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American Gothic: 1915
... Grim indeed A bit of a homely lot. Just in time for Halloween. A pleasant family photo of the undead. Make My Day The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 7:14pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1915. "H.E.F. group." National Photo proprietor Herbert E. French with his wife, parents and daughter Dorothy. View full size. The Stern GangSomeone must have told these people "Whatever you do, do NOT smile." This is one somber quintet. Addams-MorganWas Herb's Uncle Fester the lensman? Busman's HolidayHerbert doesn't look like he really wants to be standing there. It sort of looks like he is about to take off running. Ok, now hold that smile... Perfect!Wow, what a happy looking group. The French FamilyThe 1910 District of Columbia census shows this family of five living together. The elder two are Evander and Sophia. Standing are Herbert and Mabel. Seven-year old Dorothy sits with Grandpa. Evander states he is a storekeeper for a government hospital; Herbert is a reporter for Bradstreet. Sophia has had four children, two of whom are still alive in 1910. Dorothy is Herb and Mabel's only child. [Most excellent. Thank you! - Dave] Sly Old GuyThe elder Mr French is the only one with a sliver of joy. It's under the mustache, but you have to look for it. Where's Dr. Freud when we need him?Herb's wifey is about as far as she can get from him and her mother-in-law. On the other hand a good photographer would have moved them closer together and asked for a "cheese" and we'd have nothing to talk about. Grim indeedA bit of a homely lot. Just in time for Halloween.A pleasant family photo of the undead. Make My DayThe adults simply look bored. But the expression on the little girl is priceless. I believe if she had a weapon in her hand she would use it. The photographer would probably be the first casualty. Happier, maybe?Somebody colorize this picture. They might seem happier — except for the girl, who looks like she'd have a future in Stephen King movies regardless. (Tip: Make Grandma's dress purple.) Bow-headWhat was it with sticking gigantic bows on little girls' heads? This is almost exactly the way my mother was decked just out a year later. The Wild BunchProof that temperament is hereditary. Little WomenWhat always strikes me in older photographs is how small some of the people are. Mama is very small and Grandmama looks like you could pick her up, chair and all. Can you hear me now?Looks like Junior inherited his ears from Mom. Impressive. Pass the StuffingBet Thanksgiving dinner at the Frenches' was a hot ticket on the D.C. social scene. The realityI'm old enough to remember ancestors like this. Their facial expressions, as in this photograph, weren't a put-on by any means. There was an insufferable evangelical ethos about these people; repressed sexuality that came out in warped ways, tremendous guilt and at times overt cruelty. And consider the times! The grandparents in this photo were of the generation that bequeathed WWI. Herbert and his wife experienced the sheer madness of the '20s and '30s that eventually contributed to genocide. Dorothy is a bit younger than both of my grandmothers, who suffered severely from depression, the deaths of children, and men prone to extreme religiosity or alcoholism (or both). The looks on these faces are real. [I wonder what they'd have to say about you! - Dave] H.E.F., HepcatI like to remember him in your earlier view where his jovial appearance as a bon vivant of the time was much more evident. https://www.shorpy.com/node/3907 Let's Get Real>> The grandparents in this photo were of the generation that bequeathed WWI. Herbert and his wife experienced the sheer madness of the '20s and '30s that eventually contributed to genocide Boy, is this wrong-headed. The US had practically nothing to do with the genesis of WWI. That generation "bequeathed" us the auto, radio, the airplane, and so forth. And how did the US experience in the 20's and 30's contribute to the Nazi and Russian/Soviet genocides? It didn't, plain and simple. Geez! These people are what they are - unhappy for some reason, but "why" -- well, we just can't tell 94 years later. (The Gallery, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo, Portraits)
Cats and Dolls: 1940
... photo by Jack Delano. View full size. Halloween in December I love the old black cat head Halloween decorations on the mantle. I have a reproduction of one very similar ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/16/2018 - 11:55am -

Dec. 1940. Portsmouth, Rhode Island. "Mrs. Botello and her sister, Portuguese FSA clients." Farm Security Administration photo by Jack Delano. View full size. Halloween in DecemberI love the old black cat head Halloween decorations on the mantle. I have a reproduction of one very similar to them on my own mantle! [That ledge over your fireplace is a mantel, not a "mantle." - Dave] Correct name?Since they are Portuguese, the surname is most likely Botelho. Botello or Botero?Could have sworn these were the original Botero Sisters! (The Gallery, Cats, Jack Delano, Kids)
Sweet Home: 1935
... Details, the columns, and that dentil detail. Halloween Is Right Around the Corner It wouldn't take too much imagination ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/01/2015 - 11:49am -

Jan. 24, 1935. "D.F. Weaver House, Weaver Road, Weaver, Alabama. Built 1840." Photo by W.N. Manning, Historic American Buildings Survey. View full size. WonderfulDetails, the columns, and that dentil detail. Halloween Is Right Around the CornerIt wouldn't take too much imagination to turn this into a haunted house. It even looks like there's a resident apparition in the front second story window! Another fixer upperHere's another one for HGTV - the Gaines or Nicole Curtis. I would love to think that someone has rescued and restored this old beauty, but it's not too likely. Forget The House of Seven GablesBehold: The House of One Hundred Brackets. (No eave sag ever on THAT structure!) (The Gallery, HABS, Small Towns)
Board of Directors: 1908
... Society is still around, still going strong. Must be Halloween They're all wearing Ghost costumes. Ring For Service Sweet ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/12/2013 - 1:22pm -

New York City, May 1908. "Children's Aid Society." The meeting will now come to order. I make a motion for apple juice! 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Aaaaawww factorThis is one of the cutest photos I've ever seen. These kids are just extraordinary with no fidgeting, no crying, just sitting still and waiting patiently with no restraints, no seat belts, no sitting helmets, just very well behaved. I particularly have to laugh at the littlest one at the far right end (foot) of the table. It defines the word "adorable". Thank you for cheering me up today. AdoptionIf those little ones had been born a few decades later, they would have had no trouble being adopted. By the mid-1970s, when my husband and I first started trying to adopt, there would have been ten families for each child in that age range. I wonder how many of them ever did find families. As Peter said, the Children's Aid Society is still around. They have an agency about 20 miles from me, here in Utah. It was one of those that we checked out back in the 70s. 105 years laterThe Children's Aid Society is still around, still going strong. Must be HalloweenThey're all wearing Ghost costumes. Ring For ServiceSweet as the children are, I was amazed by that velvet and macrame mantle drapery, which surely kept the fireplace cozy and safe from drafts. Then I looked a bit closer at what I had initially taken for three macrame tassels in front of the enclosed coal grate, and realized that they are Indian brass claw bells, sometimes called elephant bells. That's a late Victorian decorative touch one couldn't have predicted. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Kids, NYC)
Fade to Black: 1940
... have to hope she got what she wanted and went blind. Halloween Creepy as heck from her look, what she wants, and what is in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/24/2019 - 8:45pm -

January 1940. "Woman in dilapidated old house in the Mount Washington district of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. She is blind in one eye and her other one is going bad too. She expressed the hope that she would lose her sight completely so she could get some money from blind pension." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Budgetary adviceAt least she looks quite comfy in her summer dress while snow covers the scene outside. Maybe she could save a few bucks by burning less coal and wearing a sweater? Oh well I guess my advice comes 80 years too late to be useful. I just have to hope she got what she wanted and went blind. HalloweenCreepy as heck from her look, what she wants, and what is in the room. Blind hopeImagine a life so bleak that your hope is to go blind so that you receive a pension. (The Gallery, Jack Delano)
Pumpkin Patch Kid: 1963
... Press for twenty years. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Halloween, Kids, Philadelphia, Toni Frissell) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/16/2023 - 5:20pm -

Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, 1963. "Shooting fashions and autumn scenes at Pheasant Run Farm, home of Mrs. Robert McLean." 120mm color transparency by Toni Frissell. View full size. Is Shorpy blue?I don't recall seeing Shorpy in a color before ... very nice. Toni Frissell did a creative job matching this handsome young man's blue eyes to his pants and the door, all in a sea of oranges and earthtones. How could Shorpy help but to jump in? [There are actually dozens of colored Shorpys here. - Dave] Illustrious LadyClare Randolph Goode McLean, who died in 1983 at the age of 89, was also quite illustratable. (It no doubt helped that she was on the board of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.) Her husband was president of the Associated Press for twenty years. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Halloween, Kids, Philadelphia, Toni Frissell)
The Kitchen Clock: 1918
... and this looks just like Ralph and Alice's place! Halloween The duster and even the broom would be great costumes. Lots of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 1:01pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1918. "The Kitchen Clock." Which I'll just bet is a play about a kitchen that comes to life at the stroke of midnight. View full size. Those Boots Were Made for ... Climbing RadiatorsWhat cute "play" clothes. They're missing only a French candelabrum, and they could do the Disney version of Beauty & The Beast. Trying to figure out what the girls lying down are supposed to be. Dish cloths? Tea bags? Dirt in front of the dustpan? "The Kitchen Clock"Described here as a musical play. And the best costume award goes to...The broom is awesome! A Musical Make-Believe "The Kitchen Clock. A musical make-believe in a prologue and one act. Words by Florence Crocker Comfort. Music by Herbert E. Hyde." There's a copy on the shelves at the Chicago Public Library if anyone has a hankering to read it. Quick, roll under the bed!It's not often that you see giant dust bunnies out in plain sight. Props to the propsI suspect I'd have to pan the acting, but the prop designer showed real artistry, knew how to make the cheapest 2-dimensional cardboard look like 3D from a distance. And the broom and feather-duster must have taken many hours of work. PlaybillI love the feather duster girl in the corner! Her expression is adorable. This is such a weird grouping of objects -- I must learn more about this play. I wonder if the pot calls the kettle black. AnimatedThis reminds of those early Warner cartoons, where all the inanimate objects in the kitchen come to life. But Teacher says it's an IMPORTANT part!"Dangnab it, I don't care what your teacher says, girls. I didn't slog my way through the trenches of France getting shot at by Kaiser Bill so I could come home and see my kids play a plunger and a dustpan in front of the whole town!" I've got it!The girls on the floor are dust bunnies, obviously. I am the walrus..I could swear I saw this same picture on a Beatles album cover back in the 60's.Or maybe it was the Bali Hai wine. Far out man. HoneymooningPut a sink and an icebox on the wall, and this looks just like Ralph and Alice's place! HalloweenThe duster and even the broom would be great costumes. Lots of imagination! PixiesNot dust bunnies or tea bags -- I'm pretty sure the two girls lying down and the one with the duster are brownies (impish fairies). Note that all three are barefoot. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Kids, Kitchens etc.)
Ofty's: 1926
... probably get fired on my first day. Just in time for Halloween I had no idea Gomez Addams did a stint behind the counter at ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 1:15pm -

