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Extra Firm: 1905
... Barron Boyle -- a maker of paints and varnishes in Cincinnati . - Dave] Thanks Dave, for the correction. Now I see it. I ... sign, however, may have been on any building in Cincinnati. Trendsetter He's the first to demonstrate the "Lying Down ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2014 - 1:09pm -

Circa 1905, location not specified. "Please go 'way and let me sleep." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. He must have drifted off quicklyA fetal tuck would have been a better position on that pier. He will wake up with sore kneecaps. Don't laugh; this could be youI've seen railroaders curl up and doze in some pretty incredible situations. (I never was much good at that.) But that was in the modern era. A typical work schedule for any "blue collar" employee (not "worker", a Bolshevik term) in the early 20th century was 10 or 12 hours Monday-Friday, and half day on Saturday. They gave you Sundays off and the two holidays were Christmas and July 4 with holiday pay optional. Also, in 1905 mechanical aids in work were just starting to show up on some jobs. Muscles were cheaper than machines. This fellow worked a lot harder than most of us could do today. Spend a day with our friend here, and you could crash right along side of him. A look at the shadow indicates midday, and no one is around but the "suit." This guy's sleeping through lunch break. Barlow Boye Co.If we could locate the Barlow Boyle Co. (see sign on the building behind the bridge, we might have a location). Nothing came up on Google or Ancestry. [The sign says Barron Boyle -- a maker of paints and varnishes in Cincinnati. - Dave] Thanks Dave, for the correction. Now I see it. I was also thinking "Barton," but your eyes are sharper. A. S. Boyle established a paint and glass company first located on West Court Street and then 428 Main Street. The advertising sign, however, may have been on any building in Cincinnati. TrendsetterHe's the first to demonstrate the "Lying Down Game" where 105 years later people amuse themselves by assuming a stiff horizontal position in random places and then post it for everyone else's amusement. http://www.lyingdowngame.net/ His Sleep Numberis B50. Cat napI appreciate Old Buck's view of what is going on here. When I first looked at it, I thought this was a homeless man, and very sad, but it makes more sense that he would be a "blue collar" employee just taking a cat nap before going back to work. My grandfather, who was a sugar-beet farmer, would always lie down for twenty minutes, after dinner (the noon meal). Thankfully, Grandpa had a comfortable couch to lie down on, though! His Sleep Number ...is B50. Notice the wooden stob protruding from the piling. Did they not use metal rebar back then? C&O Railroad BridgeThis is the C&O Railroad Bridge in Cincinnati at the very northernmost end. The picture would be looking east, or upriver. If the picture were broader to the right you would be able to see the Roebling Suspension Bridge about a quarter mile upstream. The C&O Bridge was built in the late 1880's. 40 winks?That'll B50. A little rest.My father worked for Con Edison in Brooklyn. When they worked on a site a tool trailer was dropped off, the workers reported direct, Dad got to wherever he had to be that day by trolley, bus and/or train. One day after lunch he told his partner that he was going to close his eyes for ten minutes, and to wake him up at 12:30. He sat down with his back against a utility pole. About 2:30, he woke up to find his partner laid out fast to sleep on the little grass strip between sidewalk and street. They had some catching up to do, but didn't get caught. AmazingThe poor fella must be totally exhausted. And the shoes? Maybe the pair at the foot of his bed would fit him. They seem to be in better condition. Great picture, Dave. Thanks. BustedThat was me last Friday. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Gunboat Diplomacy: 1905
... The two 2-stackers on the left are the USS Raleigh and Cincinnati (built 1894, 11x5 inch guns), the 2-stacker farthest away from the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 8:18pm -

Venezuela circa 1900-1905. "American fleet at La Guaira." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Ship IdentificationWell, I spent a little time shifting through a few websites to try to ID the various US warships in the harbor. The ones I feel are positive about are the two three stackers. The one to the right is the USS Brooklyn. The one centered is the USS New York. These are both armored cruisers. I would love to figure out what the two same class two stackers are to the left. There is another two stacker and a one stacker above the New York and are different classes. Any guesses anyone?? The Quiet AmericanIsn't Teddy Roosevelt the guy that said "Walk softly, but carry a big stick"? [T.R. was a firm believer in crepe soles! - Dave] He sent the Fleet into Venezuela because the Brits and the Germans had set up a blockade of the country for, among other things, unpaid debts. He made sure that the Europeans left the region. Would that we had Teddy Roosevelt today. President Teddy Roosevelt’s “Great White Fleet.”This appears to be a photo of America’s Great White Fleet during its around-the-world tour of 1907-1909. A voyage initiated by President Roosevelt to defuse the tensions of a near-war atmosphere between Japan and the US. White Fleetit's easy to see where the term Great White Fleet would come from a couple of years later, when T.R. sent the navy around the world to show off America's newly established sea presence. I wonder, how impressed were the Venezuelans to see these ships off the coast? Steel NavyIt looks almost like Admiral George Dewey's Pacific Squadron from 1898, except a couple of the three-stackers appear to be battleships, or what passed for battleships back then. This photo was taken in Teddy Roosevelt's administration, and he certainly was not one to do things quietly. BattleshipThe two 2-stackers on the left are the USS Raleigh and Cincinnati (built 1894, 11x5 inch guns), the 2-stacker farthest away from the camera is the USS Newark (1891, 12x6 guns), and the single-stacker is the USS Texas (1895, 2x12 cannons). The Raleigh was in the Battle of Manila Bay, and the Texas and Brooklyn were in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba. HistoriansI am often impressed by the knowledge and resourcefulness of Shorpy commenters. To be able to start with a little information and expand it to the point of identification of the vessels and the reason they were there is beyond cool. Imagine what could be accomplished if there was a way to electronically link the resources of the world through autonomous data access devices! It might beThat the Navy has to go back to Venezuela again with that nitwit Chavez running things there. Service ElsewhereThe USS Brooklyn was sent to Vladivostok prior to and during the Russian Revolution as part of an eight nation coalition to keep law and order. My grandfather served on the Brooklyn circa 1917-1918. Another I did not know that.I did not know the Brooklyn made a trip to South America. My grandfather served on the USS Brooklyn in the Pacific circa 1917-18.They made port in the Philippines, China, Japan and Russia. I have several photographs and postcards he brought back. Great White FleetThey went out with fuel for one way! TR told Congress that if they didn't cough up the money for fuel they wouldn't be home for Christmas! TR started the US Navy League after this cruise and we are still here! (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Stuyvesant Dock Terminal: 1900
... shipments via [New Orleans] for Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati and all Western cities. The wharfage will be absolutely free to all ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 4:01pm -

Louisiana circa 1900. "Stuyvesant elevators, docks, R.R. terminal at New Orleans." Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. Harrison Line, LiverpoolAccording to a German/Weimar Cigarette card book "Lloyd Reederei-Flaggen der Welt-Handelsflotte" published by the Martin Brinkmann AG Zigarettenfabrik circa 1933, the flag represents the Harrison Line, Liverpool (Charente Steamship Co., Ltd.) The flag is a red Maltese cross on a white background. Working in: England to the West Indies, Gulf ports and Mexico, Brazil, and Africa Operating: 42 Cargo boats with small cabins 2 Passenger Freighters Total Tonnage: 239,720 Honoring Mr. FishThe Stuyvesant Dock Terminal was named for Stuyvesant Fish (1851-1923), President of the Illinois Central Railroad, presumably because not even he was happy with the idea of calling it the Fish Dock Terminal. The opening of the terminal was a great leap forward for the New Orleans and Louisiana economies, and it was dedicated with "imposing ceremonies" conducted by Governor Murphy J. Foster and Mayor Walter C. Flower, on November 4, 1896, and with remarks by Mr. Fish on behalf of the railroad company. According to the New York Times (10-26-1896), "The construction of these docks is the beginning of a great effort that the railroad will make to bring European shipments via [New Orleans] for Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati and all Western cities. The wharfage will be absolutely free to all steamers landing at the docks with interior freight for shipment by the Illinois Central Railroad, and such a saving in port charges, it is believed, will bring a great body of traffic this way." Pristine tracks and locomotiveWhat really stands out to me in this photograph is the pristine condition of the yard tracks and the 0-6-0 that is hard at work. In 1900, stub switches were still in vogue in the South and West, as was unballasted track. The frog switches show that the Illinois Central was dedicated to being a truly modern railroad, as willc's research shows. I'm fascinated by the shiny boiler jacket and controls in the locomotive's cab, I suppose the same crew ran this locomotive daily or the engine terminal really spent some time on cleaning every night. I can assure that my local Canadian National/Illinois Central yard is being switched by a diesel that is no where as clean as this little teakettle! And in 1905Disaster strikes. History repeatingThe Stuyvesant Docks were on the Mississippi between Louisiana and Napoleon Avenues, stretching for twelve blocks before they burned in 1905. If you google that area today, you can still see the footprint of the massive railyard and the skeletal remains of the docks which burned again just a few years ago. Backward CompatibillityThe slot and hole in the knuckle of the switcher's coupler are there to accommodate a link and pin, if a car with the just recently obsoleted (and dangerous) link and pin coupler needs to be moved. You can still see these coupler modifications on a few museum engines. Dead or AliveThere isn't a man dead or alive who wouldn't jump up and sit on that tender next to the sign "Keep Off" because that's the way we are wired. Gotta love us… Where in the world?Can anyone identify the flag atop the ship mast? It looks like a Maltese cross, but a quick search turned up no such flag. Shipping Company House FlagsMost commercial shipping companies had house flags that were flown from the highest mast, at least in port. There were hundreds of designs, only a portion of which were recorded in registers. I didn't find a plausible match online for the flag seen here, but found several similar designs in the 1912 edition of "Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels," a sample from which is seen here to illustrate the idea. Colorized versionI colorized a major portion of this photo. Please look here and list any comments you may have. Thanks.. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans, Railroads)
Watchers: 1938
October 1938. Cincinnati, Ohio. "Watching the sesquicentennial parade go by." View full ... for the FSA. Local Knowledge Being an architect in Cincinnati, I have some info on the buildings in the picture: The farthest in ... BTW - Carew Tower is not the first structure in Cincinnati that served as a prototype for an important New York structure. The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/16/2016 - 6:27pm -

