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A Happy Family: 1902
... The little boy sitting in his grandmother's lap will be a jazz musician in the 1920's! Quote from King Solomon "A merry heart ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2011 - 6:18pm -

Circa 1902, location not specified. "A happy family." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Spitting imageThe girl second from the left looks like a clone of her grandmother! What Grandma is sayingNobody knows the troubles I've seen. Looks like they've had a rough life. Happiness is innocence. HappyI've been staring at this picture for ten minutes, now. At first, I just thought it was a very sad picture, but I am seeing more in it, now. The expressions on their faces don't look like they were miserable, despite how truly dirt poor they were. Maybe the pleasant looks on their faces came from the fact that they possessed that super-human quality of valuing loved ones so highly that they felt thankful, despite having little else but each other. The girl on the left looks like she is starting to blossom into a beautiful young woman. Her posture is very elegant and lady-like. The grandmother's hands have obviously worked very hard, quite certainly from the time she was a small child. I hope their economic situation improved at some point. They have really touched my heart and I will remember them. I felt sorry because I had no shoesWhen I see such a photograph, two things always come to mind: 1) the good old days were frequently overwhelmed by primitive living conditions and considerable poverty; and 2) we certainly take a lot for granted. What were their dreams and aspirations? What impact did poverty have upon their daily lives? Did they ever obtain relief? The older woman would have known the institution of slavery firsthand. How did she describe that to the younger children? Count your blessings. SatchThe little boy sitting in his grandmother's lap will be a jazz musician in the 1920's! Quote from King Solomon"A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance." The kids do appear happy and acknowledged. Unconditional love has a way of causing that. Material riches don't really enter into that equation but a strong, caring relative might. Not enough informationThey don't tell us whether Grandma's watching the youngers while the parents work, or if this is all the family that there is. But that dust looks wonderful for smooshing bare toes around. (The Gallery, DPC, Kids)
Keith's Organ: 1928
... tenor banjo from my wife's great aunt, who played it in a jazz band in the 1920s. When I took the resonator off while cleaning it I was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/10/2013 - 3:01pm -

Washington. D.C., 1928. "Miss Irene Juno interprets the action pictured on the screen at Keith's Theater on the new $30,000 Wurlitzer orchestral unit recently installed to give the films added potency." Up next: "I'm Looking Around (For a Mate)." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Ooh la laThat's a pretty daring hairstyle for 1928. Love this photo. Still a few out there.This reminded of a silent film revival I attended at the Los Angeles Orpheum theater about a decade ago. A magnificent edifice in its original 1920's movie palace splendor, and with its original organ still going strong. Quite an experience to see "The Sheik" so accompanied. A very satisfying experience, very poetic in both a visual and musical way. Quite unlike seeing a motion picture with a sound track, but no less enjoyable. Almost an entirely different art form than today's motion pictures with a certain live theater aspect no longer present. The organist had a lot of power to put an interpretation into the film, and I'm think audiences must have had very different experiences with different organists. A little Googling tells me the Orpheum is still a going concern, and that in fact there are quite a few theaters with organs scattered across the country where one can occasionally recapture some of that silent era elegance. ObsoleteWhat bad timing. This beautiful instrument was already quickly becoming obsolete the day it was installed. Seen around townYou might have seen it yourself, that bumper sticker that says "I don't have to be dead to donate my organ." Eastman School of MusicWhen George Eastman established his music school in Rochester, it was built attached to the Eastman Theater where silent films showed many times a day, and at the school there was a course in movie accompanying for theater organists with a studio/classroom where films were shown for practice. What a bunch of tech. fun!Man, the organ console is fantastic. We have one in a Minneapolis area theater but the vintage lighting and the microphone are really interesting. Great detail in this photo. Likewise, I was equally drawn to the organist's beautiful dress and sharp earrings and wristwatch. Like most Shorpy offerings, lots to take in. It started as a Vaudeville houseRKO Keith's Theatre in Washington originally opened at 619 15th St. NW as Chase's Polite Vaudeville Theatre on August 19, 1912. It was sold to B. F. Keith the following year and renamed B. F. Keith's Theatre. Keith's closed briefly in 1928 (presumably when the organ was installed) and reopened 3 weeks later with movies added to the bill. With renovations in 1954 and 1976, the theatre showed films until it was finally closed in 1978. The organ survived, at least for a while. It was sold to an individual in Burlington, NC, and was eventually installed in the gymnasium at Elon College (now University) until it was replaced by a larger Wurlitzer organ. The Keith organ was likely broken up for parts since its history seems to end at Elon. Nothing remains of Keith's Theatre now except the facade. View Larger Map Banjos tooI inherited a tenor banjo from my wife's great aunt, who played it in a jazz band in the 1920s. When I took the resonator off while cleaning it I was surprised to find that it was a Wurlitzer banjo. Have since found out they were made by Gretsch but marketed under the Wurlitzer name. Mighty WurLitzer?We have been honored to hear a silent era accompanist, and her grandson (following the family business) play for movies shown at local museums and theaters. When I heard them on the mighty WurLitzer, salvaged from a downtown movie palace, I recall that the brand name has a CAP L. I am SO picky. [Um . . . -tterrace] Broadcast Organist Washington Post, April 1, 1928. Irene Juno To Play New Keith Organ Miss Irene Juno, organist at Keith's Theater, is a student of Dr. J. Fowler Richardson, of New York and London. She is the head of the theater organ department of the Washington College of Music and has written many articles on general musical subjects for publication. She specializes on the Wurlitzer organ, the instrument she is now playing at Keith's Theater. In her own words, Miss Juno says: “This instrument is one of the largest and most complete in the city. It is priced at $30,000 and is equipped with complete orchestral effects. In addition there is a vox humana, or the human voice stops, a full set of cathedral chimes and a magnificent harp.” Miss Juno is chairman of the music group of the American Pen Women and also a member of the Soroptimist Club. She is also chairman of the music committee of this club. Every week she broadcasts from the theater organ studio of the Washington College of Music over WRC and WNFF. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Music)
Red All Over: 1942
... for many years practically synonymous with local Chicago jazz. Nineteen years after this photo was taken, I produced a session on which ... a racially mixed clientele, even in Chicago, even in a jazz club, even under more relaxed wartime observance of social customs, was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/05/2013 - 6:52am -

