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Rock and Roll: 1956
... by Phillip Harrington for Look. View full size. Columbus Discovers Elvis Here's some contemporary coverage including the ... http://columbusbicentennial.blogspot.com/2012/01/elvis-in-columbus-may-1... Columbus, Ohio May 1956 More photos of this concert ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/15/2013 - 1:42pm -

Elvis Presley at a 1956 concert date; we're counting the minutes until someone can tell us which one. Photo by Phillip Harrington for Look. View full size. Columbus Discovers ElvisHere's some contemporary coverage including the multi-hued splendor of his apparel: http://columbusbicentennial.blogspot.com/2012/01/elvis-in-columbus-may-1... Columbus, Ohio May 1956More photos of this concert can be found here: http://scottymoore.net/columbus.html Also, note that by the time of this concert Scotty Moore was no longer playing the Gibson ES-295. He had traded it in the previous year towards the Gibson L-5 he's playing in these photos. A hand tooled leather covermight have looked cool, but it must have destroyed the resonance of a really great guitar( the 1955 Martin D28). A little extra amplificationThis had to be an amazingly simple, pure concert, and those small amps would have trouble filling any medium-sized auditorium back then. But some smart person in this pre-sound engineer era put a public address microphone in front of that amp, so at least you could hear the music along with the words more easily. That is, if you could hear anything with all the screaming young girls. Isn't the King playing a non-electrified guitar? I don't see a cord or a sound pickup anywhere. That's why he's the king. Columbus, OHVeterans Memorial Auditorium, May 26, 1956 More here http://scottymoore.net/columbus.html Bare Bones Rock and RollThat's D.J. Fontana keeping the beat behind the King. Scotty Moore would be stage right of Elvis playing his gold top Gibson ES-295 electric archtop hollowbody guitar, which was plugged into the amp perched on the chair. Bill Black would also have been on stage playing his upright acoustic bass. Elvis is wearing his unamplified 1955 Martin D-28 guitar with custom leather cover tooled by Marcus Van Story, who worked at the O.K. Houck Piano Company in Memphis (where Elvis purchased the guitar). Man, that Cat could rock! Talk about bare bones presentationSingle guitar amp plopped on top of a folding chair. Drum kit that could fit into his suitcase. No lasers No strobes No stack of Fender amps. Pure, so very pure. I'm not much of an Elvis fan but this guy had more stage presence than 3,000 American Idol finalists put together. We Want ScottyCouldn't tell you the location, but it's great to see drummer D.J. Fontana in his natural habitat. Poor Elvis had no stage monitors, so he had to yelp out the vocals just so he could hear himself over all the little screaming girls. Sadly, we don't see even the shadow of lead guitarist Scotty Moore and his Gibson ES-295, nor Bill Black on upright bass. It's interesting to see Scotty's amp has a mic on it, so his sound was reinforced through the house PA system, such as it was. The Beatles would encounter similarly primitive sound reinforcement facilities 8 years later. Here's wishing for a full band pic. Hello ColumbusIt looks like other Harrington photos I've seen of Elvis performing at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio in 1956. Same clothes, stage setup and curtain. Who's that again?The Ohio State Journal story previewing the concert mentioned here says in part, "In addition to singer Elvis Presley, the show will feature Jackie Little; the Blue Moon Boys; the Flaims; Frankie Connors and Phil Maraquin." I'm an old rock-and-roller, but who were those people? Who those people were@Mark Rummel The Blue Moon boys were Scotty and Bill, and then later on DJ, Elvis' band. They got the name from their second recording, Blue Moon of Kentucky. The others were opening variety style opening acts that were put together by Al Dvorin when the Colonel decided that Elvis would no longer share the bill with anyone considered a competitor or contemporary. I have more on them on pages about the venues at the beginning of that tour here http://scottymoore.net/StPaul.html , http://scottymoore.net/Minneapolis.html and http://scottymoore.net/lacrosse.html Hello ColumbusThis is Elvis performing on May 26, 1956 at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio. (The Gallery, Elvis 1956, Music, Phillip Harrington)
Christmas in Columbus: 1955
December 1955. Columbus, Georgia. "Christmas decorations on Broadway." 4x5 inch acetate ... Yes it is - Schomburg. Thanks. Good buy, Columbus Kress was - of course (?) - known for its Art Deco buildings erected during the Depression; but Columbus seems to have had to make do with an older yellow brick storefront. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/10/2022 - 10:45am -

December 1955. Columbus, Georgia. "Christmas decorations on Broadway." 4x5 inch acetate negative from the Shorpy News Photo Archive. View full size. TimingNice hand alignment, Mr. Schomburg! 10:54:24 Can't see the Kress for the treesJimmy's Jewelers, at 1121 Broadway is where ?mburg Jeweler was in December 1955. The S.H. Kress & Co. storefront is still there; but the building is gone and all that's left is a parking lot assessable from Front Ave, the next street over. Lots of trees line Broadway between 11th and 12th Streets now and there is still a good amount of retail, especially restaurants. It looked nice in 1955 and looks nice now. [As noted below, the jeweler's name is on the clock. - Dave] Yes it is - Schomburg. Thanks. Good buy, ColumbusKress was - of course (?) - known for its Art Deco buildings erected during the Depression; but Columbus seems to have had to make do with an older yellow brick storefront. Can't see the city for the trees nowMy first job out of college was as a reporter at The Columbus Ledger on 12th Street. I must have walked past that Kress's 500 times on the way to the Government Center as the paper's government reporter and for lunch at Spano's. But there was not a tree in sight in the early '70s, so it looked about like it did in the mid-'50s. I've seen Shorpy photos of Augusta, Ga., my home town, and it is a carbon copy of Columbus, only flipped, with the river walk on the east in Augusta and on the west in Columbus. And Augusta's downtown, too, has been taken over by trees in the past 50 years. I guess that was the trend in urban planning then. Blue ChristmasIs that Elvis with an electric guitar under the Kress awning performing Blue Christmas? [Or an acoustic mandolin. - Dave] Forward in TimeThe great clock moved with the store to the north side of town. Lincoln CapriVery nice 1954 Lincoln Capri parked at the curb. White, with a dark (black probably?) top, wide white sidewall tires, and a very slick rear-mounted spare tire. The 1950's were a little schizophrenic about car design. Mid-50's were pretty good, but by the time 1959 rolled around, it was all about wildly oversized fins, trunks and hoods you could land a small plane on, and wheelbase that was out of control. But this 1954 model is an example of some of the best mid-decade design there was. That Lincoln... is stunning. Angling for Details I was immediately drawn into this wonderful shot because of the photo angle & amount of detail provided - including by other commenters. Love everything vintage, so I appreciate the car, building & location information shared. The personal stories & memories are the icing on the cake. (The Gallery, Christmas, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive, Stores & Markets)
Hello Columbus: 1909
Columbus, Ohio, circa 1909. "Aerial view from courthouse." Shorpy, who knows how to have a good time, is celebrating Columbus Day with this detailed panorama made from three 8x10 glass negatives. View full size. The Trolley Follies Looks like Columbus is celebrating Columbus Day with Streetcars on Parade. Then and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/07/2012 - 11:24pm -

Columbus, Ohio, circa 1909. "Aerial view from courthouse." Shorpy, who knows how to have a good time, is celebrating Columbus Day with this detailed panorama made from three 8x10 glass negatives. View full size. The Trolley FolliesLooks like Columbus is celebrating Columbus Day with Streetcars on Parade. Then and nowI love these detailed panoramas. Most of the fun (after absorbing the detail) is trying to match them to the Google streetview equivalents. Assuming this is looking north (based on shadows) and using the address on Stewart Brothers store, would this same view would now be looking at the Greater Columbus Convention Centre? Re: Then and nowThe convention center would actually be farther to the north, out of view in this picture. The tall two-toned building near the upper center of the photo is still there today. Happy Columbus DayDelightful shot of my city, including the distinctive Statehouse rotunda. Big Al42--This would be well south of the current convention center--about 12 blocks south. It looks north on High Street, from about Mound Street. Dad Entered OSU in 1909My father entered the engineering school of OSU in 1909, graduated in 1913. He had stories that the streetcars were short affairs with just a single solidly mounted 4-wheel truck. There was so much overhang that the naughty university boys could time their jumping at each end and cause the car to (nearly??) leave the track. From East Main and South HighI believe this is photograph was taken looking north from the roof of the Great Southern Hotel (seen here https://www.shorpy.com/node/9133) at the corner of East Main Street and South High Street. At least two buildings are still extant on the west side of High Street with another that may have an updated façade. In addition to the Capitol rotunda noted by srich12345 in the center distance, the tall building at 8 East Broad Street is visible (also seen here https://www.shorpy.com/node/8661 and still extant). The view toward this vantage point looking south down South High Street from State Street can be seen here https://www.shorpy.com/node/8652. [Good catch. If this had actually been taken from the Courthouse, the Great Southern Hotel would be visible from this angle. - tterrace] Theo Wolfram Co.Patented the Aluminum fretboard guitar in 1893 and was only in business another year or so after this photo was taken. I love these slices of life from a century ago, you never know what you'll see and learn. http://19thcenturyguitar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&i... (Panoramas, DPC, Streetcars)
Stop, Look, Listen: 1943
... today down Washington Street from its intersection with Columbus Boulevard. The brick building with columns was and is Elks Lodge 957. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/21/2024 - 11:51am -