October 1938. Cincinnati, Ohio. "Watching the sesquicentennial parade go by." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the FSA. Local KnowledgeBeing an architect in Cincinnati, I have some info on the buildings in the picture: The farthest in the background is the Carew Tower (still standing, started in 1928, completed in 1931), which was designed by the same architects as the Empire State Building, built by the same contractor, and also served as the prototype for the ESB. The people are lined up north-south, facing south on Walnut Street. The parade is most likely on Fifth Street, which the people are facing. The building the people are lined up against is the Potter Stewart United States Courthouse (still standing, completed 1939?). I don't know the building on the left, which had been demolished prior to my moving to town. There was a classic movie palace called the Albee Theater (demolished) between the mystery building and the Carew Tower which is not visible. BTW - Carew Tower is not the first structure in Cincinnati that served as a prototype for an important New York structure. The Brooklyn Bridge (1883) was built after John A. Roebling designed and built a suspension bridge first in Cincinnati in 1866 (still in use). Hope this is useful. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, John Vachon)
Pistons Aplenty: 1942
... jeep or airplane engine parts. Aluminum Industries Inc., Cincinnati." Medium format nitrate negative by Alfred Palmer for the OWI. ... tank used by the Marines. (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, Cincinnati Photos, Factories, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 2:39pm -

February 1942. "Aluminum casting. A woman's place in this large Midwest aluminum factory is on the inspection line. She's giving a final checkup on these aluminum pistons which are destined for use by America's armed forces. Destination of the finished aluminum products is kept secret. They'll probably end up as jeep or airplane engine parts. Aluminum Industries Inc., Cincinnati." Medium format nitrate negative by Alfred Palmer for the OWI. View full size. Zollner PistonsI see that these pistons have "Zollner Heavy Duty" cast in them. Zollner Pistons of Fort Wayne, Indiana was a (the?) leading piston manufacturer in the USA, and was bought by a German manufacturing firm in 1999. Fred Zollner founded the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons basketball team, which later was called the Fort Wayne Pistons, and is now the Detroit Pistons. PistonsThese look rather big for a Jeep engine. InspectingI love her coiffed hair, possibly hand-stitched collar, pretty puff-sleeve dress, and kitchen style apron. She looks like a perfect little housewife.. until you notice her workman's gloves. Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. PistonsThe pistons appear to be for a slow RPM engine, diesel maybe, because of the long skirts. Also they must now go to a lathe and have "ring lands" cut in them. Washington PistonsI'd suspect that those are tank pistons rather than aircraft or jeep. Willys MB or Ford GP 'jeeps" had 4 cylinders with less than 130 CID. Perhaps these went into a Sherman M4A2 diesel powered tank used by the Marines. (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, Cincinnati Photos, Factories, WW2)
Where's the Ticket Window?
... but I like to think she's lost and wandering around the Cincinnati Union Terminal service area looking for the ticket window. The ... Steel off Spring Grove Ave about a mile or so North of Cincinnati Union Terminal. CUT was relatively new when this photo was taken. ... 
 
Posted by Lost World - 09/23/2011 - 12:05am -

Most locomotive portrait artists were consummate professionals who didn't allow things like light poles--or old ladies--to obscure their subject. Whoever took this photo wasn't on his game apparently. The old lady--a rather comical figure, is she not?--is probably the photographers wife, but I like to think she's lost and wandering around the Cincinnati Union Terminal service area looking for the ticket window. The locomotive, for those who care, is C&O Pacific type #492. Photo dated July, 1937. View full size. Locomotive PortraitHard to say who took the photo, as their were numerous locomotive portrait artists during that era. The goal of many of these men was the impossible task of still photographing every steam locomotive in America. No one ever came close of course, but since many of these photographers knew each other they often traded photos and negatives to add to their collections. Photographer is unknown, but I'll take a stab and guess W.R. Osborne; he took many photos of C&O steam, both still and action, in the 1930's. PhotoI would think it might be his grandmother perhaps, any info as who took the photo? Do love that steamer in the background. LocationI like those "flying pumps" on that Pacific. Looks like either Western Ave or Harrison Ave Viaduct (one of them is gone but I cant remember which) and appears to look Southwest. If I remember correct the shops (adjacent to Storrs Yard) were near Ryerson Steel off Spring Grove Ave about a mile or so North of Cincinnati Union Terminal. CUT was relatively new when this photo was taken. LocationYes, I think the bridge is Harrison Avenue, and I have many more photos taken at this location of passenger locomotives from a number of railroads. CUT was an important passenger hub, used by Southern Railway, C&O, B&O, New York Central, Pennsylvania RR, Norfolk & Western, and Louisville & Nashville. The flying pumps were common on C&O locomotives. The F-19, though far from the most powerful of its type, was certainly one of the most graceful. "I like those "flying pumps""I like those "flying pumps" on that Pacific" Are you referring to the equipment on the front of the engine? Whatever they are, they sure look sexy. What a beautiful machine. Is the cylindrical truck behind the coal tender standard equipment on these Pacifics? Water? That is a stunning looking engine!! Pumps and Other ThingsYes, the flying pumps are the two sets of dual air compressors on the front of the boiler. Most locomotives had them mounted lower on the pilot or on the side of the boiler. The round water compartment on the tender wasn't the norm on most locomotives either. This was known as a Vanderbilt tender, and was designed to prevent water sloshing about when the engine was rounding a curve. Although all of the F-19's had one at one time or another, they were also swapped out with square tenders as needed, since tenders were relatively universal and interchangeable between locomotives of different types. C&O PacificThis was almost certainly taken on the west side of Cincinnati near the large train yard. I wish I could see those buildings in the background a little better. Loco TenderThe Vanderbilt rounded tender was a much more stronger structural design than the square box like tender and would hold more water or oil instead of coal due to its round shape. That's why tank cars and some hopper cars have a round shape on the sides, it also eliminated the required inside bracing needed for a box shape tender or freight car. Design was used for carrying liquids or grain or chemical powders. Cincy Union TerminalYes, that is the Cincy Union Terminal engine service facility. The Terminal and engine facility were completed in 1933. Unfortunately the service facility is now completely obliterated by the Queensgate yard built by then Chessie System in the 70's or 80's. The two decker bridge over the loco is known as Western Hills Viaduct and it did replace an earlier Harrison Street viaduct. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Railroads)
Wash and Dry: 1943
September 1943. Cincinnati, Ohio. "The children of Bernard Cochran, a Greyhound bus driver, ... you wanted to eat. Rural PA, mid-60's. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, Esther Bubley, Kids, Kitchens etc.) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/26/2017 - 9:42pm -

