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Liliputian Bazaar: 1908
... Sixth Avenue." Two landmark skyscrapers on view -- the Flatiron Building at right and Metropolitan Life tower going up at left. At No. ... close to the intersection of 23rd, just before the Flatiron, #14 West 23rd Street, is the childhood home of Edith Wharton. It's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 12:54pm -

New York circa 1908. "West 23rd Street from Sixth Avenue." Two landmark skyscrapers on view -- the Flatiron Building at right and Metropolitan Life tower going up at left. At No. 62: The Best & Co. "Liliputian Bazaar." View full size. +98Below is the same view from April of 2006. Who needs Madame Tussauds,Who needs Madame Tussauds, we have the Eden Musee!!! Edith WhartonOne of those two buildings close to the intersection of 23rd, just before the Flatiron, #14 West 23rd Street, is the childhood home of Edith Wharton. It's got a Starbucks on the ground floor now. She would have been 48 when this picture was taken -- long gone, I guess. Up those stairs with you women!Who said chivarly was prevalent way back when? Excuse me, ladies restaurant upstairs?? World of WaxThe Eden Musee on the left side was a famous wax museum. http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2010/12/lost-eden-musee-wonders-of... Tilt-turn windowsThose are pretty cool. Gives those buildings are real cutting edge modern design not to be seen for 30 more years. Best & Co.was founded in 1879 by Albert Best as the Liliputian Bazaar, with clothing for babies and children. Inventory was later expanded to include women’s clothing and accessories. The original store was located on 23rd Street at 6th Avenue. By 1966 there were 20 branch stores in the eastern United States. It went out of business in 1971. The Name Says It AllThe Liliputian Bazaar sells children's and baby clothes. Just down the block from meView Larger Map Best & Co.The first incarnation of Best & Co., was founded in 1879, in New York City by Albert Best, as the Liliputian Bazaar. It initially focused on babies and children outfitting, but later expanded to women's clothing and accessories. It was known for its "tastefully styled and proper women's clothes and its sturdy children's wear." It operated from 1879 to 1971. (The Gallery, DPC, Flatiron Building, NYC, Streetcars)
Ready for Occupancy May 1904
... same outfit that built the Times Building also built the Flatiron building. I know one poster here had mistaken this building for the Flatiron (on 23rd Street). George A. Fuller is the man considered the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 10:11am -

New York circa 1903. "New York Times building under construction." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Half-OffIs that the granddaddy half-price theater ticket kiosk? Gone to Pot!Look at all the potholes!, and, I thought they were a more-modern phenomenon brought on by the horseless carriage. Thank You again for another great photo from long ago. Solves a puzzleI have always been curious as to what that building really looked like without all of the electric signs and billboards globbed around it. Though I have been there a few times, didn't realize the building was that narrow. A famous unknownThis has been described it as the most famous building in America whose architecture is completely unknown. It was apparently the second tallest building in the world when it was constructed. It was gutted and stripped in the 1960s, losing all ornamentation and most tenants above the first floor due to the high costs costs associated with installing a central air-conditioning system, and was restyled as a boring concrete and marble structure with few windows. Today it's a giant billboard, but makes more money than if it were fully rented. It can be glimpsed in the film Taxi Driver, when only the Zipper was on the building. [One side note -- when it opened, 1 Times Square was the second tallest building in Manhattan (after the Park Row building), not the world. There are many cathedrals, hundreds of years old, taller than 375 feet. - Dave] PBR in 1903!Did not know there was Pabst Blue Ribbon back that far. Very cool. Underground PaperArchitecturally, the NYT tower was a mixed bag ("inspired by the Campanile of Giotto at Florence"). It was more interesting structurally. The basement excavation went 60 feet below curb level, with 2,500 tons of presses in the sub-subbasement, whose floor area was three times that of the street-level footprint -- the underground levels ballooned out past the boundaries of the tower the farther down you went. I wonder what all that subterranean space is used for now. The TenderfootRichard Carle's musical play "The Tenderfoot" (poster partially obscured by the streetcar) opened in Chicago in 1903, and was also made into a movie with Joe E. Brown and Ginger Rogers in 1932. Times Building / Allied ChemicalThe Allied Chemical Building on One Times Square inaugurated in 1965 after "modernisation" of the old 1904-05 Times Tower. A rare picture without any billboards on the building. (Thanks to Wired New York) LogisticsWonderful photo! I wonder what kind of vehicles were used for delivery of steel beams for the construction back then? And looks like there was no enough space to store them, so apparently builders had to lift them up right from the vehicle. Second tallest, but not for lack of tryingThe owners of the Times Tower (362 feet high) sought to gain an edge over the reigning record holder, the Park Row Building (391 feet), by two methods: 1) Measuring from the lowest subbasement to the top of the flagpole (476 feet); 2) Because Times Square is at a higher elevation than downtown Manhattan, the Times Tower "scraped higher clouds" than its downtown competitor. I guess that's all the news that's fit to print. Fuller Construction Co.The same outfit that built the Times Building also built the Flatiron building. I know one poster here had mistaken this building for the Flatiron (on 23rd Street). George A. Fuller is the man considered the father of the modern skyscraper, and in fact the Flatiron Building was originally named the Fuller Building. FlooredCan anyone tell me how the floors were constructed in buildings of this era? It looks like there are wooden planks laid down over the steel floor support members. Was concrete then poured over this sub-flooring? Theatre of VarietiesHere's a link to the history of Oscar Hammerstein's Victoria Theatre, visible on the far right ("Theatre of Varieties"). Built in 1899, gone by 1916 or so. Houdini, Irving Berlin and Will Rogers performed there. The forum comments are interesting for any NY theatre buff. More detailsI love the four tilting windows over the entrance of that building just up from the Theatre of the Varieties. I wonder if the William Collier on the posters lining the side of the Tenderfoot building is this guy. I think that building is what eventually became the Times Square Army recruitment site. Funny to see Times Square looking so simple and small town. Given the theme park it's turned into, I kind of prefer this one. With the help of photoshopI was able to distort these two signs. The big sign says "the new building of the new york times in this site will be made for occupancy in ___ 1904". can anyone make sans of what the small sign says? [The title of this blog post, above the photo, might fill in one of those blanks. - Dave] No need for PhotoshoppeThat small sign appears to have the same text as the lowest sign on the end of the building. William CollierAKA Willie Collier - Looking at the posters closely you can barely make out "Charles Frohman Presents" on the Collier poster to the left of the playbill posted for "The Tenderfoot." Which makes this play THE DICTATOR which, according to IBDB.com opened at the Criterion Theater on April 4, 1904 (barely legible on the left hand posters) and closed May 30, 1904. Looking down the street you can see that THE TWO ORPHANS was playing at the New Amsterdam Theater - Mar 28, 1904 - May 1904. Richard Carle's THE TENDERFOOT was at the New York Theater Feb 22, 1904 - Apr 30, 1904. Which I think may place this photo solidly in 1904 because these don't look to be coming attractions? Interesting that the building is scheduled for occupancy in May of 1904. As a sidebar - one of Willie's young co-stars in THE DICTATOR was John Barrymore who in 1904 would have been a callow 22 years old. According to "The Film Acting of John Barrymore" By Joseph W. Garton, Collier was an intimate family friend of Barrymore's father Maurice and was to be Barrymore's informal theatrical mentor for several years starting in 1903. Two years later, on April 18, 1906, Mr. Barrymore in San Francisco on tour with THE DICTATOR would be thrown from his bed into the bathtub by another event frequently chronicled by Shorpy. One amusing account has him doing his bit by serving cognac to his fellow survivors in front of the St. Francis Hotel. In 1915, a 30-something Barrymore starred in the title role of THE DICTATOR in the silent film version produced by Frohman and Adolph Zukor of the Famous Players Film Company. Floor archesAnswer to a two year old question: they used hollow tile terra cotta floor arches then poured concrete over top. Quick questionIs this view looking south or looking north? [South. -tterrace] (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Read All About It: 1903
... Street (less than a block west of the not-yet-completed Flatiron building). It looks like there is still a newsstand there, next to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 5:35pm -