June 1943. "New Britain, Connecticut, is home to many essential war industries. A woman railroad crossing watcher letting down the gates until the train passes." 4x5 inch acetate negative by Gordon Parks for the Office of War Information. View full size. And without glovesI love the woman in this photo. To operate railroad crossing gates she wore a dress, hose, and heels, but no gloves. Below is looking south today down Washington Street from its intersection with Columbus Boulevard. The brick building with columns was and is Elks Lodge 957. The huge parking garage at left today is attached to New Britain City Hall. Lost in ToylandOne can only imagine the treasures to be found in that store. (The Gallery, Gordon Parks, Railroads, WW2)
Red Comb Feeds: 1943
... Fallen Flags PM Pere Marquette CCC&StL Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & St. Louis "Big 4" NYC New York Central SL-SF St ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/13/2024 - 9:40pm -

January 1943. Riverdale, Illinois. "Freight operations of the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad. Grain elevator and mill at a siding of the Harbor Belt's Blue Island Yard south of Chicago." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Water StopToday's photographer might use AI to remove the arm (water stop?) from the image. Or maybe not. Perhaps the tall stack as well. I say, leave 'em in -- they're part of the story. A dangerous job made worseSleet or freezing rain has been the order of the day here. Everything is covered with a glaze of ice, making the easiest tasks of railroading a threat to life and limb. All of the railroads represented by the boxcars here are long gone. Fallen FlagsPM Pere Marquette CCC&StL Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & St. Louis "Big 4" NYC New York Central SL-SF St Louis-San Francisco "The Frisco" DT&I Detroit, Toledo & Ironton "We Have the Connections" Henry Ford's RR It used to be fun to see how many different carriers cars were in a freight train. Now unmarked private cars (reporting marks end in X) go sliding by incognito. Freezing hazemade buildings in the background look as if being painted. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Heart of Cleveland: 1950
... resort. The sleeper will return to Cleveland via Columbus, Ohio, on the New York Central. In the flats, we see the yellow brick ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2024 - 5:22pm -

Summer 1950. "Heart of downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and Union Terminal Group (Terminal Tower and Hotel Cleveland)." Gelatin silver print by Carl McDow. View full size. The Flat Iron Cafe survivesThere have been many changes since this 1950 photo, but the Flat Iron Cafe (bottom left corner) is still there. Its profile says it's an unpretentious brick-walled tavern with live music. I suspect its younger patrons have no idea what a flat iron is. Click to embiggen Afternoon normalAfternoon rush hour getting underway as West Siders flood the Detroit/Superior Highlevel bridge. On the Cleveland Union Terminal Railroad, a streamlined Chesapeake & Ohio sleeper is getting set over to build the Nickel Plate's Cleveland-St. Louis train #9. The NKP will take the sleeper as far as Fostoria where it will join the C&O's "Sportsman" heading toward the Greenbrier resort. The sleeper will return to Cleveland via Columbus, Ohio, on the New York Central. In the flats, we see the yellow brick towered B&O station that lost its trains when the B&O moved the "Cleveland Night Express" and "Washingtonian" into the CUT. There is room on the near side of the CUT viaduct for additional tracks, and by 1960 the Cleveland Transit System will use that space for the cross-town Rapid Transit system. Just a Little Before I was BornThis would have been a vista of what my dad saw when in worked in Cleveland during 1948 and 1949. He met my mother in 1948 in Parkersburg, WV where they both lived. Dad got a job in Cleveland working at a key plant. He would hitchhike home from Cleveland every Friday evening after work to see my mother and hitchhike back to Cleveland on Sunday. There was no I-77 back then. Only U.S. Route 21. I’ve heard many stories about how long it took Dad to make it home to Parkersburg. Mother became a lifelong Cleveland baseball fan in 1948 when the Indians won the series. Chief Wahoo stood watch at her casket, and I still possess the Cleveland Indian pinback button Dad gave to my mother in 1948. Patrick Catenary SupportsThe overhead lattice structures over the trackage on the bridge were there to support catenary wire that carried 3000 volt DC current to power the electric locomotives used in Cleveland Union Terminal to comply with smoke abatement concerns. These locomotives or 'motors' were used until 1954 when they were modified to run off the 600 volt third rail in the New York City trackage into Grand Central Terminal. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cleveland, Railroads)
Safety Patrol: 1956
Columbus, Georgia, circa 1956. "Police cars at Muscogee County Jail." Let's be ... County wasn't locked into one single supplier. Columbus Stockade Blues This building still stands , but is now known as ... long enough to have served as the inspiration for the "Columbus Stockade Blues", written in the 1920s by Tom Darby & Jimmie ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/29/2022 - 7:52pm -

Columbus, Georgia, circa 1956. "Police cars at Muscogee County Jail." Let's be careful out there! 4x5 inch acetate negative from the Shorpy News Photo Archive. View full size. Now, fewer windows.More bricks, though. Variety is the spiceFour cars -- Plymouth, Chevy, Ford, Dodge -- representing the Big Three. Muscogee County wasn't locked into one single supplier. Columbus Stockade BluesThis building still stands, but is now known as the "old jail". The newer version can be seen behind it. This block of town has contained a jail long enough to have served as the inspiration for the "Columbus Stockade Blues", written in the 1920s by Tom Darby & Jimmie Tarlton, and based on real life events. Small town, not much to do in the evenin'What we have here is a failure to communicate! Hogaaan!The asymmetry annoys me. Columbus police were busy back thenThe mob was entrenched in Phenix City Alabama back in the '40s and '50s. Phenix City was just across the Chattahoochee River from Columbus, the home of Fort Benning, which was busy during WWII and the Korean War. Gambling and prostitution and liquor were freely practiced there. So people coming across the river after "celebrating" their passes from the base were a real challenge. One of the houses actually had a neon sign "Ma Beechies" advertising its location!!! I wonder if they Spread out their car purchases to every dealership in town? That would explain the mix of makes with all being new '56s. [That's a 1955 Ford. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive)
Mall Santa: 1957
... (Is that a word?) Before moving to Indy, I lived in Columbus, Ohio. All the 1950s malls had been enclosed except Westland. Even ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/05/2024 - 1:28pm -

