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Old Iron Sides: 1907
Circa 1907. "Cincinnati -- Mount Adams across Ohio River from Covington, Kentucky." With a ... I'd love to know. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cincinnati Photos, DPC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/17/2016 - 12:50am -

Circa 1907. "Cincinnati -- Mount Adams across Ohio River from Covington, Kentucky." With a view of the sternwheeler Iron Sides pushing a coal barge. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Herancourt Brewing CompanyOpened 1881 but was meant to only last another 12 years after this pic was taken. The Church of the StepsThe only structure still in existence is the historic Holy Cross Immaculata Church atop Mount Adams on the right. Known as "The Church of the Steps" because of the 400 steps leading up to it. Newport Kentucky?Isn't this view actually from Newport? Seems like Covington is kind of far down the river for this view. Here's a link to some great old pictures of the incline railway you can see in this photo. Still StandingThe Rookwood Pottery, the large building to the left of the Incline, is now used as a restaurant. Riverboat ID'sCourier, Iron Sides, Georgia Lee. Looks good for her age.Iron Sides was built in 1869 at Pittsburgh, Pa. Rebuilt in 1912 and renamed W.K. Field. She ran until 1927. Courier was built in 1885 at Belle Vernon, Pa. and dismantled in 1918. Georgia Lee built at Jeffersonville, Ind. in 1898, destroyed by ice in 1918. She's seen some waterIron Sides may still be pushing, but her port decks are about to collapse. Re: SteeringStopping is accomplished by backing the wheel, which requires a bit of distance and good knowledge of the river and its conditions. Steering is done by 2 or more rudders located forward of the wheel and below the water line. Some boats had additional rudders aft of the wheel. More than one barge in the towIron sides is pushing at least 8 barges and has one on each side for at least 10 total. Also still standingThat large building (with the small tower) on top of Mt Adams is an old monastery. It's still standing. It's an event center - http://monasteryeventcenter.com Yes, the view is from Covington. SteeringHow on earth can you steer (or stop) a barge of that weight and length with a sternwheeler? Actually how do you steer a sternwheeler anyway? Does it has rudders? I'd love to know. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cincinnati Photos, DPC)
Thurston the Great: 1915
... (1869-1936), the "King of Cards." Strobridge Lithography, Cincinnati & New York. View full size. Thurston's Cafe ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/28/2007 - 2:49pm -

The spirits do come back, if you stay for the second show. 1915 poster advertising an appearance by the magician Howard Thurston (1869-1936), the "King of Cards." Strobridge Lithography, Cincinnati & New York. View full size. Thurston's CafeThere is a very cool breakfast/lunch cafe in Calhoun, Georgia dedicated to Thurston the Magician. This poster, and many, many others decorate the walls, and the bouquets at each table appear to be popping out of a magic wand. They serve great homemade desserts, sandwiches and coffee drinks, and the building has exposed brick walls, the original wooden floors and lots of charm. Thurston the GreatI am Kassidy Thurston, a descendant of Thurston the Great, and am doing a presentation on him for my third-grade class. If anyone has information that may be able to help me out with this project I would really appreciate it. Thank you very much, Kassidy Thurston P.S. any information can be sent to my mom at kim_thurston@yahoo.com [There are lots of articles about him the the New York Times archive at nytimes.com. Just search for "Howard Thurston." There's an item about him hypnotizing a goose. - Dave] Howard Thurston the GreatHi my name is Michelle Thurston and I am a descendant also. He was my great-great-uncle on my father's side. My dad is Frank E. Thurston Jr. I have a magic book of Howard Thurstons. I am 42 years old and have six children. Good luck on your report. We must be related in some way. Sincerely Michelle Thurston Morton Thurston the Great-GrandsonI just recently found out that I am the great-grandson of Thurston the Great. I was born in West Virginia and I have some basic information. My father is still alive and knew of Thurston but only as a young boy (Dadr was born in 1924). Thurston had two sons and five daughters according to my family tree. Feel free to contact me at thereisnospoon AT charter.net (remove the AT and put in the @ ) Larry Thomas How he helped the 1907 CubsThurston is covered quite extensively in the book The Greatest Team Ever. There are even depictions of two of his shows. He was a popular man My dad, Frank A. Thurston, said that Howard is my great-great-uncle as well, I think he had a lot of groupies. Most of the magic today is his patents. He had 13 train boxcars of tools of his trade. His daughter died in San Diego several years ago. Thurston the Great-GrandsonJust to let you know, Howard Thurston the magician had no biological children but adopted Jane as his daughter when he married her mother when she was 5. I am his great-great-great niece; he was my grandpa's grandpa's brother. I might be related........I came across this site while looking up my biological grandfather, Frank A. Thurston. My biological father was Charles Thurston, a.k.a. Chucky. My brother and I were put into foster care back in the early 80's. Any info regarding my biological family would be great. I have led a very interesting life and would like to know a little more about my bloodlines. (The Gallery, Magic & Spiritualism, Posters)
Falls City: 1900
... Falls City. This appears to be the last, built in 1898 at Cincinnati. 132 feet long, owned by the Louisville & Kentucky River Packet ... Those occupations haven't vanished, Anon. As a Cincinnati-based musician, I've worked enough riverboat gigs that the romance ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 7:14pm -

Vicksburg, Mississippi, circa 1900. "The levee." And the sternwheeler Falls City. Dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Point & shootCameras back then were bulky and required time to set up. Nowadays this shot could be taken while walking past the scene. While the photographer didn't try to make this shot "casual", it has that look about it. Because of this, we see a more accurate glimpse of what life was like then. The detritus in the water, the men (only men in this scene) waiting for business and/or passengers, the six or seven ships in the background all show a thriving economy. PerfectA stage set for "Showboat"! I can hear "Old Man River" just as plain as day! Thanks. Look! There's Howard Keel! Falls City, my home townAlthough there are towns with this name in Nebraska and Oregon, the Falls City name likely refers to Louisville, which owes its existence to the Falls of the Ohio River. The late lamented Falls City Beer was brewed in Louisville starting in 1905. From the signage it appears that in 1900 this sternwheeler was working the Mississippi between Vicksburg and Greenville. It had come down in the world, literally. Falls City factsAccording to Way's Packet Directory, there were five boats named Falls City. This appears to be the last, built in 1898 at Cincinnati. 132 feet long, owned by the Louisville & Kentucky River Packet Co. The book notes that the boat was not taken to Vicksburg until 1908, but it was common practice for boats to "tramp" when work was slow in their home trade. Photo capabilities in 1900?What intrigues me most about this shot is how well motion has been stopped. The horses’ movement and even the water flow from boat to river. Most photos from this era seem to blur anything with the slightest motion. What were the capabilities for shutter speed given the emulsions of the time? Just lucky to have an extremely bright day? [By 1900, exposure times for outdoor photography on a sunny day would be measured in fractions of a second. - Dave] Vanished OccupationsTwo jobs I would have loved to have, but are forever unavailable: (a) Paddlewheel Riverboat Pilot; (b) bandsman on the nicer passenger boats. Lot of the groundwork for early jazz got laid down on those boats. Cost of a steamboat tripI imagine that the cost of taking the Falls City from Vicksburg to Greenville was incredibly cheap as by 1900 the Illinois Central ran multiple trains a day on their Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad between Memphis, Leland, Vicksburg, Natchez and Baton Rouge. At Leland, the Southern Railway of Mississippi could take a passenger 15 miles west to Greenville. Does anyone know riverboat fares from 109 years ago? Per some of my Gulf & Ship Island Railway documents from 1902, it cost $1.25 to travel from Jackson to Hattiesburg, a distance of 95 miles, and I imagine that in those highly regulated days the fare for the journey between two cities of similar distance would be similar. I should have been a historian. Re: Vanished OccupationsThose occupations haven't vanished, Anon. As a Cincinnati-based musician, I've worked enough riverboat gigs that the romance has faded, and my first thought is always what a PITA it is to haul equipment down to the docks. Most American river cities have at least a few excursion boats working the river, and all those boats have pilots (although, sadly, you're more likely to hear recorded music these days). I've had a few conversations with riverboat pilots, and they're a really interesting bunch. Steam has been mostly replaced by diesel, and the paddlewheel is more than likely decorative, but those jobs are still out there. And those riverboats where the sounds of jazz were first heard? They were primarily excursion boats, just like today. At first glancethis scene could as easily be 1850 instead of 1900. Until I looked at the gent sitting on the barrel center front, his clothes give him away as "not 1850." Tickets please.Could not find pricing for Vicksburg to Greenville, but comparable short trips in Mississippi and Louisiana were about $8 for a cabin, and $1 to $2 for deck passage. SteamboatsChautauqua Lake in western New York State had, like most comparable bodies of water in that era, an extensive fleet of large steamboats. The Lake steamers were all (except one) screw driven, with deeper drafts. But otherwise they were very similar to this. The last Chautauqua steamer was the City of Jamestown, about 110 feet long with two decks. It ran frequent excursions though the 1950s. I vividly remember it pulling into the pier in 1951 or 52, belching steam. I never ran so hard in my life as when I ran down to the water to see that magnificent vessel. My own personal little Mark Twain memory. Make that 3 decks. http://cchsnys.org/mp/mp_chautauqua_lake_steamboats_4_08/acoj.html Sharp lookerWhat a gloriously rich image. The detail cries out to be examined further. Thanks for posting it! (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Vicksburg)
Primitive Ferry: 1907
... the Shaker Ferry, as seen in this photo from the Cincinnati Public Library collection. Valley View Ferry Might this be ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 7:50pm -