1926. Another view of the Offterdinger cigar store and soda fountain in Washington, D.C. National Photo Co. Collection glass negative. View full size. Soda and a smokeI wonder if they sold candy cigarettes and bubble gum cigars for the younger consumers? Ms. Spitcurl Comes DownShe should have stayed upstairs, so that I might admire her from afar. In her case it's the best way to admire. And what is that getup she's wearing? A Lasting ViewEvidently GeezerNYC has never seen aprons, or, at least smock style aprons. Just to see her with a cup of coffee from the shining coffee urn makes you want a cup. The wonderful old telephone booth with calendars on the back wall, the polished spittoon and bottle cap on the floor. The hair styles of the day, much neater looking than the frizzy unkept look seen today. The "natty" attire of the clerks and "Soda Jerk", which would be call "associates" today and not nearly as well dressed. La Anita must have been the prefered cigar of the day, judging on the quantity stocked. Whether you were a smoker or not, the scent of cured tobacco that met you when you walked into one of the old style tobacco stores was a sensory treat, not smoky at all. Her getupJust a guess: maybe they rolled some of their own cigars. That could be an apron to protect clothing from the tobacco leaves. Both pictures mergedClick to enlarge. Offterdinger Cigar FactoryFound a reference to this shop in a 1918 edition of the Cigar Makers' Official Journal. Offterdinger had his own cigar factory in the District of Columbia: The shop normally employs about 125 persons mostly women and girls and la the only cigar factory of any size In the District of Columbia Its output includes among its best known brands Meditation, La Anita, Deerhead, Bouquet, Ofty, After Dinner, and Army and Navy. You can see these brands (especially La Anita) on the shelves. The Journal records that there was a strike where 88 workers (82 women and girls, six men) walked out because of unsanitary conditions and low wages. It also seems that Mr. Offterdinger refused to recognize the right of the union to represent his workers. Ah, the aromaThis photo somehow reminds me of the great smell of the local drug store aisle that held the all the differt kinds of pipe tobacco. Very nice. Far From DeadThe traditional brass cuspidor is far from dead. Just minutes ago I shoved mine back to its "off-duty" location beneath my computer desk. The cigar store photo brings to mind a scene from an old "Amos & Andy" radio episode in which Andy and the Kingfish are attempting to curry favor with Calhoun the lawyer by supplying him with what they are trying to pass off as a fine cigar, saying it is a "two for fifty cents" cigar. After a puff on the vile rope presented to him Calhoun asks, "Tell me.....who got the 48 cent one?" A Splendid Cigar A Little Talk to Women About Christmas Cigar Buying The Season of the Christmas Cigar joke is with us again. The woman who buys cigars according to the beauty of the label has furnished material for many a professional humorist — but there is nothing funny about it for the man who has to smoke them. ... "La Anita" is a splendid cigar, made from selected leaves of the best Havana Tobacco, in nine sizes, ... The "Ofty" Cigar — a remarkably good seed-and-Havana cigar [A mixture of domestic and Cuban tobacco] — made in one size only - 5 cents each, $2.00 for a box of 50. ... Henry T. Offterdinger Manufacturer of La Anita and Ofty Cigars 508 Ninth Street Northwest 1912 Advertisement CuspidorI remember as a child in the early 1950s our local First National Bank building still having the polished brass cuspidors prominently in place, likely there since the elegant, tile-floored Spanish Colonial Revival building was constructed in 1928. Even at that age, they struck my brother and me as quite a contrast from the palatial atmosphere of the bank, likely built to inspire confidence and project solvency. Spitooey! Both the bank building and presumably the cuspidors were gone by 1970. Progress, I guess. Kicking the BucketIt cracks me up how the spittoon is placed right in the middle of the store like that. I'm such a klutz, if I worked there I'd be constantly kicking it, knocking it over, getting my foot stuck in it. Heck, I'd probably get fired on my first day. Just in time for HalloweenI had no idea Gomez Addams did a stint behind the counter at Offterdinger's. Peripatetic OffterdingerThe ad below gives Offterdinger's address as 508 Ninth Street in 1912. However, in 1920 the Washington Post reported the sale of their building at 504 9th Street (1/25/20, p. 32). By the time these pictures were taken, the street number seems to have been 833, based on the reflection in image 6996. Tobacco smellI used to work in a bookstore where both the owner and the manager smoked pipes. The manager smoked a particularly vile concoction which hung about him like.... a bad smell. Worse, after he talked on the phone we all dreaded having to answer it because the mouthpiece reeked of tobacco-mouth. One day, I was sitting in his office and I answered the phone. Looking for a pen to write a message down for him, I opened one of the drawers and spotted a new package of his tobacco le choix. It had a very large label stating that it was "The tobacco that women will go wild over." Obviously no one had done any market research before coming up with THAT tagline. Spit curl and a cup of JoeI had to pan in to check out the lady's hair do and clothing and noticed the accountant (?) upstairs sitting under the naked light bulb. A charming, charming photo. Just a trip back in time. Is that a spittoon or a depository for matches on the floor? I can smell my grandfather's sweet cherry pipe tobacco as I look. When is a gaboon not? Since classier establishments like this seldom dealt in chew or snuff, the spittoon is most likely for those customers who preferred to bite the end off their cigars, as opposed to the fancy folks who could afford a cutter. Although some of the high class shops would have a device on the counter that combined a punch, tip cutter and a continuously burning alcohol lamp wick for the man who couldn't wait to try out his purchase. Wax lipsNot sure what commenter Kenny meant with: "La Anita must have been the prefered cigar of the day, judging on the quantity stocked." It was, in that store, not elsewhere. In the 20s PHILLIES and WHITE OWL were the preferred (biggest selling) cigars. LA ANITA is a brand made in their factory and possibly unknown outside that store. Most cigar stores of any substance, and even many small one man ops, had one or more house brands, especially if they had a factory on premises. Ofty is another of their house brands. I don't know about the others listed. In answer to Wax Mustache...Yes, if they had a candy counter, candy cigarettes and chocolate cigars would be there, along with wax lips. Hersheys and others were making chocolate cigars (foil wrapped) in the late 1800s. Bubble gum wasn't invented when these pictures were taken. The earliest bubble gum cigar box I've seen is from the 1950's but I "smoked" candy cigarettes in the 1940s. The United Cigar Store chain (founded 1901) carried so many sundries that other cigar stores were forced to expand to meet their overwhelming competition. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Dark Shadows: 1920
... would not look nearly so 'haunted' -- but as is, a great Halloween house. Wonderful rounded corner as well. Run! My wife and ... I'd say it was definitely haunted. Very appropriate for Halloween week! No more This is now a block of "prewar"-style apartment ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2012 - 2:53pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Tumulty house, 1917 Kalorama Road." Residence of Joseph P. Tumulty, President Wilson's private secretary. View full size. Secret ShotThe frayed edges of the photo give it a somewhat clandestine look, like it was shot covertly with a spy camera or with a camera hidden from view. Gable carvingsThe gable carvings seem lighthearted and cheery to me. I'd bet in color, this would not look nearly so 'haunted' -- but as is, a great Halloween house. Wonderful rounded corner as well. Run!My wife and I agree, this is a spooky house. If we were kids we would have to run past this one in the evening. Dr. TJoseph Tumulty had a son who became a physician at Johns Hopkins Medical School and the first Chief of Internal Medicine within the Department of Medicine. He was considered by his interns and colleages as one of the finest clinicians. His patients loved him as did anyone who knew him. Painted ladyI disagree with most of the comments made here so far. This is a lovely and nicely proportioned Victorian home. It would have been painted cheerily, probably with three bright colors. If we had this shot in color, it would seem like a warm and welcoming place. Knock knockAppears to have been vacant for a while from the looks of the unsecured shutters and the vines overtaking the balcony. Either that or Joseph wasn't much of a honey-doer. HauntedLooks like the residence of the local Addams family. Makes Me ShudderWere the camera shutter speedier, it would have caught witch Griselda leaving through the upper left bedroom window on her broom. (Note shutter ajar.) It's a perfect haunted house. HauntedIf it were still standing, I'd say it was definitely haunted. Very appropriate for Halloween week! No moreThis is now a block of "prewar"-style apartment buildings, from what I can see on Google Street View. Kalorama is still a nice neighborhood, but certainly a lot more urban and dense than it was in this photo. This Old HouseChez Tumulty circa 1921 after a makeover. Click to enlarge. Groovy GableThe gable carving in the original iteration has a "Summer of Love" look to it. Chez TumultyThe guy sure liked his chicken wire. Maybe he used his house as a parade float. Does Freddy live here?This could truly be a scene out of "Nightmare on Kalorama Road." If it were Halloween night, I'm not sure I would go knocking on the door. Great Shorpy Timing!With Halloween just around the corner, this house seems to perfectly fit the classic haunted house image -- just add a few cobwebs, a headstone or two, and you can almost hear a witch cackling or a wolf baying under the cover of a gloomy night Mrs. Tumulty's House Photo Caption, Washington Post, Nov 14, 1920 Famous Washington Home Bought By Wife of White House Secretary Mansion erected by former Gov. Alexander Shepherd, of the District, which was purchased last week by Mrs. Joseph P. Tumulty, wife of the secretary of President Wilson. Henry W. Seymour is the former owner of the house, which had been occupied by the widow of Gov. Shepherd since the latter's death. It is located at Twentieth street and Kalorama road northwest. The house was razed circa 1929 to make way for the apartment building currently occupying the corner. I double dog dare you"C'mon Davey, go up and ring the doorbell. What, you chicken? Scaredycat!" ChangesThis is a case where the subject is not well served by being in Black & White. Typically these old Victorians were brightly painted in several colours to emphasize the decoration. So what looks like it would be a gloomy and scary place would really have been a riot of colour. The house was ill-served by the 1921 makeover. It appears to have been painted in a single colour, the upstairs balcony was enclosed, the porch columns were replaced and simplified, and much of the "gingerbread" that was a feature of Victorian architecture was eliminated or simplified. That can be seen by comparing the fan feature above the front steps and above the balcony/bump-out on the second floor. Wouldn't be surprised if they did away with the end balcony and simply put a roof over the brick first floor. Looks like they were trying for something approaching a Craftsman style look. Boss ShepherdSo this was Boss Shepherd's house? Cool. Alexander Robey Shepherd (1835 – 1902), better known as Boss Shepherd, was one of the most controversial and influential civic leaders in the history of Washington, D.C., and one of the most powerful big-city political bosses of the Gilded Age. He was head of the DC Board of Public Works from 1871 to 1873 and Governor of the District of Columbia from 1873 to 1874. He is known, particularly in Washington, as "The Father of Modern Washington." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Robey_Shepherd Original Addams Family HouseI know for a certain fact that the Addams Family house was inspired by a home in Westfield, New Jersey. I wish I remembered the location to street view it. It was the house that Addams drew for the comics, not the location from the tv series. I betBarnabas Collins would love this house! Boss ShepherdI passed Shepherd's bronze likeness frequently when I lived in D.C. He had a sense of humor -- he named his large and forbidding mansion (not this one) "Bleak House." Classic haunted houseWhat a wonderful photograph, so rich. Old and daunting as it looks here, it must have held a tremendous amount of life and living in its time. And, unless boxy inside, it looks to be quite spacious. LOVE the wraparound porch. The chiaroscuro qualities of the photo is spooky. Matches many an iconic classic haunted house image. My relatives' homeMr. and Mrs. Joseph Tumulty were my great-great grandparents and we have other images which I can now place on the porch, etc. It is wonderful to find this long forgotten family element. Thank you! -- Alicia Gordon, Boston (Daughter of Alicia Donnelly Barry, daughter of John Donnelly and Alicia Tumulty Donnelly, daughter of Joseph Tumulty). P.S. Lovely to hear such a wonderful mention of our Uncle Phil who I do know to have been loved and respected by all at John Hopkins. Thank you once again. (The Gallery, D.C., Halloween, Natl Photo)
The Klan: 1922
... this photo. I think we're safe. (The Gallery, D.C., Halloween, Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/01/2011 - 5:00pm -