Circa 1956-57. "Urbanism -- USA. Mid-Island Plaza in Long Island, New York." So where's the Cinnabon? 35mm color transparency, Paul Rudolph Archive. View full size. Will-o'-the-Wisp"A Will-o’-the-wisp is a phantom light that hovers in the wilderness, luring travelers ..." And shoppers. ughThat Long Island haze of the mid-20th century. That's the bluest most skies ever got there. Lerner ShopsI was born in 1957 and I remember even as a kid, enjoying window shopping at Lerner's when out with my mom. And I loved it when I was old enough to shop there for cute outfits with my own money in the '70s. The store was founded by Harold Lane along with Samuel Lerner, uncle of lyricist Alan Jay Lerner. Timeless Amazing that this photo is 60+ years old, it looks like it could be today. The lack of period cars and clothes makes it timeless. Santa? Or Satan?That is a horrifying visage. This reminds me --of those long-ago days when you had to actually go places to get stuff. It just needs hornsThat Santa would do much better as Krampus. ArcadeThis early version of the shopping mall – before they were all transformed or built in the covered-over version – makes me think of streets in other countries where they have arcades which provide protection at street level from the weather. It’s pleasant to be outdoors while it’s raining and not need an umbrella. Also, as someone, like JennyPennifer, who was born in 1957, I always twitch when I see that year. [Our photo is a visual representation of the definition of "mall" -- an open, unroofed plaza, lined with buildings or trees on either side. - Dave] Oakridge Shopping Centre: 1959When it opened in Vancouver, B.C., in 1959 Oakridge was not an enclosed mall as it later became. It was anchored by Woodward's Department Store, and was not in an outer suburb. Now the same location is being developed with multiple high-rise residential towers adjacent to a rapid transit station. The 1950s design is remarkably similar to the Long Island mall. Woodward's huge food floor had staff that loaded the groceries into your car for you. Jericho NativeI lived in West Birchwood in the 60's, starting when I was 6 years old. We'd get on our bicycles in the morning and roam around all day. There was a tunnel under the Northern State Parkway that gave us access to the Cantiague Park and Pool. Often we'd then head over to the Plaza to hang out and grab a slice of Sicilian pizza at Pizza D'Amore. There was a merry-go-round in the northeastern part of the plaza. Then home for dinner. Two Other ExamplesThis very much reminds me of Glendale Mall in Indianapolis. The mall had been enclosed when I arrived in late 1981, but it retained the Mid-Century Modern ambiance, along with some quirky amenities such as a fountain with moving parts all made of copper, a chandelier made out of many glass tubes, a 20-foot diameter circle on the Terrazzo floor that had the signs of the zodiac on pedestals around the perimeter containing a daily horoscope, and an indoor sidewalk cafe. Today, the center part of Glendale is gone, and the remaining two structures have been "demallified." (Is that a word?) Before moving to Indy, I lived in Columbus, Ohio. All the 1950s malls had been enclosed except Westland. Even though Westland was on the other side of town from me, I drove clear over there because the enclosed malls (such as my own Northland) were oppressive to me. In the summer of 1981, Westland was enclosed and I stopped going there. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Christmas, Stores & Markets)
Hello, Columbus: 1905
Columbus, Ohio, circa 1905. "Great Southern Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass ... 10-11-10 I guess this is Shorpy's way of saying Happy Columbus Day! A familiar sight I worked in downtown Columbus for three years in the late '90s. My office was on Broad Street across ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 2:37pm -

Columbus, Ohio, circa 1905. "Great Southern Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Still thereThis is the one hotel from the late 1800s they did not tear down. It is still in operation as a Westin hotel. The section of the building at the left with the fancier arch is the Southern Theater, which was recently renovated. View Larger Map My Home TownIt's nice to see it here on Shorpy. Have any more? 10-11-10I guess this is Shorpy's way of saying Happy Columbus Day! A familiar sightI worked in downtown Columbus for three years in the late '90s. My office was on Broad Street across from the original Wendy's, about four blocks from the old Great Southern. Columbus is a neat town. I miss it. One of the greatest public libraries in the US is there. Hello HollyThere's another one of those Holly hydrants. Comfort OutI've stayed here, and the experience suggested a few reasons why most such hotels *have* been torn down. It's hard to make them work properly as hotels now. When the building was constructed, hotel rooms didn't all have private baths, desks, two nightstands, easy chairs, giant TV armoires, and king-size beds. Add those things to this building's standard rooms and you have to sidle around the room, squeezing yourself past the furniture. (The bigger corner rooms, incidentally, are as ridiculously large as the standard ones are ridiculously tiny. Book one of those.) When I was there, the lobby was lit with the original electric chandelier, i.e. 100 unfrosted light bulbs about 30 feet above the floor. This thing was a technical marvel in 1897, but the light it casts is like the light from 100 bare light bulbs 30 feet away. It's easy to forget when looking at long-exposure photos that to the people who inhabited these interiors at the time, these were likely all very dim and shadowy places when the sun was not shining. Unflattering light or no, the lobby well worth a visit for Shorpy fans, as there is (or was, anyway) a collection of historical photos showing the differing appearance of the lobby over the years. Today's version is self-consciously "original" but with more comfortable furniture, but in the past they more or less took the approach of using the room as a setting for whatever decor happened to be in vogue at the time. Now just where is that ATM?Certainly looks like the lady is looking for something. +101The view from almost the same perspective from September of 2006. Building to the rightI was just driving by here last week. It stands out in my memory because the building to the right of the hotel has a very fancy facade, but the rest of the building is a very plain brick box. My daughter thought it was a peculiar combination. Columbus is nice like that though, lots of old buildings in and around downtown. (The Gallery, DPC)
Fountain Service: 1974
April 1974. Columbus, Indiana. "General view of soda fountain area -- Zaharako Bros. Ice ... since 1900. This parlor was a major social center in Columbus for the first 50 years. Known for its elaborate interior and ice cream ... How rare is that? An organ in an ice cream parlor. Columbus, Indiana: a great place to visit Had lunch here in 1998. Went over ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 11:04pm -

April 1974. Columbus, Indiana. "General view of soda fountain area -- Zaharako Bros. Ice Cream Parlor, 329 Washington Street. Family-run ice cream and confectionery business operating since 1900. This parlor was a major social center in Columbus for the first 50 years. Known for its elaborate interior and ice cream still made by the Zaharako family. Mexican onyx soda fountains purchased 1905; extra counter added 1949; store front modernized 1959." 5x7 negative by Jack E. Boucher, Historic American Buildings Survey. View full size. How rare is that?An organ in an ice cream parlor. Columbus, Indiana: a great place to visitHad lunch here in 1998. Went over to Columbus to see the 1952 Indy pole winner on display at Cummings Diesel, but for some reason it was somewhere else. The Cummings receptionist recommended Zaharako Brothers for lunch. What a delightful surprise. Then we discovered the great architecture the city is well known for. Columbus, Indiana is truly a well kept secret. I'm on a budget- so I'll just have the GOM sandwich, which is 40 cents. Incidentally, this restaurant still stands, although the GOM is now $5.99 Sundae DelightPlease tell me this soda fountain is still in business. What a wonderful place to sit and snack. Eye candy for sure! Pull up a seat and give me a treat! And still in operation todayZak's is an institution in Columbus, a local treasure. And it has not succumbed to modernization or obsolescence. http://www.zaharakos.com Great pricesWow, what a shock to see the date on this picture! There weren't very many such places still operating by that time. I do, however, know of one place, the Bluebird in Logan, Utah, that looks a lot like this and is still operating. Logan was the birthplace of John Gilbert, who was one of the most famous Hollywood actors of the silent era. One time, they screened several of his best films in the historic theater that had been recently remodeled. To see his films on the big screen, and then walk down the block and eat lunch at the Bluebird was like a trip back 80 years! 38 Years LaterThey still sell "Zingers" in my work place vending machine but Charlie Brown is not on the wrapper. Today I paid more than 10 times the going rate for a chicken salad sandwich. I wonder if Zaharako Bros. included chips and a pickle? UndiscoveredAll that is missing from this picture is Lana Turner! Parallel ParlorThe marble counter and over-the-top light fixtures seem to be a staple of historic soda fountains and ice cream parlors. This photo reminds me a lot of Aglamesis Brothers here in Cincinnati. It's still in the same 1913 building, with most of the original fixtures remaining, including the wonderful imported Portuguese marble counter, Tiffany lamps, tin ceiling, and tile floor. My goodness!A lot higher prices than we're used to seeing here. That's no mere "organ" in the background.The visible pipework behind the glass is that of a Welte Orchestrion---a roll-driven type of instrument popular at the turn of the 19th into the 20th centuries. There are Youtube videos of this very instrument, which was expertly and painstakingly restored just a few years ago by Mr Durward Center of Baltimore. The Orchestrion had percussion (drums, triangle) in addition to the pipes, and with the pipe voicing and roll arrangements, was intended to approximate a band or orchestral experience. When well regulated and tuned, the Welte instruments offer a very captivating and uplifting performance. A Long, Long Time AgoThe last fountain I can remember closed in 1961 in my town but I can still remember the smell of the place. The fountain was staffed by college-aged girls who, if you didn't have the price of a Coke or milkshake, would drop a toothpick in a glass of carbonated water and serve up a "pine float". Double takeWith a job researching period items for our theatrical productions, I zeroed in on the Menu signage before seeing the date on the photo - almost had a heart attack thinking those press and stick letter boards were way older then I thought. Amazing place that!!! Love this place!One of the best fountains I've seen on Shorpy. Looking at the menu, I could have eaten all my meals there in 1974. Egg creamsMMMMMMM egg creams. Gom sandwich?Saw "Gom" listed on the sandwch menu at the very right. That ring a bell to anyone? Green River on the drinks menu puts a smile on my face. I used to love that stuff when I was a kid... pretty sure they still make it but I haven't seen it anywhere in years. Zaharako's TodayThis is a current day shot from the front door looking in. GOM sandwichI found this, which I thought others might be interested in. Now, I am going to see if I can find a recipe! "This ice cream parlor has been around since 1900 and was recently restored to its original glory. The old-timers swear by this (GOM) sandwich, a Midwestern take on the sloppy Joe—a slightly sweeter version of loose meat (with a few degrees of heat factored in), served on grilled bread. Sit at the marble-top counter to watch the soda jerks and cut the grease with a bubbly Green River float. ($5.49, $5.99 with cheese)" http://www.in.gov/visitindiana/super46/sandwich/gom-sandwich (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, HABS)
Columbus in Chicago: 1911
Chicago circa 1911. "Steamer Christopher Columbus ." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. ... of the "Whaleback" style were built, The Christopher Columbus was the ONLY Passenger steamer of that design. Constructed in ... Happening? Any idea what's going on here? The Columbus is under tow at both ends (apparently moving sideways). I don't ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/12/2015 - 8:22pm -