September 1943. Cincinnati, Ohio. "The children of Bernard Cochran, a Greyhound bus driver, doing dishes after Sunday dinner." Medium format negative by Esther Bubley for the Office of War Information. View full size. Sunday dinnerWhen I was growing up in Nebraska in the 1960s, "dinner" was the big meal of the day, whenever it happened. Most often in the evening, but on Sundays and holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, dinner was the midday meal. On those days, and any time we had something smaller like soup and sandwiches or leftovers, the evening meal was called supper. Sunday dinner was usually something like pot roast with potatoes and carrots, which then provided leftovers to serve on Monday. The advantage of an oven roasted one-pot meal was, if our church service went long for some reason, dinner likely wouldn't be ruined. Sunday suppers at my house were often what Mom called a "cold plate". It consisted of various canned fruit like peaches and pears, vegetables like carrot and celery sticks, maybe scallions or green peppers, cottage cheese and cold salmon dumped out of a can. I did not pass this tradition along to my own children. Telechron Clock Model 2H08, being 1943 it was probably made in the late 30's and is probably black. Those clocks just never stop (with some occasional oil), I have two of them running at home and another at work, all pre-war. The Mystery of the Pipettes, Solved?The "pipettes" bear a remarkable resemblance to gas valve handles. [The question is about these structures. -tterrace] As Emily Litella used to say, "Oh, that's very different. Never mind." =~) Either Very Early Or Very Late DinnerThe wall clock indicates the time is 11:40! [In a lot of places, "dinner" is what you might call lunch. Six hours later, it's time for supper. - Dave] According to the clockThese folks had Sunday dinner either really early or really late. No Aprons? These girls are washing and drying dishes in their Sunday "best" dresses, which their mom or grandma most likely made at home on the sewing machine (the skill of home sewers in those days was extraordinary). Since the photographer was there, they didn't put on the aprons they usually would have to do such a chore. Love the Matchbox HolderWe had one of those in our kitchen. I had forgotten about them until seeing this. The open space on the side was so you could strike the match on the side of the box. Great Stitching, PipettesVery nice stitching on the oldest's collar and button placket. I'm assuming the piping on the wall is for the gas stove. So, what is the purpose of the "pipettes" on the front of each valve? Looks like tubing could be slipped on...for bunsen burners? Better behaved than my brothers and IThese lovely young girls are: Irma Jane (11), Mary (9) and Sue Ann (7). Mr Cochran's career spanned more than 30 years (1930 - 1960) with Greyhound (and possibly other companies). BTW, We need a do-over in the 1930 elections. Bernard Cochran was double counted in the 1930 census. First, in Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky (lodger, occupation Coach Driver, Motor Coach Transportation) and second, his hometown of Rising Sun, Ohio, Indiana (Taxi Driver, Bus Co). Pipettes?Possibly moisture/condensate drains "Pipettes"I can't positively identify the "pipettes" sticking out of the gas valves, but they could be for connecting portable gas appliances. There were once gas-heated clothes irons, toasters, etc. They had rubber hoses protected with a woven cotton jacket. Such appliances would be "history" by the time of this photo, as the house has obviously been wired for electricity. I believe "barb" is the proper name of the fitting on which one attaches a gas hose. I've not seen them called "pipettes." About condensate drains - the old "coal gas" which preceded modern natural gas had two types of condensate. First, the generation and storage process left the gas saturated with water vapor. Second, the gas contained heavy compounds which would condense into a tarry substance. If you've ever seen an old iron cover marked "Gas Drip" in a street or sidewalk, this is a clean out of a trap designed to trap this tarry substance, which was a saleable product to the gas company. A condensate drain must be at the lowest point of the piping, so I do not think these are drains. At Our HouseSunday "Dinner" was at 1 PM, and was often an extended family gathering. Sunday Supper was "Free Fridge", whenever/whatever leftovers from the week were there when you wanted to eat. Rural PA, mid-60's. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, Esther Bubley, Kids, Kitchens etc.)
Eden Park: 1906
Cincinnati, Ohio, circa 1906. "Main entrance to Eden Park." 8x10 inch dry plate ... bridge were pretty well scraped away. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/12/2012 - 3:05pm -

Cincinnati, Ohio, circa 1906. "Main entrance to Eden Park." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Mister Rogers' NeighborhoodThe trolley looks like it came straight out of the neighborhood of Make-Believe. Possibly that is where it is headed. Even in black and white the trolley enhances a beautiful environment. Sadly, the trolley is gone but Eden Park is still lush, green, and magical. Fred Rogers would approve of this picture and he'd have warned us of loss that comes with too much progress. The BridgeStill there? Can someone post a current photo? Where was it?So you mention that the bridge has been town down. Any idea on where this was located? I'd like to see the location now. I wonder if there is anything left in the forest? Urban ruins. What street was this? Kind of looks like it is looking out across Gilbert into downtown. Long GoneSadly no, the bridge is no longer there. Built in 1874, it was demolished in 1950 when much of the city's streetcar system was being scrapped. Supposedly there were some structural issues, which I could certainly understand being a problem with the lightweight steel track structure. Nevertheless, it would've been nice if the stone arch was saved. RemainsWe're looking roughly west along Eden Park Drive towards Gilbert Avenue. The buildings visible through the arch are part of the old Baldwin Piano Company factory and headquarters on Gilbert. There are some stairs that lead up to the art museum from roughly this point, but I haven't explored them. The streetcar right-of-way around the art museum should still be traceable to some extent though, but I think the remains of this bridge were pretty well scraped away. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Gasoline Alley: 1935
December 1935. "Hamilton County, Ohio. Cincinnati slum dwellings." An alleyway view of the "Garage" sign seen in the ... Roads. The Slums of Cincy Having grown up in Cincinnati, I think those slums were in the area of Eastern Avenue which ran ... right face Marengo Street. (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, Cincinnati Photos) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/16/2016 - 6:34pm -

December 1935. "Hamilton County, Ohio. Cincinnati slum dwellings." An alleyway view of the "Garage" sign seen in the previous post. 35mm nitrate negative by Carl Mydans for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Thank you ShorpyI had always thought Gasoline Alley to be mythical, after the comic strip. Not only are there quite a few Gasoline Alleys, there are several Tobacco Roads. The Slums of CincyHaving grown up in Cincinnati, I think those slums were in the area of Eastern Avenue which ran parallel and close to the Ohio River. Since the photos are from 1935, they precede the great flood of 1937 in Cincy which caused great damage throughout the city. After the waters receded, Eastern Avenue was still blighted and didn't turn it around until years later. The last I heard, that area has been revitalized and is now a haven for yuppies with new condos, parks, and shopping built throughout the river bank. Little do they know as they sip their Chablis on their patios on a summer evening, the despair that once thrived in that area. Ham AlleyAccording to Jeffrey's map, this is Ham Alley -- the buildings to the left face Eastern Avenue and the buildings to the right face Marengo Street. (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, Cincinnati Photos)
Music Hall: 1906
1906. "Music Hall, Washington Park." Cincinnati Music Hall on Elm Street, completed in 1878. 8x10 inch dry plate ... German immigrants brought their culture to Cincinnati and settled in the area north of downtown. They built breweries and ... looking great It was built in 1878, and is the home of Cincinnati Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, and Cincinnati Opera, as well as the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2019 - 10:28am -

1906. "Music Hall, Washington Park." Cincinnati Music Hall on Elm Street, completed in 1878. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Over-The-RhineGerman immigrants brought their culture to Cincinnati and settled in the area north of downtown. They built breweries and the Music Hall, along with hundreds of ornate, Italianate homes. A canal was dug to move commerce between the neighborhood and the Ohio River. There was such a heavy concentration of German-speaking people on the other side of the canal that the locals said, once you crossed it, you were over-the-Rhine. Still looking greatIt was built in 1878, and is the home of Cincinnati Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, and Cincinnati Opera, as well as the annual May Festival. Until the 1970s it was the city's main convention center, and the 1880 Democratic National Convention was held here. A major renovation project in 2016-2017 has brought it back to peak condition. Music Hall was built on what was a pauper's cemetery in the early and mid 1800s, and renovation projects 100 years later have dug up numerous bones. It is reputedly one of the most haunted sites in the country...if you believe that sort of thing. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Music)
Indiana Janes: 1908
... nothing. It was a good halfway point between Chicago & Cincinnati, and lots of other places. So it's not surprising to me that cotton ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 12:12pm -