Chicago, April 1942. "Dancing to the music of Red Saunders and his band at the Club DeLisa." Photographer Jack Delano swaps the train pictures for a taste of cafe society. Med. format negative, Office of War Information. View full size. The original Club DeLisa opened in 1934 and burned down before this photo was taken, so this has to be the New Club deLisa, as it was called. Red Saunders led the band in residence. His name was for many years practically synonymous with local Chicago jazz. Nineteen years after this photo was taken, I produced a session on which he played. I did several albums on that trip and recorded many veteran musicians, most of whom had played in a Saunders band at one time or another. I hope we get to see more shots from that evening—they are available online, but not with that magic Shorpy (sharpy?) touch. Not unheard of, butI suspect that a racially mixed clientele, even in Chicago, even in a jazz club, even under more relaxed wartime observance of social customs, was more the exception than the rule. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano)
Taking the Air: 1920s
... 1920s. "Unidentified women at Long Beach, New York." Two Jazz Age sunbathers just in from West Egg. Nitrate negative by Arnold Genthe. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/02/2014 - 11:12am -

1920s. "Unidentified women at Long Beach, New York." Two Jazz Age sunbathers just in from West Egg. Nitrate negative by Arnold Genthe. View full size. Gangster MollsAh you see.... they try to fool you, with their secret smiles, into noticing what they are sitting on rather than noticing the 3 bodies they left behind them in the sand. And it worked! Is this the earliest exampleon Shorpy of beachgoers actually using BLANKETS? Blankets?I think it looks more like a rug. Blankets - not?I'd say one blanket with a fringe, and a fancy overstuffed pillow. Blanket, Heck!I think that's a Persian carpet! They were hotThey were hot, so they watched the waves and got a tan. Odd that they did not notice the three dead people behind them. I thinkit looks like two very classy women sunbathing in style! (The Gallery, Arnold Genthe, Swimming)
A Balanced Breakfast: 1942
... photos here. He was a very gifted violinist who turned to jazz to make a living. Did a lot of music with Django Reinhardt (and many ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/24/2014 - 8:41pm -

From 1942, our second glimpse of life in the Eddie South household as captured by photographer Albert Fenn. The bandleader in his New York domicile with a lady we presume to be Mrs. South. And, of course, coasters. View full size. Just listened to some Eddie SouthI looked up Eddie South because of your photos here. He was a very gifted violinist who turned to jazz to make a living. Did a lot of music with Django Reinhardt (and many others), and is sort of in that vein generally for those who know of DR. I just listened to a bunch of pieces via youtube while working out. Delightful! Thanks Just AskingAnyone want that last piece of bacon? Vintage table settingWow, this takes me back to Grandma's kitchen in the 1940's. The dishes are most likely Lu-Ray Pastels which were a mix'n'match service of soothing light colors, unlike the brights of Fiesta. The bordered tablecloth is typical of that era and these old-style textiles are now in such demand, they are making reproductions. The Pyrex apple is for jam, the aluminum tumblers won't break, it is like going to visit my long-gone gram once again. You can see the originals on several websites in full color being sold as 'vintage' (if you want to see the actual colors). I wish I had them all back but at least I can enjoy these little nostalgic trips down Memory Lane. Coasters - improvedI have an idea for an invention - a coaster, 4 to 5 feet in diameter with four legs. The legs would be long enough to place the surface of the coaster at a height appropriate for people to pull up a chair and sit around it. They could enjoy a tasty cold beverage without being fearful of leaving an unsightly ring on the surface! Matching PastelsThe aluminum tumblers look like West Bend Wheat pattern which also came in pastels to match the Lu-Ray dinnerware. Want to purchase some for my kitchen but wouldn't want to find out they used lead in the coloring process. This setting would go perfect with my vintage bordered cotton textiles and mom's chiffon half-aprons that I treasure. re: Vintage Table SettingDon't forget the large ashtray. You wouldn't want to eat an entire meal without smoking. Pitcher and TumblersPitcher and tumblers were made by West Bend, most likely marked underneath with "WB" Were available in aluminum or polished copper. Can easily be found on eBay. (The Gallery, Albert Fenn, Kitchens etc., NYC)
The Dog-House: 1940
... Rampart St., is open from 9 P.M. until 4 A.M. Both jazz orchestra and floor show are colored, and three performances are given ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/23/2019 - 6:32pm -

