MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
Home

Search Shorpy

SEARCH TIP: Click the tags above a photo to find more of same:
Mandatory field.

Search results -- 30 results per page

Backstage With Elvis: 1956
May 27, 1956. Dayton, Ohio. A 21-year-old Elvis Presley with his cousin Gene Smith backstage at the University of Dayton ... this photo was taken, cousin Gene wasn't feeling well. Elvis is attempting to assess whether or not he has a fever, after Gene ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/11/2013 - 6:40pm -

May 27, 1956. Dayton, Ohio. A 21-year-old Elvis Presley with his cousin Gene Smith backstage at the University of Dayton field house, where they sang for a zillion swooning coeds. 35mm negative by Phillip Harrington. View full size. The fever that started it allAt the moment this photo was taken, cousin Gene wasn't feeling well. Elvis is attempting to assess whether or not he has a fever, after Gene remarked, "Lord Almighty, I feel my temperature rising. Higher higher, it's burning through to my soul." And the rest is history. The mosquitoes were bad......that spring in Dayton. Clearly. The tapWhen the boys were touring on the road regularly they often did things to break the monotony. One thing they did was play a game where if one of them was talking and one of the others tapped them on the head they would have to immediately start talking about something else without completing their thought. This I believe is what Elvis is doing to Gene. My Dad Played with ElvisMy father's greatest claim to fame is that he played in the pit orchestra that accompanied Elvis on his tour of Florida in the summer of 1956. My dad played the saxophone for all the opening acts, and then he sat through the show while Elvis performed onstage. He said Elvis spent a lot of time backstage talking to his cousins. But dammit, he had never had his picture taken with Elvis!!! If anyone ever finds one, please let me know! I ThinkHe is about to tell him he should have had a V-8. I met Elvis!Back in 1970s L.A. I met the King, he was with his daughter Lisa. We spoke for about 5 minutes regarding his astrological birth sign, Capricorn. His interest was numerology and he redirected the conversation to me, asking my birth date. It was amazing to see this famous man focusing in on me, a stranger and my numerology. On his neck was a gold charm necklace with different symbols of various religions. Very much a kind, outgoing and warm gentleman. Never did get his autograph, that would be quite valuable now. FilmIt looks like Tri-X, from the grain. The King at the gas stationMy agent back in Denver ran into Elvis at a gas station in Needles when she was 12 I saw him too!It was in 1990, walked into a McDonalds and there he was, eating a Quarter Pounder and Fries. Elvis--The Early YearsIn the very beginning, the King toyed with the idea of becoming a faith-healer before realizing he could sing! The Dayton gig(s)More on that here. (The Gallery, Elvis 1956, Music, Phillip Harrington)
Rock and Roll: 1956
Elvis Presley at a 1956 concert date; we're counting the minutes until someone ... for Look. View full size. Columbus Discovers Elvis Here's some contemporary coverage including the multi-hued splendor of ... http://columbusbicentennial.blogspot.com/2012/01/elvis-in-columbus-may-1... Columbus, Ohio May 1956 More photos of this ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/15/2013 - 1:42pm -

Elvis Presley at a 1956 concert date; we're counting the minutes until someone can tell us which one. Photo by Phillip Harrington for Look. View full size. Columbus Discovers ElvisHere's some contemporary coverage including the multi-hued splendor of his apparel: http://columbusbicentennial.blogspot.com/2012/01/elvis-in-columbus-may-1... Columbus, Ohio May 1956More photos of this concert can be found here: http://scottymoore.net/columbus.html Also, note that by the time of this concert Scotty Moore was no longer playing the Gibson ES-295. He had traded it in the previous year towards the Gibson L-5 he's playing in these photos. A hand tooled leather covermight have looked cool, but it must have destroyed the resonance of a really great guitar( the 1955 Martin D28). A little extra amplificationThis had to be an amazingly simple, pure concert, and those small amps would have trouble filling any medium-sized auditorium back then. But some smart person in this pre-sound engineer era put a public address microphone in front of that amp, so at least you could hear the music along with the words more easily. That is, if you could hear anything with all the screaming young girls. Isn't the King playing a non-electrified guitar? I don't see a cord or a sound pickup anywhere. That's why he's the king. Columbus, OHVeterans Memorial Auditorium, May 26, 1956 More here http://scottymoore.net/columbus.html Bare Bones Rock and RollThat's D.J. Fontana keeping the beat behind the King. Scotty Moore would be stage right of Elvis playing his gold top Gibson ES-295 electric archtop hollowbody guitar, which was plugged into the amp perched on the chair. Bill Black would also have been on stage playing his upright acoustic bass. Elvis is wearing his unamplified 1955 Martin D-28 guitar with custom leather cover tooled by Marcus Van Story, who worked at the O.K. Houck Piano Company in Memphis (where Elvis purchased the guitar). Man, that Cat could rock! Talk about bare bones presentationSingle guitar amp plopped on top of a folding chair. Drum kit that could fit into his suitcase. No lasers No strobes No stack of Fender amps. Pure, so very pure. I'm not much of an Elvis fan but this guy had more stage presence than 3,000 American Idol finalists put together. We Want ScottyCouldn't tell you the location, but it's great to see drummer D.J. Fontana in his natural habitat. Poor Elvis had no stage monitors, so he had to yelp out the vocals just so he could hear himself over all the little screaming girls. Sadly, we don't see even the shadow of lead guitarist Scotty Moore and his Gibson ES-295, nor Bill Black on upright bass. It's interesting to see Scotty's amp has a mic on it, so his sound was reinforced through the house PA system, such as it was. The Beatles would encounter similarly primitive sound reinforcement facilities 8 years later. Here's wishing for a full band pic. Hello ColumbusIt looks like other Harrington photos I've seen of Elvis performing at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio in 1956. Same clothes, stage setup and curtain. Who's that again?The Ohio State Journal story previewing the concert mentioned here says in part, "In addition to singer Elvis Presley, the show will feature Jackie Little; the Blue Moon Boys; the Flaims; Frankie Connors and Phil Maraquin." I'm an old rock-and-roller, but who were those people? Who those people were@Mark Rummel The Blue Moon boys were Scotty and Bill, and then later on DJ, Elvis' band. They got the name from their second recording, Blue Moon of Kentucky. The others were opening variety style opening acts that were put together by Al Dvorin when the Colonel decided that Elvis would no longer share the bill with anyone considered a competitor or contemporary. I have more on them on pages about the venues at the beginning of that tour here http://scottymoore.net/StPaul.html , http://scottymoore.net/Minneapolis.html and http://scottymoore.net/lacrosse.html Hello ColumbusThis is Elvis performing on May 26, 1956 at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio. (The Gallery, Elvis 1956, Music, Phillip Harrington)
The King and His Castle: 1956
Elvis Presley, at the love-me-tender age of 21 in 1956, at the house he bought ... The King's Short Life Who then would have thought Elvis' life was already half-lived. You know you're a redneck if No ... more on it here . Nothing ostentatious about Elvis or he would have had air conditioning on that convertible too. The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/12/2013 - 8:22pm -

Elvis Presley, at the love-me-tender age of 21 in 1956, at the house he bought for himself and his parents at 1034 Audubon Drive in Memphis. Cadillacs and Harley sold separately. 35mm negative by Phillip Harrington. View full size. Those CaddiesWeren't always parked in the yard. Here are his Mom and Dad with two and the Harley. A King and a HogHarley Davidson K model. If he had waited another year he could have bought a Sportster, the K's big brother The old Presley placeAs it appears today. Monogrammed awnings! Shade treeLooks like the little sapling in the front yard has flourished throughout the last 57 years. CadillacsI believe all the Cadillacs are 1954 models. From left, a Sedan de Ville (his mom's car), then a slightly beat-up Series 75 Fleetwood limo (did he use this as a tour "bus"?), and a Series 62 convertible with a continental kit. [The car on the left is a 1955 Fleetwood 60 Special. - Dave] You are so right! Good catch, Dave! The King's Short LifeWho then would have thought Elvis' life was already half-lived. You know you're a redneck ifNo matter how successful you are, there are still cars sitting in your front yard. The BikeIt's a 56 KH actually, more on it here. Nothing ostentatious about Elvisor he would have had air conditioning on that convertible too. The sedans both have the optional trunk mounted (until ~1957) air conditioners, as evidenced by the air scoops just forward of the trunk lid upper corners. Pringle of ScotlandArgyle socks! Never out of style since WWI. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Elvis 1956, Memphis, Phillip Harrington)
Janes Candy: 1924
... Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Elvis has become the building Peeking through the acanthus, upper left. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/01/2011 - 11:40am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1924. "Janes' candy store, Ninth Street." Another moldy oldie from the vaults. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Elvis has become the buildingPeeking through the acanthus, upper left. LogisticsI wonder if the candy display in the window was an elaborate prop. There doesn't appear to be refrigeration, and that mass of candy would be a melty mess by early afternoon. [It's December. - Dave] Never for 3 CentsWhen I was a small lad, we use to get triple dips at the ice cream store for 15 cents. I have never seen another cone like those. The three dips were side by side. That was in Cushing, Oklahoma, in the early forties. DecorationsThe decoration in the window, the giant candy cane that the little girl is holding as well as the ones in the window, what appears to be fir boughs in the window, and the way the people walking by are dressed would suggest that this is sometime around Christmas. Janes' Little Chunk of HeavenI envy those people fortunate enough to have visited the Janes candy store. All those delicious chocolates were probably hand made with care and attention to detail. The fact that they are displaying boxes of chocolates in the front windows lets me know the picture was made in the cooler months of the year and that they had to be changed out frequently to preserve freshness and to maintain quality standards. One bad truffle and you lose repeat business. Imagine having this much chocolate laid before you at only pennies per pound, not per piece like we've grown accustomed. I remember in the early sixties having candy weighed in front of you then getting the price. Sometimes they had to remove a little to make the allowance money fit the candy or to help control a child's sugar greed. Having said that, the little girl with the "life-sized" peppermint cane had to be the envy of every other child she encountered. That had to be the Cadillac of candies and it did what chocolates couldn't do: it lasted all day and you still had candy even after the stretchy licorice was long gone. So much Sugar, so little Fluoride!I'll bet the dentists in that town did a thriving business. John Janes, Fine Confectionery Washington Post, December 6, 1913. Candy Schools, Churches, Hospitals, and all institutions contemplating Christmas entertainments. Allow us to furnish your Christmas Candies, Favors, and Novelties. We extend the most liberal concessions to all institutions. Janes Brothers 514 Ninth St. N. W. Phone Main 3420. We make our own candies and guarantee them under the Pure Food Law. Washington Post, July 22, 1915. District Court News Constantine Janes was convicted in District branch of the police court yesterday on a charge of disorderly conduct. Janes runs a candy store in Ninth street between E and F streets northwest, and had some difficulty with a colored man, who claimed that Janes owed him money. Policeman T.J. Sullivan, of the First precinct, who made the arrest, said Janes swore at him and was disorderly when asked what the trouble was. The policeman testified that the employes of Janes took the defendant away from him on three occasions. Judge Pugh said that "the policeman got himself into this trouble by going into the store. He had no right to enter into this matter, as it was a civil transaction between an employe and an employer." The court, however, though the defendant was guilty of disorderly conduct, but released him on his personal bond. Washington Post, Oct 18, 1915. Pure Candy Sale We have 1,000 pound boxes of our make. Absolutely pure and fresh. Assorted Chocolates Choclates and Bon Bons Regular 30¢ a Pound Candies Special for Today Only per pound, 19¢. Mail orders receive prompt attention. Visit our Light Lunch and Ice Cream Parlor. Janes Brothers 514 9th St. N. W. Washington Post, Oct 23, 1917. Special Notices Notice is hereby given that the partnership hitherto existing between Constantine Janes and John Janes, under the firm name, Janes Brothers, which firm has conducted a confectionery business at No. 514 Ninth Street Northwest, Washington D.C., was dissolved by the mutual agreement on the 13th day of October, 1917, and Constantine Janes withdrew from said business. All debts due to the partnership are to be paid to, and those due from the same discharged by, John Janes, at 514 Ninth Street Northwest, Washington D.C., where the business will be continued by said John Janes in his own name, he having purchased and succeeded to the interest of said Constantine Janes. Constantine Janes, John Janes. The James BrothersJess & Frank James? I don't think so. Ornery JaneI'll bet the tough looking gent inside the door is the feisty Constantine Janes who got into it with the cop! The kindly John Janes must be the one who gave that amazing candy cane to the little kid. No wonder the partnership broke up! And - - And - -LUNCHEONETTE ! Lansburgh sign is what I noticedJanes Candy was before my time (my mother was about as old as that child in 1924). But I remember well Lansburgh. It was one of my mother's favorite department stores, along with Woodward & Lothrop, Hechts, Kanns and Garfinckels (all gone now). Lansburgh was one of the first old style department stores in the Washington area to fold - I think in the 70s or 80s. Back in the 50s and early 60s the trip from Fairfax to Lansburgh was a real trek. There were no "shopping malls" then. [The sign in our photo is on the Lansburgh furniture store -- two blocks away from the Lansburgh department store. - Dave] Wow! That's a great candy sale!I wish we could hurry and get there for the 19 cents per pound sale! Those must have been heavenly! Of course, the pennies that they cost per pound were a lot of money, in 1924. It reminds me of hearing my dad tell of getting a nice big ice cream cone for 3 cents, during the 1930s. But, before I could spend much time being impressed, he added that he had to work hard for that 3 cents! By the way, Bob, I remember getting ice cream for 5 cents a scoop during the early 60s, at High's ice cream shop in Virginia. I never saw a cone made for three scoops side by side, but they had some that held two scoops side by side. I got triple dips by having them put another on top, in between the two on the bottom. By the late 60s, High's was charging 10 cents a scoop, which was still a great deal! Chinese Cuisine!Look all the way to the right, the window says "Mandarin Chinese Restaurant". I'm just too excited to see that there were Chinese restaurants back in those days. [Also here, in 1912. "Chop Suey." - Dave] The Mandarin Washington Post, May 15, 1922 The Mandarin Chinese and American Restaurant 514 Ninth St. N.W. will be reopened, Thursday, March 16, 1922, under new management. The best of service and the best of Chinese and American dishes will be our Motto. The Mandarin Restaurant Co. Additional appearances of Chinese restaurants on Shorpy: Chinese Delmonico, NYC, 1910. The Canton Pagoda, Washington D.C., 1920. Chowing downApparently, the first recorded Chinese restaurant in North America was Macao and Woosung, founded in 1849. The history of the Chinese Restaurant in the US was pretty much mirrored in Canada where Chinese men came to work on the building of the trans-Canada railway. Men who had arrived to work on the railways and unable to find employment due to racism, often went on to cook in mining and logging camps, setting up their own restaurants or laundries. Chinese restaurants or cafes were often the first and only restaurant in most small Canadian towns, especially in the prairies. They generally served typical Canadian dishes. In many cases, they were the life and soul of small Canadian towns. http://www.uglychinesecanadian.com/?p=1623 Janes FamilySo happy to have stumbled across this. John and Constantine were the brothers of my husband's grandmother, Sophie Janes. They were Greek immigrants from Karystos, Evia, Greece. Sophie worked in the candy store after coming to America, before marrying and moving with her husband to St Petersburg, Florida. I would be very interested in any other information about the Janes brothers or the candy store. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Christmas Break: 1958
... over 50 years ago. You amaze me, tterace Move over Elvis tterrace version 12.4 = "babe-magnet." Is the Xmas tree real? ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/08/2011 - 6:07pm -

