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Hunting Party: 1958
November 1958. "Waterfowl hunting (Nevada) -- Mr. and Mrs. Stanwood Murphy of San Francisco." The man at ... Illustrated assignment "Shooting: California Waterfowl Hunting; Upland Game Birds in Nevada." View full size. Flameless ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2023 - 2:24pm -

November 1958. "Waterfowl hunting (Nevada) -- Mr. and Mrs. Stanwood Murphy of San Francisco." The man at left is legendary restaurateur "Trader Vic" Bergeron; the DC-3 belongs to Albert Stanwood Murphy (1892-1963), president of Pacific Lumber & Truss. 35mm Kodachrome by Toni Frissell for the Sports Illustrated assignment "Shooting: California Waterfowl Hunting; Upland Game Birds in Nevada." View full size. Flameless FlameoutFrom M2's link: "Crashed at Umbogintwini Beach, south of Durban on 28 December 1973 and was subsequently scrapped. The No. 1 engine stopped when the DC-3 was turning onto final approach. The gear was raised. Shortly afterwards, the No. 2 engine also stopped. Fuel valve selectors were switched, but to no avail. The aircraft was turned towards the beach and was ditched successfully." Well, at least it escaped the dreaded Shorpy fire curse. No Longer With UsDouglas DC-3 Registration Number N67000, S/N 1498 eventually went to South Africa, crashed at Umbogintwini Beach in 1973 and was subsequently scrapped: http://www.dc-3.co.za/dc-3-individual-aircraft-history/cn-1498.html CorneredBack when they still put square windows on airplanes.. What's in a name? I think Albert Stanwood Murphy (1892-1963) is somebody else. The once president of Pacific Lumber Company and original owner of the Flying M Ranch was Stanwood A. Murphy. I can't find a birth year for him but according to the New York Times, he died in 1972. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Aviation, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dogs, Toni Frissell)
Cat Patrol: 1942
... Coal Company. Assistant superintendent getting ready for a hunting trip." Medium format acetate negative by John Collier for the Office of ... Hunting cats When the cat, Mary Ann, currently sleeping at my side was ... accompany me when I would go out on our property deer hunting. One evening, I was sitting on a log and noticed the cat sitting in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/05/2024 - 5:37pm -

November 1942. "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (vicinity). Montour No. 4 mine of the Pittsburgh Coal Company. Assistant superintendent getting ready for a hunting trip." Medium format acetate negative by John Collier for the Office of War Information. View full size. Yes pleaseLike fanhead, I'm all about that fabulous chair. What a work of art. The kitty ain't bad either but I prefer tuxedo cats. Fair dealI would trade the shotgun for that gorgeous chair. And I'll throw in the cat. Great trainerI would prefer to take a dog. A hammer double.Heirloom material. Having that talk with his cat.https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-talk-to-your-cat-about-gun-safet... Hunting catsWhen the cat, Mary Ann, currently sleeping at my side was younger, she and her sister would accompany me when I would go out on our property deer hunting. One evening, I was sitting on a log and noticed the cat sitting in front of me was staring and her ears were pointed. I raised my rifle and spotted a buck about 40 yards away. At the shot, the deer ran and Mary Ann ran after it. It went into a thicket of briars and I had to work my way in. When I got there, Mary Ann was sitting on the deer's neck, swatting and biting its ears. As good a tracker as she was, I was never able to train her to retrieve. Shotgun from the PastLooks like a very old E. Remington & Sons 12 Gauge. [He's also packing a Mouser. - Dave] The vibeof 1600's Dutch painting. "Lifter"As subsailor says it's probably a Remington shotgun, a "lifter" design like the Remington-Whitmore. It looks like cleaning and oiling time (which I'm not sure I'd do in such nice clothes) Shoots & FleasTeaching a cat to use a shotgun can lead to nothing but trouble. Montour No. 4!I used to live over the hill from that mine and its mining town, known both as Lawrence and Hill's Station, which is likely where this picture was taken. The mine ran under my house is a leafy Pittsburgh suburb, and operated until it was flooded by a breakthrough from the adjacent, closed Montour #10. The rail line that swung like an arc south of Pittsburgh connecting the Pittsburgh Consolidation Coal Company's mines is now a popular rail trail. (The Gallery, Cats, John Collier, Pittsburgh)
Hunting #1: 1922
Picture taken of a hunting cabin in 1922. More than likely located somewhere in the wilderness of ... 
 
Posted by mrmertz - 11/16/2012 - 9:18pm -

Picture taken of a hunting cabin in 1922. More than likely located somewhere in the wilderness of Pennsylvania. That would be my great grandfather in the picture. My grandmother's writing across the picture. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Loaded for Bear but Hunting Hay ca:1950
My Dad's cousins at our farm in St. Martin, Ohio (just outside Cincinnati). This was the big summer getaway place for the family after my grandfather bought it in the late '30s. Every boy should learn his way around a shotgun . . . and a tractor! ... 
 
Posted by eggsoup - 09/20/2011 - 12:31am -

My Dad's cousins at our farm in St. Martin, Ohio (just outside Cincinnati). This was the big summer getaway place for the family after my grandfather bought it in the late '30s. Every boy should learn his way around a shotgun . . . and a tractor! View full size. Ford N-seriesNifty tractor! Looks like an N-series. We have an old 8N that my grandfather bought in '48 and it still runs! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids)
Hunting in Plaid: 1916
Well one of them is, or she had to put the dog down. Looking at the grill of the car I think it's a Studebaker. Any other guesses? From my negatives collection. View full size. Studebaker? I think that car is too early to be a Studebake ... 
 
Posted by mhallack - 08/16/2013 - 7:07pm -

Well one of them is, or she had to put the dog down. Looking at the grill of the car I think it's a Studebaker. Any other guesses? From my negatives collection. View full size. Studebaker?I think that car is too early to be a Studebaker - though their early history of badging cars is murky. It dates from circa 1911 and I think is an EMF - the precursor to Studebaker. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Hunting #2: 1920s
Date unknown though probably around the 1920's in Pennsylvania. Looks like the bears lost out this time around. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery) ... 
 
Posted by mrmertz - 11/16/2012 - 9:18pm -

Date unknown though probably around the 1920's in Pennsylvania. Looks like the bears lost out this time around. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Dragon Slayers: 1897
... than the beast. Someone's not into alligator hunting The lady eating the apple seems completely out of place in this ... a few alligators? Could not do this now Alligator hunting in Florida is now strictly controlled. You have to have a permit and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/11/2020 - 4:48pm -

Volusia County, Florida, circa 1897. "On the Tomoka." The nice people last glimpsed here. 8x10 inch glass transparency by William Henry Jackson. View full size. BlaseThe girl in the boat seems more interested in her apple than the beast. Someone's not into alligator huntingThe lady eating the apple seems completely out of place in this photo. PursuingSizing it up. Draining the Swamp?To folks brave enough to crowd aboard that obvious firetrap of a boiler-fired, awning-bedecked launch, what matter a few alligators? Could not do this nowAlligator hunting in Florida is now strictly controlled. You have to have a permit and only hunt in special seasons. It is now a class III felony to do what they did here. You can get five years in jail. Winchester '73It looks like the slayer has used his trusty Winchester 1873 model to dispatch the beast. GatorIt actually tastes like chicken, ladies. Lady with appleShe’s just hungry. Check the other photo in the link Dave provides: she’s chowing down there, too. This picture is so over the top repulsiveWhat vanity! What bravery! Goint out of your way to kill a gator, particularly a baby gator. I sure hope Karma exists. Girl in boatThe girl at eye level with the gator but seemingly a million miles away, sniffing an apple, looks like the subject of a Renoir. I can imagine the colors. Rosie and Mr. AllnuttDoes anyone else see the guy with the rifle and the woman on the boat and think this is a preview, 20 years in the future, of Charlie and his passenger on The African Queen? I bet that guy didn't like leeches, either. Presumption of InnocenceWho knows that they were, in fact, hunting alligators? Is it not possible they had the firearm for protection, and used it in self-defense? It is reasonably foreseeable that an alligator (or other dangerous reptile, etc.) might threaten a boating party. Maybe it's a small alligator, but who among us would volunteer to let it bite us? Let's give the benefit of the doubt. Better yet, the law of the land is presumed innocent until proven guilty. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Florida, W.H. Jackson)
A Schuss in the Woods: 1967
... of couture clothing in 2013. Most impressive. Hunting The obituary says her horse riding included dressage, hunting and jumping. "Hunting" means fox-hunting, btw. Vintage Ski Style ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/10/2015 - 5:03pm -

Denver socialite Ann Bonfoey Taylor with her oilman husband Vernon "Moose" Taylor and their sons among the aspens at the Vail ski resort in 1967. Medium-format negative by Toni Frissell for Vogue magazine. View full size. All-AmericanThat's the phrase that comes to mind when I look at this gang. The boys look like they're named Biff, Chip, Bud and Skipper. The mom, by the way, was a pilot, tennis player and skier, clothing designer, horse rider and hunter, and lived to be 96. She's 57 in the group photo above. Pretty Amazing WomanWWII flight instructor, Olympic Ski Team member, expert tennis player, and fashion designer. More here. Obligatory ObituariesAnn and Moose. Stylish ladyThe Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia, Athens, had an exhibit of a small part of her collection of couture clothing in 2013. Most impressive. HuntingThe obituary says her horse riding included dressage, hunting and jumping. "Hunting" means fox-hunting, btw. Vintage Ski StyleGorgeous photo, gorgeous family and stylish mom. And look at all that high-tech gear from 50 years ago. Far left son with Dual-Taper poles. Second from left son in Lange boots and Head 360 skis. Third son from left with Head Master poles with hexagonal metal baskets and “long-thong” bindings. Mom and her “helmet” with Carrera goggles. Junior wearing the latest in ski gloves from Scott and Dad with his traditional lace up boots and Head 360s. Gotta love it. (Sports, Toni Frissell)
Meet the Labbes: 1940
... Slugger Labbe. La-bay and Lab-bee. LL Bean Maine Hunting Shoes Mr. 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. ... 
 
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)
Dog Mart: 1937
... water. We were so close to all of it back then. Hunting Anyone? Could this be the Fredericksburg, Maryland Dog Mart which ... for October each year to coincide with the beginning of hunting season in the area. This provided hunters with the opportunity to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/01/2016 - 12:32pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1937. "Dog Mart." Eventually, the kennel master was alerted to the presence of an impostor. 5x7 inch glass negative. View full size. Leaves of GrassThis may or may not be in autumn but this picture reminds me of how close I used to get to the earth when I was a kid. I can remember the smell of dirt, dry leaves, grass. It was not unusual to be rolling around in the grass. During the very early part of spring I was thinking about how what it was like when the snow started melting and little rivulets would appear of running water. We were so close to all of it back then. Hunting Anyone?Could this be the Fredericksburg, Maryland Dog Mart which was also known as the Dog Curb Mart? "The mart was scheduled for October each year to coincide with the beginning of hunting season in the area. This provided hunters with the opportunity to purchase hunting dogs. At that time the event began to gain nation-wide attention. It was the subject of a Pathe Newsreel feature in 1928 and Time magazine featured the Dog Mart in an article in October 1937. In 1938, 7,000 people and 641 dogs attended the event." Source: Wikipedia (The Gallery, D.C., Dogs, Harris + Ewing, Kids)
Seaboard Air Line: 1910
... else could a great seaman want. Just beautiful! No Hunting? If there is no hunting on the island, what are the coon dogs for? Or,again, they may be sea ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 3:20pm -

