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Expert Truss Fitting: 1900
... I also love the trolleys in the picture--somehow, my daily bus ride doesn't seem quite as cool as this. One question. What is the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 12:35pm -

"Main Street, Buffalo, N.Y., circa 1900." The merchants of Buffalo, aside from making that fine city a haven for the herniated, also offered a wide range of "deformity appliances." Detroit Publishing Co. glass negative. View full size. Fireproof indeed!The fireproof tiles on the roof of the Iroquois were a big selling point after the horrific fire that destroyed the Richmond Hotel, which stood on the same site until 1887. Mirror Writing?The reverse lettering above the motorman's head looks like the back of a glass sign that says SMOKING ENTRANCE REAR SEATS ONLY, whatever that means exactly. [The signs says "Smoking on three rear seats only." - Dave] Safe CityThat is one safety-conscious city. Note the pedestrian catcher mounted on the front of the trolley. Niagara Falls!!!!Niagara Falls! "Slowly I turned...step by step...inch by inch..." From the Three Stooges short "Gents Without Cents" Oh MyWhat a picture. This is definitely a downtown scene. I am curious about the rides to Lockport, Lewiston and Queenston. Are they entrance cities to Canada? Perhaps they are tourist destinations like Niagara Falls. This photo will take a while to gather it all and to understand Buffalo as a major U.S. city at the time. [Those cities were excursion destinations. - Dave] Shuffle off to Buffalo...So much detail to take in. Wonder what a "Deformity Appliance" is. [I am thinking something along the lines of a super-dangerous cake mixer. - Dave] Bustling BuffaloNothing is more depressing than seeing the once-bustling major city that is now Buffalo. Interesting that the streetcar was the main mode of public transportation, and yet the newer "metro" line (consisting of one short rail from HSBC to the University of Buffalo) has contributed to the death of downtown. Martha!And "I Love Lucy." Your neighbor the sign painterBesides the five (or six or seven) signs of his own, Mr. Scott seems to have painted all the other signs on that building. I wonder if he traded signs for trolly rides, cigars, or deformity appliances. Trolleys Then and NowThe open-seat single-truck trolleys seen in this picture (with smoking allowed in the three rear seats only) have long been absent from the City of Buffalo. The line is now the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority's Buffalo Metro Rail light rail line. Interesting that the tracks on Main Street have survived, while those on Church Street, and all of the surrounding buildings, including the Iroquois Hotel, have all vanished. View Larger Map No heritage hereSo, is this was were the Main Street Mall now resides? Seems all these blocks were demolished. The Iroquois Hotel was torn down in 1940. The Perfect VignetteWhat a great photo! The "Signs" signs, the omnipresent hats, the fancy streetlight. I love the advertisement for the "tobacconist"--that would make a catchy little business card, I think. Some people are dentists, some are salespeople, and then there are the tobacconists. And I wonder what got thrown into the wires crossing the street? I also love the trolleys in the picture--somehow, my daily bus ride doesn't seem quite as cool as this. One question. What is the net in front for? I would guess it's for luggage or large packages? [The net would be for inattentive or careless pedestrians. - Dave] LockportLockport was and is a neat little city in NW central New York State where canal boats travel down a series of locks. It's fun to watch. The city is also the home of an American standard in every kitchen: Jell-O! Cars?Sign says "cars leave every 15 minutes"...I don't see any cars, it's 1900 (or so) What do they mean by "cars"? [Streetcars. - Dave] The GlobeSure would like to be able to see more detail on that globe painted on the left side - looks like the continents have been anthropomorphized into pinup gals. BuffaloCool! I stayed a night in Buffalo early last month. Had it still been standing, I would have chosen the Iroquois over the Holiday Inn for sure. Looks like a fun city, but you've never seen anything more depressing than Niagara Falls (the town) in winter. You Are HereIn response to the many requests seen in comments for a time machine: here you are. Absolutely fantastic picture. Pan-American ExpoThat's the logo for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, held in Buffalo -- where President McKinley was shot and later died. Trolly carsThey mean Trolly cars. [Or maybe trolley cars. ("Cars" = streetcars.) - Dave] Look out above!The top three floors of the Iroquois were "superadded" for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. In 1923, owner Ellsworth Statler opened another hotel, and the Iroquois became the Gerrans Office Building. The building with the tower was transformed into one of the earliest movie theaters, the Strand. Steve Miller Someplace near the crossroads of America Leroy not LockportLeroy is the home of Jell-O, not Lockport! Visit the jello museum in Leroy to learn more about the product invented by a man named Pearl. CSI: BuffaloNice Cigar Store Indian on the right. Oh that logo The Pan-American Exposition Company chose Raphael Beck's design from over 400 entries, awarded him $100. They copyrighted it as the official logo in 1899. At first the design was to be used only for "dignified purposes," but due to its popularity, the decision was made to license its use. The logo was soon available on souvenirs of every conceivable description and was plastered on "everything that didn't move and some things that did." Some unscrupulous vendors ignored the licensing process and sold unofficial souvenirs with the logo. Here is a plate and a watch souvenir (both official): Beck made sketches of President McKinley when the president toured the fair and made a speech there. After McKinley died Beck completed the painting titled "President McKinley Delivering His Last Great Speech at the Pan-American Exposition, Sept. 5, 1901." Beck went on to design the logo for the 1905 Portland, Oregon Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. His father Augustus—who designed the bas relief at the base of the Washington Monument—named his son after the famous painter Raphael. +122Below is the same view from September of 2022. (The Gallery, Buffalo NY, DPC, Streetcars)
Harry Swope: 1908
... full size. Thank you I too visit this site almost daily. When out of town, I always look forward to seeing what's new at Shorpy ... to you" etc. Shorpy Birthday Happy 3rd, Dave. I'm a daily visitor and never leave unhappy. We haven't, however, seen Marilyn lately ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/16/2010 - 2:38am -

August 1908. "An Enforced Rest. Harry Swope, aged 15, 426 Elm Street, Newport, Kentucky. Carrying heavy bundles of paper for a News & Stationery company." Photo and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Thank youI too visit this site almost daily. When out of town, I always look forward to seeing what's new at Shorpy when I get back home. Thank you for the many hours of entertainment I have enjoyed here. Birthday wishes!That Shorpy have a long and happy life on the internet. Thank you for all your work. I look forward to the variety of splendid images, full of the rich details of lives lived and experiences past. Three CandlesAt 10:49 tonight Eastern time, Shorpy (the website, not the person) will be exactly 3 years old! Happy Valentine's Day to all. Happy B'day Shorpy!Well done to Dave and all at Shorpy, fantastic job you do. The most educational, enlightening and entertaining site on the net. Happy Birthday!... and thanks for all the fun. Felicitations!May this site outlive all of us. And another thanks to Dave for running it so well; and to other contributors and tipsters, anonymous or not. Happy birthday Shorpy!Happy birthday, Shorpy The Site, from one three-year-old to another! [Awww. - Dave] In the Wire Work Window... a wabbit! Happy Birthday and THANK YOU!Thank you for providing such a wonderful website. I really enjoy "going back in time" through some of the best pictures posted on the web. All the Best Shorpy!As far as I am concerned I have had the privilege of seeing all the best -- right here. "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you" etc. Shorpy BirthdayHappy 3rd, Dave. I'm a daily visitor and never leave unhappy. We haven't, however, seen Marilyn lately ... but don't take me too seriously. Sincere best wishes and keep it coming. Shouldn't it be "one hundred and three"?Thanks. You've changed my view of my parents' and grandparents' world. You've brought it alive for me. Join me in a toast.I will hoist my tankard at 10:49 and say happy birthday Shorpy with thanks to Dave. Keep Up The Good WorkHappy Valentine's Day to all of the Shorpy Staff, my compatriot readers and commenters and the ghosts of the smiling Harry Swope and the frowning Lewis Wickes Hine. That one giant step..for lucidity. Thanks Dave for holding our feet to the fire when we post to Shorpy.(feel free to edit,you usually do). Part-tay!Shouldn't we have one? Any excuse for cake and noisemakers! Happy Birthday, Shorpy! Thanks to all who have made this one of my favorite places to spend time. Thanks for the MemoriesShorpy has made my retirement that much richer. Thanks, Dave and thanks all you commenters. Two ThoughtsHappy 3rd birthday to Shorpy and young Harry sure has big feet. Through the Wayback MachineA peek at the past - http://web.archive.org/web/20070221050736/https://www.shorpy.com/ Thanks for the hard work and excellent captions. Happy 3rd Thanks Dave for all your hard work and for giving us a nice place to visit. Happy Birthday Shorpy!Thanks for three years of wonderful photos and opportunities to learn about people and places of our past. And thank you Dave, for keeping it worth coming back to again and again! Woohoo!It's been an enjoyable 3 years and hope that there's many more. Cheers!For the completion of 1,578,240 minutes of delightful entertainment and enlightenment. High fives and many thanks for generously sharing your labor of love. Hot Dog!One last delivery to old man Potter. Happy BDay, Shorpy. Keep them coming. Make a WishHappy Birthday and thanks! Happy Birthentines Day!This website is wonderful, and fun to check each day. Thanks for all the work you do! A Happy Third Birthday - With Many More To ComeThere really is "Always Something Interesting" on Shorpy's. Viewing many of the high quality photographs on Shorpy's is like actually looking back through time. Keep up the excellent work. Oh, the comments that don't get posted!Nice try, Dave, but the 400 block of Elm St. in Newport is non-commercial, residential, detached, single-family housing, and the houses there even today well predate the 1908 date on this photo. At first I thought I was wrong with my previous (unpublished) comment, but there's no way this photo was taken at 426 Elm Street in Newport. There's no commercial architecture there now, and never has been, seeing as all the houses there now are mid 19th. c. shotguns with aluminum siding tacked on. [Hello? Try reading that caption again. 426 Elm in Newport is where Harry lives, not where the photo was taken. - Dave] Bravo and Thank you!!Dave, Happy Birthday to Shorpy.com! This is a great time to say how much I Thank You. When I look at the photo that you posted of our buildings, and study the super-sized print we got from you, I live in 1933 for a time; I visit Tom's Lunch. The print was in the storefront window of subject building for a while and drew and held nearly every passerby- homeless to bank exec.- who would look, and look up, and then look again... and laugh with the joy of discovery. Thanks for that and every other treasure you bring to light. [You're very welcome. Last year Lisa kindly took an hour out of her busy day to give me a tour of the "Tom's Lunch" building, which she owns and was renovating. Someday I will get around to posting the photos! - Dave] Swope & ShorpyHarry Swope's a fine-looking lad, and Shorpy's the finest site on the 'net. Happy 3rd birthday! I echo....all the sentiments here! Over the past 84 some odd weeks (since stumbling onto Shorpy) this site has become my favorite spot on the web. I can gaze for hours in amazement at the detail in the photographs and day dream about times past. Thanks Dave. Happy 3rd and many more!Thanks for the memories and hours and hours of entertainment and education, not necessarily in that order. Henry SwopePushing the limits of my free ancestry.com account, he was still alive as of the 1930 census, married to a Rose and still living in or near Newport, KY. I feel a certain kinship to Harry, as we were both cursed to have that cowlick. Oh and Happy birthday, Shorpy! Happy 3rdThanks, Dave! This is the first place I go to when I turn on the computer. Happy Birthday"Always something interesting" Can't say better! I'm here every day looking for the new photos. Happy birthday, Shorpy! Thank you, DaveShorpy is my hopeless addiction. I take breaks from my work several times a day to come here and prowl through your pages. The photos are so arresting, and I've learned a great deal from them, and from your well educated, well informed visitors. Happy birthday to Shorpys! Thank you Dave for a great site. I discovered this site two years ago. I am addicted to it now and I check every day or several times (according to how busy work is) to see what is posted next. Thanks for helping me get thru the every day grind. I look forward to my Shorpy fix every day. Jon Thanks Dave!Thanks Dave, for making Shorpy.com such a nice, genteel place to visit. This place is the next best thing to having a time machine. [Thank you, and thanks everyone else. Also thanks to Shorpy co-founder Ken, who manages all things financial having to do with the website, as well as many other aspects of its operation. - Dave] Never, never go away...A day without Shorpy is a day without sunshine. Many thanks and endless gratitude for the fascinating photos, brilliant commentary, re-awakening memories of the past and just giving us something worthwhile to look at and think about. Happy birthday Shorpy, all of us appreciate the time and hard work that goes into this pleasure for your viewers. Thanks to everyone at Shorpy, God bless us, every one. SingularSHORPY is the only reason everyone needs a computer! Thanks, Dave. A brilliant idea carried to fruition. Hurrah and happy birthday! Hurrah and happy birthday! Shorpy's a true gem. It's engrossing, educational, classy, just plain fun, and has one of the most civilized message boards on the 'net. Thank you Dave! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!Thank you, Dave, for enabling this lover of history and photography to travel into the past each and everyday for a glimpse into history. And to all the other "tipsters", thank you as well, specially those who have posted present day shots of the many scenes presented here. The best site on the web! Wow!Has it been three years already! Dave thank you so much and happy belated birthday to the site. One of my daily favorites. Harry "Feet" Swope in High SchoolSeems like an accomplished young man. http://freepages.school-alumni.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~schoolpics/KY/newp... [Let's check our math. Harry would have been 42 years old in 1935. - Dave] Oops! Oh well... his son seems pretty accomplished. :-) Happy Birthday ShorpyFor most of the three years, this site has been part of my daily routine. Hardly a day goes by that I don't find at least a few minutes to stare back in time. Shorpy himself I think, would love to have known about the noteriety he'd find, a century after posing for that photo. Thank You This Canadian agrees Shorpy.com is one of the best sites on the web . Thanks again. Many Happy Returns to Shorpy! A great website. Thanks Dave for all your time and effort in making this work. Happy Birthday!Not a day goes by that I don't check your site! I love it when I see shots of hometowns from times past! Keep up the good work! Harry in CincyA bit of Google work turned up a link to an 1889 Cincinnati Bell Telephone Book that lists a Robert J. McCombs, Grocer, at the southeast corner of Sycamore and Fourth Streets in Cincinnati. It would have been an easy walk for Harry to cross the Ohio River to this location. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kycchgs/BOOK_M.htm I was unable to find any information about the wirework company that probably provided the seat that Harry is using. Harry's granddaughter says:"That would be my grandfather. His name was Henry Clay Swope. He married Rose Arizona Casebolt, and had three sons: Harry, Stanley (Bud), and Glenn (my Daddy). He was born in Newport, Kentucky, to Jacob Swope (Schwab) and Sally (Sarah) Bogart." (The Gallery, Lewis Hine)
New Orleans Orpheum: 1910
... (St. Charles Theatre), St. Charles Street." Matinee Daily at 2:15. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/15/2023 - 1:01pm -

New Orleans, 1910. "Orpheum Theatre (St. Charles Theatre), St. Charles Street." Matinee Daily at 2:15. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Just a guessLeft-handed sign painter. The largest attendeeApril 1910 the Shriners gathered in NOLA for their 36th annual convention. The Secretary of the Navy dispatched the battleship USS Wisconsin to the Crescent City for the amusement of the fez wearing fun seekers. That's clout! And, maybe, a little vaudeville. Final CurtainLike so many theatres of that era, it was torn down in the 1960s. https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/3200 House of Orpheus'Orpheum' is still a recognized name for theaters. It goes back to a vaudeville house in San Francisco in 1886. Later it became part of RKO (Radio-Keith-Orpheum). At its height the Orpheum Circuit had 45 theaters; today there are fewer than 20, including one in New Orleans--not this one, but its successor opened in 1921. 'Orpheum' derives from Orpheus, a mythic figure maybe based on a real person, whose accomplishments included inventing the lyre, founding the Orphic mysteries, descending to the underworld to rescue his wife, seeking the Golden Fleece with Jason and the Argonauts, and dying by (take your choice) suicide in grief, a thunderbolt, or being torn asunder by Maenads. An appropriate name for theaters. Who is the lad?Wonder who the lad is at the top of the Orpheum (building below the fire ladder)? He seems very aware of the photographer. On the PlaybillHere's a look at the playbill, most names are readable! Orpheum 2.0Thanks to GlenJay for clarifying that the current Orpheum in New Orleans (where I attended a concert in the '90s) is not the one in this picture; I didn't think they looked anything alike. The successor theatre was very nice when I was there, and I was happy to read that, even though it took a major hit during Katrina, it has now been restored and reopened. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans)
Starlight Park: 1921
... Real Women Once again, Shorpy proves why it is my daily online morning ritual. Cup of coffee in hand, I have to peruse the jewels set up for daily display. As a woman who would have been described a "sweater girl" ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2012 - 12:24pm -

June 1921. Eleanor Tierney at Starlight Park on the Bronx River at 177th Street. Eleanor, a Broadway chorus girl, married a banker and ended up in Larchmont. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Hairy gamsShe has more hair on her legs than some of those Confederate soldiers had on their chins. I bet it's a good thing her arms aren't raised. EleanorYou could almost think this was a recent photo. She has a very modern look. The suitWas this bathing suit considered risque at the time? I wonder, only because so-called "modesty suits" which are marketed to (mostly extremist) religious women these days (i.e. http://www.swimoutlet.com/product_p/11745.htm ) offer significantly more coverage than this item from nearly 90 years ago. [It's not unusual for a 1920 bathing suit. - Dave] Itchy & ScratchyThat suit looks mighty itchy... Is it wool? A Little ChubbyA lot of those 1920 bathing beauties seem to be slightly pregnant I guess they weren't into washboard abs or heroin chic. Grooming NotesWow, I guess women of the 20s were not too worried about shaving their legs. Of other interest, it appears that there is more material on the men's bathing suits of the day than on Eleanor's! A real woman*sigh* every chorus girl's dream: to marry a banker and move to Larchmont.... RE: "Chubby," Seems that some men today are too used to the hyper airbrushed "perfect 10's" they see in the media. As apparent in comments seen here and elsewhere on Shorpy. Someone always seems to pipe up about weight. Most women share a shape similar to Eleanor's. Not fat, not skinny, not hard-bodied, not total slobs--just real and healthy. That being said, most of us do shave our legs nowadays. Comment criteria?I find it interesting that every comment I've submitted to this site -- which have had to do with artistic decisions in photographs or societal conditions at the time the photos were taken -- has not appeared in the threads, and yet comments about the hair on this woman's legs or that say she looks "slightly pregnant" (please, calling her "a little chubby" is absolutely ridiculous) pass muster. This is a private blog, of course, and you may post comments or not as you please, but this thread is a bit annoying. [Indeed. - Dave] I like her attitude.I would seriously like to go back in time and hang out with this girl. Concrete beach?What is she standing on? [Concrete paving. - Dave] Starlight ParkFrom what little I can find about Starlight Park, it was at 177th and Devoe and closed around 1940. The site is now occupied by a city bus barn. From other writings, Eleanor was apparently standing on a "beach" at the edge of a large wave pool on the park grounds. The chin-up pose is striking. Eleanor had confidence. She's all that...and she knows it! Here's a woman with a healthy confidence and outlook! Real women, indeedI agree that normal women are shaped like this young lady, if they're lucky; she was indeed a beautiful girl. As a guy in his 60s, I would point out that the rage for anorexics is a fairly recent one, and I think that even young men would largely prefer a healthy woman to one who is obsessed with her weight. It seems to me that this is something that women have brought on themselves in the last 25 years or so. Maybe not. It's also true that men like me knew lots and lots of unshaven European and American girls in the '60s and '70s. Natural and feminine women can be devastatingly attractive. ShowboatAccording to http://broadwayworld.com/people/Eleanor_Tierney/ Performances Show Boat [Broadway] Original Broadway Production, 1927 Lady of the Ensemble More New York City photos requested...More photos of people and places in New York City that are no longer "there" would sure be welcomed here, a la' the vast file of DC scenes you've published to date. [We have more than 400 NYC photos on the site. - Dave] Where it was...If I'm reading my Yahoo! Map correctly, Starlight Park in the Bronx was just about where the northern terminus of Sheridan Parkway feeds off to East 177th Street, very close to East Tremont Avenue. The Bronx River is basically clean where in runs through the NY Botanical Garden, but I don't think I'd want to take a swim it it today where Starlight Park used to be. Who wants plastic anorexia?I'm a relatively young man myself (37) and it's all the starved carpenter's dreams walking around these days that makes me really appreciate the beauty of this photo. Nothing fake or plastic here - to paraphrase, "it's all her, baby!" - and that's how I personally prefer women, inside as well as outside. Since we're on the subject of "modern" women vs. the extremely appealing jazz babies I've seen here thus far, my question is, why on God's green earth have hips and real busts been outlawed the last 3 decades or so? Dave, I can't tell you what a wonderful job and service you're doing. The streetscapes - as well as the jazz babies, among the many other things here - are exceptional!!! Twiggy Go HomeTo answer the SwingMan's question: It's that darn Twiggy in the early 1970's. I wish she had quickly crawled back into the golf hole from whence she came. *sigh*"It's also true that men like me knew lots and lots of unshaven European and American girls in the '60s and '70s. Natural and feminine women can be devastatingly attractive." Heck, yes. That's a reason I keep coming back to this site. The Hepburn FactorTwiggy was a latecomer in the thin-is-stylish sweepstakes. It actually dates back to Audrey Hepburn, the quintessential high-fashion template of the 50s. On a related note, let's not forget that of Katharine Hepburn (no relation), Spencer Tracy said, "Not much meat on her, but what there is is cherce." YMMV, of course. Almost Nekkid!For its moment, ca. 1920, this is a mild news service cheesecake photo produced for one of New York's many illustrated dailies. Eleanor Tierney's two-piece wool jersey bathing suit is acceptable in 1920 but a bit risque in its lack of a skirt. Many women continued to wear corsets under their bathing suits until the mid-teens at least, and one-piece bathing suits for women would remain illegal on many American beaches until the early 1930s. Many viewers at the time would have considered her "almost nekkid." With her casually proud stance and short hair, Eleanor is expressing modernity and liberation from older values, embodying social changes that were exciting, controversial and hotly debated throughout the country. Real WomenOnce again, Shorpy proves why it is my daily online morning ritual. Cup of coffee in hand, I have to peruse the jewels set up for daily display. As a woman who would have been described a "sweater girl" back in the good old days, I have always been amazed and a bit irritated how normal, healthy women in pictures such as this are berated in the comments on Shorpy for their weight when they have the curves and lovely meat a woman is supposed to have. I'm very glad I resemble Mae West rather than Twiggy, and I know not a few men who are as well. Flat-Chested FlappersOdd that so many readers view thinness as a purely modern fashion phenomenon, although our rail-thin models are a record-setting extreme. By the mid-1920s the ideal beauty was "boyish," with very slim hips, long legs, a flat chest and very short hair. This was the culmination of a revolutionary fashion trend that began during World War I with "mannish" dresses that suppressed the hourglass body shapes of the 1890-1910 period. In the 1920s John Held's covers for Life and Judge magazines featured girls with barely noticeable breasts and no waistline. This is the basis for the joke in "Some Like It Hot," when Marilyn Monroe envies Jack Lemmon's figure (in drag). She says that his beaded necklace hangs straight, and complains that hers just go all over the place. The Boyish LookSetting aside the fact that had the current fashion for anorexic actresses been in place fifty or sixty years ago we would have been robbed of the pleasure of watching Marilyn Monroe, the boyish look of the '20s was quite common, and would later come to be thoroughly misunderstood. If you've ever seen a not very good movie called "Getting Straight" which starred Elliott Gould and Candice Bergen, you may recall a scene in which Gould's character is defending his thesis on his favourite book "The Great Gatsby." One of the professors insists that Fitzgerald's description of Daisy is distinctly boyish and points to this as proof of Gatsby's (and maybe even Fitzgerald's - it's been a long time since I've seen the film) suppressed homosexuality. I at least see it as being as much a product of the fashions of the times as the descriptions of blacks in other novels of the period. My Two CentsNot to belabor the point regarding women's curves, I can only think of the classic artists whose magnificent paintings of beautiful, fleshed-out female forms are unintentionally so much more interesting (as in erotic) than would be bone-thin, shapeless females exhibiting a dearth of both feminine hormones and sex appeal. Take for example Venus, September Morn, the entire works of Rubens, Botticelli and hundreds of other artists and paintings that celebrate the true nature of the female form. Of course, then we have Botero, who makes all his figures very short and very stocky, but they are such great fun to look at. I can't imagine the great painters even desiring to paint the anorexic girls on the runways today. Just had to add my humble opinion to the mix. Thank you for not only the fascinating photos but also the stimulating discussions they inspire. EleanorEleanor, gee I think you're swell, and you really do me well, you're my pride and joy, etcetera... ©the Turtles ...this beauty can model for me any time. WOW...That is some hairdo! Very pretty woman. Can this be back in style?I absolutely love her bathing suit. I may need to get to work on one not made out of wool... Re: Show BoatShe's a chorus girl, too? Can she GET any more awesome? Why this photo?DO you know why this photo was taken? Was it a private photo? Or was it taken as publicity for the show she is appearing in at the time (being a chorus girl) or for the park itself? It has all the hallmarks of a professional photo due to the angle and her stance. [The Bain News Service photos were all professional. - Dave] EleanorSomething about the way she is standing and the look on her faces tells me that Eleanor might have been that girl who knew how to have a good time. Love the photo. Eleanor TierneyAccording to census records and the NY Times archives, Eleanor married John A. Van Zelm. He died of pneumonia on August 1, 1937. Eleanor died on June 22, 1948. Chubby? Slightly Pregnant??!!Honestly, get a clue. She just happens to have internal organs. Gee,if only they could come up with plastic surgery to remove them. Starlight Park in my LifeI admire the candid of Ms. Tierney, but the background is most interesting. I knew Starlight Park more than a quarter century later. By then there were no remnants of roller coasters or the like. The arena had been converted to a bus barn by Third Avenue Transit( taken over and operated now by the government transit op.) Many of the stucco buildings with red tile roofs were either destroyed,falling down or abandoned playgrounds for kids. That pool she is standing beside had a large sandy beach area and was of monumental proportions. It was the length of a football field, oriented east-west. At the west end, beyond the paved promenade, was a retaining wall and the land fell off sharply to the Bronx River. When this photo was taken this was largely an area that was undeveloped. The 180th Street Crosstown trolley (X route) went by and there was the West Farms junction of several trolley routes (after 1948 all buses) about a quarter mile away. The White Plains Road IRT elevated line with a Bronx Zoo destination had a stop another few blocks further west. In the 1940s when I frequented the place, it was because I accompanied my father, who was a soccer buff, when he went there on Sundays to doubleheaders of the German-American Soccer league. Not withstanding the leagues moniker; the NY Hungarians, Praha, Savoia, Hakoah, Eintracht, Brooklyn Wanderers, Bronx Scots, my old man's former team the NY Corinthians, and a plethora of teams with non-teutonic associations made up the league. There were professional leagues that had a larger territorial range, but almost all of the players in those days were either immigrants, or their first generation progeny. The GA was the MISL of that time. There was no real money to pay living wages to soccer players so either industrial teams, like the Uhrich Truckers in St. Louis, or semi pros - like those from the G-A league were the source of the best players in the country. Yogi Berra, and Joe Garagiola who grew up on "The Hill" in St. Louis, were part of a similar world and played soccer for local Italo-American sides there as children and teens. I know this seems strange, when the American goalie Brad Fridl pulls down 5 million bucks from Aston Villa in Birmingham in the UK Premier League, but until the Spaniards and Italians started offering whatever wages they would to get the best players, the British paid washers to professional soccer players. Ten pounds a week was the fixed rate in the forties for UK soccer players. Liverpool offered a NYPD sergeant named Miller, who was the G-A all star teams goalie, a contract. He would have had to have taken a substantial pay cut to have gone there. Foreign wage pressures, and the fixing of games by underpaid players has changed that forever. The Post War would change everything, but meanwhile the German-American League was the best we had. In the early 1950s, I was at Randall's Island Stadium when the G-A League All Stars beat Kaiserslauten , the German Bundesliga champions, 2-0. So Starlight Park's large playing field, north of the pool site ruins, was, along with Sterling Oval, and a field across the road from Con Edison in the south Bronx, were the places where the best soccer in the US was being played. As a young kid, I and the sons and daughters of the immigrants tore around the ruins playing games, built fires to roast spuds and marshmallows and the like, while our parents watched the games and relived their own athletic youths. Unfortunately, it wasn't all a halcyon time in the ruins for us. Charley, a 12-year-old acquaintance, was murdered by a sexual pervert there after swimming in the Bronx River. I never knew the place in its heyday, and I wish I had been there to ride the roller coaster and swim in such an immense pool. Still, it provided a different set of experiences and meaning to another generation. Good-Luck, Peter J. Eleanor in ColorWhen this photo originally appeared on Shorpy last year, I decide it was a good experiment for hand-coloring. I did this in Adobe Illustrator CS2, not a traditional photo-manipulation program. With the recent mania for colorizing, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon. Fire away, philistines! [The system deleted your attachment because it was wider than 490 pixels. Please read and follow the posting instructions! - Dave] More Starlight PixI first became aware of Starlight Park from a photo in Roger Arcara's "Westchester's Forgotten Railway" (1960). Now, the Internet and this web page have opened a whole new box of nostalgic pleasures. I have uploaded more Starlight Park pix here. Beach hairYes, it appears that Eleanor is both confident and fun-loving! It also appears that (by the look of her carefree 'beached-out' tresses) she has been SWIMMING this lovely day. This makes me very happy! I imagine that not too many women of the day would purposely submerge their HEAD in the salt water, much less consent afterwards to having their portrait made. That said, I have no doubt that for stage and most all other social appearances, Eleanor made diligent use of hair straightening rods, pin curlers, scented hair oils, etc. How do I know this? I (and all the other women in my family) have Eleanor's hair. Pool I wonder how they took care of keeping a pool of this size clean in 1921. I don't think they had Olin's HTH product at the time. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
Chicago: 1905
... rather disturbing. Now that's marketing! Daily Excursions to the Drainage Canal! How could anyone resist that? Floaters. Daily Excursions. Step right up, buy your ticket to see the effluence. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/05/2018 - 1:47pm -