December 1958. My godmother and her family pay us a Christmastime visit and we all pose for this interesting shot. At upper right, my mother, father and brother stand beyond the range of focus behind my godmother; tterrace version 12.4 sits in front of her, and on the left her family: Alfred and his wife, and Milton, who has thoughtfully broken his leg, thereby adding a certain piquancy normally absent from scenes like this. On his cast, under "What are you looking at" is a Christmassy version of the classic Kilroy graffito. My brother set this shot up, using the relatively new ASA 100 Super Anscochrome film and a 500-watt daylight photoflood bulb. Unfortunately a serious miscalculation resulted in a grossly overexposed slide, and I sweated bullets to get this much image and color from it. View full size. Always awesome!Thanks for sharing T. Great PicMilton's ring is amazing. What makes tterrace's photos especially wonderful are his heartfelt explanations. This one is exceptional, as is the photo content! Gigabytes of human memoryIt is remarkable to me how can you remember all the minute details of the specific brand film & lighting used in a photo taken over 50 years ago. You amaze me, tterace Move over Elvistterrace version 12.4 = "babe-magnet." Is the Xmas tree real?It looks like a slightly healthier version of the tree Charlie Brown cut down a few years later. But the trunk looks too skinny and uniform for a real tree. Looks as if everyone had a nice Xmas. Best tterrace picture EVER! I love them all, of course, but this is my favorite by far. I love everything about it - the subject matter, the tree, the broken leg, tterrace, the curtains, the slightly grainy quality. The colors are great as well - the pops of red on Mom, Dad, tterrace and Alfred's wife are fantastic. And the expression on the Godmother's face is priceless, without having that "smile for the camera" look. It's all just too good to be true! Best. Photo. Ever. Godmotherlooks like she probably brought good cookies and her accordion to the party. I hope so! Open WideThe extremely shallow depth of field exhibited here, along with your comment about how overexposed the original slide is, points towards the photographer accidentally leaving the aperture wide open, probably due to the fact older cameras had to be manually opened to the wide open position to facilitate focusing, and then resetting the aperture to the proper F-stop to properly expose the film. Nice work on the adjustments on this image, it's always hard to put detail into blown-out highlights. Anscochrome 100 I found using any Ansco film products were at best, minimal quality. Most of their film did give over exposure prints and slides. I'm surprised you were able to get this good a photo from it. Christmas time was similar to yours. My grandmother and great-aunt would visit us. Very nice group photo. Thanks for sharing with us. Great job!I think that, under the circumstances, you did very well to get this much color. I can practically smell the eggnogSo glad you sweated the bullets, this pic is beautiful. I have tons of similar of my family in mid to late 60s. These colors are so wonderful. Would love to see more of yours. [You can see more of tterrace's photos here. - Dave] The name gameNot really related: I've never met a person named Milton, but my father named one of the rooms in our house Milton. Christmas Past, Christmas PresentI collect vintage Christmas ornaments. I swear that I have some of those similar to yours on my tree at present, especially the light blue one at the top left. Awesome. Gigabytes of paper & pencilMany photographers like TTerrace write down notes on exposures, etc. at the time the image is shot. Slides and negatives pretty much uniformly note the type of film. It's a vanishing world. And go easy on 12.4, unless you are willing to share your own 7th-grade mug. LOVE showsI love the way your dad has his arm around your mom's waist & I'm willing to bet she is hugging him, too! Beautiful, loving photo, THANK YOU (ShorpyBlog, Christmas, tterrapix)
Getting Serious: 1940
... My guess is they both think that he looks a lot like Elvis. Not Elvis To the poster who commented that they "both think he looks a lot like ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/28/2018 - 7:06pm -

March 1940. "Young Texas couple at the Junior Chamber of Commerce dance during the San Angelo Fat Stock Show." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Doctor KildareLooks like a young Richard Chamberlain to me. He must be newHe's still got that showroom shine. The KingMy guess is they both think that he looks a lot like Elvis. Not ElvisTo the poster who commented that they "both think he looks a lot like Elvis" -- Elvis was five years old when this photo was shot. [Which EVERYBODY ALREADY KNOWS. - Dave] (The Gallery, Russell Lee)
Desert Oasis: 1962
... Zeppo Marx was later Mrs. Frank Sinatra. The "Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway" Where Elvis and Priscilla Presley famously spent their honeymoon. The most recent ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/26/2021 - 11:09am -

June 13, 1962. "Helene Alexander at her home in Palm Springs, California, with Mrs. Zeppo Marx." Kodachrome by Cal Bernstein for the Look magazine assignment "Promised land for millions of migrating Americans: California's way-out way of life." View full size. Tragedy in paradiseBob Alexander built much of Palm Springs' housing stock; there continue to be more than two thousand "Alexander houses" there. As an article about the Look article states, "Three years after the article ran, Bob and Helene [Alexander] and Bob's parents, George and Jimmie Alexander, died in a private plane crash a few miles from the home." For more, see https://www.eichlernetwork.com/article/family-affair-story-untold?page=0... After ZeppoMrs. Zeppo Marx was later Mrs. Frank Sinatra. The "Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway"Where Elvis and Priscilla Presley famously spent their honeymoon. The most recent owner had made sporadic attempts at offering tours and event rental services, but never quite worked it out. It just sold two months ago, so we'll see what the new owners have in store! A white roof is a good choiceExcept for the tennis court, today it looks like just another mansion in the neighborhood. The more I see of this house, the less impressed I am. Those zig-zag stepping stones take you from the street to the front door. What a nightmare for mail and delivery people; in addition to being a high maintenance attraction that the owners cannot see from inside their house. Today, anyone who knows this house is going to drive or walk up the driveway and use the kitchen door. That big bay window is a bedroom. In that location it should be a public room. Just my opinion. Only a Temporary OasisSadly, Helene Alexander only had three more years to live-she died in a well-publicized plane crash on November 14, 1965, only miles from her house. (Kodachromes, LOOK, Swimming)
Beach Buggies: 1910
... on the left, and Elmore. He's everywhere, like Elvis, right? Which one is Don Cox? Gorgeous Hotel! When did it burn? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/24/2021 - 10:48pm -

The Sunshine State circa 1910. "South entrance, Hotel Ormond, Ormond, Fla." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Right Hand WheelsNot being a car guy like so many other Shorpy users I am surprised to see all the autos are right-hand drive. I didn't realize that was the prevalent state of affairs in 1910. At first I thought this must be a mirror image post but clearly not the case since the signs are all readable. As so often happens, I learned something new on Shorpy today! Car IDStoddard-Dayton on the left, and Elmore. He's everywhere, like Elvis, right?Which one is Don Cox? Gorgeous Hotel!When did it burn? Love these old hotelsToo bad so many have burned down. I figured that was probably the fate of The Ormond until I Googled it. Even after being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 it was still razed to make room for a condo project in 1992. What's leftThe Cupola lives on in Fortunato Park in Ormond Beach. History of the place is here. Right Hand Steeringwas the norm until the Model T changed it all. Henry's reason for left-hand steering was to allow the passengers to safely exit the vehicle on the curb side. It also gave the driver a better line-of-sight of oncoming traffic for purposes of passing and turning left. Given the shear sheer volume of cars Ford produced, the entire industry was compelled to follow along. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Florida)
Newsstand Noir: 1957
... I didn't know better, I'd think that guy might have been Elvis. View full size. Speaking of parking meters I remember one ... whitewall tires, barber poles or typewriters, let alone Elvis, but downtown San Rafael is still loaded with parking meters. No Cool ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 05/21/2015 - 1:26pm -

My brother snapped this 35mm Kodak Tri-X negative as a former high school classmate left (Fled? Took it on the lam?) from this newsstand at 1241 Fourth Street in San Rafael, California. At the time this was one of two newsstands downtown. That was in addition to Montgomery Ward, J.C. Penney, Macy's plus all the other kinds of stores that made San Rafael the major shopping spot for Marin Country - that is, until shopping centers started popping up a few years later. If I didn't know better, I'd think that guy might have been Elvis. View full size. Speaking of parking metersI remember one evening a bunch of us were hanging out at the Foster's Freeze when a car, obviously out of control, jumped the curb and knocked down a parking meter (at the same exact place incidentally that the cop car was de-axled in "American Grafitti"). The car backed up and sped away at which time we dashed for the meter and took it up the hill to disgorge its contents. After an hour of bashing it refused to give up its booty and for all I know the meter is still up on the hill in back of Foster's Freeze. Our adventure didn't make it into the movie. Fourth Street holds many memoriesThe Rafael Theater where some serious necking was done. Next door, the Navy recruiter where I solemnly vowed to protect my country in 1962. J.C. Penney's where I bought most of my clothes. The two auto parts stores across the street from each other where I furnished my 1957 Ford F-100. And not to forget the Friday and Saturday night cruises where the county gathered from Highway 101 to Foster's Freeze and back again countless times. It was a great place to spend my senior year. 2 things you don't see anymoreTypewriters Parking meters White wall tires Barber poles [And then some. -tterrace] Parking metersDon't know about whitewall tires, barber poles or typewriters, let alone Elvis, but downtown San Rafael is still loaded with parking meters. No Cool Hand Lukes roaming around lopping them off with a pipe cutter though. Body languageThat looks like the pose taken by my high school pals when leaving a store that had sold beer to the underaged. You know, hiding it under the coattail as if nobody would notice it or him. Saw it a hundred times, hehe. Elvis confusionI have to agree with your comment about Elvis; at first glance I thought it was him too. I don't doubt it will eventually find its way into the fan circles misconstrued as a long-lost unreleased candid. Cool pic nonetheless. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Geared to the Road: 1924
... low where no one will see it. Several degrees from Elvis The Spreckels mansion was designed by George A. Applegarth for Adolph ... Spreckels, the ex-wife of Adolph Jr., became a huge fan of Elvis Presley, traveling and hanging with him and his entourage in LA, Vegas ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/23/2019 - 2:23pm -

San Francisco circa 1924. "Hudson Super Six touring car at Spreckels Mansion." Plucked from the Shorpy Pantheon of Pharaonic Phaetons. Our title comes from the slogan on the car's gigantic Miller Cord tires. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. I don't think ... ... the doors were poorly fitted. I think that's the way they were designed to look. Also I don't think that was a single brake light. I think it was just a reflector like they have on bicycles. [It's a lamp with an electric bulb. - Dave] MonochromeI'd love to see this colorized. In its present condition, it almost looks like Pershing's spare staff car. No Okies HereAlthough it was a Hudson Super Six of this vintage that years later purportedly carried the semi-fictional Joads from Oklahoma to California in "The Grapes of Wrath," it is extremely unlikely that theirs featured double-sided whitewalls or full spare wheels (as opposed to merely the demountable rims). Nor was their Hudson likely to have bristled with padlocks like the photo car -- quite an oddity considering that anyone possessing a short length of wire could have made off in minutes with the entire vehicle. Just for hooligansThe spare tire has a padlock. I didn't know that feature was required then. We just love rooting through customers' cars looking for the key for the locking lug nuts. In a perfect world, the last people that touched it put it back where it belongs. Once in a while we will get a car owned by a packrat. Stuff piled to the ceiling, with who knows what living under the pile of magazines and old food. The trunk is usually stuffed too, and the key is buried somewhere in there. No one really steals alloy wheels anymore so we usually use our special tool to get the locking lug nut off, and install four new lug nuts to match the others. Give me a brakeCheck out the puny single brake light, placed low where no one will see it. Several degrees from ElvisThe Spreckels mansion was designed by George A. Applegarth for Adolph B. Spreckels, an heir to the Spreckels Sugar Co. fortune. At 2080 Washington Street, it is currently the home of romance novelist Danielle Steel. Judy Spreckels, the ex-wife of Adolph Jr., became a huge fan of Elvis Presley, traveling and hanging with him and his entourage in LA, Vegas and Memphis. OdditiesI suppose the padlock on the sidemount spare might have been justified, but it is curious that the one on the external trunk is used not to protect the contents but rather to keep the entire trunk secured to the vehicle. I also had not noticed before the vertical bars between the trunk and the rear of the car body, presumably to prevent movement of the trunk from damaging the body panels. The other thing that is revealed by the shadows is the shockingly poor fit of the doors, which seem to jut out at the bottom from the body structure itself. Odd on what is otherwise an impressive-looking vehicle. Trunk or bootI see why we still call that space in the back of our cars a trunk. It was a trunk. So why do the British call it a “boot?” Perhaps someone can enlighten me. [The boot locker was where your coachman or driver kept his boots. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Plush Life: 1956
May 1956. Memphis, Tennessee. "Elvis Presley at home with stuffed animals." 35mm negative from photos by Phillip Harrington for the Look magazine assignment "Elvis Presley -- He Can't Be -- But He Is." View full size. You ... the hound dog? That same month my future bride saw Elvis in concert in Jacksonville, Florida. She was all of 12 and a big fan. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/26/2016 - 1:36pm -

