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New York Life: 1900
... do so until 1906. Lost Craftsmanship I'm amazed daily by the amount of masonry craftsmanship used on the upper floors of early ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/02/2017 - 2:28pm -

September 11, 1900. "New York Life building, Chicago." The building, at LaSalle and Monroe streets, was completed in 1894, with major additions in 1898 and 1903. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Lasalle and Monroe: 2017Like many other Loop properties, this has been converted to a boutique hotel. The Kimpton Grey Hotel opened in 2016. Look Out for the CurveThat continuous line of hatch covers between the inner rail and the slot as the streetcar track goes around the corner means that this was a "pull curve", the cable car had to hold on to the rope all the way around, and would do so until 1906. Lost CraftsmanshipI'm amazed daily by the amount of masonry craftsmanship used on the upper floors of early buildings like this. Decoration and ornamentation in places or so high they'll never be fully appreciated by those at ground level. Headless horse?There appears to be a headless horse in front of the building. I hope this is not really the case. Cornice-ectomyIt would be a nice, classy gesture if they replaced the original, prominent cornice. I am not, however, holding my breath. [One way they're dealing with cornices in Detroit. -tterrace] "Cornice Danger" prompted removalsNumerous buildings lost pieces or whole sections of their uppermost cornices as age and freeze-thaw took their toll on the materials through the 1920s and 30s. In 1938 the City gave itself the authority to require owners to remove cornices deemed dangerous. This threat was enough that by the 1950s wholesale decapitation of these elements was underway. However, given the successful restorations of several cornices in recent years (like the Marquette building just around the corner on Dearborn) it is surprising that the just performed hotel conversion did not add this historic element back. Probably it was just deemed too expensive, or, if historic tax credits were involved, there wasn't clear enough documentation of the original to cornice to do it to preservation standards. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC)
Gotham Gulch: 1911
... of their loved ones who had sailed on the Titanic. Twice daily the line posted updated lists of survivors outside the doors to their ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/07/2020 - 4:19pm -

New York circa 1911. "The Canyon of Lower Broadway at Bowling Green and Battery Place." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Some buildings up the street still liveThe curved building smack in the center of the photo is 26 Broadway. It was combined with some adjacent buildings (including the one directly to the north) and gotten a new facade, but it's still the same building. The structure on the top is still there, and it has the same number of floors. If you "drive" uptown on Google Maps you can see that today it's across from the Charging Bull statue. Farther up Broadway is Trinity Church, which of course is still there, and just north of that (and just visible in the 1911 photo) are the Trinity and United States Realty Buildings, which were pretty new in 1911. Be There Dragons?On the lampposts in front of the building on the far left. Are those dragons? I can't tell, even with the photo enlarged. Only some things still the sameOnly some elements of this view are the same as back then. The building with the dragons is now known as the International Mercantile Marine Company Building, though that company is no longer in it. In this picture it was in its original state as constructed in 1882, before International Mercantile Marine bought it and modified the facade to the present form in 1919. The road that went around the south part of Bowling Green is now sidewalk. And what will replace this? The building at left is 1 Broadway. It was built in 1882, enlarged in 1886 (that's when the dragon lamp posts were added), and reconstructed in 1922. Looking at Gotham Gulch today it appears No. 1 is as close to still being there as anything. The tower of the Singer Building (149 Broadway) is at left in 1911. That building was demolished in 1968. I cannot identify anything else unchanged except Bowling Green park itself. An oldieThat's a 2 horse power horsecar in the lower right, while all the other streetcars in the photo are powered by electricity from an underground conduit between the rails. The nearer horsecar horse is gray or white, and harder to see. The photographer is on the uptown platform of the Battery Place station of the 9th & 6th Avenue El. The IMM BuildingThis is a fantastic photo of lower Broadway. The building on the left, correctly identified by another as the IMM building, housed the offices of most of the steamship companies owned by J.P. Morgan's giant shipping conglomerate. On the left we can see the sign for the American Line, one of the original companies in the IMM. In 1903 Morgan absorbed Britain's White Star Line into the IMM. Their office was just a short distance up the street on the left at 9 Broadway. Once can still see the company name by the door to this day though the firm was long ago merged into their rival Cunard line following the collapse of the parent IMM. In mid April of the year after this photo was taken, the street was packed with distressed family and friends trying to discover the fate of their loved ones who had sailed on the Titanic. Twice daily the line posted updated lists of survivors outside the doors to their offices. Mobs of reporters and the morbidly curious also added to the scene of near pandemonium. Few today are aware of the history this section of Broadway has scene crowded with banks, and brokerages and the offices of the now long vanished companies that transported people all over the world before the advent of air travel. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Old Man River: 1910
... before us who seemed to have performed superhuman feats daily in order to provide for all of us and to build up America. They must be ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/14/2014 - 6:37pm -

The sternwheeler City St. Joseph on the Mississippi River circa 1910. "Unloading cotton on the levee. Memphis, Tennessee." 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Cotton talkDriving around the South in October you can see what, to some, look like giant loaves of bread sitting at the side of the cotton fields. These are called "Cotton Modules" and are compacted cotton picked by machines waiting to be shipped to the cotton gin. Each module holds approximately 14.5 to 15 bales of cotton. A bale of cotton is said to average around 500 pounds. Tote that barge, lift that baleAt the time this photo was taken, my mom was a newborn to a coal miner in Pennsylvania, while in a Conn. copper foundry, my father's dad was toiling in front of a blast furnace 8 to 10 hrs. a day. These were not easy times for most people who had to do the hard labor necessary to support their families. Meanwhile in Memphis, these men were also enduring backbreaking jobs to make a buck. I've heard countless stories of the generations before us who seemed to have performed superhuman feats daily in order to provide for all of us and to build up America. They must be remembered as heroes. We sometimes don't realize the effort involved in turning raw materials into useful products. Rollin' On the RiverNow we know the true meaning of the phrase. BailI assume that's a bail of cotton? Three men pushing each, how much did they weigh? (not the men) [More like a bale. "Bail" is for jail. - Dave] (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Memphis)
Double Bill: 1926
... room, a library or drab lodging. Further there is the daily levy of one hour of her time by the requirements of voice and piano ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/03/2013 - 9:41am -