Chicago circa 1905. "12th Street Bascule Bridge." Dinosaurs of the Carboniferous Period. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. Bascule BridgesMore on the bascule ("seesaw") design here. These bridges used a system of counterweights to balance the span. Today's viewIt looks like this bridge is down, but the 2 in the background are still standing. View Larger Map Drainage CanalSomehow, a tour of a drainage canal sounds rather disturbing. Now that's marketing!Daily Excursions to the Drainage Canal! How could anyone resist that? Floaters.Daily Excursions. Step right up, buy your ticket to see the effluence. I.M. WestonDespite being in a canal, there was no smooth sailing for this steamer. The permit for its travels between Chicago and Lockport was revoked for the drunken rowdiness of its passengers. From Proceedings of the Chicago Sanitary District Board of Trustees. June 4, 1902 PRESIDENT DIRECTED TO REVOKE PERMIT ISSUED TO STEAMER I.M. WESTON FOR NAVIGATING THE DRAINAGE CHANNEL Under the head of new business Mr. Braden stated he had been informed that the steamer I.M. Weston plying between this city and Lockport is selling liquors and carrying boisterous crowds on its trips down the Drainage Channel and moved seconded by Mr Jones that the President of the Board be requested to revoke the permit granted said steamer until such time as the proprietors have given assurances that the boat will be properly conducted. The motion prevailed unanimously and it was so ordered. Steamer Weston: R.I.P. 1902 Port Huron Daily Times, September 6, 1902 The little passenger steamer I.M. WESTON which has been engaged in carrying excursionists down the Chicago Drainage Canal to Lockport for several years caught fire in the canal near Summit on Friday and burned to the water's edge. No one was lost. The I.M. Weston was built in 1883 as a passenger steamer, she later saw use carrying fruit before reverting back to passenger trade. 95 tons gross; 57 tons net. Zug IslandIs one of those bridges on Zug Island? Any kid growing up in Detroit was easily made to study harder by the threat of working on Zug Island. Cruising by it on the Bob-Lo boat was enough to scare a C-student into a B+ student by the end of the cruise. Bascule BridgeWe have two of those bridges here in Detroit! [Chicago wants them back right away. Or else. - Dave] Re: Today's view12th Street is today's Roosevelt Road (named for Teddy). I'm not sure if either bridge in the Google view is what you see in background of the photo. The top (north) bridge is no longer in use - it served the old Grand Central Station (B&O and others) at Wells and Harrison until the late 60's/early 70's. Follow the old right-of-way going north and you can still see traces of the platforms. The south(bottom) bridge connects Union Station and the BNSF with the Illinois Central mainline. Bascule Bridges - Zug IslandActually, one is at Fort Street and the other one is on Jefferson. I think there is one on Dix at the Ford-Rouge Plant, also. There might even be one on Zug Island. Uh, Dave, Chicago is out of luck -- we're not giving them back! Carboniferous DinosaursCouldn't be a more appropriate caption. Not only do we have the steamboat and steam switcher locomotive, but a steam-powered dredge in the background. Impressive! Dancing About ArchitectureMy wife and I took a two-hour river cruise sponsored by the Chicago Architecture Foundation a couple of weeks ago while visiting the Windy City. The tour was informative and relaxing and the expert commentary was provided by a docent from the CAF. We passed under several of these bascule bridges. We happened to be there during the Chicago Air Show, so we had the added fun of watching fighter jets and vintage aircraft screaming above the city. I highly reccommend the experience. More on the CAF's tours and activities: www.architecture.org Goober Pea Roosevelt Rd. BridgeThis is the "modern" bridge as it appeared in April 2008, view looking north from the river (click to enlarge): Hey...I used to live thereSo, as far as Chicago's development goes, I would say that this is an area that remains quite similar today. Until a few months ago I lived nearby in East Pilsen and I loved taking pics in the area. Here is a night shot of these same bridges from last winter. Over the RiverThe bridges in this area were all taken down and rebuilt between 1919 and 1921 for the straightening of the river. Chicago Drainage CanalAt the time of this picture, Chicago had recently reversed the flow of the Chicago River. Previously, the river and all of Chicago's sewage flowed into Lake Michigan, which is also where Chicago got its drinking water. A drainage canal was dug (some claim that more material was moved in the excavation of this canal than during construction of the Panama Canal). The drainage canal, along with a system of locks, caused the Chicago River to flow downward through the Des Plaines and Illinois River systems to the Mississippi. It was an incredible achievement, but maybe not so good for the people and fisheries downstream. Those bridgesThe two bridges shown prominently are long gone. They did provide access to Grand Central Station but were removed when the South Branch of the Chicago River was straightened in the 1920s. The railroad built a single leaf bascule bridge to replace the double bridge a few blocks to the south. That bridge is seen in the "today's view" and "I used to live there" photos. It is the one that is up. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Chicago, DPC)
20 Handsome Girls: 1904
... Miss Bob White On 24 March 1904 the Cornell Daily Sun gave Miss Bob White an All American review. "Miss Bob White" ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/24/2015 - 3:54pm -

1904. "Boys' High School, Philadelphia." Our titillating title comes from the Star Burlesquers billboard far right. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Bob White - Quail SongWhen the leaves are falling And the quail are calling Bob White! Bob White! Steady, Don - no flushing! Hold, there! Don - you're rushing! Bob White! Bob White! Bang! Bang! Shots are ringing At the covey springing Bob White! Bob White! Come ere the sunshine has kissed off the dew Of the scent laying morn with it's bright Autumn hue Bob White my first love, to thee I'd be true Ah! little quail, I love you. Miss Bob White: An Original American Pastoral Comedy Opera in Three Acts By Willard Spenser That Funky Streetlight !The funky streetlight in the left foreground must be some sort of an arc lamp. It has a counterbalanced arm for lowering the lamp so that the carbons can be adjusted or maintained. The old-time arc lights required a lot more maintenance than an incandescent lamp. Gender segregationAs high schools became commonplace in public education, there were separate facilities for boys and girls. As a youngster entering junior high school in Baltimore, during the late 1950s, I was surprised to find boys and girls were separated in classrooms (boys on one side, girls on the other) and while moving between classes. Perhaps this was due to boys and girls becoming "interested" in one another. The school had separate gym facilities for the sexes. Broad and Green St.A search shows it was at Broad and Green St. and was torn down in 1961. The dome contained a 15 inch telescope. What a place to explore. I wonder what the students thought of it. Observatory atop the towerIn the 1922 Handbook of the school the opening photograph of the building from the Broad Street side (but from a different angle) shows that the dome atop the center tower is not decorative, but served as an observatory. The Handbook also reports that the observatory's original fifteen-inch telescope was ruined (along with most of the tower's apparatus) in a "disastrous fire on March 9, 1905," and a complete rehabilitation of the observatory had yet to occur. Just down the streetFrom the Baldwin Locomotive Works. I thought that observatory rang a bell. Location?It would be nice to know the school's location. As far as I know, it no longer exists. Any info would be appreciated. [A commenter below has identified it as Broad and Green Sts. -tterrace] Miss Bob WhiteOn 24 March 1904 the Cornell Daily Sun gave Miss Bob White an All American review. "Miss Bob White" Saturday. "Miss Rob White" Willard Spencer's successful pastoral comedy opera is perhaps the sole example of a work of that kind that ii thoroughly and exclusively American, not oniy as it regards its authorship and production but in theme, treatment and cast. It is thoroughly saturated with the Spirit of the Stnrs and Stripes. Its great success therefore surrounds Mr. Spencer with quite an atmosphere of patriotism. (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia)
Drink Up: 1942
... and Jimmy. The children drink more than a quart apiece daily." Acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein. View full size. Well now ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/21/2023 - 1:08pm -

June 1942. "Brooklyn, New York. Red Hook housing development. Mrs. James Caputo in the modern kitchen of her apartment, pouring milk for Annette and Jimmy. The children drink more than a quart apiece daily." Acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein. View full size. Well now --Do I spy some home made zeppoli in the offing, Mrs. Caputo? Tickety booI was like that for milk when I was a kid. I craved milk. Now I never drink it but those were the good old days ... and not for nothing but if that full sugar bowl and that plateful of sweets had been sitting in front of me, I wouldn't have been looking at Mama. That had to have been a command of the photographer. I had such a sweet tooth as a kid that I would make a sugar sandwich on white bread and eat it over the sink. Chased by a glass of ice-cold milk. Still sounds delightful but with my mature age I have become more circumspect. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Kids, Kitchens etc., NYC)
Bliss: 1901
... participating in the war effort, or pictured in the daily life of towns and industries. Even when the photos are painful to see ... Division for my personal browsing instead of making my daily visit here -- at least there's a bit more context. I really would ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2011 - 2:59pm -

Circa 1901. The caption here is just like a watermelon, short and sweet: "Bliss." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. I've been a faithfulI've been a faithful follower of Shorpy for over a year, but the repeated selection of these images with anti-Black stereotypes is making me reconsider that decision. I'm a trained archivist and researcher, and am fully aware of the history and meanings of such images. I'm also a Black American and each time I see one of these images on what used to be a favorite photo site, I feel slightly ill. Black people may have posed for these photographs and participated in the making of negative images, but there have always been people who opposed them (for example, organized protests in response to D. W. Griffiths' 'Birth of a Nation' and Oscar Micheaux' creation of a film in response). Censorship isn't what I'm advocating here, but I do wonder: what is the purpose? When such images are presented without context or additional historical information, the stereotypes are revived and the cycle starts all over again. It's hard not to feel a bit betrayed. I've commented before on some of the more dignified images presented here, such as Black Americans participating in the war effort, or pictured in the daily life of towns and industries. Even when the photos are painful to see (that image of French performer Polaire with her 'slave' servant, for example), we can learn from them. However, these were/are vicious, persistent stereotypes: dice playing, watermelon. Surely the editors of Shorpy have seen the widely circulated Internet meme with an image depicting an 'Obama White House' with watermelons on the lawn? This type of racism isn't dead. I used to recommend Shorpy to all sorts of people. I may take a break and just go straight to the LoC Prints & Photographs Division for my personal browsing instead of making my daily visit here -- at least there's a bit more context. I really would appreciate it if someone at Shorpy would address the question of why the dice and watermelon images were selected. Yes, they are part of our history, but they are not at all benign. [I thought they were interesting. This one in particular because we're having a heat wave. Below: More craps-shooting and watermelon-eating on Shorpy. - Dave] Spittin' happyYou know, there's not much that cools you down quicker on a hot day than eating watermelon. I wonder what those kids would think of today's seedless watermelons? Why a duck?Maybe the barrel was the duck's evening quarters. When I was a kid we had neighbors who kept a chicken in a bushel basket at night. And the little duck too. Stereotypical or not, these boys are enjoying themselves. One eating the melon; the other runnning up to see what the other (brother?) is doing? Perhaps it was staged. But there seems no exploitation. These kids are average looking kids of the American South, and are happy. It is refreshing to see. I also like the little duck waddling up, as if he too wants to get a slice of that juicy melon. Please People: It’s 1901.Those fellows are not "stereotypes," they are REAL! (and enjoying reality too) WatermelonYecch, hated it as a kid and I never did develop a taste for it. The seeds are a pain in the neck too. Summertime joyWhat a beautiful, natural smile on the face of the standing boy, he looks like a young and beaming Michael Jackson. As for the lad engrossed in his snack sitting on the crate, he reminds me of the commercial saying "Don't bother me, I'm eating." When I saw the title "Bliss" I thought it was going to be the now-famous Bill Bliss of Shorpy fame, but he was not around in 1901. This photo takes us all back, I'm lovin' it. Just a guessThis photo "op" was set up by the photographer. I'm StumpedI've been puzzling over what the one dozen cast iron items that were in the crate that one of the boys is sitting on, might have been. They began with the letter F. [Feeders. - Dave] StereotypicalWe saw in another picture black kids playing dice for money, and now we see them eating watermelon. What is next? Dancing a jig? These pictures seem to show the stereotypes of the age in which they were taken. Same day (or week), different boysI was hoping this was going to be of the same boys as the one from the other day, but these little boys are cute, too. They are certainly much more ragged than the other boys, but I am happy to be able to share in a happy moment in their lives. P.S. I believe the old adage,"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Pictures like this are a reminder of how far we've come, and evidence that we can continue to make progress. Those four little boys were photographed doing things that, granted, could be construed as perpetuating stereotypes, but have been taken part in and enjoyed by Americans everywhere. I don't deny that the photographer may have brought the watermelon to the boys and set up the photo, but I agree with Caseyshebascott, that it doesn't look like they were being exploited. Because of their race, we know that their lives were going to be hard. One of the main things I love about photographs is that it is an opportunity to remember people who lived before us. Looking at pictures of moments in their lives is, I think, a tribute to them. I think the boys in this and the other picture would be thrilled to know that there are people remembering and caring about them, 110 years later! The intent of the photographer for the pictures does not change the fact that those pictures are a gift to us, now. One last thing; this is not the picture that I expected this kind of discussion from. This https://www.shorpy.com/node/10653 was. I cried over that one, to see that man, whose life we know, for sure, was very hard, treated like that, and for that reason! It reminded me of the horrible lynchings that used to take place, as recently as 50 years ago, and how thankful I am that my two black sons, and my biracial grandson, are not in danger of such a thing. Raggedy clothesI know people have commented on some of the raggedy clothes in this picture and others. As the mother of an active boy about the same age, I just have to say healthy boys play rough. Even in this day where buying new clothes is easy and cheaper, my son will come home filthy and have ripped his clothes. When I know he is going to play rough, I ask him to wear old stuff to spare the relatively useful outfits. Come to think of it, I was pretty rough and tumbled as a little girl too! ThxI will admit I cringed a little when I first saw this picture. Thanks for posting those white pics and putting things into perspective. Lighten upThese are archival photos. I seriously doubt the photog at the time was wondering thru his viewfinder, "Geez, I bet this is will somehow be construed as a negative stereotypical image that I'm creating and in 100 years I will be lambasted for such by overly sensitive types in USA." Like Sgt. Hulka once said, "Lighten up" Heat index is 115 right nowI would be delighted if someone would offer me a nice slice of watermelon right now. And that would be equally true whatever my skin color happened to be. Some people are much too quick to seek offense where none is intended. JeezThank God someone asked about the "cast iron feeders." At least some people aren't ticked off about black folks enjoying watermelon. Acquired by artLooks to me that the watermelon belongs to the boy that's seated, eating, and that the other boy is helping himself. Made me think of lines from Twain's autobiography: I know how a prize watermelon looks when it is sunning its fat rotundity among pumpkin vines and "simblins"; I know how to tell when it is ripe without "plugging" it; I know how inviting it looks when it is cooling itself in a tub of water under the bed, waiting; I know how it looks when it lies on the table in the sheltered great floor space between house and kitchen, and the children gathered for the sacrifice and their mouths watering; I know the crackling sound it makes when the carving knife enters its end, and I can see the split fly along in front if the blade as the knife cleaves its way to the other end; I can see its halves fall apart and display the rich red meat and the black seeds, and the heart standing up, a luxury fit for the elect; I know how a boy looks behind a yard-long slice of that melon, and I know how he feels; for I have been there. I know the taste of the watermelon which has been honestly come by, and I know the taste of the watermelon which has been acquired by art. Both taste good, but the experienced know which tastes best. I Disagree With GumbogirlYes the image is stereotypic but it is also interesting, and as historically significant as any other image on this site. We understand the context and the times of the image. Thanks and keep'em coming. StereotypesI've also enjoyed this website for a long time, but presenting this picture as if it is just any other picture is not right. A picture of black people with watermelons is never an innocent picture. Along with numerous other racist images, from at least the mid-nineteenth century to the present day it's signified that African Americans are inherently lazy, child-like, improvident, and ultimately morally deficient in order to dehumanize them so that they can be denied political rights. That image isn't somehow balanced by showing pictures of raggedy white boys playing dice or white farm families enjoying watermelon because white people have never been denied political rights because of their race. Pictures of white boys eating watermelon aren't equivalent to pictures of black boys eating watermelon. It also doesn't matter if someone claims to see this image in a "positive" way because that history is always present and has meaning in society, whether or not any one individual chooses to recognize it. Presenting this kind of image without somehow dealing with its history just ends up perpetuating the stereotype and shoring up its purposes. This website isn't set up to be critical or analytical--it's a place where people can look at miscellaneous pictures of buildings and people and whatever from the past, make the pictures big and look for interesting details. To put that picture in this setting without discussion or comment is erasing its history, which is a bad idea considering how widespread this kind of stereotyping of African Americans and other groups still is in our society. Tempest in a TeapotI've been looking at this blog with great interest and affection for quite some time, but never felt the need to comment until now. What I love about this blog is that it is a look at the American Century: it is a view of our past. To look at a 1901 image and declaim racism with 2011 eyes is not only ridiculous sophistry, but flummery as well. These images are part of the American experience and, in that context, these children certainly look very happy. Certainly happier than many inner-city children of today look. As for slavery-guilt, I feel none. I am English, so my ancestors were enslaved by the Romans, denied the same rights in the political process as American blacks were here at home. However, I have somehow managed forgive Italians, and quite enjoy myself whenever visiting Rome. Grow up, people. [There's a bit of a difference between 2,000 years ago and one great-grandma ago. - Dave] Should have enlarged it firstI concede. It's a duck, not a chicken. Hang in there, GumbogirlIt's so subtle, I would bet that the photographer was oblivious to the stereotype, as most white people are today. I would argue that it is even more subtle now, since so much racist art has been systematically destroyed. It bothered me too, a little, and I'm white, for whatever that's worth. Check here and here for some shots of an integrated 1890s US Navy, before Klan sympathizer Woodrow Wilson segregated all branches of the service. Those are just the shots that come to my mind at the moment. Shorpy gives us history unfiltered. It's up to the community to provide the context. Don't perpetuate the stereotypes!Don't form your opinions from 110 year old photos. Instead, form your opinions based on the condition of most of America's inner-cities. Aw nuts...Here I was enjoying the memory of how my brother used to somehow manage to snatch up half of all my treats (watermelon, candy, cupcakes) when we were youn'uns. Then I started reading the comments and remembered there's supposed to be something inherently evil and racsist about 2 black kids eating watermelon on a hot summer day. Welp... so much for nostalgia. Back to the real world. WahI would give a lot to be as happy and content as these fellows look. I believe it to be genuine. This photo struck me as life in a less complicated time. Stereotype? Possibly, but so what. I guess crybabies gonna cry. Right on, LectrogeekI like the comment about Shorpy giving us "history unfiltered." Trying to ignore the subject matter of a particular photo, regardless of whether it offends our 21st century sensibilities, isn't going to change what happened back in the day. Let's hope, however, that we can all learn from that history and therefore ensure that it doesn't repeat itself. As far as this being a part of our history we'd rather forget, how about the photos of dead Civil War soldiers in the trenches around Petersburg (also to be found here on Shorpy)? Is a photo of a dead Confederate soldier, lying in the mud with half his head blown off, any less disturbing? Even as an avid Civil War buff, I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of Americans killing Americans, even if it did happen 150 years ago. But it's history, and we move on, and learn as we go. StereotypesTo not show photos such as this and have reasoned discussions about them would be "erasing the history." When I worked at a certain children's museum and we were preparing for the opening, I was asked to put together a range of stereoscopic photos so that the children could view them. I carefully eliminated the obviously racist ones - like series of views "Mrs. Newlywed's new French Cook" where the wife catches her husband messing with the French cook and replaces her with Amongst the ones I selected was a photo of a Japanese woman in her kimono looking at the devastation of the San Francisco earthquake. This was eliminated by the curator because of its "racist content". Firstly, I felt that it wasn't "racist" it showed someone who lived in San Francisco wearing, as many Japanese people in San Francisco of the day did, her normal clothes. Secondly, I felt that it revealed to children that there were people other than white people in San Francisco at that time. As it happened, in order to "not present ethnic stereotypes" NONE of the images in the children's museum depicted any but white people... The powers that be decided that in order to prevent any inadvertent "racist depictions", they would completely eliminate images of people of colour entirely. If Dave starts eliminating historical photos which accurately depict attitudes, even what people in the day didn't overtly see as "racist" or "stereotypical" we'd have photos which exclusively present white males, buildings, and landscapes. The fact is that many of the images of women seen here, especially in the 1920s and 1930s depict stereotypical images of scantily-clad women which were taken basically to titillate men. I would no more, as a woman, expect that they be removed because they might be seen as raising an "uncomfortable" discussion. As it happens, the great number of collectors of artifacts and ephemera with "stereotypical" depictions of African Americans from bygone days is African Americans. In collecting these items, they are making a concerted effort to ensure that the attitudes of the past, as offensive as they may be, are not whitewashed over. --- Later... I would like to add that I understand that there are varying viewpoints on whether the image posted by Dave is "offensive". The point I would like to make is that, as has been shown by some of the comments, many people are unaware that depictions of African Americans eating watermelon might have stereotypical connotations. Seeing such images and understanding that, however subtle, such imagery was the result of more overt and widespread racial attitudes. I should also point out that the image I posted above was one of a number of "alternative endings" for the "Mrs. Newlywed's new French Cook". The last image was photographed with at least two other characters in place of the "lazy black cook" image - A fat "ethnic (possibly Italian) woman, for instance - to cater to the buyer's taste (or prejudice). I am in no way suggesting that someone who finds the images offensive is wrong. My view is that people who come to Shorpy do so because we want to see the past through the eyes of our parents and grandparents, even when that view makes us uncomfortable. Chill outI think there's a lot of misplaced guilt on parade here. Until I read all the remarks, the old stereotypes never even occurred to me. I just thought it looked like two kids having fun. [Different people will have different perspectives. If your ancestors were brought to this country against their will as slaves, and their descendants objectified as "cute" (mammies and "pickaninnies" lumped in the same category as puppies and kittens, in a sort of racist kitsch that's become "collectible" on eBay), you might understandably have some opinions about pictures like this. - Dave] Regardless of the eraYou never wear the cap with the bill straight ahead! Aw GeezSome people here need to get a life. Just Sayin'. Great discussionThere is a great dialog here and a good illustration of why it's so important to study history and understand context. Thanks, Dave, for posting all the pictures you do, but mostly for also posting the comments--pro and con--about the content on this excellent site. What is so racist about watermelon?I can't say I've ever seen a black person eating one. Dave?What makes you think my ancestors weren't bought and sold as slaves? [Nothing does. - Dave] I get such a laugh from allI get such a laugh from all of this. Especially from all of you self righteous people who feel that this is a derogatory photo. First of all, do you know where stereotypes come from? ….well, they’re formed from observations. And as far as the political repression of minorities…do you really think that this photo has anything to do with that? I mean really…..where does that even come from? I think that you look at this photo and you are feeling something that doesn’t really exist. “You” are making this into some crazy statement….and no-one else. Do you feel that we should get rid of any photo that may be offensive to someone? Or only the ones that “you” feel are negative? If you erase or deny the past, you will loose the link to how we got to where we are today. There were an awful lot of white people who risked everything that they had, including their lives, to make sure that blacks would get an even shake in this world, and now 150 years later there are still people standing up for you. Somewhere along the line this fact seems to be forgotten. Every chance that you get…you call foul. Just knock it off already, it’s a photo, not a political statement. [It might be instructive to scroll down and read Gumbogirl's comment first, then this one, and weigh them separately on the Reasonableness Scale. I am not getting a reading up here. Tap tap tap. - Dave] Thank youThank you to Dave for a charming photo and to Mudhooks for your eloquent comment. Revisionist history is a dangerous thing. White Washing HistoryI've been reading the comments on this issue, and I can see both sides. The image does have racist overtones. You can bet that the photographer knew exactly what he was shooting when he took this picture of two Black kids and the watermelon, and I have no doubt that he might have used terms a lot more offensive than Black, Negro or even "colored." And it's not something that went away easily. I have a National Geographic from the 1930s that shows a raggedly dressed African American youth sitting on a wagon load of watermelons having a slice and wearing a big grin on his face. Eddie Anderson whose character of Rochester was, at the time, considered a major step forward in portrayal of Blacks in the media was regularly portrayed as shooting dice, partying non-stop on Central Avenue (in Los Angeles), stealing chickens and wanting to grown nothing but watermelon. But the fact is that photos like these are a documentation of their times and those times were a prejudiced period. And not just towards African-Americans. Native Americans, Mexicans, Asians (usually defined generically as Chinese) and whatever the current wave of immigrants might have been were also subjected to a prejudiced portrayal. Look at some of Hine's tenement photos and the descriptions he provides for them and you will not get a very negative view of new Italian immigrants. My view is that you can't set aside pictures like these to see only the "comfortable" vision of history that shows only positive images. You need to approach it "warts and all" and part of that is seeing the warts. Most importantly you have to talk about it and put it into context. That's the only way that things advance. Surprisingly thought provokingAlthough Dave's intent to simply post a light-hearted summer scene was clear, at first I was slightly uncomfortable with the stereotypes portrayed in the staging of this photo. Fortunately, the way commenters brought up and discussed the racial context reminded me what a educational resource this site is, thanks to the engaged community Dave has attracted. Years ago, seeing the simple minded racism of blackface and mammy figures etc. with descriptions of their historical context forever changed my views on race in America. As awful as the racist ideas and caricatures of our grandparents' time were, doesn't pretending they never existed make it harder for modern people to put current racial problems into proper perspective? The Mark Twain quote was a perfect fit with both the scene as well as the problem of presenting America's racial history honestly and sensitively, given the recent debates over the dialects and characters in some of his books. Would we be better off today if we banned Huckleberry Finn because we cringe at its period language and imagery? We know African Americans of this time were subject to incredibly stupid racist ideas and behaviors. That shouldn't make us erase people like these kids from our national memory. The children in this picture lived in an unjust time, but they deserve to be remembered today as much as any white kids on Shorpy. The alternative - banning another period picture because racism was so prevalent - doesn't serve history or modernity well. I think Dave and the community here did well by these kids and the issues this photo raised. Shorpy UnfilteredI'm new to Shorpy but I'm now hooked, even going backwards in the archive from the first post to catch up! I enjoy the unfiltered view of the past that we get on this site. We get to see photos taken through contemporary eyes of the day, like we're stepping through a time machine. Of course, those eyes may have been accustomed to things being a way that they aren't necessarily anymore, or are now deemed unacceptable by many. If someone is overly sensitive to these things, which Gumbogirl or bmore may be, then a site full of old photos may not be for them. You can count me in to the group that never thought of any racial stereotyping when I saw this photo. I can see how some might, but again... even IF the photo was composed with racism in mind (which we will never know), the era the photo was taken in must be considered. Myself, all I see is two kids enjoying watermelon on a hot day. Finally, I fully agree with Dave that each picture is interpreted differently by each person... and that's what makes them special and causes them to invoke discussion. I get disgusted by things like racist WWII propaganda posters but hey, it is what it is. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigarAnd sometimes, when you've typed the subject line, you discover there isn't much more to say. One of the things I really love about Shorpyis that although there are clearly 2 different schools of thought on this picture all the comments are clearly thought out, reasonable and respectful. Maybe a couple little pokes here and there, but no personal attacks or hatred. That's exceedingly rare for anything on this topic on the web. [That's partly because we don't publish those comments. - Dave] Maybe it's 'cause I'm Canadianbut I completely missed the stereotype that is so upsetting to some. I had no idea that associating black people with watermelon could be offensive. When I looked at the picture of boys and their snack, it was a picture of joy. When my eye first caught mudhooks' picture of "the new French cook" (before reading the captions) it was a picture of a woman playing a mandolin. Like I say, maybe it's because I'm not American and our experience around slavery is different, or maybe it's because the world has changed and is closer to a time when people are just people, but I just don't get what the problem is. As someone has said, if you're looking for trouble, look at how things are in the inner-cities today and do something about it. re: "One of the things I really love about Shorpy"Then that's one of the things I really love about YOU, Dave. I guess it was naive of me to assume no one submits such comments here. Thank you for culling those out; that's mighty refreshing. One of the many, MANY reasons I make time to visit this site at LEAST once a day. You are appreciated. Slice of LifeI love these old photographs, thanks Dave for sharing them with us. I can see how a boy eating watermelon could push someone's buttons, but honestly, how much poorer would we all be if we could not see this photo, this brief window of this era and these two kids? ReliefI haven't visited for a while and pictures like this and the seaside pics help take away some of the opressive heat that's all around. Boy, do love watermelon! No bad intentI doubt if there was any bad intent from posting this photo. It just is what it is. It is a part of the culture at the time. Being a historian, no one should try to squelch any part of history, bad or good. It all teaches us. On top of that, this a a nice photo! Two kids just enjoying summer's bounty! For anyone to read any more into it is racist in itself. Watermelon daysWell this calls for a story. When I was a child in the District, we still had watermelon carts with horses. It would come down our street once maybe twice a week. My grandmother usually couldn't afford one, but every now and again she would surprise us. If we saw her at the watermelon truck we would wait patiently, until we saw the watermelon man hand her the goods. Then we would jump up and down, sing with glee and dance. There would be all kinds of carryins on. We would follow Grandma to the back of the house, our camp ground in the alley, "Grandma can I have a big piece" please? When we were done, we would play until dark. Then we would go to bed with sweet dreams of that beautiful fruit. Our hearts would swell because we knew Grandma loved us more that anything in the world. Just a simple watermelon story for y'all! PostcardPostcard version: (The Gallery, DPC, Kids)
Minnesota Munchkins, c. 1895
... small town, so some of these kids probably had an epic daily commute, by foot, from farm to school house. Identities are unknown ... 
 