New York circa 1903. "A characteristic sidewalk newsstand." Who can help us date these period periodicals? Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Racy CoverWas a bit surprised at the provocative pose on the cover of Vanity Fair. I figured a more conservative display given the times. ElevatedAs soon as I saw this photo, I thought of a Martin Lewis print from the early 1930's that I have hanging on my living room wall. I wonder if it's the same station? In any case, both are great images. Scientific AmericanThe two Scientific Americans are the Dec. 13 and Dec. 20, 1902, issues. "Sunset"is the November 1902 issue. Tastes Good Because It Is GoodAn adman in 1903 had a damn easy job. "Figaro Illustré"Above the guy with the hands in his pockets to the right, "Figaro Illustré" is the December 1902 issue. http://www.journaux-collection.com/fiche.php?id=356185 The Art of WarThe art print in the center is of British soldiers fighting in the Boer War. ArgosyThe Argosy on the lower right (below "Success") is the January 1903 issue. Harper'sI know that Aram identified the Harper's Magazine as being dated Oct. 4, 1902. But I found the same cover dated Jan. 3, 1903. [Harper's used the Statue of Liberty cover a number of times. - Dave] Poetic gelatinI don't have anything to share about the magazines, except to marvel at the variety available. I would like to know how Knox Gelatine can turn a "prosy" dinner into a poem. Because everything tastes better when it's gelatinous? "Success"The January 1903 issue. Florodora CigarsDo you think that is Evelyn Nesbit pictured on the cigar sign? The timing would be right as she was a sought-after model as well as a "Florodora Girl." Harper'sThe Harper's with the Statue of Liberty is the October 4, 1902, issue. Thank you, everyoneI have nothing to add except to note my good fortune and gratitude at finding this site. The photos are, of course, brilliant. But the background research of the commenters is both amazing and entertaining. As soon as I saw the array of magazine covers, I knew that a deluge of crowd source detail was going to flood in. I'm rarely disappointed. Thanks, everyone. I'm off to Google Street view to check out the neighborhood mentioned by jsmakbkr. The locationappears to be 23rd Street just east of Sixth Avenue, facing south and looking toward the "new" (i.e. after 1896) location of drygoods company James McCreery & Co., at 64 West 23rd Street (less than a block west of the not-yet-completed Flatiron building). It looks like there is still a newsstand there, next to the subway entrance. The McCreery building, however, is gone. Magazine of MysteryJust to the lower right of the Boer War art print is the "Magazine of Mysteries", which covered topics from pragmatic vegetarianism to divine emanations. A 1901 ad for the magazine reads: Remember the Name MAGAZINE OF MYSTERIES A Large Magazine, Beautifully Illustrated, Containing Special Articles by Adept Writers, Mystics, Astrologers and Yogis, explaining the MYSTERIES of Dreams and their Meanings, Glorified Visions, Occult Powers, Astrology, Hypnotism, Psychology, Telepathy, Psychometry, Magnetism, Soul Charming, Clairvoyance, Graphology, Palmistry, Hidden Powers, Spiritualism, etc. THE ONLY MAGAZINE OF THE KIND PUBLISHED IN THE WHOLE WORLD. THE MOST PHENOMENAL SUCCESS OF THE 20TH CENTURY. ALL are delighted with it, because it tells ALL how to get Occult or Psychic power and force, which make for Health, Wealth and Happiness. $1.00 A YEAR, 3 MONTHS FOR 25 CENTS; SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS. For sale at news stands, bookstores, hotels, and on the railroad trains, or mailed direct by the publishers. Address THE MAGAZINE OF MYSTERIES 22 North William St., New York City. On the purely physical plane, the editors recommended chewing your food 40 times before swallowing. And I always thought that was just an "I Love Lucy" gag. LifeChristmas 1902. Peel Me an AdjectiveOne has to wonder if prosy (meaning dull, ordinary, the root word for the now-common prosaic) was a common word 110 or so years ago, or if the copywriters were educated to the level that they didn't care if the general public really understood their advertising slogans. Obviously there are fads and trends in language. Humbug, for instance, was a common 19th century word, which only survives in contemporary use as part of "A Christmas Carol". Still, "changes a prosy dinner into a poem" has to be one of the worst advertising slogans ever, even by 1903 standards. Who the heck wants to EAT poetry? The Knox ad people were reading too much of it. Delightful detailsThanks Shorpy, I love this photo.. from the randomness of the social interactions and expressions of folks on the street, to the wonderful display of all those old magazines and that cute little Tutti-Frutti dispenser. Great clarity and detail. Santa ClausWhat's the magazine with Santa Claus on the cover? [It's the "Juvenile Number" of The Housekeeper. Right next to Toilette. - Dave] Rye Whiskey Rye Whiskey, Rye Whiskey I CraveAt one time Baltimore or Maryland Rye Whiskey was the choice of many, especially before Prohibition.      As a Marylander I did my civic duty and had my share of Pikesville Rye and I knew I became a man two days after my 21st birthday when I had the traditional shot of Pikesville Rye with my extended family on Christmas Day. I still keep a pint around the house for my Christmas shot and use as a cold remedy. Family lore has it that my grandfather kept all well during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic by administering ample shots to anyone with a sniffle then making them go to bed while being covered with many many many blankets. This caused the patient to sweat out the bug and thus break the fever. I tried this a few times myself and used it when traditional medicine failed. You wake in the morning feeling weak but the bug is usually gone. History of Maryland Rye. Is this the place?"Olde New York" at 00:21 in the clip. Re: ElevatedAnonymous Tipster, you are indeed fortunate to own the Martin Lewis print, "Snow on the 'El'" (1931). Here is what the book, "The Prints of Martin Lewis, A Catalogue Raisonne", by Paul McCarron, has to say about the location of the "El" in your print: "The location depicted in this print is Twenty-third Street and Sixth Avenue." (p. 174) The previous comment made by jsmakbkr is therefore correct in its identification of the location in the photo. It would appear that the "El" in your print and the "El" in the photo are one and the same. How neat. Harper's WeeklyThe issue of HARPER'S WEEKLY shown is the January 10 1903 issue. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads)
Snow Delay: 1905
... York circa 1905. "Blockaded cars on 23rd Street." With the Flatiron Building looming skyward. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing ... It's important to note that the narrow portion of the Flatiron Building faces uptown on Fifth Avenue, making this a view of West 23rd ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/24/2016 - 10:26am -

New York circa 1905. "Blockaded cars on 23rd Street." With the Flatiron Building looming skyward. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Horse gossipI saw this hot filly in Central Park pulling a smartly turned out Brewster green cutter. I'd give a nose bag of oats to meet her..... West 23rd Street looking EastIt's important to note that the narrow portion of the Flatiron Building faces uptown on Fifth Avenue, making this a view of West 23rd Street, looking East. If you don't include the avenue in your description, you have to include West or East with all numbered streets. GasLooks like a tough climb to light that lamp! [That's a carbon arc lamp, not gas. -tterrace] (The Gallery, DPC, Flatiron Building, NYC, Streetcars)
Landship Recruit: 1917
... Union Square This photo was probably taken from the Flatiron Building. If you were to stand in the same window, the image would be ... is a tremendous NYC attraction. Vantage Point The Flatiron building is at the southwest corner of Madison Square Park at 23rd ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 10:55am -

New York, 1917. "Landship Recruit on Union Square." The U.S.S. Recruit, a wooden battleship erected by the Navy, served as a World War I recruiting station at Union Square from 1917 to 1920, when it "set sail" for Coney Island. This is the first in a series of photographs depicting life around and aboard the landlocked boat. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Clever recruitment toolStanding next to a (presumably) life-sized wooden mockup of a battleship probably wowed more than a few citizens into sailorhood. Pretty clever idea for recruitment. [Plus, as we shall see, there was dancing and free medical checkups. - Dave] Union SquareThis photo was probably taken from the Flatiron Building. If you were to stand in the same window, the image would be almost perfectly unchanged, with the exception of the Empire State Building poking up in the background. Water TowerCan anyone decipher what's written on the water tower to the left of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Building? [Meyer something. Or maybe not. - Dave] Union SquareThe tall tower in the center background is the Metropolitan Life Tower that we saw a few weeks ago in another early photo. The building directly in front of it closest to the park is 33 East 17th Street, which houses a huge (for Manhattan) Barnes & Noble on its lowest three floors. That northern end of Union Square hosts a farmer's market, the Greenmarket, that attracts local farmers as vendors. It is quite popular and has great fresh produce, flowers and other products. It is well attended. However, a local restaurateur is attempting to build a high-end eatery there and has run into massive local resistance, putting the project is on hold. Union Square is a gathering place for young people, artists, anarchists, political activists, kooks and interested bystanders. It doesn't get as many tourists as it should but it is a tremendous NYC attraction. Vantage PointThe Flatiron building is at the southwest corner of Madison Square Park at 23rd Street, not Union Square at 14th. Union SquareYou might be thinking of Madison Park and 23rd st, instead of Union square and Union Square Park at 16th street. They are only a 5 or 10 minute walk apart, easy mistake. Addie A boat in the parkSome comedians joke about how men flock to building sites and here we have that cliche demonstrated. However this time, at least, it makes sense to me, a boat developing right in the middle of Union Square Park?? Wow! Addie Landship Recruit in WikipediaI was so fascinated about this photograph that I started researching the Landship Recruit. JSTOR had nothing and Google was pretty sparse, so I cobbled together what I could and made a Wikipedia page. Take a look and add to it if you are so inclined: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landship_Recruit [As you note at the end, there are a number of articles about the Recruit in the NY Times archive from 1917 to 1920. At least six that I can find. - Dave] Oops, you are correctMy brain was a little fried when I wrote that about the Flatiron. I hold by the rest, though -- all the buildings visible in this photo remain, though the Empire State Building would now be visible in the background. Missing BuildingThe "House & Garden" Travel building is gone now, a much shorter building is in its place. The photo is facing the northeast, the USS Recruit must have taken up the entire park. The WW2 version of the USS Recruit was a minesweeper (AM-285). There is also a USS Recruit which was a commissioned US Navy vessel (TDE-1) from 1949 to 1967, despite also being built on land like its namesake. It remains in place in San Diego, next to the Harbor Drive bridge over San Diego Bay. S. Cottle & Co.: New York, Silversmiths 1877-1920 Just south of Union Square Parkis a modern building housing Whole Foods, Filene's Basement, and DSW. Each store has large picture windows, and having stared out them many times myself, watching activity in the park, I have to guess that where that building stands now was also the vantage point from which this photo of the Recruit was taken. Which means if any of your NY-based readers are so inclined, they could take a photo of the area from that building to show us how similar the view is today. I'd happily do it myself if I still lived in New York. I'll bet the Armynever built a replica of WWI trench warfare as a recruiting tool. USS Recruit San DiegoThere was/is a USS Recruit at the former San Diego training center. She is essentially concrete, on land and I trained on her. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, G.G. Bain, NYC, WWI)
That Toddlin Town: 1900
... the George A. Fuller Company, which later built the Flatiron Building in New York as its corporate headquarters. No such thing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/12/2012 - 5:55am -