August 1908. "Noon hour in an Indianapolis cotton mill. Witness, E.N. Clopper." View full size. Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. Satisfied?As another commenter mentioned, here's another Lewis Hine photo where the subjects are not glaring angrily at the photographer. Could it be that the workers were actually satisfied with their worksite? That doesn't fit in well with Hine's agenda that workers were abused by their employer. So, Hine could be balanced in the way he shows his subjects. BTW, it looks like one could get pretty dirty working in a cotton mill (in Indianapolis, of all places!). Surprising, but what do I know. Probably a FridayThey're Hoosiers. It's probably a Friday. Payday. Basketball game this evening. Life is good. IndianapolisIndianapolis didn't get the nickname "Crossroads of America" for nothing. It was a good halfway point between Chicago & Cincinnati, and lots of other places. So it's not surprising to me that cotton would be shipped here for working. Mill GirlsMy great-grandmother worked in a Virginia cotton mill as a teenager in the 1910s. In 1975 I interviewed her as part of my graduate thesis. One thing she kept repeating was what a "wonderful" job it was, and how "blessed" she was to be able to work there. When I asked about workplace conditions she said the only "workplace" the girls had before that was in the fields. "Crawling though [poop]." Maybe that's why they all look so happy. Indiana Janes: 1908Hine didn't create those awful working conditions to fit his "agenda," he took the pictures to point out the awful working conditions. Perhaps these people are smiling because it's what's expected when someone points a camera at you, especially as this might be the only photograph that would be taken of you. [ Conditions were not "awful." No one was making these girls work here. Lewis Hine took these pictures because that's what he was paid to do. His goal was ending child labor, not the employment of people these girls' age. - Dave] South Carolina cotton millsI worked in 2 cotton mills in Greenville, SC in the 1970's. I worked pretty much every job in the Draper and Sulzer weave rooms. This was past the era when the mills built mill villages with houses, schools,baseball fields, and gyms for the employees but the people I worked with were happy, hard working people who liked their jobs. The biggest problem was the lack of a good retirement plan in the mills but then the employees were expected to plan and be prepared for their own retirement. I look back on my experience as a good one overall. The mill employees were like an extended family and took care of each other. Who?I would love to know who these women and girls are. I have lived in Indianapolis my whole life, and have a lot of family history here. (The Gallery, Factories, Indianapolis, Lewis Hine)
Erie Canal: 1910
... Canal" I was in the 4th grade in 1950 in Cincinnati and our music teacher always had us sing "Erie Canal". I still know ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/29/2012 - 10:20am -

Utica, New York, circa 1910. "Erie Canal at Utica." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Possible location..The George W.Head Flour, Grain, Feed (on the right in the photo) is listed on a 1906 billhead as being at the corner of Broad and John streets. I can't seem to find any buildings today that appear in the photo minus the possible spire of the St. Johns Catholic church which sits 2 to the 3 blocks south on John st. Great photo. George M. Cohans The Honeymooners.It was a 1907 Play so the sign is a few years old. Starring George, Jerry and Nellie Cohan, it ran for 72 Performances. Source: Musicals101.com LocationThe trolley is crossing the John St. bridge, so the spire is Grace Episcopal a bit south of the canal. St. John's, which has twin spires, would be out of the photo at left, since, it too is on John St., south of where it intersects with Broad. The route of the old Erie through Utica was filled in and is now Oriskany St. That's pretty coolDoes any of that survive? Did the canal go through the heart of Utica? I live outside Boston and you can still see the remnants of the old Middlesex Canal. Sad though, as the suburbs fill up more and more of it has been lost to history. Could that be...the remains of the Squire Whipple designed Utica weigh lock on the left, which hadn't been used since tolls were abolished on the canal in 1882, after the construction bonds/loans had been paid off? Those were the days! weighlockThe building on the left is a weighlock. I don't think it still exists in Utica (or at least I didn't see it the last time I was there). But the one in Syracuse is still standing, and has been turned into the Erie Canal Museum. Picture from the museum's website below. What about now?I would love for some Utica NY Shorpy expert to figure out what this shot looks like now,if it even exists. The Erie canal was the most financially successful canal venture ever built in this country. First proposed over 100 years before it actually opened, and taking nearly 20 years to build at a staggering cost both financially and politically for those that opposed and supported it. The Erie canal forever changed the makeup of this nation in terms of east to west migration and allowed the "middle" to reach the east coast and ultimately Europe with both agricultural and manufactured goods and also allowed the vast manufacturing of the East to move West, cheaply. Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and many other states went from wilderness frontiers to viable economies because of this canal. The Railroads rendered almost every canal in the nation useless overnight. The Erie, while greatly diminished in tonnage after 1850 remained very important to New York, and the Eastern Great Lakes Region almost into the 20th century. Oriskany StreetAbout the time this photo was taken the New York State Barge Canal was being built to handle larger barges. In some places the Erie Canal was simply widened, but in cities like Utica, Syracuse and Rochester a new canal was built. In Utica, the new canal was about a half-mile north of the Erie Canal. This map shows the Weigh Lock. It is where Oriskany St. turns into the East-West Arterial Highway at the intersection of Broad St. None of the buildings in the photo are still there. Mr. Rogers Was HereLooks like an open-sided trolley or street car is on the cusp of crossing the bridge from left to right (gauging by the angle of the trolley pole), while a couple of men-folk are crossing on the bridge's pedestrian walkway. A bucolic urban scene for yesteryear. Lovely shot. Thanks for posting it. Singing "Erie Canal"I was in the 4th grade in 1950 in Cincinnati and our music teacher always had us sing "Erie Canal". I still know the words as that song always stuck with me: I got a mule her name is Sal, Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal, She's a good old worker and a good old pal, Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal. We've hauled some barges in our day, full of lumber, coal and hay, and we know every inch of the way, 15 miles on the Erie Canal..... Low bridge, everybody down; Low bridge 'cause we're comin' to a town. And you'll always know your neighbor, You'll always know your pal; if you ever navigated on the Erie Canal. SUCH SWEET MEMORIES! LocationTo set the record straight, the street in the background is Genesee Street. The vantage point appears to be from the John St. bridge. The canal is now Oriskany St. By the time this photo was taken, the State had stopped collecting canal tolls, so the building had no use aside from office space. You can see by the broken windows that this building appears to be empty. There were once five of these weighlocks, the only one left is in Syracuse. The State DOT, which had control of the canals up to the 1990's used the Syracuse building as office space until the late 1950's or early 1960's. It was then purchased by the city of Syracuse and turned into a museum. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Utica)
Yeatman Alley: 1908
... where Harry McShane was injured. 314 Yeatman Alley, Cincinnati. View full size. Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine. Yeatman Alley I live in Cincinnati and was trying to find out where this building was. I found an old ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/12/2012 - 3:32pm -

August 1908. Greeno Spring Works, factory where Harry McShane was injured. 314 Yeatman Alley, Cincinnati. View full size. Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine. Yeatman AlleyI live in Cincinnati and was trying to find out where this building was. I found an old map that shows a Yeatman running between Main and Broadway down by the river. This is where Great American Ballpark is today (where the Cincinnati Reds play). View Larger Map (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, Lewis Hine)
Big Four: 1940
... for the New York Central's subsidiary, the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, popularly called "The Big Four." The ... Big Four Cafe was, indeed, located next to the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St Louis RR terminal at the intersection of Commercial ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/25/2012 - 7:58am -