Posted by chrmer - 03/24/2023 - 12:22pm -

This despondent looking crew are the drawn from the various Scandanavian, German, and Irish families settled in or near Wadena, Minnesota during the late 1800s. Wadena, located in the west-central part of the state, was (and is) a pretty small town, so some of these kids probably had an epic daily commute, by foot, from farm to school house. Identities are unknown except for Bernard Francis Burch (1889-1985), third from left in the first standing row. View full size. Children above average?That looks like a whole generation of Norwegian bachelor farmers. They all look pretty glum - except for the boy in the Little Lord Fauntleroy outfit. He looks nervous he's going to get picked on at recess. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
A Busier Bisbee: 1940
... from the other end of the street. More of the Bisbee Daily Review . (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/23/2018 - 7:06pm -

May 1940. "Main street of Bisbee, Arizona. Copper mining center." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Walgreen AgencyNote the Walgreen Agency drugstore. "One of the most significant expansions during the 1930s was the establishment of an agency cooperative purchasing system, whereby Walgreen's products became available in a number of independent pharmacies. By 1934, there were 600 agencies in 33 US states, stocking over 1,000 Walgreen's products. At its peak the Walgreen's Agency system had more than 2,000 participants within the network. The system continued until 1980, when the administration of the cooperative purchasing program was discontinued." On another note, Walgreen's invented the Malted Milkshake. I did not know that. Copper Mining EconomicsIn the 1970's, I lived a few months in Ajo, Arizona. Phelps Dodge operated an open pit copper mine and smelter there. It was a company town. The price of copper spiked while I was there, and the workers were put on a 12 hour workday, seven days a week for four weeks, and then took a weekend off. On Monday, they started a new cycle of 12 on and 12 off. Most of the modest housing was built by Phelps Dodge and rented to the workers. After working for Phelps Dodge for five years, the workers could buy their house for $1. National brands squeezing out the local guysThis is 1940 and I see Walgreen's, JC Penney, Woolworth's, Coca-Cola, Florsheim, Rexall, and maybe Blue Ribbon. I hear so much about Chain Stores and national brands squeezing local stores as some modern problem, and here we are in the photograph. All we need is for that business at the end of the street to be a Sears. Many years ago Sears was accused of shutting down Main Street as Wal-Mart is today. [That's the company store at the end of the street -- Phelps-Dodge Mercantile. - Dave] Neon Signage lit up at nightI imagine it sure would've looked pretty. And attention grabbing. The Review lives on. Looking from the other end of the street. More of the Bisbee Daily Review. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
The Dawn of Botts Dots: 1969
... another Marin Memory, tterrace. I navigated this turnoff daily when I lived in the Strawberry district of Mill Valley from 1969 to 1971. ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 03/06/2023 - 7:00pm -

Three years after the first Botts dots were installed on a California highway, I took this Kodachrome going south on US 101 at the Alto interchange in Marin County, California. This was when it was still a full cloverleaf, with its hair-raisingly overlapping entry and exit lanes below the overpass. Off to the left, Belvedere and Tiburon; to the right, Mill Valley. Again, this is the era of Volkswagen Beetle ubiquity: there are at least three visible here, one in its favorite habitat, the fast lane. View full size. Neat ideaThis first time I every saw those dots in 1974 I was astounded. I was visiting my grandmother in San Francisco and we were driving late at night. On the highway I saw an amazing sight, you could see all the lanes marked out with these green glowing dots just as well as if you were driving during the day. Right away, I wondered why didn't somebody think to do that back home. Why even in thick fog you would be able to see and stay in your lane without any trouble. If was obvious. Then somebody pointed out to me that with, back home in Canada, winter storms dropping a foot of snow on the highway and then snow plows scraping everything off the roads after they might not work quite as well as in California. Back to the drawing board and you know what? Almost 40 years later, they still haven't put any on the highways here! Go figure. [Here in the Northeastern U.S., they embed the reflectors in the pavement so that they're flush with the surface and can't be scraped off by plows. - Dave] Before Better BottsThe first generation of Botts Dots, I learned, were nailed to the pavement. After working free, they'd puncture tires. Later they were glued to the roadbed. Ahh, CaluhfourneyeayeWhat a gorgeous looking day. Photoshop out the highways, cars, roads, bridges, people, stoplights, and signs, and you have an Ansel Adams photograph. Rule(s) of the BeetleOne of which was "the brighter the color, the more obnoxious the driver," which we see illustrated here. Is that a Fiat just behind it? It's hard to tell, but I think that's another VW in the northbound slow lane, just under the overpass from our point of view. Otherwise a nice selection of Detroit iron: a Thunderbird, a Cougar, and a couple of Oldsmobiles in the southbound lane, plus something I can't make out. Northbound, another Beetle, a Dodge truck that may be an armored car, GMC pickup, and what looks like a '70 Ford but is probably a '69 unless this was quite late in the year, plus several others obscured by guardrail, other vehicles, or distance. And you can actually see the pavement, instead of wall-to-wall sheet metal, in the daytime! Those were the days. Reflections on a dotTo this day most Botts dots are non-reflective, so they don't show a whole lot better at night than painted lines. You can see a standard recessed (and snow plow friendly) reflector in the space between every other grouping of Botts dots in the picture. There are some technologies that give them reflectivity, but I'm surprised that they haven't standardized a technique that embeds glass beads into the surface for good reflectivity like with most road paint or thermoplastic striping. Am I the only one who keeps mistyping it as Botts dotts? re: Pre-BottsWow, Steve Stephens, nifty! That's when it was called the Alto Wye, which I hazily remember along with the Corte Madera Wye just to the north. The days when four-lane divided roads like this were called superhighways. Pre-Botts Dots daysA circa 1955 photo, also looking south at the same spot, when the cloverleaf interchange in the main photo was in the process of being built to handle ever increasing Marin County traffic. I moved here in Sept. 1957 to start high school and can attest there have been a lot of changes here since then, and not for the better. Reflector dotsHere in the non-snowy parts of California, the reflectors placed between the groups of Botts dots are also raised. Even those become less and less reflective as they become scuffed, abraded, dirtied and chipped. A glass-beaded surface on the Botts dots would lose its reflectivity pretty quickly. Lou JudsonHey, this was MY turnoff! I lived in Strawberry Point, over the hill on the left, from 1957 to 1971. All those hills except the top of the farthest one are now covered with houses! I nearly burst into tears when I came over the Alto hill and saw that they had chopped off the top of the hill on the right to build a development called Enchanted Knolls - with streets named after English poets (Yet I have never heard a poem as beautiful as a hill). Personally I love cloverleaf interchanges. The skill it takes to negotiate them should be a driver test requirement! I feel they have been changed to stoplight intersections due to the stupidity of the common driver - and the offramp to the right now has four lanes and still backs up over the hill behind the pov. At the time of this photo I was commuting to SF State College in my 58 VW bus from Strawberry. Twenty years later I was coming over the top of the Alto Hill when the Loma Prieta earthquake happened. I did not feel it because I was in my fourth VW bus, but saw the transformers on all the power poles in this picture explode in blue-white light as the grid went down and left us in the dark for a few days. So many memories! Sparse carsI imagine it's been many a day since that road has been that lightly traveled. Rolling HillsThanks for another Marin Memory, tterrace. I navigated this turnoff daily when I lived in the Strawberry district of Mill Valley from 1969 to 1971. I'm also very familiar with the surge in development described by other posters that has taken place here over the last four decades. Both sides of the freeway beyond the overpass are now crowded by shopping centers, car dealerships, and gas stations. But there's also good news to report. The reason the hills in the distance have escaped development is that they were set aside in 1972 as part of a sprawling urban park called the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The area, now known as the Marin Headlands, is under stewardship of the National Park Service. TailgatingI drove a VW bug for 17 years and noticed an unfailing rule which is also evident in this picture: People always tailgate you when you drive a Volkswagen in the left (fast) lane, even if you're speeding yourself. Botts update.I've been meaning to take this shot since seeing this image, but I just don't go in that direction as much as I used to. I had to use my iphone, as I forgot to bring my "real" camera. It gives an idea of how things have changed. The shot was taken well after the commute time, and seems not much different than the original shot. It was a gray day, so I decided to sample the original clouds to spruce things up. The Prius has replaced the Volkswagen in these parts as the people's car. 1930sThe Redwood Highway (southbound) swung hard right here and went west of the big hill on the right back in the 1930s. I think about the time the bridges were being built (BB and GGB, 1935-37) the highway cut was made through here and connected with the then-new Richardson Bay Bridge, itself made of redwood and replaced in the late '50s when the freeway was built. 1931 PicHere is a classic shot of almost the exact location of tterrace's 1969 picture. This is well before the Golden Gate Bridge was built. All traffic at Alto Wye had to turn right and travel through Mill Valley to continue on towards Sausalito and then San Francisco via ferry. More detail: http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt1v19q6ff/ (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, On the Road, tterrapix)
Character Study: 1964
... suffered anything more serious than a paper cut in their daily labors. Hey Lou, don't look!! It's that easy. Shoot, I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/05/2010 - 6:07pm -

"Cornett family, Kentucky, 1964." One of the Cornett boys on the front porch after working hard at something. Print from 35mm negative by William Gedney. Gedney Photographs and Writings Collection, Duke University. View full size. Role modelMy 17-year-old grandson started his first job over the summer, bagging groceries. He quit after a week because the work was "exhausting." Sigh. The Working Hard at somethingIs most likely the questionable part. Did this young man escape from what is a future just like his father or did he decide to escape to a new beginning of education and prosperity for his family like many of us did at his age. I think I and most of my family looked like the Cornett's Cornetts in 1964. Dare you!Thsi guy looks capable of murder and abuse. Please stop with the 60s redneck series! Creepy is toop kind a word. [It's toop something. And speaking of creepy, how are those cousinfs? - Dave] It's all in how you look at itProbably not a good idea to judge a book by its cover, though on a site like this one it's pretty all we can do. To some this young man looks like someone capable of "murder and abuse", my impression is that he looks like someone who is used to hard work and not afraid of it one bit. It's such an unusual trait in today's youth that it's easy to mistake it for something else more sinister. DisquietingI find this set of pictures a little disquieting. There's something--an intimacy?--about them that's disconcerting. That would make them great pictures. What he looks likeis a hard worker, a smart guy, a good man to have on your side. Let's hope he didn't get blown up in Vietnam. GrittyI am really enjoying this series of pictures. The Cornetts show a hard core brand of grit and determination that I find admirable. I'd hang out with these people anytime. Bill GedneyI studied with Bill back in the mid '70s at Pratt. I was fortunate to have known him and to have heard a few stories about these people and his commitment to living with them and documenting their lives. I'm also fortunate to know the people who organized his life's work at Duke Center for Documentary Studies. Thanks for posting these images! Great Series!I love how this series from Duke brings some variety in the already amazing offerings from this site. Looking forward to seeing more of these pics in the future. Hmmm!Must admit -- I'm not enjoying these "Cornett" family pictures. Something about them makes me decidedly uncomfortable - perhaps I watch too much TV? I unreservedly apologise if I've done the family a disservice. ["If"? - Dave] [Update: Commenter has courageously altered his post to remove references to "Dueling Banjo's" [sic] and "potential for violence."] Huh???What's with the mean comments? This kid looks sweet to me and not afraid to work or get dirty. I would have been about his age in 1964 and it was very common for boys to work on their cars (IF they had one), hunt, fish, etc. If they lived in a farming community, they did some pretty darn tough, dirty work, too. My grandson rarely leaves the house---too busy with the video/computer games. If he does get out in the heat, it's only to get in the pool. I'll bet there were some real winners in this family who made something of themselves and changed their future. Hope we hear from them. Hey, WyethHey, Wyeth, your profile says it all. These people knew HARD, physical work. They have my admiration and my deep respect. Many here had parents, fathers especially, who worked with their hands and their backs to support their families. Honorable men, all. The family portrayed in these pictures didn't have the advantages you enjoy, your stereotypes obviously intact. I love these pictures, as they show a time when MEN worked hard, played hard and took care of their families. When times get truly tough, people like this survive, You will not. Bah! Salt of the EarthThis young man and many many more like him were and are the backbone of the United States. When we were young (I'm about his age, if he's alive) most of us had to work damned hard and get very dirty. Some found their separate ways to a higher place in the middle class, usually by education; some did not. Regardless, these striving, determined, hard-nosed people are the kind who move a country forward. Boys like this are the future of any country. The DraftAssuming that he was eligible to be drafted into the armed service, this guy probably served, may have even enlisted. Many of the "Lifers" I met during my time in the Army were from places like these and probably families such as the Cornetts. If they weren't hard drinkers, they made good soldiers and many became NCOs, some learned trades. They were able to visit and live in other countries. They met and worked with people of other cultures. The down side was they could have been in a war. Military conscription in our country ended in 1973. Then and NowI hope the Cornett family survived to better times. It's hard to look at the photos and imagine the family still living, given their hardscrabble existence. Did they ever smile for their portrait? Did they ever stand together and belly-laugh? Was there any joy in Mudville, ever? It's like looking into a parallel universe and it's haunting, and creepy. There are those who did not experience it, and cannnot imagine this life in America. We want to move on to life as presented by the privileged few, like Tterrace. TTerrace had the kind of life we all wanted so let's look at that ! I saw a documentary of the Appalachian families in the year 2010. Not so different from life as the Cornett family knew in the early 60s. Are we in a rush to flip back to a perfect world--patterns and possessions, and happy children being encouraged to thrive. No pain in there, just a glimpse of life we want to believe everyone had. The art of the well-done photograph is far more interesting and factual than film media could ever be. It produces huge emotion that cannot be dismissed by going for a brewski while the commercial is on. You will come back to your place and there is the same image. This guy knows how to do stuff.The fact that some people here somehow find his appearance frightening says a lot more about them than the hard working subject of the photo. I wonder how long those folks would last in this man's environment. Thank you for posting this series. We all need a reality check now and then. 60's redneck??Its almost as if the photos in this series are a kind of truth serum for the posters here -- would you call the members of this family rednecks to their faces? I come from a family of hillbillies and rednecks, and I'm not ashamed of it. My Grandfather was a coal miner in Logan, West Virginia. These photos could be of my cousins -- they bring back wonderful memories for me. These people are no more capable of murder and abuse than anyone else. They've just lived a hardscrabble existence, making do with what they had, and narrowing their suspicious eyes at the remarks of "flatlanders" who don't know any better. Keep posting pictures of the Cornetts!In my neighborhood when I was growing up in NC, they were the Daltons. They had lots of kids, little money, crappy cars and the worst house. Mr. Dalton drove a heating oil truck and they were all as redneck as one could possibly be. They stuck together and would collectively "whoop a#%" on anyone who messed with any one of them, whether it was the oldest or the youngest. We all thought we were better than them because we had more and came from smaller families with disposable incomes. As it probably is with the Cornetts, they were the lucky ones with a strong sense of family and independence, as well as a "we can look out for ourselves" mentality. My family became dysfuntional as we grew up and moved to the four corners of the country; rarely speaking with or seeing each other anymore. I'll bet the Cornetts still gather for holidays. It would be great to find out what became of the Cornetts. Mixed feelings, but you can't deny a brilliant shotAn amazing study. You look at it once, there's a bright, affectionate, fearless young man - suddenly there's a hostile, defensive, possibly cruel boy. This is an example of where portrait photography surpasses painting. He tries to stare you out across forty-six years. Not creepy at allHe looks like someone who has just finished doing hard and dirty work. Sad that that makes people uncomfortable nowadays. Same teen... different moodThe earlier photo of him smoking definitely had a sinister aspect to it, the eyes (to me) reflected something intense, whether it was resentment, jealously, hatred, disgust, I don't know what. It might have been just an affectation for the photo. But it made you wish you could find out. I felt I had the same reaction that Capote did when he saw the photo that inspired "In Cold Blood." Now, in this photo, he seems to be in a much better, happier state of mind. [Editor's note: Not the same guy. - Dave] Being born and raised, and having lived most of my adult life in the Deep South, I've had plenty of interaction with families like the Cornetts. If there's one thing I've learned, you cannot judge by appearances. If you did, and lived in certain areas, you'd never leave your house. Appearance, for the most part, results from circumstances, not from character. I'd be more leery of those in fancy suits. They have the power (and often the inclination) to do you much harm. I'd say the Cornetts must be good people, given their apparently warm reception of the high-falootin' photographer from Duke U. "Murder and abuse"?I look at this photo and see a really handsome guy. I don't understand where the negative comments are coming from. Enough already!This endless series of rednecks is uninspiring. They are being showcased as if they were iconic photos of Oakies of the Great Depression. Unlike the dust bowl pictures there is no dignity here or triumph of the human spirit. Let's get back to 19th century rarely seen photos of America's past. Honest dirtSome people's only exposure to honest dirt was the one time they got talked into helping their great-aunt Annie plant her new rosebush! Horrors! What is that stuff all over my hands? Must go wash it with some antibacterial soap, immediately! Poor babies. I like rednecks & I like GedneyAppearances can be deceiving; I'll bet if you gave this young man a good scrubbing, a haircut and put him in a nice suit, suddenly everyone will be trying to introduce him to their daughters, assuming he was going to Yale or Harvard (maybe he did, on a scholarship or GI Bill). When I lived in Charlottesville, with its "Gown and Town" culture, I met plenty of "rednecks" who were the nicest people; helpful, friendly, loved to sit on the porch Friday nights and shoot the breeze. Some of the "Gown" group were dressed to the nines, wouldn't dream of getting their hands dirty, stuck up, and borrringgggg! P.S. I belonged the "gown" crowd at the U of Virginia in Charlottesville, a boy straight out of the Maryland suburbs. Good Earthy FolksBack in the mid-1960s.I hung out with a family a lot like the Cornetts, to the horror of my mother, although my father was more understanding. I was enriched by this association and still keep in touch with the surviving members of my alternate family. Try as I mightI detect nothing sinister here. Just a young man with a hard life by today's standards. Maybe even by any standards. But lack of wealth does not always equal unhappiness. I hope he was happy. It bothers me that someone could look at this simple, unassuming photo and then ascribe to it terms like murder and abuse. Reminds me of the quote by Anais Nin: We see things not as they are, but as we are. We need moreI have a feeling that this young man is a bright-eyed smart fellow that happens to live in the country and knows how to give a honest day's work for a honest paycheck. Our country needs a few million like him right now. Negative comments?I also don't understand where these negative comments are coming from. Too bad that some Shorpy viewers think they are better than others. I see a very hard working family when I view these photos of the Cornett family. They appear to be honest hard working people the kind that make good neighbors and good friends. What viewers are looking at here is the true backbone of America. The fancy dressing politicians could not pass the muster in similar situations. Thanks Dave for showing not just the historical America but also the hard working America. I can relateI just spent the afternoon under the truck replacing its shock absorbers. Except for being much cleaner around the eyes thanks to wearing safety goggles, I ended up just at dirty as this fellow, something I don't find myself doing like when I was in my twenties. It felt good and I expect to sleep well tonight. Still creepyI have found the reactions to this series very interesting. I have lived in such a rural poor area all my life, going to school with MANY children who were forced to live as these people. Let's not make more out of these people than they were, they were just like the rest of us: both good and bad, smart and dumb, clean and dirty, hard workers and lazy, compassionate and indifferent, etc. How having said that and being a product of a poor rural area, and still a resident in that area, I find the series creepy especially of young children smoking which I never saw happening with the like people I grew up with, at least not in front of their parents. I think it very possible the photos could have been a bit influnced. [Just a bit "influnced"? Or a whole lot "influnced"? - Dave] MoreWould like to see more of the Cornett family series. Eye of the BeholderThis series of photos has turned out to be quite the Rorschach test. Dirty work, clean money I worked alongside some guys like this for a short while in the '60s. The title was a comment I heard from one of them. The Cornetts of flyover land built the 20th century and won its wars. I don't think the 20 year-olds of today could do as much. Worked hardAnd is dirty. This is what happens. I'd love to know how the next few decades played out. And I love the sparkly bits in the chair. The Best Hard TimesOdds are, in later years, these folks look back on this era as being some of the best times in their lives. I know that when I think back about my younger years, we lived in a tiny house, were raised by our divorced mom (two of us), and did not have extra money. We had lots of neighborhood friends, we always had three meals, and we always played outside. We were as happy as pigs in mud. Reminds me of my sonHe who isn't happy until he's worked hard enough to get this dirty. His dad and I must've done something right. A healthy work ethic will take one a long way in life. HandsomeI, for one, think that he's a very handsome young man, dirt and all. I bet he lights up and shines when he smiles. A true portraitI really hate reading some of the truly (literally) ignorant comments in this series. If you want a real taste of what Eastern Kentuckians are really like, just consider that this man and his wife, unemployed and with 12 children, opened their home to a photographer (read: stranger) from Duke University with no pretense and showed him hospitality for 11 days in 1964 and then again welcomed him into his home 8 years later. That is more a portrait of the true nature of Appalachian people than any ridiculous story Hollywood can make up (e.g. Deliverance). [A little confusion here. It was this young man's parents who played host to William Gedney. Who had no connection with Duke University when these pictures were made. - Dave] to: A Certain Canadian Shame on you! My parents lived in Minnesota during the depression, and we did not live much differently from this photo, but we had a happy family, we ate well, and we all grew up to be responsible adults. How dare you think that just because someone is poor, they are rednecks! [What exactly constitutes being a redneck, and why is it bad to be one? - Dave] Folks, do not despair.We still have plenty of hard-working young men and women like this young man in our America. Do not despair. We'll get through it. WOW!Dave...You must be in Heaven! What a response to your Photos of the Cornett family! I have commented, myself, before, and I am totally into this family, and have been for days. I just read through all of the comments and I think I could read on forever…they are such a mix of Brilliance, and, I am sorry to say this…total Stupidity, but that is in the Minority. Thank You, Dave! But, I Think you, too, must be a bit amazed. What a great way to get people to come alive and Talk to a subject…if only we could continue the dialog…in so many other topics. Coal DustThis young man has a right to be proud and you can see it in his eyes. He is covered with coal dust. That means he is making money--good money! Things sure have changed for today's young men. Not for the better. Bah, humbugSorry guys - but - by about the 3rd picture I didn't want anymore Cornett Family either. There's an affected bleakness about these pictures that just makes me wanna smack somebody, probably the photographer. A couple of the girls snuck in a smile . .probably when the photographer was off-guard. Good for them, probably blew the whole theme for Gedney though. Are we going to get any Cornett pictures without the "o I see misery, that makes me profound" motif? Goodness, beauty and truth are also part of the human experience, ya know. I mean, just sayin'. There's nothing wrong with honest dirt. /end tirade. ["Misery"? What misery? - Dave] "Dirty jobs"Late 70's spent my days baling hay and milking cows on our 4th generation dairy farm, my sisters and I would pack 1,000 bales or more of hay a day into the barn, under a hot tin roof in typical Ohio weather, 98 degrees and 98 humidity, "the sweaty armpit of America." I now own that farm and my dad at 78 is out helping me milk the cows every day, because he wants to be useful. The comments on this list tell me that a whole lot of folks have never learned to appreciate a hard day's work. The feeling of sweat running down the crack of your a-- and hay chaff in places you never new it could go, the feeling of a good shower and sleep that comes from being tired and not from "sleep aids". The pride of good day's work, a full barn ready for winter, contented cows and a full belly produced from your own hands. Keep posting these types of pictures, we need a reminder now and them. Like Mike Rowe keeps saying, this country needs people who will do the "dirty jobs." Definition of a redneckThe term is used to describe the hardworking man or woman who has labored, bent over, in the hot sun, and received the mother of all sunburns for their efforts. I don't know why it's bad to be called one. Sounds like a badge of honor to me. A few people who have posted here have more than likely never suffered anything more serious than a paper cut in their daily labors. Hey Lou, don't look!! It's that easy.Shoot, I was born in 1966, and there were a LOT of days I left work looking like that. It was either from working at the service station (yes, I used to pump Ethel), or at the sign shop. Sometimes, you just get dirty doing an honest days work. Painters get paint on themselves, and farmers get dirt on themselves. That's all. Dave-Thanks a million for posting the Gedney shots, as well as all you have done with shorpy.com. I scan your site every day looking for cool shots of insulators and feats of electrical engineering, but being a history buff in general, I get a real good feel for days of yesteryear. Keep'em coming my good man! [Now we know the reason for Ethel's mysterious smile. - Dave] Nothing More to AddI'm disappointed in some of these comments but reassured that there are others who don't agree with the stereotyping and leaping from a photo to the "murder and abuse" branding. Ridiculous. The Cornett defenders have said what I feel, but I found myself wanting to show my support for them, too. ("Yeah! What HE said!") Any way we could get a "like" button for Shorpy comments? Undoubtedly a relativeI'm a member the Cornett family with strong ties in Kentucky (my dad's family is from Cumberland, although we live in Maryland now). Amazing seeing these shots. I never knew this guy but I have no doubt he's a cousin of some sort. Cornetts had our black sheep (what family doesn't?) but on the whole we're a hardworking breed who gets by the best we can. Street smart?I have finally given up reading the comments on this picture. The one that really bugs me is the person who thinks this face belongs to a criminal. Obviously someone who has no street smarts. There is nothing sinister behind those eyes. And as for the people complaining about how sad these people must be, I ask why? Because they don't have all the luxuries of today that most people consider needful things when they are not? I have not seen a miserable face on any of the Cornett family. I am glad to have seen them and hope they all had or are having great lives. Another '"Yeah! What HE said!"These photos are great. Keep them coming. Anyone who could see someone capable of murder or abuse when looking at this photo is someone or find this series creepy is one who only has to look in the mirror to see a real creep. Am I the only one... or do you see a resemblance too? [Maybe that's toner on his face. - Dave] The old adagesays that when you point your finger at somebody, THREE fingers point back at you. These pictures of the Cornett family are a vivid portrayal of an important part of the American Experience. The photos are illuminating and often a work of art, as this particular picture is. This is my very favorite historical/picture blog. Keep up the GREAT work, Dave! Every timeI look at this photo I think of James Jones' star-crossed Pvt. Robert E. Lee Prewitt in "From Here To Eternity." In fact, I think I'll pull out my battered copy of that book and re-read it for about the fifteenth time. My cousins from Martin County. Just like him. high-school "diploma," willfully ignorant, hopped up on Baptist prayer meetin's, and just as happy as can be that they'll be able to get a job in the mines just like Daddy and Granddaddy, both of whom got the Black Lung from too much coal and too many Camels. And it's still like that there. WTF, America? Seriously ... [Inane Comment of the Day! - Dave] Handsome I look at this photo and see a very handsome man. In this day and age, its hard for a girl to find a guy that doesn't mind rolling up his sleeves and getting dirty to get the job done. The ruggedness of his features makes him attractive. Kindred SpiritIn 1964 I was very close to this guy in age, economic prosperity, and work opportunities. One difference was that I was in rural Alabama rather than Kentucky. I am not embarrassed by the type work I used to do, but I am thankful to now have a physically less demanding job. My electrical engineering degree helped to ease my way into middle class status. I would like to know what happened to this guy after the picture was made. I hope that he has been as fortunate in life as I have been. William GedneyI was surprised when I saw the work of Bill Gedney, years after I knew him as “Mr. Gedney,” my photography teacher at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY. He rarely, if ever showed his work to us. His classes were focused (bad pun) on us and how to improve our photographic vision. I liked him a lot – he was soft spoken and kind unlike the abrasive/aggressive nature some of the others in the photography department. One of my proudest moments: when he approved of my photo essay of my sister and her husband’s move from apartment to their first house. They weren't “pretty pictures,” but captured a significant moment in time, much like his own series of the rural families. It was indeed an honor and pleasure to have worked with “Mr. Gedney.” (Cornett Family, Portraits, William Gedney)
Hard Copy: 1965
... In our case, these were two: the local Marin County daily, the Independent-Journal, and whatever San Francisco afternoon one that ... job of shooting this, tterrace. Nice capture of a daily moment. Looks like heaven A comfortable chair and ottoman, ... memories this photo evokes. We had two papers delivered daily to our Washington, D.C., home -- morning and evening -- in the 1940's and ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 02/10/2018 - 9:24pm -