1940. "New Orleans, Louisiana. Old building at Rampart and Bienville streets." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Don't bother looking on Google street viewOne modern building and three parking lots :-( Take me somewhere special, driverThe cap pushed jauntily back on his head tells me the guy in the white shirt leaning against the corner is the driver of the Checker Cab at left. Everything else about him tells me he can take you places in New Orleans that are not included in the Chamber of Commerce list of local attractions. Oh, that Marion Post Wolcott asked to go photograph such a place. Not for the smut, but for the depth she brought to her subjects. [MPW didn't "ask to go" photograph this place. - Dave] Sorry, I should have said: Oh, that Marion Post Wolcott had asked the driver to take her to such a place. Not for the smut or the violence, but for the depth she brought to her subjects. ["The driver" was MPW. - Dave] From the 1938 WPA Guide to New OrleansDog House, 300 North Rampart St., is open from 9 P.M. until 4 A.M. Both jazz orchestra and floor show are colored, and three performances are given nightly, 11 P.M., 1.30 and 3 A.M. A high-class place, says the proprietor, for middle class people, and one where they can have freedom of body and soul. The taxi girls bring their lunch. Can't be 1940With that at least 1942 Chevrolet, already rough around the edges, lurking there on the left. [The car is a 1941 Chevrolet, introduced in 1940; both cars have 1940 plates. - Dave] Big Yellow TaxiDon't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got til its gone They paved paradise And put up a parking lot A floor show at 3:30 AM? Wow. As a habitue of bars in my youth I remember bars and their customers at the usual closing time of 2 AM but 3:30 AM customers watching a floor show must have been a thing of beauty to behold to a people watcher and a pub crawler like me. According to google View there are 3 parking lots at this corner so I'm going with the hope I called the shot of a parking lot where the Dog House stood. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, M.P. Wolcott)
Night and Day: 1947
... of boutiques and modernist houses. This recent series of jazz singers and 52nd Street scenes shows a whole other side of him. He had his ... when they saw that bruise (?) on her arm. Love the old jazz singers and instrumentalists, but I have to wonder whether too much of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/08/2019 - 9:08pm -

"Portrait of Billie Holiday at the Downbeat club, New York, ca. February 1947." Medium format negative by William Gottlieb. View full size.         I especially tried to capture personality, but that's an elusive quality, and I was successful only a portion of the time. But I certainly hit it on the button here with a picture of Billie Holiday, whose voice was filled with anguish. I also tried to catch the beauty of her face -- she was at her most beautiful at that particular time, which was not too long after she had come out of prison on a drug charge. She couldn't get at any drugs while she was incarcerated, or alcohol, and she lost weight and she came out looking gorgeous, and her voice was, I think, at its peak. And I was fortunate enough to have spent some time with her during that period, and I caught this close-up of her in a way that you could really see the anguish that must have been coming out of her throat. -- William Gottlieb, 1997 Party BillI naively thought that William Gottlieb only took sedate pictures of boutiques and modernist houses. This recent series of jazz singers and 52nd Street scenes shows a whole other side of him. He had his finger on the pulse of the city! [You're confusing Sam Gottscho with Bill Gottlieb. - Dave] Gee, you're right, sorry! Although there was a rumor Sam liked an occasional sarsaparilla. Gotta wonder ...what patrons at the Downbeat Club thought when they saw that bruise (?) on her arm. Love the old jazz singers and instrumentalists, but I have to wonder whether too much of that beautiful music was caused, so to speak, by bruises like that. The bestIf I could only listen to one musician/group for the remainder of my life, it would be Billie Holiday. (The Gallery, Music, NYC, William Gottlieb)
OK Grocery: 1939
... about 12 years after the first sound picture [The Jazz Singer] was introduced. However, I have heard that silent films continued ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/19/2013 - 2:29pm -

January 1939. "Grocery store in Negro section. Homestead, Florida." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. I grew up in HomesteadArriving there as a 2 year old in 1957 and staying for the next 19 years (through High School), I can't recall a black section of town within the city limits of Homestead. My father was stationed at Homestead AFB. There were significant black populations living in Goulds, Naranja (north), and Florida City (south) which are all very near / adjacent to Homestead, and I had many black classmates in Junior High and High School. Back then Homestead was a very small rural farming community. Miami was 35 miles north and an entirely different world. There was actually farmland for miles between the two areas. No one lived east of US 1 as it was mangrove swamps or farm fields (closer to town). Krome Ave (then US 27) was the center of the town. I went back to visit a few years ago and most of the middle class had fled the area after Andrew's devastation. The area is now very poor and heavily Latino. US 1 is now the center of town and east of it is now heavily built up. God help them if another Andrew strikes the area. Card Sound Rd was inundated with a massive storm surge for miles inland in a storm that struck in the 1920' or 30's. The highway was literally wavy (up and down) from the beating of the flood. I remember an official DOT yellow sign warning of "elephant tracks" going south on Card Sound Road out of Homestead in the 1960's. Most of the area south of Miami averages 3' - 6' above sea level, even far inland. In fact Homestead is located on a narrow coral ridge the ends just west of town near the Everglades Nat'l Park boundary. For those who know the area, Roberts was literally just a fruit and veggie stand outside the gate of the Park back then. (http://www.robertishere.com) It was a great place to be a kid in the 60's! Talking Pictures!Folks in Homestead must have been a little behind the times, still advertising "TALKING Pictures" about 12 years after the first sound picture [The Jazz Singer] was introduced. However, I have heard that silent films continued to be produced through about 1930-31, mainly for secondary markets. 1939Bars on the window of the Bodega even back then? those boys...are SO cute! I hope they had good lives. Homestead TheaterIt took a while for theaters to be able to convert to sound technology. I would think that a theater in a place like this would be one of the latter to get it. The board looks like one that they write the movie schedule on and I sure wish we could read it! These cute little boys are what initially caught my eye, however! (The Gallery, Florida, Kids, M.P. Wolcott, Stores & Markets)
Paging Mrs. Calabash: 1968
... of Ted Lewis, Durante played piano in some of the hottest jazz bands of the 1920's and he never lost his touch. Brazilian bombshell ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/07/2018 - 6:25pm -