Savannah, Georgia, circa 1910. "Seaboard Air Line Railway docks." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The marshy dead.That looks like a view from the rear of City Hall towards Hutchinson Island and S.C. beyond. Now home to the Convention Center and Westin Golf resort (also once a garbage dump & cemetery). The big boatis the U.S.S. City of Montgomery, launched in 1910 at Newport News. Seaboard LineSeaboard Air Line operated trains all over the Southeast including a run to Miami. After mergers and remergers, the tracks are still there. "Air Line" was a common metaphor for the shortest distance between two points -- a more direct route than the competition. No DoubtThat this is a good Sailor view. Great prop wash from the ship, a narrow channel. What else could a great seaman want. Just beautiful! No Hunting?If there is no hunting on the island, what are the coon dogs for? Or,again, they may be sea dogs. Granddad the RR CopMy grandfather worked for the Seaboard Air Line. He was a railroad policeman and was killed in a depot robbery at Esom Hill, Georgia, in 1931. Along with his picture, there is a picture of his Seaboard Air Line badge. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads, Savannah)
Port O Call: 1940
... was the style of the day . - Dave] Time Travel Hunting & Gathering I'd love to have that shiny modernist pitcher ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/15/2012 - 9:28am -

August 1940. "Souvenir shop, Provincetown, Massachusetts." 35mm negative by Edwin Rosskam for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. QuirkOdd way for someone to wear his belt. Was this common back then? [It was the style of the day. - Dave] Time Travel Hunting & GatheringI'd love to have that shiny modernist pitcher (whatever it reflects) for sale in my showcase at the antique mall right now, along with several other of the Port O' Call's then-humble souvenirs: the pair of stylized horses, the frosted-glass art moderne Jesus(?), and, in the left window, the crystal ball. They'd make a composition of distinction, even if they didn't sell right away. How much is that pitcher in the window?It appears that the camera caught the young gentleman right after lighting his pipe and letting out a puff of tobacco smoke. More interesting, is the shiny pitcher in the window three shelves up. I zoomed in as close as possible to use the reflection in it as we did the Christmas tree ornaments. Across the street, it seems to split into two roads, with a building in the center. Alternatively, perhaps a stone wall to shelter a large home with large black metal gates in the center. I'm wondering if anyone has a magic program for closer inspection. And yes, I do have better things to do, but sometimes Shorpy can be addicting. [From the full-size LOC tiff.] In a hurryThis is exactly the kind of bric-a-brac store that I would walk quickly past and pretend I did not see, if I were on vacation with my wife. The beltYes, style of the day. Auto mechanics and gas station attendants (remember them) would wear their belt buckles on the side to prevent scratching a car as they leaned over it while washing the windshield. The Sideways Belt Buckle!Great photo! Some guitar players still wear belts that way, so the buckle won't scrape against the backside of a nice guitar. You'll see used guitars sold that are in great shape except for "slight belt-buckle rash" on the back. --Jim Currently for sale79 Commercial Street is currently for sale for $1,795,000. Other than that the front of this building still looks the same, minus the pitcher & bric-a-brac. Ponte Vecchio of the CapeAs lindbergh previously noted, not much has changed after 72 years. The following description, from 1919, portrays a Commercial Street hardly different than today. Motor Travel, 1919. Over the Highways to Windmill Land. A Trip to Old Cape Cod. Florence M. Pettee. … The one street, as narrow as those of Venice, is edged with quaint houses, closely huddled, between which curious boats poke their interested noses. Hotel and humble fisher-cottage jostle pier and fruit-stand. This commercial street is the Ponte Vecchio of the Cape with its ever-present souvenir shops and food-purveyors. The running-boards nearly scratch the sidewalks, and passing another car has to be charted in advance. Wary pedestrians dodge hither and yon. Still all the rage (for at least one)"Odd way for someone to wear his belt." (Hawk777) My father, born in 1936, grew up on Long Island. Doing the math, he was 15 in 1951 and is now 75. To this day, he still wears his belt with the buckle approximately 45º to port. When I asked about it when I was a kid (born in '62), he replied that when he was in his teens and 20s it was the style in the New York area, mostly for young single guys he thought. He liked it and never dropped it. BeltbuckleMy husband still wears his belt like this. The belt, the pitcher, and other thingsFirst, the belt -- very cool look in those days, but also practical. Back in the 1970s, my husband also wore his buckle to the side because he was both an auto mechanic and a bass guitar player. So there. I love the pitcher -- in fact, I love lots of things in the window -- but most of all, I think, I love the Don Quixote figurine thing in the extreme upper left window. Ceramic maybe? -- can't tell -- but I wish I could hold it in my hands right now. (The Gallery, Edwin Rosskam, Stores & Markets)
Robert Truman Brock 1952
... Antreville, SC around 1952. View full size. Gone hunting What is that he shot? I thought it was a dog at first but it has ... 
 
Posted by Capaha - 04/11/2009 - 12:45pm -

Robert Truman Brock near Antreville, SC around 1952. View full size. Gone huntingWhat is that he shot? I thought it was a dog at first but it has hooves. A real skinny pig? My dad This is a photo of my dad but I don't know what animal it is. I would guess that it is a pig. I never heard the story behind the photo. He grew up on a 100 acre cotton farm near Antreville, SC. His parents were Ansel and Beatrice Murdock Brock and his brothers and sisters are Lawrence, Furman, Ansel Jr., Dorothy Brock and Victorine Brock Smith. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
To the Hounds: 1914
... but quite capable of giving a good day's chase. Fox Hunting Today's nabobs still organize fox hunts. Of course, this tradition ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/15/2008 - 1:31pm -

1914. Middleburg, Virginia. "National Beagle Club of America. Kennels and dogs of J.B. Thomas." Our second look at the Piedmont Hunt Club kennels. Before he took on the Red Baron, Snoopy had to chase a few foxes. View full size. Meet the BeaglesIt must have been a hard day's night, 'cause they're working like dogs. Not just the HaircutIt is not simply the grooming that makes the beagles appear distinct to modern eyes: selective breeding has changed the fundamental morphology of many common dog breeds in a mere hundred year. Check out some of the historical photos of various pedigrees linked at MessyBeast. Piedmont Kennels First Field Trials at Leesburg Prove Highly Interesting The Piedmont kennels, of Middleburg, Va., have shown the other kennels the way during the first two days of the twenty-sixth annual field trials of the National Beagle Club of America. There has been nothing fluky abou the work of the Loudoun county dogs so far. They have worked their way to the fore by sheer superiority and fine handling. ... Among those following the trials today were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Thomas, ... Washington Post, Nov 7, 1915 The Beagles>> Maybe because they let their hair grow out. Dave, you crack me up. I don't know that everyone got that. [Yeah yeah yeah. - Dave] BeaglesThey sure have a different look than the Beatles nowadays. [Maybe because they let their hair grow out. - Dave] A Christmas Beagle Story...Gosh, they look a LOT like the Bumpus hounds! How the Hounds Have ChangedToday on the east coast, most packs are PenMaryDels, a type of foxhound known for their speed. These guys look to be a little bit of everything but quite capable of giving a good day's chase. Fox HuntingToday's nabobs still organize fox hunts. Of course, this tradition has gone PC and been ruined; you're not allowed to kill the foxes anymore. (The Gallery, Dogs, Harris + Ewing)
The Walls Have Eyes: 1908
... out of my fingers. This is definitely not "responsible hunting." Not only would my daughter have nightmares after being in this ... Creepy I don't have anything against responsible hunting, but this sure looks creepy. My kids would have nightmares. Days ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 8:36pm -

New York, 1908. "J.R. Bradley's animal trophies." Here's a look that would liven up any family room. 8x10 glass negative, George Grantham Bain. View full size. House HunterWhen we were shopping for houses we came across one like this, except it had two things this one lacks: a stuffed crow, and some tables with deer legs. On the WallIf Mr.Bradley enjoyed the company of his victims' heads so much, he could have had his own mounted over the fireplace as well. That said, I would like to revive my joke of September 27 about Old Baldy, General Meade's horse, who was stuffed and displayed His head being mounted on the wall reminds me of the story about the man who graduated as a Veterinarian and then went to Taxidermy school. His office shingle read Veterinarian/Taxidermist -"Either Way- You Get Your Pet Back" Best. Piano. Cover. Ever. Topped only barely by the flattened sea turtle corpse throw rug. Or is that a walrus or sea lion? Hide ParkSheesh, the piano thingy. Does it turn around and roar in your face if you make a mistake whilst practicing!? There also appear to be FOUR rhino (or something?) feet on that table... and two additional ones beneath the lamp. At least they're using them all... Can you imagine dusting in there!? It must have smelled so funky in there. Watch Your Back!Notice how the room seems to follow you around the room. The throw rug in the foreground appears to be a leopard seal, although it could be a rare Biting Quesadilla. [So your rooms follow you around too? Make them stop! Make them stop! - Dave] Creepy indeed!You took the words right out of my fingers. This is definitely not "responsible hunting." Not only would my daughter have nightmares after being in this room--I would, too! What was this guy thinking? Foot Ashtrays? The half-dozen rhino (elephant? hippo?) foot ashtrays on the table are especially nasty. There is one of those at the George Eastman house in Rochester. One per room is more than plenty, actually. Hmmm... I was thinking they were ashtrays... Each seems to be filled with something sticking out the top, though. Any ideas what is in them and if they aren't ashtrays, then what? [They are being used as pedestals to display what look like bones and teeth. - Dave] AghastTimes have really changed. I am the least PC person around but this chamber of horrors is frightening. CreepyI don't have anything against responsible hunting, but this sure looks creepy. My kids would have nightmares. Days Long Gone I HopeWhen I was growing up, a family acquaintance had a room much like this, only much bigger in both size and trophies. It was quite an attraction, but nobody dared to tell him, even then, that it was creepy. To a youngster it seemed the ultimate in conspicuous consumption, with emphasis on conspicuous. Hunting conservationistsI don't know if it applies to this guy, but many big-game hunters were actually among the founders of the conservation movement, viz. Teddy Roosevelt. They were the ones "on the front lines," as it were, seeing firsthand the depredations of poaching and the inroads advancing modern life were making into native habitat. Sigmund, what say you?Freud would've had a field day analyzing JR Bradley's psyche. An Impressive CollectionBut no Wabbit! Dee-lighted!When you tour T.R.'s home at Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay, one of the stories they tell you is that Edith Roosevelt switched places with Teddy in the dining room because she was disconcerted by the moose head staring at her while she was eating. Her husband was more than happy to be reminded of his trophy. The only room in the house without a single trophy head is Mrs. Roosevelt's sitting room. Teddy did manage to sneak in a polar bear rug, however. PETA nightmareSeriously? A baby seal! It almost adds a surreal, comic element to the photo. It's not a rug, or furniture, or a wall decoration - it's just sitting in the middle of the floor. It's like J.R.'s final little touch to the room to make absolutely sure he horrified every single (future) PETA member! If I didn't know better, I'd say Dave photoshopped the seal in there just for kicks! That said, the taxidermist did a good job hiding all the club marks... 1950's, ProvidenceWhen I was growing up, my pediatrician was on Waterman Street, near Brown University, on the East side of Providence, Rhode Island. His offices were in a converted Victorian house and his waiting room was a long, dark hallway with a very high ceiling. Moose and deer heads were stuck way up high above the chairs we'd sit on and, to this day, I can clearly see the film of dust that had settled on their eyes. The room in this photo brings me right back there. Very creepy - but also very discomfiting in that it makes me think about getting a booster shot or something potentially painful. Dave's rhino feetThey are not being used as pedestals, those are the handles to the lids. It is not really that creepy. It is taxidermy and a bunch of shoulder-mounts, full-mounts, F/M as rugs. It depends on the big game hunter and the time period. Early periods did have folks who indiscriminately eliminated game. The other post was correct in citing the last century of hunters as the original conservationists and proponents of game management (although I am sure the indigenous peoples thought the same). They were as often photographing as hunting. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC)
One Gun, One Bunny: 1922
... I go, confusing my Denbys and my Dickeys again. - Mal Hunting season No doubt Junior will be using his sister's Christmas bunny as ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/02/2012 - 6:55pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Denby Christmas tree." Junior remembers this as the best Christmas ever! His gun-giving dad is Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Christmas PresentsWonder what she got for Easter. A Santa Claus doll? Happy Days were not aheadEdwin Denby Jr., 10 years old in this photo, was killed in WWII aboard the USS Shark submarine in February 1942 in the South Pacific. He was 29. http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/denby-e.htm Wow!The mouldings in this house are amazing! And the ceiling is insanely high, even by Victorian standards. Those walls look to be at least 16 feet. The sideboard seems like an Empire (mahogany piece) with a wonderful bevel mirror). And I happen to have a few different sizes of antique tin boxes (cash boxes) like the one in front of "junior". They are black with gold and red stripes, and the interior usually has a removable tin tray. Not .410, probably .22It's single-shot and break action, but if you blow up the picture you can see it has an octagonal crowned barrel, a blade front sight and a leaf-type rear sight. Thus, a rifle, not a shotgun. Conceivably not a .22, but some small caliber, and a .22 seems most likely. [So not a .22, but a .22? If you say so. - Dave] There will be blood.Denby is the guy who transferred the naval oil reserves (Teapot Dome) to Albert Fall's Interior Dept in the Harding Administration in 1922. Fall got bribes to lease the lands to Harry Sinclair (Sinclair Oil) and oilman Edward Doheny, the basis of the main character in Upton Sinclair's novel Oil, and who was played by Daniel Day Lewis in the film There Will Be Blood. Given the timing of this photo, one wonders exactly what is on Denby's mind, besides the clear danger the bunny might be in. Uh oh!She gets a rabbit, he gets a rifle. Trouble ahead. Deja VuDidn't we Shorpyites previously see another Denby Christmas Tree? I (think) that I remember it as quite lacking when compared to this one. [You are perhaps thinking of the Dickey family. - Dave] There I go, confusing my Denbys and my Dickeys again. - Mal Hunting seasonNo doubt Junior will be using his sister's Christmas bunny as a target next week. Rifle MinutiaeI am in agreement with "jwp". It looks like a Remington Sporting Rifle No. 4. Single shot octagon barrel, 22 short and long caliber. (also manufactured in 32 caliber) Made from 1890 to 1933. Her bunny is safe but other critters may not be. My non-expert guessLooks to me like a single-shot break-action shotgun, probably 410 gauge, which is not much of a power house. Friend of mine got shot in the small of his back with a 410 from less than a foot away, while getting out of a car with some other hunters (one of them obviously really clumsy) and he survived. Of course he wasn't a soft little bunny. Rifle IdentificationThe rifle is a "Crack shot" model .22 caliber manufactured by the J. Stevens Arms & Tool company. Stevens was the company that developed and introduced the .22 LR round. Arguably the most popular and widely shot rifle/pistol round in history. A Remington Rolling Block It IsOne of the most elegant guns ever made... it's hard to see how there could have been fewer moving parts. Denby Sr.Edwin Denby Sr. is an interesting guys outside of his Teapot Dome involvement. He enlisted in the Marine Corps as a private in 1917 at age 47 and was discharged in 1919 as a Major. There had been a large number of mail robberies in 1921 so when appointed Secretary of the Navy in 1921 he ordered that the Marines be used to guard mail trucks and trains. The Marines had a simple instruction: if two Marines were guarding the mail and a robber had them covered, they weren't to put up their hands but both go for their guns. The robber might get one of them but the other would get the robber. "When our Corps goes in as guards over the mail, that mail must be delivered, or there must be a Marine dead at the post of duty. There can be no compromise." Remington #4That is a Remington #4 Rolling Block,single shot take down rifle, you can see the take down lever on the side of the receiver.To load you must first cock the hammer and then pull back on the breechblock to expose the chamber then insert the cartridge and push the breechblock closed, you are now ready to fire. Like dddlensman said most likely a .22 rimfire but possibly a .32. A very nice present. (The Gallery, Animals, Christmas, Kids, Natl Photo)
A Dickey Christmas: 1923
... to ... critique the Dickeys. LOL. I myself relish hunting for clues to their social/economic means. On one hand you have the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/20/2023 - 3:34pm -