March 1965. My father engaged in the activity that occupied his evening hours every single day: reading the papers. In our case, these were two: the local Marin County daily, the Independent-Journal, and whatever San Francisco afternoon one that happened to be in business, here the Examiner. He was 63, a year before his retirement, when I shot this Kodachrome by available light. View full size. Lovely lightYou did a beautiful job of shooting this, tterrace. Nice capture of a daily moment. Looks like heavenA comfortable chair and ottoman, slippers, newspapers, books nearby, and a good reading light. It doesn't get any better than that. Great photoReally transports you to that time frame - back when reading papers was a ingrained ritual. Pretty much history now, with the Rocky Mountain News and who nows what else disappearing. My 80 year old parents and in-laws read the papers, and re-read the papers to the point where the folds have just about worn through. It was trained into them that this was the was to get information, and it will die with their generation. I sure hope......it won't die with that generation! I'm only in my fifties, and I fondly remember Saturday mornings of my childhood in the early sixties, spent reading the weekend edition of the Toronto paper, The Star. It was called, oddly enough, "The Star Weekly." You used to get the weekend comic section, a couple of colour magazines, and, a tabloid section with a new novel (or part of a serialized one) by name authors...to say nothing of the Saturday newspaper itself. I read the latest James Bond novels there, as well as new Perry Mason novels ... cool stuff to get free with your paper! I still love reading the local paper...or what's left of it. There will always be those of us who prefer reading our news in depth, rather than accepting sound and video "Bites" by talking heads on TV. Hopefully, there will continue to be enough of us to provide a market for newspapers. tterrace, that is indeed an evocative image! Sweet imageTterrace, you need to publish all your wonderful images in a book. I'd buy it in a heartbeat. This one is just lovely. I'm enamored of the charming little details in your house, like the niche above the fireplace. Is that a wrought iron railing around a stairway landing on the left? Like Tina Fey says, "I want to go to there." Two WordsGenius loci. Okay,two more... "thank you!" What fond memoriesthis photo evokes. We had two papers delivered daily to our Washington, D.C., home -- morning and evening -- in the 1940's and 50's. My dad read both of them using a similar chair/ottoman/lamp. I have no memory whatsoever of my mother reading a newspaper. Just like my dadMarch 1965. The only difference being my dad would be reading the Palo Alto Times. On Sunday however it was the San Francisco Examiner. TranscendentOf course it's fairly redundant to say that tterrace's images are enormously evocative. I remember taking pictures like these -- they had so little value to me for so many years and now I would not part with them if you offered me a house. A small house, anyway. Reading papers a dying art? No way!Mr. Kalbacken is a tad incorrect when he says that reading the dailies will die with our parents' generation. I am nearly sixty, my daughter is nearly 30. We read the papers rather than sit and listen to talking heads trying to sensationalise. And then there's the extra content that our daily paper contains, which will never be replaced by a TV news half-hour. The only way that the daily ritual will ever cease is if the newspapers themselves disappear. [Everything in your daily newspaper is probably also on your newspaper's Web site. Before too long that's all that will be left. - Dave] Quite true....It's true that before long all we'll have left of newspapers will be pixels on a screen instead of a hard copy, but it's our own fault. If we don't buy the hard copy it really doesn't make sense to keep producing it and that's the bottom line. To preserve newspapers all we need to do is buy them. Such Nostalgia!The Quintessential Dad. I love this picture, although it makes me yearn for those simpler times. (A little bit, anyway. If I were magically transported back to that year I'd be hankering for my cell phone and my laptop within a half hour.) Save our newspapers!I don't want to read a book on a Kindle or scan the news online. I want to smell the newsprint, feel the paper, hear the rustle as I turn the pages. This relaxing, end-of-the-day scene could not be replicated with Pops staring at a computer monitor, especially if he's been on the computer at work all day. Save our books and newspapers! I grew up in Marin as well.I'm a third generation Marinite, and was just 13 years old in 1965. I may have delivered the I.J. to your house. One of the evening papers was the "News Call Bulletin." So much of Marin has changed in the time since this image was taken. It was not at all like it is today. The late seventies and eighties changed all that. A really nice photo of a slice of life at that time. Reminds me of a lot of dads back then. Thanks. One more thing...For me, this classic image would be more complete with the addition of a dog curled up on the floor next to the ottoman. The picture of life.To me this is a picture of why we work, and why we buy a home, so we can relax in the evening and see what was going on in the world while why we worked. A similar picture today would beDdad at the end of the day, sitting in his recliner in the living room, his computer on a small table next to his chair, where, having checked out all the news, Dad checks out the latest on Shorpy or takes a walk through the online cemetery at Find-a-Grave to relax and be ready for a good night's sleep. My generationI'm nineteen and read The Toronto Star every day. Some of my best childhood memories involve sitting at the breakfast table while my mum read the paper. That's the kind of thing that you just don't get when you read the news online. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Lust Girl: 1919
... for the money. This lady was no slacker. Performing daily, probably several times a day, is no job for couch potatoes. One can see ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2008 - 11:03am -

"Sidney Lust girl, 1919 or 1920." Our survey of the Washington, D.C., theatrical scene continues with another of cinema owner Sidney Lust's chorus girls. National Photo Company Collection glass negative stereograph. View full size. Right HandedI'm guessing she mostly held her baby in her right arm while feeding. Yikes. High Beams Need alignment. Line of DemarcationThat line on the wall seems to delineate her body from the neck down. How to explain..For someone who who is above average in the cleavage area, it could be the outfit combined with with movement that, ahem, shifted things around. It is why sports bras are so important to squish and HOLD everything into place when one is working out. High StandardsNeed a reality check. She's got a great, curvy figure. The "high beams" don't align on their own--if she had the benefits of modern bra technology to support and shape, she'd have one fabulous figure. That being said, it had to be very uncomfortable to be a dancing chorus girl in an outfit like that. Yikes. [These girls, who performed between pictures at the Leader Theater cinema, had costumes. She's a bit underdressed in the big photo. - Dave] Why it's good to be a man."Squished cleavage", with "everything" held firmly in place while working out. One more reason it's good to be a man. [Well ya know guys have a similar issue, a little farther south. - Dave] Both Sides NowFor the record, mine are lopsided and I don't have any children. I'm surprised by the audacity of these rude comments. RightoPoor thing, even 90ish years ago there was a woman probably looking at a photo of herself and going "Oh GAWD!! Look at my right boob! How embarrassing! Why didn't you tell me to straighten it up before you took the photo!" I know it's happened to me! DON'T BUILD 'EM LIKE THEY USED TOI'd cut off my left index finger to be in the arms of a woman with this figure. [Is that the one that works the caps-lock key? - Dave] She works hard for the money.This lady was no slacker. Performing daily, probably several times a day, is no job for couch potatoes. One can see by her face that she was conscientious and striving for approval. How many of us could do that? She looks just a little bit tired, but pasted on a smile anyway just like a trouper. The show must go on. For realI'm not suprised by some of the body-snarking comments. Today one is so accustomed to looking at images of the human body that are highly artificial, having been photoshopped into smooth, firm perfection. Instead of seeing the person, one's eyes go straight to the "flaws" since it is so unusual, freakish, even to see it at all nowdays in photographic images. She looks real, and she looks good. Anthropological StudiesThis yeoman work in the "survey of the Washington, D.C. theatrical scene" should continue, for both its sociological value and anthropolical insights. We are hereby requesting another year's full funding for this important research. As a side (front?) note, the bustiness of this young lady was about to fall seriously out of fashion in the breast-binding days of the flapper, just about to get into full (non)swing. Trust meI am much happier with everything squished and held into place than the alternative. I am sure all the work she had to do took its toll on all her assets, plus it can hurt! Immodest modesty?What I find contradictory about some of the fashions of this period is that, on the one hand, there were requirements of social modesty: public bathing required neck-to-knee (or neck-to-thigh) suits, for example, yet the material was clingy and only semi-opaque when wet (and here it appears to be completely dry!), leaving very little to the imagination. NewsflashVery few women have perfectly symmetrical breasts! That GirlI love old photos. Thinking about who a person was, what they did at the time, who they married, who their children became. These photos probably do not display the full beauty of this woman. She probably had legions of young guys chasing her. I hope she had a good life. Shorpy CommentsI think it's very disappointing that whenever I see a photo of a woman on Shorpy, it's guaranteed that the comments will focus only on critiquing her figure or looks. Aren't we here to learn something from history? Why is this form of sexism still so rampant today? [I can think of two good reasons. - Dave] Good TasteA legion of artists would rejoice at the opportunity to paint this lovely creature, and for that matter any of you similarly proportioned commentators. And they would have scant concern for perfect proportionment. Nor would we, the tasteful viewer. Good old SidStill can't get over the name "Sidney Lust." It's got to be the best name ever. I shall be changing mine henceforth! On the topic of flaws>> Instead of seeing the person, one's eyes go straight to the "flaws" since it is so unusual, freakish, even to see it at all nowdays in photographic images. My boyfriend was trying to explain why he likes pictures and paintings of women from past eras more than modern ones, and the main reason is the weight issue. "You look at these women with ribs showing on their upper chests, and you just know you'd break them." He loves pinup art, old starlet photos, and B&W photos of shapely, pretty women. That's how I came across this site, was looking for pretty pictures for him to enjoy (as a photographer, I like them too for many reasons). Because I have several artistic nudes on the walls, a side discussion evolved about women's attitudes towards their bodies vs. men's, and women's antsiness about their guy looking at pictures of other women. He said he hated that some women feel the need to measure themselves against models, movie stars etc., because what most men enjoy are the differences. He tried to explain the fascination with the flaws, but was frustrated with the word "flaw," saying it implied something negative to describe what men celebrate and enjoy, all the unique differences from each other. Things that we women desperately try to homogenize away. New to this site, and haven't gotten anything else done for HOURS. Thank you for the wonderful photos! They're realAnd they're spectacular!! (The Gallery, Natl Photo, Pretty Girls)
Playtime: 1943
... POLITE, simple, proper seniors now who walk at the mall daily in friendly groups and still love America. The preceding is strictly my ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2018 - 7:43pm -

October 1943. Washington, D.C. "Boys watching the Woodrow Wilson high school cadets." Photo by Esther Bubley, Office of War Information. View full size. Saturday Morning SpecialEven before the war, this was the Junior G-Man generation. The pistol packing boy might be aiming a realistic cast metal cap pistol, not all of which looked like western six-guns. Here's a 1940s magazine ad for a similar toy pistol, the popular "G-Boy" model. Cap gunI had a hand-me-down cap gun in the 60s that was a baby .45. Wasn't as cool as the cowboy guns, so I am sure than it ended up in the bottom of a toy box and was "recycled" at a garage sale. Cocktail HourPersonally, I prefer my Bubbly with a dash of Alibet. Cap GunThe pistol the boy appears to be holding resembles a 1940 Kilgore Cap pistol, made of iron. Likely it was one of the police or police chief versions. Reminds me of my childhoodDespite my mom's anti-toy gun stance (peace, love, against the Vietnam war, etc.), my brother and I had an arsenal of cap guns as kids. We blasted away whenever she was not around. Despite all this simulated childhood violence, we both grew up to be fairly normal adults who do not own any real guns. Cap gunsMy parents were non-militaristic types; my father (reluctantly) got involved in WW2 as a RAF pilot, but his Quaker father had been jailed as a conchie in WW1 and he was never keen on guns. Nonetheless, we kids were cheerfully allowed to have and play with toy guns in the 60s - mostly games based on High Chaparral and Lost in Space and suchlike rather than war and soldiering, as it happens (well, there was The Rat Patrol). And pointing a toy gun at my brother (see pic, if it uploads OK) didn't seem to cause anyone to get worried (neither of us has ever had anything to do with real guns). Some British schools have cadet forces, as per the film If... and also the Doctor Who story set in 1913 (Human Nature). Is it really that different?When I was a kid, toy guns were my favorite. And yet my Dad would have tanned my hide had he caught me actually pointing a toy gun at another person. I was taught you just didn't point guns at people. And I realize that the kid in this photo is not pointing his gun at the other boy. But my kids grew up in a society where it was completely proper to point guns at other people and pull the trigger -- but they called it laser tag or paintball. You can also get into the whole video game mindset as well. Of course, you can't do it on your own, but at an arcade, or in the case of paint-balls, with expensive gear. The difference I see is that by the time I was 12 or so, such games were not so interesting. The current generation is still involved in these games into their 20s and 30s. ContextYeah, this might be disturbing to some people, but let's not forget the international context at the time. 1943 saw the height of World War II, and all the kids were immerese in the ambience of a "nation at war": bombarded with all those news reels in the movies, watching the cartels, and seeing mom worry about the absent parent / brother / uncle who was serving overseas. Many a kid witnessed the arrival of the dreaded letter to his / her parents; "Dear Mrs... I am terribly sorry to inform you..." So, with old photos as with history, one can't merely judge them by comparing them with our own prejudices and standars. We must take in account the circumstances and the particular period where they were created. I'm sure that, back then, a scene like this was not as disturbing as we might find it today. Guess it is what OTY said, that children were accountable for being good citizens at all times. That is really disturbingIt looks too much like that very famous Vietnam-era photo of a man being executed on the street. InterestingThere are a couple of interesting things in this photograph... Most obviously, it looks like the little boy on the left is aiming the gun at the other boy's head...but once you really look at it, the boy on the right is a few feet further away. (WHEW!) His stance though, makes it look like they are playing a very creepy "game". The other interesting thing is...High School Cadet Team?? Forming up and shouldering rifles??? Can you even imagine that in 2009? Ah, the good ol' days... Deja NamReminds me of the famous Vietnam era photo of an execution. As Jack Nicholson Would Say...Hey, kid? You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? Hm.There's an unfortunate juxtaposition. Imagine this scene todayThe boy pointing (what I assume is a) toy gun would be under arrest facing years of psychoanalysis. The parents of his "target" would already be on the telephone to their attorney looking to sue the boy as well as Woodrow Wilson HS, its principal and head of its cadet program not to mention the young man leaning on the soccer post for not intervening in what clearly is an act of bullying. The school spokesperson, since he hadn't seen the paperwork, would not be able to comment other than to reiterate that WWHS has a zero tolerance policy toward weaponry and that, once the truth comes out, they will be completely exonerated. Not what it seemsAt first glance it looks like the boy in the middle is pointing that gun straight at the forehead of the other boy - but he's not, is he? He's nearer the camera by a yard or so, and pointing directly to the right. Whatever, great photo. Nothing much changes hereI live several blocks away from Wilson HS, and aside from the fact that they obviously no longer drill there in military uniforms, there is the occasional gunplay every so often. It seems that about every three years there is a shootout ... and this is the public HS in the city's safest and most affluent area! Notable alums of Wilson HS include Warren Buffett, Frank Rich, and Lewis Black. Armchair Psychologist's Field DayTo call this photo provocative is an understatement. The curious fact though is that this generation, currently referred to as "the silent generation" seems to have been the most peaceful, law-abiding, responsible, conscientious, peaceful and congenial group of decent and agreeable adults in recent memory. Yes, I am one. Yes, as kids we all had toy guns and we played "jack-knife" wherein we threw our pocket knives into targets drawn in the dirt. Yes, we used dagger-sharp geometric compasses in grade school without hurting anyone, and walked miles to school, often alone. Yes, we were just before the "Rebels without a cause" gangs, loved our families, enjoyed our cars, had fun dates, served our country, sewed our wild oats and then settled down to work hard, support loved ones and try to raise healthy, happy families. I do not have crime statistics to back this up, but from personal experience all the "playing" we did for the first 15 years of our lives with potential toy weapons did NOT make us violent or eager to hurt anyone. On the contrary, we are a bunch of very helpful, charitable, POLITE, simple, proper seniors now who walk at the mall daily in friendly groups and still love America. The preceding is strictly my personal opinion but I know hundreds of us from this era and there is not a bad apple in the bunch. Although this picture is reminiscent of the horrible famous photo from Viet Nam, I have no acquaintances who became violent criminals from playing with TOY guns. The difference is, I believe, that we had sensible,selfless, caring and sometimes strict parents and we ALWAYS had to be accountable for not behaving as the civilized people they expected us to be. Sorry to be preachy but I really fear that society is "de-evolving" and returning to savagery and barbaric behavior. The little guy in the chin strap hat who is resignedly acceptiing his fate like a man looks exactly like a neighbor I grew up with who became a soldier. DrilledIn response to the "High School Cadet Team" comment: Ever heard of ROTC? I went to a college in the South (graduated 2003) and it was common to see ROTC members performing drills in the quad. High School Cadet TeamDon't you know there's a war on? In 1943 there was and most of the boys in that group would be in it soon after they graduated from high school. A little early drill couldn't hurt, even if they did have to unlearn just about everything they picked up here. Cadet RiflesHigh Schools still have rifle teams today, if they have JROTC unit. Official Site https://www.usarmyjrotc.com/jrotc/dt Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Reserve_Officers'_Training_Corps - Proud Former JROTC Cadet, who shouldered his own (demilitarized) M1903 Springfield for drill... 15 count manual.. Arms! Soccer '43??I doubt that there were any soccer goals at WWHS in '43, I think those are monkey bars. Boys learning 2nd Amendment rightsThis photo could only come out of the USA. The only country on the planet that enshrines guns in their national Constitution. Johnny Has His GunHeh, funny, Exercising his 2nd Amendment. Can anyone tell if that's a real pistol or just an extremely realistic toy? It sure looks heavy and solid from here. I have a cap pistol from the '40s or '50s, and it's nowhere nearly as detailed as that (although it's a revolver, not an automatic). Re: Boys learning 2nd Amendment rightsAnd yet we've got people from all over the world that still strive to become American now don't we? In defense of my generation...I think it's a bit extreme to say that "the silent generation" was composed of better or more decent people than gens x, y, whatever, or that people in the past loved their families more, worked harder, or were better Americans than my peers and I. Actually, it's straight up offensive. A lot of criminals were born in the 30's and 40's, too. As were a lot of rude people, some of whom now apparently consider themselves "POLITE, simple, proper seniors." This is a really neat picture, though. I love the kid leaning on the monkey bars. Small ArmsThe gun is a toy .45 caliber semi-automatic. You can tell because it not only lacks the hammer and sight, but a real .45 is over 6 inches long. The one in the picture looks much smaller. And a real .45 very heavy. My Dad taught me to shoot a .45 when I was about ten years old and it took both hands to hold it up straight! Esther Bubbly FansFor those of us that are fans of Esther Bubbly and all the other wonderful photographers being shown on Shorpy, you can find many other photographs at the National Archives. Alibet, these photographs have not been edited as those shown here, they are still outstanding. The URL below will take you to an index of photographers. Don't overlook the 'Search' link also on the page. A wonderful place to visit. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/fsahtml/fsaauthindex1.html [Nothing like a little Bubbly to start the day, I say. - Dave] Reply to "In Defense of..."I believe you failed to comprehend my message because I NEVER said anything about being "better than..." or "working harder" or "loving more". My point was only to state that playing with guns, knives and potentially deadly weapons did not make us violent misfits as some people claim it does. Why would I offend my own children and descendants by claiming "we were better" but I believe that is your personal interpretation of what was written, NOT what was actually written. I am very sorry if anyone was offended. Boys and gunsLet's see. I grew up watching Gunsmoke and the Lone Ranger. Parents bought me a Daisy Red Ryder for my birthday. Played Cowboys and Indians and S.W.A.T. was never called. Grew up to be a productive law abiding citizen despite the "evil" toys. Imagine that. YikesWell, that gave me chills. The Way I See ItThe kid with the gun is aiming at some "enemy" in the distance. The smaller kid is imitating the drill team members. I hate guns now, but I played "Army" and cowboys and Indians with them all the time during the early 50's. Once, after watching Gene Autry on TV, I conked a kid over the head with a piece of wood and was amazed when he didn't fall over unconscious. Shortly thereafter I was amazed when I couldn't watch TV for a week. Grateful for the opportunityDespite years of studying (and producing) photography and film, I only learned of Esther Bubley after I became a regular visitor to Shorpy (perhaps Shorpy addict is more accurate). I'm a big fan of historic, journalistic, and modern photography -- even worked in an archive -- but I didn't know of Esther Bubley, and I think her work is wonderful. Her work fascinates me -- composition, subjects, content, emotional impact -- I thank you for posting her photos. You people are S-L-O-WHe is not pointing the cap gun at the other child's head. The other child is standing behind him. Look where the feet of the children are. Come on now, think for yourselves. [Talk about slow -- read the other comments. Carefully. - Dave] Re: You people are S-L-O-WI really hate to appear to be S-L-O-W, but what is the significance of the quarter? [It's a gift bestowed upon especially clueless commenters. So that they can go get a clue. - Dave] Target practiceWhenever I see a scene of soldiers practicing their marching in formation, I wonder "how many battles ever got won because they were good at marching in formation?" Has there ever been an enemy overcome by straight lines and precision steps? In movies, the guys in formation are always the ones getting mowed down by cannons or snipers. I'm reminded of a comment by one of the Kaiser's generals complaining that he seemed to think marching practice was all there was to war preparation. Just some thoughts on OTY's comment...>> Sorry to be preachy but I really fear that society is "de-evolving" and returning to savagery and barbaric behavior. Hey now OTY, the kids are OK. I don't know if you'll read this comment but I had to weigh in. As one of the early Millennials (aka Cold-Y or Boomerang Generation) let me reassure you. My parents were in the Silent Generation. I walked to school and used a sharp compass. Additionally, I knew my neighbors and was allowed to bike all over the town. Now I live in an urban center where I still walk to work. I still know my neighbors and make casseroles when people find themselves in a tough spot. The Millennials also manage to have fun even though the recession is weighing heavily on us. The Boomers won't retire and Millennials can't find work. We also give back to our community, are hard-working, and increasingly thrifty having learned from our grandparents the importance of putting away for a rainy day. Taking your anecdotal example, I know hundreds of Millennials who, to a person, are not "bad apples." Even though the kids born today can seem alien, ("O rly? LOL, que! Srsly, wtf is w/n00bs. We pwnd them. 1337.") The Atlantic recently suggested otherwise. I tend to agree. You raised us right, stop worrying, we'll take our place and save the world when you let us. And our kids and grandkids will be awesome too. So... The kids are alright. Neither demons nor angelsThe kids in the pictured generation weren't horrible animals because they played with guns, but come on, let's not pretend they were perfect and everything was wonderful back then and everyone today is inferior. For example, look at the trash scattered on the parade ground. My GenerationInteresting photo... posted no doubt for its shock value. As a member of that generation, I played cowboys, space explorer, knight, soldier, etc. All the boys did (well, except for the odd ones who played with dolls ;-) Know what? We never once confused play with real life. Of course, physical violence wasn't graphic back then, nor was it performed with mind-numbing repetition, as in the slash movies or video games, for example. We also didn't take drugs or do a lot of other things kids do today. Was it a better time to grow up? Damn straight it was. Bubley whimsyDon't you think the photographer was intentionally having fun messing with the viewer's perspective to create that illusion? I do. (The Gallery, Bizarre, D.C., Esther Bubley, Kids, WW2)
Mint, Sage, Caraway and Thyme: 1942
... I love photos like this, which provide a glimpse of daily life in the past. Those are great utensils! Looks like they had all ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/19/2023 - 8:38pm -

July 1942. "Birmingham (near Detroit), Michigan. Herbs and kitchen utensils in a house in Birmingham." 4x5 inch Kodachrome transparency by Arthur S. Siegel for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Point of orderI found myself wondering why the caption was in a different order than the bottles, but then I deduced that this was taken in Scarborough. Secret IngredientThe wad of chewed gum on the shelf is a nice touch. Secret IngredientI sure hope that is gum on the shelf!!! Well used toolsI like the patina of age and use on the various cooking utensils. The handles tell that these have been used often to make meals for whomever they belonged to, and their family. The small pan was probably used to melt butter or lard. Nice rackSomeone had to say it. "Nice rack" - ?No. Actually, no. Nobody had to say that. I see fiveI think there's a dab of spearmint visible, too. Still in useChange the handles of some of those utensils to red and white and you can find them in my kitchen. Metal and mintI love photos like this, which provide a glimpse of daily life in the past. Those are great utensils! Looks like they had all ready been around for quite a while, by then, but still had lots of use left in them. I watch secondhand stores for such things, and have several I use. I'd like to know how she used that mint. I'll bet it was from her garden! Utensil RingsThe four utensils on the right had an identical threaded metal ring screwed into each handle end to allow it to hang on a hook. The ring on the end of the small skillet was too big for the hook, and it appears a bit of force was used to make it fit. This was clearly a time before stainless steel. I like the detail of the rough plaster wall - I'd love to see the rest of the kitchen. Any related images? NostalgicI'm pretty certain some of those utensils are probably still in use by someone. Some of my favorite kitchen gadgets are those that belonged to my mom and grandmother in the '30s and '40s. They are still in great condition, whereas a lot of what I bought when I got married in 1969 only lasted a couple of years. Wabi, sabiPerfect examples of the Japanese qualities of wabi and sabi. The enjoyment of the slight imperfections in objects which are in everyday use, especially those which are hand-made, and of the honest wear which accumulates on such objects. Scarborough Fare?They must've run out of parsely and rosemary. These old implementsThey remind me of my grandmother's 'polenta' paddle, which I still use for stirring pasta. Polenta is basically corn meal mush. The paddle is a wooden device similar to the spatula-like thing third from left, but made of wood and about 2 inches wide by 1/4 inch thick. The one I have is over 100 years old, as my grandmother got it when she was first married in 1908. I got it when I moved into my first apartment in '73. Can't remember how many times I got my butt warmed with that paddle! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Arthur Siegel, Kitchens etc.)
Dandruff Avalanche: 1903
... if it warranted a headline of its own. Still loving my daily Shorpy time travel. (The Gallery, DPC, Kids, NYC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/30/2023 - 8:52pm -

May 1903. New York. "Newsboys at Greeley Square." Our title is a word salad plucked fresh from this 8x10 inch glass negative. Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Headline NewsAMERICANS ON MONT BLANC CAUGHT IN AVALANCHE! Greeley SquareGreeley Square is a triangular park bounded by Broadway and 6th Avenue between West 32nd and 33rd Streets, two blocks south of Herald Square. It is named for one of the most eccentric figures in American history and contains a seated statue of him. Horace Greeley (1811-1872) founded the New York Tribune, which by 1850 was the nation’s highest-circulation newspaper. One of the founders of the Republican Party, he was a continual irritant to Abraham Lincoln, not just because he thought he should dictate policy, but because he kept flailing among positions, supporting ‘peaceable secession’, then a strong war effort, immediate abolition, then a negotiated settlement with the South. Always enthusiastic, there was hardly any fad or ‘reform’ that he did not advocate at one time of another. (He was for, then against, women’s suffrage.) He supported Reconstruction but signed Jefferson Davis’s bail bond. Breaking with the Republican Party, he was nominated for president in 1872 on a fusion ticket with Democrats, lost badly to Grant, and died a month later. He is perhaps best remembered for “Go West, young man,” a phrase he denied coining. (It probably originated with John B. L. Soule, an Indiana publisher.) 6th Avenue ElOn the right side of the Shorpy photo is the 33rd Street station of the long-vanished 6th Avenue Elevated. The building is the Union Dime Savings Bank, also vanished (though it outlasted the El by 20 years). In center of the image below, you are looking straight down the sidewalk in the 1903 photo. No, thank you, I already have oneI notice our dapper pedestrian in his bowler (derby?) isn't being petitioned to purchase a newspaper from any of the several vendors around him, no doubt because he is already carrying a newspaper. Reminds me of men or women who wear wedding rings when they're not married. Old Style HumorDad (1919-1997) was a mixture of Jackie Gleason, Danny Thomas, Red Skelton, and Spike Jones. One of his many quips that he would shout out as he did household chores was: Extra! Extra! Read all about it! 20,000 soles found dead in a shoe factory! The New Coke!Prevents baldness and clear thinking. Later known as Herald SquareThat's the Sixth Avenue El in the photograph. 1903 places during the period when electrification of the line was new and the first subway was under construction. Today (from a different angle), courtesy of Wikimedia: The ShiningSmall detail; But every adult in the picture appears to have a shine on their shoes. Even the guy sitting on the right holding a stick, his shoes are a little rougher than the others, but there is still evidence of a shoeshine on the tip of the toes. Constitution wrecked?The headline about the Mount Blanc Avalanche is interesting. I wonder if they're referring to the ship Old Ironsides or some piece of legislation the paper believes wrecks our country's most precious document. I'll vote for the USS Constitution as in 1903, Charles Francis Adams III, descendant of two US Presidents and in his role as president of the Massachusetts Historical Society at the time, requested Congress rehabilitate Old Ironsides and place her in active service. That would happen 22 years later when her restoration began. [The Constitution was a racing yacht. - Dave] The Constitution was a Train WreckThe Constitution was a contender to defend the 1903 America's Cup. She lost to the 1899 winner Columbia, principally owing to the ineptitude of her crew. Columbia went on to beat Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock II in the 1903 Cup. The Frank SlideCanada's deadliest avalanche, known as the Frank Slide, occurred at the end of April, 1903. I wonder if that warranted a headline? [As noted below, the headline is about an avalanche on Mont Blanc in the Alps. - Dave] If I thought the Frank Slide was the subject of the headline pictured, I wouldn't have wondered if it warranted a headline of its own. Still loving my daily Shorpy time travel. (The Gallery, DPC, Kids, NYC, Railroads)
Steeplechase Park (Colorized): 1903
... WOW!!! I've never commented on a photo here. Been lurking daily for months. One of my favorite sites. But this is fantastic. Great ... of colors. Being a professional that uses PhotoShop daily, I can appreciate the time and talent it takes to colorize a black and ... 
 