Circa 1907. "Primitive ferry, High Bridge, Kentucky River." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Shaker Ferry, not Valley ViewResponding to a previous comment, this is the former Shaker Ferry, not the Valley View Ferry. Both are (were) in the Lexington area, but Valley View is several miles upriver and is still in operation. Horse whispererI wonder how they talked him into taking the ride. Sternwheeler I don't see any smokestack for what I assume is a steam engine and if there is an engine, it must be above deck as the hull looks too shallow for anything else. Could the engine be behind the superstructure? Hard to see. On the ropesUnderwater ropes are the only way that makes sense (to me anyway) but they must be fairly deep to keep other boats from snagging them. Shaker FerryThis is apparently the Shaker Ferry, as seen in this photo from the Cincinnati Public Library collection. Valley View FerryMight this be what we are looking at? If so, it's still in existence! Although, this particular iteration of it doesn't seem to be connected to the shore via ropes or cables that are suspended above the water. Alternate Title"Dobbin's Ferry." Please, no applause -- just throw money. I must be going blindWhat is propelling the ferry across the river? -- And thanks, Dave, for all the High Bridge plates! Propulsion?I am guessing that there is a rope system under the ferry that is pulling it towards the near shore, but it must be totally under water. The handle that the man is grasping doesn't seem to be connected to anything that would propel the boat. Educational value of ShorpyShorpy never ceases to amaze me. I was one of the early posters to this thread questioning how the ferry was propelled. Stevendm supplied the answer I was looking for. Armed with the info from Steven I did some research on the web and found out that this type of ferry is called a reaction ferry. The rope either below or above the water provides the opposing force for the rudder to do its job. A ferry still operating in 1952This 1952 Topographic Map courtesy of the USGS shows an operating ferry. Work DetailBoat Makeover. Row, Row Your BoatNotice that the railing where the guy is standing is greatly reinforced. I believe the wooden piece he controls is made to grab the rope or cable and let him walk along the side to propel the raft. If the current is in the right direction, he would be able to control the speed merely by letting the rope slide through. New member here, have been lurking through the entire Shorpy files. Thanks, Dave for bringing us these fine photos. Charlie Underwater RopeI have heard of ferries like this. There is an underwater rope that the boat is guided by. The man standing at the right in the boat is holding a tiller that turns a rudder underneath the ferry. This tiller is in line with the flow of the river, not with the axis of the ferry. The movement of the water across the tiller pushes the ferry from one bank to another, turn the tiller one way and you move to one bank, turn it the other way and you go to the other bank. Simple but effective. The rope should not foul the other boats if they are like the ones shown. They have a very shallow draft and would float right over the rope. Remember, the rope is probably not very taut and will drop down in the water when not close by land or the ferry. Stern Wheeler. Looks to me like it's powered by stationary hit and miss engine rather than a steam engine. But that's just my assumption. MichiganSeveral years ago, I was in Charlevoix, Michigan. They had (may still have) a ferry there that could carry one or two cars across a narrow part of Lake Charlevoix. It used an underwater cable that pulled the ferry back and forth. I would imagine this ferry had a similar system. It Carried Cars, Too.The book "First Highways of America" contains a picture of this same ferry carrying two cars. In theory one of those could have been driven by my great-grandparents as they crossed on the ferry in 1920 during a trip to Florida. Fare was apparently set by vehicle size. They paid 50 cents for their Model T and their friends in an Overland paid 75 cents. Granny reported that High Bridge was their "first bit of sight seeing worth while" and that the men made it all the way "down a stairs of nearly 300 steps" but the women stopped short of the bottom. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Horses)
Lying-In Hospital: 1908
... Gamble, son of the co-founder of Proctor & Gamble in Cincinnati. I am a docent there and tour visitors always remark about the low ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 11:37am -

New York circa 1908. "Lying-In Hospital, Second Avenue." A peek behind the scenes at the Lying-In (or maternity) hospital, which in addition to scalpels had a number of cutting-edge medical devices. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. High techAt least there's plenty of light -- boy, is there plenty of light. How many bulbs are in that fixture? It looks like about twenty-five. (But that, um, irrigation device scares me.) Sketchy Sanitation I am stunned that the bandages she is rolling appear to all have been on the floor at some point. Now Weill CornellTwo of my children were born there. Modes of childbirth have changed enormously since 1908. Today, there is a sharp division between those getting Caesarian sections, who experience NASA-like technology in a setting reminiscent of the one in this photo, and those having "natural" childbirth, for whom lots of monitors and beeping devices are provided, but in a setting that is much softer. TP Gone BadCan someone explain the tissue on the floor? Is she a nurse or a baker? It looks like she is carefully rolling the tissue up from off the floor in flour. With the park bench seating, this room makes me uncomfortable. Oh, I get it... got one in the oven?Great joke! She's actually making cannoli at the table (all the flour was a give-away) and he's about to fill the injector with ricotta cheese. Once I saw the cheesecake pan with an EZ-fill chute, on the lower shelf to his right, I knew. They've got some cleverly designed baking devices there. NothingThere is absolutely nothing in this room that gives me comfort nor confidence. Had I been of birthing age, I think I would have remained the spinster aunt. You look a little flushed..Just be glad that irrigation device is gravity fed and not hooked to a pressure pump.YEOW Rutherford EstatesThe building at 17th street and Second avenue is now a condominium called Rutherford Estates at Stuyvesant Square. There is a plaque on the front that says that in 1902, 60 percent of the Manhattan children who were born in hospitals were birthed at Lying In. Plaster of ParisCould she be putting dry plaster of Paris on those strips in order to later make casts from the soaked rolls? Ick.Sterile floors make sterile bandages. Doh! Another Shorpy Lesson LearnedI was born (many) decades ago at Massachusetts Lying-In. I just learned this morning that the Lying-In part meant maternity. Thanks but no thanksTalk abut sanitation! No wonder so many women had their babies at home. Electric RaysThe Gamble House in Pasadena, CA is a historical house commissioned in 1908 [the year of this photo] as a winter residence by David Gamble, son of the co-founder of Proctor & Gamble in Cincinnati. I am a docent there and tour visitors always remark about the low lighting intensity throughout the house. [Brief editorial ahem -- Procter, not Proctor.] Although Edison's incandescent lamp predated the house by almost 30 years, there remained concern about the long-term negative effects of the eye's exposure to the so-called "electric rays." Clear glass bulbs - rated at a blazing 15 watts - are enclosed by frosted glass or by a beautiful, custom-designed art glass chandelier or sconce. That is, except in the kitchen - a staff area where the residents rarely ventured - where the same bulbs are unshielded and in direct view. The first rule of rolling bandages1. Make sure you throw the bandages on the floor before rolling them to ensure they stay sanitary ! Heat and ServeAll of these bandages will probably be popped into the autoclave to be sterilized -- but I'd still feel better if they hadn't started out on the floor. Roll Your OwnIs that nurse rolling bandages from a pile of bandage stock on the floor? It looks like her hands and the floor have powder on them. Maybe it's sterilizing powder. (The Gallery, D.C., G.G. Bain, Medicine)
Wurlitzer: 1910
Cincinnati, Ohio, circa 1910. "Fourth Street east from Race Street." 8x10 inch ... on it. Wurlitzer's original company headquarters was in Cincinnati, but the building burned in December 1904. Its replacement at 121 ... ground return through the tracks (DC current). What made Cincinnati interesting is that it was one of very few cities where the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 2:42pm -

Cincinnati, Ohio, circa 1910. "Fourth Street east from Race Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Ingalls BuildingThat tall building in the middle of the photo (left side of Fourth Street) is the Ingalls Building - the first reinforced concrete skyscraper in the world. It's still there. The stone structure on the right would be the Chamber of Commerce designed by H.H. Richardson. It burned down. Now the site of the PNC Tower (originally the Union Central Life building) designed by Cass Gilbert -- very similar to the Woolworth Building. A few are still standingThe tall building on the left with the awnings folded is still there and looks very similar, except the awnings have given way to modern air conditioning. The building on the left with the stone facade and massive columns might still be there. However it appears to have been given a face lift and the magnificent columns are gone. Most of the other buildings have been replaced with more modern styles. I love the bay windows on the building on the right in the foreground. WiredI hadn't noticed this in prior photos, but were the supporting cables for the street car lines attached to or anchored into buildings along the way? The really neat balcony at the far right seems to be supporting the overhead power line for the street cars. Or is the post it uses just outside of the frame. I must be blindBut I don't see anything with the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. name on it. Wurlitzer's original company headquarters was in Cincinnati, but the building burned in December 1904. Its replacement at 121 E. 4th Street wasn't completed until 1906. Edit: Aha! Streetcar Span WiresWired's comments about the trolley span wire attached to the building is correct. All the other spans appear to be attached to steel support poles. The balcony overhang may have prevented the installation of a pole. On the left side of the photo you can see two very heavy "feeder" cables, which end at the second pole. If you look at the second and third spans you can see the feeder taps, where power from the positive and negative source is fed into the trolley wire from above. There are coiled sections of wire that drop down to achieve this. Most streetcar systems used a single positive trolley wire with a negative ground return through the tracks (DC current). What made Cincinnati interesting is that it was one of very few cities where the streetcars had two poles(one positive and the other negative), similar to electric trolley buses. The reason for this was to avoid stray return current that could corrode underground pipes. Span Wires & FeedersI think that the coiled droppers are just interconnectors to equalise voltages in the "in" and "out" trolley wires -- there's no sign of any feeders coming up the traction poles. As an edit I would note that there's no apparent connection between what might be the + and - feeder wires and the trolley wires themselves - I'm open to correction on this one... The arrester coils are to limit current from lightning strikes - in another life I was involved in the reconstruction of a Glasgow tramcar and the arrester coil in it had come all the way from Keokuk, Iowa! There was also a spark gap to discharge the energy from a lightning strike to earth (ground in US parlance). I'm not cognisant of the weather conditions in Cincinnati, but in the Central Belt of Scotland lightning strikes are not at all common. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC)
Mercantile Library: 1910
Cincinnati circa 1910. "Mercantile Library Building, Walnut Street." Note ... in the United States. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2012 - 2:55pm -

