CH&D, there is a book "The Pere Marquette Railroad Company" written by Dr. Paul Wesley Ivey. He states in chapter 7 of dealings with the infamous J.P. Morgan, the Erie railroad, the PM and the CH&D. Of course when ya get to the end you find out the robber barrons did it!
This is pre B&O. Later it became the Toledo Division of the B&O.
(The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Streetcars)

All Aboard: 1930
... an interurban, but on the mainline railroads, such as the Chicago & Northwestern. The nickname: The Galloping Goose! Classic ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 6:46pm -

"Car interior. Washington & Old Dominion R.R." Another circa 1930 view of a decrepit Pennsylvania Railroad car that seems to have come into the possession of the W. & O.D. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.
Please Exit By Rear PlatformThis is a "Petticoat Junction" style mail-freight-passenger coach, but it has about ten more passenger seats and is about twelve feet longer. Otherwise, it's much the same.
From the left in the photo, there's a mail sorting desk, the freight door, and a steam radiator to keep the crew warm on those long winter night runs.
Then a heavy wooden door, and a view back through the passenger compartment. The ceiling is a clerestory roof with side vents, which would have allowed a little fresh air into the car on hot days.
On the right, we see another radiator, and another freight door. Which was important, because the train crew could never be sure which side they'd have to unload the luggage and freight from in back then.
The lamp (with its shade falling off) was probably a kerosene lamp. Something of a fire hazard, especially in a wooden car. But this one went all the way to the
end of the line... where it was left to rot away.
They don't make'em like that anymore.I would love to have that light fixture in my possession!  I keep looking at how precariously the glass globe is perched on that fixture and wishing somehow I could save it!
Nice door...There's a nice six-panel solid core door that I wouldn't mind having.
HeatingIt appears to have had two wood burning stoves at one time. I guess the steam heaters where added later. It's funny to see that this car was old and worn out by the thirties. All wooden cars are pretty rare these days.
It gallopedThis photo puts me in mind of a railroad oddment we used to see often in the Midwest up through the 1950s. It was a motorized rail car that was half cargo and half passenger. It ran between rural communities and metro areas, similar to an interurban, but on the mainline railroads, such as the Chicago & Northwestern. The nickname: The Galloping Goose!
Classic CombineThis car is properly referred to as a "combine" since it combines two cars in one; baggage/express and coach seating. 
Judging from the rough track and the rural locale, it may have been working out its last years as a "miner's car," downgraded to commuter service where dirty clothes were a fact of life. 
If it ever carried mail, the equipment shown here is strictly non-regulation. Before WWI, postal regulations required a separate, enclosed area, known as the "apartment," usually 10 or 15 feet long on cars of this type, fitted with very specific sorting, storage and handling equipment. In the exterior shot of the car, there is no lettering for U.S. Mail (also required by regulations) or Express service. I'm inclined to think the pigeonholes may be a waybill box and a small desk for the conductor, and the car was being used in freight or mixed train (freight and passenger together) service. 
The steam radiators operate only when the car is connected to a passenger service locomotive and/or other passenger cars equipped with steam lines. In the shot of the entire car, note the large round device at the rear, mounted on the side of the roof. This is an exhaust for a separate car heater, so it could be run in freight or mixed train service and still be warm. 
As for lighting, the car has roof vents for gaslights. Again, in the shot of the entire car, note the large cylindrical tank at the lower center, which was actually a gas storage tank for manufactured or "town gas" like that used in cities. This was much safer and quickly replaced kerosene lamps.
(The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Railroads)

Mrs. Sandman: 1943
... "Mrs. Thelma Cuvage, working in the sand house at the Chicago & North Western R.R. roundhouse at Clinton, Iowa. Her job is to see ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 3:30pm -