April 23, 1926. Washington, D.C. "Miss Dorothy Tierney with porcupine." The stage actress and prickly understudy. National Photo Co. View full size. Wild ThingWith a smile on her lips and "Get this thing away from me" in her eyes. Hedging her BetsThat looks like a hedgehog to me. The Little Ingenue Washington Post, April 17, 1927. Dot Tierney On The Way Dorothy Tierney, the little ingenue of the National Theater Players, is coming back to Washington for the third season of that troupe. Just how she will manage to get away in time for rehearsals for the opening here May 9 is a problem Dorothy seems to have solved without letting the world know about it. She opened last Thursday night in a new play on Broadway, “It's a Wow,” in which cast also appeared Kathryn Givney, second lead of the Nationalites. Between engagements this winter—there have been two—Miss Tierney fortified her flair for interior decoration by attending art school for six weeks. Her first training in this direction was gained in Baltimore girls' school and fortified the last two summer seasons here by her job as art director of the Players. Miss Tierney is probably the busiest of all the National cast, for when she isn't rehearsing or acting, she is scurrying about the shops for the properties that transform a rather bare stage into an alluring living room, a library or drab lodging. Further there is the daily levy of one hour of her time by the requirements of voice and piano study. The opening play for the summer season will be the farce, “Laff That Off.” Re: Wild Thing"With a smile on her lips and "Get this thing away from me" in her eyes." LOL! But the 'thing' is obviously a tribble. (The Gallery, Animals, Natl Photo)
Mildred Lodge: 1915
... owned by William Watson and his wife, Anna. The Daytona Daily News of January 29, 1910, carries an ad for the Mildred Lodge, formerly ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/12/2021 - 1:57pm -

Circa 1915. "Mildred Lodge -- Ormond, Fla." Rooms $2.50 and up. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Most Certainly WinterThe men's coats, as well as that of the little girl, suggests strongly it is not 92 degrees outdoors this day. Mildred LodgeThe hotel was owned by William Watson and his wife, Anna. The Daytona Daily News of January 29, 1910, carries an ad for the Mildred Lodge, formerly known as Mildred Villa. The hotel was named for their oldest child, Mildred May Watson. (The Gallery, DPC, Florida)
Priscilla Mills: 1911
... that so many boys, barely in their teens would go about daily life without shoes. I wonder what the top on that road is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/28/2012 - 12:42pm -

April 1911. Meridian, Mississippi. "Noon hour at Priscilla Knitting Mills. Small boys who work here." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Like a Rockwell illustrationbut more blurry. Lunch?Looks more like recess to me! Kids will be kids.... Sans footwearIt's amazing that so many boys, barely in their teens would go about daily life without shoes. I wonder what the top on that road isBlacktop? Gravel? Got to take pretty tough feet to run on that if it is gravel. Come to think of it, blacktop, too. With the sun beating down around noon. LunchI feel the same way at lunch time every day. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Railroads)
Daddy: 1915
... As the church's fifth dean, he also presided over daily operations and focused on finishing the massive Gothic structure whose ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 11:22am -

1915. Washington, D.C. "Francis Sayre Jr., baby, with father." Woodrow Wilson's son-in-law Francis B. Sayre with the President's new grandson. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Happy Father's Day from Shorpy. Every right to be a proud fatherHe looks so proud. You'd think he had just been told what kind of man his little boy would grow up into. He died just a few months ago: Francis B. Sayre Jr., who as dean of Washington National Cathedral for 27 years oversaw much of its completion and used his pulpit to confront McCarthyism, racial tensions and the Vietnam War, died Oct. 3 at his home on Martha's Vineyard, Mass. He was 93 and had diabetes. Sayre, whose grandfather was President Woodrow Wilson, was appointed to the cathedral in 1951 and quickly became a leading national voice of conscience. As the church's fifth dean, he also presided over daily operations and focused on finishing the massive Gothic structure whose cornerstone had been placed in 1907. Father's DayWhat a beautiful photo. I love the look on the father's face. I wish he would put his hand on the baby. Looks like she's about to slide right off that blanket onto the floor. Thanks for sharing. Little Francis: 1915-2008NYT obituary. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Kids, Portraits)
Sherman Avenue: 1908
... Westward Ho! I enjoy checking out Shorpy on a daily basis, but seldom comment. So nice to see something from the West! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 8:37pm -

Denver circa 1908. "Sherman Avenue and Colorado statehouse." 8x10 glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Westward Ho!I enjoy checking out Shorpy on a daily basis, but seldom comment. So nice to see something from the West! Thanks! The University ClubThe building on the immediate right in the photo appears to still exist as the University Club, albeit with the modern addition covering much of the front. +104From about the same spot. The Colorado State House is actually two long blocks away, not as close as the 1908 photo makes it look. Central Presbyterian Church is still there on the left. View Larger Map Hasn't changed muchMy daughter lived right about where this shot was taken from about 10 years ago. What a wonderful view. +98Below is the same view (south from just above E. 17th Avenue) from June of 2006. I workedI worked at Human Services on 16th & Sherman St., a block away from the State House. It was in what's known as the old Farmer's Union Building on that corner. I worked there from 1976 - 1999 when I retired. Love seeing Sherman as it was about 70 years before I moved west from NYC. (The Gallery, DPC)
Courtesy Service: 1940
... contact with the aforementioned safeguards in-place. Daily contact requiring repairs aren't uncommon. I can only imagine how ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/09/2018 - 10:49am -