May 1956. Memphis, Tennessee. "Elvis Presley at home with stuffed animals." 35mm negative from photos by Phillip Harrington for the Look magazine assignment "Elvis Presley -- He Can't Be -- But He Is." View full size. You Ain't Nothin' But A...Where's the hound dog? That same monthmy future bride saw Elvis in concert in Jacksonville, Florida. She was all of 12 and a big fan. (May 12-13, 1956) My father was there, too!My father (who is now 86 years old, may he live to 120!) was in the band that played for the opening acts before Elvis appeared onstage, in Jacksonville and elsewhere in the summer of 1956. He still likes to tell the story of how the sheriff of Duval Co., Florida came to the theatre in Jacksonville before the show and warned Col. Parker (Elvis's manager): If Elvis moved anything below the belt, he'd close down the show! Baby let me be...your lovin' Poodle... no... Baby let me be, your lovin' Monkey... no, still not right... Baby let me be, your lovin' Teddy Bear, yeah, that's it!! Let me be your "Poodle Dog"?Nah! That just don't get it - But remember - The Duval County Sheriff said, "If Elvis moved anything below the belt, he'd close down the show!" and as ya' know, the show must go on. The closest that I came to him back then was listening to the Lyles' girls in the neighborhood talk about going to Elvis' show at Miami's Olympia theater. We were too poor to afford such "foolishment" as my folks would have said into my 15-16 year-old ears. Here's Hoping!86 down, 34 to go; hope Michael R's Dad gets there. I had that poodle!It was--you guessed it--pink. My dad wouldn't take meElvis played the Bell Auditorium in Augusta, Ga., about this time. I was 10 years old and a big fan. I begged my dad to take me to the show, but he wouldn't relent. He was an Army officer and got up at 5 every morning, so didn't want to stay up that late. Still regret that because I later saw the Beatles and Dylan in concert (Dylan on his first electric tour), and if I'd seen Elvis I would have seen all of the greatest rock legends of the 20th century. The Ed Sullivan ShowI remember Elvis being on the Ed Sullivan Show. I tried to be inconspicuous, but my step-mother noticed me watching & shooed me out because it was too scandalous for a 10 yr old to be watching with him 'Wiggling' like that. LOL I did get to see part of it anyway though. (Elvis 1956, LOOK, Phillip Harrington)
Clown Car: 1957
... OF THE SAUCER MEN at the Paramount. sigh... Elvis played the Paramount Great pic! in June of '56 Elvis played the Paramount http://scottymoore.net/paramount.html ... 
 
Posted by prrvet - 03/13/2018 - 4:21pm -

The Shriners' Annual Convention took place in downtown Atlanta's Peachtree Street on August 30, 1957. As a senior at Georgia Tech, I was there to photograph the action. The Loew's Grand Theatre in the background was the location of the premiere of "Gone With the Wind" in 1939. 35mm Kodachrome by William D. Volkmer. View full size. Buick and NashThe green convertible is a 1956 Buick Special and the black car facing it is a 1949 or 1950 Nash (there were no styling changes from 1949 to 1950) I Was Not A Teenage WerewolfBut wasn't Michael Landon? The two for one in that small movie house includes probably one of the best B movies of the era. "Invasion of the saucer-men". I hope they bring tea or coffee with those. [The “small” Paramount Theatre had seating for 2700. -tterrace] CorrectionThat restored trolley coach and 139 others like it were built by St. Louis Car Company in 1949. Only one specimen was saved. Atlanta did have about 175 Pullmans some dating back to 1944. Atlanta once boasted the largest trolley coach system in the US, but Chicago had more vehicles, fewer route miles. Boy howdy, what a photo!I saw Gone With the Wind in a theater in downtown Atlanta in the late 1950s, and I saw How the West Was Won a few years later in the Loew's, I think. We had lunch in that cafeteria, probably. That Olds (guessing here) is a beauty, and I'm proud to have a '49 Snakehead Tele clone in that Seafoam Green nitro finish. [Those clowns are in a 1956 Buick Special. -tterrace] [With Florida plates. - Dave] Man. Shorpy.com is really on a roll in 2018. Boy howdy!!! Edit: Thanks, tterrace and Dave for that great info!!! If It Still Looked Like That, I'd Still Live ThereThis is the downtown Atlanta of my youth - when the buildings were beautiful, the people well-dressed, and the atmosphere civilized. From left to right, I recognize the Collier Building, where a Rexall was at street level, but the fabled Frances Virginia Tea Room occupied the top floor for many years. Next to it is the Paramount Theatre, demolished not too many years after this photo was taken; its stone was re-used for the facade of a mansion in another town. After that comes Loew's Grand, one of the bigger theatres, originally the De Give Opera House. The electric trolleys in the photo were phased out around 1962. Every building I've mentioned is gone. Atlanta Theaters I saw "How The West Was Won" at The Martin Cinerama while seated next to Bert Parks of Miss America fame. The Cinerama was located further up Peachtree just South of The Fox theater. Additionally, I spent my lunch hour standing across the street while Loew's Grand burned to the ground on January 30, 1978. The temps were subfreezing and icicles were everywhere. I did a little researchand found out that one of these 1949 Pullman-Standard trolley coaches has been restored. If you want to go back in time, you may find it at the Southeastern Railway Museum. Errare humanum estYes, my bad. prrvet is absolutely right. What a double-bill!I'd line up early and pay a premium price to catch I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF and THE INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN at the Paramount. sigh... Elvis played the ParamountGreat pic! in June of '56 Elvis played the Paramount http://scottymoore.net/paramount.html Peachtree ParadeOnly two months prior to this parade, Atlanta blues musician Piano Red (Willie Perryman) had released "Peachtree Parade", which had been recorded already in 1955. It's an instrumental, so basically any parade can be projected onto it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLzg1H6OxGQ (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
The Gas Menagerie: 1956
Elvis Presley in 1956 at home in Memphis with his three-wheeled Messerschmitt ... photograph, of course, but I do not think this is Elvis's grandfather, Jessie Presley, but rather Dan Shackleford, from Tupelo, ... a number of photographs on Audubon Drive. Furthermore, Elvis gave this car to Colonel Tom Parker, his manager, who did not keep it. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/22/2013 - 1:51pm -

Elvis Presley in 1956 at home in Memphis with his three-wheeled Messerschmitt "bubble car" and Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and grandfather Jessie Presley. Photo by Phillip Harrington for Look magazine. View full size. Messerscmidt in the Parking LotWhen I was a kid living in Naples, Florida (late 1960s), I worked at the Publix on the north Trail. An elderly gentleman who shopped at our store drove one of these three wheelers, which looked to me to be made from aircraft parts. My recollection was that his was deep red and cream colored, and it was beautiful. MesserschmittThese cars were made at a time after the company was banned from making aircraft. One of many companies that made these types of cars. Messerschmitt KR200The more common of the two Messerschmitt "Kabinrollers" - German for Cabin Scooters, so the classification as a motorcycle isn't too wrong - the other being the KR175. They were made by Messerschmitt until 1956 when the company was able to make aircraft again. At that point Messerchmitt sold the Regensburg factory to the car designer Fritz Fend who carried on production under the company name FMR. I recall seeing one of these from time to time at a nearby supermarket, the last time being about 25 or 30 years ago now (I think, it might have been later). At the time it kind of blew my mind; a car from Messerschmitt that bore some resemblance to the cockpit of a wartime fighter plane, right down to the way that the canopy opened. It would have completely thrown me for a loop had I known at the time that the KR200 not only ran in a 24 hour time trial at Hochenheim but broke 22 speed records for cars of its class including an average 24 hour speed of 64 miles per hour. Right on!Jim Page: Rumor has it that the canopies of the first ones actually were genuine left-over combat aircraft canopies. And those contraptions also owed some of their genesis to attempts to make some cheap form of individual transport for crippled veterans and paraplegics. There was a "Heinkel Kabine" as well. Junkers Aircraft basically quit altogether, while the original Junkers & Co. is still doing well with gas heaters, as they have since 1895 (although as part of the Bosch Group now). By the way, one nickname for the Messerschmitt was "Schneewittchensarg", or "Snow White's coffin" in English. I owned one of these...after an Isetta. My best mate at the time had a Goggomobil) which he used to park up close to the front of my Isetta so I couldn't open the door to get into it! That wasn't the real reason for selling I it, I just loved the look of the Messerschmitt. Mine was cream and maroon and cost me £20 (US$30) secondhand in 1963. InvestmentAmazing what these little beasties go for these days! Who knew they'd ever be worth above $50,000 for a restored example. Wonder where this one wound up? Isetta!!!Loades, I owned an Isetta for about 30 hours. In this before-moving-to-Naples experience, a friend in Apalachicola, Florida, sold me his old pale-blue-and-white one for $50. A day or so later, when my dad found out, he made me return it. Frankly, by that time I wasn't sorry to see it go. That was enough time to realize that driving a tricycle car makes it almost impossible to avoid potholes in the road, and there were a lot of those in 1966 Franklin County, Florida! A month or so later, my dad bought me a used '65 four-door Corvair and I dearly loved that car. Haven't Seen One in 50 YearsA classmate in Palm Beach Public School (FL) drove one of these in 1962. We were in 9th grade but it was apparently classified as a motorcycle allowing him to operate it. But then again it was Palm Beach where some laws were never enforced for certain people in those days. Maybe not GrandpaThis is a wonderful photograph, of course, but I do not think this is Elvis's grandfather, Jessie Presley, but rather Dan Shackleford, from Tupelo, Ms., who was visiting the family when Phillip Harrington shot a number of photographs on Audubon Drive. Furthermore, Elvis gave this car to Colonel Tom Parker, his manager, who did not keep it. Thank you so much, Shorpy, for posting the remarkable pictures in this series! Alanna Nash, author of "The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley" (Simon & Schuster, 2003) [I am no Elvis expert but do note that the Web sites that put the name Dan Shackleford to the fellow on the left also misspell "Messerschmitt" and "Audubon" -- they do not impress me as being very accurate. -Dave] Dave, duly noted. Grandpa Jessie lived in my hometown of Louisville. I have seen a number of photographs of him, and while it's true that this fellow somewhat resembles Jessie, I do not believe they are one and the same. I have seen at least half a dozen photographs of Jessie Presley, and he does not appear to use a cane in any of them. He also was quite a dandy, and loved to dress up. And in Phillip Harrington's original story for Look magazine, he identifies this gentleman as Shackleford. -- AN The guy could buyI was working in Hollywood as a Triumph motorcycle mechanic when Elvis and the rest of the "Memphis Mafia" showed up and he bought a new bike for himself and the rest of the guys; as I remember it was an even dozen. Alanna is correctSorry Dave, mispellings aside, Alanna is correct. The photo is with Dan Shackleford. In all fairness though there is a strong resemblance to his grandfather Jesse. Triumphs@ Rip Tragle Rip, I suspect that two of them are pictured here. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Elvis 1956, Memphis, Phillip Harrington)
1950s Record Store
... how long it remained a record store? Was it there when Elvis hit the scene a few years later? The Beatles? U2? Excellent photo ... 
 