August 1968. Los Angeles. "Actor Jimmy Durante in his kitchen with corn flakes and dirty dishes on counter." 35mm negative from photos by Bob Lerner for the Look magazine assignment "Pinocchio Lives!" View full size. PerksNot the coffee, but the Corn Flakes. Jimmy probably got a free supply of those since he was a spokesman for Kellogg's for many years. "Keep plenty of Kellogg's Corn Flakes on hand, kids, and you'll never get caught short!" Coffee Pot's HotThe aroma and sound of percolating coffee fills his kitchen. Probably Maxwell House because "it's good to the last drop." Here it was Chock Full O' NutsJimmy Durante says: " New Instant Chock Full O'Nuts coffee has real coffee flavor and aroma believe me folks, I could smell it a mile away. It's not only better than any other instant it's better than most brands of regular coffee." Newspaper ad 1962: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/98600445/ A true classicAn old Vaudevillian much in the tradition of Ted Lewis, Durante played piano in some of the hottest jazz bands of the 1920's and he never lost his touch. Brazilian bombshell Carmen Miranda's last performance was on the Jimmy Durante show in 1955 and she began having the heart attack that would take her life just a few hours later during her performance, but like the trouper she was, she kept right on. Jimmy made a wonderful tribute to her before airing this segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL_HFa13CT4 The best to you each morningIt's gotta be Kellogg's Corn Flakes. I think YouTube has his old commercial where he's eating the corn flakes and everything around him is getting smaller and smaller. (Kitchens etc., LOOK, TV)
Over the Edge: 1923
... of the door hints this way also. I'll bet The jazz was hot at that party, though! Ouch! The broken steering wheel ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/13/2014 - 9:59am -

       Mrs. Dorothy Holland, 20 years old, of Baltimore, lies in Georgetown University Hospital suffering from internal hemorrhages as a result of an automobile in which she was riding going over a 30-foot embankment near the Virginia end of the Chain bridge at 6 o'clock yesterday morning. ... According to the police, the accident was the result of an all-night party that began at 1 o'clock yesterday morning ... "Auto wreck -- July 30, 1923." Last seen here six years ago in this post. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Stephens carThe spare tire cover seems to indicate that it's a Stephens. The S on the inside of the door hints this way also. I'll betThe jazz was hot at that party, though! Ouch!The broken steering wheel spokes and the rigid steering column could ruin your day very quickly on the ride down that embankment. Collapsible steering column standards wouldn't be mandated in the U.S. until 1968 - forty-five years after this accident. Stephens Salient SixFrom the book Minneapolis-Moline Farm Tractors by Chester Peterson, Jr. and Rod Beemer, MBI Publishing Company, Osceola, WI, Page 10 "George W. Stephens became president and controlling owner of MPC [Moline Plow Company] in 1882. Under his leadership, the company entered the automobile business in 1915, when it began building commercial bodies to go on Ford chassis. In 1916 the Stephens Motor Works at Freeport, Illinois, began production of MPC's passenger cars. "The company's automobiles were named The Stephens Six and initially came in two models: the Model 65, which was a five-passenger touring design, and the Model 60, a roadster. In 1918 the new overhead valve six was introduced as the Salient Six and it, too, came in two styles: the three-passenger roadster, Model 70, and the Model 75, a five-passenger touring car. "The Stephens Salient Six engine had been produced by Root & Vandervoort Company (R&V) of Moline, Illinois, since its first use in 1918. The MPC purchased the engine business of R&V late in 1920. At that time Moline was taking about 80 percent of this engine production for its tractors and Stephens autos. "The medium-priced Stephens automobiles had much finer body work than was ordinarily seen in the trade. Between 1918 and 1924 several additional models were introduced. Yet on July 23, 1924, the company announced that it would cease production of the Stephens automobile. Total production of the Stephens auto is placed at approximately 30,0000 of which only 20 examples are known to exist." Separately, the Chain Bridge, which the car was traveling upon, was the seventh bridge built in the same location. The first bridge collapsed; the second burned after six months; the third was destroyed by flood; the fourth was removed to build a new bridge; the fifth also collapsed; and the sixth was swept away during a flood. This seventh bridge lasted from 1874 - 1939. The current bridge is the eighth one built, but it is built upon the piers erected in the 1870s. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Jive Bombers Navy Dance Band: 1943
These are the Jive Bombers, A Navy jazz band. In this instance they are playing at a dance for CASU Operations ... 
 
Posted by Paumanok - 07/05/2009 - 3:01am -

These are the Jive Bombers, A Navy jazz band. In this instance they are playing at a dance for CASU Operations sailors on Dec. 13, 1943 at the Jungle Inn near Sand Point, WA. CASU is an acronym for Carrier Service Unit. One of many snaps that I have of this somewhat wild night attended by my Mom & Dad. Navy dance bandNotice how the leader is JUST out of the snap on the left! A Navy band early in the war would have likely been Artie Shaw, Al Donohue or maybe Tex Beneke. Shaw and Donohue led their own outfits, don't know if Tex did, or he was just a sideman. Thanks! HJebone Texwas a sideman, and not with any name band, either. Just another gob. Artie wanted to be just another gob, signed up as Arthur Arshawsky and got billeted to a minesweeper. But the word got around... Gory-Osky that's Peachy-Keen.Tex was with Miller... was he not? He was with the Miller band after 1944 as well. At least this music was hip... Jive BombersMore info here. Would appreciate any photos of the band which you would like to share! kevin.bergsrud@seattle.gov (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Guard Camp: 1912
... Chautauqua and summer resort it's now home to a jazz and classical music festival. Many old postcard photos (some of the Guard) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2008 - 11:18pm -