May 1940. "Cairo, Illinois -- Big Four Cafe." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Big FourThe cafe was probably named for the New York Central's subsidiary, the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, popularly called "The Big Four." The Big Four ran through Cairo and had a Cairo Division. EponymousAre those the Big Four sittin' on the bench out front? The Quartet of HungerWith relative valuation of that 25 cents one has the buying power of just about $4 now; a nice bargain for a breakfast, if you could find it. It's amazing how little really changes in the end--we see ourselves everywhere & everywhen. Just perfectAlmost TOO perfect; the electrical cable emerging from hands-in-the-lap gent number two. Shoe ShineI reckon one of those guys was waiting for his first shoe shine customer of the day so he could go in and get his 25c breakfast. It was probably 90 degrees in the cafe. Breakfast is on meObviously the big four are sitting right out there on the bench. Tell ya' what I'm gonna do fellas, I'm gonna treat you all to the most important meal of the day so you can have a good start. For just 8 bits, I can afford it and can even leave a big tip. Hoghead is going to beans. I suspect what we’re looking at here is a Big Four railroad bunkhouse and beanery. From reading a few things on the web about the Big Four in Cairo, I get the impression it was what we would call today an ‘away from home terminal,’ for guys working out of Mt. Carmel, Illinois. The railroad provided bunks for the train crews while away from home, and had an obligation to provide a hot meal 24/7. The eateries became affectionately known as ‘beaneries,” and would serve meals to the public as well. Beaneries have long ago disappeared from the railroad landscape, but any self respecting rail still goes to beans, not lunch. Can anyone guess what a 'beanery queen' was? Had the wonderful opportunity to work the Springhill interlocking at Terre Haute, Indiana, controlling train movements over some of the old Big Four track there. Met dozens of really nice rail fans who made it a point to come and see the old lever plant at Springhill. Today the signals and switches are controlled with a computer keyboard, and the tower is part of a museum. Somehow that just doesn’t seem right. YumBacon, ham, eggs and coffee only 25 cents. I could go for that right about now. Beanery QueenWaitress? Chews gum and calls every guy "honey". Cocks hip while writing down order. Heart of gold. Railroad BeaneriesWe had a cafe at the railroad yard at Champaign, Ill., complete with the requisite Beanery Queens ! It's long gone, as are the old yard office where I was a telegrapher. Skip Not so long goneThe Big Four Cafe was, indeed, located next to the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St Louis RR terminal at the intersection of Commercial Avenue and 2nd Street in Cairo. The Tri-City Bus Company also had a stop there. The CCC&SL is long gone, and the tracks were pulled up decades ago, but the derelict hulk of the station and attached buildings were only recently demolished. If you google map the address (200 Commercial Avenue), the more recent satellite view will show that the buildings are gone; however, the slightly older Street View shows the buildings intact (if very much abandoned and derelict). (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon)
Meanwhile, Back in Petoskey: 1900
... track. In some eras, through Pullmans were carried from Cincinnati and Chicago, dropping wealthy tourists close to their lake front ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 12:05am -

Petoskey, Michigan, circa 1901. "Grand Rapids & Indiana R.R. station." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Always a first hereNever have seen a boat on a baggage carrier before. Engine/TenderI'd like to see that engine and tender from the side; it appears that it's a commuter run (from the crowd on the platform) but it must run in reverse a lot because of the cow-catcher on the tender. No turn wye at either end of its run? Railfans - help? Typical Trolley StopOk typical turn of the century trolley stop. two trolleys numerous interesting people, wait a second go back the sort of dapper guy in the foreground with the lapstrake skiff on a hand truck. Excuse me buddy but you can't take your fishing boat on the trolley even if you pay 2 fares. I am really trying to figure this one out and just what is he doing with the boat at a trolley stop, we will probably never know. [He's taking it (or sending it) somewhere else. This is, as noted in the caption, a railroad station, not a a trolley stop. - Dave] Sorry Dave I was only looking at the Trolley that was probably bringing people to the train. But on another note, why is there a man sitting in the boat? is he part of the shipment? Take a ride on the GR&IClick to embiggen. It's a double enderIn this era about the only locomotives with big headlights on both ends were either switchers or double-enders. The catcher on the rear does indeed indicate this hog has regular assignment on a job where half of the trips are backward. The earlier picture of Petoskey shows a train ready to leave here, probably with this very engine, running in reverse. If you search an old GR&I timetable from this time, you'll find out where this train was going. It probably ran to some branch terminal that had no turn facilities, or it may have ended its run at some main line station that had no turn facility. One of the most famous short line steam roads today, Pennsylvania's Strasburg Rail Road has been doing that from the start; there never have been turn facilities at Strasburg. Next StopYou are right, the engine is designed to run tender first at the head of the train. The likely destination is Harbor Springs, which was served by a branch line diverging just north of Petoskey. Another depot photo shows a main line train on the track adjacent to the station, and a branch line train with a similar engine, tender first, on the next track. In some eras, through Pullmans were carried from Cincinnati and Chicago, dropping wealthy tourists close to their lake front hotels. Tank EngineThe loco is a tank engine -- it has no separate tender. Both the coal bunker and water tank are carried on a rearward extension of the loco frame, in this case on a four-wheeled truck. It is a type of engine commonly but not always correctly referred to in the US as a "Forney." They were designed to be run safely at track speed in either direction without turning, making them well suited to suburban trains. Railroad expansion plansCompare this one to the Petoskey depot view posted a few days earlier. Station platform is longer and has a new roof structure in 1908. New station platform surface. More tracks about the depot -- the expansion process is evident in this picture with rock wall stone on the flat cars. Extra track is to be added and the water spout seems to be missing in '08 shot -- as is the station semaphore signal. Engine number 4 is backing toward you in this view -- and may be the engine in the foreground in the 1908 view -- a number 4 seems to be on the forward headlight number board of the 4-4-0 in the '08 view though it is not clear. The engine cabs are a bit different -- back cab windows are at a higher level in the 'o8 photo. Rolling tail light shade is missing in this shot but evident in the '08 view. Suburban Station at PetoskeyThis is the GR&I (later PRR) suburban station at Petoskey, which operated during the summer months for tourists headed out for the day at Walloon lake or Alanson. The steam engine pictured could operate in either direction (without turning on a wye track) to facilitate quick turnarounds. This suburban station was located about two blocks to the south from the main passenger station which still exists in 2011, without passenger train service. "cowcatcher"?? Puleeze!!The proper term used by railroad personnel is "pilot". The "station semaphore" is properly called "order boards" and the "water spout" was commonly called a "standpipe". Possibly, in other parts of the world, these other terms may have been different, but "cowcather": never! (The Gallery, DPC, Petoskey, Railroads)
Fourth Street: 1910
Cincinnati circa 1910. "Fourth Street east from Race." Close-up of this view ... rubber tires on the trolleys *smirk* (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/12/2012 - 3:01pm -

Cincinnati circa 1910. "Fourth Street east from Race." Close-up of this view seen earlier. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. +98Below is the same view from August of 2008. Ingalls BuildingThe tallest of the buildings, the 15 story Ingall's Building is still there. My wife worked there for several years in the late 1990's. Her office would have been the one on the corner with the open window, or maybe the one below it. Beautiful building with quite a history. TWO trolley wires/polesOdd setup. Normally the rails are the return for the power for the trolleys. Wonder if the rail maintenance/structure was bad for the return? I am sure they weren't using rubber tires on the trolleys *smirk* (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Low-Rent: 1935
... Lightning conductor? (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, Cincinnati Photos) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2014 - 6:21pm -

December 1935. "Typical squalid homes, Hamilton County, Ohio." 35mm nitrate negative by Carl Mydans for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Cheap HamThis is Ham Alley at Broad Street. It's the same tiny two-block neighborhood featured here. Box in upstairs windowWhat is that? [A refrigerator of sorts. Where you keep milk bottles in the winter. - Dave] Little negativesI get spoiled by all the 8x10 images we see here. It's good to see 35mm for a change to help me remember to appreciate the large format images. Ham AlleyWhere Cinci's bad actors end up after too many years of scenery-chewing? Looking for TenantsThe previous ones hopped a freight car on the tracks next door in hopes of obtaining more humane living conditions. Mystery rodWhat is that rod angling out from the eaves? Flagpole? Lightning conductor? (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, Cincinnati Photos)
Play-by-Play: 1924
... early 50s, Waite Hoyt, the local radio announcer for the Cincinnati Reds would do a play-by-play for out of town games based on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/05/2013 - 4:37pm -