Posted by scottr - 07/02/2011 - 4:11pm -

My fifth colorized image, but instead of Atlantic City, this time it's Steeplechase Park at Coney Island. Around thirty hours of work went into this one; I swear I still can't predict with any degree of certainty how long any particular picture might take. "Longer than you expect" is probably a good rule of thumb. The original is here. The dimensions are different, as I've cropped it to serve as computer wallpaper. I'm pretty sure the colors on the American flag are more or less correct. And the skin tones are probably reasonably close. The boardwalk probably really was brown and the sky probably really was blue. The other colors are sourced purely from my imagination. View full size. BravoSuch a beautiful job. I just printed it. Probably going to frame it. Thanks. A World in ColorWhat can I say except, "Bravo"! Made me want to listen to Jamey Johnson's newest song, "You should have seen it in color", and learn how to do this myself. Funny how color makes these images look not so long ago. Perfect!This is the most breathtaking colorization I've ever beheld! Congratulations! Any chance that an even higher-res version could be posted to serve as the desktop for a 27" iMac (2560 x 1440)? SpectacularEveryone that has walked by my computer today has been impressed by this and they're not even colorization people. It is spectacular. Simply Amazing!It's like stepping back in time. Awesome work! Awesome!I'm normally not that keen on colorized photos as sometimes the colours are not realistic, but this is fantastic. Looks like a still from the set of Boardwalk Empire (this is a bit earlier I know, but it looks that fresh) "Boardwalk Empire" for realWonderful! Thank youWhat a powerful image and so appropriate for celebrating our nation's birthday. California sends our sincere gratitude for your painstaking work in so masterfully bringing this scene to life. Very Nice JobAnd that's from an old coot who doesn't particularly enjoy colorized photos. Colorful(Sorry, my pun writer is on holiday). I was thinking if you referenced picture postcards from the day you might get an idea for some of the colors, but those artists probably used the same guess work as you. Very well done, my new screensaver. The choice of red hair for the women in front is a good one, I think, based on her features. Well DoneA step back in time. Well done! KudosVery natural look to it. Great use of contrast. Excellent! Beautiful!!Fantastic work! Beautiful picture. Thanks for all you do! Echoing everyone elseI'm repeating what so many others have said, but seriously, that is the first colorized image I've ever seen that looks absolutely real. It's magnificent. I've seen some wonderful colorizing here on Shorpy that comes very close to the mark, but you absolutely nailed it. I'm in awe. I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future. It obviously took you a long time, but it's very much appreciated. And it's also my wallpaper now as well. Huge thumbs up. Yeow!Your colorization is just crazy good and, your choice of photo is too excellent. Thank you for all the work you do. Every photo you post are jewels. Grant DumbstruckThis photo and the colorization is simply amazing! It is now my desktop photo and when it completely filled the screen, I was immediately part of the crowd at Steeplechase. The effect is truly wonderful. Thank you for this moment when we can all step back in time. I just know any moment, I will be speaking to the striking couple coming my way. Great!Keep 'em coming! Wilse Thanks, Everyone!Oh my gosh, thank you all so much for your kind words! I am absolutely blown away by the positive reactions I've received, and am extremely pleased that people are enjoying what I did with this photo. You cannot imagine my surprise at seeing it placed on the front page (seriously, I did not expect that), and am doubly pleased that it was judged worthy of such an honor. Thank you all again! You are a talented guyIt's the best colorization I have seen. Thanks for being part of Shorpy's. Wow!Congratulations. That is as previously said "awesome". Really brings it to life. Really beautiful!It's amazing how a little color really brings the past alive. It feels more like last week instead of last century. Excellent JobI'm impressed to see that kind of quality work after just a short time colorizing photos. And congratulations on having the first Colorized photo show up on Shorpy's Home page. Maybe we'll see more in the future. Keep at it so we can continue to see more of your work! [This is a great job, but not the first colorized image on our front page. - Dave] SpectacularBravo! Excellent job. Whew!Magnificent job! That really brings it to life. Well done, Scott. OutstandingI am blown away by this. What fantastic work. A great present to all of us for the 4th. Bravo! Great JobThat is a great job of colorizing. After seeing so many old black and white photos, it is amazing to realize that people really did live in color back in those days instead of different tones of grey. It's beautiful. Thank you!You should get the trophy for making so many so happy! Great work! Hot Dog!If you look closely, it seems that Mr. Lemmerman beat Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs by at least 15 years! A sunny day at Steeplechase ParkLike most here, you can feel the life inn this photo. It is so lifelike that it would be fun to go back there and enjoy the Park for the day. Love the couple just strolling down the boardwalk like they haven't a care in the world. They do have each other and I'm guessing that it may be time for a nice cold 1 cent lemonade. It does sound refreshing especially at a penny. Well I'm off to the Steeplechase and see if it is a much fun as stated. See ya!!! Ice coldLemoade? Love it!I think what really does it for me is - and I'm not decrying your excellent work at all - that it isn't quite perfect. When I looked at it first - and again afterwards - I had to think "is it or isn't it?" Also, a happy birthday to all of youse out in the colonies! WOW!!!WOW!!! I've never commented on a photo here. Been lurking daily for months. One of my favorite sites. But this is fantastic. Great Work!!! Sure my room is a little noisy.But hey, I live next to Steeplechase Park! Congratulations Scott on an awesome job. Really brings this scene to life! And it looks terrific as a desktop on my 23-inch screen. Keeping in mind that I wouldn't even attempt this masterpiece even if I knew how, I will tell you what I would have annoyingly said had I been looking over your shoulder: "Make the left-hand poster high above the entrance full color." But I'm sure that would have added several more hours. (I know, I'm a jerk!) Seriously, great job! Color NoteThe midday sky in the Northeast is generally not robin's egg blue. More whitish-grayish. Aesthetically, though, sky-blue is definitely prettier. Color me impressedWow! Wow! Double Wow and Holy Cow! And allow me to reiterate -- wow! Don't know the first thing about colorization but I would bet it takes far more patience than I could muster. You are to be congratulated - and let's congratulate Shorpy's for the fine talent that it attracts. Gasp!Having spent countless hours in Photoshop trying to colorize a scan of a family photo from just after WWII (and I know the location well and most of the colors!) I must defer to your superior skills. Outstanding. I look forward to your future efforts, perhaps I'll learn something. Incredible!!This is a truly wonderful piece of work. So many of the photos on Shorpy transport the viewer into a time long ago, but none so convincingly as this. Thank you for your work, you have made a lot of people very happy with this picture. Awesome!This may be the best colorized photo I have ever seen! I feel like I could literally walk into the picture. Great job! Choice of colors.Being a professional that uses PhotoShop daily, I can appreciate the time and talent it takes to colorize a black and white print this well. Beyond that, one of the more difficult things to do is deciding what colors to use — to keep it realistic yet not repetitious. Kudos. Jaw DroppedAbsolutely stunning! I called my wife in to look at this, her jaw dropped, literally. (And we look at a lot of colorized pictures). New colorization fanI must confess, I'm not a big fan of colorization...until today! If it's done well [and this one certainly goes beyond that!]... I can almost taste the lemonade, and smell the hot dogs, and hear the calliope...well, you get the idea. Wish I could climb through my computer screen and into this photo. And, from one who is partial to redheads, good choice on the woman's hair. Excellent job, Scott. Can't wait to see your next work. Wow!I too have this as my wallpaper. Your eye for color is amazing. Thank you! Wow!I can't even being to imagine how difficult this must have been, particularly the flooring with all its different hues. It's funny, until I see something like this, I tend to think that era was drab and dull. You have a great eye for color. The gold accents on the columns, the dresses that match the hats, the lady in the foreground with the red hair...very nice! Absolutely beautifulI have this as my computer wallpaper at work and people stop and gawk at it constantly. I love being able to "take a quick break" at Steeplechase during a dreary day. Wonderful job. (Colorized Photos)
Happy Birthday: 1926 (2017!)
... It's hard to describe the impact you have had on my daily life, Dave and tterrace -- stress reduction, wonderment, education, ... As for others, this is an absolute must-visit for me daily. Happy birthday and thank you. Happy Tenth Birthday Dave and Shorpy! This is a bright spot in my daily life. You bring me so much joy with these morning picture treats. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/14/2017 - 4:29am -

Shorpy Is 10!         A happy Valentine's Day to all on this, Shorpy.com's 10th birthday. (Where has the time gone?) We'll celebrate with a stroll down Memory Lane, just as soon as that pot of coffee is ready ... Washington, D.C., circa 1926. "Cake for Mrs. Orme." Who ordered it for her daughter Violet's birthday. National Photo glass negative. View full size. No one reads these comment titles, do they?It's hard to describe the impact you have had on my daily life, Dave and tterrace -- stress reduction, wonderment, education, imagination. I've had so many meaningful moments on Shorpy, but two stand out: 1) Being fascinated by the member photo from 1908 of a group of Bensonhurst Baths lifeguards, pursuing its background to the member's genealogy photo blog, and finding that one of the lifeguards (her grandfather) married a woman from our small town here in the Midwest. We connected and I was able to find and photograph and send to her the house her grandmother grew up in here; the Shorpy member now lives far away in western Canada. 2) The wonderfully fulfilling moment when one of my member photos was posted on the main page! My life was thus complete! Thank you, Shorpy Higginbotham, for inspiring Dave to bring us such joy. And thank you to Dave and tterace for your diligent work for these 10 years!! [Five years in my case. -tterrace] Thank You Shorpy Really enjoy the site! Happy Birthday, ShorpyThank you for this great site Dave, I love looking at the old photos. Congrats to Shorpy!On an internet full of copycat websites, Shorpy stands alone as a truly original and unique product (and my favorite, too!). To digress for a minute back to Violet Orme, I must say she must have been a very good girl to earn not one, but two different cakes in 1926! Happy Birthday Shorpy!!!Still my favorite site. Please don't change a thing and keep on posting. All the best. Here's to Many MoreA very Happy birthday to Shorpy. My day would not be complete without a few visits to Shorpy. Home is Where the Heart isAnd for eight (I'm a bit slow on the uptake) of those ten years, Shorpy has been my Homepage! Happy Birthday!Thanks so much! Happy Birthday Shorpy!Excellent site. Keep us going for another 10 Worth a thousand words ...Hardly a day goes by without Shorpy publishing a visual treasure worth the proverbial thousand words. These images are more than simple nostalgia -- they are a reminder that our world was made by those who preceded us. Perhaps it can help remind us of our obligation to those who will follow. A thousand "thank-yous". Let the celebration begin!A very happy Anniversary/Birthday to Shorpy. A large thank you to Dave for having the idea and knowhow to present Shorpy photos for the rest of us to enjoy. Another tip of the hat for Dave's witty remarks, often containing learning experiences. And thank you to tterace and others for their contributions. Happy Birthday, my first stop of the dayThank you for this site, it's my first stop every day! Tom Save me a Rose..Happy Birthday Shorpy. A fine first decadeI've been following Shorpy for 9 years and 4 weeks, and my only regret is that I missed those first 48 weeks. Happy birthday to my favorite website! Happy Birthday, Shorpy!So glad you're here. Happy Birthday Shorpy! Shorpy is one of a handful of sites that I pull up as soon as I sit down at my computer every morning before starting work. I really appreciate the work it takes to keep the site going. Thanks and here's to the next 10 years. Happy Birthday!Thanks, Dave, for 10 great years of absolutely fabulous images from the past, I have enjoyed every bit of it! Congrats!Who knew that a little boy from the coal mines would do so well in this world of Cyberspace? Has it been 10 years?Happy Birthday Shorpy! How time flies. Pretty soon you'll be a teenager; that ought to be interesting. For the last several years, my first stop of the day as well. Small slice, pleaseI haven't posted much or for long, but I've been here for most of those years. As for others, this is an absolute must-visit for me daily. Happy birthday and thank you. Happy Tenth Birthday Dave and Shorpy!This is a bright spot in my daily life. You bring me so much joy with these morning picture treats. They go so well with my coffee. Cheers. Happy Birthday!Thanks to Dave and tterrace and all the others who have contributed to make this site a daily stop. Happy birthday and thanks!Dave and tterrace, thanks for all the fun and info and for letting me participate. Without you and your site, my world would be much diminished. --Jim A huge Happy 10th Birthday!!! to ShorpyAnd wishing it multiple 10s more. 10 will get you 20But, by then, you're gonna need a bigger cake! Thanks for all you do. All the Best!Thank you for all of your hard work and Happy Birthday Shorpy!! First thing...It's the first site I visit in the morning. Thanks for everything. Happy Birthday! That's 47 in Internet yearsHappy Birthday! 1 human year = 4.7 Internet years You get my brain in gear every morningA day without Shorpy is like a day without sunshine. You give me something to think about, talk about and write about. Don't ever go away and thank you and yours and your followers for your generous sharing of photos, comments and love on your Valentine's Day birthday. Stay just the way you are. DelightfulA place to slow down and enjoy the past. Much appreciated. Civil SocietyThank you, Dave, for running one of the most civil, informative and well moderated comment sections on the Internet. Even your corrections of a guest's misunderstanding or error is done with gentle wit. It is too rare these days. To the commenters: I am heartened by your knowledge and life experience along with your desire to share what you know. I learn something new every day. Putting another candle on the birthday cakeHappy Day, Shorpy! For 8 years, 29 days you have been a good companion, every day sharing and receiving. And to the folks behind the curtain...thank you. Shorpy Is The BestI don't what I love best about Shorpy besides the photographs. Dave's often droll picture titles (you slay me Dave), tterrace's erudite comments or the stories shared by the Shorpyites. I am not going to choose. I am going to continue to love it all. Thank you Dave for taking the time and effort to maintain a site that brings people together. Like we say in Brazil,FELIZ ANIVERSARIO! Happy 10th Shorpy and wishes for so many more!My last stop each evening, using your photo time machine, to look back to those who preceded us. A true treasure! I'm so glad I found you! Happy birthday! Happy Birthday, Shorpy!Shorpy, you ARE my coffee in the morning! My cup of Joe that starts every morning. Dave, here's to many more cups. Thanks. One of my favorites!Congratulations on your Birthday! I've been here for 8 years and 27 weeks with you. Wouldn't miss it for the world. Thanks and keep up your GREAT work! Start to the day, and then someAs with so many others, I too start the day with Shorpy. Then I dip into it at work, and I go back in the evening, as well. What a great place to be. I've been a Shorpster for only about half of the ten years, and that's my loss. Thanks hugely to Dave and tterrace for your hard work and persistence. 10 Years Already?My how times fly. The range of eras covered, and sheer variety of images has been a huge treat. Thank you for a "perfect ten". Everybody Sing.....Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday Dear Shorpy, Happy Birthday to You.... And many more! Three Cheers: Hip-hip Hooray! Hip-hip Hooray! Hip-hip Hooray! Happy Birthday Shorpy!You're the best. Happy Belated Birthday Shorpy. Have I been here that long! Thanks for everything especially the memories. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Traffic Ahead: 1901
... oil-fired, requiring raising and lowering the lamp twice daily for lighting and extinguishing, plus re-filling the oil? 2. The other ... rods had to be replaced regularly, but nowhere near the daily schedule required of oil or gas lamps. Two methods were common for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/29/2023 - 3:35pm -

Detroit circa 1901. "Woodward Avenue and Farnsworth Street." The future Motor City on the cusp of the Motor Century. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Re: Pole ClimbingThe town here in Texas where I grew up still had the metal climbing steps on poles in the late 70s, but by then the bottom steps had been raised about 7 or 8 feet off the sidewalk, probably to keep adventurous kids from climbing the poles. I always wondered what the world looked like from the top of a pole. Detroit Institute of Artsand the main library, across the street. The only two things on Woodward Avenue that don't make me think I was born 75 years too late. bjzielinski's Street View is in front of the Maccabees Building, original (radio) home of The Lone Ranger. Actually, Cater-Corner From the LibraryThis view is looking southeast at the corner of Woodward and Farnsworth. Farnsworth does not extend west of Woodward (the street to the west of Woodward is named Putnam). The future (and current) site of Main Library is thus out of view to the far right of the picture. Similarly, the site of the Detroit Institute of Arts, to the northeast of this corner, is out of view to the far left. The location shown is now the site of the Horace Rackham Education Memorial Building (opened in 1941), which was originally built for the Engineering Society of Detroit, but is now owned by the University of Michigan and largely leased to Wayne State University. Previously on ShorpyLooking up Farnsworth in this Kodachrome from 1942. One of the photos that helped get me addicted to Shorpy way back when. Interesting poles for sureThree quick Shorpy questions: 1. The street lamp almost in the middle of the photo appears to have a pulley and rope, extending down the pole to the street. Is this light now electrified, where its predecessor perhaps was oil-fired, requiring raising and lowering the lamp twice daily for lighting and extinguishing, plus re-filling the oil? 2. The other poles which seem to be handling electricity, also basically in the center of the photo, appear to be metal. since they're honey-combed in the middle. I would have thought wood was the preferred pole material. Were these man-made (and fairly stylish) back in 1901? 3. Finally, I hope someone shows us that intersection today. Bet it looks incredibly different now. About those polesPower poles could be and WERE made from a number of different materials, although wood was the preferred medium. In western New York, many power poles and street lamp poles from this time period were made from reinforced concrete, which wasn't surprising because the County Engineer "happened" to own a batching plant. But like them or not, they were still usable until the late 1950s and early 60s. The metal poles that replaced them only lasted and twenty to twenty-five years. Pole ClimbingSome telephone poles still had the climbing steps in them when I grew up on the 50s. Since then they've discovered climbing spurs. LibraryIt looks like this photo is looking north along Woodward. If so, then the main branch of the Detroit Public Library was built in the open area to the right of the second house. Designed by Cass Gilbert, the library was started with a $750,000 gift by Andrew Carnegie. He offered the money in 1901, but the city didn't get around to accepting until 1910. Some things don't change. Eventually, the houses were replaced by the front lawn of the library, probably when it expanded in the '60s. Current viewView Larger Map PolesMark, those are arc lights, which were high maintenance compared to later incandescent and todays bulbs. Note the transformer on the pole just below the attachment of the bracket arm, the wires dropping down to it from the crossarm, and the low voltage wires hanging in a catenary shaped arc to the lamp fixture. Arc lights were much brighter and lower maintenance than oil lights. The carbon rods had to be replaced regularly, but nowhere near the daily schedule required of oil or gas lamps. Two methods were common for the way to lower the lamps. Often, the metal arm which reached out over the center of the street or intersection would be pivoted to the pole, and the winch would lower the whole arm through an arc to a level where the worker could perform his duties. In this picture, lowering the metal cantilever could interfere with the trolley wires, so the arm was mounted rigidly and the lamp was lowered straight down to service it. The metal poles in the background were for the trolley line. Wooden poles were used in the early days, round metal pipe poles with a bell shaped cap were very common, and metal lattice as seen in this picture were used to a lesser extent. Those poles and the pulleyThe metal poles are for the trolley car company's wires. More prosperous lines used metal because it lasted almost forever. Philadelphia still uses some that were erected at the start of electric service in the mid 1890s, although they have received new paint, and some have rusted to death from the inside. The light on a rope might be an arc light, whose carbons need periodic adjustment. The trolley workers can climb on top of one of their cars to get to their wires in the middle of the street, while the electric company's men climb poles, in this case to disconnect wires so the light can be brought within reach of an adjuster on the ground. That locationThat location would be Woodward Avenue and Farnsworth Street. [Incorrect. - Dave] (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Home Office: 1920
... Above the door on the right: Opportunity knocks daily Usually in the morning My, My, My... all those saucy ladies on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 12:10pm -

"H.E.F. in den, 2227 Nichols Avenue," circa 1920. Herbert E. French owned National Photo, the source for so many of the images seen here. Evidently he surrounded himself with his work. National Photo glass negative. View full size. Sense of HumorH.E.F. seems to have a great sense of humor with his walls covered in "posters" and beautiful women... he even has a prank-type of toy... seems like a modern day frat boy almost. Yet another placardYou should be ve-ry careful, you know, you might get interested in your work, and let your pipe go out. -- James McNeill Whistler I am waitingI can only hope someone can explain what the fascinating object in the photo on the board might be. Poster OptimismNote the poster to the left of the door: "CHEER UP THERE AIN'T NO HELL" Humm, interesting! Hef!Most photos titled "Hef in Den" would have a rather different assortment of pinups on the wall. Show Your ColorsHerbert apparently liked this poster but wasn't so keen on the advertiser. source: Library of Congress The previously noted "Cheer up there ain't no hell", was copyrighted and printed by the Celebrity Art Co. of Boston Mass. I love the bulldog print too; it looks very modern. I know its a stretch, but something about the expression reminds me of George Rodrique's Blue Dog series H.E.F. styleH.E.F. was an Arts & Crafts kinda guy, wasn't he? Psst! Look behind the man's seatI think there's a snake on the floor. But is it real or is it a model? EEK!I just saw the large snake (boa?) on the rug behind Mr. French. Wonder if it is alive. [It's a wood snake. - Dave] Thar she blows!The fascinating object appears to be a harpoon gun without a mounted projectile and rope. I'm fascinated with the Gibson prints hung overhead. Lair of the black mambaOn the rug, slightly to the left of his chair.....is that a rubber snake? No more waiting.The "fascinating object" might be a naval deck gun, dating from the turn of the century on. Mixed molding messageH.E. is using his chair rail as a picture rail... HEF's decorI think some of this constitutes examples of his work. National Photo shot ad layouts -- composites of artwork and type for brochures and flyers. A lot of the printing seems to have been done by Standard Engraving. Together they did postcards, novelties and souvenirs for the National Remembrance Shops. At least this is what I gather from some of the National Photo commercial stuff that I've come across the past couple of years. Who's there?Above the door on the right: Opportunity knocks daily Usually in the morning My, My, My...all those saucy ladies on the walls. A kindred spirit. . . with a love of photography and boxers. (The canine variety) ReflectionThe matted photo to the upper right of the gun photo looks to be the Washington Monument and reflecting pool. Yes? PipedHe's a fan of tobacco. Could be a water pipe on the desk. OfficeBy the looks of the top hinge on the door on the right, it seems to have been opened quite a bit. I'd suggest it is a door to the outside. Old PrintsI think I have a few of those prints high on the upper right wall. They're printed on thick stock and one says "Copyright 1903 Collier's Weekly." Roycroft and GibsonH.E.F. was very fond of Charles Dana Gibson. The curious chair looks very much like Roycroft work, and there are what appear to be several Roycroft printed mottoes pinned on the wall, though I am not sure if "Cheer Up, there Ain't No Hell" is one of them. What is it?What is the purpose of that object setting on the left side of his desk that looks like a tangled hose? Is it a work of art? [Looks like a speaking tube. - Dave] BlamMethinks the weapon is what was called a naval quick firing gun. PressedIf those were three ironing board cupboards, that would explain "There ain't no Hell." Who needs hell when you have ironing? Slithery message to the maidWith a few changes, I could work very happily in this room. 1. Add a computer. 2. Throw out the masochistic desk chair and bring in something with a bit of pad and swivel. 3. Exchange the wood snake for a cat and a note to the maid, "Leave this room alone." Seriously, what is the deal with the snake? Highly irregular, I'd say. No snakeI thought it was a snake too, hubby said no, it's a cane. I guess that would make more sense. [Hubby is wrong. - Dave] The Little DoorsI wonder if the little doors are for those built-in ironing boards we see so often in Warner Bros. cartoons. They're on an exterior wall so unlikely to be cupboards. [Three ironing boards? - Dave] The mystery objectappears very similar to a mariner's or astronomer's sextant, but not exactly. Whoever comes up with the correct answer should win two autographed 8 x 10 glossies of Keefe Brasselle. What funI spent a very long time just enjoying this room. Thank you. ClosetsThe closet doors in my house (built in 1926) have the same latches. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, The Office)
Wired: 1929
... time. Quite a few of us fan collectors check out your site daily looking for early electric fans which appear in some of the photos. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 6:52pm -