September 1, 1900. Chicago, Illinois. "Madison Street east from Fifth Avenue." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Cable CarsBack in the late 1800s, Chicago had a cable car system. My great-grandfather was an engine house engineer for it. MY GOSH!!! the detail is amazing...These are without a doubt my FAVORITE type of Shorpy pics. The clarity and detail found in these 100 year old photos blows me away. Its so easy to imagine walking this street. I'd love to see what it looked like in color (but I must say, I prefer the B&W). I wonder what it smelled like? Question about the Fire.I'm curious to know if this area was destroyed by the Chicago fire. Horse & ElectricInteresting to note that one track is electrified while the other is for horsecars. The view todayThe photo must have been shot from atop the El. Here's the current view from Fifth (now Wells Street) looking east along Madison: View Larger Map Who Says?There's no such thing as a free lunch? It's not only free, it's HOT. You can even get an night lunch, according to the sign. Tacoma BuildingThe tall building on the left is the Tacoma Building of Holabird and Roche, built 1887-1889 and demolished in 1929. It was the first skyscraper designed by the firm, and it used to be described as the first skyscraper - period. (That honor is now disputed among several other buildings in Chicago and New York.) The Tacoma was also the first large building built by a general contractor, the George A. Fuller Company, which later built the Flatiron Building in New York as its corporate headquarters. No such thingRight next door to Vogelsang's restaurant (which presumably does NOT give it away), there is a sign advertising "Free Hot Lunch." I wonder what you had to do to qualify. Listen to a sermon? Make a long-distance telephone call? It must have been something. Because, you know the saying ... Wells to FifthMy first thought was there is no Fifth Avenue in Chicago. But I found that Wells Street was renamed Fifth in 1870 and back to Wells in 1916. What time is it?The hands of the clock in the building tower in the distance (Middle left) show the SAME TIME as the jewelry store clock in the lower right, even though the hands on the jewelry store clock are obviously PAINTED ON! Weird coincidence! [It's 3:40 by the tower clock. At the jeweler's it's always 8:17. - Dave] Billiards & bedsWhere would you stay: The Hotel Midland with rooms for 50¢, 75¢ and $1, or, the Calumet with rooms for 25¢, 20¢ and 15¢ plus the option of weekly rates of $1, $1.25 and $1.50? Think it over while spending 30¢ per hour in the pool hall. If you're a down on your luck pool shark, perhaps you could win enough for the (assumed) better rooms at the Hotel Midland. If you're losing at pool, save enough for a stay in the Calumet. BurnedThis area, along with all of what is now called the Loop, was completely destroyed by the Chicago Fire of 1871. But it was quickly rebuilt, mostly by 1873; many of the buildings in the foreground appear to date from that initial period of reconstruction. Signage CityWhat was "The Record"? That sign almost looks modern in its execution; like something out of the 50s or 60s. And it isn't a simple sign. Any ideas, anyone? [The Chicago Record was a newspaper published from 1893 to 1901. - Dave] Signs, signs, everywhere there's signsThere are at least three signs for sign makers in this photo, and from the looks of things they must have all been working overtime. Wabash ElCenter background is the El station at Wabash and Madison - Nancy says it's still there! A Free LunchFrom the mid 19th century until Prohibition, it was common for bars and taverns to have a "free lunch" table. It often consisted of sandwiches, roast turkey being common. (Turkey was the cheapest meat of the time, much like chicken is now.) Almost always, there was a one-drink minimum purchase required for access to the table, and the indigent or down-on-his-luck fellow might be found trying to eat and run without a purchase. Sometimes, the food selection ran towards salty in nature, so as to provoke thirst in the customers, but in other locations saloons would compete with each other based on the quality of their free lunch table. And, of course, this was the source of the saying "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch". No thanksOne has only to read "The Jungle" to know what you were eating at the "free" lunch counter. Ewwwwwwww! Wells and FifthThat intersection is only two blocks away from my office, where I'm sitting right now. Suffice it to say that virtually none of the buildings pictured (except some of those far in the background, at the east end of Madison) are still standing. Wells is both the original and current name of that cross street. It was originally named for Billy Wells, a hero of the War of 1812, but the street eventually became so notorious as a vice district that its name was thought to be an insult to Wells' good name, so in 1870 the name was changed to Fifth Avenue. Once the vice district was finally cleaned up, the name was changed back to Wells. West Chicago Street RailroadThe Madison Street cable car line was operated by the West Chicago Street Railroad, which was owned by Charles Tyson Yerkes, a famous robber baron. The line was converted to electric on August 19, 1906. May 2010Here's the view today from the same vantage, looking East from the L at Wells & Madison. Lon Chaney and the free lunchThis must have been the same thing that Lon Chaney Jr. (Creighton Chaney) spoke of in a documentary about his father. When Lon Sr. was a struggling stage actor, he would go to places that offered a free lunch. He would buy a beer, which entitled him to go to the free lunch table. He would make a sandwich, then wait until he didn't think anyone was looking, and put the sandwich into his pocket. Then, he'd make another, and keep doing that until he had enough to feed his wife and son, too, all for the price of one beer! Billiard History of ChicagoThis particular strip of Madison was a mecca for billiard businesses (and players) at the time. You'll notice the Breevort Hotel sign on the left. It was owned and operated by Hannah & Hogg, one of Chicago's most successful and well known liquor distributors, who also operated the city's most luxurious bars and billiard halls. Other billiard hall signs can been seen as well, including (distant on the right) a sign for Mussey's. This establishment (since the late 1800s) was well known across America as one of the nations leading billiard and bowling venues. Although you cant discern it in this photo, on Dec 15, 1892 at the intersection of Madison and State, Emanuel Brunswick (a stepbrother of Brunswick's founder - John M. Brunswick) was struck and killed by a street car as it rounded the corner. (same kind of car shown in photo) Officially known as a "grip cars," these streetcars vary slightly from cable cars. A grip car utilizes a moving cable under the street, whereas a cable car is usually driven by an electric line overhead. [The "cable" in cable car refers to the traction cable under the street. - Dave] (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC, Streetcars)
Migrant Daughter: 1936
... Don't think I'm smack talking - I'm on here waiting for my flatiron to heat up! Happiness At Last! After reading her story on Joe's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/11/2017 - 4:26pm -

        UPDATE (2017): Thanks to the sleuthing of journalist Tori Cummins and historian Joe Manning, we now know the identity of the young woman in this photo: Ruby Nell Shepard (1916-1970). You can read her story on Joe's website. November 1936. "Daughter of migrant Tennessee coal miner. Living in American River camp near Sacramento, California." Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. It's in the eyesFantastic. I wonder where her mind is. The crease where her hand meets her forehead shows just how heavy her head, and perhaps her heart, is. I like how she has her left elbow resting on her right wrist draped over her knee. When you have a bony elbow (like I do) it makes those long introspections slightly more comfortable. Ms Lange sure knew how to capture a moment. Another outstanding photo in a wonderful repertoire. LangeI am amazed how Dorothea Lange continually found beauty in pathos. Wow ...I can't imagine what's going through her mind ... but she is absolutely beautiful. T.G.O.W.It's like seeing Rosasharn from Grapes of Wrath. A true beautyThose young hands appear to have known hard work, and that right there is the look of lost love, if you ask me. BreathtakingHer beauty, the pathos, the stories it makes you wonder about in your head -- I might actually like this one more than "Migrant Mother." Devotion to her father? Trapped by duty? Lost sweetheart? Dreams of running away? Dreams already fading? Incredible photograph. Lange was a master of the character study, wasn't she. RubyThe Oakland museum of photography has other photos of this girl, one of which is "Ruby from Arkansas." Oh, women...All that hard work and she still found the time to wave her hair. Don't think I'm smack talking - I'm on here waiting for my flatiron to heat up! Happiness At Last!After reading her story on Joe's website, I can say that at last she found a happiness that only few women can attain in life. A man that adored her, a great adventure with the one she loved, and skills (making clothes) that have now, sadly disappeared (mostly). Kudos to Joe for the most fascinating story. I see a wonderful movie from this and Dianne Lane as the older Ruby, Not sure who would play the younger. Well done Dave for giving this glimpse into a life that (for the most part) turned out well. Spectacular sleuthingThanks indeed to Tori and Joe for Ruby's story. Joe Manning websiteI just read the story about Ruby. She actually looks a lot happier in the photos from the 40's. She was a good looking woman. Sadly cancer doesn't spare anyone. Tori Masucci Cummins and Joe Manning did an excellent research on Ruby. Thank you Joe and Tori!It is so satisfying to learn what became of people in these photographs and know that eventually life got better. Great job Joe and Tori! Joe Manning strikes again!The last time I read one of Joe's stories was the cotton mill girl, Eddy. Incredible journalism. [Well done, sir.] Ruby had a beauty that became rather elegant, as we can see by the 1969 picture. Gazing into the face we see here, you can tell she doesnt know that better days are ahead. A profound look of uncertainty. As Laura said, the look of a love lost. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression)
A New Angle: 1903
New York circa 1903. "The Flatiron Building." Where, as we like to say, there are three sides to every ... District" by Harry Bliss.) (The Gallery, DPC, Flatiron Building, NYC, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2014 - 4:01pm -

New York circa 1903. "The Flatiron Building." Where, as we like to say, there are three sides to every story. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. White Wing & Electric CabRight front and center there is a Whitewing doing his street sweeping duties next to an Electric Carriage and Wagon Company electric taxi. DizzyMy head is spinning from viewing the flow of traffic in this photo. From the streetcars on Broadway travelling down the left side, to the horse carts in every direction, to the jaywlaking pedestrians -- while the streetsweepers do their best in the chaos. Never Gets OldAs a born and bred New Yorker, I have seen countless images of this building from every conceivable angle, but I think this is one of the most beautiful buildings ever constructed; the way it "fits" into the street grid, its graceful lines -- just marvelous! Watch Out!Looks like the pedestrian was king in those days, or else they couldn't see the crosswalks in the snow. People crossing everywhere, watch out for those wagons and trolleys! [There's no snow (or crosswalks, either) in this photo. - Dave] Latest coverOf the April 17, 2017 New Yorker. ("Fashion District" by Harry Bliss.) (The Gallery, DPC, Flatiron Building, NYC, Streetcars)
On Broadway: 1903
Circa 1903. "Flatiron Building, New York." Looking south down Broadway at this seminal ... straight up the center like that. (The Gallery, DPC, Flatiron Building, NYC, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/02/2013 - 3:03pm -