Cincinnati circa 1910. "Mercantile Library Building, Walnut Street." Note plants and bottle on the sills of Dr. Ellen M. Kirk. A year ago we saw the other end of this block here. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. LetterboxOn a post towards the corner. You used to see these everywhere. Another piece of vanished Americana. Ask anyone under the age of 30 what a "letterbox" is, and they'll tell you "a DVD/DVR function". AdditionThe top two floors of the building next door to the Mercantile seem to have been plopped on. They don't seem to have any common details with the lower portion except for window spacing. I wonder when that was done. [The Traction Building was completed in 1902. The top and bottom floors are clad in sandstone, with red brick in between. - Dave] And above Dr. Kirk's sillsThere's a person in the window. Dixie TerminalThe Mercantile building is still there although I've never seen it fully occupied. This photo looks as if it was taken from midway up the Dixie Terminal, the old bus terminus (where the "bank" scenes were shot for Rain Main). I worked in that building until May of this year. Tripartite Facade CompositionThe top two floors are definitely part of the original design of the Traction Building. The street facades of this building (and that of the Mercantile Library as well) follow the then-popular skyscraper facade formula of base, middle section, and top. In the architectural theory of the day, this was considered analogous to a classical column, which a has a base (bottom), a shaft (middle), and a capital (top). The most prominent exponent of this idea was Louis Sullivan, who described it at great length in his 1896 article for Lippincott's Magazine, "The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered." Sullivan gave many examples, most drawn from nature, of compositions with three parts, including the classical column. It was from the pairing of different building functions with each of the three parts of the facade design that Sullivan derived his famous slogan: "Form follows function." Mercantile Library?We can count on Shorpy to see if we're paying attention. Small-town boy that I am, I'd never encountered a "mercantile" library, so I had to look it up. It was named in honor of the 45 merchants and clerks who founded it, not for its contents. Perilous timesIn viewing these vintage photos I often think how perilous even routine jobs were back then. Today we have bucket trucks that let workers reach high places safely but pity the poor guy who had to replace the light bulbs in that "GIBSON" sign cantilevered out seven floors above the street. The distinguished Dr. KirkDr. Ellen M. Kirk was a homeopathic physician and co-founder in 1879 of what became the Ohio Hospital for Women and Children. Received her M.D. in 1877 from the New York Medical College and Hospital for Women. Professionally active, she published research, primarily in obstetrics. Died in 1935. The 10,000-Year LeaseThe building still stand but more importantly perhaps is the fact that the Mercantile Library, founded in 1835, still flourishes and occupies the entire 11th floor and part of the 12th floor under a 10,000-year lease. Just to the right of the main entrance you can see a sign advertising "Cigars." Amazingly enough, the space today is occupied by tobacconists, maybe the same tobacconists -- Straus. 4th Floor ShingleSpeaking of Doctor Kirk -- the sign appears to give the good doctor the first name of Ellen. That suggests that either Ellen M Kirk was a rare (for 1910) female doctor, or Ellen's parents gave their son a "boy named Sue" style name. [Scroll down for more on Dr. Kirk. In 1910 there were more than 7,000 practicing female physicians in the United States. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Island Queen: 1907
... Bridge on the Ohio River between Covington, Kentucky, and Cincinnati in 1907. View full size. Detroit Publishing Co. If this ... August of 2008 looking north across the Ohio River toward Cincinnati from Covington, Kentucky. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 2:39pm -

The Coney Island Co. side-wheeler Island Queen passing beneath the Roebling Suspension Bridge on the Ohio River between Covington, Kentucky, and Cincinnati in 1907. View full size. Detroit Publishing Co. If this bridge looks familiarit's because John Roebling, its designer and builder, is the same man who started building the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC. His son, Washington Roebling, finished it after John died. Roebling BridgeHow cool, it really is a smaller twin of the Brooklyn Bridge. Wow, I lived and grew upWow, I lived and grew up just a couple miles from where that picture was taken. Have stood on that exact spot even I think. Very cool, and amazing that the bridge is still going strong. You can't tell from the photo, but the road 'surface' is actually steel grates (like vents in the sidewalk for subways). The wheels of the cars going over them make a noise that has led to the Roebling sometimes being called the 'Singing Bridge'. Two bridgesConstruction on the Roebling bridge was actually begun before work on the Brooklyn bridge. however, due to worries of Confederate advances into the industrial heart of Ohio, work was halted, and the Brooklyn bridge was completed first, making it the world's first completed suspension bridge. +101Below is the same view from August of 2008 looking north across the Ohio River toward Cincinnati from Covington, Kentucky. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cincinnati Photos, DPC)
Caught Wet-Handed: 1904
... 1904. "Tyler Davidson Fountain ('The Genius of Water'), Cincinnati, O." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic ... Mabley & Carew was a longtime department store in Cincinnati. It, and all the buildings in the photograph, are long-gone. ... 
 
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)
Royal Spartanette: 1952
... 1952 Spartan 27-foot Tandem for six months after a move to Cincinnati, the winter of 2009-10. It was parked inside a garage, fully ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/29/2014 - 5:22pm -

Sept. 1952. "Rolling homes." Kodachrome from photos by Charlotte Brooks and Bob Lerner for the Look magazine assignment "Trailer Story." View full size. Where Is He?!?!?I know Ry Cooder is somewhere in the area. Slab-sidedNot exactly an Airstream, is it? I'm pretty surethe side of that trailer is off a Consolidated B-24. Royal Spartan?Seems a bit contradictory, like Jumbo Shrimp. December 1952 "Clearance" bargainsAn ad from the Bilings, MT dealer. Interesting "regular" and "sale" prices (as compared with Dave's handy spreadsheet): RepurposingFollowing WWII, the Spartan Aircraft Co started cranking out these beautiful trailers. Sort of an Airstream on growth hormones. Lucy and Desi's drab "Long, Long Trailer", a 1953 Redman New Moon, paled in comparison. Spartan Aircraft Co.The Spartanette seems to have been a budget model, and although the name was diminutive, the trailer itself was anything but: the immense Imperial Spartanette was almost 40 feet long. (The Royal Spartanette in the photo had a body length of 32 feet 10 inches and listed for $4943 in 1952.) The senior model was called the Spartan Imperial Mansion (as noted below, something of a contradiction in terms). J. Paul Getty had something to do with the company. Click to enlarge. Home Sweet Home!I lived in a 1952 Spartan 27-foot Tandem for six months after a move to Cincinnati, the winter of 2009-10. It was parked inside a garage, fully unrestored and in reasonably okay shape. I was instructed by the owner not to do "improvements" that couldn't be undone later. It had two bunks in the back on opposite sides. A sheet of plywood could set across these to support a queen-sized mattress. The bathroom was strange: a drain in the dead center of the floor, showerhead built into the ceiling. Closing it up, everything was sprayed including the toilet. (I showered at a nearby friend's apt. instead.) Ended up moving out & up, and trailer today is sitting in another garage in mothballs. It's an odd memory of something so recent. Cheap DuraluminThe source for these trailers, as well as the aluminum siding and cookware that flooded the post war market, can be seen in this video. (Warning: risque Nose Art shown): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TJk1jqzjYU It Rocks!You can take it, say, for a vacation to Mount Whitney. Good Home For USAF Mechanics My new wife and I spent the winter of 1957/1958 at Chanute AFB, IL as I was going through aircraft maintenance school. An enterprising Master Sergeant had parked two of these trailers in his back yard in nearby Rantoul Il and rented them to us student mechanics. Rent was $65.00 per month and it cost $1.25 to fill each of those propane tanks on the front hitch. Oil at 9 cents per gallon was used for heat. Our total Air Force income was $150.00 per month, including my wife's allotment. There was not much money left over each month, but we were happy and have many fond memories from the experience. Got Fix-A-Flat?Changing a flat tire must have been challenging. Hold the Phone!I spotted one just like this parked behind a business just 3 miles from my house today - what are the odds! How would you pull it?Considering most cars of that time had 90 to 120 horse power, how would you get up even a moderate grade? Seems not very practical as a 'travel trailer'. TowingThe key issue for towing in cars of the day was not horsepower, but rather torque and the displacement of the engine. It also appears that many of these were used primarily as homes in one place, which would allow the dealer to deliver it with a one ton pickup or similar vehicle. Plus, with aluminium construction, not that heavy. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Camping, Cars, Trucks, Buses, LOOK)
Looking Down: 1905
... and I just assumed it was unique. Certainly there, or in Cincinnati, it served a practical need, but I find it striking the number that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 1:32pm -