One Hundred Years of Yuletude: "Dickey Christmas tree, 1923." The family of Washington, D.C., lawyer Raymond Dickey, whose off-kilter portraits (and non-triangular trees) are a beloved yuletide tradition here at Shorpy. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Times and tastes changeAt first glance, it made me think of a huge spider web. Strangely, most of the ornaments don't look much different from what we might have on our trees today. I notice the lack of lights, though. It's in the details...I find in very interesting that people who live in older homes today panic about even the smallest scratch in their hardwood floors when its very obvious that this middle-class Washington family clearly had no such worry. Also, is anyone able to identify the toy train track in the background? It looks like wind-up track, perhaps O-scale? ExpressionsEvery member of this family wears the exact same expression. From my own middle class perspective it seems to be a pleasant tolerance of all things beneath them . . . which are many and include the photographer and all of us some 85 years later. HaggardThe mother looks so different from the previous photo. Poor gal. So much to take in.When viewed full size, there was just so much to take in...the crazy tree, the intricate sleeves on Sister's dress, the odd pose of poor Mother--practically stuck into the boughs (not to mention her too-tight shoes!), a hint of model railroad track, the wallpaper & border--just SO much! But the number one thing I could not stop thinking...why are everyone's eyes so sad? Don't they know it's Christmas? (Maybe this the custom of the day, to look somber in a holiday photo? Whatever the reason, their melancholy expressions are in contrast to the joyful occasion.) Jingle BellsPoor Mom. It sure looks like the photog positioned her just a little too up close and snuggly with that tree. Her expression does not reflect a comfort zone with it. More like fending it off. TracksJust noticed what appears to be a model train track on the floor to the right. Wonder if a wee little Christmas choo-choo was part of the decorations, or a gift done opened and set up. Remember a very simple Lionel train set my brother and I got for one Christmas. No idea where it ended up. OrnamentsMy family owns ornaments exactly identical to about a third of the ones on the tree. My mother always said they were old, but I didn't think they could be that old! Hmm...Has anyone noticed that the middle child (oldest son) is not the same kid in both pictures? Rather odd, I thought. [The oldest boy is standing on the right in this photo. Still confused? - Dave] The DickeysThe fellow with his arm around the young woman is obviously her husband.. Note wedding ring. Also she appears to be with child. [Nope. He's her brother. - Dave] 1915, 1923If nothing else it shows those two boys are definitely brothers. The younger boy in 1923 looks just like his brother did in 1915! That Tree!Why do I feel like I'm looking at the same one in all these pictures? ETA: I wrote this comment in 2014 and it's still true in 2021. It's a Well Known FactSmiles were not invented until 1933. Charlie Browncarries on the Dickey Christmas tree tradition today. Christmas traditionsHaving been born a Chanukah person, but linked to a Christmas person, I have celebrated Christmas for two thirds of my 60 years. My wife's family is Central European, so they gather for the main event on Christmas Eve. Over the years, their trees have run the gamut from huge misshapen Dickey trees to scraggly Charlie Brown Ion Dept. trees to the current style of "perfect" suburban mall-lot trees. My idea of a gentle Christmas is good company and family, a glass of eggnog and rum, fading afternoon light, with Bing Crosby or Burl Ives playing softly in the background. I wish the very best of the holiday season to my fellow Shorpsters, with special thanks to Dave and tterrace for creating and maintaining this marvellous photographic treasure house and community. WallpaperDon't think I've ever seen a wallpapered ceiling before. Christmas just isn't Christmas......without once again witnessing Rose Dickey's slow descent into madness. Merry Christmas ???I don’t see much merriment here. This conclusion is encouraged by the “noir” lighting for the photography. Sad, very sad. It's complicatedI am struck -- make that dumbstruck -- once again by Mrs. Dickey's "hairstyle", by the size, shape, and ornamentation of that tree, and by the sleeves on that velvet dress. You can't make this stuff up, folks. Merry Christmas anyway. And if you'll forgive me the segue from Dickey to Dickens ... God bless us every one. Alice Smiles!So I went back and looked at all the Dickey Christmas photos on Shorpy, and was reminded of grown-up Alice's job as publisher of Seventeen Magazine. A quick Google search produced this: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1953-press-photo-alice-thompson-3... Nice to see a smile after all those gloomy Christmas photos. Names and AgesJust to put some names and ages to our annual Dickey Christmas family, they are: Raymond B Dickey, 45 Rose M Dickey, 43 Granville E Dickey, 20 Alice E Dickey, 17 John M Dickey, 11 Raymond R Dickey, 5 The ages may or may not be precisely exact, but accurate within a few months. DO NOT MOVE !DO NOT SMILE ! RE: TracksI'm a Lionel collector, and can say that those tracks are for a non-electric train set, probably wind-up. It's All In the Composition As a semi professional (meaning I've sold a handful) photographer, who doesn't always get it right himself, I must say this is just about the the most poorly composed family portrait I've ever seen ... and I love it! I do have some concern for Mrs. Dickey as well, but I'm 98 years too late. Pursed lipshide many secrets: https://www.newspapers.com/image/79911246/ (And for those w/o access: it's the 19Mar13 front page coverage of the escapades of the eldest son [then ten year old] Granville, who had run away from home...to another state !) The old girlThe old girl kinda reminds me of Grandmama of the Addams Family. Maybe --it'll be different next year. Better than BeautyWe have noted that daughter Alice Dickey (later Alice Thompson, then Alice Beaton) became a power in the women's magazine world, as editor of Glamour and of Seventeen. She also co-authored 'Better than Beauty: A Guide to Charm', which was reprinted as recently as 2007 and is available as an ebook today. Did Alice's conception of charm derive from her family? The flip side of a Dickey ChristmasThirty years after this Dickey family Christmas photo was taken, my mother's family celebrated Christmas in New Mexico, where she was from, and her family still ranches. I wouldn't be born for another two years. Still, this photograph is a sweet reminder of the Christmas chaos of my childhood. If only the Dickey children had been given a chance at it. Redecorating!I just went through all of the pictures (Yuletide Tradition) and it looks as though the Dickeys redecorated with new wallpaper every 2 - 3 years. This confirms why house renovators often find layers upon layers of wallpaper! My WishAs always, my hope is that every Shorpy-ite has a merrier Christmas than the Dickeys. Thanks to all who contribute to the community here. Dickey-ish treeThis is Christmas in Brooklyn circa 1954, a few years after I came along. Left to right are my Dad in his chunkier days, my Uncle Gerard (currently a spry and gregarious 97 years young), and my Grandfather Manuel. I don't have any specific memories of the Christmas trees my grandparents put up but from the few pics I've come across it appears they, like the Dickeys, favored the 'wide as it is tall' variety. OuchPoor Mrs. Dickey has some swelling in her right foot/leg ... as evidenced by the flesh pushing doughily through the cutouts at the top of her shoes, which appear a tad bit too small to begin with. And then there's the fact that she had to hold that branch down with two fingers lest it thwack her in the face. The Meaning of ChristmasSigh.. I love Christmas time.. when Shorpyites from all walks of life put aside their differences and unite to ... critique the Dickeys. LOL. I myself relish hunting for clues to their social/economic means. On one hand you have the annual very very large Christmas bush which seems very lavishly decorated. Rose and Alice's dresses look like they might be silk and velvet. But previously, Shorpyite "Doug Floor Plan" revealed that the Dickeys took 4 boarders into their 5 bedroom home around this time (1920). This would seem an economic drop from 8 years previous ( 1915 ) when there were 4 of them living in a 4 bedroom house with 2 servants. Maybe that would account for Rose's "slow descent into madness"?? Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Shorpy! (The Gallery, Christmas, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo, The Dickeys)
Belt Line Caboose: 1943
... train when stopped to flag down any following trains. Hunting Dog vs Pin Ups It looks like the Conductor is more fond of his ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/13/2013 - 5:00pm -