April 1943. "Mrs. Thelma Cuvage, working in the sand house at the Chicago & North Western R.R. roundhouse at Clinton, Iowa. Her job is to see that sand is sifted and cleaned for use in the locomotives. Mrs. Cuvage's husband works as a guard at the Savanna, Illinois, ordnance plant." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.
SandDumb question, but what was the sand for?
Re: SandIt was used for traction in icy weather, released from a hopper on the locomotive onto the tracks.
Mrs SandmanSand is still used by many railroads icy weather or not, for traction, especially on uphill grades.
SandThe sand was and in many places still is very important.  It had to be dried so it wouldn't freeze into chunks in the engines.  Also needed to be clean and sifted so it would feed through the lines properly.  Fed by air jets through tubes and dropped on the rail just in front of the driving wheels.
A long commute...The Cuvages both had fairly long commutes for a time when everything that an automobile requires was rationed. According to Google Maps, the towns of Savanna, Illinois and Clinton, Iowa are 21 miles apart, which means even if they lived in the countryside between the two they commuted a combined 42 miles a day, which I imagine was a lot of gas when you drove a 1930's pickup or sedan.
[Drive a car? Most wartime workers would have taken the bus or interurban. Or streetcar if they lived close enough. - Dave]
CommuteYou're forgetting that the railroad was still running passenger service in those days. Mrs. Cuvage as a railroad employee might well have been issued a courtesy pass for commuting...
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)

Batman in Michigan: 1966
... Happiness! Holy Deja Vu, Batman! My family escaped Chicago for a week or so each summer at Sleepy Hollow from 67-71 if not 1966 ... 
 
Posted by here in van nuys - 07/07/2013 - 2:34pm -

In 1966, when the Batman craze was at its height (due to ABC television series), we kids were thrilled to be in the presence of the Caped Crusaders. This photo was shot by my father, Sol Hurvitz, during a family vacation at Sleepy Hollow Resort in South Haven, Michigan. View full size.
Zowie!Holy Hollow Happiness!
Holy Deja Vu, Batman!My family escaped Chicago for a week or so each summer at Sleepy Hollow from 67-71 if not 1966 itself!  The red bricks with the blue paint is the kiddie pool. Growing out of the white-shirted boy's right shoulder is the spray nozzel.  The white two-story building behind the standing girl on the left is the main building...if not it's next to it. behind and to the left of the same girl, but blurry, is the big green bench-style merry go round. to the left of that was the snack shack where we bought rubber-band, balsa wood airplanes and played with them right where "Batman" is. Further left would be the geodesic dome, white with Alice in Wonderland scenes painted on it. And to the right of the photo was the pool enclosed in glass and steel, later redone in wood for the 1970s. If "Batman and Robin" drive the "Batmo-Cart" forward 50 more yard they'll drop off the bluff 30 feet onto the sandy shore of Lake Michigan, provided they miss the rental cabins on the overlook. 
2 Cent Tootsie Pop Drops!I was 10 in 1966.  I had all of the Batman TV show toys.  Life was good.
The Outre LimitsI'm afraid I had suppressed the memory of the lace-up Ponderosa shirts! They were quite the fad for a few years. 
It's Deja Vu all over again!My family also vacationed at Sleepy Hollow, in the early 80s.  I have some pretty fond memories of the place.
Robin, Girl WonderI was 11 in 1966. While I watched Batman like most kids did, I HATED that the show featured "Robin, Boy Wonder". Yet another nickname to tease me with. Batman's Robin was a boy, but I was a GIRL. I was often asked why I wasn't wearing my cape and tights. I imagine boys who were named Robin bore the brunt of the name during the Batman TV years, though. 
Robin was not a common name for girls at the time, and even for boys it was probably more popular/conventional in England. Still, it beat the most humiliating nickname I had to contend with: Robin Red Breast (there was also the rooster-themed nickname that came in at a close second in the humiliation dept).
What the --Such a low-rent presentation! Why did they even bother? The young man wrote "Batman" on his T-shirt with a magic marker. Did the young woman think the mask and the red-blue hat would be somehow Robinesque? Never mind the sexual confusion. Why didn't they just sell the Tootsie Roll Pops without the pathetic gimmick?
Check Out the Gamson Robin!
Valpo crusadersIf i'm not mistaken that's a Valpo (Valparaiso) University logo on that shirt. Plus the colors match. 
(ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)

Camp Grant: 1918
... prisoners of war. Some of the land is now part of the Chicago Rockford International Airport, and much of the rest of the land is a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2020 - 5:51pm -