June 1940. "Trucks in service station on Bladensburg Road, Washington, D.C., U.S. Route 1." Medium format negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Microscopic mirrorsI love both of these tractors and trailers, but, good luck seeing anything in those tiny mirrors. Good yearAt far right, in front of the air pump, is a 1936 Packard 120, the company’s top seller, meant to allow it to survive the Depression. Defenseless fuel dispensers No hose breakaway connectors, bumper posts , effective size islands to stop vehicle damage. I test and inspect fuel dispensers that have been repaired after drive-offs (hose left in vehicle fuel fill neck) and vehicle contact with the aforementioned safeguards in-place. Daily contact requiring repairs aren't uncommon. I can only imagine how often these beautiful dispensers met an early demise. EssoNotice the Esso station in the background. I remember as a child when they changed it to Exxon in 1973. Still Esso is Canada though. RoutesI noted immediately that Bladensburg Road, near where I live, is not US 1. Now US 1 is Rhode Island Avenue through Mount Rainier and Hyattsville. But it turns out that Delano's labeling was correct in 1940: During World War II, Rhode Island Avenue was widened and the route moved a mile or so west of Bladensburg, with the old road designated Alternate US 1. This was done to relieve congestion on the major north-south corridor. Good luck with that. Today the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Interstate 95 are monsters of congestion, and neither US 1 nor Alternate 1 is much better. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Gas Stations, Jack Delano)
Old Paint: 1925
... the other truck as clues I'd say we're at the Washington Daily News. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 12:27pm -

Washington, D.C., 1925. "Ford Motor Co." A delivery truck for Hugh Reilly Paint and Glass. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. High tech inflatable tiresSo not everyone used those horrid solid things. I guess paint isn't as heavy as coal. How-ToAmusingly illustrated instructions for folding a pressman's hat. HeadlightsLooks like one is set to check for potholes, the other set to look for squirrels. The WatcherLove the guy standing back there having a smoke. As if he is saying "why dont you take a picture of me, I got a cool hat." [It's a pressman's hat made of newsprint. With that and the other truck as clues I'd say we're at the Washington Daily News. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
North From Locust: 1907
... change for print media. Philadelphia lost two of its four daily papers and magazines skyrocketed in price. The handwriting was on the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/25/2014 - 10:06am -

Philadelphia circa 1907. "Broad Street north from Locust with view of City Hall." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. +106Below is the same view from October of 2013. Advanced Vaudeville?I noticed the sign for Advanced Vaudeville. Is there such a thing as beginning vaudeville? Nice shot of the 2013 view. [1907 poster for Klaw & Erlanger's "Advanced Vaudeville". -tterrace] Ah! Thanks (baxado) NewsstandIn 1974, I purchased the newsstand that you can see in the 2013 photo. Stayed there for ten years and earned a very good living. Then it started to change for print media. Philadelphia lost two of its four daily papers and magazines skyrocketed in price. The handwriting was on the wall and I got out. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Philadelphia)
DRUGS SODA: 1939
... prime parking location to lure innocent kids in for their daily DRUG and SODA fixes? ... Probably sold candy cigarettes too! (The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/10/2018 - 10:39pm -

October 1939. "Stores on main street (G Avenue). Grundy Center, Iowa." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. That Corner TowerWould love to see the structural details for that wonderful corner tower. Agree: probably structural steel behind that masonry, but just how. Nifty what engineers and arkies were able to conjure up before computers came along, just using a K&E slide rule. Roof blown off?That must have been some party... MaintenanceRegarding the demise of not only the dunce cap on the corner feature, but the false fronts on two sides of the building, I'm guessing that those features needed roofing and tuckpointing, and perhaps also a bit of carpentry work when the wood underneath rooted. Presented with a quote for repairs, and a quote for removal, the owner made a simple choice. I'm guessing that round tower is also tied in with the same structural steel that allows the building to have those wide store windows. Vehicle ID pleaseWhat model of car is the one parked right out front, with the Grundy National Bank awning right above it? Love it. [1939 Ford Tudor Sedan. -tterrace] Thanks! And thank you to Dave and tterrace for posting all these great images! Happy New Year to all of ShorpyLand! OrielThe name for the corner tower / feature. Specifically, a corner oriel. An oriel window is a bay window that does not extend all the way to the ground. The Pusher ManA cobbled-together wooden bike rack in the prime parking location to lure innocent kids in for their daily DRUG and SODA fixes? ... Probably sold candy cigarettes too! (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Truck Stop Cafe: 1940
... of the day, so these Kings of the Road were getting their daily portion of salt and then some. Interesting windows... I'm ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/24/2012 - 2:10pm -

June 1940. Washington, D.C. "In the cafe at a truck drivers' service station on U.S. 1 (New York Avenue)." 35mm negative by Jack Delano. View full size. I'll have a slice of that cake, please.Even in black and white, it looks good! Not that different than todayexcept for the boat captain hats, they just wear ball caps now. I drove truck OTR for about 3 years, then went local when my wife grew sick, but that is a pretty good picture of the truckers today, give him a good meal, lots of coffee, (I've scene guys with half gallon mugs) and get him back on the road. No time for cake, the teamsters moved somewhere else! Salt (and Pepper) of the EarthThe salt and pepper shakers (just below the cake and elsewhere on the counter) were made by the Hazel-Atlas Glass Co.. Current Depression-glass book value for a nice-condition pair is $30.-$75., depending on the color and style of lettering or other decorations. This shaker design was larger than the usual table shakers of the day, so these Kings of the Road were getting their daily portion of salt and then some. Interesting windows...I'm trying to figure out how they tip out and are screened at the same time - seems quite complicated. (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Jack Delano)
Bungalow of Doom: 1941
... pit iron mine. Houses in this section are being demolished daily as mining operations expand." Medium format acetate negative by John ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/24/2020 - 9:27pm -