Posted by John.Debold - 06/25/2008 - 2:05pm -

Interior of the Holiday Shop record and camera store at the Roeland Park Shopping Center in Roeland Park, Kansas. View full size. [A fascinating member-submitted photo. Just the thing for a Saturday night. Like a number of the commenters below, I would place the date here around 1950-51. - Dave] Records?Records? What's a "record"? 1950s Record StoreA great photo. I would date it at 1950. On the right are a dozen or so 10-inch Columbia LP's released that year, then re-released around 1955 as 12-inch discs. The Record StoreThis is a great photo...seems to be from a pretty-good-sized negative, given the detail coming across on the scan. I would concur with "Anonymous Tipster" that it's a bit earlier than 1955. She/he is correct about the datings for the 10-inch LPs on the right. Plus, the Columbia 33 rpm LP was a brand-new technology in 1948, and so the stuff at the left of the photo to play the "new LPs" wouldn't have been any big deal in by 1955. But then, I was surprised that there was any sort of consumer reel-to-reel on the market just then (left of photo; $109 = serious money); I would have expected that a few years later. But, lots of fun nonetheless. Given that the Christmas records are on display, I guess we can assume it's late in the year. [This was scanned from a print. Below, a newspaper ad from October 1950 for the Ampro-Tape recorder shown in the photo, at the same price. - Dave] LPsLooked up a couple of albums from the rack. Went by the cover design since I couldn't make out very much of the text. Doris Day did Tea for Two in 1950. Bing Crosby's Christmas album was from 1949. Couldn't find a manufacturer's name on the tape deck. Looks like it went for 109 and change. Checked a dollar inflation conversion table, and that 109 circa 1950 would be 938 in current dollars. [The manufacturer, whose name can be seen upside down in the lid, is Ampro. - Dave] No. 1 on my hit paradeWhat a fantastic image! This store is so cool and serene; it's hard to believe record stores would change so much over the next twenty years. I have so many questions about this photo. Where was it taken? Can anybody identify the children's record player in the display case on the left? What's the story behind the photos displayed high on the wall? (They don't seem to have anything to do with musicians or records.) I'm adding this photo to my list of Shorpy all-time favorites. [That's a Frank Luther record player. Frank was a country singer who also did kiddie songs. Check out John's other photos. I especially like Lunch on the Pennsy. - Dave] Edith PiafI can't add anything definitive since I don't know which Edith Piaf album that is on the rack, but the little inset photo on the album cover is the famous Piaf photo taken in 1948. That seems to jibe with the assumed 1950 date. Photo At Upper LeftGreat pic not just for the record collectors but audio hobbyists like me. But what is that thing in the photo at upper left? I've zoomed in it and I still am not sure what to make of it. Frank Luther and 10-in. LPsWow! A great nostalgia photo! The first records I ever "owned" when I was a tiny lad were very small 78rpm items that featured Frank Luther singing children's songs. One nonsense ditty that sticks out in my mind began "A frog he would a-courting go, 'Hi-Ho' says Toady; The cat, the rat and little froggy, with a roly-poly gammon and spinach, 'Hi-Ho' says Anthony Toady." As for those 10-inch 33-1/3 RPM Columbia records...I had almost forgotten that such things existed. I had quite a few, mostly featuring the Boston Pops orchestra. [There were also 7-inch 33-1/3 discs, as we can see on the left. - Dave] AllmusicLooking at the Hal McIntyre and Harry James records on the top row, I'd say 1950. The first band only released two albums, the second being "Dance Date" in 1950. Harry James cranked out a bunch, but I find one in 1950 called "Your Dance Date" which can be decoded from what I see in the picture. Both were released on Columbia, BTW. The pictures at the top intrigue me as well. Part of me suspects that they are from old calendars. [The pictures along the top are examples of photo studio work. Meaning this could have been a record-camera store. - Dave] Edith PiafI'm not surprised in seeing the Doris Day and Bing Crosby records on the wall on the right, but I am a little shocked that Edith Piaf features on that wall. Though she was massively popular in France and in French Canada in the 50's, I had no idea she was known in the USA... let alone be popular enough to be displayed in a prominent spot like that. Can we see a close-up of the other records to see the other artists? Der BingleThe Shorpy sleuths seem to be correct [again] as to the vintage of the photo -- in our basement stash of records is the album "Christmas Greetings" on the Decca label from 1949 -- Bing Crosby with the Andrew Sisters, a 3 record set. If this were late 1949, the shoppers as dressed here would seemingly be from a Southern state. For what it's worth, in my small hometown in 1952, I was the first to buy a reel to reel tape recorder, a RCA model similar to the Ampro shown for about $125 if I remember correctly, and still it have in A1 shape. A friend of the mine had an Ampro wire recorder. Time TravelAmazing. Photos like this make me wish time travel was a reality. I would love to insert myself into this scene and go wandering around that bright and shiny place. But for now, photos like this one are a pretty good substitute. Don't suppose anyone knows the name and/or location of this particular shop? I wonder how long it remained a record store? Was it there when Elvis hit the scene a few years later? The Beatles? U2? Excellent photo and thank you for sharing it! Or is it Memorex?Despite my husband's insistence, I must say, this photograph, well, the photo itself is lovely; too lovely. Something about it doesn't set right with me. I am not sure if it is the fit of the dungarees of the guy on the right, the girl's shoes, the fact that the kid's victrola is locked in the showcase yet the expensive reel to reel sits right out in the open. or maybe it is the streamlined look of the counter and wall, or the way the high up pictures are displayed, and their subject matter. Could one have gotten by us? [No. Page through a 1950 House Beautiful or the LOC's Gottscho-Schleiser archive. This is that, on the nose. Below: 1951 music store, 1957 record department, 1951 radio showroom. The tape recorder is where it is so it can be demonstrated to customers. UPDATE: This is the Holiday Shop record and camera store at the Roeland Park Shopping Center in Roeland Park, Kansas. - Dave] Another Soon!I'll put up another record store photo soon. I'm a little busy right now so hopefully by this coming Wednesday. Thanks for the nice comments and information. The next one has Frank Sinatra! -John [We can hardly wait! And you know what would be great, if possible, is a higher-resolution scan of the record-store photo, and whatever you can tell us about it. What might be written on the back, for example. It has caused quite a stir. - Dave] Newfangled SinglesOn the right of the counter, that revolving rack of Capitol singles in boxes really takes me back. This was when 7-inch microgroove (long-playing) records were new and different. They did that for just a few years before going to paper sleeves. Edith PiafThe Piaf discography includes dozens of releases on American labels in the 1950s. [Below on the left, "Chansons Parisiennes" from 1949, an early Columbia Microgroove (LP) release. At right is the one in the photo -- "Edith Piaf Sings," Columbia ML-2603, a 1951 release. - Dave] 7-inch discsThose boxes on the revolving Capitol rack, as well as on the right side of two shelves behind the counter, do indeed contain 7" 45rpm discs, but they're albums, not "singles." Eventually the 45rpm format came to be used exclusively for singles, but initially it was also used for complete multi-disc albums, duplicating the contents of a standard 78rpm album. This was when the RCA/Columbia format war was still underway. 45rpm singles were always issued in paper sleeves, just like their 78rpm counterparts. The thin items on the left side of the two shelves behind the counter are 78 singles. You see a small section of 7" singles on the shelf behind the hand of the customer on the left. Counter KidsWhat exactly are the people at the counter doing? Did you have to pick out the record you wanted from a list or something, and the clerk would retrieve it? [Or she would order it for you. - Dave] Record Store UpdateThis is the Holiday Shop record and camera store at the Roeland Park Shopping Center in Roeland Park, Kansas. Harry JamesHi there. Nice picture! I happen to own a copy of the Harry James 10" depicted in the photograph: "Your Dance Date With Harry James" (Columbia CL 6138). It's dated 1950, so my guess would be 1950 too. Love your site. The Record ShopHere is a nice pic of the local record store circa 1954, named fittingly, The Record Shop. It closed sometime in the 1970's. They also sold audio gear and had a service center in the basement, which the service center remains. One of the original repair techs took over the service center and he's still there servicing. Frank Luther Record PlayerThis Billboard Magazine from December 9, 1950 has an ad for the player on Page 15 (upper right): Browsing BoxesThe "browser boxes" seen below in the "Record Shop" comment were created by Capitol Records' Fred Rice. His team brought the records in music and department stores out from behind the counter to self-service displays that let the customer leaf through the albums and see the covers. Counter-service stores would normally place them with the spines facing out as shown in the main photo above. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Stores & Markets)
Home Entertainment: 1943
... affection between mother and son is very similar to Elvis Presley's easy, kindred, unconditional love with his mother Gladys. We ... [Speaking of tacky tchotchkes, let's see if we can't work Elvis and Gladys into more comments. Well done! - Dave] The bad old days ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/14/2009 - 10:37pm -

February 1943. "Blue Island, Illinois. 2439 Orchard Street. Bobby Senise and mother listening to a radio program. Home of Daniel Senise, engine foreman on the Indiana Harbor Belt Line." Safety negative by Jack Delano. View full size. The Human ComedyThis immediately made me recall reading Saroyan's "The Human Comedy" except it's the Midwest rather than California. Watching the RadioThis scene reminds me of what Grandma Rose used to frequently tell us kids: "TV off! Use your imagination!" Souvenirs from Out WestI'm not a "know-it-all" as I cannot identify the two implements that are keeping Bobby amused, but I do know that the items in question were all keepsakes from the souvenir shops in the West and Southwest in days of yore. The pottery was simply a novelty planter made by American Indian or Mexican craftsmen out of clay, as was the sombrero which had a decal on the front of where it was from. It did not necessarily serve a purpose as "souvenirs" are often useless curiosities. The giant pinecone was from the California behemoth redwoods, the fiber or straw totebag with ethnic people pictured is from the Southwest and the trophy looks like a bowling prize. The comfortable affection between mother and son is very similar to Elvis Presley's easy, kindred, unconditional love with his mother Gladys. We need a lot more of this type of family relationship today. It's a great picture that really takes one back, thank you Shorpy. [Speaking of tacky tchotchkes, let's see if we can't work Elvis and Gladys into more comments. Well done! - Dave] The bad old daysDaniel Senise (who isn't even in the photo) and Bobby Senise get names, but Mrs. Senise is just "mother." If Jack Delano was working in 2009, instead of 1943, his editor would probably rip him a new one, with her bare hands. [Jack Delano took dozens of photos of the Senise family -- Betty, Daniel and their three sons and dog. He gives all of their names in the introductory photos and then as needed so we can tell the boys apart. - Dave] Strange objectsCan anyone identify those things Bobby is fiddling with? On the other hand, the thing on the table that looks like a ceramic sombrero is obviously a combination ash tray and citrus juicer. Wartime rationing strictures required that all ornamental devices also serve at least one, preferably two, practical purposes. UPDATE: Dave's close-up inspires this guess: a couple of Mom's knitting or embroidery implements? Or maybe manicure thingies? Watching the radioIt's interesting how people used to watch the radio. I also notice how much the Bible on the table has been worn from being read. My best guess for the thing on the table is an ash tray. My mother tells me that students were commonly taught to make ash trays in school over much of the 20th Century, so perhaps one of the boys made it. It would make sense, since it is on the same table as the ambiguous trophy. It looks like Billy has a twig in his left hand and some sort of plastic knife in his right, but I'm not sure if that is right for several reasons. I wonder what periodical Billy is using as a pillow. DadIs "Bobby" perhaps Robert L. Senise, father of actor Gary Senise (also born in Blue Lake}? [Interesting. Although Gary's last name is Sinise. - Dave] 2439 Orchard todayNice place. View Larger Map Mothers and sonsMy favorite thing about this photo is the comfortable affection between mother and son. It makes me think of my own kids and how they still like to cuddle their old mom on occasion, regardless of their ages. Great siteG'day all. Absolutely love this site, it's such a refeshing change from the doom & gloom of Main Stream Media. The clarity of the pics and the informed comments make it a must read site for me. John Melbourne Australia Mothers and sons III'm a new mom to a baby boy, and this shot really warms my heart. It shows that their relationship is a cozy and comfortable one. Funny, though, Ma looks more like Grandma or Aunt Bee to me. Pa seems too young for her. The worn Bible is a lovely touch, but what is that strange gewgaw next to it? Forget the sombrero; this is the doohickey I want to know about. It too looks like something one of the boys must have made in school: a three-legged creature with arms akimbo, carrying Christmas wreaths? Donuts? The radiois a Philco 40-155, sold in 1939-40. It's a quite nice large table-top radio, with 8 tubes, covering the AM broadcast band and international short wave bands. It had built-in loop antennas for both broadcast and shortwave. I am currently restoring one, and it's a quite good performer. They were lucky to have a relatively new radio, since production of radios for consumer use was halted shortly after Pearl Harbor. Repair parts were scarce, due to allocation of most production to the military; if your radio died and replacement parts could not be found, you couldn't just go and buy another one. Three-legged potI think the pot and the sombrero are both souvenirs of Mexico. The three legs and the lifting rings are typical of American native folk pieces, and it's decorated with the cactus motif expected by tourists. Oh JoeI know this is a little recent for Mr. Manning but hey Joe? Such a nice family, Mom always in apron, Dad hard-working. Hope Jack came home from the war safely. If we knew where they were now, wouldn't it be interesting to contact them and say "Hey, take a look at Shorpy"? These photos bring back such a flood of memories for me. My mom had nine brothers and they all served in WWII. One never made it home, two were badly wounded. I picture my grandmother sitting where this lady is, listening to war news. And by the way, I am proud to go by "Mom." I could not spell it...Loved your hilarious reply as I really wanted to use that word but could not figure out how to spell 'tchotchkes' as it was not in my 1975 dictionary. Found out it comes from both Polish (hooray) and Yiddish words. Nothing wrong with Elvis and Gladys, she too lived at Graceland, the motherlode of both tacky and tchotchke. "Pine" coneIf walking through a redwood grove every day of my grade school life, and then frequently playing in one on the school grounds itself make one a true Californian, then I'm your boy. Therefore, I can attest that the cone is from a pine tree of some kind, not a redwood, whose equivalent is a little dinky thing. The other item no one's mentioned is the thing under the basket on the bottom shelf of the table: could be a photo album, which should get Shorpy mouths watering. Norman RockwellThis brings back soooo many memories! Junior is clutching a rib and pulmonary artery recently plucked from his chest by the Mother-Goddess, who is going to make a sacrifice on her ottoman-altar just as soon as she fires up some incense in that Mayan firepot and tunes in the appropriate flute music. I love those curtains!!! Coulter pine coneThe giant pine cone came from a Coulter pine. This medium-sized pine tree is most prevalent in the coastal mountains of Southern California, but there are stands of it as far north as the Bay Area, and as far south as northern Baja California. Coulter pines produce the largest and heaviest pine cones of all species, and people working among them are cautioned to wear hard hats at all times. Curtains vs. drapesI was about to launch a pedantic tirade over A. Tipster's use of the term "curtains" in reference to what I'd call "drapes," but a simple online search proved that the matter isn't so simple. Everybody can do their own, but the most interesting bit I found was etiquette maven Emily Post's 1950 fulmination over the word "drapes": "This word is an inexcusable vulgarism." Therefore, I instead commend Tipster for displaying a scrupulous sense of propriety. It's curtains for you, Mister.I grew up in a house with inexcusably vulgar drapes in the living room and dining room. In the bedrooms and bathroom we had curtains that extended only to the bottoms of the window cases. What gets me going is the modern fashion of completely naked windows, no matter how traditional the rest of the interior features might be. And in the Cosi Fan Tutte world of today's English, saying drapes instead of draperies is probably not the social suicide that it once was. Better Homes & Gardens' online site makes a practical distinction between curtains and drapes, courageously defying the Wrath of Post: Drape vs. Curtain When is a "drape" really a "curtain"? Although the terms drapery and curtain are often used interchangeably, there is a technical difference. Curtains are made of lightweight fabrics and most often are unlined and operable. Draperies extend to the floor, tend to be lined, and are sewn of heavier fabric. Cool ChairI love the chair and ottoman. Does that style of furniture have a name? (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Bear With Me: 1956
May 1956. Memphis, Tennessee. "Elvis Presley at home with his mother, Gladys." 35mm negative from photos by Philip Harrington for the Look magazine assignment "Elvis Presley -- He Can't Be, but He Is." View full size. Who's in ... picture Red Foley? [It could be. The first song Elvis performed in public (at age 10) was Red's "Old Shep."- Dave] (Elvis ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/21/2018 - 11:06am -