Washington, D.C., or its Virginia suburbs. "March 18, 1922. Ku Klux Klan." And Klanmobile. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. DoucheWay to post only the pc liberal comments. [Not so. You're the first "douche" we've gotten. - Dave] Good start, bad endingSuprisingly, the Klan was started as a fraternal organization and had no intention of ending up the way it did. They started scaring people at night as part of the fun and then realized it could be used for a darker purpose rather quickly. Cockeyed KlanWhat's with the tippy hoods? I would have thought that their pointy little heads would have kept them sticking straight up. The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated Six weeks later, May 1, 1922. Automotive sponsorI don't know the make and model of that vehicle, but, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was manufactured by the White Motor Company. The Pyramid SchemeI read an interesting essay about the financial side of the 1920-30s Klan. It was essentially a multilevel marketing scheme, with recruiters recruiting recruiters to get a cut of the then-steep membership fee. Robe sales were a big income generator, too. I like how there's a target conveniently over their hearts. Extra starchThe robes are looking rather sloppy and wrinkly. You'd think if you were going to wear a ridiculous get-up in public, you'd at least take the time to iron it first. The Klan in NY State in the 1920'sMy mom and dad witnessed a Klan gathering in Walden NY back in the late 1920s. My dad was threatened with violence by a white-robed and masked Kluxer when he failed to remove his fedora promptly enough, as they hoisted Old Glory up on their flagpole. Their recruitment scheme is still going on with many "organizations" in this day and age: recruit members who recruit members who recruit members who recruit members. Highly profitable and very pyramidal. Laundry DayGives new meaning to the term "whiter whites." DixielandWashingtonians have often described the District of Columbia as just another big ol' Southern town. This kind of brings it home. This photoGives me the willies. Yummy At least while they wore those pastry bags over their heads they would have been able to lick the icing off the insides. That would explain why so few of them had teeth. The Mighty KlanDipshits. 590According to DCplates, these plates may have a reserved number, possibly for somebody important. A December 1921 Washington Post article about the distribution of 1922 plates indicates that "Tags numbered from 200 to 500 have been reserved for the motor corps of the Home Defense league." On the day that 1922 plates first became available (the final day of November 1921), several three-digit plates were issued to foreign diplomats and embassies, such as 190 to 197 to the Russian embassy and 750 to the foreign minister of Ecuador. Run those plates.I wonder how many Senators and/or Congressman were in that crowd. Don't LikeHoping that the new Facebook "Like it" button won't get much use on this photo. Is that a teabag I see?At least they are all dead now. Thanks, MelThis sort of thing is easier to take if you just think of "Blazing Saddles." The Urban Klan of the 1920's and my GrandpaMy state of Indiana was a hotbed of Klan activity under D.C. Stephenson in the 1920's. They were known as the "second wave" of the Klan and was more organized than the first incarnation. A rumor in my family is that my maternal grandfather was "forced" to join the Klan in the 1920's. I don't think the Klan influenced him if he were a member, because Gramps always got along fine with all people (he worked in the steel mills of Northwest Indiana where you worked alongside all races), and let his daughter (my mother) marry a second generation Polish American (my dad). Call DMVI wonder if the District of Columbia 1922 motor vehicle records still exist. At least we would know the registered owner of 590. Any DC archivists in Shorpydom? Watch out for the FBIBy the 1960s, the klan was heavily monitored by the feds. One of my father's coworkers was a member and tried to recruit anyone who would listen. Within 48 hours of the JFK assassination, the FBI came calling to find out where he was when the president was shot. Immediately, he resigned and for the rest of his life, denied any involvement in the orginazation. The Bright SideToday I am grateful for evolution. I visit here to avoid politicsCan we not turn this into a political website? This comment should be removed. Deceptive "Marketing"One of my ancestors was talked into joining under false pretenses about what the Klan was about. He quit two weeks later after he found out what they really stood for. The CarProbably not a Lincoln. Shorpy PolitcsThank you for the amazing images, history, and photographs presented on this site. I've enjoyed the many visits I've made here the past few years, and I think I've recommended it to just about everyone I know --a better escape from the day-to-day nonsense of modern life I haven't found. However, I don't come here for political discussions or cheap shots; the 'teabag' comment is unacceptable and just plain lame. I can get that sort of stuff anywhere, so I will be moving on. Best of luck to you and your family (whose pictures I think I enjoyed the most). [My family? You're a wee bit confused. Not to mention thin-skinned. - Dave] Really LowOnly .0001267 percent of viewers "liked" this photo. I think we're safe. (The Gallery, D.C., Halloween, Natl Photo)
Bal Masque: 1939
October 1939. "Masquerade at Halloween party. Hillview cooperative, Osage Farms, Missouri." Acetate negative ... Ok, so now we know where they got the premise for Halloween I, II, and III. [Not to mention "Psycho." - Dave] Right! ... (The Gallery, Bizarre, Agriculture, Arthur Rothstein, Halloween) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/23/2018 - 1:12pm -