Chicago circa 1911. "Steamer Christopher Columbus." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The One And OnlyAlthough several Steamships of the "Whaleback" style were built, The Christopher Columbus was the ONLY Passenger steamer of that design. Constructed in 1892-1893, it was exhibited at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and eventually scrapped in 1936. What's Happening?Any idea what's going on here? The Columbus is under tow at both ends (apparently moving sideways). I don't imagine that was routine. Stability testingWhen in 1915 the SS Eastland capsized in while docked in the Chicago River with the loss of over 800 lives, officials subsequently ordered many passenger ships to undergo stability testing, which the Columbus passed easily. Even with 7,500 sandbags (simulating passengers) piled on one side, and tugboats pulling in that direction, she listed only 12 degrees. Below is a photo of the testing. I'm curious tooCould it be that the tug on the stern line is turning the ship while the tug on the bow line is holding in place until the ship is headed in the correct position to be towed to the dock. Realistic sandbagsIf they are doing the stability testing in the photo those sandbags along the rails sure look like passengers to me. [No one has said the Shorpy photo is of the stability test. -tterrace] Tugboat practiceForty years ago I worked at Grangemouth Docks and often saw tugs doing their thing. It's a long time ago and few clear memories remain, but I've always thought it quite normal for tugs to work in pairs, one ahead and one astern of the larger vessel. The one ahead provides the main towing force while the other can act as a brake, and either/both can swing the ship around as required. Overall, two tugs allow much more control than one. Swinging the shipI think the tugs are simply turning the ship around. It is usual practice to use two tugs, one on the bow and the other on the stern to swing a ship in confined waters. Malted Falcon mentions that the ship was tested for stability after the Eastland disaster but I don't think that is what is happening in this picture. The tug with the bow line is not the same one in the picture of the test and I don't think they would do the stability test with all those people on board. [No one has said the Shorpy photo is of the stability test. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Chicago, DPC)
Columbus Revisited: 1910
Circa 1910. "Union Station, Columbus, Ohio." Your headquarters for the Garden City Self Feeder, whatever that is. Continuing our tour of Columbus on Columbus Day. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/14/2013 - 11:41am -

Circa 1910. "Union Station, Columbus, Ohio." Your headquarters for the Garden City Self Feeder, whatever that is. Continuing our tour of Columbus on Columbus Day. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Many mysteriesStreetcar 232 has a sign that says "THIS CAR --- FARE" (possibly X PENNY). Wonder what was special about it. (309 has a similar sign but it's harder to read.) Down the street, the B. is being welcomed... wonder who that was. ["This car ... Olentangy Park." -tterrace] 1897 - 1979Built in 1897, demolished 1979. The arch from the station was placed in Arch Park, between Nationwide Boulevard and Spring Street. Gone Baby GoneFrom 112 trains per day in 1893 to 42 trains per day in 1956 to 10 per day in 1970 to no train service in Columbus at all today. All that remains of this magnificent station designed by Daniel Burnham & Company is seen below. The FacadeWhat you see here is not the station itself, but a structure known as "The Façade" that was built on the north side of the High Street Viaduct over the tracks. The station itself actually sat on the south side of the tracks, between High Street and 3rd Street. Garden City Self FeederYou've clearly let your subscription to Threshermen's Review lapse. Self FeederA similar self feeder at work, mounted on a threshing machine. http://youtu.be/BaZcABBqmcY Feeders were aftermarket attachments for threshing machines, along with stackers to pile up the straw and weighers to allow a custom thresher to bill the farmer by the bushel. A stacker was either a chain conveyor, or a "windstacker", a centrifugal blower to send the straw out a long steerable spout. The arms flailing at the top are twine cutters. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars)
ColumBus: 1943
... from surrounding towns to the old Union Station in Columbus, where they could board trains to destinations all over the US (as ... to be crossing, if a few decades apart. Her photo of the Columbus, Ohio, Greyhound terminal reminded me of busing in and out of that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2014 - 5:21pm -

September 1943. "Washington Court House, Ohio. Passenger boarding Greyhound bus." Photo by Esther Bubley for the Office of War Information. View full size. The Mack BusPossibly 1931, a challenge for the same makers as the Mack truck. Mohair seats with horsehair stuffing and side curtains. Includes a V-6 engine. This series of photos are very timely as it's the 100th birthday of Greyhound, and the company has a traveling museum currently making a tour of the US. This model of bus was included in the display. All AboardIn addition to the Pennsylvania Railroad logo on the door, it also says "Pennsylvania Greyhound Lines" over the windows, so I'm guessing these buses brought passengers from surrounding towns to the old Union Station in Columbus, where they could board trains to destinations all over the US (as shown listed under the bus windows). The PRR is near and dear to my heart due to the fact my father was an engineer for many years in the old Panhandle Division of the Pennsy during the golden age of steam. It Happened One NightSee this Yellow Coach in the Oscar winning 1934 film It Happened One Night with Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Ward Bond. Break out the BubleyI've liked Esther Bubley's series of photos of bus travel in 1943 America all along, but now our paths actually seem to be crossing, if a few decades apart. Her photo of the Columbus, Ohio, Greyhound terminal reminded me of busing in and out of that same station for my draft physical exactly 25 years later. Now she's visited my own home town, Washington C.H., three years before I arrived there via intercity stork. In my youth, WCH still had two downtown hotels, the Hotel Washington, as shown, and the Cherry Hotel, which Esther Bubley must have been standing before when she snapped this photo. Unfortunately both structures are long gone now. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Esther Bubley)
One Star Hotel: 1906
Columbus, Ohio, circa 1906. "Hotel Star." Free telegraph in every room! 8x10 ... Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Columbus, Arch City https://www.shorpy.com/node/8652 ... of the Star Hotel located at 227-229 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio. Also shows the metal arches over High Street." From ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 11:16pm -

Columbus, Ohio, circa 1906. "Hotel Star." Free telegraph in every room! 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Columbus, Arch Cityhttps://www.shorpy.com/node/8652 https://www.shorpy.com/node/8661 (fwiw, where I was born.) Shock of the NewAmidst all the period capital serifs, a surprising lowercase Gill Sans-ish precursor in "Bicycles and Sporting Goods." Colourised for postcard!"A view of the Star Hotel located at 227-229 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio. Also shows the metal arches over High Street." From the Columbus Metropolitan Library. At last, a dentist !For some time now, the Shorpy cityscape has not revealed the upstairs dental treatment that we were seeing much of a few months ago. "May" the force be with youIn noticing the May & Co store on the right I remembered hearing the name over many years and decided to look them up. May & Company was founded 1877 by David May in Leadville, CO during the silver rush. Eventually becoming a nationwide chain, there is no connection to the NYC Mays Department Stores. In 2005 May & Company was merged into Federated Department Stores (Macy's Inc.) for $11 billion in stock. [This May & Co. was a local Columbus furniture dealer and was not connected with the May Company department store chain. - tterrace] North HighThe Puntenny & Eutsler music store was located at 231 North High street, so this whole block is gone. The Hotel Star address is 227 N. High. The City of ArchesReplicas of the lighted arches still exist in Columbus Ohio on North High Street near The Ohio State University. See "A Short Walking Tour" here. Head to Toe ServiceBusiness must be good for the barber/shoeshine shop to have two fancy carved poles. While barber poles have been common and readily recognized for ages, this is my very first introduction to a shoeshine pole. I have to say it's attractive. Come on down! Woosh!I like the motion blur on the carriage moving out of frame. Zoom zoom! (The Gallery, DPC)
Columbus Courthouse: 1904
1904. "Courthouse -- Columbus, O." Continuing today's Columbian theme. 8x10 inch dry plate glass ... in London, Madison County, just west of Franklin County (Columbus). I'll Never Fully Understand Why buildings like this get ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/13/2014 - 11:53am -