Circa 1903. "Flatiron Building, New York." Looking south down Broadway at this seminal skyscraper, with Fifth Avenue to the right. Also a nice view of the Albemarle Hotel and, at bottom, the obelisk of the Worth Memorial, resting place of Mexican-American War hero Major General William Jenkins Worth (and, incidentally, one of only two monuments serving as mausoleums in Manhattan). 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Things To ComeThe streets shown in this photo, except for some horse emissions and some circular street stains, are exceptionally clean. No Burger King or McD wrappers, Starbucks containers, lottery scratch offs, NY Post front pages or other detritus. One of only twoOne of only two monuments serving as mausoleums in Manhattan, the other being General Grant National Memorial, better known as Grant's Tomb. I'd like to put the pieces togetherLove it. .. This would make a great puzzle, full of rich details showing the hustle and bustle of city life 110 years ago. Not the only odd monumentVisible at the left edge through the trees of Madison Square Park is the 1876 statute of William H. Seward by Randolph Rogers. Seward served as New York's governor and later represented the state in the Senate, but of course is most famous for orchestrating the purchase of Alaska ("Seward's Folly") while Secretary of State. Soon after the statue's dedication, a rumor arose that sculptor Rogers saved money by adding Seward's head to an existing cast of a statue of Abraham Lincoln. He had been paid to do an entirely new statue. Rogers never confirmed or denied the rumor, but it's obvious that the statue's proportions are all wrong. The body is that of a tall man, which Seward definitely was not, and Seward's head is much too small for his(?) body. Today the Seward statute is overshadowed by Shake Shack, a large food kiosk where hipsters and trustafarians wait in hours-long lines for expensive hamburgers. Mystery objectWhat is this guy carrying? Can't be a TV antenna... Probably a dressmaker's dummyThe mystery object is probably (part of) a dressmaker's dummy. He's holding it almost upside down; the three legs would normally be sitting on the floor. There might be another section that goes on top of the part he has - see this picture from 1913. A tailor tries a dress-in-progress on a dummy like this to make sure it's shaping up correctly. It *might* be a bird cage, but the ones I've seen didn't usually have the main support pole running straight up the center like that. (The Gallery, DPC, Flatiron Building, NYC, Streetcars)
Model Kitchen: 1919
... & Pennsylvania Avenue S.E." Note the gas hose on the flatiron. National Photo Co. View full size. And in the left corner ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 8:25pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1919. "Goldenberg display, 8th & Pennsylvania Avenue S.E." Note the gas hose on the flatiron. National Photo Co. View full size. And in the left cornerWe have a much better view of a Hoosier cabinet (mentioned sometime back in another display kitchen). The big glass thing on the right dispenses sugar, and hanging down below the upper door on the left is the flour bin/sifter. I have seen dream kitchensThis one looks more like a nightmare. This must bewhere they furnished Alice Kramden's kitchen. Nothing like a Hoosier!Also called Bakers Cabinets, these wonderful cabinets were a giant step forward in modern working kitchens with their sliding counter tops, built in flour sifters, and sugar bowls with matching jars. This one appears to have a porcelain counter--considered to be very sanitary in a time that people were becoming much more germ conscious. Before porcelain, the counters were zinc. They still make great cabinets for a kitchen or other use if you can find them at antique stores and shows. You can also get repros. The Sellers brand cabinets were among the nicest made of this type. Most often they were made of oak if unpainted. This would have beena dream kitchen for most women at the time--a clean gas stove and an oven with a thermostat! So much easier than lighting up wood or coal, waiting for the fire to get hot, but not too hot. No ashes to clean up at the end of the day. No hot stove sitting all day in the kitchen in the middle of summer. Camping is as close as we get now to what cooking was like for most of the history of the human race! Hoosier CabinetA high-end example of this key feature of the early 20th century kitchen, at least in my Hoosier farming family ancestry. My grandmother's is especially vivid in my memory. I can still recall, twenty years after her passing, the aroma from its cache of breadmaking ingredients that wafted out whenever the doors were opened. The marble pull-out top is where she created all her baked goods. There is a sugar jar on the right and a tilt-out-to-refill flour bin at left (with an in-built sifter). But Grandma never kept a silver coffee pot in hers. Making Kitchen Work a PleasureEven though this is a temporary kitchen display, and a pretty charmless one at that, the majority of real kitchens of this period were no better, as seen in several Shorpy photos. Until the late 1920s most American kitchens were still bare and poorly lit rooms with a stove, a sink and a few bits of loose furniture hauled in. Built-in storage and food preparation counters with easily cleaned surfaces, adequate lighting and even overhead fume hoods for stoves were all available from a few architects, but even the very rich were slow to adopt these conveniences. One notable exception was this 1911 kitchen designed by San Diego's early Modernist Irving Gill, for the Nelson Barker residence, seen here with the family's cook, John White, nicknamed "the Duke." Few American kitchens would match its good design until much later. My Oh My -It's got everything but the kitchen sink. The Gas ManInteresting that the stove was on loan from The Washington Gas Company. They would have been the local gas utility company like Consolidated Edison in NYC or The Boston Edison Company. The gas and electric companies were the largest vendors of appliances. They had an advantage over the retail stores, they could finance the appliances by adding small payments to the monthly utility bill. $42 for a gas range/oven combo, today the delivery charge would probably be more than that. Natural Gas Clothes IronThe clothes iron displayed on the kitchen worktable was heated by a natural gas burner inside the iron, as indicated by its flexible cloth-covered hose and gas pipe connector. If there was no gas wall outlet available, such irons could even be connected to an overhead gas chandelier, as were some gas table lamps. Here is another example, found on a vintage appliance dealer's site. [The stove and iron would have been fired not by natural gas but rather "city gas," also called coal gas. - Dave] Afraid to light the ovenMy mom was usually a brave and fearless lady, she even evicted a skunk that strayed into our cellar by herself, but in the 1940s she was fearful of lighting our gas oven which was more modern than this one, but it did not have a pilot light, instead it had a quirky gas jet which had to be turned on at the precise moment one held a lit match to it and there was always a burst of flame, a loud "whoosh" and often singed eyebrows and/or dishtowel. She would only use the oven when my father was at home and she would make him light it for her. Yes, he also got his share of burnt arm hair, so I have to assume we had a defective gas oven. Some of us do not realize how easy we have it today, they really were not necessarily the "good old days." Strange Coffee PotThis coffee pot looks like it is on a tiny pedestal or something. I've never seen anything like it, can anyone enlighten me? Hoosier CabinetThe Hoosier cabinet was a very sensible addition to the bare kitchens we see in earlier Shorpy kitchen photos. Most people could not afford a designer to make a custom kitchen like the one in the Nelson Barke house. A Hoosier could be found that would fit into the space you had available, and it was (except for the oven and sink) a kitchen workshop extraordinaire. I'd love to have one today. CoffeepotI'll go out on a limb here and speculate about the coffeepot on a stand. It's a percolator, and they'd be either stovetop or self-heating. There's no sign of an electrical connector, or gas or alcohol burner, so I'll say it's a stovetop, and the round stand looks like it would fit nicely over a gas burner, keeping the pot itself away from the flame to protect it. With an ordinary everyday percolator that always stayed in the kitchen you wouldn't care, but this is a nice one you'd use for company. (The Gallery, D.C., Kitchens etc., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Knights of Pythias: 1907
... circa 1907. "Knights of Pythias Building." A sort of Flatiron wannabe. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View ... survived. Triangulation Indianapolis had a few "flatiron wannabes" back in the day. Four streets radiated from downtown's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/04/2022 - 12:03am -

Indianapolis, Indiana, circa 1907. "Knights of Pythias Building." A sort of Flatiron wannabe. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Gone. Really goneNot only is the building gone, but the street is gone, too. Also, a few years after this photo was taken, the cornice topper was removed for some reason. That section of Massachusetts Ave was vacated in the 60's as new construction took over. The diagonal spoke that was Mass Ave was removed to combine the two wedges of land into a square to accommodate less architecturally-interesting structures. The next block east of Mass Ave, as well as many of the older buildings along it, remains today and is experiencing a rebirth as a haven for young, upwardly mobile urbanites. I wish the streetcars had also survived. TriangulationIndianapolis had a few "flatiron wannabes" back in the day. Four streets radiated from downtown's circle at 45-degree angles from the city grid, creating wedgy corners that cried out for buildings like these. All of them were demolished long ago; the first blocks of several of the angled streets were closed and made into larger blocks for some of Indianapolis's modern skyscrapers. They don't do that anymoreI love how there is a lumber store on the 8th floor of this building. One wonders how they got lumber all the way up there. Union TractionThe "streetcar" is an interurban combine. An educated guess is that is a St Louis-built car of the Union Traction Company of Indiana. (The Gallery, DPC, Indianapolis, Streetcars)
The Invention: 1928
... Perhaps a demo model of the tickertape news banner on the Flatiron Building? Bell Labs Experimental TV I believe this is an early ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/14/2013 - 5:41pm -

JoeH has identified the mystery man as Washington inventor and television pioneer Charles Francis Jenkins (1867-1934), pictured here with what might be considered an early flat-panel video display, its 48-pixel-square grid composed of small neon lamps. Washington, D.C., in 1928. "NO CAPTION" is the caption for this one; again we turn to the crowd-source wisdom of the Shorpy masses to inquire: What the heck is it? (Close-up here.) Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Before his timeHe has invented a wall light. To test the idea he has used flashlight bulbs, but he will substitute LEDs when they become available. Pest controlA multi-moth trap A TV PioneerLooks like Charles Francis Jenkins, a television pioneer. Early prototypeWorld's first and largest Lite-Brite? Patent 1984683Maybe a modification of this. It still existsOr one of its cousins. Much more info on this here. Close-upOf the individual "pixels." Invention ideaIt would seem that it's a light of some sort, based off all the wires going into the back. Perhaps this is the watershed work that gave us animated signs, like the ones banks use to show the time and temperature. Matrix DisplayAncestor to the LED signs you see everywhere. The first ones were done with light bulbs. This may be an early attempt to display video. Paleo-Jumbotron.Perhaps a demo model of the tickertape news banner on the Flatiron Building? Bell Labs Experimental TVI believe this is an early experimental TV system developed by Bell Labs. Herbert Hoover was the first President to have his image transmitted over this system (closed circuit) in 1928. Those are neon tubes on display and the scanning wheel can be seen in the background It is also described as a flying spot scanner system using mechanics rather than electronics that would be developed ten years later. PrototypeLarge economy sized 'Battleship' game? A choice of slow or dim.Lacking any other devices, early attempts at displaying moving images relied upon incandescent bulbs or neon lamps in a matrix, as in this picture. They were essentially useless for displaying moving pictures; those employing incandescent lamps were extremely slow, because of the thermal inertia of the filaments, whilst those using neons were very fast, but also very dim. Large advertising signs using incandescent lamps, for displaying script, or slow-moving images, worked well enough, as we all know. [According to one of the links below, a similar display was a grid of anodes comprising 2,500 specially designed neon lamps. - Dave] Radiomovies, Radiovision TelevisionC. Francis Jenkins self-published a thin book with the above name. The copyright is 1929. He called over-the-air transmissions Radiovision. Television was by wire ... related to the telephone. His lab was over the Riggs Bank at Dupont Circle, DC, for a while. In the book, he has an honor roll of pioneers who received his broadcast images. One of them is G.E. Sterling, who later went on the be Chief Engineer of the FCC and finally an FCC Commissioner. But that was 50 years ago, back when the FCC had a commissioner with engineering knowledge. I recall that Dr. Jenkins had a patent on paper cups which brought in enough money that he could afford to dabble with technical things. The Smithsonian used to have a display of some of his TV equipment. Not yet the telephonoscopeThe French illustrator and writer Albert Robida explored the social advantages and disadvantages of the Telephonoscope in the 1890s in his book 'La Vie Electrique.' Sometimes it takes inventions an awful long time to come to fruition. Important Anniversary for C. F. JenkinsThe 85th anniversary of the debut of Jenkins' regularly-scheduled RadioMovies broadcasts (Friday, July 6th, 1928) is approaching. Download a PDF file explaining how Jenkins' TV contraption worked here. Read real press coverage of Jenkins from that era here. Thanks, Shorpites!I only knew about Baird, Farnsworth & Zworkin. This is TV and I love TV. (Technology, The Gallery, Harris + Ewing, TV)
On Broadway: 1911
... Has this building been torn down? It looks like the Flatiron building but in going back and forth with the Flat Iron building the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/18/2012 - 6:55pm -