Dutchess County, New York, circa 1905. "Mount Beacon Incline Railway, looking down, Fishkill-on-the-Hudson." 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Max Elev.Immediately brought to mind "High Tor" by Maxwell Anderson. Signal wiresI noted the left pair of wires suspended under the brackets on the poles. I worked in a coal mine for a while in Colorado, which was on a steep slope and had a similar inclined track, but underground. The "conductor," if you will, had a long wooden stick with a metal bar mounted across one end. He could signal the hoist operator on the surface from any point in the incline by basically shorting out the two wires above us, which rang a large gong signal in the hoistman's cab. Basic signals were one bell to stop, two to go up, three bells to go down. [Or would he be closing the circuit rather than shorting it. - Dave] Dave: You are correct ...... Get your lean on!Look how far forward that fellow in the front is leaning. Really puts the grade of incline in perspective. The OtisThe two towns below were Matteawn and Fishkill Landing, incorporated into the city of Beacon in 1913. This was one of two great "Otis Inclines" built in the Hudson Valley by the elevator maker. The other served the Catskill Mountain House from the Palenville rail connection to the steamboat landing at Catskill. Great place to hikeThe incline railroad was active from 1902 to 1978. The land is now preserved as Mount Beacon Park. Hikers up for a strenuous workout can climb a staircase and then huff and puff up an eroded woods road to the top. There is talk about rebuilding the railroad. For now, only the shell of the powerhouse remains. Great views are still available from the top: Acrophobics AnonymousAnyone have their number? Gone but not forgotten.Seems to have been completely destroyed by a fire in 1983 but there is interest in it still. http://www.inclinerailway.org/index.html The Secret Of Its SuccessThis railroad was a hit with its passengers because they were so inclined. Take a ride down Memory LaneIn this video clip. Name ChangeThe former Fishkill-on-the-Hudson is Now Beacon. There is still a Fishkill, but it's a mile or so to the east. PriviesLove the outhouses! I think I'm spotting a trendI'm amazed at the popularity of incline railways at the turn of the 20th Century. Growing up in Southern California, we always heard about the long-dismantled Angel's Flight, and I just assumed it was unique. Certainly there, or in Cincinnati, it served a practical need, but I find it striking the number that were constructed for pleasure purposes, as this one clearly was. Hard to imagine such a capital investment today. From across the riverI was born and raised in Newburgh, just across the river from Beacon, and recall as a kid, hiking up Mount Beacon at least twice. Those excursions involved a bus ride from my house down to the ferry terminal, the ferry ride over to Beacon, and a long walk up through Beacon to the cog railway terminus at the foot of the hill, and then trudging up the mountain to the top. A long journey, but well worth every step! I am illuminatedDon't miss rjc's video clip below. That answered some questions for me. I was looking for the second track and had forgotten how that could work with a counterbalance car. Also, check out the guy following the car down the mountain. It looks like he is riding a device that lets him coast down the hill on either one rail or the outside wooden one. I can't tell which one he is on. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
Dr. Bliss: 1920
... 'F' DIATHERAPY MACHINE from The Liebel-Flarsheim Co., Cincinnati, Ohio I like the plate that says "Atomic force for physicians use" ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 11:30pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Dr. Bliss, interior, 13th and G streets." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. If it walks like a duckFine collection of quack machines and gizmos. They all fit into the category of "cash extractors." The MachineI don't know what it does and I wouldn't want to find out the hard way. George Costanza"I think it moved!" TiltI think that pinkie ring is throwing off his posture. Dr. BlissWashington, D.C., DC ? Dr. Bliss and Dr. FeelgoodHaving a name like Bliss really enhances his advertising campaign because of peoples' word association. I'm not one to be a doubting Thomas, but just for the record every single chiropractic patient I have known has been told that they have one leg shorter than the other, even though many of them swear they are miraculously healed by them. There is tremendous power in psychosomatic emotions, hence the placebo successes. My son spent thousands of dollars (uninsured) and long hours with spinal manipulations for years for his back, neck and shoulder pain before he gave up on chiropractors and now, twenty years later he still has the severe chronic pain. On the other hand, I had a hunch-backed boss in my first job in high school who swore that only chiropractors were able to relieve his constant pain. So there are two sides to every coin. Still, I'm trying to see if this patient in the picture has one leg shorter than the other. Please don't sue me or you will be hearing from my lawyers (as soon as they get a telephone) from the law firm of Dewey, Cheatem and Howe. Sorry for the groaners, I couldn't resist. Carry on. OsteopathyThis is a wonderful photo: A office space shared by a Chiropractor and an Osteopath. The osteopathic profession has changed a lot over the century. For starters, it doesn't exist anymore in the United States. We are "osteopathic physicians," which is now just a type of medical school, and we have full license to practice as medical doctors who go into all specialties from family practice to cardiology to anesthesiology, etc. Each one of us still had to learn the manual medicine, though, even if we'll never use it. Not so in 1920, which was only three years after the passing of our founder, Andrew Taylor Still. At this point in history, we were only equivalent to MD's in California. How far we've come! In the UK or elsewhere, osteopaths are still very much like Chiropractors. Practicing I'd be a bit wary of a guy who has to hang the directions on the wall. Roll them bones!Here we see either Dr. Bliis (a chiropractor) or Dr. Willard (an osteopath) doing an adjustment. This photo is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, it's never been usual for the two professions to even share space, let alone run a practice together. Also, given the guide lines on the door, I'm guessing that Dr. Willard is the newcomer. Also, since chiropractic is a profession limited to manipulative treatments (no prescribing, no surgery or obstetrics, etc) while osteopathic medicine is unlimited--DO practitioners even in 1920 did all of the same things that MD practitioners did--surgery, delivered babies, and did manipulative treatments too. The various instruments in the cabinet seem to speak of a wide variety of procedures, so I'm guessing that this is Dr. Willard. Fascinating piece of medical history. Thanks, Dave! It was horrible Doc!It was 4 in the morning, as I tried to sneak into the house through the back window, she caught me with the frying pan. Electrical StimulationThat device on the left looks to be some sort of electrical treatment apparatus. There appears to be a power cord running up to the ceiling from it. The set of metal disks in a circle is a rheostat for adjusting voltage. What it was supposed to treat and how I have no idea though. Diathermy UnitWho can ID the model? Makes my neck hurt to look at it!Lying face down on that couch would be very uncomfortable! Does anyone know what the machine was for? Perhaps some kind of electro-stimulation for the muscles? They did lots of interesting pain treatments around this time. Calling Doctor Quack!All of the equipment in the office appears to be of the "Violet Ray" and "Electro Stimulator" type - early 20th century quack medicine! The Double Life of Dr. BlissWashington Post, November 2, 1921. FACED BY 2 WOMEN, MAN TAKES POISON Lewis Bliss, Former Chiropractor Here, Tries to Die in Cell at Rochester, N.Y. HELD ON BIGAMY CHARGE Taken to Hospital, Where Doctors Doubt His Recovery -- Had Closed His Washington Office. Special to the Washington Post.         Rochester, N.Y., Nov. 1 -- An hour after being locked up at police headquarters today Lewis Bliss, 25, a former Washington chiropractor, dissolved eight bichloride of mercury tablets in a glass of water, obtained from a turnkey, and swallowed the poison. Later, his groans called attention to his condition and he was sent to St. Mary's hospital, where his recovery is in doubt.         Bliss was arrested last night after Esther Bliss, of New York, came to Rochester, claimed he was her husband and had deserted her in New York. He was found at 2 Gibbs street, where he has been acting as a chiropractor for three months. With him was a young woman, whose maiden name was Dworkin, who also said she was his wife. They were married in Stamford, Conn., three months ago, she said. Tells of Washington Office         The other woman said her husband's right name was Max Appel, and they were married by a rabbi in Newark, N.J., seven years ago. She brought her son with her. She said bliss had an office at 1750 M street northwest, in Washington.         She said he told her he had discontinued his office in Washington and took her and her child to her sister's home in New York, where he left her. She recently learned that he was here. Accuses the Other Woman         When the women confronted each other at headquarters, Mrs. Bliss accused the other of luring her husband away from her. The district attorney will investigate and ascertain if Bliss has committed bigamy. The family businessMy grandfather was an osteopath in Chicago in the 'teens (supposedly, Gloria Swanson was one of his patients), but later got into some shady business in the '20s (my uncle told me he was friends with Hymie Weiss) before moving to Montreal after his friends started getting bumped off. I wonder how much his office looked like this? Electro therapy apparatusI believe the cabinet on the picture is a "Thompson Plaster Model E Floor Model High Frequency Physician's Cabinet I'd like to buy or trade one sometime. The cabinet that I own is a DYNELECTRON MODEL 'F' DIATHERAPY MACHINE from The Liebel-Flarsheim Co., Cincinnati, Ohio I like the plate that says "Atomic force for physicians use" (The Gallery, D.C., Medicine, Natl Photo)
Frankenstein Jeweler: 1907
Cincinnati circa 1907. "Fifth Street north from Race." Golden age of the ... changed since this photo was taken . (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/26/2015 - 2:27pm -

Cincinnati circa 1907. "Fifth Street north from Race." Golden age of the Painless Dental Parlor and electric-bulb signage. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Frankenstein JewelerA great source for those 14k gold neck bolts. Mabley & CarewCarew Tower was built by and named for Joseph Carew. One of the chain's stores was previously on the tower site. +101Below is almost the same view from August of 2008 (I positioned myself slightly off when I took the current view). Dentists and Shoe StoresThey got you covered from head to toe. 5th St. east from Race, not northThis is actually the view looking east along 5th St. from Race St. to Vine St. Derr Bros 5&10 was on 5th just east of Race, Potter's shoes was at 32 34 & 36 5th St., and Mabley & Carew was on the NE corner of 5th and Vine (now Fountain Square). On Google maps today you will see the Netherland Plaza hotel on the right and Macy's on the left. Streetcar Track 101The streetcar trackage in front of the well dressed young bibliophile illustrates why streetcar trackage a) should be built with welded, not bolted, rail, b) should not have joints placed side by side, and c) should have a firm subgrade. Hitting that sag at anything over 5 mph could just about knock standees off their feet! Which way to the Hat District?Someone is doing a brisk business in derby hats. Can't be too far away. S.H. KnoxThe S.H. Knox on the 5&10 sign was Seymour Horace Knox I, who helped found what became Woolworth's 5&10 chain. He also had an interest in the Marine Trust Co., which became Marine Midland Banks and is now owned by HSBC (Hong Kong-Shanghai Banking Co., NOT Happy-Sappy bank Co.) The family was a big name in Buffalo, NY business (his grandson was the first owner of the Buffalo Sabres) and would live another eight years after this photo was taken. Sign placement must have workedThe Mabley & Carew name survived into the 1980s with other such innovations as full-page newspaper ads, elaborate Christmas performances, Arbor Day commemorations and a sign with 10,000 electric lights. I wonder what happened to the "Glass and Paints" guys? East is correctBarbara is correct below, the roof line of the US Custom House and Post Office three blocks away on the left side of the street is a sure giveaway this is looking east along 5th Street from Race. The US Courthouse is still located on the same site, though the building was replaced in 1936. You can also just barely make out some of the trees on Fountain Square, on the right side of the street - Fountain Square has since been expanded and relocated to the right side of 5th Street. Much has changed since this photo was taken. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
High Bridge Depot: 1907
... the other reads "CHA 234.8." Thanks. [Distances to Cincinnati, Ohio and Chattanooga, Tennessee.] Pedestrians Welcome? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/06/2012 - 4:14pm -

Circa 1907. "High Bridge station, High Bridge, Kentucky." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The spur best not takenDon't think I want to be switched onto that spur to the left. I wonder if there was originally an incline to move materials up the mountain? High on High BridgeOne of the barely remembered memories I have of University of Kentucky college life in the early 70s was walking out on High Bridge at night while, well, pretty darn high. Apparently, this was a popular stunt. Four or five of us thought this would be a good idea at the time. Until the train lights and whistle kicked in. Thanks to Shorpy for getting me thinking of how a God knows how many car freight train blowing past you at night and close enough to reach out and touch feels like from the late winter of early 1973. Mr. White HatJust had a brilliant idea. Never Saw This BeforeIf you go to High Bridge, KY on Google Earth, there is a full three dimensional rendition of the present-day bridge. No station, though. Signal smorgasbordA train crew would have to be alert to the various signals on display here. On the depot, above the bay window are the signals that alert the crew that train orders from the dispatcher need to be received. Across the tracks between the depot and turnout is a block signal that informs a train crew about what is ahead of them, or possibly informs them if they are to take siding here. And just to the right of the bridge is a Ball type of signal that may be part of the regular block signal system or one that assures the train crew that all is well on the bridge, or it is one that stops all trains if activated by a maintenance crew that would have work to perform on the bridge. Why the NameBuilt to cross Stating the Obvious Creek. Stay behind the yellow line!As an Amtrak agent for 23 years, I can say with certainty that standing as close to the track as possible while a train approaches is an obsession with the public. I've had several hundred people standing on a platform while a train was bearing down, all pressing each other as close to the tracks as they could. It scares employees to death, especially engineers. They would not be able to stop if someone fell off the curb, and then everybody would get to see how sausage is made. You just hope and pray that if it ever happens, it won't be a child. The towersAs you might have guessed, originally this was planned to be a Roebling suspension bridge. But that project got cancelled by the Civil War. (And that's probably a good thing, since I don't think suspension bridges of that era were very good for railroads.) [More here.] High Bridge SignWhat are the two numbers on the sides of the High Bridge sign? One reads "CIN 100.3" and the other reads "CHA 234.8." Thanks. [Distances to Cincinnati, Ohio and Chattanooga, Tennessee.] Pedestrians Welcome?There's a gent who appears to be heading onto the span. If not a RR employee, I wonder if the bridge was open to pedestrians to cross. My gut tells me the RR wouldn't allow it, but the deck seems wider than need be, and could those be pedestrian hand ropes on the left edge? Re: Pedestrians WelcomeIt wasn't unheard of for pedestrians to legally cross on railroad bridges. If there wasn't a nearby road or footbridge then the railroad would allow it. They'd often provide a walkway alongside the tracks for this purpose. In fact in some they still do. The CPR bridge here in Saskatoon has a pedestrian walkway that's used by university students to cross the South Saskatchewan River. It was designed for that purpose back in 1909. Re: Signal smorgasbordThe white signal posing as Mr. Hat's brilliant idea is in fact a Hall or Banjo signal. Another can be seen on the other end of the bridge. Most likely this is part of a block signal system or possibly a block protecting only the bridge. The signal to the left appears to be part of an interlocking plant, rods for the switch and a point lock can be seen to the left. And of course the signal on the station is in fact a train order signal. The mishmash of train control here is great and typical of the time. Two namesThis station has two names. When the agent communicates with the dispatcher or other stations using Morse or voice, his station name is "KR". KR would also be used on train orders, clearance cards, and anything else affecting train movements. What's that short post with the number 103.2 on it? A mile post with a cross arm and insulators on it? (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
The Sultan's Palace: 1937
... unique was actually made in the industrial North, mostly Cincinnati. Then it was floated down the Ohio River to the Mississippi River ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 4:05pm -