1912. "National Guard camp. Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Mount GretnaMount Gretna was the home of the Pennsylvania National Guard from 1885 to 1935. After serving as campground, Chautauqua and summer resort it's now home to a jazz and classical music festival. Many old postcard photos (some of the Guard) can be found here. Last night: Hayden, Verdi and Schumann with the Wister Quartet to a katydid accompaniment. (The Gallery, Natl Photo, Sports)
Chirp Relaxes: 1947
... caption for this revealing photo of the unjustly obscure jazz singer Gloria King. Medium format negative by William Gottlieb for Down ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/24/2019 - 1:59pm -

April 1947. New York. "Chirp discusses life while getting a massage" is the caption for this revealing photo of the unjustly obscure jazz singer Gloria King. Medium format negative by William Gottlieb for Down Beat. View full size. Mrs. BascombGloria and her husband, the saxophonist Paul Bascomb. (Jet magazine, 1/7/60) Nature GirlShe may be obscure, but I was able to find the attached. Certainly an attractive lady! Hubba-hubbaYou heard that right. Finally!Photo after photo that tugs at my heartstrings. This is finally the photo that motivates me to register an account. (The Gallery, Music, Pretty Girls, William Gottlieb)
Re-Tire Men: 1929
... 1920s and is clearer and much shorter. If you like hot jazz, it's the one to watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NgH_8chCog ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/12/2019 - 3:23pm -

San Francisco circa 1929. "Gurley-Lord tire service station -- vulcanizing molds." The establishment last glimpsed here. 8x10 nitrate negative. View full size. RetreadMy somewhat educated guess is that this is neither a "service station" nor a tire factory. It is probably a retread facility. Retreading was very commonly done on passenger car tires for many years; I believe it is still commonly done on airliner, off-road industrial, and large truck tires because the carcasses of those tires are expensive. Large airplane tires are retreaded many times because of their expense and short tread life. (disclaimer: my knowledge of this topic is from 45 years ago, so maybe wrong today). [As noted in the caption, we are looking at this place -- the Gurley-Lord garage at 1517 Mission Street. A business where service is performed is a service station. - Dave] Automotively ExhaustingI watched the jazzy video and was exhausted in that short time! All I could think was how tiring (no pun intended) those workers would be after eight hours of handling those tires! Video of Machines in ActionThese molds would have been used to shape the tires, either to build them up from scratch or perhaps to patch them since this was a service station. The molds would likely have gone into an oven after the rubber and any strengthening elements (e.g., cables or wire mesh) were laid down, tacked together and formed by stretching and spinning the rubber into its final shape. [The molds themselves are the "ovens." The white covering is asbestos. - Dave] This video from 1934 shows the whole process at a tire factory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXjhV2LEpPo This video may be from the 1920s and is clearer and much shorter. If you like hot jazz, it's the one to watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NgH_8chCog I still remember the smell.When I was very young a good friend of my father's owned a recapping shop in my hometown. The hot rubber smell from the steam-heated molds is the most distinctive memory. The men buffing the old tread off the tires to be capped left piles of rubber dust, so the place I remember wasn't this clean. The man on the left is inspecting the inside of the tire for a stone bruise or a puncture that could leave a rough spot that would need to be cleaned up and patched. Some of the equipment to repair or inspect tires looks like it came right out of Torquemada's toolbox. (The Gallery, Gas Stations, San Francisco)
Men With a Horn: 1922
... in Italy, he was one of a significant coterie of early jazz musicians of Italian background. An interesting player, he went to Europe ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/13/2016 - 12:59pm -

New York circa 1922. "Paul Specht band." Last seen at the Astor Roof Garden, and now in the recording studio also seen here. Note arrangement of the scores around the acoustic recording horn. 5x7 glass negative. View full size. 5&10 Headquarters Columbia opened a studio in the new Woolworth Building, in 1913. I believe they were still recording there when this photo was taken. Columbia Records StudioPaul Specht and his band recorded for Columbia, and this is a view of their New York recording studio. I found a reference to an early Columbia Studio at 799 7th Ave (7th floor), and this may be that studio. A very nice 1923 silent film showcasing the making of a record in one of Columbia's studios can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ6KmeLjLCs That particular young man with a hornThere's a slight change in lineup since the last photograph, the most significant of which is trumpeter Frank Guarente, fourth from the left. Born in Italy, he was one of a significant coterie of early jazz musicians of Italian background. An interesting player, he went to Europe in 1924 spreading the gospel of early hot music. The pace of musical change during the decade was such that he was stylistically out of date upon his return in 1927, a scant three years later. Future bandleader Russ Morgan is also seen here on trombone. (Technology, The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Music, NYC)
Mills House No. 1: 1905
... The Big Apple. Ahh, the Village Gate Lots of great jazz performed in this building. D.O. Mills Philanthropist Darius Ogden ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/23/2012 - 10:37am -