"Schneider electric store." C. Schneider's Sons in Washington, D.C., circa 1929. ("Give her an Electric Grill for Xmas.") Harris & Ewing glass neg. View full size. ABC washerGood info on the ABC washer but this model would have been a gravity drain -- the spout around the top of the spinner moved toward the washtub to redirect the water for reuse or into a sink or laundry tray/tub to dispose of. The washtub had a hose that was lowered into a floor drain or bucket or a simple valve opened to drain the waste water out. Quite a varietyThey even sold an electric mop! It must have been a failed prototype, though, seeing as they're hard to find now. CurrentI'm surprised they let all these AC appliances in DC. Lionel TrainsBehind the man is a cabinet stocked with Lionel Electric Trains. Today, that inventory would be a nice collection to have. Growing up in D.C. during the fifties, I could walk to three hardware stores that sold these. Most Fascinating of AllIn a room of wonders for the period that would make it easy to wile away many hours of discovery and experimentation the most fascinating thing may just be the very up-to-date bare bulbs in the ceiling. These are an early version of todays ubiquitous yet now outdated "soft-white" incandescent bulb. Like the faces of both the man and flapper here photographed, all things, even with serious modernity, do come to an end. Electricity in the airHe was madly in love with her, and she knew it. Look at her Mona Lisa smile. Collector's Dream!As a collector of antique electric fans and related early electrical items, I feel like a kid in a candy store when I see pictures like this! Wonderful stuff Dave, thank you for putting all these great photos out for the world to see. It's almost like going back in time. Quite a few of us fan collectors check out your site daily looking for early electric fans which appear in some of the photos. Do you have any more shots of this particular store? I'd love to see different angles of all the goodies they had for sale. [Alas, this is all there is. - Dave] SchneiderI wonder if J.F. Schneider and Son Meats and Groceries was related to C. Schneider's Sons Electric store. ABC WasherThe 2 tub spinner washing machine was first introduced by the Easy Washing Machine Corp. in 1926. This product differed from the wringer washers in that it had a second tub with a high speed spinner that extracted water from the clothes. A simple drain hose hung over the sink or into a drain pipe. I think ABC was merged into or bought by Easy, the largest manufacturer of washing machines in the 1920s. The company was sold to Murray Electric (now part of Siemens) in 1957, and then to The Hupp Corp. Easy production ended in 1963. At its peak in 1948 the company sold almost 500,000 units. No sunglasses?With nine bare bulbs, a tin ceiling and all that metal and chrome! Sun LampIs that large lamp front center with what appears to be a transformer base a carbon-arc lamp? The box on the floor that would seem to go with it has a C and A on the end flap. Replacement parts? [Letters on the box are U C. - Dave] Electric Grill C. Schneider's Sons 1207 F St. N.W. Give Her An Electric Grill for Xmas You Can Boil, Fry, Broil, Cook Anything You Want in this Grill It's not the ampsIt's not the amps, but the vamp who put the cat-that-swallowed-the-mouse look on the man's face. I think sparks have been flying in that room. What is it?What's the boxy device with the vented cupola next to the ABC washer (foreground, center)? [An Eveready "Sunshine Lamp." See above. - Dave] Circa 1929Thursday, May 2, 1929 to be exact. Oh, and I'll take all of those electric trains in the display case. Not for XmasMy father once gave my mother a waffle iron for Xmas. He spent a very cold night. Advance of TechnologyYou can tell how better off we are today, our floor polishers are big or bigger than riding lawnmowers. The version next to the mop could not even hold a single drunk person. Mystery ObjectOn the right of the picture, on the table behind the clocks (beside the serious-looking woman), in front of the calendar -- what are those round things that look like they have lights going all the way around? [Light bulb displays. - Dave] I feel like I'm in a time machine.And just walked into this store with all these modern electric appliances. The detail is awesome, and it seems I could just ask either of these two a question about those cool little toasters. All these items would be very collectible today. Tick tock tick tockMy grandparents had the exact same clock as the "napoleon hat" shaped one to the right of the lady, and I still have a working flip toaster similar to the ones on her left. I know a few people who would kill for one of those model trains in the cabinet at the back. GE Monitor Top fridgeLove the GE Monitor Top refrigerator at the extreme right of the picture. Those things were built great, I myself have one only four years newer than this and it is still running perfectly. No GardenGee Dave, thanks alot for putting this great picture up at this time of year! I have fallen in and won't come out until my garden weeds are six feet high! The details have taken me hostage....will you ship me some squash come fall? Coal miner's wifeI am thinking of the poor coal miner's wife which was posted yesterday. What a difference all these helpers would have made for her, Another note. I still use a gooseneck lamp to read by. I have nothing better. The bare bulbsIt seems that the several bare bulbs in the ceiling would have created a distracting glare. Wouldn't some sort of glass diffusers or shells have been available by this era? Perhaps they were so proud of their bulbs, they wanted shoppers to see them in all their unadorned glory. On an unrelated note, the object the woman is leaning against looks sort of like a big-screen TV — an amusing illusion, to say the least. Don't Try That TodayOr you will get the electric grill thrown right back at you upside the head. Women do not want "household items" as gifts any more. This is a beautiful store, with a very nice looking couple running it and the lady with "sausage curls" was very well groomed for 1929. Lots to see here, thank you Shorpy for another photo containing many wonderful items to jog the memory. Welcome!...To the Museum of Obsolete Technology! Where our motto is, "the more things change, the more they stay the same!" Enough to curl your hairAnd somewhere in one of those boxes (front left, on the counter below the electric coffee pots) is the same model curling iron that gave her those perfect marcel waves. Bask Naked in the Summer Sun"Boxy device" next to the washer is an Eveready Sunshine Lamp. More here. Let me be the first to point outThe grammatical error in the poster near the top of the wall on the left. That iron holds its heat, as well as one apostrophe too many. On the other hand, it would make a fabulous gift! Thanks for the suggestion, Dave. ToastedI have one of those Edison electric toasters like the ones lined up behind the first one. Still works like new. It toasts one side at a time, so you have to turn the bread around. I'm a Little ... What?The appliance on the left -- Perc-O-Tea? [Obviously you have never heard of the Perc-O-Toaster. And probably for good reason. - Dave] Perc-o-ToasterWhat do you know, the Perc-o-Toaster seems to do exactly what its name implies! Here are a couple of more detailed pictures: http://toast2go.tripod.com/ToasterGallery-Ads12.html Make Mine Perky!I, for one, would love to own a Perk-O-Toast. Bare BulbsI live in a house built in 1925, we have that exact same light fixture in the hallway. It throws out precious little light even without the bulb cover, which is probably why someone removed it and put it in the attic. Probably the same case here. For those who want to imagine, it's vaguely tulip shaped and made of white glass, you could find almost an exact replacement for it in any home improvement store today. UnpluggedThe dustmop was obviously not meant to be in the photo. It isn't an electric appliance and has most certainly been used. ABC and IThe washing machine is an ABC, which stands for Altofer Brothers Company. Henry Altofer, when he was a youth, built a crude washing machine for his mother to make washday chores easier for her. It proved to be the beginning of the ABC company which grew into a major appliance manufacturer. A few years ago the old abandoned factory was still standing in Peoria, Illinois. The Altofer and Gudeman families were close friends for many years. Henry witnessed the last will and testament of my great-grandfather Fritz Gudeman 10 days before Fritz died in 1890. Also, Henry and my grandfather David married sisters; and in 1936 Henry bought Fritz's old home and farm, located one mile north of Roanoke, Illinois, from one of his sons. Hello Miss NewmanI had a phone call yesterday from a nice lady in Texas whose grandfather owned this store -- he's the man in the photo. Her father (who could be heard in the background exclaiming, "That's Dad!") identified the woman as one Miss Newman. He also recalled the pressed tin ceiling. Dustmop Has a PurposeThe dustmop in front isn't a mistake. It's there as a sales tool. The store owner used it to demonstrate that his electric machine worked better at picking up dirt than a regular dustmop. That's why the mop appears to be used. It's the old Fuller Brush sales demo--throw dirt on the carpet and then show how the vacuum picks it up more efficiently. On top of everythingThat ceiling has to be (well, I suppose it does not HAVE to be) the most ornately designed ceiling I have ever seen. I think it is unattractive. I wonder if our presumed-to-be-business-friends-only couple tried to avoid looking up at it, so as not to dampen the magic of their cramped but oh so electric moments together. Frozen in timeThis photo shows my grandfather Percy Christian Schneider in his store, which took its name from my great-great-grandfather Christian G. Schneider -- he began with a foundry that cast large items like bells, then moved into hardware. By 1929, C. Schneider's had become an outlet for the burgeoning appliance market. Grandfather's assistant or clerk on the right is Miss Newman. My father, Donald Schneider, recognized his dad, Miss Newman and the store as soon as he saw the photograph. Thank you for preserving a little piece of my family's history. Schneider ConnectionWould love to connect with Susie Schneider who left the last comment. I'm a long lost Schneider relative that is developing a website dedicated to our ancestors. www.schneidersofdc.com It's under construction. Jon M. Schneider Metal desk lampsI inherited one of those and tried to use it but the metal gets hot enough to burn the skin. Which is why my mother did not use it very often but it sat on the desk for years. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Stores & Markets)
The Tenement: 1905
... Evening Journal The New York Evening Journal was a daily (except Sunday) published by William Randolph Hearst from 1897 to 1909. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 3:40pm -

Circa 1905. "New York tenement." With a number of tiny inhabitants in evidence. Dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Typical catWon't hold still for a photo! Lord of the FliesSee the little black kitten in front of the stove? Hopefully he (she?) won't get a paw in either of the two sheets of flypaper, one on each table. Plenty of flies to keep Kitty entertained. The dressing tableNotice the hat pins, scent bottles and other such items on the dressing table. This tenement dweller did not leave home unadorned! Photo on shelfLooks like a National Guard Company group photo Not your typical tenementWhile we can't quite see through the window to the left of the oval bedroom mirror, it is evident from the amount of sunlight coming through that the window opens to the outside. It's a sign that this tenement is of higher quality (and rent) than most. Tenement bedroom windows usually opened onto narrow airshafts that admitted dim light and very little fresh air. Also, many tenement dwellers in 1910 would have been first-generation immigrants, mostly from southern or eastern Europe. If immigrants, the occupants of this tenement are at least knowledgeable enough in English to be reading an English-language newspaper. Again, if they're immigrants at all: the picture of soldiers looks like it could have been from the American Civil War, more than a generation in the past when this picture was taken. Basement catThe first known photo of Basement Cat emerging from the shadows. Tenement 1910Million-dollar condo 2010. Evening JournalThe New York Evening Journal was a daily (except Sunday) published by William Randolph Hearst from 1897 to 1909. The paper was sold in 1909 and ceased publication in 1911. Tenement MuseumIf any Shorpsters find themselves in NYC, they can visit the Tenement Museum and see a re-creation of a tenement much like this one. It is a fascinating place with, yes, some old photographs. It is on Orchard Street on the Lower East Side. RemodelThe disk high on the wall is a decorative cover used to plug an opening where an old flue pipe went through the wall, probably from a coal stove. Judging from the matching cover in the bedroom, the flue went horizontal for a while before heading up and out. The cover had spring clips on the back that snapped into the circular opening. Anyone make out what's in the mirror? Location, Location, LocationThe photo doesn't let us know where in NYC it is. 1910 tenements usually conjure an image of the Lower East Side, a neighborhood of immigrants. In this picture, which could be in Midtown, Yorkville or the Upper West Side or even Harlem, we have reasonable living quarters for 1910. The newspaper on the table appears to be in English. One picture on the wall show a Military unit, possibly a Spanish-American or Civil War Unit that a resident or relative served in. A tenement building was and is a way of life in many American Cities. Many remain in the poorer neighborhoods today, however the very upscale Upper East Side of Manhattan has them on almost every block east of Madison Avenue. A few are run down, but most are well kept and the monthly rents, where they are not controlled, are in the multiple thousands. The vacancy rate is around 1%. IronIt is faint in the photo, but it appears there is a flatiron leaning against the baseboard behind the corner of the stove. What is it?Can anyone tell me what the woven wooden object is that in propped up on the wall shelf? [A fan. - Dave] Home Sweet HomeAs somebody who lives in a 274-square-foot tenement from 1871 in the West Village, I find this photo wonderfully revealing. My home as been updated (in 1934), but still retains a lot of quirks. This shot is such a wonderful view into the personal lives of folks that lived in homes like my own. I can only imagine how warm the home must have been in the summertime with the cast iron stove and gas lighting. More photos like this please! The Evening Journal revisitedSince the old New York Journal-American was my late father's favorite newspaper, I'm going to have to quibble with Old Molly's history of the New York Evening Journal. The history account I found has William Randolph Hearst publishing both the morning American and the Evening Journal in New York from 1895 until they were combined in 1937 into the afternoon Journal-American, which continued as a Hearst publication until 1966, when it was merged with the old World-Telegram and Sun and the Herald-Tribune into the very short-lived World-Journal-Tribune. Love the Rohrshach tableclothNot about to divulge the things which popped into my imagination by that design along the bottom edge. Okay, one. I see a bearded gent with spectacles peering through an arbor. Another thought came to mind while examining the photos in the room. Which was the chance we just might come across a Shorpy photo hanging on the wall in another Shorpy photo. I'm too old to use the phrase "that would be so cool," but that would be apt. Quibble acceptedOld Molly agrees with the Tipster and stands corrected. Through mergers and various name changes, the paper survived until relatively recent years. Yarn swift The thing reflected in the mirror appears to be a yarn swift, or winder. The bag would be used to store it. Those are definitely flatirons (or, as they are known down here in the South, "sad irons," as it was a sad day when you had to use them because no matter the weather a lot of heat was involved). Great photo with lots of history which is somewhat lost except in museums or as one contributor pointed out a Tenement tour in New York. Stove Update A little Google research indicates my earlier thought the stove was a conversion may have been wrong. The Gem City Stove Company in Dayton, Ohio, produced a gas stove from the late 1800s up until the Depression known as the "Perfect." Boat modelTo the left of the doorway is a half-model of a boat hull with a centerboard. It's a technical rather than a decorative object and makes me suspect that someone in the tenement was a boatbuilder. It's definitely a well kept room and a superior tenement, but I bet that on a hot day it SMELLED. Basement CatI often wondered where Basement Cat got his start. Now I know. (I wonder if anyone else got that). Lewis Hinemust think everyone lives a wealthy life. This apartment looks clean and lovingly "decorated" to the best of the tenants' ability. I don't think it is all that bad!! [Perhaps, but this is not a Lewis Hine photo. And did anyone say it was bad? - Dave] The Gift of the MagiI have never felt closer to O. Henry than at this moment. Flash of memorywhen I noticed the wooden match holder next to the stove! Haven't seen one of those in a kitchen since the '50s. What are those pipes for?Does anyone know what use the pipes from above have? They might be a fire suppressant, but I am not sure. [The "pipes" are gas light fixtures. - Dave] Tenement DefinedIt's a little puzzling how the word "tenement" came to imply poverty or deprivation. I suppose the constant association by Lewis Hine and others of the word to their photographs of dire poverty would do the trick. Technically, the word tenement, as defined by New York City anyway, means any building that houses three or more unrelated families. The doorman buildings on Park Avenue are, by strict definition, tenements as well. GaslightDid one have to climb a ladder or stand on a high chair whenever they wanted to light the gas jets? PerfectI actually have an ad for this very oven - posted in a Dayton publication from 1904. It was placed by the Dayton Gas Light and Coke Company. COKE COKE COKE SMOKELESS FUEL Recommended by all Range and Furnace Manufacturers as being the cheapest, cleanest and most reliable fuel. Orders received at the Dayton Gas Light and Coke Co's Office etc. etc. Try and visitGeezerNYC submitted the comment that shorpsters can visit the Tenement Museum in NYC and see a recreation. In fact,you can enjoy an in depth online recreation and 360 degree walkthroughs of these wonderful tenements at http://www.tenement.org The site is dedicated to the stories of immigrants who lived in 97 Orchard Street, a tenement built in 1863 on Manhattan's Lower East Side. There are TONS of picture archives, a virtual tour, collections, first hand accounts of several families that lived there and LOTS more. I've visited it several times and I love it every time. I'm sure it is NOTHING like taking an actual walking tour of the tenement museum but it's as close as I can get for now. I suggest that everyone check this out. I'd also like to say that the comment such as how it had to have "smelled" in the heat of summer, etc. just bummed me out. So it may have smelled. so what. Many of these people struggled and busted their rear ends like no tomorrow just to get bread on the table and clean clothing to wear, to put shoes on their kids feet and on and on. We truly can't even begin to compare our lives today to the lives of the vast majority of those who lived in these tenements. They made the best of what they had. It was home. PipesThe pipes above the stove are gas pipes. Note the shut-off valves on the pipes. (The Gallery, DPC, Kitchens etc., NYC)
Letter Opener: 1916
... Minn., is still receiving several thousand letters daily addressed to the concern named. The only details I can muster ... dimensions. - Dave] Dear Friend Tyrone (Pa.) Daily Herald, October 25, 1916. AMERICAN PEOPLE EASY TO SWINDLE ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 12:29pm -

1916. Washington, D.C. "Post Office Department, opening machine." If you have sharp eyes and don't mind a little sleuthing, there is an interesting story to be gleaned here. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Wartime censorship?An "opening machine" at the post office seems a bit odd. Shouldn't they be NOT opening people's mail? Certainly not on the scale that requires an automated process for it. My first guess was some sort of wartime censorship operation, but 1916 isn't quite wartime yet in the US. Postal InspectorThe letters are addressed to the US Postal Inspector. CensorshipCensorship as submitted by robcat would explain the previous post of the mailometer 1916 sealing envelopes National Mail HandlersIt's mail addressed to the "National Mail Handlers" -- surprise, they were founded in 1912! Who knew! So FarWe are not being very observant. Either of what's in the photo, or the caption. Napoleon DynamiteThe piece of mail on the right end of the opener is either going to, coming from, or is a newsletter from Preston, Idaho, home of Napoleon Dynamite. Check the town's busy home page and watch videos of people dancing like Napoleon and a demo derby. Is that the fact we're supposed to be sleuthing out? Dead mail?Could this be the D.C. Dead Letter Office? Dead letters are the only kind the Post Office is entitled to open. Interestingly, the center letter is franked as "Penalty Mail," meaning it's official U.S. Government correspondence sent free (then) of postage, instead bearing the indicia "Penalty for private use to avoid payment of postage, $300." Darned if I can find a relevant connection with Preston, Idaho. BangYou've got to be pretty dynamite to figure that story out. It's pretty obscure, Dave, and if I keep trying to figure it out, they'll lock me up because I'm Napoleon! Do I win, Dave? I wouldn't think most folks coming to Shorpy would have any chance without cheating (and hey, I sleuthed too). [Keep looking. Took me maybe 10 minutes. Your mileage may vary. - Dave] TNTPreston Idaho is where the film "Napoleon Dynamite" was made. A favorite movie of mine for some reason. Gender benderShe looks like she could be a "male" mail handler. Is that it Dave? Union dues?Addressed to the National Mail Handlers, could this be payment of the postmens union dues? Or collective agreement votes? Or is the post office management up to monkey business and opening it's employees mail to their union? Second careerIt's Mrs. Doubtfire after she lost her job as a nanny. Dave, does it have something to do with that damn bucket machine? A little philately?Not much sleuthing here, but I'd have to guess a first day cover or something of the sort... [Luck and intuition were my friends here. Not to mention "Wheel of Fortune" skills. Once you solve the riddle, the results are unambiguous. - Dave] "Dead Letter PO"The scribbling along the right side says "Dead Letter PO". It's backward. Flipped and rotated in Photoshop to make it legible. Chain letter scamThe answer can be found here. I'd heard of this before, although I didn't remember the details. No wonder the woman has a hint of a grimly smug smile on her face. [Ding ding ding. We have a winner! Clap clap clap. Hillary, come on down! The crucial phrase was "National Mail Order." - Dave] More on the ScamHillary's link didn't reveal very much to me [updated: I'm in Australia, and it appears that book isn't available in the 'public domain' outside of the U.S. yet!], but I used it to find this New York Times article, which even reveals the same address on the letter in the photo: [Go back to Hillary's link and read "Fraud Order Issued." It has everything in the N.Y. Times article, and more -- for instance, the nature of the scam (petticoats for 10 cents). - Dave] New York Times, February 24, 1917 By request of the Post Office Department at Washington, D.C., Postmaster Morgan calls attention to the fraud order issued on Oct. 28, 1916, against the National Mail Order Brokerage Exchange, at 520 Globe Building, Minneapolis, Minn., of which the following is a copy: It having been made to appear by evidence satisfactorily to me that the National Mail Order Brokerage Exchange, at 520 Globe Building, Minneapolis, Minn., is conducting a scheme for obtaining money through the mails by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, in violation of Sections 3.929 and 4.041 of the Revised Statutes, as amended, and that communications addressed to this concern are unmailable within the meaning of Section 4 of the act of March 2, 1880, (Sec. 484, P.L. & R., 1913) all Postmasters are hereby directed to withdraw from the mails all matter of any kind addressed to this concern and return the same to the sender, where known, and where not known to send such matter to the Division of Dead Letters for proper disposition. Wherever possible, Postmasters should decline to receive such matter for mailing. Attention is invited to this fraud order, for the reason that the Postmaster at Minneapolis, Minn., is still receiving several thousand letters daily addressed to the concern named. The only detailsI can muster from the full view will only let me decipher National Mail _________ in the operator's hand ... and Preston, Idaho on another envelope. I too would wonder why mail would be opened unless it is the "dead letter" department and identification is warranted. The photos depth of field is so shallow that the woman and machine are the only things in focus. 72 dpi resolution just won't cut it, even with enhancement in Photoshop - but then why am I trying to read someone's 90+ year old mail? [What matters is the pixel dimensions of the image. Or, more specifically, pixel dimensions of the area of interest. The image itself doesn't have "dpi," although your video display does. On the average desktop LCD, an inch of screen is 96 pixels wide -- 96 dpi. Thank you for giving my inner geek an opportunity to express himself. - Dave] Let me get this straight...So, it's okay to visit someone's home/blog/whatever and tell the host/blogger/etc. that he is wrong and that clearly the photo he has displayed does not show something that both the host and other guests/commenters can see? Dave consistently intrigues me with his choice of photos and entertains me with his observations about the subject matter (and, yes, about some of the comments where deserved). Thanks, Dave! Just Don't UnderstandI simply don't understand why Dave feels the need to be so rude to visitors. I've recommended this site to many friends most of whom stop visiting after explaining they couldn't deal with such a discourteous and ill-mannered host. I just don't get what being mannerless and insulting gains Dave? The fellow discussing pixel dimensions is correct; Dave is wrong. Such a shame this continually happens at such an otherwise wonderful site. [We'd be interested to know your reasoning on pixel dimensions. - Dave] Dear FriendTyrone (Pa.) Daily Herald, October 25, 1916. AMERICAN PEOPLE EASY TO SWINDLE "Endless Chain" Scheme Is a Big Fake Thousands of letters, each containing 10 cents, are pouring into the Minneapolis Post office daily from women in various parts of the country, who have joined in an "endless chain" scheme promoted by the so-called National Brokerage Exchange. Federal agents are searching for officers of the "Exchange" who are wanted for using the mails to defraud. A room in a local business block, to which all the letters are addressed, was suddenly vacated three weeks ago, the authorities say. To every woman who would send 10 cents in silver and write five friends urging them to join in the chain, the "exchange" promised a "new, 1917 model silk petticoat." "The volume of mail for the exchange is rapidly growing," said Postmaster E.A. Purdy, "and today we received 25,000 letters, enclosing 25,000 dimes. Thousands of the letters have been returned to the writers, but a large majority carry no return marks and as a result the dead letter office is becoming clogged. Other mail channels of the local office are choked daily by the influx of mail for the "exchange." The firm sent letters to women throughout the country informing them that, for ten cents and the names and addresses of five of their friends, they would send them a 1917 model silk petticoat. The scheme was pronounced a fraud by government officials and the mail confiscated. A number of Tyrone women were taken in by the advertisement, and some of them are now receiving back their dimes. None received petticoats. One of the letters sent out in interest of the "Silk Skirt Brokerage" firm is as follows: 31 Woodward Ave., Springfield, N. Y., October 16, 1916. Dear Friend -- I am sending you a copy of a letter I received yesterday. I am going to invest the 10c, are you? To introduce and advertise our Ready-to-Wear goods with the least waste of time we will give to anyone complying with the conditions here stated our 1916 Model Petticoats retailed at $4.50. Give size and color desired. Conditions — Make five copies of this letter and mail to five friends. Then mail their names and addresses to the National Mail Order Brokerage Exchange, 520 Globe Building, Minneapolis, Minn., with 10c in silver and receive the silk petticoat without further expense. This offer is good for anyone who wishes to comply with this request. All petticoats are guaranteed. This letter must be written the day after you receive this. Yours truly, Mrs. C. A. Vail. SleuthageI found it by searching for "national mail order" on the NY Times web site (archive search for the years 1915-1917). New York Timeses from before 1923 are searchable and viewable for free. A "discourteous" hostDavid was courteous enough to post your irrelevant threat of withholding your highly regarded "recommendation" to your friends. Nobody here has a bad feeling toward anybody, including you. We don't care enough about you to be mad. This is just a great place to have a little fun after work and perhaps learn a thing or two about something that has not mattered for, oh . . . about 100 years or so. I'm not sure David is worried about his hit count on this site - I'm not speakin' fer him, I'm jus' sayin'. By the way, I think the straw next to the machine is to soak up the blood when it slices Mrs. Doubtfire's manly fingers. Foy Las Vegas I am the graphic designer who has had the difference of opinion with Dave concerning web image resolution. Dave has chosen to include nearly one hundred of my comments in the past three months on many photos and regarding many subjects - apparently he did not consider me an idiot as long as I did not disagree with him. My posts have always been anonymous though I am a registered user; I have never commented under my identifier precisely because I sensed that it is harder to treat someone with rudeness to his/her face after having found so many comments worthwhile to the sites discussions. I didn't want to cramp his style. Having edited my most recent comment below, which is his prerogative, I rather expect that this comment will not be included. While rudeness does not offend me, I don't find that it furthers the goal of exchange which I perceived to be the key to this excellent site. Re: I am the graphic designer Gawd. Not to mention humorless, verbose and pretentious. [Our motto: "Free content, and all the rope you can use!" - Dave] As a corporate graphic designer ...illustrator and photo manipulator who retired recently after 15 years of working in Photoshop every day, I know all there is to know about dpi, lpi and pixel dimensions - my remark about 72 dpi referred only to what I have available to me on Shorpy and the inadequacy of detail on the envelope. If I had your scan from the glass negative, something I too do every day, the story would be different. [As a corporate graphic designer, did you click "view full size"? - Dave] Indeed I did!I always click "view full size". Take a screen capture of just the envelope at full size and see what you get when you open it in Photoshop. Never miss the chance to treat your viewers like idiots, Dave. [If the opportunity presents itself. Below, the "view full size" envelope. - Dave] "Straw"Foy -- I'm sure you were being whimsical, but the pile of "straw" under the machine is probably thin strips of folded paper being cut off the top of the envelopes. I find it really interesting that this machine is being used with such confidence of purpose when I think about my own mail and the different types of stock and sizes used. Back then there must have been a lot less variance in postal stock. If I tried to stick in a parcel with Ed McMahon's face on it, it might not cut very cleanly or bind the cutter, and definitely wouldn't fit in the receiving bin. One thing I really love about the photo is the groove carved in the receiving bin from being fed thousands of pieces of freshly cut mail over the years. Contrast that wear with the clean appearance of the machine, and it gives me some perspective to the attention that the average worker once paid to their tools that they (typically) no longer do. Mail LadyPLEASE! Why hasn't this lass been Farked yet??? We all anxiously await. "Straw" ManSo it is, so it is. I wish I could say I knew that, of course any idiot can see that it is paper, but I cannot. I really thought it was straw and actually wondered why there would be straw at the post office. My stupidity is certainly more entertaining than some of the pretentious blather in this thread - I must say however, it is more fun than not having any pretentious blather. Foy Las Vegas Take a screen capture ... open it in PhotoshopCan anyone (Dave perhaps?) explain to me if this procedure makes sense? I just download the picture, save it, and open in it the "Windows viewer for images", then I can magnify as many times as I want to. I can see no difference with the other, more complicated, procedure. Do I miss something there? [A "screen capture" might involve fewer keystrokes if you already have Photoshop open. Personally I'd save the jpeg locally instead doing a screen grab. But maybe that's how Professional Graphic Designers do it. - Dave] I am curiousI know, this old. I just got back from Australia where I had no internet connection and am playing catchup. But I really want to know how one gets the 72 dpi resolution from this image. The only screen capture I know of is when you hit ctrl and print screen and then paste in Photoshop. That does produce a poorer image and I am not sure why you would do that. I save the files to my desktop and then open them in Photoshop to get the best details. Am I missing something? [A screen grab should give exactly the same quality image as saving the jpeg locally. Although with a capture you might not see the entire image. - Dave] Not a Post OfficeAn "opening machine" at the post office seems a bit odd. Shouldn't they be NOT opening people's mail? Certainly not on the scale that requires an automated process for it. This was not a post office. It was a chain letter scam organization which enticed it's victims to send in money in exchange for gifts. The opening machine facilitated the process by batch opening the enormous volume of mail received. [This is indeed the Post Office in Washington. Did you read the comments below? They explain why the P.O. is opening this mail. - Dave] All Postmasters are hereby directed to withdraw from the mails all matter of any kind addressed to this concern and return the same to the sender, where known, and where not known to send such matter to the Division of Dead Letters for proper disposition. Wherever possible, Postmasters should decline to receive such matter for mailing. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Pittsburgh: 1941
... whose bold, witty, incisive paintings documented the daily experiences of ordinary working people. Known for their jewel-like colors ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/22/2018 - 11:03am -