1904. "Courthouse -- Columbus, O." Continuing today's Columbian theme. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What a treasure this building could have been todayif it had not been torn down in the 1960s. The spot where it used to sit on South High Street is now open space and an ugly concrete parking garage. Thankfully many of the showpiece Ohio county courthouses from that period still survive, including one very similar in style but a bit smaller in London, Madison County, just west of Franklin County (Columbus). I'll Never Fully UnderstandWhy buildings like this get destroyed and replaced with hideous concrete and glass monstrosities. Progress, I guess. DownspoutitisA truly fine looking building but it seems the architect ignored downspouts on the preliminary plans and where only added later when the Chief Justice's wife almost drowned from a waterfall deluge from the roof during a late summer afternoon thunderstorm. (The Gallery, DPC)
Junior League: 1954
Columbus, Georgia, circa 1954. "Louise Mullin" is all it says here. Regardless, ... Shorpy News Photo Archive. View full size. From Columbus To Orlando Louise Scarborough Mullin was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Palmer Mullin of Columbus, Georgia. Numerous stories about her childhood appeared in the local ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/12/2017 - 6:56pm -

Columbus, Georgia, circa 1954. "Louise Mullin" is all it says here. Regardless, we seem to have a quorum. Let the meeting come to order! 4x5 inch acetate negative from the Shorpy News Photo Archive. View full size. From Columbus To OrlandoLouise Scarborough Mullin was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Palmer Mullin of Columbus, Georgia. Numerous stories about her childhood appeared in the local newspaper, for example, “Little Louise Mullin Celebrates Her Seventh Birthday Entertaining Her Friends At ‘Doll Wedding‘” (Columbus, October 6, 1938). Her February 1954 wedding to David Yergey, an Army Officer, was described in a very lengthy newspaper article. She and her husband eventually relocated to Orlando, Florida. Her obituary, September 13, 2015, notes her 20 years of activity with the Junior League of Orlando. White Shoes and BagsIn addition to Louise’s name, we know this shot was taken between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Bride to Be?Photo perhaps from the warmer months of '53, if she was wed Feb. 11, 1954: [The photo is probably from a bridal shower or some such. Click below to enlarge the obit. - Dave] Putt it outThe ashtray on the right might suggest a golf course clubhouse for a location. The one on the *right*The period photo from her junior college yearbook clears things up (then 1329 Wynnton Drive, Columbus GA, for the curious): Hennery HandbagThe wire-cage purse on the floor would sure make my job of gathering eggs from the henhouse a lot more fun! (Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive, Pretty Girls)
Columbus Night: 1908
Circa 1908. "High Street at night, Arch City, Columbus, Ohio." If you can't get into Bliss College, there's always Professor ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/17/2016 - 12:31pm -

Circa 1908. "High Street at night, Arch City, Columbus, Ohio." If you can't get into Bliss College, there's always Professor Rader's Academy of Dancing next door. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. +105Below is the same perspective from May of 2013. Higher EducationBliss College was still operating here as recently as the early 90's. It's gone now. (The Gallery, DPC)
Water Running: 1959
Columbus, Georgia, circa 1959. "Swim camp. Boys at park." Making a break from ... [Agfa Whole Grain. - Dave] Enough of this Columbus Ga. I'm sick of the Jim Crow South. First Guy Total alpha ... the TV Dennis the Menace on right front (The Gallery, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive, Swimming) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2015 - 12:42pm -

Columbus, Georgia, circa 1959. "Swim camp. Boys at park." Making a break from the bus. 4x5 acetate negative from the News archive. View full size. Ow - Ow - Oww!Ouch, that ground must be hot under bare feet! Hurry up, guys!They've just tapped the keg! GrainThis and the Pool picture both seem rather grainy for a fairly large format negative. Something peculiar to the brand of film? [Agfa Whole Grain. - Dave] Enough of this Columbus Ga.I'm sick of the Jim Crow South. First GuyTotal alpha male. DennisLooks like the TV Dennis the Menace on right front (The Gallery, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive, Swimming)
The New World: 1936
Feb. 10, 1936. "Columbus Circle, Manhattan -- Looking northwest from above the circle, statue of Columbus, B&O bus station topped with Coca-Cola sign, other signs, ... and another wedged between the fender and hood. Airy Columbus Circle I can remember the Mayflower, a modest hotel where ordinary ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/10/2016 - 1:04pm -

Feb. 10, 1936. "Columbus Circle, Manhattan -- Looking northwest from above the circle, statue of Columbus, B&O bus station topped with Coca-Cola sign, other signs, Mayflower Hotel, Central Park with snow." 8x10 gelatin silver print by Berenice Abbott for the Federal Art Project. View full size. We have your shirtsNote the laundry truck. Four bags on the roof and another wedged between the fender and hood. Airy Columbus CircleI can remember the Mayflower, a modest hotel where ordinary people could stay and enjoy a Central Park view. Now it's occupied by 15 Central Park West, the most expensive co-op apartment building in the city. A gaudy Trump tower has replaced the Baltimore and Ohio bus station. Abbot took this photo from the top of the building where the Museum of Art and Design now stands. It's nice to see the streetcar on Broadway. Central Park West is quite crowded compared to Broadway. Maybe it's Sunday? Rye signSchenley? Why a "motor coach" stationThis building was the last of the B&O's various NYC termini built (it opened in 1929). Due to the influence of the Pennsy the B&O was never able to bring its trains into Manhattan; instead, they used the CNJ terminal in Jersey City, from whence a fleet of "motor coaches" (never, ever "buses" in B&O literature) took ferries across the Hudson and to various stations and stops in the city. This service stubbornly lasted until 1958; at the end of the year this picture was taken, a new set of, er, motor coaches arrived complete with "air conditioning" (actually a block of ice and a fan). "Always Something Interesting"This time it was marysd that had all the answers to all my questions about this wonderful photo; I only had to wait one day to get them. My thanks to Dave, marysd, and all the commenters and contributors. Shorpy.com is one of the finer things in life. There Goes the NeighborhoodIn 1959, my wife-to-be worked in that B&O building when at the time we were "keeping company." The bus terminal was gone by then. She worked for the Monroe Greenthal Agency, a boutique ad firm that handled motion picture promos. I usually had a day off midweek and I would drive down and pick her up. Out of sight in this photo was the NYC Coloseum, a convention center, and there was always something happening. It has been replaced by the Time Warner Center with its multi-million-dollar condos and high end shopping venues. The neighborhood behind the convention center was the north end of Hell's Kitchen. So much to loveThere is so much I love about this photo, I hardly know where to begin. I love the Majestic Theater sign advertising "At Home Abroad" with Ethel Waters and Beatrice Lillie, Herb Williams and Eleanor Powell, the architecture of the building directly behind the Coca Cola sign, the news vendors on every corner, what looks to be a roof garden atop the Mayflower Hotel, the park across the street and a glimpse of a streetcar whizzing by through the bottom right of the Coca Cola sign, the anchors on the Columbus monument, the bubbles on the Coke sign (which I'm sure lit up and moved at night), all the pedestrians and 1930s cars! It just screams, New York!! At Home AbroadA Little Song, A Little Dance
State Street: 1905
... tradition still today, even with Macy's ownership. Columbus Memorial Building The tallest building in this photograph is the Columbus Memorial Building, designed by old-time Chicago architect W. W. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/30/2016 - 12:29pm -