May 1956. Memphis, Tennessee. "Elvis Presley at home with his mother, Gladys." 35mm negative from photos by Philip Harrington for the Look magazine assignment "Elvis Presley -- He Can't Be, but He Is." View full size. Who's in the picture?Colonel Tom Parker, complete w/ string tie. Sans cigar or cigarette. [Below, Tom on the left and Red on the right. - Dave] Who's in the picture?There's a healthy debate on my FB timeline of people trying to guess who that country music performer is in the photo. Do any Shorpyites know? We've eliminated all of the more obvious ones from the era: Hank Locklin, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Jimmy Dickens, Hank Thomson, Bob Wills, Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow, Cowboy Copas, etc. Yes, it's ParkerCyberian is correct. That's Andreas van Kuijk, aka Colonel Tom Parker. Is likely from his early WSM days as a manager for Eddy Arnold. Here is a better copy, signed of the photo in question. re: Who's in the pictureRed Foley? [It could be. The first song Elvis performed in public (at age 10) was Red's "Old Shep."- Dave] (Elvis 1956, LOOK, Memphis, Phillip Harrington)
Bike Shop: 1912
... by John McCormick, Enrico Caruso, Rosemary Clooney and Elvis. Early iron Some of those "bikes" are motorcycles. Not all are ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:13pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Metzger bicycle shop. Detroit City Gas Co." This photo of a cycle (and phonograph) shop was taken to show off the gaslight fixtures. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. MotorcyclesI see four motorcycles on the left. An Excelsior Autocycle (Ignaz Schwinn was behind Excelsior motorcycles). Behind the Excelsior is a "camelback" Indian of about 1909 vintage, I think. Then another Indian and perhaps another Excelsior. In today's market those old motorcycles would extremely valuable and sought after by collectors. I think music, bicycles, and motorcycles would still make for a fun shop today. RiddleWhat do gramophones and bicycles have in common? No, seriously, I want to know. [Horns. - Dave] Flash!Is that the reflection of the magnesium flash going off behind the men? [It is! - Dave] Huber & MetzgerBill Metzger started the first retail automobile store in Detroit in the old Biddle house. He became the first independent auto dealer in Detroit and probably the US. Below, the Huber & Metzger bike shop at 13 Grand River Avenue. A hipster's dreamWhat beautiful bikes. As a cyclist, I would love to have one of them. Just like today's hipster bikesNo brakes - no coaster brakes, no hand brakes. All the with-it college kids are riding fixed gear bikes with no brakes these days. Safety third! FixiesAs far as I can see, none of the bicycles on offer have any brakes whatsoever. Such carefree times. Well that's puzzlingI don't see any light fixtures that look like gas burners. I'm not aware of any glass bell shades pointing down that were ever used on gas lights. I'm pretty sure I can see bulb sockets on the perimeter lights, although I can't quite make them out. The fixtures in the center of the room have pull-chain switches on them. [Each gas chandelier has a pair of pulls to regulate flow. Below is another example from Detroit City Gas Co. - Dave] An Odd MixThe left side of the shop has a good selection of Victor Talking Machines. The right wall has shelves of Edison cylinders . I think I see a Columbia at the back of the shop. And all those bicycles! What a combination. Mail CallI'd say those envelopes, in the showcases behind the Victrolas, hold recordings by John McCormick, Enrico Caruso, Rosemary Clooney and Elvis. Early ironSome of those "bikes" are motorcycles. Not all are bicyclesI spot at least two Indian and two Excelsior Auto Cycles on the left row and can't quite identify what is in back behind the two men sitting though I suspect another Excelsior. All NaturalNot single black tire in the shop. Everything is natural rubber. The sound of bikesI find it quite amusing that the two leading bicycle store chains in Israel, where I live, are called Matzman and Mintz. Something with the "TZ" sound drags people to deal with two wheeled vehicles, apparently! The 8-track of 1912Those shelved items on the right are music cylinders. Music discs were a growing market in 1912 but looks as if this shop's owner had a lot of inventory to move before he could think about selling discs. (Judging by their loose-looking packaging, I don't think the items in some sort of vertical envelopes on the shelves on the left are discs, although if they are, they're way outnumbered by the cylinders.) Some of the songs of the day: "She Pushed Me Into the Parlour," "Daddy Has a Sweetheart (And Mother Is Her Name)," "Ragtime Cowboy Joe," "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" and Irving Berlin's "Keep Away From the Fellow Who Owns an Automobile." Used MotorcyclesIt seems that these fellows dealt in used equipment as well, Indian Motorcycles produced the last Camelback gas tank single cylinder machine in 1908 (according to my father, who's the curator of a very large motorcycle museum). The Metzger Bicycle Concern would have a heart attack if they knew what that "old" Indian single was worth today. [This picture could just as well be from 1908. - Dave] Metzger Got AroundBill Metzger was also behind the Metz car, which has previously been a Shorpy subject. I learned that from a friend who I had sent this photo to. Gas and ElectricThe center fixtures are gas, but the perimeter fixtures are electric. Best of both worlds when electric lighting was not necessarily bright or reliable. Obsolete Stock The items on the left-hand shelf are most likely Victor records. Victor & Edison allowed their dealers to carry both lines, until Edison introduced a disc machine & Victor ordered its dealers to drop Edison. All of the cylinders appear to be 2 minute records, although Edison introduced the 4 minute "Amberol" cylinder in 1908. Both were about to be discontinued in late 1912, along with open horn machines. The celluloid "Blue Amberol" record and a new line of Amberola (inside horn) cabinet machines were introduced in the Fall of 1912. Dealers were then allowed to discount the 'wax' cylinders, to clear their stocks. By this time, Edison's consultants said people were "Victrola crazy", while Edison's cylinder business fell disastrously & Columbia quit cylinders altogether. Bicycles & gramophonesIt's what they don't have in common that matters. Bicycles sell well in warmer months when people are outdoors. Gramophones sell well in colder months when people are indoors. I believe this is Metzger's shop at 351 Woodward and not the one he shared with Huber. http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/12/11/metzger-bicycle-shop-in-1912/ (The Gallery, Bicycles, Detroit Photos, DPC, Motorcycles, Stores & Markets)
Heart to Heart: 1956
... 1956. Continuing the Shorpy Mother's Day tribute: A young Elvis Presley at home in Memphis with mom Gladys, and an impressive assortment ... View full size. Hey mom, can we talk? Looks like Elvis has visited his mom's room to have a heart to heart. My kids would do ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/12/2013 - 10:51am -

1956. Continuing the Shorpy Mother's Day tribute: A young Elvis Presley at home in Memphis with mom Gladys, and an impressive assortment of stuffed animals. 35mm negative by Phillip Harrington for Look magazine. View full size. Hey mom, can we talk?Looks like Elvis has visited his mom's room to have a heart to heart. My kids would do this often especially when they were teens. They seemed to think Mom had the best perspective and advice on anything. Fortunately, for me they still do. I love being a mom. Nice pic for Mother's Day!Even the King had a Mom. So sadGladys got to live only two more years after Elvis's great success. She had so much more than the sticks she was raised in, but I don't believe it changed her down home values one bit. She must have been a very sweet lady and I know it crushed Elvis when she died. (The Gallery, Elvis 1956, LOOK, Memphis, Phillip Harrington)
The Dakota: 1912
... in the newspaper preview (which Lennon referred to as "Elvis Orbison.") And I liked it-- no avant garde, experimental, primal scream, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 5:43pm -

New York circa 1912. "Dakota Apartments, Central Park West and West 72nd Street." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The KillerIt sort of pleases me that none of the 27 or so commenters has mentioned the name of John Lennon's murderer and neither will I. He is now 55 years old, serving 20 years to life, he has been denied parole six times. Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York houses him, it is a perfect alternative to a death sentence. ImagineWhen this photo was taken, the Dakota was only 28 years old. Here's nearly the same view today. The Dakota TerritoryPossibly my very favorite building in all of Manhattan. In the late 70s, when I was a teenager, I would cut school and hang out there with a fellow John Lennon adorer. We met him many times, and he'd let us walk with him to Broadway where he bought his gum and newspapers. We'd also regularly see the other celeb denizens - Paul Simon, Rex Reed, and Lauren Bacall ( Bacall still lives there.) The night Lennon got shot, we were there within hours, holding a vigil outside with dozens of other people. When I became a horse-drawn carriage driver in the early 80s, it was one of the most requested sites by my customers, as it sits directly facing Central Park at 72nd St. I had a long line of trivia I would tell them about the building, including that it was named "The Dakota" because the owner and builder, Mr. Singer of Singer Sewing Machine Co. fame, was teased by his 5th Ave and downtown friends that his new building was so far away from the chic parts of NYC at the time, that "it might as well have been in the Dakota Territory." A few things - where the man is standing at the right in the Park (near that wonderful sign that should be reproduced and again posted for today's selfish Handy Andys) is about 20 feet from where the Lennon memorial, Strawberry Fields, is today. The building has not, to my eye, changed even one iota - masonry is still all intact, carriageway is still there, planters and fabulous railing all still there. It has even managed to retain its original windows, a great architectural boon in my opinion, with so many other old lovely buildings having had theirs replaced. The one difference is that there has been for decades a large, nice, bronze doorman's booth on the left side of the carriageway. I'm loving the horse-drawn wagon at the back of of the line of cars (taxis?) Kind of a metaphor, as it was 1912 and the horse-drawn vehicle was on its way out. I don't have a magnifying glass - can anyone tell me what it says on the back of the wagon? Thank you SO much for this pic - I have seen many photos of The Dakota, but never this one, what a treat. [Below: Stern Brother department store delivery van. - Dave] Thank you! Dakota TriviaJohn Lennon, who would have turned 70 on Oct 9th, was murdered outside The Dakota. His widow, Yoko Ono, still lives there. The 1968 film 'Rosemary's Baby' filmed some scenes at The Dakota. It was renamed 'The Bramford' in the movie. Happy Birthday JohnJohn Lennon would have been 70 on Saturday the 9th. Nice of you to remember Dave. Thanks. Happy birthday John LennonThat's a grand old building John and Yoko lived in. They don't build them like that anymoreThe Dakota is one of the most beautiful buildings in NYC. BTW, I was a teen watching Monday Night Football when Cosell announced Lennon's death on air. You can hear it here. Si Morley was hereI first heard of this building in one of my favorite books, Jack Finney's "Time and Again," published in 1970 or so. The Dakota is nearly a character in its own right in this book. What a beautiful building. John Lennon at 70Here's a computer image of what John may have looked like when he was 70 years of age. Happy birthday John!John Lennon would have been 70 years old today had he not been shot at the Dakota. Beautiful BuildingA sad way to commemorate tomorrow being John Lennon's 70th birthday. (How is that even possible?) Fitting.Happy Birthday, John. In MemoriamT'is sad that the main thing that this building is known for is the tragedy that happened outside. Performing Flea.I don't intend to be a performing flea any more. I was the dreamweaver, but although I'll be around I don't intend to be running at 20,000 miles an hour trying to prove myself. I don't want to die at 40. ~ John Lennon +70Happy 70th Birthday, John Winston Ono Lennon. Wish you were here. Strawberry Fields ForeverThe site of the murder of John Lennon (born on this day in 1940). Living life in peaceThis was John Lennon's home in New York, and where he was murdered on the street in 1980. Had he lived, Lennon would have turned 70 tomorrow. Film locationRosemary's Baby. If you saw "Rosemary's Baby"rest assured that the interior of the Dakota is a far cry from that which Mia Farrow moved around in. I have seen a few a few of the apartments, ranging from a very large one that Robert Ryan and his wife lived in to a much smaller, but far from cramped one that was Roberta Flack's residence. They ere all quite elegant. I live farther up on Central Park West, so I frequently pass by the Dakota and it is not unusual to see Lennon fans hanging around the entrance. Of course it did not all begin with Lennon, the Dakota was a home to celebrities for a few decades before he and Yoko moved in. A great building that once seemed to stand out of town. I believe that's how it acquired the name—it seemed to be in the sticks. More Dakota TriviaThe Dakota also plays a major part in Jack Finney's novel "Time And Again," a beautifully crafted mystery novel set in the 1970s and 1880s. What were you doing the evening of 9 Dec. 1980?I see that there are many here who also know that John Winston Ono Lennon would have been 70 years old today. I would guess that you also remember what you were doing when you heard the terrible announcement that he had been murdered. I was on my way home from a job I had singing Christmas carols for shoppers at ZCMI Center in Salt Lake City. I shed quite a few tears that night, and the next day. It is hard for most people to understand why some of us love him so much. It is absolutely not your run-of-the-mill celebrity worship. There was something special about John Lennon that was still developing, the older he got. Happy Birthday JohnHis music is so timeless and inspirational. I hope he found the peace he wanted so much in life. Shrubbery defacers, bewareI think this guy intends to see that the "punish" precedes the "arrest." I heard the news that night oh boyI had read about Lennon's upcoming album back in October. And every so often, I'd tune up the AM dial (how quaint) and down the FM dial, hoping to hear one of the new songs. I was doing that the night of December 8, when I caught "Just Like Starting Over" halfway through. I recognized the old-time rock-and-roll style which had been described in the newspaper preview (which Lennon referred to as "Elvis Orbison.") And I liked it-- no avant garde, experimental, primal scream, political stuff-- just fun. When the record ended, the DJ said "We'll have more details on the death of John Lennon right after this," and they went to a commercial break. I was so shocked, I tried to bend what the DJ had said, to something I could handle. Perhaps he had introduced the record by telling people to listen for "clues" that John is Also Dead? (Goofing off on the Paul is Dead hoax.) Or, if he was really dead, I was wondering, From What? Before the DJ returned, a friend called me and said that Howard Cosell on Monday Night Football had reported John Lennon had been murdered. So I had just that minute and a half of "Cool, he's back, and it sounds great!" 12-8-80I was home on leave from the Navy watching the Dolphins/Patriots game on Monday Night Football with my Dad when Howard Cosell came on and announced that John Lennon had been shot. Awful. Unforgettable momentI was living in Madison, Wisconsin on Langdon Street and walked over to Rocky Rococo's Pizza on State Street near campus to enjoy a slab of Pizza and watch Monday Night Football. The game coverage (the voice over commentary) was interrupted and I think I first heard of the news either from an announcement read by Howard Cosell or Frank Gifford. Then they broke in with an actual news bulletin that indicated he had been shot and was en route to the hospital. In the time that it took to walk back over to Langdon Street and enter my apartment it was announced that he had died. I turned on the radio and heard the actual announcement he had died and just recall thinking what a bizarre thing this was. His then recently released album was already getting a lot of play in Madison, and after the news it was complete saturation. Every time I see the DakotaOne of my favorite Christine Lavin songs: The Dakota. [YouTube link] It was a Monday morning, I was coming in from a long trip on the road. I flagged a cab near the East Side Terminal, I said, "Please take me home." We drove up along Third Avenue, crossed through Central Park. When we came out at Seventy second Street, I felt a cold chill in my heart. Every time I see the Dakota, I think about that night. Shots ringing out, the angry shouts, A man losing his life. Well, it's something we shouldn't dwell upon, But it's something we shouldn't ignore. Too many good men have been cut down, Let's pray there won't be any more. ... Words and Music by Christine Lavin December 9, 1980I was decorating my Christmas tree as my first child, who was three months old to the day (she's 30 now, obviously), watched from her infantseat. I was never a Beatles fan but I do remember the night they debuted on the Ed Sullivan Show; I was sitting on the couch after my bath, in my pajamas, a five-year-old wondering what all the fuss was about. The night John Lennon died I was listening to the radio and honestly -- and I know this next part won't be appreciated by many, but it's a free country and I believe we still enjoy free speech, at least for a little while longer -- after an hour or so I got a little tired of hearing the late Beatle practically elevated to sainthood by the announcer and every caller. I called the radio station not to speak ill of the dead, but to point out that perhaps we should temper our comments understanding that this man and what he stood for did a great deal to tear at the fabric of our society. (I don't think anyone really believes hippie-freakdom fueled by rock music has done all of us a world of good. Why do we have to act like it has?) The announcer, once he was onto my gist, hung up on me. So much for free speech. But I do adore Johnny Depp so maybe I'm a great big hypocrite. You make the call. A creepy place.I never liked that building from the time I first saw it in Rosemary's Baby, and that was some 12 years before Lennon was shot. It creeped me out then and creeps me out now, just looking at it. Time and Again and AgainNobody is going to mention Simon Morley using the Dakota as a time machine to travel back to the blustery cold winter days of 1882 in Jack Finney's novel "Time and Again?" It's such a fun and well researched book. [Somebody did mention it! - Dave] In MemoriamIn the new 4-CD Lennon compilation "Gimme Some Truth" there's a booklet that includes a photo of Lennon and Ono in their bedroom. Assuming it was taken at the Dakota, it's far less fancy then you would expect the apartment of a wealthy icon to be today. While it's a large room by New York City postwar apartment standards, it's not large by McMansion standards. The wall behind the bed is painted brick and there's nothing all that fancy in the room. As for Jenny Pennifer's comments, you certainly have the right to make any comments you like, but you obviously don't have a clue as to Lennon's impact, either culturally, politically or musically. To understand that impact, all you have to do is look up the hundreds, if not thousands of other artists who have recorded his songs, see the number of people who gather at Strawberry Fields or at the Dakota each day and listen to the radio where his songs are still played 30 to 47 years after they were written. Lennon did not tear at our society except to try and stop an illegal and useless war (what happened when we finally pulled out? Nothing except people stopped being killed.) and to fight for peace and the rights of all human beings. And I'll take "hippie freakdom" over the money and 15 minutes of fame obsessed (think Jersey Shore) and the cruel internet culture we live with today. I've been inside onceI was inside the Dakota once, at a political fundraiser in about 1995. The apartment belonged to the head of the European equities desk at a large hedge fund. It was very large, and clearly very expensive, but it was not as fabulous as the glass-walled penthouses overlooking the city in many other buildings, or even some of the (probably much less expensive) apartments in less famous buildings, but which have large terraces overlooking central park. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
Sangria Seventies
... state to decriminalize marijuana. October 9, 1973 - Elvis and Priscilla Presley divorce. October 10, 1973 - Spiro Agnew resigns ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/22/2011 - 5:21pm -