September 24, 1918. "5th Company, 161st Depot Brigade, Camp Grant, Illinois. Lieut. C.A. Geers commanding." Gelatin silver print by Hinkley Photo Co. of Rockford. View full size.
In the midst of deathCamp Grant, located south of Rockford, Illinois, had just incurred the "Spanish Flu":
In 1918, the Spanish Influenza Pandemic affected over 4,000 men at the camp, taking the lives of over 1,000 between 23 September and 1 October. [Wikipedia]
This area is now occupied by the Rockford International Airport.
Lean CommandingNow, that is lean management, or lean commanding. 
What looks to be well in excess of 200 soldiers, and commanded by a mere lieutenant. 
These days the person in front would probably be a major. And half of them officers or OR-5 and better. 
Those poor, brave boysIt just breaks your heart.
InfluenzaBetween September 23 and October 1, 1918 at Camp Grant, more than 4000 soldiers were stricken, with around one in four dying. 
257That’s my count.  In the course of which, I noticed two interesting things.  The soldier in the sixth row from the top, seventh from the right, is the only man not looking straight ahead.  (Beside him, also, is the only chunky fellow.)  And the soldier in the third row from the top, fifth from the left, is bathed in some preternatural, ethereal light.
Saved from combat, killed by a virusSince the Meuse-Argonne offensive started only two days later, the probability that any of these soldiers made it to the front is pretty much zero.  The offensive was the US contribution to the final battles of the war which resulted in the collapse of the German front, and the armistice on November 11th. The casualty rate from the Spanish Flu was greater than they would have seen in combat though.
257+You missed the one in the first standing row with his arms crossed and hat at a jaunty angle.
The Campaign HatsI am amazed at the variety of blockings on those campaign hats...It doesn't seem that such leeway is given today.
Cyrus Alberding Geers1st Lieutenant Cyrus Alberding Geers was born in Pin Oak Township in Madison County, Illinois on March 16, 1878 To Thomas Geers and Mary [Alberding] Geers. After graduating from law school in 1906, he was admitted to the Illinois Bar. He then worked as an attorney in the Edwardsville, Illinois area until he entered the U.S. Army during World War I. After the war, he continued to work as an attorney, but at least part of the time in St. Louis, Missouri.
On February 22, 1904 he married Miss Louise Held with whom he had two sons: Ferguson B. and William A. Geers. He died on November 3, 1948 of a cerebral hemorrhage at the Jefferson Barracks Veterans Hospital (now the VA Medical Center). His interment was at Valley View Cemetery in Edwardsville, and his grave marker shows his affiliation with the 161st Depot Brigade. He also served as an officer with Company B, 344th Illinois Infantry Regiment.
I believe the photo below is 1LT Geers. Since only four officers are shown in the photo, the only one who looks to be about 40 is the gentleman pictured. Note the three Sergeants to his right with the white gaiters, and the Corporal with the black and white gaiters. There are though several other NCOs in the same row with different colored gaiters. If I had to guess, the 1st Sergeant is just to the right of the four officers with the lighter colored gaiters. The rank on his sleeve is too difficult to see to be certain.
Camp Grant existed from 1917 - 1946. After World War I, it became one of the training areas for the Illinois National Guard. The Civilian Conservation Corps also used the base during the 1930s. The post was returned to the federal government during World War II, and it was used, among other things, for the housing of about 2,500 prisoners of war. Some of the land is now part of the Chicago Rockford International Airport, and much of the rest of the land is a park.
Re:  Lean CommandingBy today's standards, your comment is spot on.  However, 100 years ago promotions did not trip along as they do now.  Back then, it was not uncommon for a veteran of 12 to 15 years service to still be a First Lieutenant.  
(Panoramas, WWI)

Outside the Box: 1912
... is one of the most faithful imitations of a Louis Sullivan Chicago School skyscraper to be found anywhere. The Rockefeller Building, ... and Sullivan, but in fact they both worked for another Chicago firm, Burnham and Root. And yes, the client for this building was John ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 3:20pm -