"State Street, Chicago, 1905." At the corner of Hustle and Bustle. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. "Meet Me Under The Clock"If you planned a rendezvous in downtown Chicago, this is the way it was done. A Marshall Field tradition still today, even with Macy's ownership. Columbus Memorial BuildingThe tallest building in this photograph is the Columbus Memorial Building, designed by old-time Chicago architect W. W. Boyington (designer of the famous Chicago Water Tower back in 1869), and built 1891-1893. It featured a statue of the building's namesake in a niche above the main entrance arch; the building was demolished in 1959. Further south along State Street one can see Louis Sullivan's brand-new Schlesinger and Mayer Department Store, which had just been sold to its longtime occupant, Carson Pirie Scott & Co. The white building at the far end of the view is the Republic Building of Holabird & Roche in its original 12-story version (1905). Of all the buildings visible on the east side of State Street, Carson's (now called the Sullivan Center and home to a Target store) is the only one still standing. Surely notIs that a "jumper" standing at the edge 3 floors above the clock. I can just see a flat cap, shoulder, short sleeves, arm and shoe. On the other hand it may just be part of the stonework ornamentation - I hope. [It's a statue. -tterrace] Marshall Fields ClockMy resident Chicago expert (that would be my wife!) tells me we are looking South on State St at the corner of Washington Blvd.. That is the original Marshall Fields "Great Clock" installed on the Northeast corner of State and Washington on 11/26/1897 Gas RisersThe steps up to the streetlights are a gas. Imagine the sounds!Oh, to have an audio of this scene! The clip-clopping of the horse hoofs, the wagon wheels rolling on the pavement, the voices of hundreds of conversations, the bells and screeching brakes of the trolleys, church bells possibly ringing, clocks chiming on the quarter hour, the horns and sputtering engines of the automobiles... Horseless carriage I wish I could join the men looking over the horseless carriage parked along the street. Cars were still novelty in 05. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Immense Chewing Candy: 1904
... View full size. That's The Beer Brewed in Columbus In the middle left of the photo (right above the Brady's Baths ... Hoster's Beer which was one of the major breweries here in Columbus, Ohio in those days. Mexican Penochis This from Historical ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/07/2013 - 9:42pm -

The Jersey shore circa 1904. "Young's Hotel and Boardwalk, Atlantic City." Where strollers confront a plenitude of amusements, confections and refreshments. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. That's The Beer Brewed in ColumbusIn the middle left of the photo (right above the Brady's Baths sign) is a sign for Hoster's Beer which was one of the major breweries here in Columbus, Ohio in those days. Mexican PenochisThis from Historical Sketch of the Chicago Confectionery Trade: BELL, Jonas N. Started jobbing and is now (1905) a manufacturer of sweets at 606 West Madison Street As Senior Partner began manufacturing as BELL & PFEIFFER at 40 Fifth Avenue and 612 West Madison 1901 Has also manufactured vending machines Ex-Vice President of the Jobbing Confectioners' Association Ad: (Photo of BELL) "JONAS N. BELL Manufacturer and Jobber of High Grade Confections, Sole manufacturer of the Original "Mexican Penochis" as made in Old Mexico, Tin Boxes 25 cents. Texas Pecan Clusters made of Texas Selected Pecan Nuts, Tin Boxes 30 cents, 604 W. Madison Street -- Chicago" Page 83, 119, 122 (Ad/Photo) Low down on Mexican penochis...http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/38621364/ As it's poorly OCR'd it's a bit of a puzzling read, but worth a couple minutes. 25% purerFrom the Boston Evening Transcript, May 8, 1902. Ten-cent cigarActually, something of a premium smoke back in 1904. Where It All BeganThe custom of keeping right of oncoming traffic. Perhaps it was a continuation of the American Revolution, when Patriots began to drink coffee vis-à-vis British tea, while the British had and still have the custom of keeping left? Early Atlantic CityIs that Nucky I see down there on the boardwalk smiling? (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC)
Passing Remark: 1938
August 1938. "Citizens of Columbus, Ohio." View full size. Photograph by Ben Shahn. Image scanned ... ... a big ol' rolling pin Were there cross-dressers in Columbus in 1938 ? The neck and shoulders are worthy of a linebacker. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/10/2007 - 1:16am -

August 1938. "Citizens of Columbus, Ohio." View full size. Photograph by Ben Shahn. Image scanned from 35mm nitrate negative. I'll bet the comment......was about how the Malt Company has apparently gone out of business. (They should have charged retail instead of "cut rate.") And in her right hand ...... a big ol' rolling pin Were there cross-dressers in Columbus in 1938 ?The neck and shoulders are worthy of a linebacker. Ethel MaeI'll bet she worked harder than a linebacker. 308 East Main StreetPhoto was taken in front of the confectionery store of the Mahlis'. Abe (Abraham) Mahlis and his wife Pauline. They were Russian Jewish immigrants. In 1930 they lived at 290 Kelton Avenue. Abe was born in 1885 in Russia and died December 6, 1964. he came to the US in 1906. His wife, Pauline was born about 1896 and came to the US in 1910. They were married about 1921 and had (at least) two daughters, Blumie and Doris (Wortman). (The Gallery, Ben Shahn)
Bus Baggage: 1943
... Office of War Information. View full size. Not in Columbus The bus may be Columbus bound but that big hotel in the background is the old Fort Pitt ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/17/2014 - 3:06pm -

September 1943. "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bringing baggage from a bus." Photo by Esther Bubley for the Office of War Information. View full size. Not in ColumbusThe bus may be Columbus bound but that big hotel in the background is the old Fort Pitt Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [Thankyou! - Dave] It's very film noirish...in a dark, sort of gloomy way. A bus station in a dark, gritty downtown terminal. You can almost smell it. Fort Hayes HotelLooking at the sign on the building behind, that may be the Fort Hayes Hotel which is long gone. Deja vu...Recently, flying home non-stop from Boston to San Francisco... It felt exactly like we remember being treated as a Bus Passenger in the 1960's! Ah, Esther!She's always great. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Esther Bubley, Pittsburgh)
Fish Grotto: 1957
... cove, the spirit of '49 was definitely there. Hello Columbus Some sites such as Time Shutter indicate the ship was modeled after ... follows in size and detail the Nina , flagship of Columbus. The Ship is gone The building is still there but it couldn't ... 
 
Posted by Rute Boye - 08/04/2012 - 4:40pm -

Bernstein's Fish Grotto restaurant on Powell Street in San Francisco in 1957. I like the building facade; when someone said "take a bow," Bernstein's took it literally! Color slide by my father. View full size. Stacked FigureheadsStrangest looking ship's bow I have ever seen. It's as if a second, larger deck was added to the original bow to increase the street presence. I suppose the neon tubes snaking out of the hawseholes are supposed to represent shrouds. Any nautical Shorpy readers know if this type of hull is patterned after an actual sailing vessel? Fanciful part of SF's pastBernstein's restaurant apparently took its nautical exterior from an earlier chapter in San Francisco history. During the Gold Rush, the shallow Yerba Buena Cove adjacent to boomtown San Francisco was rapidly filled to create badly-need commercial space, and many ships in the harbor ended up literally surrounded by the the encroaching city. The attached image, although with some artistic license, shows the result: ships entombed in dry land converted into hotels, warehouses, and residences. The upper parts of the stranded ships were eventually dismantled or burned, but to this day there are at least forty buried hulks beneath today's financial district and South of Market areas. (One was discovered in 1978 immediately adjacent to the famous Transamerica Pyramid, the cargo ship Niantic, complete with 13 cases of champagne.) Although Bernstein's was located on Powell Street, far away from the filled-in Yerba Buena cove, the spirit of '49 was definitely there. Hello ColumbusSome sites such as Time Shutter indicate the ship was modeled after the Nina. "The ship that never goes to sea"The entrance to Bernstein's Fish Grotto faithfully follows in size and detail the Nina, flagship of Columbus. The Ship is goneThe building is still there but it couldn't be more bland if they tried. View Larger Map MemoriesI lived in and around San Francisco in 1968 and 1969, but for the life of me, I can't remember this landmark. Does anyone know if it existed then? Ship's OriginThe ship represented Columbus' Nina but the design was pure whimsy. The second deck would never have been seen on a real ship. For more info on Bernstein's, see: SAN FRANCISCO'S LOST LANDMARKS. Every SF library has a copy. Photo - Interior of Bernsteins. I know it's an ancient post, but... My family moved to SF back in the early 70s when I was maybe 11 or 12, My younger brother and I were explorers and climbers. One of the first places we discovered and 'explored' was the grotto. We climbed up the side of the boat to reach the rope and board walkways, then got on deck and had fun playing around for a bit. Then we discovered that directly below the walkways were storage rooms open to the sky behind dummy pilings. On further exploration, we learned that the doors from the storage rooms to the restaurant proper were not locked. Odd thing is, when we mentioned it to a friend of my mom's who managed the place, we got in trouble for trespassing, but they never did anything to secure the place. Was still 'easy access' when I moved out of SF in 1980. ANY photos very appreciatedHi, My great-great-grandfather John E. Mullen built the exterior and interior of Bernstien's Fish Grotto in about 1912. I am trying to build a scale replica for the family to keep forever and would SO appreciate any more info, and especially photos of the inside and outside. I am posting a drawing that we have of him building the façade that was part of a portrait of him for the fun of it (hand lettering is by him) Thank so much in advance! All the best, Craig Elliott (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Good Job Ray: 1961
The Columbus, Georgia, Holiday Inn circa 1961. GOOD JOB RAY WRIGHT. This particular ... left has a Rocket under its hood. Raymond Wright of Columbus was feted at Macon in September 1961 at the annual meeting of the ... Inc., is still building homes in Georgia, primarily the Columbus area: http://www.raymwrightinc.com/history.html My guess ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/13/2022 - 9:26am -