"Washington baseball, 1924." The broadcasting cage at Griffith Stadium in the early days of commercial radio. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. BleachersIf you were in the front row of the bleachers on the third base side, off to the left, odds were you had to ask folks how the game was going. Neat picture of an old Washington landmark, gone these many years. Everready 770 'B' BatteriesVery common in that era, but putting eight 45 volts batteries in series like that would yield 360 volts of fully exposed shock potential. You'd never be able to get away with such an arrangement today. Visions of baseball in 1924This from a Washington Post article from last year... "...the stadium erupted in mayhem when the home team entered the history books with a walk-off win in the deciding game of the World Series. As The Post reported, the crowd of 35,000, “delirious with joy, broke into a bedlam on the field that had never been duplicated in point of volume and intense excitement in the annals of sporting history.” The Washington mob was so unruly that Walter “Big Train” Johnson, the local team’s ace, fled the ballpark in a fast motorcar, trailed by a “sea of humanity in an endless snake-dance,” and the Secret Service was all but helpless to protect President Calvin Coolidge and his wife, who quaked in the presidential box." Bug?That looks like a semiautomatic telegraph key ("bug") - it makes dots fast if you push right, and one long dash if you push left - which enables you to send very fast morse code. Just going by the visible tops and the guy's arm position. That's a lot of foul territory but --I am sure the short fence in the outfield more than made up for any defensive advantage. re: Bug?I think rhhardin is correct, that is a telegraph. Ronald Reagan told stories about "live" baseball broadcasts in the 1930s where in the studio he narrated the play-by-play from a telegraph operator in the stadium. OK, not the most reliable source, but still I believe the practice endured for years after 1924. A Telegraph KeyWas used by AP (and other news services) to telegraph news stories to newspapers. This guy's got it backwardsThis type of telegraph sender was made by the Vibroplex Company of Brooklyn, NY, whose logo featured a likeness of something like a Box Elder Bug. Thus the keys themselves came to be known as "bugs." My now long-deceased neighbor, a railroad telegrapher, taught me the rudements of the trade, though I never got any good at it. Rule No. 1: learn to key with your left hand, leaving your right hand free to write your copy of each word as you send it (or underline what you have already received and are sending back as confirmation). When the computer mouse came out I realized that was a pretty good tactic. To this day, I drive my mouse with my left hand. Telegraph ticker broadcastsWhen I was a kid back in the very early 50s, Waite Hoyt, the local radio announcer for the Cincinnati Reds would do a play-by-play for out of town games based on information he received from a telegraph ticker. You could hear the ticker clacking away in the background during his broadcasts. Baseball Radio Broadcast: 1924When I lived in the Washington, DC suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s, I listened to Nat Allbright's broadcasts of the LA Dodgers games. Nat also used the AP wire service to create his own phony "play-by-play." Thus, his broadcasts always lagged a few minutes behind the live action. Once I found out what he was doing, I played a funny trick on my father that must have convinced him that I could predict the future. I wrote a brief story about it, and you can see it on my website. http://www.morningsonmaplestreet.com/personal7.html Re: The keyPhotographic evidence suggest that the key pictured is a "bug." A straight key, the kind we're more familiar with, doesn't have the side adjustments pictured. In fact, a normal straight key has, for most models, just two adjustments. A bug, depending on which model, can have up to nine adjustments adorning it! Teletype baseballBack in the late 1940's and early 1950's, the Indianapolis Indians road baseball games were broadcast on WISH radio by Luke Walton, a legend here in Indy, using a teletype, the listener could hear it in the background, he would tell us he was using a teletype. (Technology, The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Sports)
The Halls of Academe: 1904
Cincinnati, Ohio, circa 1904. "University of Cincinnati." McMicken Hall, flanked by his siblings Hanna Hall and Cunningham ... was of similar design to old McMicken. Designed by famed Cincinnati architect Harry Hake, the hall maintained a Georgian style, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/02/2019 - 1:49pm -

Cincinnati, Ohio, circa 1904. "University of Cincinnati." McMicken Hall, flanked by his siblings Hanna Hall and Cunningham Hall. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. University PavilionAs Indydad noted the old hall was replaced, but the University Pavilion on the right still stands. Still the same ... but not!Old McMicken Hall would remain standing until the late 1940s when it was razed in order to build a new hall in the same location. Completed in 1950, the new (and current) McMicken Hall was of similar design to old McMicken. Designed by famed Cincinnati architect Harry Hake, the hall maintained a Georgian style, repeating the two flanking wings of the previous building and even including 650,000 bricks from old McMicken. 1904Eight in a row so far, back to Saturday with the dental hall. What about the others Halls?I'm assuming Monty was out making deals, and Gus, who was the radical in family, didn't get along with the others, especially Monty. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Education, Schools)
Binary Banking: 1905
Cincinnati circa 1905. "Lafayette and Franklin Banks, Third Street." With a ... size. Located at 124 East Third Street An old Cincinnati City Directory lists the Franklin Bank at 124 E. Third St. Just ... I'm sure it's not a chicken in the middle of downtown Cincinnati but, that sure looks like one at the bank's door. Perhaps she puts ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/16/2016 - 3:19pm -

Cincinnati circa 1905. "Lafayette and Franklin Banks, Third Street." With a painter and a window-washer in supporting roles. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Located at 124 East Third StreetAn old Cincinnati City Directory lists the Franklin Bank at 124 E. Third St. Just about everything on Third Street has been replaced with new modern buildings. Here is an old map section of this area that clearly shows the location and interior floor plan of the two banks in the structure. Bank Alley to the left of the bank appears to have been renamed "Berning (Bank) Alley" on the map and the alley still exists on Google maps today and it is now called Berning Place. Everything shown from Berning Alley to the corner of 3rd and Main is now a parking garage. Perilous Window Washer & The Banking ChickenBefore anyone complains that there is no window washer, I had to look long and hard to find him. He is death-defyingly way up in the top of the picture. Also, I'm sure it's not a chicken in the middle of downtown Cincinnati but, that sure looks like one at the bank's door. Perhaps she puts all her eggs in one bank. [I think the "chicken" is a boot jack. -tterrace] How fascinatingthat there was a scenery painting studio in the second floor of the bank building, with all that great daylight from the glass dome. TTerrace, I think that the "chicken" is actually a boot scraper, to get mud and horse dookey off before going indoors. A boot jack is to help remove your boot from your foot. [You're probably right. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC)
Dearborn Reds: 1952
... if that name was used elsewhere or if it was just another Cincinnati expression or something unique that my mother came up with. In ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/15/2021 - 2:07pm -

"1952 Ford Customline Tudor Sedan." As opposed to the "Fordor" sedan, which had two Mordors. Color transparency from the Ford Motor Co. photographic archives. View full size. Lady you're gonna hafta move this thing!Coach is giving his star halfback Biff enough time to arrange a date with Suzy Cheerleader but his patience is wearing thin as practice has already started. Coral Flame RedIt's amazing how many color choices you used to get on a new car. Basically a color palette to choose from and each with its own unique name. This '52 color is Coral Flame, later to be re-named Torch Red. Another example is below. A Very Red Car, ComradeThis '52 Ford reminds me of Soviet cars of the late-'50s through '70s. Pictured: the 1957 Volga M21V. All New for '52!How often do you hear those puff words in connection with a new car model? However, for 1952 Ford wasn't kidding! An all new body to begin with, and if it had the six, which this one obviously doesn't, it would be an all new overhead design. It also had three features that would become ubiquitous on almost all cars during the coming years. It had suspended brake and clutch pedals instead of the old style that went through the floorboard. Also a step-on emergency brake with Buick being the only other make to offer it. And I believe it was also the first make to place the fuel filler behind the license plate, making it able to use either side of a gas pump. Made the year I was bornIn the mid-'60s my best friend's dad had one similar to this. By that time it had a fairly substantial hole in the floor on the front passenger side where it had rusted out. Big enough that we could look down and see the road whizzing by under us. The front seat anchor was also broken so the entire seat would tilt back if you pushed on it. It's a miracle we weren't asphyxiated or killed in that thing! Seems to me that a 10-year-old car today is not likely to be in such terrible condition. [My dad had a 1951 Ford with a hole in the same place! One day on the way to school we went around a corner and the door flew open and he had to grab my arm to keep me from falling out. Right after that he traded it for a new 1966 Galaxie. - Dave] And one does not simply walk into MordorWhy does a chicken coop have two doors? Because if it had four doors, it would be a chicken sedan. Time to get back to practice, kidsVery professional shot. But it's interesting to see what appears to be a wedding ring on the football player's hand -- he better be careful with the flirting. Fortunately, his coach is there keeping an eye on things, though he's probably a bit annoyed that this car is out on the field. Why did they name it after Henry VIIIWhen I was in seventh grade, the Ford dealership was diagonally across the street from school. I would wander around the showroom admiring all the new 1961 Fords. I particularly liked the Galaxie Starliner. I was always confused as to why they named so many cars after the English House of Tudor. I'm not going to say how long it took me to figure out what was really being said. The reason being of course that as such a recent immigrant from Britain, I pronounced it the British way, TYOO-der, not "two door," like Americans. Rear ViewYou can check out a rear view of the same basic model a few years later on this Shorpy photo. Most of these cars from that era before air conditioning was common have a small opening front corner window, popularly known as a "no draft". ["Vent wings" in the Lower 48. - Dave] Door LatchesDad took us to the introduction of the 1952 Fords at Times Square Motors in Erie, PA. The pushbutton latches were right at my eye-level and I was proud to grab his sleeve and say "Hey, Dad! Look at this!" Vent Wings and AerodynamicsIn our house my mother called them "Cozy Wings." Not sure if that name was used elsewhere or if it was just another Cincinnati expression or something unique that my mother came up with. In addition to ventilation the vent wings served a very useful aerodynamic purpose. With today's "vent wingless" cars if you have your side window open and are cruising on the highway above about 45 mph the wind passing by the window causes an annoying throbbing sound. Vent wings were also "throbbing sound minimizers". Try it using your hand as a pseudo vent wing and note the reduction. Our Take in SoCal“Wind Wings” (Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Sports)
Fountain Square: 1907
Circa 1907. "Fountain Square, Cincinnati." Dry goods, dentists and the Western Tray Factory. 8x10 inch glass ... feet or so (it appears in the opening credits of "WKRP in Cincinnati"). The tall building on the right, with "New York Life" in the ... of Fifth and Vine, its final location. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/22/2015 - 10:16am -