Cleveland circa 1912. "Rockefeller Building, Superior Avenue." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Great.I imagine this grand and great building was designed by Louis Sullivan or someone of his ilk.
If it looks like Louis Sullivan, but it's not... it's Sullivanesque! This is one of the most faithful imitations of a Louis Sullivan Chicago School skyscraper  to be found anywhere. The Rockefeller Building, completed 1905, was designed by the Cleveland firm of Knox and Elliot. The four bays at the far left are an addition of 1910, designed to match the original block exactly. It would be too beautiful if the architects had once worked for the architectural firm of Adler and Sullivan, but in fact they both worked for another Chicago firm, Burnham and Root. And yes, the client for this building was John D. Rockefeller Sr.
Fire drill!Who wants to climb the fire escape ladder on the building in the left foreground?
100 years young!This handsome structure looks just as good today, built to last:
View Larger Map
Ta-Ta to the TrolleyMy guess is that no East-bound cars stop there any more.  I rode Cleveland street cars to kindergarten and downtown in the late '40s, and in hindsight I suspect some of the cars that carried me had been in service since before this photo was taken.  
(The Gallery, Cleveland, DPC)

Conductor Cunningham: 1943
... operations on the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad between Chicago and Hammond, Indiana. Getting his waybills, Conductor Cunningham ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2016 - 10:36am -

January 1943. "Freight operations on the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad between Chicago and Hammond, Indiana. Getting his waybills, Conductor Cunningham telephones his yardmaster with the number of cars he has to handle and where the delivery is to be made." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Poster in the upper rightBuy Bonds! Win the War!
oh REAL-ly@Kcamp I know Adolph Treidler worked out of New York, but when he made that poster he must have been using a reference photo from the Norfolk & Western, because that's one of the better portraits of a Y6 Class I've seen, in the foreground.
Paper rolled into cylindersI wonder what the function was for the paper rolled into cylinders in front?
[I'd say print-outs of previous schedules, bundled for convenient storage. -tterrace]
Also, you never see anything with scissor extensions anymore, they're the most steampunk thing ever.
American ingenuity at workCoffee can used as a lampshade. Gotta love that. 
Poster in Upper LeftAdolph Treidler poster from the early 1940s.
I like my coffee lightA pot light made from a coffee can (from 1943) will look great hanging over any kitchen island.  Going to add it to my list of options.
Blue IslandChances are good the location is the Blue Island yard office. The rolled paper looks like stored train lists that came over teletype machines. Notice the two tubes (left side of image) that carried waybills, train lists and such over the pneumatic tube system to various offices within the yard.
Gibson in Hammond Indianamight also be where this pic was taken.  The IHB had their main offices located there, along with a big hump (Classification) yard. 
The Indiana Harbor Belt at Gibson is where the billing offices processed and mailed out their accounts payable.
Tube jobLove pics having anything to do with the 40's and trains. The pneumatic tubes remind me of a summer job I had once at a large wholesaler. I worked the central tube room and distributed the tubes to stations all over the building. Fun job and the learning curve was a straight line.
(The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)

Noble Riggers: 1905
... dominated the approach to Belle Isle at Detroit, built for Chicago's Columbian Exposition. For all I know, it's still there. The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/02/2018 - 2:25pm -