The Columbus, Georgia, Holiday Inn circa 1961. GOOD JOB RAY WRIGHT. This particular Inn had a swimming pool and a trampoline. 4x5 inch acetate negative. View full size. Holiday Inn memoriesMy father was transferred by Shell Oil between NY/NJ and Houston twice in the 60s. With Shell toting the bill we turned each trip into a summer vacation with every night being spent at a Holiday Inn. Each day's routine was the same -- up at 6, breakfast (blueberry pancakes for me) in the motel dining room, drive until 2 and checking into the next Holiday Inn. We swam every afternoon in the motel pool and then dressed up and drove to the closest firehouse where my father asked for dinner recommendations. There were four of us kids packed in the back of our non-air-conditioned Impala and you'd think we would have been miserable but my memories are of the classic Holiday Inn signs that meant "home on the road" and those blueberry pancakes. Structure/Sculptor?What is that thing on the far right in the hotel courtyard below the gent contemplating going out? Looks like some kind of a carousel or something, but made of pretty heavy duty pipe. Potemkin Motelthey just keep moving the same cars from lot-to-lot. '61? it's Georgia, alright -- this is a decoy target built in Tbilisi during the Cold War. More Holiday Inn memoriesCommishbob, your story parallels my own, except for a lot more moving on my part. My dad was on the traveling auditing staff for Shell, so we not only lived in Houston and NY/NJ twice each, but multiple other places--Chicago (twice), St. Louis (three times!), Atlanta, LA, San Francisco, Seattle--almost all before I was in kindergarten. (The usual length of an audit was apparently around three months, and then we'd be off somewhere else.) Thankfully, by the time I hit third grade, we settled in Houston for good. I was the only kid for all but the last move, and I pretty much grew up in the back of a Ford Country Squire station wagon. We lived in many different types of houses and apartments, but our home away from home was always a Holiday Inn. The blinking star atop what writer James Lileks calls "The Great Sign" was a shiny beacon to me; it told me we were "home" for a while. (Mom and Dad are still around, so I'll be sending them this link.) VIPRay must be a very important person -- they even have the ENTRANCE sign pointing directly at him! [Because he's entranced? - Dave] This place is topsI found this postcard on eBay with a date stamp 1961. The address on the card is 3510 Victory Drive, Google Street View below. My parents were among the founding members of the United Methodist Church in which I grew up. Years later, I heard a comedian do a bit about religions. He said "Methodism is the Holiday Inn of religions. You check in. You get comfortable. As long as you pay your bill and don't trash the room, everything is okay." Click to embiggen. Holiday Inn Memories!In the 1960s and '70s my dad (who worked for GM and got an annual two-week vacation) and the rest of the family, Mom and four kids, would go on a road trip and we always stayed in Holiday Inns because Dad could make reservations ahead. The Inns were always the same, and to my delight when the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village (Dearborn, Mi.) renovated their "Automobile and American Life" exhibit in the '90s, they built a Holiday Inn room! EXACTLY like every one I remembered, right down to the blue shag carpet and the little paper hats on the drinking glasses! I sometimes see those chairs in an antique store or secondhand shop and I think "I know where you came from!" Here's a pic of the Museum's exhibit (courtesy Missy S on Pinterest). Dressed up '50 FordOn the far right! Skirts, spinner hubcaps, sun visor on the windshield AND on the side windows. At 11 years old might belong to the help. Fastest car on the lot is probably the '58 Pontiac next to the 1960 Ford, but the '55 Olds 88 on the far left has a Rocket under its hood. Raymond Wright of Columbuswas feted at Macon in September 1961 at the annual meeting of the Home Builders Association of Georgia as the association's retiring president. I suspect the marquee refers to this milestone. His firm, Raymond M. Wright, Inc., is still building homes in Georgia, primarily the Columbus area: http://www.raymwrightinc.com/history.html My guessRay Wright updates the message board. Ray Wright Raymond Michael Wright 1914-1995 Married in Wake County, NC, in 1944. Marriage record lists Army rank as Staff Sergeant. Possibly ended up in Columbus from a tour at Fort Benning. He began as a carpenter and in the early '50s started a contracting business. His obituary lists past president of local and state home builders associations. He was inducted into the National Homebuilders Hall of Fame in 1980. Holiday Inn was pleased with his work. Numbers GameThe address on the postcard posted by Doug Floor Plan, 3510 Victory Drive, has us thrown off a bit, I think. Indeed, that may have once been this motel's address, but I'm pretty certain this Holiday Inn building still stands at 3170 Victory Drive. Built in 1958, the motel was most recently seen in Budgetel livery, but it also did some time as a Days Inn. Did they move the building to a new address? Of course not! It's much more likely that the address was changed, probably for alignment with a new numbering system. [By 1965, the address was 3170. - Dave] No fenceIn the postcard picture the first thing I noticed was the lack of a fence around the pool. It really was a different time in America. [1961, to be specific. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive)
Our Gang: 1916
... dolls, I grew up with guns. Margaret Street & East Columbus Ave My Aunty Pat(Pasqualina) grew up on Margaret street, and her ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/06/2010 - 6:08am -

June 27, 1916. Springfield, Massachusetts. "Street gang, corner Margaret and Water streets -- 4:30 p.m." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Knickers, and rifles, and guns -- Oh my!It's pretty hard to look tough in a pair of knickers. You try it! Well done, boys. One Chewer in the bunch.Second from the left, not counting the little kids. Present arms!I'd venture a guess thats a Daisy one-pump BB gun that fellow to the left is sporting, presuming Daisy was in business at that time. Uh-ohThese kids creep me out. They could be capable of murder and abuse! Roll Your OwnThis is definitely a pouch and paper crowd. When America Was GreatKids, cigarettes and guns. All was well. Standards of dressInteresting that in those days even street-corner gangsters wore ties! Some things never changeAdd about 150 tattoos, 50-odd piercings, spray-on jeans for the girls, and pull the boys' pants down around their knees ... make the rifle an Uzi and make the soundtrack a cacophonous mixture of hiphop and metal, and ... voila! You've got now. What was sad then is still sad today. Ominous BunchI fear they didn't amount to much in adulthood. This is another Shorpy masterpiece. Armed & DangerousLooks like Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall with the East Side Kids! At least that's not an AK47 as you see in gangland today Go Shorpy! Times have changed.1916 Gangstas! Street ToughsMargaret Street today runs from Main Street just a couple of hundred yards or so down toward the Connecticut River, where it dead-ends at Interstate 91. I have a hunch Water Street may have run parallel to the River back in 1916, decades before the land along the waterfront was taken for the purpose of constructing the highway that now runs from Vermont all the way to New Haven. The Springfield waterfront in the 19-teens was probably teeming with streetwise little roughnecks like these fellows. The first wave of..Mad Men--but without the scotch. Fast forward ten years and they'll probably be running it though, and with a tommy gun instead of a rifle. Love this picture! Calling Prof. HillWith five of those boys wearing identical newsboy caps, a.k.a. Gatsby hats, do you suppose that represents the "gang colors"? The Gatsby Hat Gang? Note also: BB guns and 10¢ a pack cigarettes. "Oh, we got trouble!!" ATF Back when Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms was a convenience store, not a Gummint Agency Tough Looking BunchI imagine Hine took this picture and then started running. Where's Leo Gorcey?Early version of the Bowery Boys modeling the latest Hart, Schaffner and Marx fashions while enjoying those Royal Nestors. Tough?The Cornett boys could kick 'em all up and down the block. Daisy Model 25The gun is a Daisy Model 25 BB rifle. For more on its history check out Page 18 of Daisy Air Rifles and BB Guns: The First 100 Years. *sigh* I still remember my first Daisy. 1916 KidsI love reading comments from people. These kids were just your average-type kid back then. Everyone smoked (no health issues yet) and all the kids carried BB guns, even to school. It was a much different time back then. I can remember my grandfather telling me he started smoking at the age of 9. Not a household nameThis was 23 years before the "Daisy Red Ryder" gun made the company a household name in 1939. But, Daisy had been making rifles since 1882. When I was a kid I had a Daisy pump gun that could be shot 60 times without reloading. There were several boys in the neighborhood that had BB guns. It's a wonder that we made it to adulthood with both eyes intact. The DaisyI did a quick check, and the pump Daisy was introduced in 1914. Pictures on Daisy site confirm memory; that is almost certainly a Daisy pump. That young hoodlum is armed and ready to shoot his eye out! He's the only one with what was likely a pretty high end toy for the day...I bet he allowed the others to plink at pigeons in exchange for cigarettes! Uneeda Biscuit!Whether you know it or not. ChangesThis is in the South End of Springfield. There are still gangs hanging out there today, but smoking something completely different now. The building is still there (I think)This is a Street View at the corner of Margaret and Main. If you look closely at the bottom right of the window. You can see a round metal plate in the pavement. This position correlates with the vent pipe seen in the original photo. The corner entrance has been closed and altered and the entrance is now on Main Street. View Larger Map Pretty well dressed gangWhat impresses me is that for the most part these kids are neatly and properly dressed -- I think the tough guy in the middle is playing to the crowd & most probably has his necktie in his pocket- he'll spruce up before going home to Mother. Could be my fatherDad was a 4-year-old living on Margaret Street in 1916. They do make them like they used toFor those of you who want your very own Daisy Number 25, the company recently reissued it. Tough looking gangNo, Hine didn't start running after taking this picture, he took another one a few minutes later (or before?). Look for the differences: Springfield StoryHow much you wanna bet they couldn't dance as well as the Sharks or even da Jets? My First GunMy first gun was a Red Ryder lever action BB gun. I didn't grow up with dolls, I grew up with guns. Margaret Street & East Columbus AveMy Aunty Pat(Pasqualina) grew up on Margaret street, and her husband(Nicola Buoniconti, we called him "Uncle Slim") took over her father's bakery(Mercolino's) after he retired. That's my grandfatherThe smoker is my grandfather, Arnold Martinelli I am pretty sure of it. He lived at 123 Water Street during this time. He came from Italy in 1906. He would be about 12 in this picture. He was a tough guy and occasionally a wise guy. He grew up to invent the injection mold process for making plastic wares such as food storage containers and drinking glasses. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Found Kodachrome
... where; slides date from 1949-1955. View full size. Columbus A quick search suggests the Columbus Monument, Barcelona thanks! Good sleuthing, Napsmear! I'll be ... 
 