October 1939. "Masquerade at Halloween party. Hillview cooperative, Osage Farms, Missouri." Acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein. View full size. SinisterThose homemade masks are a lot scarier than anything store-bought today. The eye slit on the mask of the little fellow, lower right, is really unsettling. SpooookyWhew! "The Purge" has got nothing on these people. Not a chanceNo way am I hanging out at this party for more than five minutes. JD undersold this one -- every one of those costumes is unsettling. Jason Is Here SomewhereOk, so now we know where they got the premise for Halloween I, II, and III. [Not to mention "Psycho." - Dave] Right! Forgot that one. MOTHER!!!!!!! Many men smoke, but Is that guy on the right Fu Manchu, or Ming the Merciless? Not "PC"Looks like a whole lot of cultural appropriation goin' on here. (The Gallery, Bizarre, Agriculture, Arthur Rothstein, Halloween)
Movie Night: 1920
... impresario Sidney Lust's 18th Street cinema decorated for Halloween with an array of eye-catching movie posters. National Photo Co. glass ... and films in the early 1950's. (The Gallery, D.C., Halloween, Movies, Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 6:46pm -

October 1920. Washington, D.C. "Lust's Regent." Theater impresario Sidney Lust's 18th Street cinema decorated for Halloween with an array of eye-catching movie posters. National Photo Co. glass negative. View full size. His picture in the papersThe only movie mentioned here without a picture is 1918 Douglas Fairbank's "His picture in the papers". So here is the picture. HyphensWhen did they stop hyphenating "to-day?" War Tax on Theater TicketsI guess the arts supported WW I Reruns?The Chaplin movie "The Pawnshop" was advertised as an offering by Chaplin Classics. It was four years old at the time of this photo, apparently. A re-run, already! Wow, the films cycled rapidly! I had no idea, but it makes sense. Without TV's competition, a movie impresario could fill the house every night with a different program. All this for 20 centsYou could buy an adult ticket for 20 cents (18 cents plus tax) or a children's ticket for 17 cents. A true bargain! And the Charlie Chaplin short is a two-reeler! re: RerunsHell's Hinges was also four years old at this point. For a change, I can actually watch some of the films seen advertised; I have that one plus the Chaplin in my collection. Discerning a time referenceIf I didn't know better, I'd say this photo was taken on Christmas Eve. The Girl in the Admission BoothI hope I'm not the only one who noticed the somewhat creepy image of the ticket taker hidden among all the movie posters. She looks thrilled to be there! What day is To-DayThe coming attractions list shows for Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and To-Day. That leaves Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as candidates for To-Day. Perhaps it was all three and the triple feature was used as a draw to attract the mid-week crowd. Since the "Special Big Show" was set for Friday, October 29, this photo was presumably taken during the October 26-28 time span. DatesHis Picture in the Paper: 13 Feb '16 Hells Hinges: 5 Mar '16 Maid Mad: 3 Sept '16 The Pawn Shop: 2 Oct '16 Jimmy the Soldier Boy: 2 Aug '17 (unable to find any info) Sinners: 5 Mar '20 Excuse my Dust: 21 Mar '20 Hairpins: 1 Aug '20 39 East: 1? September '20 (now considered lost) Guilty! (can't find any info), Im sure somebody will ( Dave!) Prizma 'a master production in natural color' The Prizma Color system was a technique of color motion picture photography, invented in 1913 by William Van Doren Kelley and Charles Raleigh. I cant make out what film it is but judging by the poster (the storks) it may well be 'In Nippon' presumably a film about Japan, showing off the colour technique Gone and forgottenRegent was at 2021 18th Street NW at the bottom of today's Adams Morgan. The site is now a wonderful gas station/vacant lot. Theater operated for only about 10 years. This photo appeared in the Washington Times, October 31, 1920, p. 24. War taxI looked this one up - the War Tax Act of 1917 was in effect a new tax code for the United States that, in addition to greatly increasing federal income tax rates, introduced taxation on newer technologies such as telephone communication and motion pictures, among other things. Although the tax on movie tickets wasn't supporting the war effort in 1920, obviously, "war tax" was still used in common parlance. This particular tax was one cent on each ten cents or fraction thereof on admission charges. (Interestingly, producers of motion pictures were also taxed at a rate of 1/4 to 1/2 cent per foot of film.) More Film InformationBoth "Jimmy The Soldier Boy" & "Little Red Riding Hood" (A Doll Comedy) were produced in 1917 by the Peter Pan Film Company. Milburn Moranti, the star of the film "Guilty," real last name was Morante. He has film credits under both names. His last credits were for TV shows and films in the early 1950's. (The Gallery, D.C., Halloween, Movies, Natl Photo)
Pumpkin Patch Kids: 1936
... stack, these youngsters hope for an advance glimpse of the Halloween spooks and goblins. They are 'Sunny Jim,' Johnny-John and Brooke ... haystack; I sense trick not treat. (The Gallery, Halloween, Harris + Ewing, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/01/2021 - 1:48pm -

October 3, 1936. Ashton, Maryland. "Climbing to the highest hay stack, these youngsters hope for an advance glimpse of the Halloween spooks and goblins. They are 'Sunny Jim,' Johnny-John and Brooke Johns." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. A bit late?I was born just 17 days later. Guess I was the goblin they were looking for. Bwahaaa!!!! Itchy & Scratchyand friend. Needle still being evasive Three kids with pumpkins taking cover atop haystack; I sense trick not treat. (The Gallery, Halloween, Harris + Ewing, Kids)
Mid-Nite Spook Party: 1935
... day of the year was May 14. We're kicking off the Shorpy Halloween party with some of the spookiest posters you've even seen! This one's ... we are all talking skulls, sort of. (The Gallery, Halloween, Magic & Spiritualism, Posters) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/08/2007 - 7:10pm -

Way back when, the scariest day of the year was May 14. We're kicking off the Shorpy Halloween party with some of the spookiest posters you've even seen! This one's from 1935. View full size. Triangle Poster & Printing Co., Chicago. I'm Going To Learn......how to play the acoustic upright bass just so I can be in a rockabilly band called "Mel Roy and the Talking Skulls". Our t-shirts and CD cover art will be based on this poster. Look out Stray Cats!!! Ghosts from the dead ?Ghosts from the dead ? wha.. *brain explodes * Talking skullswe are all talking skulls, sort of. (The Gallery, Halloween, Magic & Spiritualism, Posters)
The Village: 1905
... it all the time. I dressed up as the Library once for Halloween! Cardboard Jefferson Market I love Halloween. I love the jefferson Market library. The Village Halloween parade ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/18/2012 - 3:34pm -

New York City circa 1905. "Jefferson Market Courthouse." Now a library. Looking down West 10th Street at Sixth Avenue in Greenwich Village. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Look into Milwaukee City HallThis picture reminded me of Milwaukee City Hall except this building is way too top-heavy. Hopefully Shorpy will find an exterior and interior of one of the last great Flemish Revival city halls in the world. PointyI love these big old buildings that look like castles. The stunningly fine details of these photos takes my breath away. The sign reading keeps me very entertained as well. Basin street viewsWhat in the world is the basin-like feature at the base of the high tower? It looks exactly like a Baptismal font -- but this is a courthouse -- and it's outside, to boot! If it is another one of those zany combo people/horse fountains, the horses would have to step up on the sidewalk to use it. The puddles/stains around the area also are a little disquieting. Tagged!Would that be circa 1905 graffiti on the roof? Pause to refreshOne Moxie ad and none for Coca Cola? Long and Winding HistoryAs you can imagine, Jefferson Market Courthouse saw plenty of drama and high profile cases. Harry K. Thaw and The Triangle Shirtwaist Company were two big names associated with it. Before it was a library, and even before it was a courthouse, it was a market and a fire tower. I'm always amazedto see so many streetcars in these old pictures. Jefferson Market architectureWhat a remarkable building, and remarkable also that it survives intact, including the massive and somewhat top-heavy-appearing tower. Often such things were lopped off, if the building wasn't demolished in toto. I had originally thought this architecture was Romanesque Revival, but further research reveals that it's more like Venetian Gothic. Both styles were very popular in the late Victorian Era, and fell out of favor as the early 20th Century progressed, in fact becoming somewhat emblematic of the whole concept of old-fashioned. Ornate and massive was out and streamlined and airy was in, and lots of people welcomed the idea of these buildings being reduced to rubble. We really miss something by not seeing this one in color, which you can do at its Wikipedia page. My Favorite LibraryWhat a beauty, both inside and out. There is also a large garden with gorgeous roses at the south end of the building. John Sloan In New YorkOne of the best of the Ashcan School--the same building in this John Sloan painting of 1917. Street corner fountainGreat photo. My eye kept wandering back to the street level fountain at the building's corner because it looked vaguely familiar. Then it struck me; there's a very similar fountain at the Sharon Lodge in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, built in 1885. Main difference seems to be in size -- and possibly intent. The GG Park version was designed for people while the basin in the NYC version looks like it's horse-sized. TaggedCan we get an enlargement of the roof of the courthouse? Straight up from the main entrance on the left side of the building, near the bottom of the large roof there appears to be a name, like "N. LANY". Maybe some kid snuck up there, or a worker did it and didn't think anybody would ever notice. Reminds me of a poemby William Henry Davies: What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. I refer to the policeman standing in the middle of junction, arms behind his back like policemen all over the world. Perhaps he is on traffic duty but he doesn't seem to be making much effort. WowI love buildings in this style. Glad to see it lives still and did not meet the same fats as many of its contemporaries.I love the full size too. The details are pretty cool, like the walkway on the rooftop for the billboard hangers to walk on, laundry drying, and the funniest part, the cop in the street giving the guy in the stairway the big staredown! (Gotta admit he does look suspicious.) Yankee Doodle LaundryI don't know what delights me more -- the billboard advertising "Yankee Doodle Comedian" George M. Cohan and his Big Singing-Dancing Company in "Little Johnny Jones," or the clotheslines strung out on the rooftops behind the hoarding. Pastiche and PresentAny structure this non-conformist and excessive will win me over every time. What's not to love about this quirky gift from the past? Part of what makes it so wonderful is that it refuses to be neatly pigeon-holed into any pat architectural classification. While I don't feel a very strong Venetian vibe going on here, the Gothic (and Romanesque) aesthetic is happily blatant. I think that the folks at nyc-architecture.com have nailed it with the label "High Victorian Gothic neo-late romanesque." It's huge!And really impressive. There's a long, spiral staircase leading to the second floor that is completely dizzying. The stained glass windows are beautiful. Trick or TreatI love this building and I paint it all the time. I dressed up as the Library once for Halloween! Cardboard Jefferson MarketI love Halloween. I love the jefferson Market library. The Village Halloween parade goes up 6th Ave RIGHT ALONGSIDE the Jefferson market Library! Great-Great-GrandgrocerI had an ancestor who lived near Patchin Place and ran a grocery in the Village I wonder if that's the one? (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads, Streetcars)
Trick or Treat: 1937
... family of spirits that just want to be left alone. Happy Halloween. Carnivale! Instantly reminded me of the kind of place Ben ... house end up abandoned? (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Halloween) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 1:20pm -