New York circa 1911. "Broadway at night from Times Square." With a phantom or two loitering at the subway entrance. Companion to the night view of Times Square posted here on Monday. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. StreetlightsYou can still find those lampposts dotted here and there throughout the city. I think they are called "Bishop's Crooks." Subway entranceIt's neat to see the subway entrance at the right. There used to be quite a few like that, but now there's only one left, down at St. Marks Place, I believe. [Astor Place. - Dave] +98Below is same perspective (north from 43rd Street) taken in January of 2009. Phantoms and a great photo.I always enjoy seeing the phantoms of blurred people and objects in these old photos, it gives a sense of life and reality, that there were real people living there. Cars, trolleys, horses, going about their business the same as we do today. With a little imagination you can almost hear them! Hitchy-KooLooks like an ad reading "IT'S A HITCHCOCK CONQUEST" next to the Cohan theatre, likely referring to the actor Raymond Hitchcock, who was a star on Broadway at the time. Oddly enough, both Cohan and Hitchcock were celebrity endorsers of the fine, refreshing taste of Moxie. Macy's signAccording to the company's web site, Macy's moved to its present Herald Square location at West 34th and Broadway in 1902. Were they paying for advertising space at "the competitor's spot" -- Times Square? I love the phantom newspaper vendor slumped over near the subway entrance. [The sign is on the store, eight blocks away in Herald Square. This view is from the southern limit of Times Square. - Dave] +98 I disagree"Below is same perspective (north from 43rd Street) taken in January of 2009" That's the Times building behind the subway entrance to the right. So unlike your picture, we are standing in Times Square looking north up Broadway, and the street just ahead on the left is 47th. [Not quite. The view here is looking south down Broadway from 43rd. The next street to the left is 42nd. The big building outlined in lights is the Hotel Knickerbocker. The Hotel Albany was at Broadway and 41st. We can also see the Hotel Normandie sign at 38th, and the Macy's sign at 35th. - Dave] George M. Cohan.On February 13, 1911 the George M. Cohan Theater opened its doors at 1482 Broadway & 43rd Street. Its narrow entrance led to a marbled lobby which had murals depicting the Four Cohans up until the event of "The Governor's Son." After you entered the theater, you were treated to various scenes from his Broadway successes that were painted on the walls above and surrounding the boxes. The theater was virtually a shrine to his career. Opening night featured "Get Rich Quick Wallingford." The "Little Millionaire" opened September 25, 1911, and was the last production that George appeared in with any family members. The theater became a full time movie house in 1932, and by 1938 it was demolished. Subway Entrances/ExitsIn the original IRT system, entrances had the rounded roof, exits had the angled roofs. None survive today, though there are replicas installed at Astor Place, not St. Mark's, and an elevator at City Hall is similar in style. This picture is even more important for showing the Times building from ground level, giving an indication at how narrow it really is. It's a shame this gorgeous building was stripped of its ornamentation in the 70s, and soldiers on today vacant, making more money as a billboard than as a rented building. Still, and I forget who said it, but it is the most famous building in the world whose architecture is almost completely unknown. Re: +98 I disagree (and Dave)I humbly apologize for my misidentification of the perspective and thank you both for providing me with the proper location. I based my shot on a very low-res copy of the original photograph that I had. The Cohan Theatre building looked much like the Paramount building and I incorrectly believed the Hotel Knickerbocker was the Hotel Astor. However, after I posted the (incorrect) "now" version, it just didn't look right when I compared it to the hi-res Shorpy shot (especially with "Times" so prominently written in the window right in front and the Macy's sign in the distance). It's been driving me nuts. Looks like I've got another shot to take after I overcome my embarrassment. The perils of going from front to backAh, I see that Hitchcock was appearing just down the street in The Red Widow, as "Cicero Hannibal Butts," which might explain the "conquest" comment. This is what happens when you don't keep up with Shorpy on a daily basis. Much different todayIt's interesting how many hotels, theaters, and restaurants are on Broadway below 42nd Street in the photo. Today, there is very little activity below 40th, and most of Times Square activity extends from 40th up to about 48th. Where is this building?Has this building been torn down? It looks like the Flatiron building but in going back and forth with the Flat Iron building the facing doesn't look the same but yet the angle of this building looks like it. [This is the old New York Times building, seen here and here and here. Now covered with advertising signs, it's where the ball drops on New Year's. - Dave]Thanks very much. I was going nuts trying to tie those buildings together. So the NYT built two kinds of Flat Iron buildings? Do they face each other? [Two kinds? - Dave] 100 years laterOn my lunch break today I went out today and looked at this location. First of all, no sign at all that this structure, the subway entrance, existed. Today it would sit directly in front of the NYPD booth, where there is clean sidewalk, no sign of a former hole in the ground. But 100 years is along time and I'm sure the sidewalk has been repaired numerous times. Also it looks like this the subway is right in front of the face of 1 Times Square, but in fact there was about 40 feet between it and the building. Also in 1924 no sign of the subway entrance farther down 7th avenue on the right. [Historical map] It's great to be able to jump back in time 100 years, and see how much has changed, and how much is still the same. On a personal note, my great grandfather, John Larson, was a foreman at Hecla Iron Work in Brooklyn, and that firm apparently made all of the original IRT subway entrances. I don't have any information he worked on this project, but still I feel a little pride looking at these old entrances. +100In an effort to atone for my FUBAR post (+98 below), I retook the same view below from April of 2011. Subway Entrance on Times SquareIn 1911 the IRT subway ran a slightly different route than it does today. Tracks ran up the east side of Manhattan to 42d street then crossed over to the west side to continue uptown. This is how the station was originally configured (as seen at the track level): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Square_%E2%80%93_42nd_Street_/_Port_... The cross-over tracks are now the Times Square Shuttle. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
Eleven-Up: 1907
... course and fortunately, was closely modeled on New York's Flatiron Building, five years older. Leader of the plaque you can tell ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/04/2022 - 12:01am -

Indianapolis circa 1907. "Knights of Pythias Building (Castle Hall)." Last glimpsed here, 10 years ago! 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A.F. STEINHEISER, DENTIST.Ready for their close-up -- No castle for the Indianapolis castleThe Knights of Pythias originally called their local chapters "castles", and sometimes designated their buildings accordingly. (This fit the "Knights" part of their name but not so much the "Pythias" part.) The image shows Knights of Pythias castles in Toledo, Ohio, and Arcata, California.) The Indianapolis building, of course and fortunately, was closely modeled on New York's Flatiron Building, five years older. Leader of the plaqueyou can tell she has a talent for causing things pain. Dental DotI wasn't aware that Dentist. was the abbreviation for Dentist. This one's for youGiven the DDS and his delighted damsel beaming from the window, and what marches impressively above their heads, this could be dedicated to every realtor who enumerates "dental molding" as a feature of architecture in MLS listings. Painless DentistI say that because of the smile on the lady's face. Or maybe it was the laughing gas. The Rise and Fall of the Knights of Pythias buildingHere's a pretty cool video of the rise and fall of the Knights of Pythias building put out by the Indianapolis Star a few years ago: And the article: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2019/03/06/yes-we-... Doug Floor Plan wondered where the building stood. It stood at the corner of Pennsylvania Street and Massachusetts Avenue. Those streets no longer meet, and the Regions Tower at 211 N. Pennsylvania occupies the site where the K of P building once stood. Traffic is probably better offThe park on the left made me think I might be able to find where the very good looking Knights of Pythias building stood in 1907; but no such luck. In the previous post Mobilene stated the first blocks of several of the angled streets were closed and made into larger blocks for some of Indianapolis's modern skyscrapers. Below is an aerial of the circle around the Soldiers and Sailors Monument today. It went from an intersection of four streets + plus X, to an intersection of +. In three of the four corners you can see where the X streets still exist outside the perimeter of modern skyscrapers. StunnerAbsolutely a gem of a design. Flawless lines from top to bottom, all in harmony. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Indianapolis)
Fifth Avenue Stage: 1900
... soon be constructed a block away. Construction of the Flatiron Building, at 175 Fifth Avenue, began in 1901 and was finished a year ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2018 - 4:02pm -

New York circa 1900. "A Fifth Avenue stage." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Cat in the windowHe seems to be watching the world go by. Wonder what he thinks of two horses being harnessed and forced to pull a lot of humans around the streets of New York. Might be, "My peeps can't even get me to walk on a leash with them." BreechingIt certainly looks strange that there is no breeching on the harness. Maybe they never thought they would have to back up the wagon. At least no one had decided to put diapers on the pretty horses like they have in many cities these days. Also, the wagon/omnibus/ whatever, has no through braces so it must have been a bear to ride in. Last days of the omnibusWhat a fantastic image! The street railway had largely replaced the horse-drawn omnibus in most cities by the dawn of the 20th century, but they persisted in places, like Fifth Ave., where tracks couldn't be laid in the street. The horses were retired when Fifth Avenue Coach became one of the country's earliest motor bus routes in 1907. I love the details of the building, the street lighting, etc. -- truly the "City Beautiful." A real New York bargain!The townhouse in the former Mark Cross building at 210 Fifth Avenue is yours -- for $18,500 a month! http://www.prudentialelliman.com/Listings.aspx?ListingID=1059501 Left, right, leftWhich horse is out of step? This is what the ride to hell feels likeI don't know what amazes me more, how high the thing rides or how low it is sitting on the axles. 210 Fifth AvenueThis shot was taken just one block south of where Detroit Publishing had its offices (seen here and here previously). The building with the ornate details and "Cross" in the window still stands at 210 Fifth Avenue. View Larger Map Sic transit gloria mundiYou wouldn't see these magnificent (if dangerous) horse carriages galloping up and down Fifth Avenue much longer at the time this photo was taken. 1900 was the year that the NY State Senate approved a bill allowing the Fifth Avenue Stage to run automobiles along the length of its newly-extended route (up to 110th St.) By 1903, the horse carriages had been retired for "motor buses." This was a relief to the residents of the apartment blocks near the "big stable" of the Fifth Avenue Stage located uptown. The stables took up the whole block between 88th and 89th Streets, were four stories tall, and housed over 250 horses. Its neighbors were continually filing complaints with the city because of the "noxious odors", as well as perpetual stamping and neighing of horses in their stalls, which made sleep impossible. Cross Chambers, with its shop cat in the window, 210 Fifth Avenue, was a 12 story building with the Cross business establishment on the four lowest floors, and "Bachelor Apartments" above. While considered imposing at the time of its opening, it was soon to be dwarfed by the first iron-framed "skyscraper," that would soon be constructed a block away. Construction of the Flatiron Building, at 175 Fifth Avenue, began in 1901 and was finished a year later. The Manhattan skyline would never be the same. Cross ChambersAccording to New York Songlines site, the Mark Cross store/Cross Chambers dates to 1901. And the building next to it on the corner of 26th Street would have been Cafe Martin, formerly Delmonico's. An interesting wideangle view of the corner can be seen here dating from around 1911. Unfortunately not in as high a resolution as the images here. A Gripping TaleI kind of feel sorry for the guy in the middle up on top. The men to either side of him are clearly gripping the side rail, but he doesn't have anything to hold onto except ... wait a second -- is that an iPhone he's holding? Perfectly in stepBeautiful team of horses who know exactly what they are doing. Whenever a team of two (horses or humans) is carrying or pulling a shared load they must be in step so far as stride and gait are concerned, but must be a mirror image or each will be fighting the other for control of the load. It's not at all the same as the "in step" we learned in the military for marching. Demise of the 5th Avenue Coach Co. That firm went bankrupt back in around 1955-1960, and with it, all of the pensions of former and existing employees. The grandfather of a friend of mine was a victim. Whoa!I passed this image along to my wife, as I do with many which have horses and carriages. She drives a couple of carriages herself and so has a bit of expertise. Her comment: "WOW...or more rightly WHOA...Never ever seen a "big rig" driving harness WITHOUT a saddle, side straps, britchen, etc...these horses just have the neck collar. Good grief Charlie Brown!" (The Gallery, DPC, Horses, NYC)
Up Market: 1906
... Survivor Looks like the mini Flatiron Building made it through intact. [Aside from being barbecued. No ... was still standing. Non-survivor The barbecued mini-flatiron Crocker building did survive, but was demolished in the 1960s. The one ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:39pm -