Detroit circa 1905. "Belle Isle ferry dock." A good place to pick up a yacht sail. The steamer Garland, seen earlier here. 8x10 glass negative. View full size.
Stove burnedThe giant Garland stove you remember was made of carved oak. It was moved from near Belle Isle to the state fairgrounds off 8 Mile in 1965. In 1974 it was disassembled and stored, but then was refurbished and returned to the fairgrounds in 1998. 
In Aug. 2011, it was struck by lightning and burned.
Belle Isle from CanadaI grew up in Riverside (now Windsor) Ontario in the 1950s, and we lived on Esdras Place, just one block from the Detroit River. At the foot of Esdras there is a private park owned by the residents, and it looks directly across the river to Belle Isle. There were many kids on the block then, and that is where we learned to swim. There were picnics and parties held there though the summer. 
The Kodachrome photo was taken by my father in 1955, and shows residents swimming in the river, with Belle Isle on the far side. The freighter steaming past is the Ralph Budd, which had an interesting history. 
A sign in the 1906 photo indicates service to Bois Blanc, on June 7. It was also known as Bob-lo Island, downstream from Detroit. You can read more here.
"Naming rights"existed even in 1880, when the Garland was built, reportedly the first electrically-lit vessel on the lakes.  She was named for the most popular model manufactured by Detroit's Michigan Stove Company;  in return, the vessel's owner, Captain John Horn, had his new craft festooned in nickle-plated decoration, courtesy of the stove manufacturer.  Indeed, the odd-looking mass ahead of the funnel is an example of that handiwork, a garland with the letter "G" inside.  When I was a kid a gigantic Garland stove, at least two stories tall, dominated the approach to Belle Isle at Detroit, built for Chicago's Columbian Exposition. For all I know, it's still there.
The Garland endured quite awhile.  Horner lost the vessel after the tragic accident involving mostly altar boys, referred to in the comments to Shorpy's original view of the ferry, when her builder, the Detroit Dry Dock Company, repossessed it.  She continued in the Detroit-Sarnia service, renamed City of Sarnia in 1923, until removed from service in the early 1940s.  She sank at the dock in 1945, and was dismantled in situ 1946-47. 
Giggle, Giggle!One can almost hear the gleeful titters of the little girls in their summer frocks and straw hats, about to embark on an exciting voyage to exotic and storied foreign climes.  Well, maybe those lands are still in the US and just across the river, but when you're five or ten, opportunities like this take on exciting aspects out of all proportion to the way adults reckon these things.
This is a view of the ferry dock at the foot of Woodward AvenueSure, you could travel a few miles down Jefferson Avenue and cross to the Island over a bridge, but for a dime you could cruise there in style on the Garland or its sister vessel, which began ferry service when Belle Isle opened in 1882.  
In their 1957 book Made in Detroit, Norman Beasley and George W. Stark describe the allure of the steamers: “All day long until late at night, the Belle Isle ferries traveled up and down the river. … The fare was ten cents, and if the passenger so chose he could ride all day long for his original dime. … In the dusk of evening, the ride back to the city was exhilarating. The lights in the scattered high towers gave dimensions to Detroit; the growing skyline gave a sense of growing importance.”  
Sadly, the last boat sailed in 1957.
Does your mother still dress you?Can anyone fill me in on why that one boy seems to be wearing a doily on his shoulders? This is not something that I have seen before, and I am wondering if it is a common article of clothing. It occurs to me that his mother might have thrown that over his shoulders as a sort of shawl anticipating cooler temperatures out on the water. Can anyone shed any light on this for me?
[Appears to be a kind of Fauntleroy suit. - tterrace]
June 7, 1906?Possibly circa on or shortly before June 7, according to the displayed timetable. Can't make out what the two words to the left of "June 7" are. "Best Blues"?
Bois BlancThe sign actually says "Bois Blanc" referring to another island in the Detroit River also known as Boblo Island.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC)

Deadwood From Forest Hill: 1888
... also match to a company that shipped by way of rail from Chicago before selling out to Sears to provide kits. I stand corrected and a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/19/2014 - 10:29am -

Deadwood, South Dakota, from Forest Hill. View full size. Circa 1888 photograph by John C.H. Grabill.
pollus telephonensisthere is a plethora of "pollus telephonensis" in both photos, complete with up to 24 lines and glass insulators (1904 began use in western SD/eastern montana)in the second picture.  i wonder if your date is a bit out since the telephone didn't hit that area until after the turn of the century and individual telegraph lines didn't run to houses. mines didn't run gang lines. you'll also note a fair amount more tent activity in the 1880s. so, you might need to correct your date a bit -- that kind of miss is a bit sloppy.
Shorpy's reply: The Deadwood views by Grabill are all from a well-documented series of photographs shot from 1887 to 1892 and are part of the Library of Congress archives. There are more here. As you can see at the bottom of the image, the photo has a copyright date of 1888.
Read more on the Library of Congress site.
"The one hundred and eighty-eight photographs sent by John C.H. Grabill to the Library of Congress for copyright protection between 1887 and 1892 are thought to be the largest surviving collection of this gifted, early Western photographer's work. Grabill's remarkably well-crafted, sepia-toned images capture the forces of western settlement in South Dakota and Wyoming and document its effects on the area's indigenous communities."
Deadwood's Telephone ExchangeDeadwood had the first telephone exchange in the state of South Dakota. Established by Paul Rewman in March of 1878 ...
More here: www.deadwood.net/info.htm
So the 1888 date for this photo is certainly supportable.
re: pollus telephonensisI think the commenter forgot about the earlier use of the telegraph, which also used wires and glass insulators.
Shorpy's reply: Actually they are power lines. The commenter below emailed us to say: "Those are power lines from a small hydro-plant for one of the first electric winch systems in the mines -- and Deadwood effectively exploited it for town use as well. The churches also match to a company that shipped by way of rail from Chicago before selling out to Sears to provide kits. I stand corrected and a bit redfaced." So thanks, Tim, for the update.
(The Gallery, Deadwood, John Grabill)