January 1941. "Long stairway in mill district of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Medium-format nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the FSA. View full size. HauntingSad but yet beautiful photograph. You can hear the ice crunching under the woman's steps on the long stairway. Would love to see a picture today to see what remains. When the mills closedI moved to Pittsburgh (Ambridge) in 1980 and the sky was yellow. By 1984 when I left the sky was blue...most of the mills had closed. This scene could be anywhere in the Pittsburgh area and is really representative of what it was like. Except for the vintage car, I've been in this scene. I don't understand why I'm coughing......maybe it's the pollen??? Less smoggy, still cloudyWell, the hills are still there! The mills, not so much. The smell of moneyLooks downright Dickensian. There is a pulp mill out in the bay near where I live. For decades it belched a foul smelling brew of toxins from the stacks until the owners were forced to install scrubbers to clean up the exhaust. Now you'd hardly know it was there. When someone would complain to my friend's dad, who worked there for decades, he would reply, "That's the smell of money." City StepsA few years ago Bob Regan documented these stairways in a book called "The Steps of Pittsburgh." There are some 700 stairways all over the city. From the publisher's website: Many of Pittsburgh's steps are legal streets, and all of them reflect the city's unique topography and history. Together, these 712 sets of steps provide a vital link in the city's transportation system as well as unusual challenges for pedestrians, joggers, the bike police, and especially pizza delivery. . . . San Franciscans like to boast about their steps and consider them a top tourist attraction, but they "only" have 350 sets. Cincinnatians do the same, but claim a mere 400. Neither have steps that are legal streets. Pittsburgh is clearly King of the Steps and a place beloved by the self-propelled. Whether you're an active step trekker or an armchair climber, The Steps of Pittsburgh should be on your to-do list! Every year there's an event called the Step Trek that takes participants all over the steps on the South Side Slopes. It's pretty cool and great exercise! Thanks for the beautiful photograph. Led ZeppelinI was raised in a small, very industrial Connecticut town in the 1940's which had a similar wooden staircase from Main Street over the railroad tracks. When we had to attend church, it was necessary to ascend these many, many stairs, after which we were faced with a steep, almost straight up hill, to get to the level of tiers on which our church stood. It was so steep, the concrete was scored about every inch to give better footing and in icy, snowy weather, it was a real challenge. I used to think of it as a stairway to Heaven, and then the title above came out with their hit song. I thought of it first. The town was Seymour, for all you doubting Thomases. The church was St. Augustine's. Good day. Smoke ControlPittsburgh passed strict (for the time) environmental laws a year later, in 1941. What they called "smoke control" back then was delayed until after the war, but went into effect in 1946 and cleaned up the city's air well before the steel industry went south. Smoke Gets in Your EyesMy dad visited cousins in Pittsburgh around the same time this photo was taken. He spoke of sitting on the front porch and watching soot settle on the railing. Hell with its hat offI saw that caption on a picture of a Pittsburgh populated by stacks belching smoke in the bad old industrial days. My daughter is studying ballet there now. It's a different place, really an beautiful city. Not hard to find reminders of those days, though -- soot-blackened buildings and decrepit factory sites. Bisbee, ArizonaAnother vertical metallurgical town where stairways take the place of streets. Three shirt townThey used to call Pittsburgh a three shirt town. You'd wear one in the morning until the sweat and soot mixture was turning your collar gray, then change into another at lunch, and then into a third at dinnertime. I Had No IdeaI had no idea that Pittsburgh was a city of steps. You learn something every day. Thanks for posting this beautiful picture. Photos of some of the city's steps here (http://www.frontiernet.net/~rochballparks2/towns/pgh_steps.htm) for those as ignorant as I of the wonders of Pittsburgh! Epic PicThis is an epic capture. Its like a frame from some Academy Award bait movie. This image is as fantastic to me as something from the new Star Trek movie - and I mean that as a compliment. So inclinedMy son delivers appliances in Pittsburgh, a challenge in that city. And watching a cable guy run a new wire is like having a front row seat a Cirque du Soleil. One of our roofers lives on one of these "stairway streets". He says that there are 214 stair steps to reach his front door and that the number one rule in his household is that you never enter or leave empty-handed. Those Steps...........look like a heart attack waiting to happen. I'm surprised someone didn't rig up some type of trolley to get from one end to the other (both ways). Dig Sixteen TonsAngular staircase, belching factory, grim lack of scenery: Makes me think of the bleak urban intro to Joe Versus the Volcano. Gotta hope someone in one of those houses has a hula lamp. Honore SharrerYesterday's New York Times carried the obituary of Honore Sharrer, "a noted American artist of the 1940s and afterward whose bold, witty, incisive paintings documented the daily experiences of ordinary working people. Known for their jewel-like colors and painstaking attention to detail, her paintings were purposely flat, hyperrealistic and strongly narrative in their depiction of everyday life." It doesn't have anything to do with this particular photograph, but I found this part of the obituary to be of interest to Shorpyites: Ms. Sharrer’s masterwork, critics widely agree, is her painting “Tribute to the American Working People.” A five-image polyptych that recalls a medieval or Renaissance altarpiece, it is more than two yards long and a yard high and took five years to paint. Its central figure, a factory worker, is flanked by smaller scenes of ordinary people at a picnic, in a parlor, on a farm and in a schoolroom. Completed in 1951, the painting was unveiled that year at Ms. Sharrer’s first solo exhibition, at the Knoedler Galleries in New York. Reviewing the exhibition in The New York Times, Stuart Preston called “Tribute” “a notable contemporary American painting” and “a bold, frank and fine achievement.” “Tribute,” which is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution, was the subject of an exhibition there in 2007 devoted exclusively to it. Titled “Anatomy of a Painting: Honoré Sharrer’s ‘Tribute to the American Working People,’ ” the exhibition featured much of Ms. Sharrer’s source material, including Farm Security Administration photographs from the late 1930s. Hats off to Jack Delano and all the FSA photographers. "Paper Streets"I live in this neighborhood. The term we use is "paper streets" because on the city map, they look like any other street, but that's only on paper. My girlfriend has called me in tears when her Garmin couldn't get her home because it wanted her car to take staircases. These sets of steps also all have street signs like any other city roadways. Paper Alley"Paper streets" are common here in Pittsburgh and the suburbs, but most common are "paper alleys." There is one directly across the street from me that runs up the side, then in back of all of the houses. It's now covered in grass and woods (and I imagine it has been this way for at least 90 years). My parents used to fight the boro to let them take ownership of the "property," however they have not budged in 35 years. Funny how the local gov't doesn't want to take care of it, and after my parents stopped, the neighbor does on the other side. Love Pittsburgh!I have lived in Pittsburgh all 23 years of my life. I would never live anywhere else. It's sad we can't get this smoke-ridden image out of the minds of people. This is nothing like the city today. Pittsburgh is a beautiful, growing city that is leading the way in green technology. After the steel industry collapse, the city plummeted into debt. Now, we are a shining example. Anyways, that misconception will be shattered with the hosting of the G-20 Summit here in September! Pay attention to the news around that time. Anyways, this is still a great image. You cannot deny this city's history, and the steel industry was vital to the US, especially during WWII. Pittsburgh has always been a pivotal cornerstone in American (and world) history. Does anybody know where this mill is located? Warhol-landThis is the Pittsburgh that artist Andy Warhol was born into in 1928. When this picture was made, a 12-year-old Warhol was living with his family in a house on a soot-covered hillside in a neighborhood just like this. It's Tullymet StreetThese steps connect Sylvan Avenue and Chance Way in the city's Hazelwood neighborhood. The old wooden steps have been replaced with concrete. The house sitting just out of the frame is gone along with most of the homes on Sylvan. [Thanks for the answer to a longstanding question! - Dave] First Three homes are still thereIt looks as if the first 3 homes in the middle of the picture are still there. So cool to finally know where this photo was taken! many thanks to sinking_ship for solving that mystery! This is still one of the most beat up areas in the 'burghWhen I return via Allegheny County airport in W. Mifflin, we always pass thru this area on our way to Oakland. It's pretty sad now but still very recognizable from this photo. My foreign born wife immediately recognized the neighborhood just from the lay of the land. Back in the early 70s I worked the last in-city blast furnaces at Jones & Laughlin steel just down the road towards Oakland. Very glad I had the chance to touch the history before it was gone. Been thereI lived in the third house in from 1953/1960. Glad my house is still there. First Two HomesSince the photo of first three homes still standing was submitted, the third one in is now gone also...along with pretty much everything in the 1940 photo... (The Gallery, Factories, Jack Delano, Pittsburgh)
Party of Four: 1956
... inclusion of family Kodachrome snapshots. I still make my daily visits, but—as Billie used to sing—the thrill is gone. Am I alone in ... by the postings of tterrance, but still maintained my daily visits. I am just 3 years younger than you, and have slowly realized that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/25/2021 - 5:10pm -

As a follow-up to yesterday's Pastel Princesses we present a retinue of possible Princes, or maybe court jesters, at what looks like the same event. Live it up while you can, boys. 35mm Kodachrome from the "Linda" slides. View full size. Ma!Have you seen my red socks? I'm late for the dance!!! The Cast of "Diner"The Early Years. The charm and uniquenessof Shorpy is, in my opinion, somewhat diminished by the inclusion of family Kodachrome snapshots. I still make my daily visits, but—as Billie used to sing—the thrill is gone. Am I alone in thinking so? A little dab'll do yaCheck out the hair tonic stain on the walls. You may not be aloneIn your finding your viewing pleasure diminished, but I'm sure that you are outnumbered 1000 to 1. I think these two last dance photos show the old saying to be true. Girls mature faster than boys. And not just physically. Wider visionI am one of the many who finds that "the charm and uniqueness of Shorpy" is in no way diminished by the inclusion of photos from family collections of the past 50 years. Considering Shorpy as the place of photos only a century old, or exclusively black and white, is an unnecessary limitation. It's much easier to see it as repository of so much more. Broaden the vision, Chris Albertson, and let yourself settle comfortably into the range and variety of what Shorpy has to offer. It won't hurt a bit. Pocket squareIf only we could see what those blue and white ticket/program things are in both of these pictures. At first I thought it was the same guy but they have different ties (and ears!). I love these candid snapshots. [He might be the boy with his back to the camera in the other photo. - Dave] Love It AllI love seeing these smiling boys who seemed to have left their dance dates to wonder where they went. I'm a fan of every genre of Shorpy pic. Yes, I'm partial to ones showing old houses because we're restoring a Victorian and become enthused over clapboard, millwork, and knob and tube wiring, but I like the other pictures, too. You're alone, ChrisViewing glimpses of the past, whether 100 years or 50, is fascinating. My wife would tan my hide!Red socks, especially with blue slacks? I would never live that down. As for the inclusion of family Kodachrome slides, I enjoy them. The reason I like Shorpy is because it gives a glimpse of times past. Sometimes the family photos do a better job than some of the sterile professional photos. The enrichment of ShorpyChris Albertson, a couple of years ago, I had the same opinion that you have now. I became annoyed by the postings of tterrance, but still maintained my daily visits. I am just 3 years younger than you, and have slowly realized that these more modern pictures are part of Shorpy's growth and our own past. Let's hope that some viewers will put names to some of these eBay finds. Respectfully, Urcunina Interesting comment Chris, Hi Chris, As a genealogist and family historian, I found over the last few years that Shorpy was an invaluable historic resource for my research. Sure, i would "surf" anonymously but that was that; got my info and off I went. But some days I would just look 'into' places. Literally, zoom up and into the lives of the residents of the cities and neighborhoods featured here. I just couldn't believe where these images would lead me. The most interesting stories and facts and especially the comments. Regular folks, not necessarily experts, just interesting folks. It was these "folks" who drew my attention more and more. I agree that historic and/or "slices in time or life" images seem to be the most engaging, but these Kodachromes are most definitely part of photographic history. They are indeed unique imagery. They are historic AND deteriorating very quickly in drawers, closet shelves, carousels buried in garages and scattered in boxes in attics around the world. When one of these gorgeous images is posted and you begin to read the story and see the real living color of a time gone-by and the comments pour in and you peek at the numbers and see thousands (!!) of "reads", well you gotta feel some excitement and thrill of the "get". Just figuring out the puzzle of a time and day just out of memory or reach for many of us, or the makeup of an interesting family from New England, well it's like a treasure hunt. And aren't those so much fun? It is admittedly a great and grand waste of time I suppose, but most certainly, the best fun since Facebook launched 9 years ago, and quite possibly new beginnings for these images and their owners. For me and my extended family, sharing our Kodachromes is a tribute to the family members (many already gone) who took the time to lug a bulky, clunky, camera around and set up and snap a pic for us all to enjoy just a couple of times on the dining room wall. Now we are really enjoying them again, along with a surprisingly large number of people. It just feels wonderful. I hope you will continue to enjoy the historic quality of these beautiful images as well as the amazing resources from the LOC and Detroit Publishing etc... But please most of all, I hope that you also appreciate the men and women that are working literally 24/7 on Shorpy.com (not to mention all those folks sitting at home, eyes glued to the screen, mouse at the ready) bringing these images to us all day and all night. They ARE Shorpy. Regards, Deborah CharmingI actually do enjoy the family snapshots. It's great fun to look at what people were doing in their everyday lives. Shorpy has it all! re: charm and uniquenessI have to disagree. I love the family pics. Sometimes I find the Dorothea Lange types depressing. Also, Did Billie Holiday sing "The Thrill Is Gone"? I always thought it was BB King's song, didn't realize it was a cover. Diminished? Not at all.I think these Kodachromes are as valuable to Shorpy as all the other historical pictures. Where else do you see unknown people, photographed by unknown photographers, in unknown places, and hope that there will be the one comment: "OMG that's me taken by my uncle Bill at our junior sock hop." It will happen. 100 years from nowthese sort of photos will be just as fascinating to people as any of the older, more "serious" examples on Shorpy. Every moment is history as soon as it passes. How lucky we are that occasionally, someone catches it on film, or video, even digitally. It's all wonderful and so is Shorpy! I can see what Chris is sayingI think the Kodachromes are either hit or miss. Some I enjoy while others (the majority) I could do without. But I don't run the site and I can't complain if I don't find a particular image interesting because there are more than enough images on here to keep my occupied. The site as a whole is really unique. And one should keep in mind that "beauty" is in the eye of the beholder. Ergo, an image that might delight one viewer is sure to bore another. No Smoking?But there appears to be a pack of smokes on the ledge of that little window. Also, count me in as one who really enjoys this type of photograph, then again I collect other peoples old home movies so I'm biased. These are every bit as interesting as the LOC type of photo and probably a more realistic slice of Vintage American life since many of the LOC pictures are staged to some extent. The overwhelming response to my postis appreciated, but it also made me sort of analyze my own expressed opinion. I think it boils down to the fact that I have so many family Kodachromes of my own and such snapshots are readily found on the internet. Shorpy's more regular fare, those wonderful old photos and the remarkable clarity achieved by tterrance and crew are not as easily Googled and rarely presented with such sharp details. Then, too, I am 81 and a jazz historian, jaded by having hundreds of photos around the apartment.candid shots from the 50s on up bring back memories to me, but not the discovery that makes Shorpy so speciale. So, I guess I have been spoiled by the delights of Shorpy. I still love this site and recommend it (one of my two blogs has had a Shorpy link for three years). Thank you all for the comments and thank you tterrance for the site and this forum. I hope I haven't been too disruptive. P.S. Yes, AuntieVi, BB King certainly made "The Thrill is Gone" his own and turned it into a hit. I heard Billie sing it in person, but I don't think she recorded it. RegardlessOf the photo, black and white or superb color, recent or ancient, they are glimpses into our past and help us visualize, if only for a moment, what life was like back then. And in some cases, see ourselves as we were. Love to know where those stairs went up to, obviously some sort of service stair based on appearance, why was the access open to them. This band of merry makers look like they'd be just the ones to sneak up and create a ruckus. AshtrayUnderneath guy on right, with smoldering cigarette. (Hey, they're not in the main hall but in the shenanigans room. There's one in every building when you're a teenager.) Charming and uniqueThat's what the guy third from left believes about his choice in socks. Is That a Ceiling on the Wall?I guess the tin fits everywhere kind of like this mix of photos fits throughout Shorpy. I enjoy all the ages presented especially if you can see that other generations were just as squirrelly as mine no matter what the social norm. Re: Lincrusta. Thanks Mattie, that's interesting and makes sense. Cheaper than wood molding and less fragile than formed plaster. I think it does need a paint adhesion inspection if possible. As per Chris AlbertsonNot to jump on the wagon or anything, but I have just now joined the site after a year or so of browsing to offer the following comment: not all of your viewers are camera aficionados steeped in the history of photography or, dare I say it, of an older generation. I am no spring chicken, having been born in the late 1970s, but almost every single photograph on here predates me and I learn from and enjoy seeing all of them, family Kodachrome snapshots included. Not diminished at allI love this site and don't see the inclusion of Kodachromes as diminishing it at all! Keep up the great work! No spring chicken?Orange56, I sincerely hope you don't feel "over the hill" at mid-30's! Chris Albertson has a little fewer years on me, than I do on you; you've got a long way to go, youngster! Everybody and their uncles"The thrill is gone" was recorded by mostly every pop and jazz singer in that era. Julie London, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme and on and on. (I don't think Michael Bolton has recorded it yet but he probably will...I'm kidding about M.B.) Critics like to give him a hard time, so I'm piling on too. These old KodachromesI like that they've been included. My parents would have been approximately this age in the early fifties and I enjoy seeing what life was like in a unrehearsed kind of way. Ceiling on the wallIt's a heavily-textured wallpaper known as Lincrusta or Anaglypta. It's sturdy stuff and can hold up well under layers of paint. If we knew where this building is located, we might learn how well it holds up under layers of hair tonic. More color Kodachromes!!!I love the 100 year old b/w photos, but the color Kodachromes make Shorpy a much more "thrilling" site for so many more people. Keep them coming...even up to the 70's & 80's. They are necessary to keep Shorpy relevant to a larger population of internet users. Fuggedaboutit!My first (and second) thought on this photo is that it looks like some of the gang from "The Sopranos". It's a little before their time, but I still see it every time I look at this photo. Farked!https://www.fark.com/comments/11937855 (Farked, Linda Kodachromes)
One Second Fast: 1943
... for a construction site here in Ontario and had to send daily weather reports to the head office in Winnipeg. It was weird because you ... Faces of Railroading , the clocks were calibrated by a daily telegraph signal from the U.S. Naval Observatory. 32 keys ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 6:06pm -

March 1943. "Seligman, Arizona. Teletype operator in the telegraph office of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. The time here changes from Mountain to Pacific time." Medium-format safety negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Oh....for the InternetI actually ran a Teletype machine in the mid 1960s, pretty much the same as these. One of my first full time jobs. I worked as a timekeeper for a construction site here in Ontario and had to send daily weather reports to the head office in Winnipeg. It was weird because you were always ahead of the machine as you typed, and there was no spell checker either ... shoulders back and sit up straight. Seligman I beg to differ with the caption. I believe that the time in Seligman never changes at all. No more than a wide spot in the road, it had to have been the model for Radiator Springs in Disney's "Cars," bypassed by the interstate and frozen in time. It's like the flippin' Twilight Zone out there. My Rasta roommate and I endured a breakdown 50 miles from Seligman on a trip from Southern California to college in Flagstaff, AZ many years ago. It was circling buzzards (really), and inbred locals (at a remote gas pipeline station), (1) meth-addled trucker, and (2) tow-truck drivers sharing graphic blood and gore stories the whole way to town. Needless to say, Rasta Boy was terrified, and later asked me where I'd learned to "talk Hick." (I'm still not sayin'.) Where's WaldoThere are all sorts of hidden treasures lurking in this picture. I love the visor that is hung behind the Pacific clock. Looks like it's probably chilly outside, too, seeing this young girl's furry-collar coat hanging on the wall. Compared to what?That "One Second Fast" thing intrigues me. What would they be comparing that to? One second faster than what? Had the atomic clock been put into service by that point? Their timekeepingseems to be quite percise, but the filing system (stacked in the window) looks a lot like my office! Teletype Model 15Teletype Model 15. A closeup of the keyboard if you scroll down the page a bit. Back in the early 70s I had one of these machines hooked to my amateur radio and could send and receive teletype messages or "super low resolution" images formed by strategic placement of characters on the printer roll to make an image. Some of them were quite lengthy (banners) and took quite a while to receive or send. (Considerably slower than the slowest dialup connection). Quartz? I don't need no stinkin' quartz.One second? My overpriced Seiko isn't that accurate. Why one second fast? I see her coat hanging by the clocks. So she gets to go home a little early on company time? Next to the tracksNote the bay window so the operator could see down the tracks and hoop up orders to the train crew. That is a railroad car outside. SeligmanI've passed through Seligman on Highway 66 several times in the last 10 years. I was sad to learn that the Harvey House next to the train tracks was recently torn down. Staying at the Supai Motel and having a mediocre breakfast in the diner down the street is as close to time travel as I've experienced. Seligman history: http://www.seligmanhistory.com/index.html SeligmanI've been to Seligman, too. On a drive from Flagstaff to Vegas. It is the land that time forgot. I fully expected Rod Serling to come out with some kind of announcement. However, I did get some cool stuff in some of those shops. Just a secondThe idea was probably to glance at the time on the clock and by the time you typed in the time (about 1 second later) you would be as accurate as possible. Disregarding the question of "faster than what." One Second FastAccurate timekeeping was extremely important to railroads back in the day. Timepieces would be tested once a year, primarily pocket watches used by conductors and station personnel. I assume that the postings on the Seligman clocks were the result of some sort of test and this was used to indicate their accuracy rather than for a 1 second adjustment on train times. CalibrationIt's fairly common practice with delicate equipment to label or note an error, rather than trying to eliminate the error. When you open up the case and start turning screws or wiggling wires, you risk destroying the instrument. As long as the error is linear and predictable, it's less expensive to adjust your mind than to adjust the instrument. KeysThe keyboard of the Teletype seems to have a lot fewer keys that a standard typewriter (or computer). Can any former operators remember what the difference was? The clocksSince the clocks appear to have mercury compensated pendulums, they are probably free running - not slaved to a line master clock. One second no doubt refers to their 24 hour rate - they gain one second in 24 hrs. MaybeMaybe the clocks are one second fast for when the operator has to record the time. By the time she records the time of day, one second has elapsed and the other end of the telegraph line is getting a more accurate reading. RegardlessTimely accuracy not withstanding, those two clocks look like they belong in some fine residence or the lobby of a hotel somewhere. Not the least bit industrial in design! I shudder to think what they'd be worth today or how hard it might be to find one! Clock CalibrationAccording to a photo caption of similar clocks in the book Faces of Railroading, the clocks were calibrated by a daily telegraph signal from the U.S. Naval Observatory. 32 keysThere were 32 keys, 26 letters and some punctuation. A shift key was used for numbers, much like early manual typewriters. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleprinter Old time precision surprisesInteresting, I had not heard of the telegraph time signal. It's the telegraph equivalent of radio station WWVB used by my kitchen clock! Railroad AccuracyAs stated by Texcritic, timekeeping was critical for train operations. For example, a train order might direct one train to "wait at" a particular station until a specific time. This train order would also be directed to an opposing train who choose their meeting location based on this information. Conductors and engineers would be directed to check their watches with a standard clock at the beginning of each duty tour and no watch could be more than 30 seconds off the standard time. The clocks in the stations were checked at least once a day by a telegraphic signal from headquarters. TrainsHow fascinating! When I was a young teenager, one of my uncles was a dispatcher for the Baltimore and Ohio. His little shack, laughingly called a "tower," was about 10 by 10, and I recall his typewriter was all-caps, on which he typed the train orders and tied them in the "hoops" as mentioned elsewhere. There were three sets, and on a couple of occasions he let me hand them up. I had to stand on tiptoe as the steam loco passed and the trainman leaned far out to snag the order. Then, about mid-train, the conductor leaned out and got his, and finally the brakeman on the caboose got his. How long ago and far away! Seth Thomas.Cuando se tomó la fotografía los relojes ya eran bastante antiguos. Conservo, en buen uso, otro Seth Thomas que compró mi bisabuelo, algo menos sofisticado, pero que tiene la misma caja y los mismos adornos. He preparado una foto pero no sé como subirla... Good thinkingWonderful filing system! Can't think of a better place for that fire extinguisher... One Second FastThese signs were on all of the Santa Fe official clocks, if the clock got too far off of official time, the clockman would come in and fix the clock. Nobody but the clockman was allowed to adjust the official clock. LTRS and FIGSThe military still used these teletypes when I was in the Army in the 1970's. If I remember correctly, the "shift" keys operated differently from typewriters. Character codes were shared between letters and numbers/punctuation with preceding LTRS and FIGS codes to shift between them. That is, when the FIGS key was pressed, a FIGS codes was sent and all subsequent character codes were interpreted as numeric characters (figures) until the LTRS key was pressed. That would send a LTRS code and return the unit to alphabetic operation. Standard timeIt's because of railroads that we have time zones. Can you imagine trying to arrange a railway schedule when every town had its own time? VibroplexThat sure looks like a Vibroplex bug sitting on the table just over her right shoulder...a semi-automatic morse code generator. Love the coat hookI love how there is a nail in the wall for the coat hanger under the light switch. I can see her coming in in the morning, turning on the light, removing her coat and hanging it up there under the switch. Then turning it off at night. So practical. Not like today where light switches and coat closets are miles apart! There's a clock like that in SacramentoThere is a similar clock on display at the Calif. State RR Museum in Sacramento. It is a work of art. These would be worth a fortune today. Noisy MachinesIn 1967, I was in school learning how to use these Teletype machines. Talk about noisy! I was a fairly fast typist and the Teletype machine was a slow machine to type on, which was a bit frustrating when your fingers wanted to go faster than the machine did. These are ancient machines now but looking back to'67 I didn't have one thought to how old they were, I just didn't like all the noise and slowness of them. Thank God for progress!! Seth Thomas 19's Standard ClocksBob Wells, Watch & Clock Inspector for Santa Fe, told me back in 1970 about the two 19's in Seligman. It was a unique period for several years that you could purchase Santa Fe clocks; mainly Seth Thomas clocks such as a #19, Gallery, School House,#2 and a few E. Howards. All Santa Fe timepieces were called in and eventually displayed in a warehouse in the San Bernardino yard including the two from Seligman. What a sight that was; there were five #19's side by side for sale and most remained on the wall for a year waiting for a buyer. The #19's with the Montgomery Dials as pictured sold for $3500, a #2 for $350 a School House for $100. Some internet chatter says over 300 of 19's were purchased by Santa Fe. Bob Wells said it was around 15. It took me a year save $3500 to buy a #19 along with the one second sign just prior to Bob's retirement in '73 along with all Santa Fe Watch and Clock Inspectors thus ending an era. It arrived in a box car from Topeka. Bob and I drove his station wagon to the box car and then we drove to my house to set it up. Such service from a very nice man. He loved those 19's but was never able to afford one after retirement. We remained good friends and shop talked clocks until he passed away in the 80ies. Last October a Santa Fe ST 19 went up for auction and sold in the 100K range. I just hope the two in Seliman got their Finials straighten out as they are incorrectly placed. For 100K, you want it perfect. Two timesUntil 1950 Seligman was the west end of the Albuquerque Division and east end of the Arizona Division -- the former ran on Mountain Time and the latter on Pacific. When the west end of the Albuquerque Division moved west to Needles, the time change moved west too. And not just railroad time -- until the beginning of the war, road maps showed the time change at Seligman instead of at the state line as it is now. "1 Second Fast" means the time on the clock is one second ahead of the correct time -- nothing to do with the rate at which the clock gains time. The crews that use the clock to check their watches don't care about that; they just want to know what the correct time is at this moment. (Technology, The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Classic Rockers: 1900
... in old newspapers, here's one taken from Oswego Daily Palladium, 1918 ; Seabourn "returns to the sea to fight for his ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 3:51pm -