San Francisco in the aftermath of the earthquake and fire of April 18, 1906. "Up Market Street from Montgomery Street." 8x10 glass negative. View full size. I see no zombies.I would say a large majority are striding forward with their heads up. I find that admirable, especially in an area of tall buildings which must be susceptible to the next tremor. On another subject: I like this man's picture. It seems to be the epitome of puzzlement. +103Below is the same perspective (looking southwest on Market from Montgomery) taken in September of 2009. A view down Market StreetHere's a before/after video going down Market Street. At the 1:13 mark you can see the Postal Telegraph tent on the left in the after video. Doing the WalkAfter the tremors, people hit the streets like zombies in a George Romero movie. The Call BuildingThe tall building with the fancy dome on the left is the Call Building, still there in the +103 shot, but having been de-domed and Moderne-ized in 1938. San Francisco's first skyscraper. SurvivorLooks like the mini Flatiron Building made it through intact. [Aside from being barbecued. No windows. - Dave] However, it was still standing. Non-survivorThe barbecued mini-flatiron Crocker building did survive, but was demolished in the 1960s. The one on the site in the +103 photo is McKesson Plaza at 1 Post St., opened in 1969. I have to say, this was a drastic way to accomplish a pedestrian mall conversion. Ah-Cha-Cha-Cha!Holy cow! Look at the proboscis on the puzzled man. He must be an elder of the Durante clan. Safety last!That video was amazing. In studying Shorpy photos I've always been struck by the lack of concern people had for safety back then. But to see how they walked and drove is even more alarming. It's amazing our ancestors lived past 30. Dangerous IntersectionAmazing video. The comparison of the two side by side was very interesting. What got me me the most was the seemingly utter disregard for personal safety when crossing the street. They apparently had little traffic control back then too. I saw at least two occasions when cars looked to be going in opposite directions ... on the same side of the street. The boy who ran out in front of the cable car and zigzagged back and forth in front of it while looking back, grinning, was amazing, as were the ones who grabbed onto the rear of a passing motor car. Earthquake in colorRecently-discovered natural color post-earthquake photos from The Smithsonian: Here Third building on rightI don't believe anyone has mentioned the orange building in the modern +103 photograph. It's also in the old photo; third building on the right. [That's the de Young Building, erected in 1890 and whose façade underwent restoration ten years ago. -tterrace] (The Gallery, DPC, Fires, Floods etc., San Francisco)
Oyster Luggers: 1908
... has two big sharpies in daily use. Those little flatiron skiffs like the one in the foreground aren't so bad, either, and are ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 2:02pm -

New Orleans circa 1908. "Oyster and charcoal luggers in the old basin." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Shorpy UI think the posts for this photo demonstrate big time the second major virtue of Shorpy, the first one being the seemingly endless unveiling of one fascinating image after another. That second virture is the education and enlightenment provided by people who know what they're talking about. Look at what you learn (about boats and the oyster biz, in this case) in "Tonguers", "Long Tongs", "Couldn't See..." and other posts. It's like Introduction to Sailboats 101 or something. Marvelous, totally marvelous. Thank you, oh learned Shorpians. Great lines on that scow schooner in the backgroundBoats like this, built with simple materials and for a specific purpose, are often more beautiful than the fanciest yacht. Much more graceful looking than any modern glass racing sailboat. 'Arster DrudgersThese little flat bottom boats with a center board keel were fast sailers and had a beautiful line to them as exemplified by "1708 SUPERIOR" in the photo above. Sometimes referred to as Skipjacks, Bugeyes, Sharpies and other names depending on the rig; Chesapeake Bay was once full of them. Boat and more boatsThis is a wonderful picture. The Center For Wooden Boats in Seattle WA www.cwb.org has two big sharpies in daily use. Those little flatiron skiffs like the one in the foreground aren't so bad, either, and are now rarely to be found. Long tongsNot a mechanical dredge in sight. Lots of long tongs are visible. Oystermen in this area started using mechanical dredges around this time of the century but stopped doing so when they realized the damage that dredges caused to the oyster beds. They returned to the hand tongs again. Did anyone notice that one of the crew seemed to be plucking a broom for the camera? TonguersThere are several types of boats in this scene. The "luggers" of the title are the ones with the booms secured to the masts at about a one third point, like "___ Tedesco 93" close to the middle of the scene. Several of them have what looks like sail covers of a dark material -- today we generally think sail covers were not needed in the time period of canvas sails that do not deteriorate when exposed to sunlight. The balanced lug rig was common in France during the Age of Sail. Could it be that the type is actually a survivor from the period when New Orleans was a French colony? Howard I. Chapelle, in "American Small Sailing Craft," 1951, says the lug rig came from the Channel coast (used on both the French and British sides), but the hull evolved here. The rig is "the only dipping lugsail to be used in an American work-boat type in the late 19th century." A plan of a New Orleans lugger is figure 104 in Chapelle, and it looks almost exactly like Tedesco 93 here. In the photo, there seems to be a parrel holding the yard to the mast, making it hard to imagine how the lugsail would be dipped to get it to the other side of the mast. Several of the luggers also have long poles stacked up with one end in the bows and the other resting on the booms near the mast. These look like they might be tongs. Therefore, the boats probably do not dredge for the bivalves, they tong. This conclusion is also supported by the small size of the craft and the absence of winches and tackle for handling a dredge. The luggers are fully molded in form, not flat or V-bottomed like scows or most of Cheaspeake Bay's skipjacks. They have but one mast and sail. There are schooners in the scene and one conventional gaff sloop with headsails, in the foreground, named Minerva. The craft behind her, 1708 Superior, seems to be a schooner with quite a large boomed headsail on a bowsprit (Look up at the masts -- it's easier to tell). Before wood was replaced by other materials in boatbuilding, every region of the country had its own types of fishing and cargo craft, even down to quite small sizes. Swab the DeckFor working boats they sure are very clean, I'm impressed. I wonder what they did with these boats when a hurricane rolled through? They probably didn't get as much of a warning that one was coming like we do today. Couldn't see any sharpies in thereMy family began their oyster business in New Haven about 1868, and sharpies had been in use for some decades before that. The sharpie is a cat-rigged (mast at the very bow) vessel renowned for its speed and ability to hold a big load of oysters. There is a sharpie on display at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. As oyster gathering shifted to dragging, rather than tonging, the boats became larger and eventually powered. The last of the old era was just before WWII. In 1940 my mother filmed a Sunday seagoing picnic on one of the family's draggers, the Catherine M. Wedmore, built in 1924, named after my great-grandmother, and still in service dragging oysters and clams. We always said that warm-water oysters weren't particularly good, and my opinion on that matter has not changed. Pretty SailsI like the scallop edging on the sails on the right. Must have looked great. Pepino Tedesco's Boat First Annual Report of the Oyster Commission of Louisiana, 1904. List of Vessels Other Than Fishing Skiffs Licensed by the Oyster Commission of Louisisana. License Number, Name of Vessel, Name of Owner, Address, Capacity in BBLS, Tonnage. … 59, Lugger Chavere Tedesco, Pepino Tedesco, New Orleans, 141, 8. … 93, Lugger Joseph Tedesco, Tedesco, Tedesco & Lazard, New Orleans, 106, 6. … 1708, Lugger Superior, Marco Koparitich, New Orleans, 107, 6. ... Tedesco Oyster Luggers - 1908 My grandfather Salvatore Tedesco, brothers listed in "Pepino Tedesco Boat" were Pepino (Joseph) Tedesco and Chavere (Saverio)Tedesco. Lazard is Pepino's son-in-law Alberto Lazaro. A response to "Swab the Deck" regarding hurricanes. On October 2, 1893 a storm which would be known as the Cheniere Caminda hurricane which hit on the Louisiana mainland just west of Grand Isle with winds of 135 mph unexpectedly. Captain Chavere Tedesco and three crew men were in Biloxi waters when the storm hit. The crew men were lost and Chavere was in the water three days before being rescued. Another brother, Tony Tedesco, was in the lugger F. W. Elmer (Biloxi waters) with two crew men all three were lost. There is an estimate of 2,000 persons lost their lives and many were fishermen. This information came from Pepino's daughter Josephine who passed away this year at 103 years old and the Times Picayune newspaper. During the month of October, 1893 the Times Picayune lists many of the persons that died and the persons that survived. The articles are detailed and very informative. Storm of 1893 - Cheniere CaminadaGiuseppe Tedesco had 3 brothers, Agostino, Chaverio and Antonino (Tony). Two of them were in luggers when the storm of 1893 (hurricane). They were in Biloxi waters when the storm hit - they did not know it was coming. Chaverio's boat was lost and he was in the water 3 days before he was rescued and Tony and two other men in their lugger were lost. Below is a link to the Louisiana Genweb Archives Project - Newspaper Articles which I added some of the newspaper articles that ran in October, 1893. They were posted during the months of May and June, 2007. http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/orleans/newspapr4.htm (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, New Orleans)
Ernest Crice, Hustling Newsboy: 1909
... hustling newsboy," who cheekily gives his address as "Flatiron Building." 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Mmmmm. I smell ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/24/2013 - 3:08pm -

New York circa 1909. "Broadway -- Saranac Lake, Adirondack Mountains." Revisiting the scene glimpsed earlier here, with the addition of a shy pedestrian. Note the sly signage of "Ernest Crice, hustling newsboy," who cheekily gives his address as "Flatiron Building." 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Mmmmm. I smell M&Ms.Mud and Manure. Castle?What is that building in the background with the castle like feature near the top? [It's identified in a comment for the earlier photo linked in the caption.] Lady in whiteThe lady on the right's white dress is all the more startlingly white compared to the typical mud streets she had to traverse. But what the heck is she holding in her hand? It looks vaguely like a candle, but that wouldn't make much sense. And I love the Taxidermist, right on the main street! Now that's convenience. This would be a nice picture to see colorized, esp. with the trees in the background. Whoever said the Streets were paved with goldwas very wrong. These seem to be pure mud. Yuck. No Autosby 1909 we see a preponderance of motor cars in the shots of cities (see next photo of Philadelphia). None to be seen in this small village. Where do I get one of those Ingersole Dollar watches? Free dog!I think he's charging a one treat toll to cross that bridge. RxLooks like Bradford and Flint serves medicinal ice cream served in a mortar and pestle. DrainageWell now I'm going to have to do research (unless some kind soul can impart the info and/or spill the beans, whatever, it's the holiday season). But I digress. Did they really have storm sewers in the times before hardtop paving? We have lots of dirt roads around here and none have sewers. Then again neither do the paved roads. Oh well. OK, off to research history of storm sewers. Steel TrussWhat's under that steel truss bridge -- railway or canal? I'm sure it's not the interstate. [The Saranac River. -Dave] and in 2011Google street view: A day in townLets have a medicinal ice cream while waiting for our furs to be dressed at the Taxidermist. Earlier picture is the later viewThe man wearing a dark shirt and light-colored suspenders on the wagon at right and the young man, likely his son, are both on the wagon and proceeding up Broadway in the earlier shot. Lady in WhiteI am going to posit that she is shading her face from the sun using papers she is carrying, in order to keep her lily white complexion. I am pretty sure that having a tan was not that desirable back then. I live in Thailand, and women here will always lift up a notebook or something to shade their face when in direct sunlight in order to avoid exposure. (The Gallery, DPC, Small Towns)
The Presbyterian Building: 1908
... and West 20th Street." Still anchoring this corner of the Flatiron District, 127 years after its completion in 1895. 8x10 inch dry plate ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/26/2022 - 9:18pm -