Circa 1907. "Fountain Square, Cincinnati." Dry goods, dentists and the Western Tray Factory. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Not much still thereThe fountain is still there, although it's been moved a hundred feet or so (it appears in the opening credits of "WKRP in Cincinnati"). The tall building on the right, with "New York Life" in the upper windows, is still there. Just about everything else in the shot is long gone. Mabley & CarewThe person on the scaffolding on the left of the image looks to be hanging lights possibly as a Christmas decoration for the Mabley and Carew Department Store. The store in the image is on the Northeast Corner of Fifth and Vine streets. (The fountain is in the middle of Fifth street). Here is a previous Shorpy post that depicts a different view of the Mabley and Carew building. https://www.shorpy.com/node/11254. The store relocated to three of the four corners of Fifth and Vine during its lifetime. I worked for Mabley and Carew in the early to mid 60s. At that time the store was on the Northwest corner of Fifth and Vine, its final location. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Urban Ohio: 1907
Cincinnati again circa 1907. "Fourth Street west from Main." The WURLITZER sign ... Return! Last weekend streetcars returned to Cincinnati and topped 20,000 riders! Two trolley poles. Note the two trolley poles on the trolley. Cincinnati would not allow electric cars to pick up their ground through the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/23/2016 - 10:53am -

Cincinnati again circa 1907. "Fourth Street west from Main." The WURLITZER sign makes its umpteenth appearance on these pages. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Streetcars Return!Last weekend streetcars returned to Cincinnati and topped 20,000 riders! Two trolley poles.Note the two trolley poles on the trolley. Cincinnati would not allow electric cars to pick up their ground through the rails and mandated an overhead ground wire. This to prevent damage to gas and water pipes due to electrolysis, a serious problem. Outside of the city proper the cars did pick up their ground through the rails and ran with one pole down. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Orange Crush: 1926
... for "Cincinnata," as some Buckeyes referred to Cincinnati. The Orange Crush beverage I recall was late 1940s vintage in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 12:34pm -

Washington, D.C., 1926. "Industrial Exposition. Orange Crush." A literally moldy oldie. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. If you're a fan of these Washington Industrial Expo photos, stay tuned. .05I'll have an orange crush for 5 cents please. Lemon and LimeLooking in the background, they had lemon and lime crush too. Huh, I never knew that. My PalDon't know if these orange drinks were nationally distributed or regional but having spent my first 24 years in Connecticut, I also loved Pal, a non-carbonated orangeade. Crush was good too, but carbonated. Much later there was a grape Crush and also a Nehi Grape. The Northeast also had birch beer which I have not found anywhere else around the USA. There was dark birchbeer, white birchbeer and red birchbeer, a very refreshing cold drink, especially good with Connecticut pizza. (Come to think of it, I don't think I have ever seen a white birch tree since I left Ct.) Everything was so much tastier in those days, maybe my tastebuds have died. Thanks for the wonderful "blasts from the past", I love them all. Trade ExpoI wonder if they took these just before the doors opened. They all look curiously void of customers compared to trade expos I've visited. Drink UpI can understand the Lemon and Lime Crush. But the Schmidt's... is that the non-alcholic version made for prohibition era markets? I can't find a good picture of the label of that brew. I've got my spine ...I'd imagine most site visitors between the ages of 30 and 50 now have the same R.E.M. song stuck in their head. I was pleased to learn that the drink is still made, though not as widely available as it once was. It had been around for about 10 years when this picture was taken; Lemon and Lime Crush were newer introductions. Good GrapePrevious commenter said grape was invented years later, but there it is on the sign behind the balloons. [He was talking about Nehi Grape. There was also Nu-Grape, seen here and here. - Dave] Counter GirlAt expos today, they usually use models. This girl looks a little like Jerri Blank. Foxon Park Birch BeerFoxon Park in East Haven still makes white birch beer and it's still great. They use real sugar, not high fructose corn syrup. You can order it from their website: http://www.foxonpark.com/ I'm sure a bottle will show your taste buds to be fine.They also make Iron Brew, which some people compare to Dr. Pepper. If you like Moxie, you'll like Iron Brew. Old memoriesMy first job in the early 60's was making Orange Crush for a local distributor in Fall River, Mass. Delco Bottling. I remember the time we put root beer bottle caps on the Orange Crush. OOPS! Mom & Pop pop"Cinti" -- never heard of that particular abbreviation for "Cincinnata," as some Buckeyes referred to Cincinnati. The Orange Crush beverage I recall was late 1940s vintage in the ripply brown bottles. It contained real orange juice and pulp with a lot less sugar. At our local "mom & pop" convenience store you leaned over the water-filled cooler, lifted one of the heavy double doors, plunged your hand into the cold water filled with various brands of pop and wiped the dripping bottle on an equally soaking wet cloth. Then you put your selection in the bottle-top remover on the cooler and snapped off the cap, which dropped down into a receptacle that the local boys were only too happy to empty. We'd remove the cork liners, place the metal part on the outside of our T-shirts and push the cork liner from the inside our T's back into the back of the cap. This gave us instant "badges" looking a lot like military medals and we'd see how many we could get on one shirt. It was great for playing soldier! The caps were also scratchy against our bare skin. We also collected paper milk bottle caps. There were always a bunch of different dairies who delivered door-to-door with their horse drawn wagons. But that's a whole other pastime. We seldom had money to buy baseball card bubble gum packs. These were the days of very low tech, no-cost activities we neighborhood kids would do during summer vacations. We never seemed to get bored. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Sweet Street: 1907
Circa 1907. "Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio." Where the brands vying for your trade include Mullane and ... gauge of 4 feet 8.5 inches. Two trolley poles? Cincinnati was one of a handful of cities that forbade their streetcar lines ... http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/citywiseblog/cincinnati-vintage-candy-... A Florida candy company uses a machine from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/23/2016 - 12:03am -

Circa 1907. "Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio." Where the brands vying for your trade include Mullane and Wurlitzer. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Wide Gauge.Cincinnatti was unique in many ways with their streetcar system. Other than the dual poles, it's worth noting how wide the gauge between the rails is. Though it's assumed this was to make it easy for horse drawn carriages also use the tracks as a guide, the truth is less...well interesting. When the trolley lines were under construction, it was feared that freight trains might end up on the street lines. To avoid this, all Cincy trolley tracks were built to a wider gauge, being 5 feet between the rails, while freight and other railroads used the "standard" gauge of 4 feet 8.5 inches. Two trolley poles?Cincinnati was one of a handful of cities that forbade their streetcar lines from using the running rails for ground return of electricity. The theory was that stray currents from the rails would follow underground water and gas pipes causing corrosive electrolysis of the pipes. So, a second trolley wire was installed above the track parallel to the positive wire. Hence, two trolley poles on each car. Mullane CandyI had wondered about Mullane Candy and found a video that I think is rather interesting. http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/citywiseblog/cincinnati-vintage-candy-... A Florida candy company uses a machine from Mullane's to make candy. Mullane's closed up in the 80's. The North Side of the StreetThis is one of those views of Cincinnati where most of the buildings still stand (at least on the north side of the street). The classical Third National Bank is gone, but most of the rest of what can be seen is still there - the next building down was a TJ Maxx until recently, after that is a Quiznos and Bang and Olufsen now, The "German National Bank" on the corner is now a Starbucks, the tall building in the foreground is the Ingalls Building and still partially occupied by a local Gyro storefront, and the Bartlett Building (tall building in the background) was recently renovated and turned into a rather nice hotel. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Neighborhood Watch: 1935
... a while to figure out, but I was able to identify this as Cincinnati's Walnut Hills neighborhood. The buildings at the extreme top right ... lot of individual touches. (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, Cincinnati Photos) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/23/2015 - 11:57am -