August 1941. "House in North Hibbing, Minnesota, on the edge of the world's largest open pit iron mine. Houses in this section are being demolished daily as mining operations expand." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Still going!Amazingly, to me at least, this mine is still operational. If Wikipedia is to believed, the owner of this bungalow may have been about to get the shaft from the mining company, and get paid only a fraction of the property's value before its demolition. Neat streetThis pleasant-looking house seems to be set on a company-built street with curbs and sidewalks and could have been company owned. It is, however, not a bungalow as it has two full floors of rooms. Get off my lawn!They may be doomed, but by hell, they've managed to keep mowing the lawn. Cute house, ugly mine. I laughedBefore I even scrolled down to the photo I was amused. And I also instantly decided that "Bungalow of Doom" would be a terrific name for a band. They moved the town but built Hibbing HighHibbing High School built at tremendous cost by the mining companies -- easily the most beautiful high school on Earth. My mother graduated in 1935. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Mining)
Tooth and Nail: 1917
April 1917. "Daily inspection of teeth and fingernails. Older pupils make the inspection ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 6:50pm -

April 1917. "Daily inspection of teeth and fingernails. Older pupils make the inspection under the direction of teacher who records results. This has been done every day this year. School #49, Comanche County, Oklahoma (near Lawton)." View full size. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. Alternate version here. Bun in the oven?Looks like that inspector girl is about to pop. Maybe they should have covered other topics in hygiene.... Bun in the oven 2?You know I was thinking there was a Bun in the oven too! That next boyis already baring his teeth, but looks like he's dreading having to show his finger nails. (The Gallery, Education, Schools, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Dinosaur: 1924
... T.J. Horner and J.N. Barrett, assistant curators, are daily excavating fragments of the tail from solid rock, in the basement of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2012 - 9:45am -

September 25, 1924. "Professor Charles Gilmore of the Smithsonian Institution with dinosaur Diplodocus." View full size. National Photo Company Collection. Herman? Francis?This man looks way too much like Fred Gwynne, but without the welcoming grin. He'd fit right in at 1313 Mockingbird Lane. Dinosaur Undertaker...That's what he looks like to me! Either that or he's unhappy that someone ate all the meat off his barbecue! Hello, my name is Boris Karloff...... and I am here to introduce you to... Extinction! The face of scientific enthusiasm. Washington Post, Sep 24, 1924 Tail of Dinosaur Causes Flurry at Smithsonian Because of its unusual length, the tail of a dinosaur is causing a flurry of excitement among scientists at the Smithsonian institution. N.H. Boss, T.J. Horner and J.N. Barrett, assistant curators, are daily excavating fragments of the tail from solid rock, in the basement of the museum. As section after section is fitted into place, Prof. Charles Gilmore, curator of vertebrate paleontology, grows more enthusiastic at its length. Visitors who viewed it declare it already measures 30 feet, and Prof. Gilmore believes it may total 40 feet. The skeleton of Dinosaur Diplodochus to which the tail belongs, was believed to be 80 feet long. Now, however, the length of the tail leads scientists to believe the monster was much longer. If so, the creature will be the greatest specimen of its kind ever exhibited. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Miss Maxwell: 1922
... spills. Yet women bought and wore leg-warmers proudly on a daily basis, all bunched down around the calves, which did little to keep the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/16/2015 - 1:08pm -

San Francisco circa 1922. "Misses Maxwell and Chalmers." Carrying (or wearing) the banner for two car brands not long for this world, and whose assets would form the basis of the Chrysler Corporation. 5x7 glass negative. View full size. I'll take Miss Chalmers ...She's the bee's knees. Oh, you kid! Hot fashionThose rolled stockings have a caught-with-your-pants-down look to them. What in the world were they thinking? The newsies at the far right add a pleasant Rockwellian touch. Rolled Stockings In the '20s vs. Leg-Warmers Of The '80sI used to be utterly perplexed at the fashion of rolled stockings. It went against everything I knew about stockings. My great-grandmother, in her 70s (when I was a teenager), used to wear her stockings that way and I couldn't understand why she did that (she turned 25 in 1920). Besides being all wrong about how stockings were supposed to be worn, they looked very uncomfortable, given that a tightly rolled rubberband was how she kept them up. But in the 1920s, rolled stockings made them feel pretty, daring, sexy, and fashionable. It was only in the last few years that I (now 60) finally "got it". Just think back to the 1980s and leg-warmers. The way they were worn as a fashion statement looked silly to me, and I didn't think they were even remotely sexy. Just the opposite; I thought it made the legs look fatter than they actually were. Aside from not wanting my legs to look fat, I never wore them because I thought they looked stupid and served no practical purpose, like jeans that are bought already deliberately ripped, faded or made victims of chemical spills. Yet women bought and wore leg-warmers proudly on a daily basis, all bunched down around the calves, which did little to keep the legs warm. But it made them feel pretty, daring, sexy, and fashionable. Now I finally "get" how the rolled stockings fashion trend of the 1920s was perceived by the women of that time. The rolled stockings were to the 1920s what the legwarmers were to the 1980s. Ah ooo ga! The Maxwell radiator emblem had red/white stripes with blue on top, me's thinkin' that their name tags are switched (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Pretty Girls, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
That Edwards Boy: 1921
... of current news events in Washington, D.C., as a daily service to its subscribers. It also prepared sets of pictures on popular ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/04/2012 - 2:54am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "Edwards boy at Octagon House." The enigmatic E-Boy, back for his sixth appearance. National Photo Co. View full size. Just a thoughtThis Edwards boy thing. I'm just thinkin'. Maybe a newspaper in some town in the hinterlands did this as a series or photospread. [From the Library of Congress Prints and Photographic Collection catalog: "The National Photo Company Collection documents virtually all aspects of Washington, D.C., life. During the administrations of Presidents Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover, the National Photo Company supplied photographs of current news events in Washington, D.C., as a daily service to its subscribers. It also prepared sets of pictures on popular subjects and undertook special photographic assignments for local businesses and government agencies." - tterrace] A Tale of Two BoysBoth Shorpy Higginbotham and The Edwards Boy celebrate their fifth cyber-birthdays this year (S.H. in February, T.E.B. this December), but regrettably the identity of the latter remains buried in the mists of time. Or in the emulsions of plates. Too bad he didn't have a less common name, like Oglethorpe, that would facilitate Joe Manning-style tracking. Re: A Tale of Two BoysEB visited a lot of places in Washington so maybe he was the Son of a Congressman or Senator, or at least the Son of someone with enough clout to get him in all these places, or maybe he just won a contest. I'm still waiting to find out who Kermy was, at least there's a chance he's still alive and could have a meaningful dialog with us. Octagon? No, Still There!The house is still there, but the numbers have been changed to protect the innocent! It's at 1799 New York Ave, NW. After the White House was burned by the British during the War of 1812, the Octagon house served as the executive mansion for President James Madison. In Master Edward's day it was open for public tours. Presently, it's a museum of architectural design. (The Gallery, D.C., Edwards Boy, Natl Photo)
Stuff It: 1922
... the subject. Every one of the boys and girls takes an hour daily for exercise and shower bath. An auditorium is in use each period. From ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 11:19am -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1922. "Balch School students." Note the bin at left marked "STUFF ME with waste paper." Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Higginbotham DesignNote that one of the architects of this school was William E. Higginbotham (1858-1922), perhaps a distant relative of Shorpy Higginbotham. Architectural Forum, 1922 Recent Developments in the Detroit School System The necessity of making intensive use of all available school space in Detroit, for a rapidly increasing number of children of school age, led to the adoption of a school administration system of the "platoon" type which has in late months been receiving careful study by school authorities from many parts of the country. It was seen to be necessary that classrooms be made to provide for more than one set of pupils and that the idea of individual, permanent desk and seat be abandoned. To dovetail into this plan was the well recognized importance of varying the work of the school day, and as finally worked out the "platoon system" provides for two entirely separate sets of pupils, one set using the classrooms while the others are engaged with other school work, this latter set using the classrooms when the first set has begun its out-of classroom session. The intermediate school consists of six 60-minute periods, with an hour for lunch. Each period provides both the recitation and the study activities under the teacher who gives instruction in the subject. Every one of the boys and girls takes an hour daily for exercise and shower bath. An auditorium is in use each period. From 70 to 200 or 300 students assemble each period to listen to lectures on social and civic affairs. George M. Balch Intermediate School, Detroit Malcomson, Higginbotham & Palmer, Architects This is one of the recent Detroit schools to be planned for operation on the "platoon system." It is of fireproof construction, with concrete and hollow tile floors. The exterior is of mingled shades of mat face brick with Indiana limestone trimmings. The building accommodates 1,080 pupils and was erected in 1920, when the cost of building was at its height, for $608 per pupil, or 55 ½ cents per cubic foot. +89 Still Pretty Much The Same (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Education, Schools)
City of Ottawa: 1907
... in that reservoirs mounted over the sinks were filled daily by the stewardesses and after that gravity did the rest. The galley was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/22/2018 - 11:21pm -