January 1943. "Freight operations on the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad between Chicago and Hammond, Indiana. Belt Line cabooses never go long distances or at very high speeds and are therefore constructed differently from line cabooses." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Just a DreamI'd sure like one of these to live in. My needs are simple but my romance is great! 1940s Man-CaveNow I realize what a man-cave looked like during World War II. No wonder little boys wanted to grow up to work for the railroad, all the live-long day. Hidden in plain sightI like the floodlight the photographer has cleverly hidden behind the stovepipe. Some prerequisite needsA baseball bat next to the door for intruders and a calendar girl on the right wall. RecycleI always thought it would be great to be able to have enough property to have a caboose behind the house someplace and make it into my artist's studio. Plenty of room for my needs, and I would add just enough amenities to make it livable. Alas, another dream never to be fulfilled. Shoe rubbersWhen you bought a pair of work shoes every 3 years, you dare not step in the muck without your rubbers on. Brake StickThat's not a baseball bat, and security isn't its primary function, although it certainly could be used for that. It's a "brake stick." Inserted into the wheel of a hand brake, it makes tightening it down a lot easier. They were also used to release hand brakes, by hitting the ratchet that maintained tension on them. The tension on it was usually too strong for just a human hand. Hence the term, "knocking off" brakes. The two ancient terms relating to hand brakes and brake sticks: "tie down" (set brakes), and "knock off" (release brakes) are still in widespread use on railroads today. You will hear them used in various permutations on the radio often. Not a BatThe "bat" by the door is a brake club, once used to apply extra leverage when applying or releasing hand brakes. I disclaim any suggestion that it also doubled as a defensive device. Brake ClubThe stick next to the door is most likely a hickory brake club. There were many early freight cars and cabooses that still had mechanical brakes still in service during and after the war. During WWII they used anything with wheels. The brakeman would use it as a lever between the brake wheel spokes and shaft to tighten an lock the brakes. The brake wheel on top of the car was attached to a shaft that when rotated wound the chain under the car and connected to a bell crank that forced the brake shoes into the wheels. Before air brakes the brakeman would apply brakes of each car as the train was rolling according to steam whistle commands from the engineer. Many train museums have one of these on display. A Brake ClubThat "baseball bat" is a brake club. So named because the brakeman would use it for extra torque when applying the hand brake using the brake wheel. The "club" would be stuck through the spokes of the wheel and used for added leverage. Of course, if an errant hobo were encountered -- Above the door is a red flag that the flagman would use to "protect" the rear of the train when stopped to flag down any following trains. Hunting Dog vs Pin Ups It looks like the Conductor is more fond of his dog, than pin-up girls. One item on his desk rack is a Michigan Central employee timetable. Both the IHB and the MC were New York Central subsidiaries. Did anyone notice the "Carnegie" stamp on the roof beam? (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Gingerbread House: 1906
... down South Not to mention parts of Arizona! House hunting When the wife and I were buying a home here in Missouri, we looked ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 10:13am -

Montgomery, Alabama, circa 1906. "Perry Avenue." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Prisoners at WorkI live in Texas, where we still use work gangs from the County Jail for civic maintenance, such as mowing courthouse lawns. To be allowed on such a work gang -- the chains haven't been used in a long time -- is a privilege anxiously sought by the prisoners. They get to be out of the boring cell into the fresh air, people talk to them (talk to the Deputy monitoring them first!), and they get a small wage for it. The work is sometimes strenuous and often boring, but never terribly arduous, and they sometimes get a meal that isn't from the jail commissary. Prisoners can't participate unless they're well-behaved in the jail, so it's a "carrot" form of discipline. The City and County get their grounds kept up at an economical price. Nobody loses (we don't have ASCME here.) Some years ago the County decided to give the prisoners work clothes that were more like street wear, chambray shirts and jeans. Unfortunately a couple of them exploited that to make their escape. They were caught, returned, and lost work privileges, and the Sheriff put the workers back into the old striped clothing. Young GranddadMy grandfather was raised in this town and in 1906 would have been around 10 years old. How amazing to see the things he saw! Guy in stripeswalking toward the camera looks like he might be part of a prison work detail. Quaint!That convict in striped jumpsuit -- looks like he's out cleaning the streets -- really adds to the homey atmosphere of this photo. Retirement FundAn industrious house painter can practically be guaranteed full employment. Gorgeous but like painting the Golden Gate Bridge -- get to the end and start over. So much to see in this photo -- intricate sidewalk, beautiful iron work banister, plentiful mounting blocks -- all telling me this is very much an upscale neighborhood. Is that fellow in the background really wearing prison clothes? Frill follows functionLove the little balconies, but unless you want to check on the neighbors across the street, they don't seem very useful, barring a parade down your street. Of course Victorian doesn't seem to be real big on "useful" anyway. Trusty shovelLooks like the chain gang was hiring out for lawn maintenance! Dollhouse RowThis is one of my favorite posts ever - looks like a row of dollhouses. I hope there are more from this street! I wish they still built them like this. Paved in stoneI love the sidewalks. I wonder if these are paved over or still exist. Appropriate NeighborExcept for the 2nd house, it's all gone now. The building next door (to the left looking from the street) is now occupied by bankruptcy attorneys. There is a sign in the front yard of the remaining house. It's not clear enough to read, but I'm guessing it's for another law firm. Queen AnneWould be proud! 502 South PerryCould this be the leftmost house? [Indeed it is! - Dave] View Larger Map Not a weed in sight!How many gardeners worked in the neighborhood? StrollingI just noticed two women walking on the other side of the street in what looks like very formal dress - or was that their everyday wear? I'd love to live in this neighborhood. Grandeur styleOn the railings of the first home on the left. Those were really nice. I'm sure it made the other homes jealous! They still do that down SouthA few years back we went to South Carolina on vacation and were shocked to see prisoners in striped convict gear in gangs clearing brush by the roadways. It's different down South. My favorite !I want to live here ! A front facing flat would be fine. Re: They still do that down SouthNot to mention parts of Arizona! House huntingWhen the wife and I were buying a home here in Missouri, we looked at many but we continued coming back to the older homes -- and settled on one that was built in the 1900s. Not quite as Victorian as these but it has character and style -- something we found totally lacking in newer homes. Architects' Motto"Sharpen the pencil and bin the restraint." Another Montgomery VictorianThis photo was taken in Montgomery, Ala., in 1910 according to the notation on the back. The neighborhood looks very similar, though I believe the address of this one is Washington Avenue. I also have a photo of a house built on the same spot that notes this house burned down in 1914, and the house to the right is gone, too. Such a tragedy! Jim Crow? Unfortunately, most of these prisoners were convicted of "Walking while Black". The town courts would routinely convict them of bogus offences and sentence them to hard labor, then rent them out for profit, legalized slavery. (The Gallery, DPC, Montgomery)
Facebook: 1910
... it. -- H. Hawks (aka Saddened Sightseer ) Hunting of the Snark Thanks for confirming what I was beginning to get the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 12:10pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1910. A class portrait titled "no caption." Anyone here look familiar? Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Buzz wasn't born yetBuzz Aldrin was born in 1930. [Here's a shiny new quarter. Now run along and get a clue. - Dave] I spy a space guyFront row, left end. That's Buzz Aldrin, right? French ConnectionDon't look now, but I think that's Gene Hackman standing in the back row on the right. Nobody looks familiar - - -but Back Row Left is standing on a fruit crate. AppearancesWhat strikes me about these class photos is how mature the students appear to be. Even if they are college students they seem much older than a college kid today. Ouch!My neck hurts just looking at the stiff collars! Nice MuffYes, they do look mature and sober, like they may have actually learned something. Quite a contrast to today's gangstas, goat-boys and strippers. I'm not sure, but...I think the famous person is 2nd from the right in the back row. I could be wrong, though. re: Anyone here look familiar?The guy seated on the left -- Michael Palin. Seven Minute AbsWell, Dave, since you asked if anyone here looked familiar.... The guy front row, left, looks like the actor (Harland Williams http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005558/) who played the hitchhiker/psycho killer who kept talking about his new product, a workout video called "Seven Minute Abs", in the movie "Something About Mary". Oh, and the guy front row, second from the right, looks like he could be the grandfather of one of my old schoolmates, the only one out of the class of Kempsville High School in Virginia Beach in 1984 who earned admission to the Naval Acadamy. However, he, too, ended up with something about a psycho killer touching him: his kid sister would go on some 8 years later (1992) to murder a former boyfriend in the family house, and leave the body for a day before realizing she needed to call the police; she slept in the room with her dead boyfriend that night. FDR Front row, second from the right. BreedingWhy am I stifling the urge to comment that I hope none of them ever bred? I Think I RecognizeIsn't that Redd Foxx around the lady's neck? Lotsa moneyNo familiar faces, but these folks were swimming in dough. The tailoring on their clothing is exquisite. Can't say I'm loving the giant white clam hat though. The ladies just jump out at you.The men all look slightly blurry, and ill defined. But the young ladies look like they could just up, and jump out of the image. Their clothes are superb, and could be in a museum. If these people could have gone in a time machine to today's high school, I wonder what they would have thought. IdentityI am pretty sure the person on the bottom row, second from left, is my great-uncle Lawrence in drag. Three things stand out thatThree things stand out that put these beautiful people in a class by themselves. 1) They appear more mature than those in previous class photos. 2) They are all beautifully and expensively dressed. 3) The women's style of dress appears closer to the 19th century than the 20th. Was there an institute of higher learning that catered to the education of the offspring, male and female, of the very, very wealthy? Or, perhaps, this is actually a photo of the instructors. [This is from the Harris & Ewing series of high school class portraits. - Dave] Theta Pi chicksI'm pretty sure at least two of these girls (Miss Frilly Gondolier Hat and Miss Clamshell Hat) were in the Theta Pi photo of 1910 that appeared recently (last week?) on this site, but I confess I recognized the background first. [This is the studio backdrop seen in many H&E portraits on Shorpy. - Dave] Eyes Left!Save Miss White Gloves, third from right, front row, who I swear is looking at me, me! None of the hatsNone of the ladies' hats looks as though it will do what hats of this type should be doing.* The widest part of the hats is too high from the ladies' faces to do much in the way of protecting their delicate skin from the sun. See Edith Roosevelt's hat for a proper sun-shading style. [Ahem, that's Ethel. Edith was her mother. - Dave] A great bunch of handsome devils....and temptresses. Why the snark?I don't understand? [Evidently not? - Dave] Standing on boxes in the backI love that you can see that the people in the back row have to stand on boxes; I thought they were fruit cartons at first, but through the legs of the fellow with the polka dot tie in the front row on the left, you can make out "G Cramer" and "St Louis" - Googling suggests this was a company that produced dry plates. Clever Harris and Ewing, reusing things lying around the studio as furniture! PS: this is more likely to have been taken around 1900-05, judging by the ladies' full sleeves and pouchy bodices. [According to the Library of Congress, 1905 is the earliest year for the H&E portrait series. - Dave] Second Boy From the RightI think he looks familiar because he's been in so many Edward Gorey drawings. Sigh…What prompted the snark, you ask? Well, mostly because Dave feels the need to belittle everyone and generally act like a superior ass if only to remind us that HE RUNS SHORPY. If you have any sense, you'll soon learn to ignore his (resident) genius and enjoy the public domain (and user contributed) photos alongside the wonderful and charming comments from everyone other than the big boob. Not that this message will make it to the comment section, mind you—but I feel better anyway merely submitting it. -- H. Hawks (aka Saddened Sightseer) Hunting of the SnarkThanks for confirming what I was beginning to get the sense of. That post where Dave belittled the person for pointing out Buzz Aldrin's age was so odd and unnecessary, it prompted me to comment. I do enjoy the photos, so perhaps ignoring those is indeed the best policy. DefenseI love the pictures on Shorpy, but I especially enjoy the comments. My Shorpy experience is defined by surfing through the recent comments column. I enjoy all the interesting information offered by readers, and I really like Dave's clever captions and witty repartee. Thanks, Dave for everything you do! [There were actually three longish comments explaining why that couldn't be Buzz Aldrin -- talk about not getting it. I really should have left them for the entertainment value. The ones below will have to do! - Dave] News BulletinWe are all free agents at the Shorpy site. Nobody was drafted. Re: SighQuit picking on Dave and quit being so sensitive. Sheesh. I don't recognize anyone here, I hope you tell us soon! (I looked on my shiny new quarter and Geo Washington was on it so that didn't help either!) [It wasn't a trick question. We don't know who any of these people are! - Dave] A few questions.Dave, most of the H&E group portraits we have seen so far show a group with something in common, club or sports. This is the first I remember being Co-Ed. Are there other plates like this one that do have labels? Another clue as someone else pointed out is the women's formal daytime public attire. So what social public activity allowed coed participation in late Edwardian times. I note the guy second from the left may fancy himself a poet. And I bet the guy on the far right is a podium thumping capitalist. [They're probably dressed up because it's their class portrait. There are plenty of coed photos in the H&E archive. One two three four. - Dave] Men!I'm just happy when a photo doesn't start a chorus of "Ew those ugly, ugly women!" from guys who can't just admire the pretty girls, but who also have to insult the women who aren't good-looking enough (or dressed scantily enough) for their personal tastes. It's funny the first few times (they sound SO stupid), but after a while the chest-pounding becomes annoying, and you begin to wonder if they talk behind their female friends' backs like that (or if they have female friends with that attitude). But if you say anything you get shot down as some kind of bitter feminazi. I'm not sure why guys act like that: I suppose they can't stand non-conformity. Sad, really, but only funny up to a point. The VaporsThat dewy look on Miss White Gloves' face actually says, "I'm about to faint in this corset!" Women!Charlene: For real? To complain about men making catty remarks regarding another -- asking if this is how we act behind women's backs -- oy and gevalt. We are woefully inadequate in this department when it comes to the other side. Plus, we aren't judged on beauty alone, which is good, because so few of us are. We are judged mainly on our abilities to hunt and gather...and most of us do it hoping to land a pretty girl. Separated at birthMy eyes are known to play tricks on me, but I think Miss White-Dress-White-Gloves looks like a 5-years-older version of one of the Gunston Girls: 1905, specifically Miss Bottom-Row-Second-From-Right-What-ARE-You-Looking-At. Bias cutI love the way the men's breast pockets are set at an angle. When did that stop being done? G. Cramer Dry Plate Co.The amount of entertainment these old picture can provide! In looking at the bottom left hand corner of the picture, behind the legs of the gentleman picking his index finger (nervous; are we?), I noticed a wooden crate. As it turns out, it is a box belonging to: The G. Cramer [Photographic] Dry Plate Co., founded by German immigrant Gustave Cramer (b. in 1833), where the photographer must have purchased a portion of his supplies. I have attached a picture of a similar box. Thank you for these goods, and enlightening, moments. [A previous commenter identified the crate, but thanks for the photo! -tterrace] (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Portraits)
Kearney: 1940
... by Smurley, downspouts are a proud new feature! House Hunting davidk: How do you find houses? I don't know how smurley found ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/14/2022 - 12:39pm -