1937. Rowan County, N.C. "Maxwell Chambers house, Spencer vicinity. Structure dates to ca. 1800-1810." Photo by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. And it still exists!?Hard to believe unless this is a different Maxwell Chambers house. Heavily modified but the view with four upper windows looks the same. Our gangOK, If you want to join our gang you have to knock on the door and then count to 10 before you run away. A Closer LookBoo. Leave 'em aloneThis is the perfect haunted house, BETTER than anything the movies have depicted, since there appears to be several apparitions, reflections, shadows and forms showing up in several of the windows, even the one at ground level in the cellar. There is what looks like two large space alien eyes appearing over the broken slats in the shutter just to the right of the door and a womanly white shape in the window to the right of that. There is definitely something showing up in the left window, first floor and the second floor windows on the right. A ghost hunter told my daughter that they often appear as reflective, unexplainable, translucent orbs in photographs but I see none of those here. Still I feel this is a verifiable, ghost-occupied house of a happy family of spirits that just want to be left alone. Happy Halloween. Carnivale!Instantly reminded me of the kind of place Ben would have visited. I wonder ...Seeing a photo of a place like this always makes me wonder, what did it look like when it was brand new? who would have lived there? What happened to those people? Why did the house end up abandoned? (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Halloween)
Dale and the Pale Pumpkin
... is the time of the year to write to the Great Pumpkin. On Halloween night, the Great Pumpkin rises out of his pumpkin patch and flies ... young man really reminds me of Joseph Gordon-Levitt ! (Halloween, Kermy Kodachromes) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/27/2013 - 4:06pm -

"Dale and pumpkin, 1962." Dale, last seen at the reunion, now in the pumpkin patch. From the Kermy & Janet Kodachromes I found on eBay. View full size. Flash forwardSomething about the bare chest and the foliage makes me imagine Dale, a few years later, in the jungles of Vietnam. It's the Great Pumpkin!"This is the time of the year to write to the Great Pumpkin. On Halloween night, the Great Pumpkin rises out of his pumpkin patch and flies through the air with his bag of toys for all the children" It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!Linus: "Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He's gotta pick this one. He's got to. I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there's not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see." Trust MeFifty years ago I was just about his age. I was that skinny and had that much hair. Today I haven't changed a bit. You'll just have to take my word for it. RobinThis young man really reminds me of Joseph Gordon-Levitt ! (Halloween, Kermy Kodachromes)
Keeping an Open Mind: 1926
... the brains of the operation (The Gallery, D.C., Halloween, Harris + Ewing) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/31/2016 - 10:48am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1926. "Man examining skulls." Let's put our heads together and see what we can come up with. 4x5 glass negative. View full size. Tomato Paste brand?I tried to figure out which Tomato Paste brand is shown on the box. I can read somethimg like "Villa Rial", but searches for that combination gave no results. I also read "Joh." The combination "Tomato Paste" & "Joh", brings many John West's en John Bull's, where John Bull seems to be the best guess for tomato pastes. I there anybody who can give the clue? Mulderand Skully. Or..Looking ahead. Preparing the tomato paste cansI finally see where it comes from 'Tis a puzzelmentIt appears that instead of merely "examining" the skulls, he is tasked with reconstructing them from shards. He has his pot of glue to his left and a shard in hand. Several of the skulls appear to be tied together with string, presumably while the glue sets. AuditionThe final candidates for Yorick. Forensic anthropolgy is a thankless occupationYou'd have to have a hole in your head to get involved in it. Since it's in D.C.It's not a local branch. Must be the head office. Who's in chargeThe guy in the white shirt is obviously the brains of the operation (The Gallery, D.C., Halloween, Harris + Ewing)
Pumpkin-Hound: 1923
... Washington, D.C., or vicinity, 1923. "Getting ready for Halloween, and it's nobody's business where he got the pumpkin." Jack-o-lantern ... Timeless Wonderful photo. (The Gallery, Dogs, Halloween, Harris + Ewing) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/31/2014 - 2:37pm -

Washington, D.C., or vicinity, 1923. "Getting ready for Halloween, and it's nobody's business where he got the pumpkin." Jack-o-lantern carving in the field with a boy and his dog. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Nailed itThe photographer just nailed the composition and focus on this image. Awesome. ClassicEasily in the running for one of the Top Ten Ever Shorpy offerings. As noted elsewhere, Norman Rockwell would really enjoy and make a Saturday Evening Post cover from it. TimelessWonderful photo. (The Gallery, Dogs, Halloween, Harris + Ewing)
A Good Time to Read: 1940
... ago. (The Gallery, Art & Design, Education, Schools, Halloween, Posters) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/13/2007 - 8:15pm -

A circa 1940 Illinois WPA Art Project poster promoting literacy. View full size. Bright Blue WeatherI'm guessing the poster title comes from this poem. If ever there was a poster for me...Wow, what a great print! Hard to believe it was made nearly 70 years ago. (The Gallery, Art & Design, Education, Schools, Halloween, Posters)
Oak Hill: 1919
... This is where I ended up. (The Gallery, D.C., Halloween, Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 1:18pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1919. "Oak Hill Cemetery, Georgetown." Who can supply us with a current photo from the same vantage point? View full size. Looks like a great place to rest!But I think I'd much rather just visit. I love this placeI'll try and go by tomorrow to find the same spot. Quince blossomsIs this photo close? From the cemetery Web site. SpiritsA few glass jars in the left foreground. Old offerings of moonshine? Vision(s)I keep looking for ghosts, but can't find any. But if I take my glasses off, they're everywhere! Think I found the spotThe James monument (cross on a base) in the center foreground is in lot #478 in the Chapel Valley section according to cemetery records. The photographer probably stood approximately in lot #460 behind it and aimed northeast toward the Reno Hill section. A fencehad to be erected around the cemetery, because folks were dying to get in. My grandfather used that one forty years ago, still brings a smile to my face. Epitaph of Robert Louis Stevenson"Under the wide and starry sky Dig the grave and let me lie. Glad did I live and gladly die, And I laid me down with a will. This be the verse you (en)'grave for me: Here he lies where he longed to be; Home is the sailor, home from the sea, And the hunter home from the hill." Although he was born in Scotland, I believe he is buried in Samoa. Flower jarsMy guess is that the jars were left there from someone who had brought flowers in them. My grandmother saved jars all year to use to arrange flowers from her huge garden in, for Memorial Day. She would try to give our departed relatives' graves some of the flowers that had been their favorites. It has obviously been a while since Memorial Day, here, but the jars look like they have been lying there for quite a while. Oak Hill, 2011Here you go. I'm sure someone could improve on my quality. I'm no photographer. But Sunday was a gorgeous day to go slipping through one of my favorite spots in DC. I think I'll try and head back in the winter to get the full view without the leaves. A great place to rest, even for a little while.I spent a long summer afternoon here once in the early '80s. Took the subway in from my home in the suburbs, went as far as I could on the Red Line (Dupont Circle at the time) then just started wandering. This is where I ended up. (The Gallery, D.C., Halloween, Natl Photo)
The Commercial Vampire: 1898
For your Halloween enjoyment we present "The Commercial Vampire," a Leon Barritt cartoon ... Records Fast food: Pappy Parker Jr. (The Gallery, Halloween, Politics, Posters, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/01/2013 - 9:33am -