If a single photo could capture 1970s Northern California culture, this might be it. The hair; the clothes; the round oak table; the funky old apartment with painted-over wainscoting; the giant bowl of sangria. I ought to know, I was there. In fact, there I am, at the left, at my brother's Santa Cruz place with his wife (lower left) and their friends in October 1973. My brother's Ektachrome slide. View full size. Autumn of LoveOh my. Do your parents know about this? Peace, ManIt's hard to believe all the changes we've been through since then -- but it still looks like a fun way to spend the evening. Where's the ashtray?I think it's missing a giant overflowing ashtray. Back then it seemed like EVERYONE smoked. Pine StreetWas this house located on Pine Street in east Santa Cruz? It looks like the kitchen in the house we moved into in 1978. The door would lead to the back porch/stoop area. Great photo! Groovy!Love the headband! I think the only thing missing in this picture is a bong. October 1973Seems like a long time ago – or just yesterday. On October 6, 1973, Syria and Egypt launched a military attack on Israel starting the Yom Kippur War. On October 16, 1973, OPEC cut production of oil and placed an embargo on shipments of crude oil to the West, with the United States and the Netherlands specifically targeted. As a result, oil prices rose to $3.65 per barrel – a year later it peaked over $12 per barrel. President Richard Nixon would sign the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act authorizing price, production, allocation and marketing controls on November 27, 1973. In the United States, the retail price of a gallon of gasoline rose from a national average of 38.5 cents in May 1973 to 55.1 cents in June 1974. I remember my grandfather hoarding gasoline – against all warnings and advice – at our small farm in East Texas. He had a couple 55-gallon drums in the barn, which he filled 5 gallons at a time from Earl’s Truck Stop on I-30. My mom was scared to death that the barn would explode and we were forbidden to go there. Other October, 1973 events, no doubt provoking dinner conversation at tterrace's table: October 5, 1973 - Oregon becomes the first state to decriminalize marijuana. October 9, 1973 - Elvis and Priscilla Presley divorce. October 10, 1973 - Spiro Agnew resigns as vice president of the United States after pleading nolo contendere to a count of tax-evasion. October 12, 1973 - President Nixon announces Gerald R. Ford as vice president. October 19, 1973 - At Watergate hearings, John Dean pleads guilty to his role in cover-up. Maybe on the radio in the kitchen - Billboard Top 10: 1. Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack 2. You're So Vain - Carly Simon 3. Touch Me In The Morning - Diana Ross 4. Sing – Carpenters 5. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life - Stevie Wonder 6. Midnight Train To Georgia - Gladys Knight & The Pips 7. Daniel - Elton John 8. Papa Was A Rolling Stone - Temptations 9. My Love - Paul McCartney & Wings 10. Yesterday Once More – Carpenters On SeabrightHere's the place, on Seabright Ave., in a 2011 Google street view: Corningware bowlsI find it interesting to see the four Corningware bowls with their matching lids on the table. We have had the exact same bowls for years and still find them great for food storage and reheating food. Punch bowlI have two of those punch bowls. It is a Anchor Hocking "Star of David" design. It came with a stand and matching cups. Billy Jack and Charles KrugAs W. C. Fields might have said if he was younger, "Aaaaah, yes, I remember well those days of Charles Krug wine." It was quite cheap in those days of Billy Jack movies, Indians taking over Alcatraz and my marriage in Santa Cruz. We were so "into it", the hippie wannabees we portrayed, the gypsy lifestyle, that when my kids look at our old pictures, especially those taken in and around the Grand Canyon, dressed in Indian headbands, turquoise beads and homespun Indian shirts, they comment "that is when Mom and Dad were Indians". It cracks me up every time, because we are now really very dull, very straight, sober as judges and hating old age, but we LOVE remembering, thanks to your fabulous photos. You are doing us old fogies a huge favor. That Mexican dinner looks delicioso. I lived in Hayward thenLooks just like similar gatherings at my home! Sangria & other stuffI have similar pix and lived in similar places, albeit in Ohio in the late 60's and early 70's. Someone commented on that everyone smoked in those days, and that was true. But we smoked more than tobacco, if you know what I mean and I think you do. 1973In 1973 I was serving as one of America's Last Draftees. Inducted in August 1972, the draft ended a few months later. For the remainder of my service they loudly proclaimed having an "all-volunteer" Army. I would have gladly been discharged to make it true, but viewed from today if I hadn't have been drafted I would have just worked another 2 years in the corporate world. I really like the tupperware serving dishes, had some of those a couple of years later when I returned to college. Those were the days . . .Those were the days, my friend We thought they'd never end We'd sing and dance forever and a day We'd live the life we'd choose We'd fight and never lose For we were young and sure to have our way B+C+T+AThat looks like an outtake from "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice." Not trying to be a wet blanket, but the 70's appear to be within the living memory of almost everyone here (myself included). As much as I like Tterrace's slides, do we really need to have such recent stuff as this (the 70's) on Shorpy? If I coulda I wouldado 1973-1974 all over again. Inspite of all the world affairs garbage, it was a wonderful year for this (in 1974, that is.. ) 14 yr old kid... Thanks for posting this... I personally dig the 60s and 70s stuff.... Peace out... Viral HistoryDear Wet Blanket (anonymous tipster), The fact that the 70's are within the living memory of most Shorpy devotees (Shorparians? Shorpiites?) is precisely why they should be included and interspersed with images from throughout the brief 160-year photographic record. Imagine the knowledge about many of the photos here that was lost because there was no reliable method of capturing personal accounts of the scenes and persons depicted. Often, hastily scribbled photographer’s notes or captions produced by a bureaucrat are all Dave and Team Shorpy have to go on…along with intuition and their own impressive historical knowledge. Someday, our historian grandchildren will study Shorpy as an excellent example of viral history and assimilate the witty anecdotes found here into their telling of our times. I say let the 70’s groove on… It is very easy to bypass images that don’t interest you on this web site…just keep scrolling until you find a clingy wet wool bathing suit or street urchin or choo choo train to ogle. Goober Pea End to the rantGood for you Gooberpea. Hope this is the end of the discussion about what should or should not appear on this site. How many times we have wondered what a particular picture was all about or when or where. Future generations won't be left quite as puzzled. You Go Goober PeaI'm with Goober Pea. I love 70's photos. These could've been my older siblings. I was only a kid and what the mind remembers is vague, so seeing a moment like this brings a lot back. Besides, what's the ratio we're talking anyway? 50-1? Anyone have a shot of the movie theater lines going around the block when Jaws opened the summer of 1975? 70's Child Somewhere within spitting distnceHa! I was a student at UCSC when this picture was made. I lived on Barson Street, I think. Thanks Seabright & Murray! 1973!The corner of Seabright & Murray had no residences on it, only shops. Yet that's where we all seemed to say we lived. When the buses stopped running (remember crazed Ed the bus driver?) that's where we'd tell someone picking us up hitchhiking where we were headed. I lived three houses in from the corner, behind the laundromat. Oh, I'll never forget the night Nixon resigned -- people were dancing in the streets of Santa Cruz! Ahh Memories! Boy does that picture bring back the memories. I graduated high school in 1973 so that looks like countless parties i went to then. I know it's fashionable now to dump on the decade "me decade" and all that but I had a blast then. Cruising in my Trans Am, chasing girls, hanging with my buddies, what a time. And we moved to Santa Cruz in 1980We moved to La Selva Beach just after my sister was born. My mother was always so lovely - I'm happy to be told I look just like her. I wish she would grow her hair out again like she used to have. This is me standing behind her in Santa Cruz. CorningwareAnd the very popular 70s Corningware!! Do they even make that anymore or is it just a garage sale treasure or a "find" on E-bay! Corningware Cornflower Blue still very much available The Corningware in tterrace's picture is in the 'Cornflower Blue' pattern is still very much available. According to the Wikipedia article here, production was stopped in 2000, but restarted again in 2009. I know it's readily available in the US either in the parent company World Kitchen stores in outlet malls, or in department stores, or Amazon. Great!You forgot the guacamole, Tupperware, Corning ware, etc., very 70s! And those curtains! Especially in California for the guac, if my husband wasn’t originally from Mexico, I would’ve never known about guacamole in 1973 in NYC! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Our Man in Maynardville: 1935
... It would be another twenty years until some guy named Elvis exposed whites to what had previously been marketed as "Race Music". But ... a introduction of black music to white audiences. Elvis pretty much sang contemporary black music in a black style but being ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 4:46am -

Another view of the Tennessee Troubadour as captured by painter-photographer Ben Shahn in October 1935. View full size. More here. 35mm nitrate negative. Maynardville MusiciansLook at the incredible sign of respect and admiration of the left young guy, and the genuine dedication to the song of the players. What a picture. G chordLooks like he is using a thumb pick Hurry up! He'll be dead in 3 years.Stop screwing around with that Jimmie Rodgers crap and go find Robert Johnson! Robert Johnson??Whites in Tennessee in the thirties wouldn't dream of seeking out blacks for musical (or any other kind) of tip. (Although, the aforementioned Jimmie Rodgers certainly did learn a few licks and tricks from black musicians while working on the railroad) It would be another twenty years until some guy named Elvis exposed whites to what had previously been marketed as "Race Music". But for now, it's Jimmie Rodgers. I'm guessing those guys are jamming one of his "Blues Yodels". Maybe..... "T for Texas...T for Tennessee, T for Thelma, that little gal that made a fool outa me....." Robert Johnson?He's hiding under your bed, holding a knife. My lobtstedeklMy personal tzitzit is embroidered with the name of the Crimson Club. I have no idea where I've left them. Black influenceHank Sr., Charlie Rich, Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilly and many others all visited (snuck in) to black performances to learn blues riffs/licks. I'm sure Robert Johnson had a few emulators even if they wouldn't admit to it. Those pickers, God Bless 'emWell, some of us like Jimmie Rodgers and Robert Johnson as well as all the Hanks: Williams, Snow, Thompson, even Hank III. Keep on pickin' boys (especially those train songs) Bill Monroe had a some black influenceshttp://www.roughstock.com/history/bgrass.html I'm sure he's not the only one. They're both playing GThey're both playing G major. Bob Wills introducing black music?Katey, I understand that black music of the early 20th Century had influences in American music including Western Swing. However, I don't think that Bob Will's stuff (which is even more a reflection of Scotch Irish folk music and Western ballads) can be considered a introduction of black music to white audiences. Elvis pretty much sang contemporary black music in a black style but being white was able sweep white audiences. I would think the primary black influence on Western Swing would be the fast beat and you can find this on earlier music such as the Charleston style records of the 1920s. Hard to see Western Swing as "black music"Katey, I understand that black music of the early 20th Century had influences in American music including Western Swing. However, I don't think that Bob Will's stuff (which is even more a reflection of Scotch Irish folk music and Western ballads) can be considered a introduction of black music to white audiences. Elvis pretty much sang contemporary black music in a black style but being white was able sweep white audiences. I would think the primary black influence on Western Swing would be the fast beat and you can find this on earlier music such as the Charleston style records of the 1920s. Robert Johnson ?If you dig a little deeper you'll find your assumptions are incorrect. Bill Monroe was heavily influenced by Arnold Schwartz, a black musician. A.P.Carter traveled with Leslie Riddle on many of his song collecting trips and indeed had problems finding places for him to eat and sleep. A black person and a white person traveling together was probably no picnic back then. Famed NC fiddler Tommy Jarrell said (on his Sail Away Ladies record) that his brother learned Raleigh and Spencer from a black man. There are countless other examples. Robert Johnson???In Texas, it's well documented that Bob Wills, the guy who made Western Swing famous, was deeply influenced by black music and musicians during the thirties. He grew up working in the cotton fields and the first music he learned (apart from his family) was from the black field hands that he worked alongside. It's also been suggested that he had help in learning to play the fiddle from a black. Wills has gone on record to state that he also listened to black jazz and other black musicians and frequently added what he heard to the Western Swing mix. Elvis came along much later ~ and one of his first big hits was the Monroe tune "Blue Moon of Kentucky." It certainly wasn't Elvis who led the way in introducing black music into the mainstream. Blue Yodel #9One of the more interesting collaborations ever had to be the recording of "Blue Yodel #9" in July 1930 which featured Jimmy Rodgers and a trumpet player named Louis Armstrong, and his wife Lillian on piano. Most of these guys - the really really good ones - weren't that worried about skin colour, at least when it came to the music. Buddy, you can sure play that tune!I love this picture, yes, the young guy on the left watching his two talented friends. The guy in the middle is wonderfully full of himself, just what you need in a band. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Music, Rural America)
Hoes Before Bros: 1942
... of celebrity lookalikes Left to Right: Alfalfa, Elvis Presley, John Wayne, Mickey Rooney, Joseph Gordon-Levitt , John Travolta, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/11/2022 - 3:39pm -