November 1940. "House in Kearney, Nebraska." A sort of hitching-post graveyard. Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Relative ValueIt's always been interesting to me about the timeline of value for these houses. Nowadays, this house would be seen as a treasure, worthy of being restored as closely as possible to its original state. One wonders if at the time (1940) this was just considered a wheezy or tacky remnant of the not so distant past, a rundown eyesore to be removed or broken up into apartments. 2301 B AvenueThe house still looks very nice, although there was a lot of charm in the porch that's been removed. From the Google Street View, you can see this house recently sold. Here is the listing, with eight photographs of the interior. Very nice, especially the updated kitchen, while keeping a lot of the woodwork stained and not painted, and the stained-glass windows. It's larger than I would have guessed -- 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3,700 square feet. My observation is that houses of this era became undesirable as many modern conveniences became available. Conveniences such as better and more plentiful indoor plumbing, electric appliances requiring outlets on multiple walls in every room, better heating systems, air conditioning, bigger closets, and much better insulation. This house probably still doesn't have particularly good insulation. Plus, as today, many people simply want something newer and different than what they grew up in. It often takes a while for us to look at something and say, hey, that's worth preserving. It Still Stands!This house still stands on the NW corner of B Avenue and E 23rd Street RenumberedFrom 2312 to 2301. Kearney HouseWhat a number of architectural details on this house! Both pointed and keystone arches, hand-split resawn roof shingles, fish scale wood shingles as part of the siding, both horizontal and vertical wood siding, that beautiful tower reminiscent of a bell tower, that handmade sunburst in the gable, and the overdone supports at the gable ends ... skilled hands dressed this house. Would love to have seen the interior. De-RampingIn 1940, the sidewalk alongside this house reached the street by way of a curb cut at the corner. By 2022, despite vastly greater awareness of infrastructure impeding people with disabilities, the curb had been rebuilt as a solid barrier. Was this unusual, or did the thinking with respect to civic "improvements" evolve widely along these lines? And if so, how come? I've always wonderedHow do the diligent Shorpsters track down these houses? When all we find in the caption is “House in Kearney, Nebraska,” how does smurley come up with the precise location at the NW corner of B Avenue and E 23rd Street? Do these intrepid Shorpy explorers go prowling and up down the streets on streetview until they find their quarry? (Thank you, Chuckster and archfan, for your replies above.) No downspouts?That's an interesting gutter treatment, and I suspect they had no end of water problems. It appears that all rainwater falling onto the visible portion of the front gable was routed to the sloped roof just below the tower then simply pitched over the right side. Ugh! I hope they had a lot of good copper or lead flashing in those valleys behind the tower. The entire house looks like a maintenance nightmare. To DavidKGood question. However, I may perpetuate the enigma in that I simply typed "old house in Kerney NE" and it came up in the images with an address, which I then entered into Google maps. Got 'em now!KimS, if you look at the modern-day photo of the home uploaded by Smurley, downspouts are a proud new feature! House Huntingdavidk: How do you find houses? I don't know how smurley found this house, but here are some things I've used: 1. Pick a small town! 2. Look for the city center and start near there 3. Look for a neighborhood near the city center that has houses from the same era 4. Sometimes you can spot a likely neighborhood from the satellite view - more tree cover often indicates an older neighborhood 5. If you're lucky enough to have a house number, you can google the house number + the city/state, and get a list of addresses with that number in. In this case, searching "2301 kearney, nebraska" gives you 2301 B Ave as the first hit. 6. Finally, if you're stubborn enough and have enough time, you could use street view to search up and down the streets Others may have different techniques, but that's what I've used. Good luck with your hunt! A Porch With a New PurposeThe porch wasn’t removed, it was enclosed. In the GutterSomebody was listening to KimS! Rain water and melting snow now flows into gutters, leaders and downspouts. (As can be seen in Google Street View 2022 image posted by smurley). A more realistic FloorPlan?Realtor.com says 3700 square feet, which I agree is a whole bunch larger than the place looks, but Zillow lists a more plausible 1,340 sq ft. Odd sidewalk placementWhat's striking to me about this part of Kearney (from aerial views) is the unusual amount of space between the curb and the edge of the sidewalk, not just on B Avenue but in many nearby neighborhoods. It's as if the sidewalks were placed much closer to the front of each house. The current "Kearney Plan," the city's comprehensive guide plan, explains it this way: "A typical cross-section includes a 100-foot wide street channel, ten to twelve-foot greenway strips between the curb line and the sidewalk, four-foot sidewalks, and 15 to 25-foot front yard setbacks." Within those "ten to twelve-foot greenway strips" is a lot of space for snowbanks. For more: https://www.cityofkearney.org/DocumentCenter/View/988/2003-Comprehensive... (The Gallery, John Vachon, Small Towns)
Central City: 1942
... which helps focus in on possible locations. House hunting In answer to seaelf's question, when you drive into Central City, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/13/2022 - 10:47am -

May 1942. "Central City, an old mining town. Mountainous region of Central Colorado, west of Denver." Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. City Hall?Apparently what appears to be a modest two-family building has now been turned into the city hall, with a suitably large appendage on the right. WanderlustGoogle imagery has strongly inspired me to visit Central City someday. A bit of all rightDespite what was in all likelihood a hardscrabble life, involving grueling work in an all-but-overtly hostile environment, those are some nice houses -- especially the one with the matching witch-hat turrets. But I covet the unfinished abode on high ground, looking down on everyone else. And is that a church over there on the right, with the lovely gothic windows? Let us pray. [That structure up on the hill looks finished in more ways than one. - Dave] Dave so you think it's old rather than new? I briefly wondered about that but allowed myself to believe they were waiting for me to choose windows and doors and a granite package, plus hardwoods for the floors. Central City/Black HawkNow twin towns that are the proud environs of more than a few casinos, large and small. Been there many times in the last 20 years. The area is gorgeous. Lightning Rods Salesman WantedMy first thought about the hollowed out house sitting so high above the others was that it was likely the victim of a lightning strike and fire. When I was a kid, we lived in the highest old Victorian in our neighborhood. Lightning struck with a sound that made us think an atomic bomb might have hit. We didn't have a fire, but sparks rained down all sides of the house. Wherever electrical wires passed behind plaster under windows, curtains were singed & the bottoms fell as if cut by scissors. My grandfather's sons thought he was nuts for installing lightning rods on his house in 1950. Here's a house a couple of miles from me that got struck in 2016, for obvious reasons. [Indeed. - Dave] The house on the hill.More a memorial these days, to Ida Kruse McFarlane. Many of the buildings in the image are still around, today, you can see the roofline and cupola of the building next door: More about Ida, here: Ida Kruse McFarlane - Wikipedia How did you find it?The comment with photo showing the house in the foreground today ... how did you find it without an address? Amazing. Up on the hillThe building at the top of the hill was the "remains" of the Saint Aloysius Academy. You can see the outline of the foundation on the current satellite view. It is now the site of the Ida Kruse McFarlane Memorial. https://centralcity.colorado.gov/outdoors Class DismissedNo lurking mystery on the remains of the once vibrant St. Aloysius Academy atop Gunnell Hill in Central City. When it was built, the Sisters had the biggest school in town with room for nearly 200 students but those days had passed when the photo was taken. The foundation of the academy remains with a memorial cross in the same spot atop the hill, which was once reached with a lung aching climb up ten steep staircases from the city streets below. St. Aloysius.How interesting. My sister and I graduated from St. Aloysius Academy in Rome, N.Y. Like this one, it was closed years ago. In our case, the name was meant to honor a local 19th century priest, the Rev. Aloysius Murphy, pastor of St. Peter's church. When lightning rods fell from fashionI don't know how true this is, but I've heard that with the advent of indoor plumbing, the conventional wisdom said that you no longer needed a lightning rod, because you had a cast iron plumbing vent stack protruding from the roof, making a good conductor to ground. Then, decades later, when PVC or ABS replaced cast iron, people forgot they had ever used that reasoning. Google SleuthingSeaelf asked how I was able to find the location, and it's really just because Central City is crazy tiny. The old part of town only has a couple of streets, and this view is urban enough that it's not likely to be on the outskirts. Plus there's an obvious church on the right which helps focus in on possible locations. House huntingIn answer to seaelf's question, when you drive into Central City, the best parking lot is right where John Vachon was standing. You can't miss seeing that building. The street in the present view leads to Idaho Springs uphill to the left. Central City is indeed a fascinating place; as a photographer I've spent many happy hours there. (The Gallery, Frontier Life, John Vachon, Mining)
Happy Hollow: 1901
... 1901?! According to this website http://www.agfc.com/hunting/elk/elk_info.aspx Eastern elk weren't found in Arkansas after the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/10/2015 - 9:02am -