Cleveland circa 1907. "Steamer City of Ottawa entering Cuyahoga Creek." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What is supporting that bridge?Was this photo somehow manipulated or am I just not seeing the bridge/ferry landing properly? The shadows do not look correct, nor does the water beneath it. Is the dark pile which is barely visible made of steel, and all that is bearing the weight? [It's a swing bridge in the open position. -tterrace] Thanks Dave...makes perfect sense now! I hadn't considered that it was pointing 90 degrees from its normal orientation :-) (even though I have a defunct center pivot one close by) The Name GameCity of Ottawa had a pretty long life on the lakes, a nearly went further. Christened the INDIA in 1871, she joined sister ships in service known as CHINA and the JAPAN. From the annals of the Toronto Maritime Society, these were no run of the mill steamers plying the Great Lakes. "...The passenger cabin of each was a veritable palace compared to other ships then operating. The staterooms opened off a long open passageway in which the dining tables were set at mealtimes. At the forward end of the cabin was the men's smoking room, while at the after end of the passenger area the cabin opened out into a spacious and luxuriously appointed ladies' cabin, complete with grand piano. The woodwork up to the level of the clerestory was varnished, while the deckhead was painted white. Woodcarvings were in evidence everywhere. The entire cabin was fitted with carpeting and an elegant companionway led down to the main deck where the purser's office was located. As usual for the period, bathroom facilities were not provided in the staterooms but each room did boast "running water" in that reservoirs mounted over the sinks were filled daily by the stewardesses and after that gravity did the rest. The galley was located on the main deck and the food (of excellent repute) was brought to the cabin by means of a primitive lift." Ironically, while she went by City of Ottawa renaming for most of her sailing days, the ship started as INDIA and ended that way as well, while being refitted for saltwater use during WWII. She was sent down the Mississippi River to New Orleans but deemed too old and unfit, was eventually laid up along Lake Ponchartrain, where it's believed she meet her end to scrappers in 1945. Launched on June 20, 1871 at Buffalofor the Atlantic, Duluth & Pacific Company by Gibson & Craig and the King Iron Works, the India was the first of a trio of state-of-the-art iron passenger and freight vessels running between Buffalo and Duluth, the others the China and Japan. Beginning the next year and for the next decade it ran for the Lake Superior Transit Company, allied with a pool of railroad-related steamship companies and after that with the Anchor Line, part of the Pennsylvania Rail Road. Sold in 1906 to the Montreal & Lake Erie Steamship Company, reflagged Canadian, repowered, and renamed the City of Ottawa, the vessel operated as the firm's name implies. Its passenger accommodations were removed in 1913 when Canada Steamship Lines Ltd. acquired the vessel and placed it in the package freight trade between Hamilton and Montreal. Laid up in 1926, the City of Ottawa was sold back into American registry briefly in 1928 and renamed India, and the next year back into Canadian registry for the Algoma Central Railway Company and renamed Sault Ste. Marie, running between Fort William and Toronto. In 1930 it again entered American registry and reverted again to the name India, cut down to a coal barge. Requisitioned by the Maritime Commission for war service in 1942, the India was brought down the Chicago River, Sanitary and Ship Canal, and the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers for a conversion that never occurred. The India was dismantled on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain in 1945. The William L. Scott was built at Buffalo in 1890 by the Union Dry Dock Company for that city's Hand & Johnson Tug Line. It was abandoned and dismantled in 1915, probably at Erie, Pennsylvania. Swing bridge?Never was a real fan of bridges that move. Really like them sitting still and anchored. Getting A LiftFor fans and non-fans of moving bridges, the current edition at or near that same spot is a rather impressive rail lift bridge, rather than swing version. Everything's up to date in Cleveland. Tugging at your heartThe tug WILLIAM L. SCOTT, built in 1890, was steam powered and of wood construction, weighing 54 gross tons, with dimensions of 67.9 x 17.4 x 10 feet. It was dismantled in 1915 at Union Dry Dock, Buffalo Shipbuilding. I suspect the boat may have been named for Pennsylvania congressman William Lawrence Scott (1828-1891). (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Band of Brothers: 1924
... could begin the actual work of construction. They sold daily papers and periodicals until something like $45 had been accumulated. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2008 - 10:45am -