For your Halloween enjoyment we present "The Commercial Vampire," a Leon Barritt cartoon from the July 20, 1898, issue of Vim, a short-lived satirical weekly published in New York. Painting department stores as bloodthirsty predators of small independent businesses, the same argument made today in some quarters against giant retailers like Wal-Mart and Amazon. View full size. And so forthI detect a decidedly anti-Semitic undertone as well. It is interesting how each period produces an ever bigger conglomerate that supposedly squeezes out the little guy. The two opposing entities today being online and brick and mortar Super Centers. And now we know... where Lugosi got the "hypnotic gaze." Interesting to note that among the victims of the department store megalith is your friendly, neighborhood "segar" dealer. Guess it's mass-produced El Ropos for the 99 per cent from now on. Where's the outragefor all the segar dealers done in by Mr G? The others are all still around as niche marketers but how long has it been since one could find a good segar at a neighborhood shop? Lost D.C. MerchantsThe pantheon of merchants shown here got me thinking about their Washington, DC (or at least Montgomery County, MD) equivalents: Butcher: Murrays Steaks Jeweler: Shaw Jewelers Clothier: Raleighs Hardware Merchant: Hechingers Gent’s Furnishings Dealer: Britches Outdoors Milliner: ? (the hat thing was before my time) Piano Dealer: Jordan Kitts Book dealer: Brentanos Hatter: (same as the milliners) Druggist: Peoples Drug Bicycle dealer: Wheaton Cycles Shoes: Hahn Shoes Grocer: We still have Giant Foods… EXTRA CREDIT Toy store: Lowen’s in Bethesda Music (guitar) store: Veneman Music Record store: Kemp Mill Records Fast food: Pappy Parker Jr. (The Gallery, Halloween, Politics, Posters, Stores & Markets)
Bread, the Movie: 1924
... bread, bread, bread, bread, bread, canned milk, cocoa, and Halloween masks. A Short History 1924: Eyeshadow introduced. 1926: ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2011 - 7:57pm -

Washington, D.C., 1924. "A&P Stores, Miss Frances Talley." Storefront spokesman for Dad's Bread and its rather literal marketing tie-in with a movie called "Bread." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. The Woman in the windowlooks a little Doughy. Mae BuschIf Mae Busch had been in the window display there would have been a large crowd of men in this image. She was a looker. Flour FaceI've heard of pancake makeup, but never flour. Did she face-plant in the mixing bowl? YeastIs the prequel, "Dough: The Story of Rising young Stars"? Wonder what the sequel was"BREAD II: TOAST"? AwesomeEyeshade. The perfect complement to milady's ensemble. Please, smile, Miss Talley. In 87 years, you'll make a comeback. Wow.I didn't know Susan Boyle was that old. People MagazineOver there in the newsstand to the right -- wonder if the stars of "Bread" were featured in it? Looks like they're down to one copy, though. Interesting StorefrontI wonder what they sell? The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company sellsbread, bread, bread, bread, bread, canned milk, cocoa, and Halloween masks. A Short History1924: Eyeshadow introduced. 1926: Eyeshadow classes commence. I'll skip the breadbut you can grind me a pound of Bokar coffee. Perk, please. I remember my mom saying if you came home on the streetcar with a bag of freshly ground coffee, everybody knew it. Stars of Bread, the movie Mae Busch - Jeanette Sturgis Robert Frazer - Martin Devlin Pat O'Malley - Roy Beardsley Wanda Hawley - Alice Sturgis Eugenie Besserer - Mrs. Sturgis Ward Crane - Gerald Kenyon Directed by Victor Schertzinger Written by Lenore J. Coffee and Albert Lewin based on the best-selling novel by Charles G. Norris Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Release date 4 August 1924 Sliced BreadDad's the best thing since sliced bread. Oh, Oh, sliced bread was not generally available until 1928. Never mind. Frank's BrotherCharles G. Norris was the brother of Frank Norris, author of the classic "The Octopus," about the predations of the Southern Pacific railroad in 1800s California. Charles also focused on social issues. "Bread" focused on the difficulties working women had in balancing love and a career. Merchandising 1924I like that the merchandising tie-in for Bread was bread. T-shirts? Action figures? Naw. Good ol' bread. Bread: The MovieDo you think they made a lot of Dough from this flick? Just sayin, you know. Why the poet drinks more some times than others"A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou Singing beside me on the riverbank. Ah, this were Paradise enow...." No, I don't think that's gonna work, here. Career vs. MatrimonyThe advertising campaign targeted at food shoppers and the plot, concerning modern matrimony, suggest to me the genre of 1920's Chick Flick. Washington Post, Jul 27, 1924. “Bread” at Columbia Scans Modern Marriage Problem. The all-absorbing modern problem of business career versus matrimony for women constitutes the central theme of “Bread,” the new Metro-Goldwyn picturization of the novel of the same name by Charles G. Norris, which will be given its initial presentation in Washington this week, beginning this afternoon, at Loew's Columbia, with a most noteworthy cast, including Mae Busch, Robert Frazer, Wanda Hawley, Pat O'Malley, Hobart Bosworth, Eugenie Besserer, Myrtle Stedman, Ward Crane and Raymond Lee. Victor Schertzinger directed the screen production of “Bread,” in which Miss Busch enacts the central role of Jeanette Sturgis, the proud, high-spirited daughter of a woman who has had the greatest struggle with poverty. Achieving success in the business world, the girl soon attracts the attention of a young salesman, who fascinates her, and, when he proposes marriage, she decides to accept, although in so doing, she once again confronts the specter of poverty and privation through her husband's extravagance. Things eventually reach the point where the girl can stand such conditions no longer and she leaves the husband to reengage in business. Once again, she achieves success, while the husband, ashamed of the part he has played, makes no effort at reconciliation, but tolls at the task of financially rehabilitating himself. By a coincidence, a sister of the heroine and her husband, both feeling the grind of poverty, invest in a small sedan which they purchase from their brother-in-law, and, during the demonstration of the car, the separated wife and husband are brought together and reunited, in the belief that the happiness of marriage justifies the risk they both run in trying again. … Dad's BreadWhat every hippie lived on in the '60s! Grocery list or Netflix queue?Sure it may sound dull, but "Bread" the movie was later followed by "Bananas" 1971 "Juice" 1992 "Canadian Bacon" 1995 "Eggs" 1996 "Butter" 1998 "Coffee and Cigarettes" 2003 "Steak" 2007 "Milk" 2008 "Salt" 2010 History I would give a lot to try some of Dad's Bread. I have to bake my own to come close, these days. (The Gallery, D.C., Movies, Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Bal Masque: 1922
... Men in Sheets The most scary image I can think of for Halloween. Herb, where's the good pillowcase? Grampa, is that you? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/31/2011 - 4:35pm -

June 28, 1922. Washington, D.C., or vicinity. "Ku Klux Klan meeting." 8x10 inch glass negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size. Beyond scaryIt's amazing just how much power the KKK had in this country in the '20s. They controlled elections in many areas and kept Catholics from serving in many venues (including the governor's position in my home state). Let's hope their reign of terror is completely finished. Cowards hide your faceThis was not too many years ago. The same mentality still exists. Oh myWhat dangerous fools!!!! Sad that these people still exist today. Low-RentI grew up and have lived in a very rural section of NC all my life. I can remember the subject of the KKK coming up in conversation with my grandparents and great-grandparents. According to them the KKK was always made up of the "low rent" crowd and looked down on. Men in SheetsThe most scary image I can think of for Halloween. Herb, where's the good pillowcase?Grampa, is that you? A sign of ageTo me 1922 seems shockingly recent for as photo like this to have been taken near our nation's capitol, yet to my 14 year old son, it's nearly a century ago. I pray we can change as much in the next 90 years. Not the Klan of TodayIn the 1920's, the Klan was less about racism and more about maintaining the status quo of the day. Which sure, was racist but as others have said we can't look back on photos and judge them with standards of today. What I find interesting though is that this photo is in Washington D.C. In 1922, the KKK held a march down the streets of Washington. They were met not by outrage, but cheered by the citizens and treated like heroes. At the time it was fashionable to be part of the Klan, since they stood for good American values. Meaning God, Country, and Family. (Racism as I said was there, but keep in mind the period.) The culmination of this march was the swearing in of U.S. President Warren G. Harding as a member in the White House. (This is largely disputed, but there is evidence that supports it.) Harding renounced that membership about a year later, after consultation with his advisers. It didn't help that he had passed the anti lynching law, which brought much of the old Klan's activities to light in 1923. However when this picture is taken, it's entirely possible this is the night before the march on Washington, making the photo VERY historic. [Your timeline may be a little confused. The Klan was forced to postpone or abandon various parades in 1922 and 1923 due to community opposition in the Washington suburbs. Its "march on Washington" came in 1925 (and then in 1926), after Warren Harding had died. Serious historians dismiss the "evidence" of Harding's induction (the alleged deathbed reminiscence of a New Jersey Klan leader many years later) as ludicrous; rumors to that effect may have been spread in response to a speech he delivered in 1923 denouncing hate groups, a move that was widely viewed as a rebuke of the KKK. - Dave] Scary!The really "UGLY" side of America. Not that long agoMy family is from Columbia, South Carolina. After my grandfather died in 1953, about six months before I was born, hidden among his personal effects were found his robe and documents indicating that he had at some time been a member. Neither my grandmother nor anyone else in the family had a clue. I can remember seeing newspaper ads announcing meetings well into the 1960s, a few in the 70s. I once read or saw in a documentary that the highest per capita membership was in Indiana. It's almost hard not to laughIf the import of this were not so serious, it would be difficult not to laugh at the image of so many grown men with face-masks apparently in homage and thrall to other grown men in such ridiculous attire. Appalling as were their attitudes and their beliefs, this group, at least, could hardly be accused of being tainted by the presence of the opposite sex. Presumably most women would have considered these menfolks' activities as faintly ludicrous. InitiatesThis has all the look of a fraternity initiation with the pledges assuming various uncomfortable, subservient postures before the older (robed) members. Also, the apparently portable/reuseable burning cross (with guy lines) seems to be an innovation that I've not noticed before in pictures like this. Soft Serve Ice CreamEverything reminds me of food today to the point that I feel like Homer Simpson. I do have to say though that any group that has to wear masks and hoods to hide their true identities have to be feeling profound shame at what their group represents. Since 1922 when this was taken, we have had a Catholic and an African-American president and there may one day be a Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Mormon,or any other faith-based leader of our country that shows most humans MUST be getting smarter, even though lots of old-timers might disagree. This picture says a lot though, in that all the participants would not reveal their faces and they had their meetings under cover of night. SadThis one reminds me of being a little girl, in North Carolina, from 1959-63, when I was 5-8 years old. My dad was stationed at Camp LeJeune and we were living in base housing. On the base, the only segregation was by rank. Off base, it was a different story. There were "whites only" signs, separate restrooms, and footage of KKK rallies on the local news. I saw a little girl about my age, at one of those rallies. She was standing on the hood of a car and her father, wearing one of those scary, idiotic hoods, had his arm around her. I felt very sorry for her. A sign of age. We haven't changed all that much. I passed a group of five Klansmen, dressed in white and red robes (they looked so silly) picketing outside of Mount Dora, Fla., in 2001, right beside a major highway! Just when you think it's safe to go back on the road. Cross BurningsMy mother was born in Independence, Missouri, in 1915. Together with my grandparents she lived there until moving to Los Angeles in 1937. In the 1960s my older brother once idly remarked that it would be "interesting" to attend a cross burning, to which my mom replied "they weren't all that great." Upon further questioning, she reluctantly recalled that such events sadly weren't uncommon in 1920s Missouri, frightening (though memorable) as they were to a small child and certainly beyond that to whomever was being targeted. The soft optionVile as that bunch was, and I don't at all minimize it, it could have been worse. What you're looking at here is the "Second Klan," which was primarily political in its orientation. The guys in front, kneeling and wearing masks, are waiting to be inducted into the Real Organization so that they can wear robes. Nasty to a huge degree, but not a patch on the original KKK, which was organized by die-hard Southerners as what we today would call a "resistance group" along the lines of the IRA or Shining Path. They didn't march in the streets wearing robes, they moved around in the shadows assassinating people and engaging in what can only be called terrorism in general. Imagine if that had taken hold. The original Klan was derailed by its insistence on racial repression, which weakened it enough that the Government was able to infiltrate and eventually suppress it. If they'd stayed with States' Rights and the like, instead of concentrating on "beating up the n--s" (as an ancestor of mine supposedly put it), they might still be around as an organized force not all that different from al Qaeda. It may be difficult to comprehend, but in this case vicious race prejudice was the soft option. ColorizedThat flame is colorized, right? It really stands out because of that. I'm sure there's something clever to be said about colorization and the black and white photograph, but I'll leave you to work out the details. Famous peopleI think I see Hugo Black and Robert Byrd. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Salem Witch House: 1906
... or telephone cable equipment. (The Gallery, Dogs, DPC, Halloween, Salem) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/28/2011 - 11:04am -