Hot Springs, Arkansas, circa 1901. "McLeod's cabin, Happy Hollow." A further note: "Possibly associated with Norman E. McLeod, photographer, and menagerie." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Following along this line of photgraphyWere the stuffed (ex-live) horses in a bucking or rearing position at western destinations. They always seemed so "moth-eaten" as well. Maybe taxidermy wasn't what it is now. Thank goodnessI was more than a bit suspect of the signage, but that stuffed animal really gave me a turn. I am new at this old photography thing and should remember contrived pictures have probably been around as long as cameras. I really love this site. More on NormCheck out “Hot Springs, Arkansas,” page 102 and following. And roll out the barrel...Barrel staves work really well when building a barrel, but not so great making shingles....? Cocked and locked.Looks like his gun is ready to fire yet again. This all looks a bit contrived. If this were real, he'd probably not be able to spell at all, let alone poorly. Over the "Mune"Love the turn of the century equivalent of duct tape on the rifle stock. Fooled for a second Had to look twice to realize that this was one of those prop scenes built so that tourist dollars could be captured in Hot Springs National Park. It was one of the most popular destinations early in the 20th century. Funny that Norman used an elk instead of a deer for his prop, though. Elk became extinct in Arkansas in about 1850. They were reintroduced in 1981 and now number about 500 in the Buffalo National River area. Not so fast...This photo really feels staged to me. The crude spellings of "Arkansaw" and "Muneshine" are a little much and if a cabin were truly as crude as this it would be a lot deeper in the woods (and not along this decently improved road). The clincher though was this "hunter's" trophy. That's an elk not a deer. Eastern Elk haven't been in Arkansas since the 1830's. Goodness.What a big flag you have! Happy Hollow?The buck doesn't look too happy. Shootin at some foodWell the next thing you know ole Jed's a millionare. Elk in Arkansas in 1901?!According to this website http://www.agfc.com/hunting/elk/elk_info.aspx Eastern elk weren't found in Arkansas after the 1840's and western elk weren't reintroduced until 1933. Did this fellow shoot "bigfoot" with his Trapdoor Springfield? Hee Haw 1.0Norm McLeod's Happy Hollow was kind of the Dollywood of its day. Big on cornpone "hillbilly" humor. A Razorback's Pride of PlaceThat's "Arkansaw" to you, boy! I don't buy itNever mind the hokey misspelled signs written in chalk, with no chinking or daubing that cabin clearly was not in use. But, the forlorn animal sure looks to me as if it is a taxidermically preserved antique, plopped over on its side for the heroic photo. Such theatric, photographic fakery was already in place in 1901, and long before that time, no doubt. Happy HollowPronounced "holler." So, when's lunch? Poor elkHis horns are coming unscrewed! Another mystery solvedHere's a photo from the Encyclopedia of Arkansas entry on Happy Hollow showing the same cabin, dead elk, and a few other props including what appears to be a stuffed bear (or should it be "b'ar"?). The latter is also just barely visible in the Shorpy photo, lying inside the doorway behind the butt of the rifle. It Really Is True...There IS one born every minute. Boaring....Personally, I'd have posed with the wild boar that's lying just inside the doorway... or both... (it COULD be a bear, too... little hard to tell from just the moth-eaten nose). Probably the one seen, here: http://baberfamilytree.org/Albums/Images/happyhollow.jpg (Billy Bob Thornton was born in Hot Springs, AK, which may 'splain a few things...) Nice Rack!...on that elk. I couldn't resist. How often can you say "Nice rack!" nowadays and not get into trouble? That darn Elk!I think the elk is lying just in front of the cabin in the photo posted by John Martini. A couple of years ago, I accidentally found myself just a little too close to an elk (luckily a female or I wouldn't be here now) and trust me when I tell you that you don't want to be too close to an elk (aka wapiti), male or female, accidentally or otherwise. I came away with a lot less blood, broken hands and some major bruising and was the talk of the nearby hospital. Elk != deerThat looks more like a deer in the photo posted by John Martini. It's much smaller and the antlers are different. (The Gallery, DPC, Hot Springs, Rural America)
Bar Car: 1955
... a different world Sports Illustrated used to cover hunting and card playing (a lot). Watching others play sports was a much ... just field trials on pointing out ring neck pheasants for hunting dogs. There are NO firearms involved at this event. [Um, no. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2023 - 3:46pm -

September 1955. Lloyd's Neck, Long Island, New York. "Arden field trials for spaniels." 35mm Kodachrome by Toni Frissell for the Sports Illustrated assignment "Sporting Look: Field Trip at Marshall Field's Long Island Estate near Cold Spring Harbor." View full size. Action, pleaseThis could easily be a still from a forgotten comedy with Doris Day and Rock Hudson. In one second, Rock and his friend, played by Tony Randall, will enter the frame and a wacky situation will develop quickly. Non-Bar CarLeading the way is a green and white 1954 Buick. Car bottleMy dad always kept a car bottle in the trunk, and I now do, as well. But neither of us had a setup like this! MoviesMovie I think of re this scene is "Man's Favorite Sport" with Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss. Bar CarA 1955 DeSoto is bringing up the rear with the good stuff! Booze, cigars, cigarettes, cars (and maybe some guns). What can possibly go wrong? Booze in the TrunkMy uncle had a little liquor suitcase like that, about half that size. When I would travel with his family, he wold pull it out in the hotel room and make himself a martini or two (or three). It had all the ingredients and a shaker too. His brother, my father, didn't drink, probably because of his older brother's booze fueled escapades when they were younger. What can go wrong with an Old Fashioned?Just press the button marked B for Booze. Park HereSix years later this Marshall Field estate became a New York State Park. It is called Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve. https://parks.ny.gov/parks/23/details.aspx Ain't no party like a Lloyd's Neck partyGuns, cars, and alcohol. What could go wrong? The License PlateIn those days, New York State would issue new license plates, with new numbers, to each vehicle every two years. The color scheme would be reversed, so one year you'd have orange ("gold") plates with black numbers, which would be replaced by black plates with orange numbers. It was a real pain having to change those plates and send the old ones in (the screws tended to rust badly), so by the mid-'60s the state began issuing stickers, and you would put them on the old rear plate. You weren't supposed to turn in your plates until they became unreadable. Now part of Caumsett state parkI grew up less than 5 miles from here. The Marshall Field estate house is now part of Caumsett State Park. It's a nice place for a walk. CaumsettOne of the largest (1700+ acres) of the Gilded Age Long Island estates, Caumsett (as the Marshall Field estate was known) is now a state park occupying a third of Lloyd Neck: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/23/details.aspx Top of the Line DeSotoThe bar-car is a 1955 DeSoto Fireflite. The Fireflite was introduced in 1955 to be the premium DeSoto model. The model was built until 1960 when the DeSoto brand was discontinued by Chrysler Corporation. [We actually can't be sure what model this is. The script next to the taillight says "PowerFlite," the name of DeSoto's automatic transmission. - Dave] SI in the 1950s - Documenting a different worldSports Illustrated used to cover hunting and card playing (a lot). Watching others play sports was a much smaller part of life back in the day, it would seem. It's Field Trials for spanielsFor all you people saying firearms and guns what can go wrong. It's just field trials on pointing out ring neck pheasants for hunting dogs. There are NO firearms involved at this event. [Um, no. Field trials involve shooting and retrieving. - Dave] I beg to differ Dave …No firearms no hunting license visible. Any responsible hunter does NOT mix alcohol and ammunition. [Can you not read? Can you not see the photos accompanying the article about this event? Hello?? - Dave] What could go wrong?Guns, alcohol, cars (and tobacco, besides)- what could go wrong? Fortunately, this was Long Island, not Harlan County, Kentucky. Shooting involvedThe dogs were retrieving birds shot down to order. I did enjoy reading this for the colorfulness of the language and for the emphasis on testing the dog: “The dog stopped instantly, dropping to his haunches, and sat marking the game bird’s flight, every muscle aquiver with intense eagerness. ‘Ride it out,’ signaled the judge, and the gunner held his fire in recognition of the request for a ‘long fall.’ At the crack of the gun, the pen-raised bird crumpled and slanted down into the high cover which bordered the woods, foretelling the difficult retrieving task for which the judge had hoped.” Black and White Scotch whisky Makes sense to drink that for people who like dogs. My mistake.Read? Yes. The article? No ... I based my postings on the bar car picture and missed the 'read article here' Begging for a thousand pardons Dave. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dogs, Toni Frissell)
Backyard Picnic: 1960
... I've got a set of about 8 of those that my dad and his hunting buddies used during their annual deer hunting week at our cottage in northern Wisconsin. Everyone had their name ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/29/2023 - 10:10am -

        We dedicate this golden (Kodachrome) oldie to picnic-partakers everywhere. Happy Memorial Day weekend from Shorpy! June 1960 somewhere in Maryland. "Picnic in yard." Janet, of Kermy and Janet, pointing at the camera. Who wants more potato salad? View full size. Ashtrays and lightersI too remember lots of ashtrays. And lighters or matches. An older brother and I were accused of trying to burn the house down one time. Of course, it is all his fault, I was the innocent one. He had the lighter. It is surprising that no one is smoking. IDEAL brand ketchupThe IDEAL brand ketchup was the store brand of the American Stores Co. ("ACME" stores). Love the coffee mugLove the coffee mug directly below the young girl's pointing finger. I've got a set of about 8 of those that my dad and his hunting buddies used during their annual deer hunting week at our cottage in northern Wisconsin. Everyone had their name painted on their mug. The guys are all gone now and those mugs have become a treasure to me. Table Still Going StrongMy father bought an identical solid redwood picnic table in southern California, in 1960 no less (a year before I was born in LA). We moved back to northern Missouri in 1963 to be closer to Mom's parents and that was one of the very few large items that made the move. It served as our kitchen table for a few years. It's been refinished a few times and is showing its age (Missouri winters are rough compared to LA's) but is still in use up on my deck and I hope to pass it on. But me,I'll take the radio. Sheesh, that's unusual ?When I was a kid everybody had that table. Not just had, but burntWhen our parents' picnic table reached the age of about 40 years and had rotted to the point that it was structurally finished, my youngest brother and I threw it on the bonfire and watched the flames leap higher than a man, a long-suppressed wish of ours. Bonus treat was the unexpected sight of it burning: looked like a giant BBQ grill on fire. Nice smell, too, the cedar. Picnics are made oftasty Heinz pickles and some kind of generic local-brand ketchup. Otherwise, everything else seems homemade, as it was back then. And don't forget real Dixie brand cups, the only kind being sold then. [There were many brands of paper cups. A major competitor starting around 1920 was the Lily Cup. - Dave] TablesHubby and I have two of them out back, both gotten at auctions. SeatingI love the variety of chairs: the plastic web loungers, the wooden-frames with canvas backs & seats and that metal one that most likely leave a scallop-shaped impression in your back. By the way, the ketchup is "Ideal," the house brand of the local Acme Market. Dixie vs Hard PlasticNotice a stack of Dixie Cups on the table, but we are drinking from the durable, washable plastic tumblers. The two "Dixies" that are upright have spoons in them. Maybe to serve Aunt Dora's special homemade relish? From the way they are stacked, I'll bet the plastic utensils get washed too. Scalloped SeatingI sold a set of four of those and a matching round table on Craigslist last year. Same color, probably about the same vintage. How about some Kool-Aid?Looks like what's being ladled into those Dixie cups is red Kool-Aid. The favorite drink of kids from the era. I have the radio, butI'd like a pair of those striped chairs, please. Kool-AidBack in the day when "red" was a flavor, at least to the kids. Always kids to play withI was 5 in the summer of 1960, about the age of those kids. Born at the peak of the Baby Boom, there were always kids my age around. Also between that and Sputnik, we always had new books and desks in school too, not to mention new buildings and young teachers. Where are the ashtrays?Hard to believe we have a photo from 1960 and not an ashtray in sight! I was 9 in the summer of 1960 and every mom but one that I knew smoked. If they were like my mom and were married during the WWII years and worked they picked up the habit then. As for the younger moms seeing the older ladies smoke and the massive advertising rush of the 50's convinced the others they should smoke. Humble pleasuresThese sensible moms used a bath towel as a tablecloth; an excellent idea. As was always the case with gatherings like this, everyone is nicely dressed. I see Grandad in the background. This occasion must have taken place on a weekday while the dads were at work. It's Seems Complete, But...Where is the Jello mold? I am of a similar vintage, and trust me--whatever gathering, whatever state you were in and whatever picnic especially--there was always, invariably a Jello mold. Subversives, maybe? TupperwareWe always had a bucket of Kool-Aid in a Tupperware container just like the one at this picnic. Ashtrays in the backyard?Not in our 1960. The butts went in the grass under your foot, or they were "flicked" across the yard by most men to be stomped on by us boys. Also, there appears to be an airline size pack of menthols near the second blue cup. Not our backyard picnics!If we were going to have a picnic, it would be when Dad took the family on a road trip and we'd stop for a break. If we were going to eat in the backyard, the picnic table would be covered in newspapers, a bushel of steamed crabs dumped out on top (covered in Old Bay seasoning) and bottles of Black Label beer for the adult beverage and iced tea for the kids. Surely, they did not get store-boughtIn my 1960s childhood, Memorial Day gatherings in the backyard with family always included homemade ice cream. When my parents hosted, my father somehow convinced his three sons it was a privilege to turn that crank until your arm could crank no more. Inexplicably, the next brother would be standing there, waiting for his turn. That was some good ice cream. For someone with superior search skillsWhen Dave posted Hawkeye Troop: 1956 in 2012 (see the Kermy and Janet link), noelani wished we had access to the 1950 Census so we could look for a boy named Kermit in Overlea, Maryland. The 1950 Census is now available. I am mediocre at searching for my family members; but I looked for Kermit, born 1948 in Maryland, and found two possibilities. One has a sister named Janet, but she is three years younger than Kermit and the Janet in the picnic photograph looks like an older sister to me. Someone with superior search skills is welcome to show me how it's done. Click to embiggen Doug Floor Plan for the Win!I'm on Ancestry right now, and there is huge evidence that the 2nd census listing he posted is indeed Shorpy's Kermy and Janet. I don't even know what to link to, there's so much stuff. I too thought that Janet was older than Kermy, but the little blonde boy in this photo is not Kermy - look at this to see Kermy in 1957: https://www.shorpy.com/node/16626 And then this to see Janet the same year: https://www.shorpy.com/node/16641 I even went so far as to look for their home, which was at 4003 Fleetwood in Baltimore. There are old listing photos still online at https://www.redfin.com/MD/Baltimore/4003-Fleetwood-Ave-21206/home/111403... Two stood out to me. The one with the fireplace looks like the one in this photo of Janet: https://www.shorpy.com/node/20476 And the one taken from the back porch looks like the porch in this "Backyard Picnic" photo. I'll stop before I'm arrested for stalking. But there's so much more ... Let's ask DaveThanks for the credit, jckazoo, but you're the one who identified Kermy as the elder child. One thing I've learned reading Shorpy is, you don't tell Dave, you ask. Dave, are these kids Kermit H. "Kermy" and Janet C. Sanders, children of Anna and Kermit H. Sanders? The house at 4003 Fleetwood in Baltimore looks like a match. I understand many houses were mass produced. But the bottom of the window to the left of the fireplace is the same in relationship to the fireplace mantel, the mantels are identical, the bricks are the same make, and there are six rows of bricks between the underside of the mantel and the top of the firebox. The back porches are long with identical posts and parapet wall, and the door to inside is at the top of the steps. The only difference is in 1960 the house is clad in cedar shakes and I'm not sure it is in the Realtor photos. Click to embiggen Late to the DanceI was just about to post the Sanders family 1950 US Census info, but Doug Floor Plan and jckazoo already have done all that work. Well done great sleuths! Still with usA follow-up to my previous post: while their parents have been gone for 10 years, Kermy and Janet are still among us, both in their 70s, which is why I didn’t want to post much more about what I found. It is tempting to reach out to them to tell them about Shorpy, but that’s not my place. Maybe Dave ... ? [We would love to hear from Kermy and Janet! - Dave] DejavuI was the same age as the boy in the stripes in 1960. That definitely brings back some memories! (Kermy Kodachromes, Kids)
Cold Duck: 1958
November 1958. "Waterfowl hunting (Nevada) -- Mr. and Mrs. Stanwood Murphy of San Francisco." 35mm ... Illustrated assignment "Shooting: California Waterfowl Hunting; Upland Game Birds in Nevada." View full size. Two Months Later ... plates? And for heaven's sake, why so much luggage for a hunting trip? (Too many questions.) [The Murphys aren't in this photo; ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2023 - 4:30pm -