New Orleans, 1937. "Le Pretre Mansion, 716 Dauphine Street, built 1835-6. Joseph Saba house. Also called House of the Turk." As well as the Sultan's Palace. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Iron LaceThere is nothing more iconically New Orleans than lacy ironwork balconies and long shuttered windows. I'm so in love with this image! Does anyone know if this building still exists? I'm from Oregon, but I've always loved New Orleans and will be back soon to visit. I'd love to put this gem on my list of places to see if it's there! One last question - is it because of potential flooding that the home appears to be built one story above the street entry level? Do those lower floors get used at all, or are they essentially a basement? IntoxicatingAnyone who has spent time in New Orleans knows there is no other place quite like it. It creates an atmosphere that is almost mind-altering, with the close, sultry, earthy air (no air conditioning in those days) and the curious, intimate stillness that occasionally occurs as in this photo, streets deserted with no signs of life except a bit of trash lying in the gutter. Where is everybody? They are inside and there lies the inspiration for the imagination. Especially intriguing are the rooms behind the real, fully functional shutters, open to air, closed to rain. Are the people within just trying to stay cool with overhead fans, are they cooking spicy, savory red beans and rice, are they making crazy love, sipping sweet tea and sampling pralines, listening to Louis Armstrong on the Victrola? I am transported back there by this so-accurate portrayal of a New Orleans street to where I can smell the smells and feel the surrounding humanity close, but unseen. Thank you Shorpy. As we know, you can leave New Orleans but New Orleans NEVER leaves you. Nice words, OTYYou've captured so beautifully what makes New Orleans unique. It is one of the world's great cities "with a feel" that you just can't and won't find anywhere else. I've been there half a dozen times or so, and every time I visit that curious intimate stillness you speak of strikes me. Harem of HorrorI've spent many a night in this house but I never heard the thump of heads of the Sultan's harem rolling down the stairs ... just the thump of tipsy neighbors falling up the stairs! http://www.nola.com/haunted/harem/hauntings/murder.html http://www.neworleansghosts.com/haunted_new_orleans.htm ["The Sultan's Massacre" makes a good ghost story, although it doesn't seem to be anything more than that -- a story. Any actual massacre would have been recorded in the newspapers of the day, and the "sultan" would have a name. If I had to pin one on him I'd say it was the Muslim entrepreneur Joseph Saba, who bought 716 Dauphine, along with several other New Orleans properties, after coming to America from Syria in 1886. What with Syria being part of the Ottoman Empire at the time, he could have been considered Turkish, although he wasn't a sultan, and seems to have died of natural causes. - Dave] The beauty of cast ironNow that large buildings are made of glass and steel, we see what we have lost: romance. Desiring a streetcarIts a shame that they tore out almost all of the streetcar system, the local traffic from Bywater to Carrollton and everywhere in between is miserable and could be seriously helped by better transit than the buses. Thank goodness for Google maps!This wonderful building still stands at the corner of Dauphine and Orleans Streets. It looks like most of the incredible ironwork is still there, as are the original shutters (some missing a few slats). The trolley car tracks are long gone, torn up and asphalted over, as happened in so many American cities in the decades between 1930 and 1950. Does the personal-injury lawyer who occupies the building know its history and alias? Let's hope a friend sends her to Shorpy if she doesn't. View Larger Map Thanks, Dave, for adding the map link. Shorpy has made a reflex out of the use of Google maps for street-level architectural site obit checking. Yes. The building is still there.This one, in particular has a good ghost story about it. A deposed Sultan rented the place and fillled it with harem girls and armed guards, not participating in the regular Creole culture of the City at all. Every single person in the building was found butchered to death one night. The people were chopped into little bits and the police couldn't tell how many people were killed. So the place is haunted. "They" say that it was his brother, the real Sultan who had the entourage killed, the murderers escaped before the crime was known to the public. I went to a garage sale in the courtyard once and pass by the building all the time. I just love living here in the Quarter. Many homes are elevated or have storage type basements that are actually sitting on ground floor. Re: Iron LaceThe French Quarter is on the highest ground in New Orleans, and since the installation of pumps in the 1890s, flooding, beyond an inch or so in the street, has been a rare event. The lower floors of all buildings in the Quarter are functional. True, subgrade basements are very rare in New Orleans. Dauphine dreamI was a bellman at a bed and breakfast on Dauphine Street my freshman year at Tulane in 1985. I had to be at work at 7 am Saturday and Sunday. I rode my bike from uptown, and this picture really reminds me of the early morning stillness of the Quarter. IronworkMuch of the intricate and beautiful wrought iron that has helped make New Orleans so unique was actually made in the industrial North, mostly Cincinnati. Then it was floated down the Ohio River to the Mississippi River and onto the balconies and steps and whatnot in N.O. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, New Orleans)
Steam Players: 1907
The Ohio River circa 1907. "Along the levee at Cincinnati." The Coney Island Co. sidewheeler Island Queen and her retinue. ... first of two boats named Island Queen. It was built at the Cincinnati Marine Railway Company in 1896, 281.4 feet long, 42.6 feet wide. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/04/2015 - 11:38pm -

The Ohio River circa 1907. "Along the levee at Cincinnati." The Coney Island Co. sidewheeler Island Queen and her retinue. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. The side wheeler just moved up riverGoogle street view. [That was a sternwheeler, originally the steam towboat John W. Hubbard, built in 1936. It was moved to Newport in 2014. -tterrace] Nooner!Taking a short nap on the riverbank next to the barge? Side wheelersWhat a sight it must have been to see all those big paddlewheel boats! I grew up in a Mississippi River town. There was an old paddlewheel boat rotting on the shore when I was a kid. It always set my mind dreaming of the days in this photo. Teeny tiny and gigantic!Those three small boats in the foreground give some scale to the Queen in her magnificence. I once lived in a houseboat like the closest one, but the teeniest one looks no bigger than a camper! And the warehouses look mobile as well! Bridge to KentuckyThat's the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge in the background. Built in the 1860's and still used today. Roebling also designed the Brooklyn Bridge. "This way to join the Paddlewheel Navy" says StanOllie is noticing the mud on his shoes and saying "Here's another nice mess you've gotten me into." What a great comedy team they were! More hogging chainsMore hogging chains in evidence. This time even on the floating pier. Version 1.0This is the first of two boats named Island Queen. It was built at the Cincinnati Marine Railway Company in 1896, 281.4 feet long, 42.6 feet wide. Destroyed by fire in 1922. SS TrystI wonder what was the function of the small, curtained vessel moored near the shore. It lacks the stovepipe of a 'live aboard'. Cleopatra's mini-barge? (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cincinnati Photos, DPC)
Officers' Quarters: 1907
... in Kentucky, are now quiet northern Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati. During the Civil War however, they were heavily armed camps who's only mission was the protection of the city of Cincinnati from Confederate invasion. It must have convinced the Southern ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/27/2015 - 3:52pm -

1907. "Officers' quarters. Fort Thomas, Kentucky." At left, the residence of Lt. Col. Leonard Austin Lovering. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Hydrophilic WisteriaThey wreck havoc on sprinklers, septic systems, and drain pipes as well. Current statusFrom Fort Wiki: "The officer quarters on Greene Street were privatized and sold to individuals in 1992, creating an upscale "Military Commons". These homes have been modernized internally with the exteriors kept keeping their 1890s look. The officer quarters on Alexander Circle remain unoccupied and deteriorating." Slithering Vinesthey be Wisteria which have beautiful light purplish flowers, but play havoc with trellises and brickwork. Anyone care todescribe those tree-like plants slithering up the side of the buildings? [Wisteria. -tterrace] This picture brings back memories.During my last assignment on active duty we lived in one of the old, historically-designated houses for senior officers at the Presidio of Monterey, CA. It was like living in a piece of history. Very quiet, very pleasant. You knew all your neighbors. In 1907 Lt. Col. Levering, being the post commander, would also have known all his neighbors, and in the "Old Army", there would have been a number of social functions at the residence. First StepWhat is that thing? [Boot scraper. -tterrace] Civil War FortsFt. Thomas, Ft. Wright and Ft. Mitchell all in Kentucky, are now quiet northern Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati. During the Civil War however, they were heavily armed camps who's only mission was the protection of the city of Cincinnati from Confederate invasion. It must have convinced the Southern tacticians, as Cincinnati was ultimately never threatened. Still StandingThe Lt. Col's house was part of a military compound and the surviving buildings on this road (9 Green Street) match those in the historical photo. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC)
Tuskegee Airmen: 1945
... Gaines Jr., Freeport, N.Y., Class 44-G; Newman C. Golden, Cincinnati, Class 44-G; Wendell M. Lucas, Fairmont Heights, Maryland, Class ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2011 - 8:36pm -