Open-Air School: 1917
... training class at the Franklin summer open-air school in Chicago." The open-air movement, which started in 1908 and ran through the ... powers of fresh air. Photograph by Burke & Atwell, Chicago. Elizabeth McCormick Memorial Fund. View full size. So are the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2020 - 7:04pm -

1917. "Manual training class at the Franklin summer open-air school in Chicago." The open-air movement, which started in 1908 and ran through the 1930s, provided for the education of children with tuberculosis while at the same time crusading against "ventilating systems which do not ventilate." The movement (one subcategory of which was the "open window school") reflected a prevailing belief in the therapeutic powers of fresh air. Photograph by Burke & Atwell, Chicago. Elizabeth McCormick Memorial Fund. View full size.
So are the children……consumed in their work?
No, but seriously, that looks like it would be fun to build things like that at school.
 open window schoolMy mom used to attend an open window school in the 1930's.
It was called Clippert Open Window School. Her mother died of T.B. in 1930 when she was 30 yars old. The schools windows remained open all year even ehrn it snowed.They did get plenty to eat and plenty of rest in the school something they did not get at home.
Itzykitty
(Education, Schools, Kids, Medicine)

Erie 2601
... western roads had them: Santa Fe, Canadian Pacific, MKT, Chicago & Indiana Coalm, C&IE, to name a few. There are more pictures ... 
 
Posted by Lost World - 09/22/2011 - 11:39pm -

Erie 0-8-8-0 Camelback locomotive at Port Jervis, N.Y., in 1911. The camelback design was unique in that the engineer sat in the tiny cab alongside the boiler, while the fireman worked at the usual spot behind the boiler. One of the main disadvantages was the obvious communication problem between engineer and the rest of the train crew while the engine was in operation. The Erie camelback mallets didn't last long, but smaller camelback locomotives survived well into the 1950's on roads like the Jersey Central. View full size.
Photo's History?What might you know of the photo's history?  Interesting shot of a very rare locomotive.
Don Hall
Yreka, CA
Erie 0-8-8-0 CamelbackAt Port Jervis, N.Y., in 1911.I model trains in HO scale.  I have never seen anything like this engine.  I have seen 0-4-0, 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 camel engines, but never an articulated camel.  I have a 2-6-6-2 articulated and have seen the 4-8-8-4 UP engines, but not this one.  Anyone know where I could get more pictures of this engine?
Don Rowland - donhotrains@cinci.rr.com
[You could try contacting the person who posted this picture. First sign up for a user account, log in, click on his username, and then "contact." - Dave]
Erie 0-8-8-0 malletThe "Mother Hubbards," sometimes called "camelbacks", common on railroads in the Anthricite (hard coal) region of Pennsylvania.  IIRC there weren't many articulated locomotives built this way.  I believe this particular type of locomotive was typically used in "helper service," pushing coal trains over the mountains.
The design comes from the need for a very large firebox on locomotives burning hard coal.  Hard coal required a fairly thin fire to burn well, thus a large area was required to burn the amount of fuel required to generate enough steam.  The fact that they burned the lowest quality of coal available didn't help!
This particular locomotive is interesting in that it is a true compound; notice the size of the front low pressure cylinders compared to the high pressure cylinders on the rear engine.  This makes it a "true" Mallet.
It turned out that compounding didn't work as well as expected on railroad locomotives, and later articulated locomotives were built as "simple" engines.
I've never seen any of the larger Mother Hubbards in service, but I did see several of the smaller 0-6-0s and 0-4-0s in active service.
BTW & FWIW - in the 70's we lived in McCloud for four years.  Beautiful country in that end of the state!
Erie 0-8-8-0- More photos (Link)There are a few more photos of these engines at:
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/el/loco/erie-lmn.html
Erie Engine No. 2601 Derailed at Gulf SummitIn my wife's hometown paper (The Deposit Courier), the "Looking Back" section "100 Years Ago, 12 October 1910" says, "Erie engine No. 2,601, one of the largest engines in the world, was derailed at Gulf Summit Sunday night.  It was pulling a train of about eighty cars and was running along at a fairly good rate of speed when suddenly it left the track.  The big engine pounded along the rails for about 500 yards, cutting off the ends of the ties and tearing up the roadbed for a considerable distance.  The Susquehanna wrecking crew was called and repaired the damage."
Only oneThere was only one of this type of locomotive ever built, and it was used for only one thing. Hump work.  Basically this engine spent its whole life pushing long trains up the hump of a yard where they would be gravity sorted.  The idea behind the placement of the cab was more for visibility than anything.  As for communication, the engineer and fireman used their own whistles to communicate between themselves. The engineer used the train whistle, the fireman had a lighter, lower whistle he used.
There were three of theseThere were three of these used for pusher service, not hump service.  Only the ERIE had articulated camelbacks, no other road had them. They were all rebuilt later with their cabs at the back.
There were alot of camelbacks in the east and even some western roads had them: Santa Fe, Canadian Pacific, MKT, Chicago & Indiana Coalm, C&IE, to name a few.
There are more pictures all over the Internet, even a color painting.
An HO scale model just sold on Ebay for over $3000.00!
(ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Railroads)