1924. "Children of Mrs. Milan Getling" (actually Getting). National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Getling BoysFine-looking boys. They needed a comment. [They and I thank you. Love the cartoons btw. - Dave] Boy Puppeteers Washington Post Feb 10, 1924 3 Sons of Attache Win Applause Here with Marionettes Boys of Milan Getting, of Czechoslovakian Legation, Built Little Theater Take notice all ye theater guilds, little theaters and amateur theatrical organizations, Czechoslovakian talent has come to town and marionettes are bidding for headline honors. The boys, ages 14, 12 and 10, sons of Milan Getting, attache of the Czechoslovakian legation in Washington, have built a marionette theater, and during the past week presented a play at the Ambassador under the public service department of the Crandall theaters. Months of hard labor after school hours constituted the preliminary of this entertainment, because Milan, Vlado and Ivan Getting first had to earn the money for materials before they could begin the actual work of construction. They sold daily papers and periodicals until something like $45 had been accumulated. This sum was sent to their home city, Prague, for lithographs to be used as scenes and for a king, queen and a princess marionette. The boys did not feel quite equal to royalty in their first venture in carving the little wooden dramatis personae. The play itself was ready, "The Enchanted Forest," which had won the first prize for marionette shows in Prague several years ago, had been translated into English by Milan. So when the material from Bohemia arrived, the boys' workshop at their home, 1727 S street, became the place for the completion of their venture. ... A Getting Grandchild Thanks You!Thank you for posting this piece of our family history. The eldest son, Milan, is my late grandfather. Our elders commented often about the puppets, but this article provides detail I had not known. I had never seen this photograph and had even tried (without success) to figure out where the family lived in D.C. (And yes, the correct spelling is GETTING) Again, THANK YOU! Pamela Getting Stauffer [You're very welcome. The credit goes to tireless and resourceful researcher Stanton Square. Below, a photo of your granddad. Click to enlarge. - Dave] Unspeakable GratitudeI am speechless. For the three Getting boys, this was a very important part of their life that I have wanted to learn more about and I just now stumbled upon your web pages. Where did you find these? I cannot thank you enough for sharing this. [The photo is part of the National Photo Company Collection, donated to the Library of Congress in 1947. There is a slightly different version here (larger version here). There's more about the brothers in the Washington Post archives, which you can view online if you have a ProQuest login. Which you probably have access to if you have a library card. Check your public library's website under "research" or "online resources." - Dave] (The Gallery, Natl Photo, Portraits)
Harlem River Speedway: 1905
... end of the speedway and exercised his famous horse there daily. C. K. G. Billings is one of the few to continue to use the drive. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 1:38am -