Tuskegee airmen exiting the parachute room at Ramitelli, Italy. March 1945. From left: Richard S. "Rip" Harder, Brooklyn, Class 44-B; unidentified airman; Thurston L. Gaines Jr., Freeport, N.Y., Class 44-G; Newman C. Golden, Cincinnati, Class 44-G; Wendell M. Lucas, Fairmont Heights, Maryland, Class 44-E. View full size. Photograph by Toni Frissell. Awesome pictureThis is a great picture. I love the Tuskegee. You posted another picture of the Tuskegee in flight, but this one is much more personal. Thank your dadSir, please give our thanks to your dad. The country needed these guys and they did it!!!! Happy Memorial Day Tuskegee Airmen 1945Harder is my father. My brother-in-law found this picture. We have never seen it before. I do not know how you got it but we are very grateful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. He is still with us and doing well at 84. He retired from the Air Force with the rank of full Colonel. He loved to fly. Leslie Harder Johnson, M.S.W., PPSC Member of the William "Bill" Campbell Chapter Tuskegee Airmen INC. San Francisco. CA. Col. HarderLeslie, the picture is from the Library of Congress archives. I am so happy you found it and that your dad is well. Below is the other photo showing your dad (at lower right, click to enlarge). I'd be happy to send you some prints of them for free if you'll email me. - David Lost Airman over ItalyThe unidentified airman exiting parachute room, could that be 1LT Maurice V Esters who was lost on 27 June 1945 in Italy?? Need any info from all. Maurice EstersMy father-in-law was Maurice's brother. Did you find out if this picture is Maurice? Dr. GainesI have just had the awesome pleasure or meeting Dr. Thurston Gaines here in Marietta, Ga. I am speechless after being in the presence of such history, courage and bravery. My father fought in Germany during the same time Dr. Gaines and the airmen were flying their missions. My father, Samuel Brunson, was in the army during WW2 and received two Purple Hearts and a couple of other medals. I give thanks and much gratitude for the men and women of the armed services. God bless you all. Selfless ServiceAs an example of how dedicated a man Dr. Gaines is, he continues to substitute teach elementary students in the West Phoenix area. (The Gallery, Aviation, Toni Frissell, WW2)
Elsinore Tower: 1904
Cincinnati circa 1904. "Elsinore Tower entrance, Eden Park." Valve house for the Cincinnati Water Works. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. ... The mansion at the upper left was the Art Academy of the Cincinnati Art Museum . The building seen to its right is the west end of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/05/2019 - 4:22pm -

Cincinnati circa 1904. "Elsinore Tower entrance, Eden Park." Valve house for the Cincinnati Water Works. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Delightful!Back in the day when the terms "public utility" and "utilitarian architecture" were not inextricably linked. And I'd love to be able to afford to furnish, or even heat, that grand mansion in the background! Still standing, but ...The bucolic atmosphere is gone. Cobblestone pavement has been replaced by a web of roadways, including I-71. The offices of WCPO Channel 9 are impinging to the immediate left of the gateway. The waterworks contributed to the development of the city, but also resulted in the loss of elbow room and the pastoral atmosphere. Must we always pay this price? Still StandingThe mansion at the upper left was the Art Academy of the Cincinnati Art Museum . The building seen to its right is the west end of the museum itself , opened in 1886 . The Museum is now a huge complex but most of the exterior stonework of both buildings has been incorporated in the new facility and rightly so. The Art Academy and the Art Museum BuildingsThis photo shows the two buildings on the top of the hill. It's all one big building nowThis Google Maps aerial view of the two buildings shows that the Art Academy and the Art Museum buildings have now morphed into one large facility. You can still see the distinctive green roof shape of the original Art Museum building and on the left the rough-cut stone face of the original Art Academy building. Still ThereConstructed in 1883, the tower is still managed by Cincinnati Water Works. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Industry & Public Works)
Pittsburgh Rising: 1908
... State, built in 1890, traveled between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. In 1913 she was converted into the an excursion boat and renamed ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 10:20pm -

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1908. "A group of skyscrapers." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Keystone State/MajesticThe Keystone State, built in 1890, traveled between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. In 1913 she was converted into the an excursion boat and renamed Majestic. She wrecked in June 1914 above St Louis and later burned to the waterline. Pictures of her end can be found here. Fun with FunicularsGreat angle. Picture must've been taken near where PJ McArdle meets Grandview Avenue. Incredible that the Penn Incline (running behind the Pennsylvania Station) looks as close as it does, given that it was near 17th Street. Any idea which bridge that is in the upper left hand corner? InclineLove the view of the old Hill/Strip incline. It operated for a 70-year stretch before it was torn down in 1953, and hauled both coal and people, launching from a resort and casino on the Hill side and docking at 17th Street and Penn Avenue in the Strip. In the late 1800s, Pittsburgh had more than a dozen inclines; only two remain. There is talk about rebuilding this one! InterestingFor a brief period, the 'Keystone State' was the 'S.S.Brown' as well. Thanks, The Big Dog. Sad ending, but I understood that fire was a major hazard with these boats. Intersection of Wood St.This shows where the Monongahela River intersects with Wood Street. Most of the buildings on the shore are still there. View Larger Map OK fellasWe've just purchased a new coal barge and we need a new snappy name for the company. bridge upper leftI think that's a railroad bridge that is still standing around 12th street. I cruised near it on the gateway clipper over the summer. This is close to the same view as the photo-it is taken from mount washington between the two remaining inclines. Herrs Island BridgesThe two bridges in the background cross the Allegheny at Herrs Island. One was called the Herrs Island Bridge and was located at 30th street (not 31st which was erected in 1927). The other was a railroad bridge at 33rd street. Access to the riverWhat's really interesting to me is the river access, which is now a parking lot that floods periodically, and a highway. It's a funny thing, there's been a movement to connect the city's people to the water, a pretty successful movement, in my opinion - what goes around comes around again, altered for the early 21st century. Kaufmann's Dept StoreThis is a wonderful photo. If you look closely there's a sign for Kaufmann's - they're the family that commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to build Fallingwater about an hour and 15 mins. from Pittsburgh. I also love the road that goes up the hill in the back! +108Below is the same view from July of 2016. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Pittsburgh)
Tremont Street: 1923
... my memory. As a kid collecting baseball cards in Cincinnati I can remember when they moved to Milwaukee in 1953 and their home ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:40pm -

Boston circa 1923. "Tremont Street and the Mall." One of the later entries in the Detroit Publishing catalog. Note the big Chevrolet sign. View full size. Boston BravesSeeing the sign "Baseball Today at Braves Field" jogged my memory. As a kid collecting baseball cards in Cincinnati I can remember when they moved to Milwaukee in 1953 and their home field was in County Stadium. I also remember when they moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta. Still recognizable todayProminent is Park Street Church. The two granite subway kiosks hide a mirror image pair. The visible ones were removed decades ago. Many of the buildings are still there but with extensive modernization. Ah, the 1920s, when women weren't afraid to show a little leg! Packard & HudsonThe first two cars parked on the near side of the street are a circa 1919 Packard with a 1920-21 Hudson Touring Limousine behind. +85Below is the same view from May of 2008. 1923 or 1928?I'm certainly no fashion expert, but something about the way the ladies are dressed says late Twenties. [The rubber says Early to Mid Twenties. If it were 1928 the cars would have balloon tires. - Dave] Ain't she sweet?The woman in light colored clothing is turning more heads than the photographer. No doubt her companion is equally well turned out but she is mostly obscured by the man who was walking between her and the photographer's lens at the moment the shutter was opened. Fashion datingKnee length skirts didn't come along until 1925 - circa 1923 they were way longer. Date of PhotoThe 1923 posted date could be valid. Except for the front car, all the other nearby cars are sporting a POV 1922 Massachusetts license plate. The front car (a Packard) looks to be a Taxi - therefore it could have a different plate. Too early for neonIf that Chevrolet sign is neon, then 1923 would be almost certainly too early for this photo. Neon signs were only introduced to the US in 1923, and it's unlikely that Boston would have had one of the first in the country. [It uses light bulbs. - tterrace] Boston 1924This photo, dated 1924, does not show the Chevrolet sign (from a different angle, but for reference match the Coca-Cola sign to the Salada Tea sign in this photo.) Photos dated 1927 and later in that set do show the sign. 1928 without a doubtThe third car in, the one with the street sign in front of it is a 1928 Essex, the one in front of that a c.1921 Hudson, and the first car, the black one, is a 1926 or 1927 Packard. The The Essex and Packard DO have balloon tires. And no respectable women in Boston would have worn skirts so short prior to 1925. Tremont St. Boston ca1923.The R.H. Stearns department store, right side of Tremont, stands today as elderly housing. Is the wireless antenna structure in the background on the building closer to us than the Tremont Theater (later Tremont Temple), on atop the Theater itself? TIA It appears the Chevrolet sign is either atop the Tremont House hotel, or across Beacon St. on the building that was leveled in the 1970's for the 1 Beacon St. highrise, home of the Boston Gas Co. and an underground, 2-screen Sack's cinema. HTH. (The Gallery, Boston, DPC)
Traction Building: 1906
Circa 1906. "Traction Building, Walnut and Fifth, Cincinnati, O." Nowadays known as the Tri-State Building. 8x10 inch glass ... bus overhead, 18" and 24"... Double overhead AFAIK, Cincinnati and Havana were the only cities with double overhead for their ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/02/2015 - 9:18am -