New York circa 1908. "Presbyterian Building, Fifth Avenue and West 20th Street." Still anchoring this corner of the Flatiron District, 127 years after its completion in 1895. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Rules for Driving SLOW MOVING VEHICLES KEEP NEAR RIGHT HAND CURB ---------- Rules For Driving Can Be Obtained At All Police Stations The birth of the American Gilded AgeOne hundred thirty-nine years ago tonight, March 26, 1883 Alva and Willie K Vanderbilt gave a ball in their newly completed residence at 660 Fifth Avenue (their petite chateau -- New York had never seen anything like it). By almost all accounts, that ball firmly established the Vanderbilts in the inner circle of NY society and kicked open the gates to the Gilded Age. Soon, staid brownstone mansions were abandoned and replaced with urban Indiana limestone palaces. Entertainments veered towards grandeur and opulence. Yes, I'm aware of the gross excesses and inequities. But I am fascinated that one ball was the catalyst for so much change. The Presbyterian Building featured today would not look as it does without the Gilded Age. And to spareI'm intrigued by the lone lanky gentleman standing -- leaning, actually -- at the corner, against the building between the two plate-glass display windows of the Crouch & Fitzgerald store, dapper in his Chesterfield and bowler, hands in pockets, ankles crossed, as though he's got nothing but time. Something about his attitude is so universal that it seems to strike through time itself, negating its effects and reducing (or elevating) him to any such man at any time -- even today. Early Phone Booth?Would that be an early phone booth on the sidewalk in the lower right side of the photo? [It's the entrance to the Revell religious bookstore. - Dave] No traffic conesLeaves more room for vehicles. But don’t go over the edge. Mail, ManI see one of those newfangled letter/package postal boxes right around the corner from the lurking gentleman. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
The Forward Look: 1957
... shaggy, and the young lady's hair was straightened with a flatiron, this photo could have been taken now. Well, the black socks and brown ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 06/05/2010 - 9:23pm -

In the Pace of Cultural Change department, here are some of my brother's friends on the Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo campus 53 years ago this month. Almost could have been taken today, you might be thinking. Now, put yourself back in time to 1957 and imagine that you're looking at a photo shot 53 years previously to that, in 1904. Might the same thought occur to you? 35mm Ektachrome slide by my brother. View full size. Maybe somewhat situation-specificI think different social milieus change on different schedules. Actually, those three people in 1957 probably would have been somewhat startled by a comparable photo of three college students in 2010 -- there'd almost certainly have been somebody wearing jeans and a T-shirt, which would probably, have been a little past the edge in 1957 (although not by 1967). Also, the woman and the two men are dressed much more differently than would probably be the case now. So while what they're wearing is all (except perhaps for the socks :-) within the range of normality for college students today, most of what college students wear today would not be within the range of normality for 1957. And there are some environments where a group of people in 1957 could easily have looked at a corresponding photo from 1904 and thought "that could have been taken today." Not a college campus -- in 1904, most colleges would have been men-only, and people would have worn suits and ties -- but maybe a factory floor or a mail room, where norms of dress changed less between 1904 and 1957 than since, and the equipment from 1904 would not look horribly dated in 1957 (although it would in 2010). Haircuts are the giveawayIf the fellas' haircuts were long and shaggy, and the young lady's hair was straightened with a flatiron, this photo could have been taken now. Well, the black socks and brown shoes are a bit of a giveaway, too. Now he'd be wearing Chucks. (Actually he might quite likely be wearing Chucks in 1957, too!) StuckI love both your brother's photo and the point you made in your caption, tterrace. I've been happily stuck in 1957 ever since it happened and both of my parents were born in 1904, giving the two years you mention special significance for me. Just what I was thinking!This could have been taken yesterday. The look is completely timeless. Another keeper, Tterrace! Could almost have been taken todayExcept for the clothes and the shoes and eyeglasses and hairstyles and jewelry. And that green cap. Very 1957 with the flat bill. GeniusI love the captions for the photos here at Shorpy almost as much as I do the photos themselves (almost). tterrace, your observation about the pace of change has to be the best thus far. The Pace of ChangeYour commentary is so right! We hear a lot about how our era is one of unprecedented technological and social change, but the generations that lived through the biggest changes in recent history were those who navigated the Industrial Revolution and the massive social and political changes of the century and a half that followed it. The cultural changes we observe today are like the smaller ripples of a big splash that began with spinning jennies and steam engines and iron smelting in the early 1800s. Arguably, even the startling technological transformations our generation is living through are not as momentous, culturally speaking, as those experienced by even our grandparents, who witnessed two world wars that tore apart colonial empires, reorganised the global balance of power, transformed economic structures and social relations and brought institutions like the welfare state. The subtly shifted hemlines and hair fringes and colour palettes that separate these three people from their modern counterparts are not nearly of the same magnitude. No, certainly not today.Whilst subtle, the differences in the clothing and hairstyles are the giveaways that this is a period photo. In 1957 I was 12 years old and even Down Here (Australia) the fashions were very similar. I'd go so far as to say exactly the same, due to the very strong American influence on all that we listened to, watched, drank and wore. A photo that is definitely late 1950's-early 1960's, pre-Beatles and still with an Everly Brothers flavour. Au courantI have two teenage boys and BOTH of them could pose for this picture. the do NOT have shaggy hair and a couple of their female friends wear stuff like this every day and have curly hair that's not straightened. No, I do NOT live in Pleasantville! One single lifespanThe comment reminded me of a coworker whose Aunt came to Oklahoma Territory on a covered wagon and before she died in the early 1970's flew on a jet plane. To think that something like that would be possible in one person's lifespan is really amazing. Understated, underratedDon't ever change, P. Love you. Blue RondoThis screams 1950s to me -- the cheongsam blouse she's wearing, her skinny-band wristwatch (my grandmother had several -- they were merely silky material and not leather); the pointy-edged eyeglasses of the gent in the foreground; the black socks and loafers of the man in the middle. All perfectly fits into my 1950s dreams. I look at them here, and hear the Dave Brubeck Quartet not far off. Then and now....I've got the right glasses and the right hair.... what I would give to be sitting in this picture. Wonder what she's thinking? (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Blizzard Dump: 1899
... in Penn Station last Monday PM, about 12 blocks from the Flatiron Building, waiting for a train south in the middle of this year's NYC ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 3:21pm -

1899. "Dumping snow into the river after a blizzard, New York." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. We need you now!The Mayor of New York City needs this service. Old People Made SenseThey had no front-end loaders, no dump trucks, no modern snowplows, but they got rid of the snow from the Blizzard of 1888. But then there was no Internet for them to broadcast their whining worldwide. Clear evidence...Horatio, I think we can get a clean set of prints off this print! A winter to rememberThe winter of 1898-99 set many of the all time low temperature records. Some of the ones that were not broken in the severe winter of 1904-05 still stand today. This is especially true in the South. Little Rock's coldest temperature was -12. That happened in February 1899 and still stands today. What?Polluting the river with all that dirty snow? My, my -- what will Pete Seeger say? Flattened by the SnowfallMy wife and I spent 9 hours in Penn Station last Monday PM, about 12 blocks from the Flatiron Building, waiting for a train south in the middle of this year's NYC blizzard. Fortunately we had a seat in the Amtrak waiting area, but it was really chaos there. The local airports are still digging out as I write this. Not as much snow to moveClearing fresh snow was not exactly an urgent endeavor in the era before automobiles. Horses didn't have trouble with it until it got many inches deep. In fact, snow was sometimes laboriously moved onto the decking of covered bridges to lubricate sleighs and sledges. This reminds me of George Bellows's "Snow Dumpers." (The Gallery, DPC, Horses, NYC)
The Stovemakers: 1901
... fast and were economical to use. Imagine trying to heat a flatiron on a wood stove; the time and cost would be dreadful, but with a lamp ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/20/2012 - 10:50am -

Chelsea, Michigan, circa 1901. "Glazier Stove Company -- lamp stove department." Our second glimpse today into the Dickensian workings of Glazier Stove. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Ironic/electricShould it be ironic foreshadowing that the room where they appear to be making oil lamps is lit up by electric light? Shorpy Strikes AgainThanks, Dave! Once again, I've learned something new here. When I read the caption, I thought "okay, what the heck is a lamp stove?" It's amazing the things that show up here. A few days back it was charabancs and now lamp stoves. Turns out these handy devices were heaters, stoves, or lamps or all three at once. Fueled with kerosene, they heated fast and were economical to use. Imagine trying to heat a flatiron on a wood stove; the time and cost would be dreadful, but with a lamp stove, it'd be a snap. there's a short piece about them here. I wonder if somebody still makes them. Thanks for adding a tiny bit to my appreciation of yesteryear. Best & BrightestHere are a couple other views, "as intended" and "as is" In 1901, still a marketFull domestic electrification was still over two decades out, even in cities. In rural areas, it took until the early '50s. The first appliance purchase of a newly-electrified household was invariably an iron, as electric irons could be reliably expected not to put soot on freshly-laundered garments. And no, I'd never heard of a lamp stove, either. I want one! Going, going...Strange to see actual manufacturing jobs in America. [The U.S. of A. is still the biggest producer of manufactured goods on Planet Earth. - Dave] Nice wiring job.Those little porcelain cleat type insulators holding the wires for the light fixtures are cool! Good stuff Dave. Keep'em coming. Patent that!Love the infinitely adjustable lighting fixture, all it takes is a wire, a socket, and a piece of string. Although I think OSHA just had a stroke. LampStoveAt the time these were made, the automobile was just taking off, and with it the autocamp, where people would stop while traveling. As you can imagine, these early camps didn't have electrical hookups, so this would be a handy, maybe essential item. Materiel matters. Those are sheets of mica on his right, flame and fireproof natural minerals, used by almost all lamp and stove makers right up to today. (The Gallery, DPC, Glazier Stove Works)
Merry Christmas: 1913
... a major annual trade show for the toy industry. The Flatiron Building, a favorite on this site, is just out of view on the left. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/24/2013 - 11:47pm -