Grosse Ile, Michigan, circa 1900. "Group at Rio Vista." The Great Lakes shipping magnate and Dime Savings Bank founder William Livingstone and family. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. I'm Not WorthyIt's been said before, but Dave you are the Headline Master. Gimme your best shot, Mister, we're hot!Doesn't appear that Mr. Livingstone contributed DNA to his offspring, except maybe a bit to his youngest son; they all are clones of Mrs. Livingstone. Appears hot enough to wilt the vine, and yet the family remains composed during the long exposure time, excellent breeding, eh. Wooden, you knowStudying this photo and the two other Livingstone family images triggers some observations (one mark of a good photo, I suppose): - Are the wood walkways a clue that this substantial house is the family's river side cottage (OK, OK, river view, as it's billed), and a more traditionally built home (you know, not a boardwalk in sight) in center city Grosse Ile is where they really live? [The family's main residence was a mansion in Detroit. - Dave] - In the photo of the boy and dog, is the sturdy-looking apparatus in the left corner a block-and-tackle boat hoist, indicating a rather serious boat down below? - Doesn't this look like a place where the Bobbsey twins come to visit, and the Livingstone kids wheel out their mom's fresh lemonade and cookies? Bert, of course, can't wait to get his hands on that spiffy new fishing pole leaning against the wall. The OthersInteresting family and location. A cursory search in Google reveals much about William Livingstone but nothing about his handsome family. Talk about a family resemblance! I wonder if we could somehow learn the names and relationships of this group? Which one is Mom?The two boys certainly take after Mom. If we could only figure out who Mom was? On closer inspection, I'm going to guess the woman on our left is Mr. Livingstone's wife. She has a wedding band on her finger, and woman on the right does not. EnigmaticThe enigmatic look on the William Livingstone's face makes this a photograph that make me exceptionally curious about the people in it and what happened to them in their lives. It is interesting that the house was so notable that information on it can easily be found but I have had no luck finding details of the people who saw to its creation. 1910 CENSUSAs of the 1910 census the William Livingstone family was quite a large one, living in the aforementioned house in Detroit. William 66 head Susan R 61 wife William A 43 Son Helen E 38 Daughter Susan A 36 Daughter Robert B 34 Son Isabourn 21 Son Thomas W P 18 Son William is an owner of a publishing company and Robert is a salesman for the same company. I find it quite interesting that apparantly NONE of the children are married. Pretty unusual for that point in time. Maybe that austere face scared any potential mates away. Well Guess WhatAs I noted in a previous post the oldest son was a publisher. Well we all have to give him a great thank you. The Detroit Publishing Company was an American photographic publishing firm best known for its large assortment of photochrom color postcards. The company was founded as the Detroit Photographic Company in the 1890s by Detroit businessman and publisher William A. Livingstone, Jr., and photographer and photo-publisher Edwin H. Husher. Nervous? Anxious?Look at the right hand of Mom. Livingstone FamilyAncestry gives the family in 1900 as William and his wife, Susan- age 51, and seven children living on Eliot Street. The two youngest (in the picture) are Seabourn and Palmer. Seabourn was born at sea according to the census record. I wonder if the other lady is either 29 year old Helen or 27 year old Susie. Thomas Palmer LivingstoneThe young boy is Thomas Palmer Livingstone, born November 1891 in Wayne County, Michigan, died 1950 in Wayne, Michigan, has a child still living. 1918 Photo Wifey?Whoever the mom is they both seem quite young to be Mr. Livingstone's wife! It is quite hard to tell who is who because they all look alike in some ways. The boys have very similar features to the lady on the right (chin and mouth). I am leaning towards the lady on the right to be Mrs. Livingstone. Even though the outfit the lady on the left is wearing is quite nice, I can't imagine a banker's wife wearing anything less than the outfit on the lady on the right. [Plus, the conventions of a pose like this would have the kids between the parents. - Dave] Detroit Publishing connectionI found this about the family - boys' names, at least: Detroit Publishing Company, founded in 1895 as the Photochrom Company by the photographer Edwin Husher with backing from the Detroit financier Rudolph Demme and Colonel H. Wild of Zurich. Demme and Wild withdrew in 1896. Husher then enlisted the financial support of William Livingstone, Detroit publishing and shipping magnate, and his sons William and Robert, who expanded operations, first as the Detroit Photographic and then as the Detroit Publishing Company. Until its collapse in 1924, the company was the most important North American source of mass-produced photographs, lantern slides, postcards, and colour reproductions for business, tourism, and education. Success was based on the skill of staff photographers William Henry Jackson, Lycurgus Solon Glover, and Henry Greenwood Peabody and the exclusive American rights to the photochrom process acquired from the Photoglob Co. of Zurich. — John V. Jezierski The Others Might BeThe 1910 Census lists the following people in the Livingstone household: William (66) head, Susan R (61) wife, William A (43) son, Helen E (38) daughter, Susan A (36) daughter, Robert B (34) son, Seabourn (21) son, Thomas WP (18) son. Subtract ten years and I think we have (from left to right) unknown married woman, William NMI (56), Thomas WP (8), Seabourn (11), and Susan R (51) Interesting names, A father and son with the same first name isn't unusual but mother and daughter with the same name is much less common. By the way, Seabourn was born at sea. My familyWilliam Livingstone Jr. was my great-great-grandfather and so I have quite a bit of family history and photos to draw upon. William and Susan had 8 children, plus an adopted niece. The 8 children were: William Allan (b 1867), Margaret (b 1869), Helen Edith (b 1871), Susan Alice (b 1873), Robert Bruce (b 1875), Florence Mildred (b 1881), Seabourn Rome (b 1888), and Thomas Witherell Palmer (b 1891). I am quite confident from family photos that the two boys are Seabourn and Palmer (as TWP was known). See the attached for another portrait of them. I'm also quite certain that neither of the ladies is Mrs. Livingstone (who was just five years younger than William) but rather they are two of her daughters. It's hard to tell which ones since they were very similar in appearance. However by 1900 Margaret (my great-grandmother) was married to James Scott, so that could be her on the left. (Their second child, my grandmother, would have been born earlier that year.) In fact this seems likely since the family history that I have indicates that Florence Mildred did not marry until 1908, and does not mention any marriage at all for the other daughters. Nor were any of the sons married in 1900 according to the family history. About the LivingstonesI've found some information about the Livingstones. In Bentley Historical Library, William Livingstone Papers there's a biography of William Livingstone ("A more detailed account of their family history can be found in David Sanders Clark's unpublished genealogy Notes on the Livingstone Family of Lanark, Scotland, and Detroit, Michigan and Related Families, located in the present collection"). In Young Henry Ford: a picture history of the first forty years, pages 160-2, there's more information about William Livingstone and two other photos. In The Henry Ford, Detroit Publishing & Co you can find a photo about 1917; Livingstone wife, Susan, is second from the right (also in the photo, William Livingstone Jr., and sons William Allan and Robert Bruce Livingstone) Same source, other photo, about 1910, William Allan Livingstone stands far left, his brother Robert Bruce Livingstone is third from the left Suecris commented on 01/14/2011 that success of Detroit Publishing Company was based on the skill of photographer William Henry Jackson; in this two photos (same source and same source), Robert Bruce Livingstone, also a photographer, appears with William Henry Jackson. About Seabourn, the elder of the sons in Shorpy's photo, I've found some quotations in old newspapers, here's one taken from Oswego Daily Palladium, 1918; Seabourn "returns to the sea to fight for his country." Seabourn married Marion Henrietta Scherer in 1920 (daughter of Hugo Scherer); a photo or Marion Scherer in 1915 here; they had a son, Seabourn Scherer, and a daughter, Marion Helen. Seabourn S. Livingstone died in 1998 at the age of 74. Marion Helen Livingstone is Helen Livingstone Bogle, donor in 1996 of the William Livingstone Papers. (The Gallery, DPC, Grosse Ile, Kids, Portraits)
Minneapolis 1908
... to Shorpy. Between our good friend Shorpy and your daily multimedia presence, we can all live someplace else for a few minutes. ... mall for the U's paper; I worked downtown and went there daily. What it was, it ain't. (BTW, The “high profile restaurant ... 
 
Posted by Lileks - 01/01/2009 - 10:54am -

The buildings on the left were razed in the 80s for a ghastly development called “City Center,” which wasn’t as imaginative as its name. The retail portion struggled for decades to fail, and finally succeeded. The sliver of white stone on the right was Donaldson’s, a department store that eventually moved into City Center, where it the brand died in a merger. (The old building was demolished for an attractive Cesar Pelli-designed retail / office complex.) Down the street on the right, it’s the Syndicate Building, later the home of Penney’s. (It was torn down for a retail / office complex.) In the distance, the pointy tower of the remarkably ungainly Minnesota Loan and Trust Building, a 49-foot-wide building that stood until 1920 before it was clawed down for a new Woolworth's. Everything here is gone except for the light-colored building in the middle. It still bears its original name: Andrus. It’s an office complex. No retail. View full size. TodayThe view today: Hi JamesHey James!! It's great to see you here on Shorpy. I can't tell you the number of hours I've spent combing through your website and nearly pi**ing myself reading your captions! KodaksNotice the sign on the left for T.V. Moreau. In addition to eyeglasses they sell "Kodaks." E B MeyrowitzI never realized the scope of E B Meyrowitz, Opticians. I thought they were a local NYC optical store and now I see them in turn of the century (20th Century, that is) Minneapolis. City Center not that successful for retail...In the past five years two of the three levels of retail shops in City Center have been converted to office spaces. It is not longer a major retail presence in downtown Minneapolis. Hitting the high notesWhat dedication it would take to sell piano/organs from a second-floor shop, and then deliver them with a horse and buggy. Re: SuccessMore to come? From Lileks? Holy smoke, is this New Year getting off to a great start! SuccessI meant it succeeded at failing. Minneapolis razed four giant blocks for enclosed multi-level retail, and not one can be called thriving. thxdave - thanks! More to come. 180 degrees & 62 years later. . . Turn around and face the opposite direction, and wait about 62 years, and you'll be able to see Mary Tyler Moore throwing her knitted tam in the air (over and over and over again). Road RulesI guess there were no rules then such as "keep right", etc. Everyone just seems to go where they want and the devil take the hindmost. Those poor ladies standing in the middle would look like easy prey. Jim!We're not worthy! We're not worthy! Seriously, your web site is the only one I know that can reduce me to fits of hysteria - no matter how many times I read it. I was shopping for bread the other night and saw the Sunbeam bread girl on the wrapper, and was completely creeped out. And that Gobbler motel - I would pay handsomely to go back in time and spend one night in that place. WHAT'S THE SITE?A couple of people have talked about Mr. Lileks "site." How can we find it? Sounds interesting. [If only there were some easy, obvious way to find out! - Dave] "City center used to be the center of the scene..."Minneapolis' own Hold Steady have mentioned City Center a few times in their songs, most notably in YOUR LITTLE HOODRAT FRIEND: "She said City Center used to be the center of the scene. / Now city center's over, no one really goes there." Craig Finn, lyricist for the band, has this to say about the mall: "City Center is a lame mall in downtown Minneapolis that is 50 percent vacant with 50 percent low budget gangsters hanging out. The Champs store in this mall is the best place to get the super new school ghetto Twins/Vikings/T-Wolves gear. I mean the non-traditional stuff." MoreauThe Eyeglasses of Dr. Moreau: Half Human, Half Animal, Half Spectacle! Throwing stones in a glass BauhausLileks' comment about the fate of the Donaldson's building is correct. It was torn down (or perhaps to be even more precise, in the middle of being torn down and carted off) when kids trespassed and started the fire that consumed the remains and the Northwestern Bank Building next door. A more complete account of the circumstances of the fire is here. The City Center has been to urban redevelopment what the Metrodome has been to baseball. Lileks! OMGMy wife and I absolutely LOVE your book on the 70's decorating! It is wonderful restroom reading and cracks me up everytime I pick it up! Thanks so much! Love the webpage too. (it was soooo hard to find ;) ) SwoonFirst I stumbled upon Mr. Lileks' site where I found the perfect combination of humor, Minnesota and old things. Then I found Shorpy, a perfect combination of photography, history and blazing photo enhancement. Oh, and yes, blazing wit to boot. To see them together is just too much. Thanks for starting my 2009 off with a smile! Oh, nuts!!!Thanks to Lileks, my day will start even later, now that I have this site to check before heading out! Lileks has poor attention to detail"Minneapolis razed four giant blocks for enclosed multi-level retail, and not one can be called thriving." Nonsense. Retail was just one component of the project, which also included an office tower (initially the Multifoods Tower, now mostly occupied by Target). The office tower is 95% occupied (which, in this economy, can be called thriving), the remaining office space in the complex (where Donaldson's/Carson Pirie Scott was) is 100 percent occupied by Marshall's, an office-supply store and the Minnesota Bar Association, and the Marriott hotel is a thriving concern. A third level of retail failed as did a high-profile restaurant space (Scottie's/Goodfellows), but that was a small chunk of the total development. Hell, he's not even right about Donaldson's. Its store burned down and was cleared before Gaviidae Common -- which was NOT desiged by Pelli; Lileks confuses Gaviidae with the Norwest Tower (now the Wells Fargo Tower) -- was built. The Donaldson's lot sat empty until Gaviidae construction began. Lileks isn't nearly as smart as he thinks he is. [I can't be certain but I think I hear the sound of an ax being ground. Or is it a bone being picked? On the wrong side of a bed in a rubber room. - Dave] Caveat VenditorGiven that Retail is a constant drumbeat among Downtown Resurrectionists, I'd say that Lileks is right on the money. While the office towers are doing well, the retail sections of City Center are looking very poor. Half the retail space on the ground floor is vacant, and the skyway floor is populated by three or four restaurants and a Brooks Brothers. There was a lot of money thrown at that center recently, with the end effect of a long row of empty glass storefronts. Beyond all this drama, the original picture is fascinating. Considering that almost everything is gone, I couldn't tell which street the photo was taken on until James posted the current view in the comments. (Taken on Nicollet, pointing roughly northeast.) A short tripHuzzah! Lileks is the reason I found Shorpy along with Achewood. All three are on on top of my browser. With the wonderful contributions of tterrace and others, I've thought that James was a natural for these pages. Re the attention to detail. Not withstanding the poster's opinions and assertions as to what construe facts, well, we all may be driven to distraction by petty annoyances. For some of us (dear 10:40 poster) it is a much shorter trip. But, still, thanks for your opinion. That is what Shorpy is about along with the incredible images, Dave's incomparable dry humor and, yes, his needling/lampooning of us as required. We're all a bit ADD, but in a Happy WayDr. Lileks, I welcome your additions to Shorpy. Between our good friend Shorpy and your daily multimedia presence, we can all live someplace else for a few minutes. As for our colleague who questions your accuracy, it sounds like he needed a convenient platform. For some odd reason, I smell the faint perfume of James Rouse. Please come back and visit us often. Hey!Looking at this image of Minneapolis 1908, I thought, "James Lileks would be interested in this!" then noticed "Submitted by Lileks." I'm a regular visitor at your wonderful web site, James. Just knew you'd find Shorpy. Can't resist clarifying one pointAs a native Minneapolitan who's a fan of both Shorpy.com and Lileks.com -- and bugged at the tone of the 10:40 reply just enough to do a quick Google search re Gaviidae and Pelli -- I can't resist noting that Gaviidae Common is listed on Pelli's website as one of his projects. Keep up the great posts, Lileks!! Down the Street"Down the street on the right, it’s the Syndicate Building, later the home of Penney’s." Actually, it was home to Power's. Lileks was wrong about that, too. The cult of personality is strong. But if you've worked downtown for 40 years -- as I have -- you know Lileks' description is inaccurate. [If you've ever wondered what effect working 40 years in downtown Minneapolis has on a person, now you know. - Dave] Either Rouse or ... Rocky Rococo! "My nostrils flared at the scent of his perfume: Pyramid Patchouli. There was only one joker in L.A. sensitive enough to wear *that* scent...and I had to find out who he was!" Also: very cool photo, James. Thanks. James, I trust you over 10:40James, Keep up the good work. Obviously, everyone has an opinion about the rise and fall of there particular city. Having never been in Minneapolis I would just have to trust Lileks' perspective. Wha?!?A troll?!? On the interwebs?!? Who ever heard of such a thing? (You, "sir" are holding the "ax" (sic) you hear being ground. Congrats on being the biggest nerd in the ST:TNG's equivalent architecture thread. Bloody good job, that) [Speaking of sic, "ax" is the preferred spelling in most dictionaries. - Dave] State of BlissI am now very happy that, I have been loging in to a site one hundred years of useful service, to the mankind! I heard that Minnesota is a land of 10,000 lakes! Is it so? I will supply the latest photo in the next week! Harmonic Convergence Is Complete; Scattered Chance Of ApocalypseShorpLeks. This? This is gonna be *great*. Thanks, folks. Clarifications.I apologize in advance for the pedantry. Anonymous Tipster quoted the original post: “Minneapolis razed four giant blocks for enclosed multi-level retail, and not one can be called thriving." Anonymous replied: “Nonsense. Retail was just one component of the project, which also included an office tower.“ I was referring mostly to the retail portions of the project – hence the oblique line referring to “the retail portion” - and apologize for not making that more clear. Anonymous notes that “the remaining office space in the complex (where Donaldson's/Carson Pirie Scott was) is 100 percent occupied by Marshall's, an office-supply store and the Minnesota Bar Association.” I’m not sure what he means; it was retail space, not office space, and I wouldn’t call the MBA retail, unless they have a walk-up counter where you can get a smoothie and a will. In any case, I believe these three establishments occupy only half the original space of the departed department store. The rest was carved up into new retail after the department store closed, and those spots had mostly emptied out the last time I strolled through. Anonymous continues: “ . . . the Marriott hotel is a thriving concern. A third level of retail failed as did a high-profile restaurant space (Scottie's/Goodfellows), but that was a small chunk of the total development.” In terms of the total development, yes – if you count the horrid office tower and hotel, it’s a bang-up success, but I was referring to the retail portion of the project, which included a three-story mall crammed with stores and eateries. Most are gone. “Thriving” is a subjective term, perhaps, but the current tenant list is rather thin. Aside from the aforementioned shops, the website lists the following tenants: Brooks Brothers, GNC, Jamba Juice, UPS, Starbucks, a dry cleaners, and Elegant Nails. A far cry from the original list, which I believe was over 60 stores. I covered the opening day of the mall for the U's paper; I worked downtown and went there daily. What it was, it ain't. (BTW, The “high profile restaurant space,” as I’m sure Anon knows, was an exact recreation / restoration of the old Forum cafeteria, which had survived for decades on the spot before it was consumed by City Center; why it succeeded for decades as a low-priced eatery in the middle of a thriving commercial street with theaters, shops, and offices, and failed as a high-end restaurant synthetically inserted into an upscale mall, is one of those mysteries for the ages.) Anon continues: “Hell, he's not even right about Donaldson's. Its store burned down and was cleared before Gaviidae Common (which was NOT desiged by Pelli; Lileks confuses Gaviidae with the Norwest Tower (now the Wells Fargo Tower) -- was built.” Again, I was being maddeningly vague for the sake of brevity. When I wrote “The old building was demolished for an attractive Cesar Pelli-designed retail / office complex” I meant that it was torn down, and something else put in its place. If I gave the impression that Gaviidae Common was constructed before the building on the site was removed and the department store had vacated the premises, I regret the implication. As for confusing Gaviidae with Norwest, well, they’re the same project, and as for identifying Cesar Pelli as the architect of Gaviidae, I made the same mistake you’ll find on the firm’s own website, which also seems to think they designed it. Perhaps I should have said “Cesar Pelli and Associates,” to make it clear that the great man did not personally design the tile or the hue of the restroom stall dividers. In any case: City Center replaced a block of endlessly varied structures with a soul-sucking bunker, and while it’s grand that the tower has high occupancy rates and the hotel is a going concern, it’s a blaring example of the insular, charmless, high-concept projects that cleared away a century of history and gave us blank walls, mirrored glass, and parking ramps. If one finds the site’s modern incarnation preferable, Shorpy must be an aggravating site indeed. Unless one takes comfort in the fact that all that messy old stuff got its comeuppance, of course. Apologies for the length. Re: ClarificationsSeasons changed, calendar pages turned ... and then actual scattered applause was heard in our workspace as people finished reading your comment. Three cheers for civility and good manners. In the interests of historical accuracySaid the original post: “Down the street on the right, it’s the Syndicate Building, later the home of Penney’s." AnonTip said: “Actually, it was home to Power's. Lileks was wrong about that, too. The cult of personality is strong. But if you've worked downtown for 40 years -- as I have -- you know Lileks' description is inaccurate.” Here’s a detail from the original of the picture. The Syndicate Building and the Powers building are two different structures. The Syndicate is in the foreground; the Powers sign (no apostrophe) is fixed to the ornate entrance of the original store. The taller white structure was a later addition. The Battle of ShorpyWell that was exciting. In the midst of our Quaker quilting bee, suddenly it's Cinco de Mayo. Lileks is livin la vida loca, in Minneapolis at least. Trolls with popguns lurk behind every lamppost! How I found Shorpywas through a mention of the site at James Lileks' place. Small world, as I see many of the commenters here have also been there. Speaking of TrollsWhere's that anonymous buffoon who claimed, in a previous episode of The Shorpy Skirmishes, that Dave "makes his comments from the safety of a black box"? Sure looks like Dave's "box" is the same shade of Peach Flesh all the rest of us sew our quilts in! [#F7DFCB if you want to get technical. - Dave] Thanks againHoly mackerel, I had no idea the amount of work that went into some of these images WonderfulThank you Dave for the answer. And double thank you for all the work you do to bring us fantastic images. My daily production is severely limited by the day dreams your photos invoke. [Well thanks. But please note that this photo is the work of Dr. Lileks. - Dave] Mystery objectI have been staring at this photo of Minneapolis for several days now as my desktop wallpaper. I cant get past a mysterious object in this picture. Just to the right of the buggy in the foreground, coming up out of the street is a tall dark thin object that appears to be casting a shadow that appears to have been "removed" from the scene. Also, the photo appears smudged in that area. Any sleuths have any ideas? Or did the cat leave a hairball on my monitor? [It's a crack in the glass negative that got mostly Photoshopped out. - Dave] (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, DPC)
Model With Book
... of Oswald holding the Carcano rifle and a copy of the Daily Worker. They use an exacto knife to cut out Oswald's head from another ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 09/08/2011 - 6:39pm -

A young model lies in bed with a book. Photo by Fitz W. Guerin, between 1900 and 1903. View full size. QuestionWere some of the Guerins removed from the site? Fitz sure new how toFitz sure new how to titillate. Her skin is so perfect, not a mar or blemish. Fitz always exploits the best of his models attributes. I wonder how he found his girls? they all look so young. I'm having a hard time I'm having a hard time seeing Fitz at a wedding . Thanks for the linky link Denny Gill. Hee Hee"Bachelor Art". I love the euphemism. "It's art, honey, I swear!" 1910?According to the date of death for Guerins he died in 1903, so how could he have taken a picture of the model in 1910? Our Man FitzMethinks our man Fitz may have had a prurient thought or two when tripping the shutter, no? He apparently had a very interesting life as a society photographer in St. Louis, Missouri, capturing weddings and the occasional daring belle in what was defined as “bachelor art.” But even more interesting was his service during the Civil War, where he garnered a Medal of Honor for heroism. Denny Gill Chugiak, Alaska Is it me...or does the model look vaguely like Bettie Page? re: QuestionNo photographs were removed. YearNoted and corrected. Thanks for pointing out the error. By the way, the year's wrong on thisFitz W. Guerin died in 1903, and the hairstyle makes this to be more likely ca. 1895. GuerinDid you guys ever find the missing Guerin's one was the women with the grapes? [The pics come and go to make room for new images. We may have the bottomless cup of coffee here at Shorpy HQ but the server can hold only so much data. - Dave] Head match with bodyOn a modern photo; I would swear that this was a poor photoshop since her head angle and skin tone don't seem to match the body. I would have thought that the body was of an easy woman and that the head came from a more up standing type. I will assume that this is just my rookie eye. I believe this to be a composite photo.Having now seen the Ohio firetruck cut and paste job with the utility pole and fire alarm put in the foreground, I will now say that I believe this to photo to have a different head placed over the body. The color isn't the same, the head appears large for the body, the angle isn't right, and look at how her neck skin below her jaw line hangs in a different direction than does her neck in the body portion of the photo. Skin ToneGiven the amount of makeup sometimes worn, it's not at all unusual for a woman's facial tone to not match her unadorned skin tone. In watching motion pictures in color, you'll frequently see a marked difference between a woman's face and her natural skin tone. As to the rest of it, I particularly like the angel's face on the devilish body. Not PhotoshoppedNo, as a digital artist, I do not believe that this photo was altered. Notice that when viewing vintage photos of men, most of the faces, necks and arms are considerably darker than their chests and legs due to greater sun exposure. Women of the day in particular did not expose much of their chests out in public, so the skin maintained is ivory nature. The lighting of course can inadvertently accentuate this difference. See how even her forearms are darker than her chest? Still hold that this is a cut and past job.I will cede you the skin tone may not match and that can be explained by either lack of sun on covered body skin or make up (although you would expect the face to be whiter?). However the angle of the head and the slightly larger relative size still makes me believe that this is a different head. I think the head would be slightly more to the Northwest of the photo if actually attached to the neck. Ultimately the question is what does the source material show? [The Guerin photos and others of their era were, generally speaking, made before the kinds of darkroom manipulation you're describing. As for "cut and past" (i.e. paste), cut what and paste what? These are prints made from glass negatives. Nothing to cut and nothing to paste. - Dave] Getting tired of all the "critics"I'm getting tired of having to read through the comments from "critics" like "Texcritic" and "OldHippieDude". They can't seem to accept the information that has been provided about the type of original negatives and the photographer's captions without challenging it or attempting to cast some kind of doubt upon it (without coming right out and accusing the proprietors of this web site of "photoshopping" the original image). If they can't believe what their eyes are seeing or reading here, maybe they should find another web site on which to make their vanity posts. Mike_G "It's Photoshopped"I agree with Mike - some people seem to have set themselves up as experts. This is s wonderful site with amazing photographs - some people can't believe that it's for real, these are unvarnished, un-retouched photographs! I saw another photo site (with modern pictures) and on each entry, some doofus had seen fit to say "It's photoshopped". On EACH ONE. One photo was a news photo from the Seattle area, an airplane caught on powerlines. Same comment 'it's photoshopped'. I saw the actual accident aftermath with my own eyeballs, it's not photoshopped! It's the same sense of rolling the eyes with the crowd that refuses to believe color photography was around before 1963 or whatever. They are (insert favorite insult) and this is what they do with their days. Pity them. Pip PipRight-o Mike ole chap..."it is what it is!" Head/body matchDave: In the 1973 movie "Executive Action" (unless I have this wrong and I am thinking of Oliver Stone's JFK) the conspirators are shown producing the famous photo of Oswald holding the Carcano rifle and a copy of the Daily Worker. They use an exacto knife to cut out Oswald's head from another photo and attach it to the photo of a different man holding the gun. They did not show what happens next but I assume that a photo is taken of the doctored photo. I have assummed that this process could have taken place around 1900. Hey, I can let it go if you want, I just think the head so clearly doesn't match that this is a theory. Mike_G: This is the last forum I would expect to have a flame war. The best way to avoid that is to apologize from the get go for misunderstandings. My handle which seems to have set you off is the one I use on all forums and it came from a movie review forum I was on back in the 90s. I am not complaining or being critical about these photos, I thought the comments section are where, among other things, users comment on over looked aspects of the photos. Sorry to have offended. [No need to apologize. The Shorpy management team has found this thread to be hugely entertaining. No small part of which is the notion that someone would go to the trouble of putting this particular head on anybody's body. The lady was, by the way, the model for a number of Fitz Guerin's photographs. As for X-Acto blades and pasted-on heads -- that is indeed how they do that sort of thing in the movies. - Dave] Lets see the other shots of this model.Dave, Hmmm, I will admit you now have important evidence that I am off base: 1) the limited technology of the time and 2) the face of the model is on other photos. How about posting those other poses? I can then pounce on a wrinkle in her clothing and claim that it proves she has different collar bones than this body! Chopped, Brushed, Painted..? Bah!I think the awkward position of her head that gives the illusion of 'editing' is just that she's been no doubt asked to attempt a recline pose by the photographer, but for the sake of the image, the hand supporting her head is position slightly back than usual, tilting the face forward and downward. This also causes the jowls to droop slightly. I'd have had the model rest place her hand, just below and behind the ear; this would've supported her head more easily and prevented her skin sagging around the chin. I also think it's a bit naive to think that this reflects the flawless beauty of a bygone era; images in those those days were still quite heavily retouched, though often not to the degree of modern photography -- blemishes were removed by painting over the emulsion on the negative, and wrinkles were smoothed by rubbing certain greases over the face details. Many portrait plates often have an aging yellowing cloud shape over the face on the rear side of the negative for this reason; it often helped preserved the delicate image, but over time the emulsion tends to warp and crack. Look closely as some vintage portrait under a magnifying lens... in the days before Pro-Active, no way did Nanna have skin that smooth! (Fitz W. Guerin, Portraits, Pretty Girls)
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