Circa 1906. "Traction Building, Walnut and Fifth, Cincinnati, O." Nowadays known as the Tri-State Building. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Earlier Shorpy views of the same building....This building still exists and is also shown in these earlier Shorpy images... https://www.shorpy.com/node/8949 In this view it is the second of the two tall buildings. The four streetcars are stopped in front of it... https://www.shorpy.com/node/10961 Effective advertising?Could it possibly be effective for New York Life to advertise on the windows so high on the building? Was there future construction that would have made that expense worthwhile? On another issue I just believe that it must have been awesome to have opening windows into offices in the building, reach out and adjust the awning! How dangerous and wonderful! Bausmith ArchitectYoung Bausmith in the tiny office on the upper floor in foreground was featured in The National Builder, Volume 43 for 1906, with his designs for two-flat houses. As in 2 apartments, not flattened buildings. Overhead Wire...Every time I look at this photo, I find my eyes drawn to the overhead wire of that trolley. The reason is not so much because I love trains, but rather the oddity I see there. Cincy streetcars were unique among most cities, in that they featured a "two wire" system. Meaning two wires and two poles, as opposed to the usual one. However, looking closely at the trolley in the photo, it seems that the train has a single pole. I suspect this is route 78, the only route of the transit system which used a single wire. The only problem with that suspicion, is 78's single wire system only existed for a short portion outside the city's limits, and not within it as this photo shows. Painless DentistWhere's the..... A closer lookThe trolley has two poles. The Cincy double-wire system was spaced at 19 inches; most other double-wire systems (for trackless trolleys) used a 24-inch spacing. BipolarThe trolley has two poles and they're both up against the overhead wires. Double Trolley WiresLondon (the real one that is!) did for a time have double wires in the vicinity of the Royal Observatory - I think this was at the insistence of the Astronomer Royal and probably for the reason already mentioned by m' Learned Friend 'HS'. I had at one stage a copy of the BICC overhead fittings catalogue (UK equivalent of Ohio Brass) and I'm pretty sure that 2 gauges were mentioned for trolley bus overhead, 18" and 24"... Double overheadAFAIK, Cincinnati and Havana were the only cities with double overhead for their electric streetcars. The ostensible reason was interference with the telephone system, which used the same earth return (ground) as the trolleys otherwise would have. Strange that no other cities had this problem, and even stranger that Cincinnati stayed with it throughout the traction era there; doing so doubled the cost of wire and fittings. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Head Spotters: 1942
February 1942. Cincinnati, Ohio. "Aluminum casting. The heads of these heat-treated pistons ... hardness reading. (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, Cincinnati Photos, Factories, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 2:40pm -

February 1942. Cincinnati, Ohio. "Aluminum casting. The heads of these heat-treated pistons must be spotted prior to Brinell hardness testing. Young women are employed for this job by a large Midwest aluminum foundry now converted to war production. Aluminum Industries Inc." 4x5 nitrate negative by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. View full size. Offstage actionMakes me think of the machine works the audience doesn't actually see in Arthur Miller's "All My Sons." More like "Head Turners"Those are some lovely ladies working on that spotting job. My best guess would be that these are pistonsfor a huge 1000+ H.P. aircraft engines, I would love to know the details! Earthbound Sorry to disappoint, but those are pistons for trucks or something similar. Aviation pistons tend to be much much shorter with minimal skirts. "Spotting"Is nothing more than using a belt sander or pedestal grinder to remove the scale and oxide off the as-cast surface, exposing virgin material so they get an accurate hardness reading. (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, Cincinnati Photos, Factories, WW2)
Greyhound: 1938
... Saturday at the conclusion of a five-day tour from Cincinnati. ... Over 300 of the new streamlined super-coaches are making ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 1:40pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1938. "Greyhound bus." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Compare and contrast with this Greyhound. Amazing!I agree with Anonymous DC Tipster, this is indeed a really cool bus! This pic went straight to my desktop! Awesome!That's got so much style, I wouldn't mind getting run over by it! Art Deco DesignI'd wager a guess that Raymond Loewy was responsible for this design. Very hip! A restored example today would go for big money at one of the big name auctions. The De Sade Deco Design TeamSeems like that "bumper" was meant to slice and dice anything or anyone it hit! Or, are those raised ridges rubber? Also the sharp looking potentially piercing spear points protruding from each side ... what? They don't appear to be glass (turn signal lights)? Pretty sharp to be door stops. Lots of linear stuff. Art deco stripes, all over, going on. Yellow CoachLooks like a Yellow Coach 719, a state of the art bus that was sort of a roadgoing equivalent of the DC-3 airliner, in the sense that it represented the advanced engineering that was coming into being in the pre-war era, revolutionizing travel in the US. Pretty cool styling too. The art of coolThat is one cool bus! Riding in StyleThey must have hired an industrial designer to produce this streamlined art deco gem. Good looks aside, I wonder if the stripes and the "fins" on the bumper proved to be a maintenance nightmare. Service long goneBack in the late 1950's, my mother and I rode a Greyhound from Eugene to Salem, Oregon. I was very small, but I remember there was a "hostess" on board. She wore a uniform similar to airline attendents (stewardess) at that time. She served small sandwiches and drinks. I became ill and she helped my mom clean me up and brought some soda water. I've often wondered how long they provided this service and why it was stopped. Does anyone else remember these ladies? Go By Super-CoachNot only revolutionary in style, this coach introduced innovative features that still form the basic design of modern buses: rear engine, elevated seating platform and baggage storage below. Hopefully Dave has a side view waiting in the wings. Washington Post, Aug 16, 1936 Greyhound's New Super-Coach Is Latest Thing in Bus Comfort New Model Represents Revolutionary Advance in Design for Vehicles for Long-Distance Travel. One of the revolutionary new Greyhound super coaches - radically different from any motor bus ever built - will arrive in Washington Saturday at the conclusion of a five-day tour from Cincinnati. ... Over 300 of the new streamlined super-coaches are making their first appearance in Greyhound service throughout the Nation this summer. Used exclusively by the the Greyhound system, the super-coachh is radically different from all other coaches on American highways in both construction and appointments. The engine has been placed in the rear for more power and smoother operation, also to avoid noise, vibration and fumes. Passengers ride high enough to look over passing traffic, and baggage travels in locked, weather-proof compartments below the floor, instead of over passengers' heads. More passengers are carried, yet the super-coach, of rugged aluminum alloy construction, weights two tons less than older equipment. Deeply cushioned chairs recline at four different angles, and more leg room between the seats has been provided. Frosted glass tubes shed soft, diffused light at night. 1938 Advertisement Bygone eraEven their buses look cool! Frosted Glass Tubes"Frosted glass tubes shed soft, diffused light at night." Fluorescents, perhaps? That would be another state-of-the-art feature of this vehicle. Apparently they first went on the market in a big way this very year, if you can believe Wikipedia. Of course, there's nothing to stop incandescent bulbs from being configured as frosted glass tubes, either. Dwight E. Austin, DesignerThe Yellow Coach model 719 was designed by engineer Dwight Austin (Yellow Coach history). You can read the entire 1937 patent and see additional drawings here. (click to enlarge) Greyhound 743The 743 model had the headlights slightly lower than the 719 (thus the headlight surround in the cast front end was not as high), the horizontal bars over the air intakes (beside the destination sign) rather than vertical. The door sheet metal extended below the front step on the 743, no doubt to keep water out. The rear end was quite different with 2 windows instead of 3, and a different pattern in the cast aluminum ventilation openings in the motor doors. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Elm Street: 1905
The Queen City circa 1905. "Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing ... air conditioning. A check of my desk copy of the 1840 Cincinnati directory gave me Mr. Dress Maker Berger's address on Elm. Then ... where they have trolley buses. Skip (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Horses, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 1:33pm -

The Queen City circa 1905. "Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Finally, we got some air conditioning. A check of my desk copy of the 1840 Cincinnati directory gave me Mr. Dress Maker Berger's address on Elm. Then Street View gave up this, indicating the far building with the curtains flapping in the open windows now has air conditioned occupants. OK, break's over, everybody, let's stop staring at the Street View camera truck down there and get back to work. 700 BlockThis is looking north from between 7th and 8th Streets. The church on the left as well as the building across 8th Street still exist. View Larger Map The turnbuckleand lots of pointy things and gingerbread on the roof!!! Birds must have had choice seats everywhere! Better, and double wiresIt looks so much more inviting back in 1905! Note the dual trolley wires over the tracks -- some early trolley lines had grounding problems (through the tracks) which shocked riders and in a few cases killed teams of horses. Using two wires made a circuit above the street. Still used where they have trolley buses. Skip (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Horses, Streetcars)
Over and Under: 1938
... of Columbus, Ohio near the town of West Jefferson. The Cincinnati and Lake Erie interurban ran under the bridge parallel to Rt. 40 but ... on the other. The C&LE once raced an airplane from Cincinnati to Dayton as a promotional stunt and won. Circleville, Ohio ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/07/2008 - 12:59am -

Summer of 1938. "Underpass in central Ohio, Route 40. Roadside does not at first present a definite or meaningful picture. Closer investigation begins to reveal the character of the place." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn. Underpass 'Character'Hmmm, the "character of the place" is not coming through to me. What am I not seeing? C&O underpassPerhaps absence of graffiti gives it character.... The Low RoadThe entire passage, which was a general caption for 73 images taken along Route 40: Roadside does not at first present a definite or meaningful picture. Closer investigation begins to reveal the character of the place. Majority of the farms are well-kept, occasionally divided by weed-grown and run-down farms. No apparent cause for this is in the character of the land. These farms are chief support of prosperous small towns in the vicinity. Ohio is like thatRoute 40 hasn't changed much. It does go through Springfield, Columbus, and Zanesville, but other than that I would say he has described the "National Road" to a T. Tough dividerI'd hate to ride the center line on that highway. That second underpass would be brutal. Hobos?There appear to be people under the second overpass in the background, to the left. [Weeds. - Dave] C & O BridgeThe condition of the bridge I find striking. One never today sees a railway bridge freshly painted. This is in contrast to the unwashed tender. Near West Jefferson, OhioI recognize the location of this photo. It was taken west of Columbus, Ohio near the town of West Jefferson. The Cincinnati and Lake Erie interurban ran under the bridge parallel to Rt. 40 but the track was gone. You can see how the bridge in the background is divided, originally the road went on one side and the C&LE on the other. The C&LE once raced an airplane from Cincinnati to Dayton as a promotional stunt and won. Circleville, OhioThis photograph was taken of a C&O eastbound train near Circleville, Ohio. It not West Jefferson as the C&O did not go through there. The route is US 23, now North Court Street. The tunnel was for the Scioto Valley Traction company. Eric at CG Tower (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Railroads)
The Mode: 1919
... dispensing water to travelers on the old C.H. and D.R.R [Cincinnati, Hamilton, & Dayton Railroad] back in 1873. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 11:21am -