Posted by stonefish - 03/24/2017 - 7:00pm -

Not sure where; slides date from 1949-1955. View full size. ColumbusA quick search suggests the Columbus Monument, Barcelona thanks!Good sleuthing, Napsmear! I'll be posting more here! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Sparkling Ale: 1917
... any way your heart desires. Yes? Temporary housing on Columbus Circle plaza That building on the right is one of several temporary ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/14/2013 - 4:27pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1917. "Union Station." In the distance, a glimpse of a long-vanished Capitol Hill landmark, the Washington Brewery smokestack advertising SPARKLING ALE. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. If ancient Rome had needed a railroad station......it would have looked something like this. Union Station is befitting the national capital of an important country. The exterior looks much the same nearly a century later. The interior has been tastefully rescued from the destruction of the National Visitors Center project of the 1970's. In my running days, I brought some commuter jobs in here as well as a freight turn, which delivered lots of paper to the nearby government printing plant. What is the pulpit thing?It does not seem accessible, nor well-placed for directing traffic. The vista of Union Station is one I've never seen before. Very interesting. Washington Brewery's waning daysThe brewery was doomed by this time and would be out of business within two years. Perhaps Shorpy saw this recent post about the brewery's beer garden. (Thanks!) 1917Horses still in the mix. Name that classy car!What is this model? It is quite a nice looking auromobile: RE: What is the pulpit thing?The trolley switch tower was identified in this earlier Shorpy post. That classy carlooks like a 1917 Six-51 Coupe. That Classy CarAppears to be a 1915 Dodge Brothers Roadster with a "Rex" winter top. Building at bottom rightWhat is that build on the lower right where the Dubliner now lives? Two different Pulpit things.The one in the foreground of this photo isn't the same one seen in this Shorpy Post: https://www.shorpy.com/node/5388#comment-52768 The other one (which is featured in the video posted in the comments) is just visible behind the trolley in the background. Which way did he go Doc?All roads appear to be omnidirectional -- drive any way your heart desires. Yes? Temporary housing on Columbus Circle plazaThat building on the right is one of several temporary dormitories built for women workers during WWI. It's a parking lot for Hill staff today. Here's a view of them from a different angle (looking south toward the Capitol). (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Railroads)
That Seventies Mall: 1973
Columbus, Indiana, 1973. "Commons Courthouse Center. Interior view of shopping ... is the name of the mechanical sculpture. I was a kid in Columbus when the built the mall. We would sit and watch Chaos running while ... Tinguely. Scouting out the new mall Overload of Columbus-area youth presenting a range of not-entirely-clear handiwork (knots, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/07/2023 - 4:30pm -

Columbus, Indiana, 1973. "Commons Courthouse Center. Interior view of shopping mall atrium with trees, walkways and crowd. Architect: César Pelli, Victor Gruen Associates." View full size. 1973-2008I remember the opening of this mall, a big deal in J. Irwin Miller's architectural development of his hometown. The formal dedication (the year after this photo was taken) featured not only Miller and Pelli, but avant-garde Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely, whose 7-ton kinetic scrap-metal sculpture, Chaos 1, was the centerpiece. (That dark tangle center rear is Chaos 1.) Most of the mall was demolished in 2008, but Chaos 1 was preserved and the space redeveloped around it. An interesting bit of trivia was the contest to name the mall. The suggestions (and the eventual choice) were not very exciting. 50 Years LaterSome interesting history and up to date photos here. https://thecommonscolumbus.com/about/history/# It appears to be some sort of Girl Guides meeting in that photo. I see different troop numbers and a lot of young girls in GG and Brownie uniforms. That's Chaos for youand I'm not talking about the crowd of Girl Scouts. Chaos is the name of the mechanical sculpture. I was a kid in Columbus when the built the mall. We would sit and watch Chaos running while eating ice cream from Zaharakos across the street or pastries from Tiffany's in the mall. Most of the mall is gone now, but this part remains. Still scouring the photo for anyone I know. Kinetic Sculpture The sculpture to the rear by the ramps has many moving parts. It is Chaos 1 by Swiss artist Jean Tinguely. Scouting out the new mallOverload of Columbus-area youth presenting a range of not-entirely-clear handiwork (knots, leaves, cupcakes?). In the background, "Chaos I" by Swiss artist Jean Tinguely. Here's a 2021 video tour of the mall, now rebuilt using the original frame, with Tinguely's work still in place. Something's MissingNot a single person is on a phone. Wonder how people survived? NowadaysThere's not that many people in the local shopping mall in 2 months. ZaharakosYou might be going to Columbus for Chaos but stay for ice cream at Zaharakos. A fantastic place that wouldn't look any different than a Shorpy ice cream parlor photo dated a century or more past. The times have changedHere's a closer look at Jean Tinguely's 1973 sculpture, Chaos. Here is chaos in a mall in 2023. (The Gallery, Balthazar Korab, Stores & Markets)
Dixie Chicks: 1955
Columbus, Georgia, circa 1955, and some early tweets. Also, No Loitering, and ... & SB RC Cola Originally created in Columbus, GA. That wax paper wrapper may have contained a moon pie. ... the Waco on various vacations. Keep 'em coming! (Columbus, Ga., Kids, News Photo Archive) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/18/2018 - 6:31pm -

Columbus, Georgia, circa 1955, and some early tweets. Also, No Loitering, and EES ONLY. 4x5 acetate negative from the News Photo Archive. View full size. Peeps, chicks, or squabs?They look like homing pigeons to me. RC & SB RC ColaOriginally created in Columbus, GA. That wax paper wrapper may have contained a moon pie. Original Yellow PeepsEarly in my postal career when Peeps came in the mail for the farmers. We always called the farmer and he would come in for the peeps. Always told they'll grow if you don't Plant them to Deep. Got a lot of dirty looks. Wonderful Site DaveI discovered this site a month ago and went all the way back to the beginning. Took almost exactly a month, and there were ten new pages when I was done. Very engrossing, and I can't believe I never heard of it before. Some of the Civil Air Patrol photos featured a 1930's Cabin Waco biplane. My dad was an AAC/USAF pilot, and we had one of those in the late 50's/early 60's. Some of my earliest memories are of flying in the Waco on various vacations. Keep 'em coming! (Columbus, Ga., Kids, News Photo Archive)
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