November 1958. "Waterfowl hunting (Nevada) -- Mr. and Mrs. Stanwood Murphy of San Francisco." 35mm Kodachrome by Toni Frissell for the Sports Illustrated assignment "Shooting: California Waterfowl Hunting; Upland Game Birds in Nevada." View full size. Two Months LaterMs. Frissell's photos from this assignment made it into print in the January 19 edition of Sports Illustrated. Seems Like a Lot Of WorkFor some poultry. Living in New England my whole life I'm at the point where I want nothing to do with snow. Whether driving in it, shoveling it or paying $20+ a week each to get the cars washed so they'll at least last the life of the loan from all the chemicals used for safer driving. I guess if you're from Frisco snow would be a novelty. Though I'll take the snow over earthquakes, drought and wildfires, I guess. Star ChiefToday's feature car is the 1955 Pontiac Star Chief sedan. I restored one of this exact model several years ago and it was a great highway cruiser, thanks to V8 power and a cushy suspension. It even had the Indian head hood ornament that lit up when the headlights were on. Which of those two guest dudes is Mrs. Murphy?And where did Mr. Murphy learn how to pack luggage on the roof of the car? And does the California couple really own a car with Nevada plates? And for heaven's sake, why so much luggage for a hunting trip? (Too many questions.) [The Murphys aren't in this photo; the car is how they get from the lodge to their plane. The man on the right is restaurateur Vic Bergeron, of Trader Vic fame. - Dave] RIPThose dogs are soooo dead. Ahead of his time"Albert Stanwood Murphy, who took over the business [Pacific Lumber Co.] in 1931, argued that clear-cutting might lead to enormous profits in the short term but devastation in the long term. Murphy had witnessed the effects of uncontrolled logging that scraped all the trees off mountainsides, allowing the winter rains to erode the steep slopes, clogging streams, destroying salmon habitat and leaving the soil too impoverished to grow another generation of redwoods. "Murphy vowed to treat his land differently, promising steady jobs based on selective cutting. And it worked. By the late 1980s, other local companies -- which had been clear-cutting their holdings -- had run out of timber, and Pacific Lumber was the only company with any trees left." From the 1996 Washington Post review of THE LAST STAND The War Between Wall Street and Main Street Over California's Ancient Redwoods By David Harris Times Books. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1996/01/22/ax-now-pay-l... (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dogs, Toni Frissell)
The Birds: 1958
November 1958. "Successful hunting party Mr. and Mrs. Stanford Murphy (left), Mr. and Mrs. Vic Bergeron, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2023 - 2:07pm -

November 1958. "Successful hunting party Mr. and Mrs. Stanford Murphy (left), Mr. and Mrs. Vic Bergeron, and retired Navy Captain and Mrs. Clayton McCauley pose before DC-3 in San Francisco with field dogs and one-day bag of game birds. Lumberman Murphy's Flying M Ranch, a 4,000-acre preserve near Yerington, Nevada, is a 65-minute flight from California. It is only a short walk from the Flying M's 4,500-foot landing strip to the five-bedroom ranch house with adjacent bunkhouse, cookhouse and manager's quarters. 'Before we bought the ranch,' Murphy says, 'we didn't have any place of our own to hunt pheasants'." Kodachrome by Toni Frissell for the Sports Illustrated assignment "Upland Game Birds in Nevada." View full size. Yes, That Flying-MStanford Murphy's ranch and airstrip ended up in the hands of Barron Hilton and served as the departure point for the ill-fated last flight of Steve Fossett. Hilton eventually sold it to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (for the water rights), who granted him a life estate which only ended up lasting about three years. Outfits with matching dogs"We didn't have any place of our own to hunt pheasants" ... the horror ... the horror! (said in Boston accent) Asparagus?What on earth is Mrs. Murphy putting into Trader Vic's mouth? I first assumed a cigar but why would she hold it for him? And it sure looks more green and twisted than a cigar. I'm mystified. Maybe it's just a rich person thing that I'm incapable of understanding. [Smushed cigar? - Dave] Nice group, nice trip, nice lifeI wonder how they spent their evenings, since six people make only one and-a-half bridge tables? I would rather be doing this than hanging out at La Coquille in Palm Beach, contracting melanoma or, at a minimum, turning my skin into an old leather handbag. Looks like a German Pointer in the middleHis (or her) main and only job was to alert (or "point out") to the hunters where the quarry (birds) were located by pointing at their location through scent or sight. The hunters would then shoot said birds and the Weimaraners would retrieve the dead birds. As a dog, I always wanted to be a "pointer". NevermindPheasants not peasants -- jolly good, what? That's no asparagus --Trader Vic is smoking a Culebra style cigar. The math is not mathingAccording to the New York Times, Mr. Murphy died in 1972 at the relatively young age of 53... which would make him an improbable 39 in this photo. Also the NYTimes reports his name as Stanwood Murphy, whereas the Wikipedia page on the Flying-M Ranch very confidently names him as Stanfield Murphy. I'm inclined to believe the NYT since there is a Stanwood A Murphy Elementary in Scotia, CA that is named after him. As far as his age goes.. I can't find any references for the Sports Illustrated "Upland Game Birds in Nevada" that don't point back to Shorpy. But I'm inclined to think he was 63 when he died, not 53. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Aviation, Dogs, San Francisco, Toni Frissell)
Point and Shoot: 1925
... but I have to ask if any of them ended up in Alaska, maybe hunting from an aeroplane? And then there were six.... I think, like the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 6:44pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1925. "Girls' rifle team of Drexel Institute." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. By 1926The administration had decided that showing the twin-bill of "Annie, Get Your Gun" and "The Story of Lizzie Borden" was not a great idea. Ready on the Rightto wipe out the rest of the team! Looks like the fuse is VERY short! Take cover, Men!"The Great Man Hunt" of 1925 is about to begin! The Charlie Manson stare!Third from the left. Look out for her; she's on a mission. Not a particularly friendly looking bunch of gals. If you run into them on the street, smile, nod your head and KEEP WALKING! Quoting Dusty Bottoms"Looks like someone's been down here with the ugly stick." In today's PC worldYou don't often meet a woman who's shot her own wardrobe! Firearm Safety...The second girl from the left has the bolt on her rifle closed. Not safe unless you're in a position to fire the thing. Not Necessarily Unsafe......but not as safe as it could be. I have a bolt action rifle with very similar bolts, and if the safety lever is in the "safe" position you not only can't fire the gun but can't work the bolt either to load a round. Still, the preferred method is to have the bolt open (as most of them are) when the weapons are displayed in this manner. One might argue that they are not all pointed in a safe direction either (which you do always, even if the bolt is open and there are no rounds in the magazine). A couple of the ladies appear to have their rifles pointed right at their heads. She won't take "no" for an answer.Before computer dating, it was not uncommon for the less attractive ladies to go out and bag a husband. She needed to be a good shot as not to render him impotant or feable minded. Duct Tape?My gunnery sergeant would not have been happy with the material condition of No. 3's weapon. SlinglessInteresting, none of these rifles have slings. OriginalThe Original Broad Street Bullies. Bolting AwayYou noticed the bolt on her rifle? What about the bolts in her neck??? Alaska huntress?This photo can open up many snarky comments but I have to ask if any of them ended up in Alaska, maybe hunting from an aeroplane? And then there were six....I think, like the haircut, it's a plea for help! Homeland SecurityNow this is what we need for protection -- Attitude and Beauty! The posseThere were soon to be no stray cats or dogs left in that neighborhood. Fewer kids, too, for that matter. No faux furI'd venture a guess the fur is real, kinda makes me think girlfriend on the far right is the spoiled one. Funny --There are no men in this photograph! Types Seems to be four different rifles. Rifle TypesOnly type I recognize is the two M1903 Springfield rifles - second and third from the left. Man KillersThe two towards the right seem to be either Remington rolling blocks or some variant on the Sharps rifle. Including the '03 Springfields, we are talking a minimum of .30 caliber. None of these gals seem to be toting the traditional .22 caliber rifles used in competition. We're talking deer -- or, ulp! man-killing -- weaponry! No Slings, but No Slouches EitherThe condition and variety of their rifles notwithstanding, it appears that the squad had a very good record. Drexel fielded noteworthy rifle teams all throught the '30's and '40's at least. I could not find this particular photo, but there were many articles, often with photos, about the girls' team at about this time. A selection follows. Philadelphia Girls Becoming Marksmen "The girl students of the Drexel Institute in Philadelphia have organized a rife team and, under the instruction of Lieut. J. P. Lyons, U.S.A., military instructor at the Institution, are rapidly becoming expert marksmen." Rock Valley Bee, 21 January 1921. Good Rifle Teams at Drexel College "Drexel Institute, of Philadelphia, had two wonderful rifle shooting teams the past indoor season - one of boys, the other of girls. So good was the girls' team that Capt. J. P. Lyons, the instructor, said: ‘I would like to match the girls against any boys' rifle team in the country.' When the instructor talks that way the girls must be counted on as real shots. They were. They didn't lose a match. Next season, it is more than likely that the girls will be eligible to try for the university team. Drexel won 16 of its 18 matches, lost 1 and tied 1 - with Yale. In five of its matches Drexel made perfect scores." Washington Post, 18 June 1922. Fair Warning [photo caption] "Girls' rifle team of Drexel Institute defeated a picked sharpshooter squad of Philadelphia police in a match." Hammond, Indiana, Times, 25 February 1926. .22 x 6The rifles are all .22s, the Springfields are either M1922 or M2 .22 caliber training rifles. The single shots that one commenter thought was a rolling block are in fact Winchester .22 caliber "Winder" muskets built on the Winchester model 1885 action (the one on the far right is a "low wall" action. The fact that these are all .22s does little to take away from the level of marksmanship these women may have had and in fact all of the rifles are of extremely high quality. They Had the Vote......so what else could they be coming for??? The Importance of ImpotenceApart from the spelling, my other quibble with Vernon's comment is that a well-aimed rifle shot is not the only thing about these women that may render a man impotent or feeble-minded. TaggedThe girls #2 and #3 from the left each have a tag hanging from their coats - anyone know what that would be for? Styles of the 20'sMy mother, married in 1922, hated the hair and clothes styles so much that she destroyed the one photo that was taken to commemorate the day. I can assure you she remained stylish to her dying day but not according to whatever everyone else was wearing. I regret that so many of us tend to follow the current trend instead of thinking for ourselves. Permanent RecordHairstyles of the era really did nothing for them, did they. M*A*S*HIs this where Klinger went through basic training? Chicks with gunsHey, you know what they say. An armed society is a polite society. Betcha nobody whistled or cat-called at any girl around the Drexel campus. Drexel Womens Rifle Team The Ladies ream was still going strong when I was at Drexel in the late 1950's/early 60's. The tape on the rifle in the middle is to improve the grip of the forestock, not to hold the rifle together. They were still using the M2's when I was there. From an owner of two of these riflesFrom the left: 1 and 5. Obviously Springfields from the bolt throw (and barrel band sights), although my M22 MII does have a finger-grove stock. 2 and 3. Winchester Model 52 (early type with the folding ladder rear sight). Don't hassle me - I just took mine out of the gun safe to compare! The Springfields don't have the button clip release - it is a latch at the forward edge of the clip. Also, the chamber is WAY too short to be a .22 mod of an '06 action. 4 and 6. Both Winchester 1885 falling blocks - No. 6 a "Low Wall" Winder (all in .22 short). (Fortunately the lady's hose provide a good enough background to see the dropped rear of the action.) I have a 1885 "High Wall" in .22LR that is a musket stock, but I'd bet money this is a true Winder. On the far right...... Bob Dylan? Re: On the Far Right...I'm thinking Keith Richards. Shot the coat myselfThe one on the far right must be their instructor or adviser. Not only is she a decade older than the other people in this picture, she looks mean enough to have shot and skinned the animals for her coat all by herself. I suspect the tags on the coats might be an access pass to the shooting range (same idea as a ski lift ticket). You wouldn't want just anybody wandering into a place where there was live ammunition. You would need a way to tell at a glance, and from a distance, who belonged and who did not. They probably all have them, just those two are pinned where you can see them in the photo. The others may not have pinned theirs on yet for the day, or already taken them off for next time. A rule of thumb. Or head.As a high school teacher in Colorado in the early 1950s, I was the faculty leader of the rifle club. A standard rule of safety was don't point your gun at your head! Drexel must have had a new team of shooters each year. TapedActually, the tape would have been used to improve grip. Not to hold the rifle together. Note that the barrel band is intact. Let's hear it for the girlsI'm surprised there's so much negativity about these young ladies. When I saw the one on the far right, my first thought was, "Leopard coat? There's a woman who's not afraid of putting some drama in her style." I'll bet she listened to jazz and could make her own bathtub gin. Those old rifles...Only one of the "what rifles are they?" comments is accurate. To start with, all rifle competition has always been done using .22 caliber weapons. A very few national matches are held using higher caliber but .22 is the norm, believe me. The short stock rifles are obviously the special .22 version of the '03 Springfield, and the rolling/drop block "Martinis" are Winder muskets, based on the 1885 action. A friend of mine once owned a custom 1885 action that was chambered, believe it or not, for the old .218 Bee cartridge. The identification of the very early Winchester 52 is also interesting as the 52 is arguably defined as the best, at least American, target rifle ever made. The classic 52 story has a young guy asking an oldtimer what's so special about the 52. The old guy thinks for a few seconds then replies, "Son, there's .22s and there's 52s!" IDing the rifles [And speaking of sheer idiocy ... - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
Crack Shot: 1957
... in the storyline of "The Open Window"! Milieu Hunting lodge. Also, don't mess with her or her dog. Nice Grouping Three ... Happy Life of Margot Macomber Thirty years after the hunting "accident" that claimed the life of her late husband Francis, Margot ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/19/2013 - 8:43pm -