Circa 1919, another Washington streetscape. "The Mode, 11th and F Streets." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Oh, that reminds me...I gotta pick up a couple of hat frames tomorrow. Do you suppose ...that some of the ghosts in this picture would have been virtually invisible if they hadn't chosen to wear shoes that day? Hatter and haberdasherNow what is the difference between a hatter and a haberdasher? I had always assumed they were the same. [Hatters and milliners do hats; haberdashers do haberdashery -- men's clothing and accessories. - Dave] Baked Possum TodayThe United Cafeteria opened in February 1919. The ad below is for one of their more exotic dinners. Based on other advertisements, the more typical fare included Roast Prime Ribs, Oyster Pot Pie, Chicken A La King, and Lobster a La Neuburg. A Success From the Start Washington during the past week has given cordial welcome to the United Cafeteria, 1008-1010 F street, opened a few days ago as the latest addition to the National Capital's already noteworthy assemblage of dining places. The new restaurant is unique in many of its features. A woman chef superintends the appetizing conceits that proceed from the kitchens to the display counters, patrons are taken care of at double capacity service stations and a stringed orchestra is regularly in attendance. A palm room is the novelty that occupies the basement floor. Every appointment of the spacious dining rooms, from the immaculate linen to the generously filled platters, is suggestive of the refinements of service not ordinarily afforded by dining places of the popular, quick-lunch type. Courtesy, promptness and thoroughness of service, together with every excellence of cuisine, have united to command a patronage of over a thousand patrons at every meal. To Richard Neddo, president of United Cafeteria Company and owner of Hotel Neddo, of Norfolk Va., is accorded the praise for the enterprise that gives Washington this new and commodious and altogether desirable place to eat. It's the crowning achievement, by the way, in the career of a man who as a train boy received his first "service" lessons in dispensing water to travelers on the old C.H. and D.R.R [Cincinnati, Hamilton, & Dayton Railroad] back in 1873. Washington Post, Feb 9, 1919 Boccioni Anyone?Look at the couple crossing the street and behold the vision that inspired the Futurist movement. Still thereThe Mode is gone, but not the two fine red brick buildings behind it on 11th. View Larger Map Even back then...you couldn't find a parking space in D.C. Possum PieI've heard possums described in many different ways, but "the sweetest morsel that can be set before man" is not one of them. I wonder how many hungry customers showed up that day? Nice ridesA couple of expensive cars here -- can't identify the town car in the center, but the one with the light colored wheels to the left is a Pierce-Arrow. Scarred and batteredThis building was sadly maimed before it was razed in the mid-90s - it's visible at far left here: image from Flickr user Kinorama. +90Below is the identical perspective taken in September of 2009. The Mode building was a pretty pathetic site in its last years on that corner. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Comic Relief: 1922
... least to 1868. [It's the Union Central building in Cincinnati. See Doug's comment above. - Dave] I think the calendar on the ... is the Union Central / Central Trust / PNC building in Cincinnati. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PNC_Tower (The Gallery, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/02/2016 - 8:53pm -

February 11, 1922. Washington, D.C. "DeWitt Moore." Who can fill in the blanks? National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. It's the LotteryObviously the happy fellow won the lottery. His boss has just recieved his letter of resignation in the mail,and called him in to discuss it. I don't know what's going on here.But that is one funny photo. I think we need to add a section where people can put text balloons over the people in the images to add what they think they might be saying. Telegram"Yah suh, I predict in 2008 there is going to be a black President of the United States." The PuzzlerLooks like you've got us good on this one, Dave. After downloading the largest tiff file of this image and squinting and grunting and fiddling with the brightness and contrast settings, I was able to make out only that the brass label on the happy man's cap reads "PORTER / [???] Savings Bank." Maybe "U.S. Savings Bank," but more likely not. And my favorite online search methods also goose-egged. The photo is great, and Concerned Citizens Would Like to Know. Hope somebody out there can enlighten us. [The porter's cap says UNION SAVINGS BANK ("Oldest Savings Bank in Washington," at 710 14th Street NW) - Dave] Questions of time and lightThe calendar on the right says "Union [General?] Life". But isn't that the Met Life Tower? Wikipedia claims the name "Metropolitan Life Insurance Company" goes back at least to 1868. [It's the Union Central building in Cincinnati. See Doug's comment above. - Dave] I think the calendar on the left is stuck on November 1921. The light on the wall - what's the top half? Was it combined gas/electric? A gas fixture converted to electric? And, Mr. Moore...regarding whatever terrific news you just got...CONGRATS! WowNobody is touching this one! Aha!I fussed around, reversing the image and playing with contrast and brightness. I think I can make out the message on that piece of paper. DeWitt Moorebu De Woouten Send Dit? (I trying but am DeWitt Mooreless.) Hold Still!For Pete's sake, Rufus! Stop moving around, or I'll find somebody else with a lamp attached to his head! Union CentralThe building on the calendar is the Union Central / Central Trust / PNC building in Cincinnati. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PNC_Tower (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, The Office)
Home Office: 1935
December 1935. "House in Cincinnati showing its conversion into businesses and blight." Photo by Carl ... customers like blight. Actually Elmwood Place Not Cincinnati, but it's an easy enough mistake to make, since Elmwood Place and adjoining St. Bernard are both completely surrounded by Cincinnati. Anyway, here's the house below, with the dark and light chimney ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2013 - 3:30pm -

December 1935. "House in Cincinnati showing its conversion into businesses and blight." Photo by Carl Mydans, Resettlement Administration. View full size. Interesting PhraseSomehow, converting your dwelling into your place of business, as this appears to be, is also converting the neighborhood into 'blight'. Yes, it is well established that nothing attracts new insurance customers like blight. Actually Elmwood PlaceNot Cincinnati, but it's an easy enough mistake to make, since Elmwood Place and adjoining St. Bernard are both completely surrounded by Cincinnati. Anyway, here's the house below, with the dark and light chimney pots about the only original thing left. Those limestone curbs (they're usually granite on the main streets, but limestone on the side streets) appear to still be there too. I have to say that caption is the kind of thing that really infuriates me. By the 1920s there was a decidedly anti-urban propaganda machine in full force in the US, but seriously, running a business out of your home is blight? Give me a break. View Larger Map Please unwrap before Xmas!Besides the addition of modern windows and doors, composition shingles, and the roof over the second floor balcony, this house suffers from being wrapped in vinyl siding, like its next-door neighbor. Sure, it makes the home low maintenance, but it's drab and unsightly, and hides the architectural details of the house. BlightActually, it's the dressmakers that ruin a neighborhood. Bloody blighters!Let in insurance agents and realtors, next thing you know there's rusty car bodies in every untrimmed front yard. Red Cross?What do you suppose this is? (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, Cincinnati Photos)
Incline Saloon: 1907
... an awful lot, like a very lame roller coaster. Here in Cincinnati all the inclines but one maintained a constant grade. The one that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 6:45pm -

Duluth, Minnesota, circa 1907. "Up the incline railway from Superior Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Don't even think of trying itI love the sign at the base of the incline, "WARNING Walking on this railway is positively forbidden. It is DANGEROUS." Multi-layered DuluthAh, Duluth: life at the top of the map, as they say. This picture just has layer after layer. It's a hot day: every window that can be opened is open, even in the dubious-sounding furnished rooms available above Mr. Donovan's Incline Saloon. In other layers: it appear that Gramps may have a significant wait to use the telephone, as he's in line behind at least two ladies. Between the two idlers who seem to have nothing better to do than to observe the hottie on the train is a barrel of something frightfully sticky-looking. Does this help the train? What about in the winter? There doesn't appear to be anything (like cog-railways have) to make the train work properly when there's ice. Are they just risking it? And the guy center-bottom-left appears to be preparing for a monumental sneeze. This is why we look at Shorpy's pages. This looks like great funDangerous and yet fun. Very Not FlatThe track sure does undulate up and down an awful lot, like a very lame roller coaster. Here in Cincinnati all the inclines but one maintained a constant grade. The one that didn't (the Main Street/Mount Auburn Incline) got noticeably steeper at the very bottom. I've never found out if they had any way to keep the platform level, which would be a big deal if carrying a streetcar or carriages. This one doesn't look like it deviates enough to really matter much, but it's an operational puzzle anyway. So inclinedI lived in Duluth for many years and you do not need an Incline such as this to head to the local saloon -- but the incline sure helps a bunch if you're in doubt. Just driving in the winter will help you find a saloon or find God real fast. Awesome Thanks - My Grandpa used to tell me stories about riding the incline as a young boy. This site is amazing. Counterbalanced carsI was on an incline railway years ago at Niagara Falls and it seemed the two cars were almost in balance with each other and the engine or electric motor at the top added only a small amount of power to move one car up as the other car descended. Both cars were connected with a haulage cable riding over a large powered drum at the top end, the cars themselves having no propulsion. In this view I notice the car on the left track has a trolley pole similar to that found on a streetcar running on tracks on the street. The trolley wire terminates at a feeder on the steel pole the "dude" with the Smokey the Bear hat is leaning against. The trolley wire is suspended above the track with horizontal brackets extending out from poles next to the track in normal single-track street railway operation. I assume the trolley wire is for lights within the car and its headlight centered on the dash. The trolley pole must always be on the downhill end as it probably is not long enough to reach the wire if turned on its base to the uphill end of the car. There does not seem to be a trolley wire over the right track. Strange if the two cars are identical. With the varying slopes, the haulage cables would be quite high above their idler pulleys at times. Fascinating! Thank You. A Worthwhile ReadA good account of the history of this line, together with many interesting photos can be found at the Funimag Photoblog. The car in the photo was a repurposed streetcar body pressed into service after the original cars were destroyed as a result of a 1901 fire in the powerhouse at the top of the incline. Prior to the fire there were two cars, each counterbalancing the other. The cars were 16 feet wide and could accommodate the horse-n-buggy trade. The fence at the bottom was originally a gate allowing for teams to drive straight into the cars. The small building at the foot of the right-hand track is a station. During the time of this photo there was only one car in use, counterbalanced by a wheeled flat weight on the other track. The repurposed car had its door on the right (as we view the photo) and the station building had to be placed to allow access. If you look carefully up the incline you can see footbridges built to allow access to the car from stations along the way. These blocked the right-hand track but the flat counterweight was able to roll along beneath them. Everybody look innocent!Here comes the constable. Another great view of Duluth InclineThanks Dave, this photo is new for me and it is great as usual! Mike Cash is absolutely right, there was only one car and a flat counterweight when this photo was taken in 1907. I guess the old man with beard is waiting for the incline as the ladies do and not for the telephone because this door is the unique access to the incline. The waiting room seems to be full of people. Note, behind the "WARNING ... DANGEROUS" panel, there is another door. The car of the incline will stop just beside that door and the door will be just in front of the unique door of the car. (The Gallery, DPC, Duluth, Eateries & Bars, Railroads, Streetcars)
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