New York circa 1905. "Mills House No. 1, Thompson and Bleecker Sts." Designed as a "hostel for poor gentlemen," the building had 1,560 tiny rooms that rented for 20 cents a night. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. In Today's MoneyThat twenty cents of 1905, would be between five and six dollars in 2012. Which would still be ridiculously cheap for a night's lodging in The Big Apple. Ahh, the Village GateLots of great jazz performed in this building. D.O. MillsPhilanthropist Darius Ogden Mills (1825-1910) was the man behind the Mills Building. It opened on November 1, 1897 more on the opening here. (The Gallery, NYC)
Pie Boys: 1923
... The 20's were known as the Roaring Twenties and the Jazz Age, the economy was good until 1929 then it turned bleak. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/31/2012 - 8:19pm -

August 2, 1923. Washington, D.C. "Pie eating contest, Jefferson School." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Roaring Twenties The 20's were known as the Roaring Twenties and the Jazz Age, the economy was good until 1929 then it turned bleak. They're hilarious!They're hilarious! Smiles!It's nice to see pictures of kids actually having fun and smiling in those bleak years. I wonder what flavor those pies were? [The 1920s were "bleak"? - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo)
Lady & Mister: 1947
... 1947. "Billie Holiday and her dog Mister at a 52nd Street jazz club." Medium format negative by William Gottlieb for Down Beat . ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/21/2019 - 6:18pm -

New York circa 1947. "Billie Holiday and her dog Mister at a 52nd Street jazz club." Medium format negative by William Gottlieb for Down Beat. View full size. Your best friends always remember youBillie served eight months in federal prison for narcotics possession. She recounts her return in her autobiography Lady Sings the Blues. She was trying to slip in unnoticed, but Mister was not on board with that plan. "When I got off the train I knew Mister wouldn't recognize me. ... Man, how cheap I played that dog! He not only recognized me, but in a flash he leaped at me, kicked my hat off, and knocked me flat on my can in the middle of that little station. Then he began lapping me and loving me like crazy." The gardenia traditionThe story goes that one night Lady burned her hair in the dressing room while preparing for a performance. The remedy was to cover the burned locks with several fresh flowers. And the rest, as they say, is history. The Billie Holiday biography"Lady Sings the Blues" was largely "customized" by Bill Dufty. Having spent personal time with Billie on a few occasions (in Copenhagen and Philadelphia), I had my suspicions. Bill, who became a friend of mine (in later years when he was married to Gloria Swanson), confirmed that he had indeed been overly creative with that book. The well-known opening sentence was, for example, his. The subsequent Diana Ross film was almost total fabrication. As for the gardenia story, I'll have to check my 1959 interview, but it differs from the one related here. ["Lady Sings the Blues" is a ghostwritten celebrity autobiography, with ghostwriter Dufty's name on the cover. So none of this is particularly surprising. - Dave] The published cover credit is "Billie Holiday with William Dufty", Bill never regarded himself as a ghostwriter but neither did he reveal that much of the book's content was of his making—although attributed to Billie. He allowed me to read some of the passages that Doubleday, for various reasons, cut. This included a somewhat revealing incident with actor Charles Laughton, which he for understandable reasons claimed never happened. Dave, I was not attempting to reveal a secret but most people today believe this an honest account. Bill himself wasn't hiding the facts that he had made up much of the book's content. Having read what Doubleday redacted, I think they made a costly misjudgment. (The Gallery, Dogs, Music, NYC, William Gottlieb)
Glossy Gardner: 1922
... San Francisco, 1922. "Gardner touring car." Yet another Jazz Age marque that died with its sneakers on. 5x7 inch glass negative by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/10/2020 - 8:25pm -

San Francisco, 1922. "Gardner touring car." Yet another Jazz Age marque that died with its sneakers on. 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Distancing?When I first glanced at the photo I thought the driver was wearing a mask. Sign of the times, I guess. It might have beenSears, Roebuck & Company asked Gardner to develop a car to be sold by mail order. But, as a result of the stock market crash of 1929, that didn't happen. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
The Jam (Colorized)
... Nothing beats 'em for "that sound" that's so important for jazz and bluegrass and rockabilly music. These gentlemen must be playing some ... 
 
Posted by Lamyflute1 - 12/08/2011 - 5:37pm -

Colorized from Shorpy. View full size. I would kill for that bass!What a great photo, and a truly marvelous colorization! Most of the old plywood basses were made Kay Musical Instrument Company in Chicago. I was able to find a wonderful, beat-up 1939 model in Guthrie, Oklahoma a few years ago. Nothing beats 'em for "that sound" that's so important for jazz and bluegrass and rockabilly music. These gentlemen must be playing some hot tunes here! Bass players tend to be the "whacky" guys, as evidenced by this photo. Thanks for the inspiration, Shorpy! Flutist loves the bass Thanks! I'm a musician, and I love the upright bass. If you ever meet a bass player, ask them about the age of their bass; you get the most interesting answers! (Colorized Photos)
A Shot in the Arm: 1942
... was an avid fly-fisherman, loved the north woods, enjoyed jazz, dancing, antiques, sports cars, she was an organic herbalist, and she had ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/14/2016 - 11:17am -

November 1942. "Nurse training at Babies' Hospital, New York. Student nurses, like Susan Petty of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, are rendering their country a great service by making it possible for experienced nurses to join the Army or Navy Nurse Corps. Relieved of such civilian duties as administering injections to patients like this smiling youngster, graduate nurses are tending America's fighting men in distant parts of the world." Medium format negative by Fritz Henle for the Office of War Information. View full size. A long and rewarding lifeLooks like she lived to the age of 94 and packed a lot into those years: "Susan graduated from Linden Hall, Northwestern University and Columbia Presbyterian School of Nursing and was the photo icon of the national recruiting campaign for nurses during World War II. Her athletic interests included golf, skiing, badminton, skating and horseback riding. She was an avid fly-fisherman, loved the north woods, enjoyed jazz, dancing, antiques, sports cars, she was an organic herbalist, and she had a flare for gourmet dining and entertaining. She was spirited, bright, fun, positive and never complained. She had an enviable zest and love for life; even to the end she still did not want to go. Most of all, she loved her friends and family." http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ldnews/obituary.aspx?pid=170650379#stha... (The Gallery, Fritz Henle, Kids, Medicine, NYC, WW2)
Guitar Hero (colorized): 1941
... the left is Lonnie Johnson, noted blues man and pioneering jazz guitarist. View full size. (Colorized Photos) ... 
 