Dream Sink: 1955
May 3, 1955. "Model kitchen in Chicago showroom. Advertisement for Crane fixtures." Presenting, if not the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/02/2014 - 12:15pm -

May 3, 1955. "Model kitchen in Chicago showroom. Advertisement for Crane fixtures." Presenting, if not the Kitchen of Tomorrow, at least the Breakfast Nook of Next Wednesday. Photo by Bill Hedrich, Hedrich-Blessing Studio. New York World-Telegram and Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection. View full size.
Modern kitchens aren't as modern as I thoughtThere's very little in this kitchen that gives away its age, mainly the seating and the flooring, and of course the black and whiteness of the photo. Even big free standing fridges are still popular in these days of integrated appliances (in the UK at least).
The inset cupboards below the sinks (there's another at the left) look a little strange, but are practical for getting you close to the sink. Is that a washing machine to the left of the sink?
[It's a dishwasher. - Dave]
Accurate enoughOther than the style of the fixtures, this looks a lot like a modern kitchen. Oh, and I guess a modern kitchen would have an island.
[Esthetically speaking, this was near the end of the line for the antiseptic, laboratory-like kitchens popular in the 1930s and '40s. The enameled steel cabinets seen here were also on the way out. - Dave]
Clever!Love the enameled radiator grate to cover the pesky gap behind the old frigidaire.
That WindowShows a feature I like to use: the 'sill' is down to the top of the back splash.  Or, I make the sill at the same level as the counter top.  Either way, you get a wonderful view while working at the sink. 
DurableAn apartment I rented in college had these exact cabinets - down to the winged circle emblem on the dishwasher to the left of the sink. They were in surprisingly good shape in the 80's, and I wouldn't be surprised if they're still there today.
I need this nookIn fact, I like this whole kitchen, in particular, the arrangement of the shelf over the double-drainboard sink. I wish they noted the colors.
WowI find it hard to believe this kitchen was state of the art in 1955, but I was only five then so what do I know.
However it's still very classic in its design and my current kitchen cabinets look very similar to these, right down to the draw pulls.
I love it!Except for the metal cabinets. Yuck. You can see there is already a dent on the end of the ones on the right. Other than that I would love to have this exact set-up right now. I'm going to end up needing to use a wheelchair due to a birth defect and this would be fantastic for someone in one. I can see me rolling right up to the nook with my family. I'd even take the old style fridge.
(The Gallery, Kitchens etc.)
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