New York circa 1905. "The Harlem River from High Bridge. View of Harlem River Speedway and Washington Bridge." 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. CascaretsPleasantly(?) flavored laxative. Looks the same today (with less traffic)I'm amazed at how similar the area looks to this day. I use the Harlem River Drive regularly and usually have time to appreciate the bridge while I sit in traffic. Not quite as photogenic todayBut at least the bridge is still there. View Larger Map Fast Trotters and Pacers The Motor World, July 6, 1911. Want Speedway Thrown Open. New Yorkers Take Steps to Restore $6,000,000 Roadway to Public — Now Monopolized by Few Horsemen. The Licensed Automobile Dealers of New York have given drivers of fast horses something to think about. The Dealers have started a movement to have the Harlem Speedway thrown open to the general public. This magnificent speedway extends along the Harlem river from One Hundred and Fifty-fifth street to Dykman street. It was built under an act of the Legislature of 1893 for the exclusive use of drivers of light, horse drawn carriages, and at a cost of some $6,000,000. At that time the driving of fast horses was carried on extensively and automobiles were few and far between. Since then the trotting horse has become conspicuous by his absence and the automobile is very much in evidence. The result is, the Speedway is seldom used excepting Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings by a few horse owners. The Dealers feel that all automobile owners are being taxed for the upkeep of this magnificent roadway, which is under the direction of the Park Department, although they derive no benefit. They do not ask the City to turn the road over for speeding of automobiles. The object is to have it opened to automobilists for pleasure purposes, the same as drivers now controlled by the Park Department. … Motor Age, January 13, 1916. Famous Drive of Wealthy Horsemen to Be Opened to Motors. Harlem Speedway, Costing More Than $5,000,000, No Longer Attracts Millionaires with Fast Trotters and Pacers. Another province over which the horse once reigned is threatened with attack and capture by the motor car. Following the reconstruction of the Sheepshead Bay track, where once satin-bloused jockeys plied whip and spur to thoroughbreds in the home stretch drive, into a speedway for motor car competition, comes the announcement that the Harlem speedway, constructed at a cost of more than $5,000,000 and famous as the scene of the brushes of amateur light harness horsemen, is to give way to the gasoline-driven limousine, touring car and roadster. According to reports made to Borough President Marks by Chief Engineer Stern of the bureau of highways on present conditions over the speedway, traffic has fallen off to such an extent that it is estimated by Chief Engineer Stern that the average yearly maintenance for the last 15 years of approximately $20,000 is too high for what the taxpayers are receiving in return. Park Commissioner Cabot Ward intends to have a bill introduced in the legislature to enable him to change the character of the speedway and throw it open to all kinds of vehicles the same as a public street. The Park Commissioner and Borough President Marks have agreed to lay the matter before the board of estimate with the recommendations for legislative action. The plan calls for paving one side of the 90-foot drive and open it for motor traffic. The cost of paving it is estimated would amount to $107,000. At the present time the speedway, under an act of the legislature, is used exclusively by light horse-drawn vehicles and equestrians. Motor cars are not allowed on the drive which extends from 155th street to Dyckman street. The study of traffic, which covered a period of 7 days, from 8 o'clock in the morning until 6 o'clock at night, during the early part of last month showed that during this time only 641 vehicles and 25 equestrians used the driveway. During the early days of speedway brushing prominent horsemen were to be seen handling the reins over trotters and pacers famous in the annals of harness horse racing. The introduction of specially prepared events, arranged in classes according to the records and speeds of the horses, drove many of the amateur drivers off the speedway, and thereafter the public interest waned. The sidewalk specially built on the riverside for the use of the public served as a grandstand, but of late years the small fields did not help to popularize the sport. Many men prominent in New York affairs were to be seen driving on the speedway. The late William H. Clark, who was corporation counsel, built a stable at the south end of the speedway and exercised his famous horse there daily. C. K. G. Billings is one of the few to continue to use the drive. Harlem River SpeedwayAppreciate the article and pics of the Speedway - my great-great uncle, Clark McDonald, was the first superintendent of the Speedway and raced on it frequently. I was curious about what happened to it, and now know. It's nice to see the bridge, too. I do not live in NY, so it is great to see information that shows me the location and history. Clark was the owner of two horse-boarding stables in the 1800's in Manhattan (McDonald's Boarding Stables and Edgecombe boarding stables) - would love to see information/pics about any of the old boarding stables which existed in the center of the City; next to no information available for research and it seems fascinating to think of all these horses in the center of Manhattan! (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Horses, NYC)
Owana at Toledo: 1912
... size. Sidewheeler Owana The Owana operated a daily schedule departing Detroit in the morning, and Toledo in afternoon. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/29/2012 - 10:42pm -

Toledo, Ohio, circa 1912. "Steamer Owana ready to leave for Detroit." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Sidewheeler OwanaThe Owana operated a daily schedule departing Detroit in the morning, and Toledo in afternoon. Launched as the Pennsylvania in 1889 by Detroit Dry Dock Company, Wyandotte, Michigan. Renamed Owana in 1905, Erie in 1925, T. A. Ivey in 1934, a return to Erie in 1964, broken up 1981. Gross tonnage 747, net tonnage 420, length 201 ft., beam 32 ft. Passenger and cargo ferry: the forward part of her main deck could accomodate wagons and automobiles. Another photo of the Owana, most likely from the same day, at Smoke and Mirrors: 1912. Other vessels on Shorpy built at same Wyandotte shipyard: Sidewheeler Idlewild, 1879. Sidewheeler City of Cleveland,1880. Sidewheeler State of New York, 1883. Sidewheeler railroad ferry Michigan Central, 1884. Sidewheeler Frank E. Kirby, 1890. Fire boat James Battle, 1900. Steamship Tionesta, 1900. Freighter S.S. Utica, 1904. Sidewheeler City of Cleveland, 1907. Sidewheeler City of Detroit III, 1912. Sidewheeler Seeandbee, 1912. Cresceus ... A Plaster Horse?     I was curious about the word "cresceus" on the side of Toledo Supply and thought it might be some sort of plaster but much to my surprise a search led to an amazing horse of that era. CRESCEUS WITH HIS OWNER GEORGE H. KETCHUM      Cresceus owed his life to the disobedience of the superintendent. The colt had no more than turned a yearling when he was stricken with a severe attack of distemper. As it had settled in the throat, a heavy blister had been applied to that section. The youngster rubbed off the blister and looked so terrible that Ketcham ordered him destroyed as he thought the animal would be worthless. The Rest Of The Story. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Toledo)
Urban Onions: 1942
... Three Art Deco masterpieces of 1929-30: The Daily News (right), the Chanin Building (left) and the unforgettable Chrysler ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/21/2015 - 3:07pm -

June 1944. "New York. School victory garden on First Avenue between 35th & 36th streets." Photo by Edward Meyer, Office of War Information. View full size. Guerilla gardening?I guess that "guerilla gardening" would be a more modern term. [Victory Gardens had the full support of the government. -tterrace] ["Guerrilla" with two R's would be even more modern. - Dave] My old neighborhoodI used to live a couple of blocks from there. That location is a small park on one side of the street, and an apartment complex on the other. Art Deco masterpiecesThree Art Deco masterpieces of 1929-30: The Daily News (right), the Chanin Building (left) and the unforgettable Chrysler in the center, of course. The one to the extreme left is One Grand Central Place, formerly known as the Lincoln Building, also completed in 1930 and designed in the neo-gothic style. One Grand Central PlaceThe one to the extreme left is One Grand Central Place, formerly known as the Lincoln Building; also completed in 1930 and designed in the neo-gothic style. (The Gallery, NYC, WW2)
Promote Email Updates - 12/10/07 & 11/30/07
... up for our new, free e-mail newsletter and receive a daily update with the latest images posted on Shorpy. We won't spam you or sell you your name to those who do. But we do promise a daily dose of photo goodness. Sign up today . If you prefer RSS feeds, ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 12/10/2007 - 9:38pm
Sidelined: 1942
... Freeman for the Office of War Information. After the daily business began to dry up along with gas supplies, parking-lot operators ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/21/2015 - 2:39pm -