February 1942. "Eleven Mile Corner, Arizona. FSA farmworkers' community. Boys learning to garden in the vocational training class. This is vocational training as provided for in the Smith-Hughes bill." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. An actual cornerHere it is at the corner of AZ 287 and 11 Mile Road in Pinal County, 11 miles from Casa Grande, Eloy, and Coolidge. Cotton was the main crop. The boy with the aviator goggles and helmet looks a little old to be strapping on a toy pistol though. Eight Boys, One Pair of GlovesWhen you're learning to garden, an early lesson is that gloves prevent blisters. By lunchtime, seven will have learned that lesson and the kid on the left will be the only one still hoeing. I triple dog dare ya!Flick’s aviator cap is worn by a boy who might give you a lickin’ if you make fun of him. Re: An actual cornerMaybe it's not a toy gun? Hybrid hoerWe've all heard of the ideal of the citizen-statesman; here's an aviator-cowboy from the forties. A real-life Buckaroo Banzai. I Can Name Three -- Guess which "Bros" they are.John Wayne, Slip Mahoney, and Smilin' Jack! (Hint, Saturday afternoon movies and Sunday comics, the 1940s) Biggest guyGets to rake. Not for longThis charming photo actually represents something that anti-New Deal conservatives hated -- farmers in communities, working together under expert guidance to improve their lot. The Farm Security Administration and its photo unit were under attack from their formation in 1937. In February 1942 all was in transition. The unit's head, Roy Stryker, was encouraging his photographers to supplement their documentary mission with positive and patriotic American images. With these eight boys, Russell Lee found a way to combine the emphases. Eight months after this, the photo unit was moved into the Office of War Information. The next year it was disbanded. Thought bubbles?This would be a fun photo to add thought bubbles to! I won't take the time to do them all, but I can imagine one thinking, Jeez my sis gets to do Home Ec (and he grows up to be a trans woman), another wishing he was on a horse, another wants to be a preacher, one a soldier, etc. Great faces! There's good money in ho'inLet's finish this up so we can meet the dames back at the ham shack! Early versions of celebrity lookalikesLeft to Right: Alfalfa, Elvis Presley, John Wayne, Mickey Rooney, Joseph Gordon-Levitt , John Travolta, Steve McQueen and Jim Parsons. Now appearing at the Dunes in Vegas In the Top Five ...of the greatest all-time Shorpy titles from our Potentate of Puns. Just the implementI have a hoe that my great-grandmother used. How many years she used it I have no idea but the blade is worn down to about the size of a large serving spoon and the handle is worn to about half its original diameter where her hands gripped it. A lasting memory is going to see Granny after church and there she would be in the garden with the hoe and wearing one of those old fashioned sun bonnets like the logo for Old Dutch Cleanser. It's going to be a very long while… before you see another dude in a double breasted jacket hoeing a row. And a well-earned tip of the hat to Dave for yet another exemplary feat of lexical dexterity. Future ...Accountant, Baseball Player, Farmer, Actor, Homesteader, Outlaw, Mechanic, Lawyer. There is such a flatness to this pictureAnd yet you can see for miles and miles. If this weren't on Shorpy, I'd suspect these eight characters were photoshopped into that field. Or they were placed in front of a stage backdrop for the original photograph. Russell Lee took an interesting picture. Knowledge is power These kids certainly know where all the bodies are buried. I hope they use it to their advantage. Trust me I like them all -- a lot, especially the one with the aviator goggles and holster -- but the third young man from the left is everything. Second from leftThat's one handsome rake there! What's the DealWhat are the reasons that conservatives like to hate on the New Deal? (The Gallery, Agriculture, Kids, Russell Lee)
In the Building: 1956
... Harrington along with writer Gereon Zimmerman picked up Elvis' tour in Detroit that May and followed him to Columbus and Dayton before ... 1956, I was 17 years old and part of the crowd that ran Elvis out of the KC Municipal auditorium. You can find the old KC Star article ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/14/2013 - 12:33am -

May 1956, in the field house at University of Dayton, in the presence of The One. 35mm negative by Phillip Harrington for Look magazine. View full size. The young man thinks,"What's he got that I don't? LookHarrington along with writer Gereon Zimmerman picked up Elvis' tour in Detroit that May and followed him to Columbus and Dayton before heading to Memphis. They were joined by another pair in Dayton that included Marvin Israel doing a piece for Seventeen magazine that also followed them to Memphis. Many of Harrington's photos were published, but none of the ones you've recently posted. These are great! Here is the piece they did for Look http://scottymoore.net/Look1956.html Who Cares!The girls, as usual, are ecstatic, but the expression on the guy's face seems to say: "Eh! So What!" ConvertedGirl in the cat-eye frames looks like she's ready to yank her cross off her neck and fling herself at The King. This picture brings back memoriesOn May 24, 1956, I was 17 years old and part of the crowd that ran Elvis out of the KC Municipal auditorium. You can find the old KC Star article here. http://scottymoore.net/kansascity.html Those were the days. Sunday, May 27at either the 3 or 8 o'clock show. (The Gallery, Elvis 1956, Phillip Harrington)
The Goode Mansion: 1939
... and the decor was gold linoleum and black-velvet Elvis paintings. Brought tears to my eyes. Bleachers I like those front ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 4:41pm -

Lawrence County, Alabama, 1939. "Freeman Goode Mansion (Mrs. William Skeggs estate). Town Creek vicinity. House built 1821 by the Rev. Turner Saunders." 8x10 acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Veneer Jack ArchesThe jack arches in question are little more than an ornamental veneer in this particular house. A close look at the failed masonry above the basement window opening (at the far left) show that regular courses of brick constitute the remaining depth of the wall; the jack arch is only one brick deep and essentially a veneer. The bulk of the wall rests not upon a lintel, but upon a de facto lintel which in reality is the head jamb of the window. Regardless, it is an incredible house, and I'm happy that it still survives (though the white foundation and black trim ARE depressing). An amazing ruinAnd it is still there, although not in the kind of shape we usually see when visitors are invited in for tea and to view the architecture. I am enjoying these photos of the decaying South. People there seem reluctant to do tear-downs. It is to their credit. ExploringAs a kid I remember going through old abandoned homes and buildings. It was a lot of fun. My kids don't get to do that, nor do they want to. On my job, from time to time I get to look around in old abandoned dwellings and businesses. I think I am more afraid today then when I was a kid (crackheads, snakes, & rats), but I still enjoy it. This One SurvivesOddly enough, its condition in 2010 is not that much improved from 1939. http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=32772 The thing about these F.B. Johnston pictures is that they always make the house appear quite a bit larger than it actually is. RottenAnd that, children, is why you don't construct a lintel out of wood. Still standing after all these yearsThe mansion is "currently known as the Goode-Hall House, also known as Saunders Hall, in Lawrence County, Alabama. It is an example of the kind of vernacular classicism that a talented amateur with access to some architectural books could produce for a local builder to follow. The house was sold to Freeman Goode on Feb 12, 1844. There is a room with a dirt floor that is called 'the dungeon' by locals. It has bars on the windows and chains on the wall. There is also a brick-floored kitchen in the basement where the slaves are said to have cooked the meals." (swiped off Wikipedia) House of SpiritsI grew up not very far from here. The mid-South has lots and lots of old, dilapidated homes that stand to this day and I used to explore these type places with my family and friends. They would make your skin crawl because you could almost feel the former owners hovering around, protective of their worldly domain. Not responsibleSure we can powerwash your house Mrs. Skeggs. However, I need you to sign a release form because of possible structure collapse. If Walls Could Talkwhat stories they would tell. Jack archesThe failing masonry openings have no lintel but rather rely on brick jack arches. These arches are the least strong amongst all the other kinds known and will definitely fail under excessive loads or even moderate loading if not built very carefully. Notice the architectural details constructed from butted boards -- how the wood has shrunk up over time leaving very wide gaps. Also some of the boards are terribly wide and knotless. Inverse arches as lintelsInteresting the use of inverse or upside-down arches as lintels. I recall this also being used on the brick fort in Charleston, which was placed on a very unstable foundation -- the inverse arch is designed to spread the load across the bottom (or top) of the arch. I toured this housea few years back. It was divided into apartments and the decor was gold linoleum and black-velvet Elvis paintings. Brought tears to my eyes. BleachersI like those front steps. They look like something I could build. Curb AppealIt appears as though someone made some repairs after 1939, including the front steps and a paint job, and then let the house go to seed again. Perhaps an enterprising real estate agent attempted to improve curb-appeal and failed to make the sale. This is where i liveI sit here and have looked at a few of the comments.The house is alot better shape than most of you may think.Me and my family live in it now and are working to make it more desirable.it still needs alot of work but is very much livable. My ComplimentsI admire cmelson and family for even trying to keep a historic landmark like this house in living condition. What a commitment. I would love to be able to do something like that but just do not have the resources. Good luck to you and your endeavors. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
The Third Bird: 1941
... just me who thinks Cadet Peresich looks like a mix between Elvis and Ricky Nelson? (The Gallery, Agriculture, Aviation, John Collier, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2022 - 9:06am -

August 1941. "Poultry raised under FSA 'Food for Defense' program feeds Army flight trainees. Cadet E.A. Peresich Jr. takes his third helping of fried chicken. Craig Field, Southeastern Air Training Center, Selma, Alabama." Photo by John Collier, Farm Security Admin. View full size. No pinfeathers pleaseThe chicken plucker has done it's its job. Something looks like a fingernail though. Fed upCadet on the right is thinking, "If I hear just *one more* joke about chicken and my last name!" Pensive PeckThe other guy looks as if he may have gone along when John Collier took those photos of the chicken killer and electric plucker. Perhaps Pensive Peck is PickyWhile Cadet E.A. Peresich Jr. takes his third helping of fried chicken, Cadet Peck appears to have sampled two pieces and not finished either. As difficult as it is for an old southern boy like me to believe ... not everyone loves fried chicken. The day new Army buddies metThere were no Pedersens, Peels, Peglers, Peltons, Pembrokes, Penlands, or Peppers in line. Eugene Peresich 1920-2015From Cadet Peresich's obituary: He became a flight instructor at Cochran Field in Macon, GA, training pilots of England's Royal Air Force. During WWII he served as a B-17 pilot and squadron commander in the 457th Heavy Bombardment Group stationed in Glatton, England, and flew 28 missions over France and Germany. Among other commendations, Lt. Col. Peresich was awarded the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Croix de Guerre with the Star of Valor. In the era of good cooks, not chefsAs a 69 yo Louisianian I can tell you that is how southern fried chicken ought to be fried -- light egg wash tossed in seasoned plain flour and fried in a cast iron skillet in lard until extra, extra crispy where you can actually gnaw off some of the crunchy rib bones. Served with biscuits, creamed potatoes, canned peas and chicken gravy made from the drippings and the seasoned flour. Today's chicken chains make the batter too thick resulting in fried dough adhered to flaccid chicken skin. And although they cook the chicken through, they don't go that extra few minutes to get the whole piece crunchy. And don't get me started on the ginormous sized birds we have today! [When you're cooking for a hundred men, no skillets. You use the "Frialator." - Dave] Teen idol combo cloneIs it just me who thinks Cadet Peresich looks like a mix between Elvis and Ricky Nelson? (The Gallery, Agriculture, Aviation, John Collier, WW2)
The Young Moderns: 1952
... and they'll be talking about how perfectly dreadful that Elvis guy is. Missing I had assumed that the photographer is the husband ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/21/2013 - 8:40pm -