Posted by Don Wagoner - 01/26/2010 - 11:16am -

April 1941. "Entertainers at Negro tavern. South Side Chicago." On the left is Lonnie Johnson, noted blues man and pioneering jazz guitarist. View full size. (Colorized Photos)
Glen Cove Labor Day: 1926
... old when this photo was taken, enjoying single life in the Jazz Age. I like to think the tall fellow on the right is sneaking a real beer ... 
 
Posted by truenorth64 - 09/19/2011 - 11:14pm -

My grandmother Hazel (center, spotted dress) and her pals partying it up during a Prohibition-era long weekend in the New York City suburbs of Glen Cove, Long Island. She was 22 years old when this photo was taken, enjoying single life in the Jazz Age. I like to think the tall fellow on the right is sneaking a real beer and not the fake stuff. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
My Pop and Great Uncle Sam, 1946
... if we could. It later gave its life so that many a 1950s jazz record album cover could live. As for Pop - he should have gone to ... 
 
Posted by Blile59 - 09/15/2009 - 7:56am -

Taken in late 1946 at Dad's house in the small town of River Oaks just outside of Fort Worth, Texas. Pop was sick that day and was home from school. I never knew Uncle Sam. He passed away before I was born. View full size. Uncle Sam's CamThat sure looks like a Kodak Duaflex, roughly the same vintage as the one my sister used to take many of the shots I've posted here on Shorpy. But let us not overlook Uncle Sam's tie - as if we could. It later gave its life so that many a 1950s jazz record album cover could live. As for Pop - he should have gone to Hollywood to be the kid sidekick of Saturday morning TV cowboy western stars, or maybe Rin Tin Tin's master or Fury's owner. What a great all-American kid look. Also note the grow-into-them jeans cuffs. And he doesn't look sick to me. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Fast Woman: 1923
... sedan in Golden Gate Park." Ready to motor forth into the Jazz Age. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. (The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/25/2015 - 8:50am -

San Francisco, 1923. "Stutz sedan in Golden Gate Park." Ready to motor forth into the Jazz Age. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Vintage Vinyl Revisited
... New Collection Of Songs - Columbia 07.09 ?? 07.10 Word Jazz, featuring Ken Nordine and the Fred Katz Group - Dot 08.01 New ... 
 