        One hundred years ago -- yet it seems like just yesterday that we first posted this. New York, December 1913. "Christmas tree, Madison Square." 8x10 glass negative, G.G. Bain Collection. View full size. Happy holidays from Shorpy! Merry ChristmasWishing all friends and followers of Shorpy a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. Edmund 100 Years Later And 11 Blocks NorthAt 34th Street and 5th Avenue, the Empire State Building, illuminated by the new LED lighting system, shows off it's Christmas colors. We are also being treated to several Light Shows. Where it all began.Madison Park was the first place in New York City to put up a public Christmas Tree. Great tradition that has spread to pretty much all of the Parks here in Manhattan. Toy CenterWe're looking to the west in this picture. The building in the background is 200 Fifth Avenue, completed just a few years earlier, which is called the "Toy Center" because for decades it was mainly occupied by toy manufacturers and wholesalers. Today it has a more varied tenant mix, though it still hosts a major annual trade show for the toy industry. The Flatiron Building, a favorite on this site, is just out of view on the left. Just behind the photographer would be the Metropolitan Life Tower, which had just become the second-tallest building in the world. It had been the tallest from 1909 until the completion of the Woolworth Building earlier in 1913. An' a Guid New Year!Seasonal Felicitations to all Shorpologists on both sides of the Atlantic! From Andrew in Central Scotland. 1913 ColorWhat color process was used for this - Autochrome? Or was it colorized? [Note the tag above it that says "Colorized Photos." -tterrace] (ShorpyBlog, Christmas, Colorized Photos, G.G. Bain, NYC)
Worth Square: 1910
... wanted to. Vantage point Taken from the Flatiron Building but not, apparently, from the very top (compare the level of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2015 - 11:38am -

New York circa 1910. "Madison Square -- Worth Square monument at Broadway and Fifth Avenue." The Major General's obelisk, under the influence of a certain after-dinner liqueur. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Rest in TrafficUNDER THIS MONUMENT LIES THE BODY OF WILLIAM JENKINS WORTH BORN IN HUDSON, N.Y. MARCH 1, 1794 DIED IN TEXAS MAY 7, 1849 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And Fort Worth Tx is named for him. Unusual ViewIt's great to see a vintage shot of this intersection looking uptown instead of downtown. The backside of the original Waldorf-Astoria is in the middle distance, but what are the big masts with the wire between them on the roof? Wouldn't this be too early for an aerial? [Spotting wireless telegraphy masts like this is a Shorpy tradition of long standing. Click to enlarge. -tterrace] WorthyMajor General William Jenkins Worth (1794-1849) served heroically in the War of 1812 ,the Mexican American War and the Second Seminole War. He was in command of the Department of Texas when he died of Cholera at age 59. His remains were reinterred in this Monument. Plastic Surgery in 1910!"Dr. Pratt Face and Features Specialist" has a suite in what I'll call the Berlitz Building. Disfigured soldiers returning from the so-called Great War increased the demand for this specialty. Some of the better practitioners were able to able to transfer their skills to movie actors. Home RuleHmmm, I see a "HOME RULE" banner down the left-hand street. Could this have been due to Irish immigrants expressing support for self-government of their homeland? ["Home Rule" was the slogan of the Order of Acorns, an organization opposed to the Tammany Hall political machine that ran New York City government at the time. -tterrace] CatskillIf you visit the Worth monument now, you'll notice what looks like a somber mausoleum behind it. It is a shaft of the Catskill Aqueduct, completed only seven years after the above photo was taken. I'm told there are notes written on the walls in chalk by the original contractors, and that the DEP hardly ever stops by for anything because the valve gates rusted in place many years ago and they couldn't close them if they wanted to. Vantage pointTaken from the Flatiron Building but not, apparently, from the very top (compare the level of the balustrade on top of the building on the left in the Shorpy photo and then in the photo below). Masts with wiresThe 'masts with wires', noted as being on the roof of the old Waldorf-Astoria hotel might possibly be related to electrical inventor Nicolai Tesla, who took up residence there in 1899. [It's the United Wireless Telegraph Company's Waldorf-Astoria station. -tterrace] (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Shop at Rosenbaums: 1941
... bridge. At the rear of the train shed, you can see the “flatiron style” headhouse for the station, both of which opened with the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/02/2019 - 5:34pm -

August 1941. "Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. ... to put up a parking garageThe site formerly occupied by Rosenbaum's department store (along 6th between Penn Avenue and Liberty) is occupied by a mildly interesting seven-story parking garage. It is very convenient for patrons of Heinz Hall, the performance venue one block north. All that remains... of the massive railroad bridge and adjoining station is the two huge brick pillars, one on each side of the river. Amazingly, the Kelly and Jones Pipefittings building and the Neffco Coffee building next to it (now Fort Pitt Coffee) are still standing. Unusual stationTo the left of that long steel cantilever is an interesting little architectural oddity- the Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal Railway station. The long, barn-like trainshed covers the tracks, which entered the city at second story level from the bridge. At the rear of the train shed, you can see the “flatiron style” headhouse for the station, both of which opened with the railroad in 1904. To the left of the headhouse, you can see the railroad’s elevated tracks for its small freight terminal- a pretty unusual structure necessitated by the decision to bridge the Monongahela on a high level. It was all gone by 1946. Big Fly Swatting Contest Begins Monday, June 30thChildren, get ready to swat the fly! Flies will be measured by gills, pints, quarts, etc. could have been that year, but actually happened in 1913. The Smoky CityNothing like a deep fresh breath of CO₂, hydrogen fluoride and sulfur dioxide to get the blood flowing on an early fall morning. What's left standingThe three tallest buildings in this picture (back to front): The Gulf Tower, the Koppers Tower, and the Henry W. Oliver Building. Wabash Bridgewas removed in 1948. It was not destroyed, it was dismantled, and much of the steel was used in a bridge down the river, commonly called the Dravosburg Bridge, actually named the W.D. Mansfield Memorial Bridge. The bridge connects McKeesport and Dravosburg across the Mon. The Gulf Building, now called the Gulf Tower, used to have lights on the pyramid structure at the top to give the weather forecast. Blue and orange lights let people know if it was going to be warm/cold, and if the lights were flashing that meant precipitation was forecast. These forecasts stopped sometime in the late 1980s. KDKA brought the lights back about 10 years ago, though they are now LED lights and use several colors to give the forecast. This was the tallest building in Pittsburgh until 1970. Interestingly, the Koppers Building has a copper roof. Koppers is a chemical company, and their global headquarters are still in that building. Keenan BuildingI had trouble getting my bearings until I found the Keenan Building, the domed building near the center. The top (18th) floor is rumored to have been Thomas Keenan’s bachelor pad, whence emerged many a sadder-but-wiser girl. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, M.P. Wolcott, Pittsburgh, Railroads, Stores & Markets)
Coming Soon: 1903
... a treasure. Madison Square Park in the distance The Flatiron Building (completed in 1902) would be located just past the park, just ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 5:40pm -

New York circa 1903. "Detroit Photographic Company, 229 Fifth Avenue." As Paul Harvey used to say, "And now for the rest of the story" -- a more expansive view of the building seen in our previous post, answering the question of what the General was up to. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. Perilous climbHow did the ladies gracefully make it to the top of that coach? ?!How did they get a window in the chimney? I've never seen anything like it. Faux FireThe one on the right is a chimney. The one on the left is symmetrical brickwork to balance that gorgeous chimney. Only fire it experienced was in its architect's imagination. I just wish they had kept that New Amsterdam style building. Between the tile and the brickwork, and the ironwork, it is the prettiest thing on the block. The Hotel Brunswick is nothing special. That we lost it is no big deal. But that faux chimney building was a treasure. Madison Square Park in the distanceThe Flatiron Building (completed in 1902) would be located just past the park, just beyond the right edge of the photograph. Also, today's Museum of Sex is on the NE corner, just inside the iron fence area. Capital!This photograph is a wondrous time machine. It puts you right there on the street in 1903. On the right is the north end of Madison Square; the view is looking southeast. This picture was probably taken from the top of a stoop. (The Gallery, DPC, Horses, NYC)
Rooms With a View: 1912
... Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument." Along with the Flatiron building in New York, "The Pontch" was one of Detroit Publishing's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 6:09pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Hotel Pontchartrain, Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument." Along with the Flatiron building in New York, "The Pontch" was one of Detroit Publishing's favorite architectural subjects. View full size. ShadesWhy the selective positioning of window shades on some windows and not others? More permanent residents or offices? Given a choiceI think I would rather stay at the Metropole where all the windows have awnings. Is this building still there?I've looked and can't find a thing about it! The only things I find are about a hotel in New Orleans, and one in Detroit which was built in the 1920s. I'm afraid this elegant structure is another of those that 20th century American mod freaks have destroyed. One of the things I loved best about Europe is that they rarely demolish anything. They build everything extremely well and then just keep using it. There are buildings that were there many years before Columbus that are still in use today. The insides are remodeled, but the exterior stays the same. When we were there, in the 80s, there was a lot of scrubbing of old buildings going on, to remove soot buildup from centuries of heating with coal. They came out as good as new! I don't know why we can't do that here! [This short-lived hotel, whose main deficiency was a dearth of private bathrooms, was demolished in 1920 and replaced by a bank. Its history can be traced right here on Shorpy, in both the photo captions and the comments. - Dave] (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Noir York: 1950
... changes of the times, moving from the Renaissance revival Flatiron Building to the Art Deco Fuller building in 1929. United Nations ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/22/2018 - 2:53pm -

August 29, 1950. "Storm over Manhattan. New York: The towering buildings of Manhattan are silhouetted against heavy clouds which gathered over the city just before a sudden electrical rainstorm late in the afternoon of Aug. 29. This view looks south from the area of Central Park." Acme Newspicture. View full size. Sherry-NetherlandPhotographer must be on top of the Sherry-Netherland, still there on the NE corner of 5th Ave and 59th. At the right edge of the pic, the roof of the Savoy Plaza, not still there. Look up "eerie"and this photo appears with the dictionary definition. The Fuller BuildingOn the left is the 40 story Fuller Building, which is now almost swallowed up by newer, taller skyscrapers. The Fuller Company made a move that coincided with the architectural changes of the times, moving from the Renaissance revival Flatiron Building to the Art Deco Fuller building in 1929. United Nations HeadquartersAt left on the East River is the UN Secretariat. Just one week after first 450 employees started working there on August 22, 1950. (The Gallery, News Photo Archive, NYC)
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