"M + Jamie Wooddale 10-19-57." Our latest slide from the Linda Kodachromes. Construct your own narrative from the various cues and clues! View full size. NarrativeTrying desperately to place Eleanor Roosevelt in the storyline of "The Open Window"! MilieuHunting lodge. Also, don't mess with her or her dog. Nice GroupingThree more shots and it would be a bullseye! The Long Happy Life of Margot MacomberThirty years after the hunting "accident" that claimed the life of her late husband Francis, Margot Macomber is still a crack shot and practices weekly at the local range. She would like to go after big game again, but has found it exceedingly difficult to find hunting companions since her return from Africa. "Pour yourself a scotchand grab a chair, Ernest is fly fishing on the Two Hearted River but he should be back directly." RIPWanda, the wicked veterinarian of Wooddale, offers Jamie a final cigarette... WallpaperLooks like a job by the 3 Stooges Paper Hanging Company. L.L.Bean Catalog, 1957Is anyone else reminded of an old L.L.Bean catalog? This photo has everything: sporty apparel, guns, dog, camp furnishings. Those hats on the rack look like something L.L. himself might have worn. It looks so lifelike!Intrepid dog hunter, bagged many a wild spaniel before her sad demise from lung cancer. My boitday!I was born elsewhere, but this woman had other plans. I suspect the outside of this building was painted a dull oxblood red. Obviously a happy and welcome hunting lodge. CameraCan anybody identify the camera there based on the case? My first thought was an Argus C-4 or C-44, based on the color of the leather and the contrast stitching, but I don't think it's exactly correct. OpticsI think that "camera" case is a binocular case. My father had something similar. One thing is CertainThis has to be an example of one of the worst wallboard jobs I've ever seen! Why waste money on full sheets of wallboard -- no one will notice piecing a few scraps together. The elegant and seldom-seenMrs. Elaine Fudd enjoys a cigarette while eagerly awaiting the return of her husband, who has promised her a dinner of wabbit stew. "This photo better be flattering""No really, I'd better look like a million bucks, and my little Dog too, get my meaning." (Picks up rifle, strokes it lovingly.) Camera caseA couple of my dad's Leicas have those cases. Abject horror-A photo taken at the exact moment when Jamie's dog first noticed the mounted dog's head on the wall. I'll betthat there's another hat on the peg behind her, and I'll bet that it's a Stormy Kromer. On the setof David Lynch's next picture. Here'sFloyd R. Turbo's interior designer explaining how to get that cottage look for the man in your life. Mushkoday FarmThe ski brochure in the gun rack. Click to enlarge. "A Cottage Apart""Aunt Vera was the most-loved of her entire generation, among our extended family. Although none of us could quite point to the reasons, we (me, my sister and all the cousins) would rather have an invitation to visit Aunt Vera and her roommate Edna at her lakeside 'lodge' than a jet rip to Disneyland. Aways seemingly cantankerous, Vera and Edna were the most accepting adults any of us had ever encountered, not matter what issues we presented them with. Though we never knew the circumstnaces, they took in Charles after his falling-out with his family, before he joined the State Department, and Maude when she apparently needed help deciding to become a softball coach at Vassar." I know that camera...I know that camera... it's a Kodak Pony 135. I own one that used to be my grandfathers. (Dogs, Linda Kodachromes)
Joe Leiter: 1912
... Joe Sr. died in 1932 at age 63; his son was killed in a hunting accident in 1921. NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 11, 1921. -- Joseph Leiter ... killed by the accidental discharge of a shotgun while duck hunting in Louisiana. The accident happened while he was hunting near the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 5:06pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1912. Joseph Leiter Sr., "capitalist, grain speculator and horse fancier." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. TragedyJoe Sr. died in 1932 at age 63; his son was killed in a hunting accident in 1921. NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 11, 1921. -- Joseph Leiter Jr., 10-year-old son of Joseph Leiter, millionaire resident of Chicago and Washington, was killed by the accidental discharge of a shotgun while duck hunting in Louisiana. The accident happened while he was hunting near the mouth of the Mississippi River; an unexplained explosion of a cartridge in his gun caused the discharge. The boy had accompanied his father on the hunting trip, although the father was not nearby at the time. The slain youth, son of the man who became world famous when he cornered the wheat market in the Chicago pit, was a grandson of Levi Z. Leiter of Chicago, who founded the Leiter fortune. He was a nephew of the late Lady Curzon of England. The boy would have inherited an estate of several millions had he grown to manhood I also wonder about the rug. But I do like the three different carving styles on the posts of the stairway banister. Hey Yo!He kinda looks like an older Tony Soprano! I'm not CharlesDurning, I just play him on TV. Nice Double-breasted VestThis guy could pass for Tony Soprano's grandfather. Wrinkly trousersDidn't suits in those days come with two pairs of pants, so you could wear one while the other was being pressed? Joe Jr.Joseph Leiter Jr. Killed by Own Gun at Age 10. Groundhog Day wasn't just a movie!I've suspected for a long time that Bill Murray isn't human. Now here's more proof. He was already 1,000 years old when this picture was taken. Separated At BirthI think he could pass for Winston Churchill's twin brother. Stalwart FellowConfident and assured with himself, but why didn't he have a rug that fit the room? O Brother, Where Art Thou?It's Pappy O'Daniel! "Shake a leg Junior! Thank God your mammy died givin' birth. If she'd have seen you, she'd have died o' shame." Man with a rug that doesn't fit.Nouveau riche Woodwork perfectionSimply amazing. That woodwork is done to perfection, no doubt with only hand tools. A house built today, with every conceivable power tool known to man, typically look like it was done by a four-year-old. If they cast him in a movie......he'd be played by Eugene Pallette. I'll bet he even had that froggy voice. If it weren't for the subject's dour looks, this looks like it could be the set of a screwball comedy. My man Godfrey is about to walk by and fix that rug... or Edward Everett Horton is about to trip over it. More agile than he would appear...He just ran into the frame from the left, sliding into place. Thus the rug buckle. Tres ChickLooks like he uses Dagwood's barber. Literary CharacterLeiter was the model for the main character in Frank Norris' last completed novel, "The Pit." Now that I've seen the photo, I have to dig out my copy of the book. All that woodworkIt's a lead-pipe cinch that the balusters were machine-made, and I'd bet the handrail and all the mouldings were too, and possibly the treads and the starting step; perhaps even the newel post came from a factory. Moulding planes were still around in numbers in those days, but the omnipresence of this kind of woodwork was made possible by machines. I imagine that a lot of handwork went into the final fitting, but that would be so today as well. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Portraits)
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