Posted by Alex - 07/28/2015 - 11:26am -

In Vintage Vinyl: 1963 we found a stand with 120 vinyl records (119 different ones). I did a little research on the covers and found half the number, most of them even in the shown mono version! Here is the result (Updated with the help of AKabaker for the items 06.10, 11.01 and 12.02). View full size. 01.01 Romantic 01.02 ?? 01.03 Ted Straeter sings to the most beautiful girl in the world - Columbia 01.04 ?? 01.05 Ted Straeter sings to the most beautiful girl in the world - Columbia 01.06 ?? 01.07 Change?? 01.08 ?? 01.09 ?? 01.10 ?? 02.01 ?? 02.02 ?? 02.03 ?? 02.04 ?? 02.05 Tommy Edwards, For Young Lovers - MGM 02.06 ?? 02.07 ?? 02.08 ?? 02.09 ?? 02.10 Jack Kerouac Steve Allen, Poetry for the beat generation - Hanover 03.01 ?? 03.02 Gisele McKenzie - Vik 03.03 ?? 03.04 ?? 03.05 Johnny Nash, Let's Get Lost - ABC 03.06 ?? 03.07 Julie Andrews - RCA 03.08 ?? 03.09 Nick Trully? 03.10 ?? 04.01 ?? 04.02 Hank Snow Country & Western Jamboree - RCA 04.03 Me 04.04 ?? 04.05 Hank Thompson And His Brazos Valley Boys – Hank! - Capitol 04.06 Ted Heath - A Yank in Europe - London 04.07 ?? 04.08 Peggy Lee – I like MEN! - Capitol 04.09 ?? 04.10 Keely Smith - Swing you lovers - Dot 05.01 Having A Ball With The Three Suns - RCA 05.02 ?? 05.03 ?? 05.04 Alice in wonderland 05.05 ?? 05.06 ?? 05.07 ?? 05.08 ?? 05.09 Year of love 05.10 ?? 06.01 Jim Reeves - RCA 06.02 ?? 06.03 ?? 06.04 Sun's Gonna Shine – The extraordinary voice of Elmerlee Thomas - WB 06.05 Alfred Newman conducts music for motion pictures - Mercury 06.06 ?? 06.07 Southern? 06.08 George Shearing Quintet, The – When Lights Are Low - MGM 06.09 ?? 06.10 Dakota Stanton - Dakota at Storyville - Capitol 07.01 Michel Legrand And His Orchestra – Holiday In Rome - Columbia 07.02 ? Streep? 07.03 Gretchen Wyler - Wild Wyler Wildest - Jubilee 07.04 ?ely Smith swingin' 07.05 Ella Mae Morse - Morse Code - Capitol 07.06 Bing Crosby & Rosemary Clooney, Fancy Meeting You Here - RCA 07.07 Beat 07.08 Listen To Day - Doris Sings A New Collection Of Songs - Columbia 07.09 ?? 07.10 Word Jazz, featuring Ken Nordine and the Fred Katz Group - Dot 08.01 New Recordings Of Hank Thompson's All-Time Hits - Capitol 08.02 ?? 08.03 Sir Charles Thompson And The Swing Organ - Columbia 08.04 ?ni and his orchestra 08.05 The golden boy Roy Hamilton - Epic 08.06 Ethel Smith on Broadway - Decca 08.07 Teresa Brewer Music, Music, Music - Coral 08.08 ?? 08.09 ?? 08.10 Harry Belafonte - Calypso - RCA 09.01 Keys Alicirif 09.02 ?? 09.03 Ernest Tubb Favorites - Decca 09.04 Patti Page, In The Land Of Hi-Fi - EmArcy-Mercury 09.05 Mel Torme & Marty Paich – Songs Of Love - Hurrah 09.06 Hank Williams, Sing me a blue song – MGM 09.07 ?? 09.08 ?? 09.09 Les Baxter – Caribbean Moonlight – Capitol 09.10 Charlie Weaver sings for his people - Columbia 10.01 Johnny Mathis – Faithfully – Fontana 10.02 Johnny Mathis, Good night, Dear Lord - Columbia 10.03 Johnny Mathis - Open Fire, Two Guitars - Columbia 10.04 ?? 10.05 JO 10.06 Page Morton, May you always - MGM 10.07 Gene Austin – Restless Heart - RCA Victor 10.08 Nick Noble - The romantic voice of Nick Noble – You don't know what love is - Mercury 10.09 Marcy Lutes – Debut – Decca 10.10 Julie London – Make love to me – Liberty 11.01 Ray Ellis & His Orchestra - Ellis in Wonderland -Columbia 11.02 The Four Lads, Cl. Thornhill & Orchestra – On The Sunny Side - Columbia 11.03 Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians - the music man – Capitol 11.04 Kenyon Hopkins – The Fugitive Kind – Motion picture sound track - UA 11.05 ??vers and ?? 11.06 The Interns - the wildest music fom the wildest party ever filmed – Music from the motion picture – Colpix 11.07 Phil Nimmons – The Canadian Scene via the Phil Nimmons Group – Verve 11.08 --- Hal Stanley ---- 11.09 Andy Griffith, Dolores Gray, in Destry Rides Again – Decca 11.10 Ruggles Of Red Gap – Original Cast Recording – Verve 12.01 Doris Day – Love Me Or Leave Me – Columbia 12.02 Barabbas -Original Movie Soundtrack - Colpix Records 12.03 Les Girls, Recorded from the sound track of Cole Porter's – MGM 12.04 ?? 12.05 Leave it to Jane – An original cast recording - Strand 12.06 Hit the Deck – Recorded directly from the Sound Track of M-G-M's Magical Color Musical – MGM 12.07 Gertrude Lawrence - The King and I - Decca 12.08 Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I – from the Sound Track of the motion picture – Capitol 12.09 Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel – Capitol 12.10 Bing Crosby, Debbie Reynolds, Robert Wagner — Say One For Me – Columbia WowImpressive work. My goal for the afternoon is to find at least one of records not on this list. Wow, wowAKabaker, you even found three of them, thanks! I added them, plus I added the few information I could determine of some of the others. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Margie Marlowe: 1937
... photo of my mother, Margie Wooten, a professional tap and jazz dancer taken at age 16 in Chicago, IL and autographed for her Aunt Rose. ... 
 
Posted by diavolobella - 08/23/2013 - 6:11pm -

A promotional photo of my mother, Margie Wooten, a professional tap and jazz dancer taken at age 16 in Chicago, IL and autographed for her Aunt Rose. She had begun dancing at age 6 (winning the title of Little Miss New South Memphis along the way), turned professional at age 9 and, after graduating high school at age 16, danced on the vaudeville circuit in the US and Canada. Under her stage name of Margie Marlowe, she later led the Memphis Orpheum Theatre's own version of the Rockettes: Margie Marlowe and her Dancing Sweethearts. She went on to become an Army wife and raised 7 children, but continued performing and choreographing until she retired from the stage in her late 70's. Today, at age 92 she is as beautiful as ever. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Reading to Baby: 1955
... to be stuffy educational affairs, playing classical or jazz music and dry talk shows. My parents cared so little for this radio ... 
 
Posted by aenthal - 09/22/2017 - 6:58pm -

Another look at the original mid-century modern furniture and giant fireplace wall that was in the Levittowner model of the Levittown, Pennsylvania homes as my father reads a book to me. The last time we saw this book shelf it had my parents' original AM-only radio on it. By the time this picture was taken that radio had been moved to the kitchen and a second radio, which received only the new FM high band, was purchased and placed in this living room. I have no memory of them ever listening to that radio. In this era there were very few stations on it and they tended to be stuffy educational affairs, playing classical or jazz music and dry talk shows. My parents cared so little for this radio that when we moved to our next house in 1962 they gave it to me for my bedroom. The FM programs it received were as uninteresting to me as they were to my parents. But the FM high band was between channels 6 and 7 on the television frequency, and this radio got both channels 6 and 7 on its ends. So when I was told I could no longer watch TV because it was bedtime, I turned on my FM radio, from in my bed and listened to TV. Specifically I remember I liked to listen to Bewitched. My parents never figured that one out, though I don’t think they would have cared if they had known. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
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