1942. "Effect of gasoline shortage in Washington, D.C." Medium format nitrate negative by Albert Freeman for the Office of War Information. View full size. Deja vu all over againSame location as the one we saw earlier, but from a higher POV and on a different day. Sidelined?I'm curious about your title Dave; looks like a normal downtown work day parking lot. Probably pretty empty after the work crowd and evening theater attendees all go home. [The title goes with the caption: "Effect of gasoline shortage in Washington, D.C." One of 17 photos taken by Albert Freeman for the Office of War Information. After the daily business began to dry up along with gas supplies, parking-lot operators began moving their business to monthly storage contracts for the duration of the war. - Dave] It's a StretchThe author of the original caption was clearly having a bad day, logic-wise. This is a short-term parking lot, filled nearly to capacity with cars that presumably came from somewhere and will return there at the end of the day, consuming gasoline in the process. With no pre-rationing baseline for comparison, this photo could as easily reflect the situation on 5 December 1941. Now a shot of acres of cars in long-term storage or urban streets and commuter highways nearly devoid of traffic would merit such a caption. Still, it's a great shot of some nice old rides, and amply illustrates what a drag it must have been to work there: "Mine's the Airflow behind the Chevy, up against the wall, and I'm really in a hurry!" [The caption comes from the Library of Congress catalog card for a collection of negatives depicting cars parked in a variety of situations in Washington, D.C. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Albert Freeman, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C.)
Wrapped in Plastic: 1961
... instruction, Helena Rubinstein is now offering daily classes in glamour and corrective make-up in her salon at 655 Fifth ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/11/2014 - 4:54pm -

September 15, 1961. "Helena Rubinstein, 655 Fifth Avenue, New York. Class in session." Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Internet Lounge 1961Those old Laptops were sure big. Bette DavisIn the middle, second from the front. The set of the mouth, the heavy-lidded eyes. Glamour School New York Times, November 7, 1960. Glamour Courses Are Held at Salon Most women are downright babes in the wood when it comes to applying make-up despite years of trying. Almost every face has some feature or area that make-up can help. When applied clumsily, make-up can accentuate the deficiencies in a face, not conceal them. Realizing that many women are unable to learn without professional instruction, Helena Rubinstein is now offering daily classes in glamour and corrective make-up in her salon at 655 Fifth Avenue. They are held Mondays through Fridays from 2:30 to 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 1 to 2:30 p.m. A single lesson costs $5; a private lesson is $10. Appointments may be made by telephoning ELdorado 5-2100 or writing the Helena Rubinstein salon. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Dinner to Go: 1921
... for the White House table. The bird was grown by M.H. Daily, prohibition commissioner of Mississippi, whose home is at Crystal ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 9:28pm -

November 17, 1921. "Harding turkey." A present for President Warren Harding arrives at the White House. G.G. Bain Collection glass negative. View full size. It's His Shoes!Forget the rest of the picture, I'm mesmerized by those shiny, sharp, stylish shoes he's wearing. What beautiful, well-turned out feet! Too bad they're busy laughing at his wrinkled, cuffed trousers. Didn't workingmen have "work shoes" in 1921? The other guy's, while completely congruous with his pants, come up short, dull and drab by comparison. Also, from the look on his face, I can just hear that guy saying "Hurry up and take the goddamn picture, will 'ya?" Mississippi Turkey Turkey On Way to Harding Crate for 35-Pound Bird Decorated With Bunting and Flags. Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov. 17. -- President Harding's Thanksgiving day turkey, a 35-pound bird, passed in state through here today destined for the White House table. The bird was grown by M.H. Daily, prohibition commissioner of Mississippi, whose home is at Crystal Springs, and the crate in which the bird was confined was decorated with bunting and flags furnished by the American Legion post of that city. Washington Post, Nov 18, 1921 Wonder what that bottle is for... Poultry CoffinIt doesn't seem to me that a turkey delivered in a box that looks like a casket would be that appetizing. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Thanksgiving)
Newark Newsies: 1909
... besides having the comics I loved. I remember a daily feature on the front page --"The Toll"--showing the number of Americans ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/27/2015 - 8:16pm -

        Text Updates 1.0 -- street urchins hawking broadsheets. December 1909. "Some of Newark's small newsboys. Afternoon." Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine for the National Child Labor Committee. View full size. Newark Evening NewsWe had it delivered every afternoon throughout the '50's and into the '60's--a great local paper, and a mainstay of my youth that got me interested in reading newspapers, besides having the comics I loved. I remember a daily feature on the front page --"The Toll"--showing the number of Americans who died in traffic accidents year-to-date. Rather frightening. Wonder if I'm related to any of those boys?? NewsiesSomebody ought to write a musical about those kids. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Semaphore: 1920
... full size. Riding on the Metro I ride by here daily on the Metro. I believe this is facing west [it's north-northeast - ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 1:10pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920s. "Union Station signals and tracks." National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size. Riding on the MetroI ride by here daily on the Metro. I believe this is facing west [it's north-northeast - Dave]. The landmark that stands out is the switching house, which is still there, and in the photo is at the lower middle slightly to the left. If I have my orientation, right, the Metro Red Line goes by on the left, where you can kind of see a train in the photo. This would be facing with your back to Union Station. When I see the switching house, it looks like it's 100 years old. It's green-copper stained with some gray. Most of those tracks are still there, and there's now also some old electric train wires hanging overhead which may date back to the 50s (I am not sure). Some things never change.I work for the Long Island RR, and it seems that very little changes in train yards. The equiptment changes with the times but not much else. It's definitely a bit of a throwback occupation. K TowerThis is a fantastic photo of the place I have worked since 1990 - K Tower, Washington Terminal. It controls all of the former Washington Terminal signaled trackage. Semaphore signals were replaced in the 1950's with color position signals. Richard Hafer K Tower Train Director (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads)
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