Salem, Massachusetts, circa 1906. "The Old Witch House." In the best Early American tradition, a blending of history and retailing: The Witch House Parlors (enter through the antique store) and Witch House Trial Room (right this way through the pharmacy). 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing. View full size. SunbathingFaithful Toby, guarding the front door and taking in a few rays, won't let any witches escape. WoofThe important social element is the loose dog, which was not in those days a public emergency. In fact as recently as 1960 loose dogs were part of the landscape, and played with loose kids, and learned stranger-based social skills. Dog catchers were for problem dogs, not loose dogs. It all changed in the 1980s with TV ratings-based pit bull hysteria. The Pit Bull was America's dog and the official WWI mascot. [It's hardly hysteria -- in the annual rankings of Fatal Attacks by Breed, pit bull type dogs take the No. 1 spot, accounting for around 59 percent of deaths by dog bite in North America -- more than all other breeds combined. - Dave] TreelineWhat's with the line running from the big tree in the foreground to the telephone pole? Think I'll take a nap.Is that the Salem Witch Welcoming Committee sleeping in the doorway? Also note the chamferred edges of the telephone pole. Fancy. Stil there. Still spooky!But the pharmacy looks long gone. View Larger Map The church whose steeple can be seen in the background? Also there! It was 56 years before the first WalmartYet this pharmacy had its own greeter. Greatly Defaced The Pharmaceutical Era, September 15, 1893. Farrington's drug store, at the corner of Essex and North streets, Salem, is built out from one of the oldest houses in that city of historic interest. The "Witch House," as the building is commonly called, was at one time occupied as a residence by Roger Williams when he was settled over the parish of the First Church In Salem. It derives its name of the "Witch House" from the fact that Judge Corwin also lived here, and held many of the trials of the so-called witches in his house. The proprietor of the drug store kindly shows visitors the room in which these trials were held. He uses it as a storeroom, and the door communicating with it from the store proper is cut through the massive old chimney of the house. The room even now has a suggestion of melancholy hanging over it; the low ceiling is crossed by heavy oak beams, the windows are small and are shaded by the trees outside, and the rustling of some dried herbs hanging from the ceiling, as the wind stirs them from the open door, gives one a feeling that the witches may still haunt the place. The cheerful brightness of the outer store is a pleasant contrast. The Architectural Review, November, 1908. “The Witch House,” at the corner of North and Essex Streets, was standing, in part, in 1675, when the chimneys were taken down and the building remodeled. In this house lived Jonathan Corwin, one of the judges of the witchcraft court, and here some of the preliminary witchcraft examinations were held. It yet retains the overhanging second story, but has of late years been greatly defaced by a modern drug-store, which grows out of its side like some excrescence, indicative of age and of disease. Dying for a peekOf that antique store interior. One can only dream what buyers considered "antique" worthy of purchase in 1906. Must be loaded with true early American treasures! Toby was HereIt appears that Toby recently "hung out" here more than once. AntiquatedAn antique shop in 1906. Never really thought about that and it made me wonder when the idea of shopping for antiques started. I'd love to see what they had! I'm confusedDave, help me make the connection between this Witch House and the one here. Is this the same house? The photos are the same year, but the streets look entirely different. [That's because they're two different streets. The other photo was taken around the corner. -Dave] Guy WireThat line from the utility pole to the tree appears just to be a guy wire to stabilize the top-heavy load of all those wires and crossarms. It may have been temporary, but they took the trouble to "pad" the tree from the cutting effects of the wire. More interesting is the line on its lowest crossarm - the "box" on it with two junctions bears resemblance to more-modern CATV or telephone cable equipment. (The Gallery, Dogs, DPC, Halloween, Salem)
Meet the Labbes: 1940
... often get lost along the way. BOO !!! Apparently, a Halloween monster is preparing to scare those youngsters as he climbs out of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/02/2021 - 11:10am -

October 1940. "Mr. and Mrs. Lindore Labbe and children in their newly-built home. Mr. Labbe, FSA client, runs a small seed foundation unit in Wallagrass, Maine." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Handrails are for wimpsIf you fall, you might get lucky and land in the comfy chair. More to the storyAccording to geni.com, the name was spelled LABBÉ, with an accent aigu. Mrs. Labbê's name was Myrtle, and the daughters were Gail and Jacqueline. Lindore was born in 1902, and lived until 1987. Myrtle was born in 1901, and died in 1972. That house may have been new, but it looks almost absurdly underbuilt to withstand - let alone provide comfort - in Maine winters. [Their grave marker, sans accent, gives 1901 as the birth year for both. - Dave] Settled in for the evening, they are.Let's see what's on the coal stove tonight. Oh, a finial -- not again. NASCAR tie inIn NASCAR there is a full time Canadian driver in the Xfinity series named Alex Labbé. There also is a Mainer from Saco who is a former crew chief and now consultant named Slugger Labbe. La-bay and Lab-bee. LL Bean Maine Hunting ShoesMr. Labbe has on a pair of what is now known as Bean Boots but at least into the 1990s these were Maine Hunting shoes. I have a pair from 1990. LL Bean offers a resoling as needed. Say Cheese!The youngster in the white shirt seems particularly enthralled with the photographers assistant (with hand visible) standing behind the brick chimney firing the flash. Accent aigu (and grave)There's a longstanding debate over whether capital letters in French should be accented. The Académie Française has apparently decided yes, but it seems that the worker who carved the gravestone didn't get the memo. By the way, "Labbé" could well have been "L'abbé" originally, meaning "the abbot", but apostrophes in French surnames often get lost along the way. BOO !!!Apparently, a Halloween monster is preparing to scare those youngsters as he climbs out of the wall! Way Ahead of His TimeNot only did Mr. Labbe anticipate television replacing the stove as center of attention, he anticipated the remote control. Thoughts on the roomI'm surprised no one has mentioned those STAIRS yet! Cobbled together from left-over bits of T&G flooring (otherwise visible where the lino stops), with no riser covers and treads too shallow for the steps. At least the visible stringer appears to be well laid out and cut. And what about the vast amount of paper covering the walls and ceiling? Photo shoot setup, to provide better reflected lighting and to hide unfinished walls? [It's how people of limited means covered their framing. Lots of photos in the archive like this. - Dave] AccentsIn France, adding an accent on a capital letter is uncommon. In Québec, we do. So, in France: LABBE. In Québec: LABBÉ (or LABBÉE). I'm amazedat the amount of French-Canadians who infiltrated Maine, another fact from Shorpy to us in Canadaland. Construction paperLooks like some of that paper is load-bearing. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Jack Delano, Kids)
Disneyland: The Dark Side (1963)
... better than the original. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Halloween, tterrapix) ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 10/30/2011 - 2:14pm -