Alfresco dining on the patio circa 1952 in this unlabeled Kodachrome. Do I hear Brubeck on the hi-fi? Third in the "Linda" series of 35mm slides. View full size. Comparing wristwatchesI was looking at the watch on the woman's wrist in the Lil Boomer photo and was wondering if it was the same watch as on the wrist of the woman on the right in this photo. Difficult to tell. https://www.shorpy.com/node/14453 Mid-century masters of good livingSlay me now -- this is gorgeous. Atomic wire end tables, Dansk salad bowl (on its own wire stand "for tossing" beautifully patinaed!!) The hand-painted earthenware, paired with silverware, a silver salver and condiment set; and to top it off, crystal wine glasses. It's a casual meal though, given that the Heinz ketchup bottle is actually on the table. What a setting. Love it! [Also note the wine bottles and caddy on the end table at right. -Dave] ProofThat there was color back in the black and white 1950s. Style notesThe roman brick on the house suggests a modern design, long and low, possibly with overhanging eaves. I hope we get to see it later in the "Linda" series. Also, the couple across the table illustrates that, unless you're on the same bowling team, it has never been a good idea for spouses to dress alike. Upscale crowdWine, suit & tie for an outdoor meal, real silverware, nice china instead of paper plates, well groomed all around, jazz would seem more likely than pop music. Give it about four more years and they'll be talking about how perfectly dreadful that Elvis guy is. MissingI had assumed that the photographer is the husband of the woman in the light green dress and that the young wine drinker in the plaid shirt is the unattached guest invited to dinner. By the way, I do appreciate the individual components listed by Deborah, but I’m not as enthusiastic about how it all comes together. I find the wineglasses especially clunky and under-sized. But then the US was not a heavy-duty wine-drinking nation back in the fifties. A+ for effort, though. [Those "wineglasses" are goblets. - Dave] That Red Plaid ShirtI had one just like it a few years after this photo was taken. It scared away most girls and all but the toughest dogs. Slay me now, indeed!Slay me now -- this is gorgeous. Atomic wire end tables... Absolutely! I was two years old then, but - even if my assessments are too rosy and not really true - I see these folks and envy their confidence, the lives they would have in the coming decade (1957 Chevy Nomads!!!), technological devleopments like stereo and color TV. And let me pretend the gent on the close end of the table was an amateur radio operator and was about to buy an E.F. Johnson single sideband transmitter and Viking Desktop Kilowatt!!! In Good HandsI believe the gentleman in the suit and tie is trying to sell them insurance. Missing persons.I see that there are two empty places -- one might be the photographer, so who is the odd one out? If it were two couples hosting a visitor, fine, but is it two women or a man and a woman who are away from the table? I'm guessing the man of the house has his back to us, his wife was sitting to his left, serving the wine and taking the photo, and the other missing person could be the woman on the right's husband, or the wife of the newly arrived guest who still has his travel suit on. [There are six people in this photo -- three men and three women, with one Missing Person. - Dave] Won't hurt a bitIs that a vaccination scar on her left arm? Dress codeI'm nostalgic for the days when men wore coats and ties even for informal gatherings. I've been doing it lately myself; I'm trying to start a revolution. It's not working. All that happens is that I get assailed with sarcastic comments. Comments from people who are wearing their pajamas in public, or who look like an unmade bed. RelationshipsI think we have in-laws and newlyweds. Red shirt guy is unmarried brother-in-law. Home is probably that of the photographer; unless he was a particularly obsessive camera-bug, he wouldn't have lugged the Leica along to a casual dinner party, but just went inside to grab it for the shot. Wine: What it is, how to use itThese people were not just on a patio but on the cusp of a trend. Ad from 1953. Click to embiggen. Three Couples and a SalesmanI am guessing that the "photographer is the husband of one of the two ladies on the right side of the table, probably the woman in the green dress. The woman hidden behind her is either her daughter or the husband or sister of the fellow in the red shirt. As someone mentioned earlier the odd man out in the suit and tie is probably a salesman, most likely selling insurance. Within ReachIt's a testament to the enduring power of midcentury style, or at least its resurgence in popularity, that very little in this 60-year-old photograph would be out of place in a contemporary design magazine--although the young man with the buzz cut is missing de rigueur wispy facial hair. The lowly Heinz bottle has earned its place as a kind of Platonic ideal. Another yarn.The missing person is a professor--of physics maybe?--who is taking the shot. The woman in the green dress is his wife. The man in the suit is a visiting foreign professor, escaped from Hungary maybe? The other four at the table are graduate students and their wives/fiancee's. The brick work and the maple/beech woods say this is a new modern subdivision in East Lansing Michigan. The professor and his wife were originally from New York City, he got his PhD at Columbia, and they continue to vacation on Cape Cod every summer. It all makes sense. Family tree and other thoughts, WatsonIt is funny that we're all trying to figure this group out. These are part of the "Linda Kodachromes" (So only Dave knows for sure) But I'm going to have at it anyway. Look back again at the little girl's birthday. She's related in looks particularly to the older woman in the green dress and the younger woman in blue denim. So I think that's mother and daughter/granddaughter (little baby girl). I think the woman in the green dress is the wife/mother of the house. She's also on the lounge in the picture with the baby (re: watch on wrist). The father would then be (age-wise) the man in the suit. Dinnertime in the summer, he'd be coming home from his city job just in time for an evening meal outside. I think his older son has his back to us (hair color, hairline, size). The other woman hidden from our view may be a mother-in-law or married to the son. I see a touch of lighter hair and it's frizzier. The two at the end may be siblings or friends, but not married (he's not wearing a ring, she's young) plus they have the same nose as the lady in green. The table setting speaks to some depth, time and money in the household. Modern artistic dishes, real silver from the '30s (family pieces or wedding gifts?) and the goblets are older as well. Two bottles of wine with dinner, which for some reason I keep thinking is fish. Perhaps the whites been drunk already and the red is a dessert wine. The whole setting speaks to an established style infused with modern. Now to the photographer. This person's place is the only one with a glass of water. Suggesting someone too young to drink. The photo also suggests someone who is not adept at photography at all. No one is ready for this shot, all are turned away. It's definitely a quick snap. Also, he/she is not that tall. One more thing: This is a rooftop "patio," a found space. It's up at least atop a first story (above a garage at the back of the building. See tree height). It's quite tight (table angle, position of photographer). The building's windows & "roman" brick style suggest an urban/city home environment. That's all I got. Will we ever know? Patio space, sunken rec room and trees down the hillMy guess is that it isn't rooftop space but a small patio against the back of the house in a small suburban backyard. The edge of the cement/concrete "floor" beyond the wine bottles has a few sprigs of grass and a sandy space between the concrete and the top of a retaining wall. On the retaining wall is a railing; but there is a break in the railing between Dad and The Daughter in Blue. Perhaps a walk-through to the yard or steps down to the yard? There's another sandy space in the yard beyond the railing then there seems to be a break off to a darker area. My guess is there's an embankment or depression or wooded hillside where the trees are rooted below the level of the patio. That might explain why they give the appearance of the patio being higher than it is. The trees are actually lower. Oh, and the windows are probably to a rec room or basement that is also lower than the patio level. Reminds me of my aunt & uncle's yard in Cincinnati near Ault Park. Mom doesn't seem to have touched her wine, nor has her bench mate to her right. And I found the juxtaposition of ketchup on the table with wine, silverware and decent china to be less than de rigueur. Ah, well. (Linda Kodachromes)
Daily Eagle: 1916
... In Houston there was a bar called the Velvet Elvis that featured a cheesy painting on velvet from Mexico of the King. His ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 6:10pm -

1916. "Brooklyn Daily Eagle." The newspaper's Washington bureau at 608 14th Street N.W. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. The ResidentsHoly Kiss of Flesh, I see an eyeball light hanging over the door. FortuneIs that one of those fortune telling machines below the Tait & Co. sign? I need super-visionDoes the lower lettering on the optician's door really say "Krypton Lenses"? Also, I can't quiet make out the lettering on the sign above the Tait's sign -- "Hunt's Men's ___"? [The signs are for the Hunt's News Bureau and Kryptok Lenses. - Dave] Cars, Steps, SignsAnother great shot full of period details. That's a 1915 or 1916 Ford on the right. I wonder where that eagle figure is today? And I love those (cast iron?) steps. Lots of "collectibles" like the signs and the thermometer, too. Wonderful things. Gatsbyesque Glasses exactly like those of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg's are in the window. Also, what fun it would be to read the menu of La Parisienne to see the prices. Efficiency!I can buy some insurance; sell my house; advertise in the newspaper; get my hat blocked, my suit pressed, and my shoes shined, and my glasses fixed; and cap the day off with a nice roast at La Parisienne. Who needs the mall? Mystery of the Hatter SignThe "Victoria Hatters" sign seems to have been changed--in both instances--as though someone was correcting a misspelling, or maybe a previous name. I can make out another letter beneath the "O"in the bigger sign. I wonder what the story is behind that? Blocking HatsI was just thinking the other day how hard it was getting to be to find a good hat blocker. Victrola AgainThat seems probable; the spacing between the I and A is big enough for the horizontal line on a capital L, which has since been removed/hidden. [That looks like an E under the O. Which would rule out Victrola. - Dave] VictrolaI believe it first said "Victrola." Brooklyn Daily EagleThe Brooklyn Public Library has digitized the 1841-1902 Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Fascinating reading! Mad HatterI wonder if you could get you hat cleaned and blocked at Victoria's? I don't think their signs mention it. The SpecialistSo it wasn't just anyone doing hat cleaning and blocking. It was Steve Diamond! Photographic Services?Do you think the sign along the bottom of the window of the optical business may advertise photographic services? Is this a sideline of the optical business or of the newspaper (could fit either)? [The sign says "photographic supplies." - Dave] Zoom please?Can we get a close up of the eyeball sign? I can't make out what it says around the eyeball. ["Geo. A. Baker." - Dave] Sign TheoryI would guess that it may have been a foreign surname that was painted over to anglicize it to Victoria. The weird spacing of the I and A may indicate the I was carved out of an L or something? In Houston there was a bar called the Velvet Elvis that featured a cheesy painting on velvet from Mexico of the King. His estate sued and the court ruled in its favor. The bar rearranged the letters to the extent possible and it is now called the Velvet Melvin. Suits PressedI guess you have to wait in your skivvies while they press 'em. Walt WhitmanAmong the many distinguished names associated with the Brooklyn Eagle was Walt Whitman, editor from 1846 to 1848. This was years before Leaves of Grass. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Stores & Markets)
Stage Door: 1956
May 27, 1956. Dayton, Ohio. Elvis Presley with his cousin Gene Smith backstage at the University of Dayton ... Library of Congress archive. - Dave] (The Gallery, Elvis 1956, Phillip Harrington) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/17/2013 - 11:38pm -

May 27, 1956. Dayton, Ohio. Elvis Presley with his cousin Gene Smith backstage at the University of Dayton field house, on the threshold of superstardom. 35mm negative by Phillip Harrington for Look magazine. View full size. Awesome.And they keep coming. Can't get enough of thesePlease keep them coming. How many more are there? And how did you acquire them? [Dozens more. They're part of the Library of Congress archive. - Dave] (The Gallery, Elvis 1956, Phillip Harrington)
Christmas in Columbus: 1955
... in urban planning then. Blue Christmas Is that Elvis with an electric guitar under the Kress awning performing Blue Christmas? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/10/2022 - 10:45am -

December 1955. Columbus, Georgia. "Christmas decorations on Broadway." 4x5 inch acetate negative from the Shorpy News Photo Archive. View full size. TimingNice hand alignment, Mr. Schomburg! 10:54:24 Can't see the Kress for the treesJimmy's Jewelers, at 1121 Broadway is where ?mburg Jeweler was in December 1955. The S.H. Kress & Co. storefront is still there; but the building is gone and all that's left is a parking lot assessable from Front Ave, the next street over. Lots of trees line Broadway between 11th and 12th Streets now and there is still a good amount of retail, especially restaurants. It looked nice in 1955 and looks nice now. [As noted below, the jeweler's name is on the clock. - Dave] Yes it is - Schomburg. Thanks. Good buy, ColumbusKress was - of course (?) - known for its Art Deco buildings erected during the Depression; but Columbus seems to have had to make do with an older yellow brick storefront. Can't see the city for the trees nowMy first job out of college was as a reporter at The Columbus Ledger on 12th Street. I must have walked past that Kress's 500 times on the way to the Government Center as the paper's government reporter and for lunch at Spano's. But there was not a tree in sight in the early '70s, so it looked about like it did in the mid-'50s. I've seen Shorpy photos of Augusta, Ga., my home town, and it is a carbon copy of Columbus, only flipped, with the river walk on the east in Augusta and on the west in Columbus. And Augusta's downtown, too, has been taken over by trees in the past 50 years. I guess that was the trend in urban planning then. Blue ChristmasIs that Elvis with an electric guitar under the Kress awning performing Blue Christmas? [Or an acoustic mandolin. - Dave] Forward in TimeThe great clock moved with the store to the north side of town. Lincoln CapriVery nice 1954 Lincoln Capri parked at the curb. White, with a dark (black probably?) top, wide white sidewall tires, and a very slick rear-mounted spare tire. The 1950's were a little schizophrenic about car design. Mid-50's were pretty good, but by the time 1959 rolled around, it was all about wildly oversized fins, trunks and hoods you could land a small plane on, and wheelbase that was out of control. But this 1954 model is an example of some of the best mid-decade design there was. That Lincoln... is stunning. Angling for Details I was immediately drawn into this wonderful shot because of the photo angle & amount of detail provided - including by other commenters. Love everything vintage, so I appreciate the car, building & location information shared. The personal stories & memories are the icing on the cake. (The Gallery, Christmas, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive, Stores & Markets)
Young Custer: 1865
... Custer is one of those people like Lincoln, Hitler, and Elvis, whose appearance is so distinctive and so often parodied, that whenever ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 8:14am -

"Major General George Armstrong Custer, officer of the Federal Army" circa 1865. Wet plate glass negative, studio of Mathew Brady. View full size. Four Good YearsCuster's Civil War career is one of the most amazing of just about any officer on either side of the war. Graduated last in his West Point class in 1861 and four years later he was a Major General. In this picture he is at most 25 years old. FrecklesWas good George a redhead, or a strawberry blonde. Must have been tough having skin that sensitive and then having an outdoor career. BlondeCuster was very much a blonde. He was of German heritage although by this time the family had been in American for about 200 years. During his western campaigns against the Cheyenne and the Sioux, they called him "Yellow Hair" and "Son of the Morning Star." Of course later photos don't show any sign of this sort of freckling so presumably those photos had been retouched. Custer's HairI'm not sure to Plains Indians that a blond vs. a strawberry blond/light red head wouldn't both yield a nickname that we might translate as "yellow hair." The freckles sure point towards a possible redhead. I will see if I can scan through some biographies. Thanks. G&S & G.A.C.He is the very model of a modern major general. Print some facts about thisPrint some facts about this guy already. He's not a hero of any discription description, was humiliated more than once and seems to have been reckless beyond reason. [Hm. Someone at Toronto City Hall seems to have a Custer fetish. - Dave] Custer ImpersonatorTo my eyes, Custer is one of those people like Lincoln, Hitler, and Elvis, whose appearance is so distinctive and so often parodied, that whenever I see a picture of the real thing I tend to react to it the same way I would if it was an impersonator. G. A. Custer...My grandmother told us stories of her grandmother and great-aunts having known him socially in his Michigan years. They said he was pompous, that he "fancied himself a bit too much" and they didn't like him. We have two interesting photographs of him before his war years in a very old photo and autograph album, and his expression seems to back up what my grandmother was told. (The Gallery, Civil War, Mathew Brady, Portraits, Public Figures)
[1]23next ›last »
Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.