December 1935. "Suburban section. Hamilton County, Ohio." Photo by Carl Mydans for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Not a Happy Ending HereThis one took me quite a while to figure out, but I was able to identify this as Cincinnati's Walnut Hills neighborhood. The buildings at the extreme top right of the photo are on Gilbert Avenue, a good 1,500 feet away. The five houses in the foreground are on Symmes Street about a block north of Florence Avenue, looking to the east northeast. The CL&N Railroad ran up the hill from right to left a block behind these houses on a frightening 3.5% grade. Sadly Symmes Street here and these houses were obliterated for the construction of I-71 in the 1960s. The rest of the neighborhood hasn't fared much better, and today most people would consider this decidedly inner-city, as opposed to suburban. I Am LegendAn abandoned jacket on the hood of a car, an open gate, uncollected mail, a solitary cat and a lone man walking down the hill. It's a bit creepy, somehow. All look much the sameexcept, they are all slightly different. One wonders whether the interiors were the same. I guess we'll never know now. Not All The SameMy favorite thing about this is though these all look similar and probably have the same size lots and even chimneys in the same place none of them are the same at all. A lot of individual touches. (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, Cincinnati Photos)
Gritty Cincy: 1935
December 1935. "Hamilton County, Ohio. Cincinnati slum dwellings." Close-up of the houses seen in yesterday's post. ... or used by another family. (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, Cincinnati Photos) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2011 - 10:26pm -

December 1935. "Hamilton County, Ohio. Cincinnati slum dwellings." Close-up of the houses seen in yesterday's post. Note the railcar in the background. 35mm negative by Carl Mydans for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Both sides of the tracksThat really is the wrong side of the tracks. Wonder who lived in the aforementioned castle up the hill. [As it turns out, college students. See the comments here. - Dave] Why...is there a stove lying on its side in the foreground? I would assume that ANYTHING in this neighborhood would be scooped up to sell for scrap or used by another family. (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, Cincinnati Photos)
Municipal Palace: 1907
Cincinnati circa 1907. "Federal Building (Custom House and Post Office)." ... Photo shows clearly the double overhead peculiar to the Cincinnati electric streetcar system; all of the other hundreds of trolley ... helped prevent wheel wear and noise. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/29/2017 - 12:04pm -

Cincinnati circa 1907. "Federal Building (Custom House and Post Office)." Alfred B. Mullett, architect. Completed 1885, demolished 1936. View full size. Can't quite make out what the man center right foreground is doing, cleaning the tracks? There's a point to his sweepingIt looks to me as though he's sweeping out the switch points. Stones etc. can get lodged there and keep the switch from closing all the way, causing derailments. 51 years seem too fewThat's how long between completion and demolition of this beautiful building, which today would be regarded as a treasure were it extant. Photo shows clearly the double overhead peculiar to the Cincinnati electric streetcar system; all of the other hundreds of trolley systems use/used single wire feed with return through the rails. Reason given was alleged interference with the telephone system. (Havana, Cuba also had double overhead.) Sweeping or greasingThe man in the image could also be greasing the switches. "Greaser" was a common though lowly occupation at many big city streetcar systems. Careful greasing of switches and tight curves helped prevent wheel wear and noise. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Gold Coin Mine: 1900
... The orig. troupe, under white proprietorship, played Cincinnati, OH, in May 1899 with a roster that included the Blackstone Quartet, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 1:38pm -

Circa 1900. "Victor, Colorado. Gold Coin Mine." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Coontown 400Just to the right of the building with the painted advertisement for "Elector" cigars, you can see a fence plastered with advertising for "Coontown 400", a variety troupe. Whether it is the same troupe as below or not, I'm not sure. Perhaps they had already made bookings and then went bust. I couldn't find another revue by the same name. Although there is a cartoon book called "Coontown's 400" by E.W. Kemble, published in 1899, "with what we would today consider racist portrayals of "darkies". "Coontown Four Hundred (also Coontown 400). Variety troupe, active at the turn of the century, which underwent a number of changes of name and management. The orig. troupe, under white proprietorship, played Cincinnati, OH, in May 1899 with a roster that included the Blackstone Quartet, Tom Brown, Edna Alexander, Ida Forsyne, Whitney and Tutt, and others; it then disbanded in Nov. of the same year for non-payment of salaries. Management was taken over by Howard McCarver in September 1901, and the name was changed to A Honolulu Coon Co..." "The African American theatre directory, 1816-1960" "One of Arthur Marshall's anecdotes has Marshall and [Scott] Hayden both living with the Joplins. This had to have been in late 1902 or 1903, for Marshall had been on a two-year tour with the Dan McCabe's Coontown 400 until the fall of 1902. It was probably at the end of the tour that he moved in with the Joplins, for Dan McCane in December was in St. Louis and visited the Joplins" "King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and his era" One Hundred and thirteen polesAmazing. Telephone, telegraph, electric, I counted one hundred and three poles before I started seeing double. Then spotted several more. You could spend days studying the histories of technology, architecture, construction, transportation, manufacturing, marketing and more, just in this single photograph. I love it. Still haven't found Waldo, however. What a Project!Super photo from which to fashion a scratch built model railroading site in one's basement. So much going on, track at several different levels, limitless building designs, and a background that leads into a diorama-like mountain scenic. I'd put a flag on that pole next to the smokestack, however. Victor RR Depot - then and nowFrom the building with the Elector Cigars sign, follow that street to the right and where it ends you will find the Victor Midland RR Depot. The depot's overhanging roof casts dark shadows on the side of the building, which was the center of much activity at the time this photo was taken. The depot still stands today in relative isolation and four photos of it taken in 2006 can be viewed on this page. The eastern end of the depot is closest to the camera in the 1900 photo, which looks to the southwest. August 1899 FireA large part of Victor burned to the ground in 1899, and it is said that most of the town was rebuilt in six months of brick instead of wood. It does seem as though there is a lot of "new construction" around! (The Gallery, Mining, Railroads, W.H. Jackson)
King Street: 1926
... as used by trolleybuses and a few tram systems like Cincinnati. Upward Mobility I always look for the Model T Fords. Only a ... electrical capacity without stringing feeder cables. Cincinnati had them for lines within the city limits. Some lines used double ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/13/2011 - 12:56pm -

Alexandria, Virginia, 1926. "Citizens National Bank, King Street at St. Asaph Street." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Another Streetscape lost to timeView Larger Map +84Below is the same view from December of 2010. The Tragedy of "Urban Renewal"I live two blocks from this intersection and eat in the Chipotle that now resides under that awning at least once a week. Although Alexandria has a lot of great historic preservation, the two blocks in the distance were sacrificed to the wrecking ball, in the process replacing the famous Marshall House Tavern (where Col. Elmer Ellsworth met his end during the early days of the Civil War) with a nondescript Holiday Inn (since mercifully replaced with a Hotel Monaco). Trolley wiresNever have seen double overhead trolley wires like that, except for trolley buses which have no ground connection through rails. Seems strange. 2 Horsepower TransportationAmongst all the cool vehicles there are still our four legged friends plying their trade. Nice treatment with the clock on the Citizens National Bank. The clarity in this image reigns supreme. It's a shame our ghosted ladies weren't standing still, that would have really set the scene here. Why the double wiresThe double trolley wires are used in this case means one wire for each direction of travel on the "single" track section of street running. They are not insulated from each other so both wires are hot with "600 Volts DC" and the rails are used for the gound return to the sub station. Sometimes double wires were used instead of feeder cables to help distribute direct current which suffers from greater "line loss" over distances compared to alternating current(AC)that we use in our homes today. Depending on the streetcar company "600 volts" could be anything from 550 volts to 750 volts. Double wires for trolley buses or trackless trolleys are typically 24 inches appart and of course insulated from each other and require more "overhead" hardware in the sky for curves and junctions. I don't know anything about Alexandria streetcars but looking at this picture it appears that their days are numbered due to the "farside" bus stop zones apparent at the intersection. The streetcar stops are "nearside" as evidenced by the "STOP" signs attached to the span wires that hold up the trolley wire on either side of the intersection. Double Trolley WiresCould be either i) A wire for each direction or ii) Extra feed capacity They're too close together to be positive and negative conductors as used by trolleybuses and a few tram systems like Cincinnati. Upward MobilityI always look for the Model T Fords. Only a few here; mostly more expensive makes. This was an affluent area. Double Trolley WiresThose double trolley wires were not that rare: it's a simple way to increase electrical capacity without stringing feeder cables. Cincinnati had them for lines within the city limits. Some lines used double wire for single track like that in the Alexandria photo for bi-directional travel. The Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle interurban in western PA was one of these-see photo below. I don't know what the case was in Alexandria, but it's not that strange. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Natl Photo, Streetcars)
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