In my last two shots, we saw the bright, sunny, carefree, Happiest Place on Earth Disneyland. Who knew there was also the dark, horrific, bloodcurdling Disneyland? Well, not tterrace. Skull Rock Lagoon was perfectly designed to stimulate the "Wow, cool!" gland in the 17-year-old me. (Translation for today's ears: "Awesome!") Added in 1961 to provide a new backdrop for Captain Hook's splendiferous Pirate Ship (which housed the Chicken of the Sea Restaurant), Skull Rock was particularly creepy-cool at night, when I took this time-exposure Ektachrome in 1963. Alas, the ship, lagoon and Skull Rock were all removed and in 1983 the Dumbo Flying Elephant ride took the spot. View full size. Daylight Dark SideI have this in daylight on Kodachrome from 1981. Sorry to learn it has gone. It Lives OnGone from Disneyland, but Skull Rock lives on at Disneyland Paris, bigger and better than the original. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Halloween, tterrapix)
Polka-Dot Tot: 1958
... to wear that outfit, and me seeing it. (ShorpyBlog, Halloween, Pa. Kodachromes) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/27/2012 - 2:16pm -

October 1958, somewhere in Pennsylvania, getting ready for the big night! Our third slide from this batch of 35mm Kodachromes. View full size. It's a Shorpy lifeI pointed out Polka-Dot Tot to my wife, indicating that October 1958 is when she was born, and she told me to forget about that and to notice, instead, that the pattern on the little-person rocking chair is identical to the pattern on our big-person rocking chair. Just Plain CuteReady for Trick or Treat. I can see Mom in the mirror, who probably took the picture next to the piano. Slice of LifeI can't help but think of Wonder Bread! GoosebumpsI don't know, there's something about a miniature Pagliacci wearing a Wonder Bread pattern and a Phantom of the Opera mask that chills me to the bone. Scarred for lifeHe or She for having to wear that outfit, and me seeing it. (ShorpyBlog, Halloween, Pa. Kodachromes)
Xmas Bags: 1924
... one question puzzles me. Why does the tag line say "Halloween"? Just call me curious. [Oops! - Dave] Squinty! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/03/2011 - 10:59am -

December 24, 1924. "Mrs. Coolidge giving out first Xmas bag for Salvation Army." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. OOPSThe young lady to the left of the bag on the table looks like she just remembered something she forgot to put into the bag. And the SA member just to her right looks as in the bag is about to explode. Not everyone was comfortable with getting their picture taken. A real ScreamThe young lady left of center looks like she's getting ready to try out for the Edvard Munch holiday diorama. Holiday ConfusionI don't wish to get into the "X-mas" vs "Christmas" line of debate, but one question puzzles me. Why does the tag line say "Halloween"? Just call me curious. [Oops! - Dave] Squinty!I'm guessing that the lady on the right with the umbrella thinks that the camera will steal her spirit away if she opens her eyes. Either that or she's stifling a sneeze. [It think it probably has to do with the cloud of flash powder illuminating the proceeedings. - Dave] Mr. Magoo's momIs that her on the right? Ah cha-chaIt appears Mrs. Coolidge was escorted to the event by a cross-dressing Jimmy Durante. Those two on the left with the glassesThe epitome of chastity, but somehow I see them as a couple that go nuts behind closed doors. Strike a posePossibilities for the look on the face of the 3rd person from the right: 1. wishing this bad dream would all go away 2. in pain from foot being stabbed by umbrella 3. about to sneeze 4. constipated Other than that I find no earthly reason for the look on someone's face like this in a pose with the first lady. Also, the two to the right of Mrs. Coolidge qualify for 2nd and 3rd prizes. Talk about "frumpy"Looks like the life force of the room was just sucked out. The Not-So-Roaring '20sThis is the side of the Roaring Twenties, with its jazz, high living and extravagant escapades that we don't often see. If this is the lot of some people at the height of a booming economy, what is life going to be like for these same individuals if they are still alive in ten years at the depth of the Great Depression? A wonderful mix of characters in this pictureThere is a lot of see in this photo. The two in their Salvation Army outfits to the left could be from any classic photo or painting I've seen. But on their right, it almost looks like the lady is taking off a mask of -- herself, with a different hair color. I realized after looking closer, it is a shorter lady in front of her wearing the same hat and coat that makes it so odd. Everyone else seems to be waiting for the flash open-eyed, but the lady below the hanging lamp on the right -- what a face she is making! I wonder how long she held that look. No re-shoots hereWith so few truly odd/interesting shots around these days (probably due to the fact that 21st century photograpy allows editing, deleting and/or making one's pictures just so-even in the camera) these shots are truly fascinating for what they reveal. You have the rather supercilious looking Mrs. Coolidge, the sad looking first recepient in all black, the rather horrible looking offerings (the turkey/chicken legs hanging out don't add to the holiday appeal) and then there are faces being grabbed or squinched up or looking rather dismayed. Oh, what I would give to step into this shot and ask these folks what was on their minds just at the moment this picture was taken. The givers, the humbled and the shabbyIt is not difficult to see who are the "haves" and who are the "have-nots" in this picture. Everyone left of the Jimmy Durante lady (in the used velvet coat with one button) works with the S.A. and Mrs. Coolidge. The recipients of the food are embarrassed and sheepish about receiving charity. The young boy with the dirty hands received a gift which looks like a kite or balsawood plane while his sister, with a hole in her stocking and worn-out clothes, seems empty-handed but hopeful. The closed-eyes lady seems humiliated but needs the groceries. As for the food bags, unwrapped raw poultry flung into a paper bag on top of bread and other items would not meet health standards today. Unfortunately, the world will always have the affluent and the poor and life will never be fair. CHRISTmasI boycott all stores that substitute X for Christ and those bags CLEARLY say "Christmas" on them. I hope that I don't have to stop viewing Shorpy also. [You're laboring under a common misconception. Below, an excerpt from the Wikipedia entry for "Xmas." - Dave] The X comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of Χριστός (Christ). There is a common misconception that the word Xmas is a secular attempt to remove the religious tradition from Christmas by taking the "Christ" out of "Christmas." Yes that is true long ago BUT we all know that X is meant to eliminate Christ in today's world. Centuries ago the X was used to mean Christ but NOT in today's world. God bless all the Shorpy fans this Christmas season!!! [Actually no, "we" do not "all know that," for the simple reason that it's not true. In this particular instance, the caption is written in longhand on a tiny paper label affixed to the negative, and "Xmas" is a convenient abbreviation, employed for the usual reasons one uses an abbreviation: It fits where the longer word does not, or it's easier to write. If people want to secularize Christmas, they call it "the holidays." They don't use "Xmas," which begins with a literal representation of the cross and goes back to the very beginnings of Christianity. The idea that the word is meant to "eliminate Christ" is an erroneous notion rooted in ignorance. -Dave] Xmas Bags?Xmas has nothing to do with it. Now we know....Why President Coolidge was a man of few words. Yuletide Charity Washington Post, December 25, 1924. Mrs. Coolidge Takes Part in City's Yuletide Charity With Mrs. Calvin Coolidge taking a prominent part, Washington yesterday turned wholeheartedly to the spreading of Christmas cheer among its unfortunates. … Yesterday morning Mrs. Coolidge acted the part of Santa Claus for a few moments at the entertainment given to approximately 1,200 children at Keith's theater under the auspices of the Central Union Mission. In the afternoon she assisted in the distribution at the Salvation Army auditorium at 606 E street northwest. More than 650 bags of food, each with dinner enough for five persons, were given away. … In my opinionThere is way too much gaiety and fun going on in this room. Settle down, people! Beam me up ScottyI believe that the person in the funny hat with the umbrella is really Captain Kirk impatiently waiting for Scotty to beam him up off this dreadful little planet and to get back on the bridge and pour himself a stiff drink! Helping OthersI believe the three youngish looking ladies/girls with the tan coats and hats wearing kerchiefs are Girl Scouts earning a merit badge. You can see the GS insignia on the collar of the girl to the right of Jemima Durante. Alternate TakeShowing a slightly different degree of mortification. Click to embiggen. Re CHRISTmasIn addition to Dave's on-the-money clarification, some historians believe many crucifixions were not done with the traditional tee-shaped cross but with ones shaped like an X. Much easier to build and to erect. While it is believed that Christ died on a tee-shaped cross, the X version also is associated with that era of Christianity. (The Gallery, Christmas, D.C., Natl Photo)
Snow-Cat: 1940
... so no. - Dave] (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cats, Halloween) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/31/2020 - 3:28pm -

February 1940. "Black cat in snow. Ross County, Ohio." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Perfect techniqueTechnically perfect. I write as a (amateur) photographer: it's really extremely difficult to make the well exposed photo when the contrasts are extreme. Great job! In addition I'm the cats lover Noir et blancAfter disappointing previous attempt -- shooting the cat in coal cellar at midnight -- the photographer figured he'd try outside. In mid-meowThat feline's tail hook says let's be friends, and it's obviously meowing, which incidentally cats do only to humans, not to other cats. It's not like I'm an expert or anything but for the last eighteen months -- after being a lifelong confirmed dog lover, which I still am -- I have been a cat owner (I have a dog too). How that all came about is a long story and I won't tell it here, but I challenge any lifelong cat lover to be more besotted about their domesticated feline unit than I am about mine. She's never seen snow but my Tuxie, Sweetness, is the cat's meow. This Looks Like a Dodgy CatCould the image of the cat have been dodged in the darkroom? [This is a scan of the camera negative, so no. - Dave] (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cats, Halloween)
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