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Veterans: 1918
... see so many men sitting doing handicrafts. I can see loom knitting, knitting, tatting (or is it bobbin lace?), and weaving. Not many men would ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 3:20pm -

"Walter Reed Hospital, 1918-19." Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Spooky!Maybe second guy from left didn't make it back after all. Crafty FolkIt's strange to see so many men sitting doing handicrafts. I can see loom knitting, knitting, tatting (or is it bobbin lace?), and weaving. Not many men would want to be photographed doing that today. I knew a fellow from WWII who became an avid weaver after using weaving for rehab after being injured in the war in the UK. Handy RehabPerhaps they look so pleased because the textile crafts rehab is working well for them. Some years ago the husband of a friend of mine had a pretty severe stroke that retired him from his high-level engineering consultancy. His wife had been a nurse, and had developed a business as an West Asian carpets broker. She put him to work repairing the fringes and bindings on old Turkish and Persian carpets, which is fairly simple but very time-consuming. It was really hard for him at first, but within a few months he had regained an impressive level of not just hand mobility but metal acuity as well, and continued to improve long after that from what had originally been assessed as incurable damage. He had that glad look too when I saw him. Every day was a good day. Spooky and Then SomeYes, how do you suppose that poor fellow wound up with a window sash growing out of his temple. The Birth of Occupational TherapyWow! This was a picture I had not run across before. This picture was taken about a year after OT was established as a formal profession. As an occupational therapist and a veteran this picture means a lot to me. Thanks for sharing such an important part of American history! (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, WWI)
Secret Santa: 1942
... Year! Love the lady with the hat half finished. Is that a knitting needle in the hat in case she finds the time to finish it? Aha, a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/24/2013 - 3:18pm -

December 1942. "New York. R.H. Macy & Company department store the week before Christmas. Children line up to talk with Santa Claus. There are two Santas, concealed from one another by a labyrinth to prevent disillusionment of the children. Each child is presented with candy and tells Santa his or her desires." Photo by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. The Wonder Of It All....A visit to Santa at Macy's was an annual tradition for me and my brother. Mom would try to get us there as early as possible, since the lines were long. You snaked your way through a dark purple tunnel with various holiday scenes along the way. Finally, you emerged into the light.... and there he was! What a thrill this was, but the day wasn't over yet. After presenting Santa with our wish lists, mom would then take us for lunch at the Horn & Hardart Automat (which I believe was in the Empire State Building at the corner of 34th Street & 5th Avenue). We loved putting those nickels in the slots to get our soups, sandwiches and desserts. And the day still wasn't done - after lunch we would head over to Radio City Music Hall for the Christmas Show. Wow! What a day! We were all exhausted by the time we got home.... SEASONS GREETINGS TO SHORPY, DAVE, AND EVERYONE WHO READS THIS! NoelA Very Merry Christmas to all the Shorpy family. Hope Santa's visit brings you much joy and happiness. And that 2014 turns out to be the best Shorpy year yet! Merry Christmas to all in Shorpy LandAnd Happy New Year! Love the lady with the hat half finished. Is that a knitting needle in the hat in case she finds the time to finish it? Aha, a labyrinth!So that's how they did it. I always suspected there was some sort of deception involved because sometimes I didn't get exactly what I asked for, and I didn't buy the explanation that it was just probably just a miscommunication because I had mumbled, or something. Santa, I'd like a free Shorpy's posterThat boy in the center might be waiting to ask Santa for a shoe shine. What a wonderful, expressive face on this Santa. Merry Christmas to Dave, tterrace and all the other old photo time travellers on Shorpy. Not just Macy'sThis post jogged a nice memory for me. Wurzburg's Department Store in Grand Rapids (or was it Herpolsheimer's? They're both long gone, but it could have been either of them) had a labyrinth, too. I had completely forgotten, but I had to walk through it to see Santa, just like the kids in New York. Merry Christmas to Dave and the rest of the Shorpy crew! IntriguedIntrigued by Mom's hat. Woolworths SantaI'll always remember having my photo taken on the lap of Woolworth's Santa. Mainly because my Mom and most every member of the family worked there at one time including me. I never did know his name though. Macy's still has....a secret Santa! They now have a black Santa at a different location, who see parents and children by request. It saves many black parents having to explain and de-confuse their children. (Photo is from CBS) And please, Santa-A new hat for my mother... (The Gallery, Christmas, Kids, Marjory Collins, NYC)
The Spinning Room: 1911
... maladies. I once visited an Industrial Revolution Era knitting mill somewhere in Michigan, it was operated as a museum, and part of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/19/2008 - 9:52am -

March 1911. Magnolia, Mississippi. "Magnolia Cotton Mills spinning room. See the little ones scattered through the mill. All work." View full size. Photograph (original glass negative) and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. Spin FactoryJust looking at the picture makes me want to put on noise canceling headphones. Imagine the din and the Mississippi summer to come. The people and those children had to have damaged hearing among other maladies. I once visited an Industrial Revolution Era knitting mill somewhere in Michigan, it was operated as a museum, and part of the tour was a switch being thrown and the machinery went into action, we were warned about the noise and they only ran it for a few seconds. To have to work an entire day in that racket had to be a danger to their mental and physical health. Again, so much for the good old days. AftereffectsI was a nursing home social worker in rural Alabama in the early 90s, and most of the residents were former employees of West Point Pepperell Mills in town. One woman stands out in my memory. She was in her 80s, deaf, S-shaped spine and bent over nearly double but still walking. Her sharper-minded neighbors reported to me that Mrs. M. had worked in the mill from childhood onward, and that she was bent over because her job was to pick (something, they had a slang word for everything there) off the floor as a child and her spine didn't develop properly. Likely deaf from the racket in there. Her mind was not together any longer, but she showed me how to fold towels in a "double E" as she did for the mill. I still fold them that way! How did they manage mentally? In that community, family ties were very strong and church was extremely important. They cherished their time at home and church. People very literally took solace in the belief that their reward was coming. What is that thing on her head?Can anyone identify the white thing on top of the person's head who is standing between the rows on our right side, directly next to the hanging incandescent lamp? Speaking of lamps, electric lamps were still pretty new in 1911. If I'm not mistaken, that was just a few years after Nikola Tesla joined George Westinghouse at Niagara Falls to produce alternating current. I wonder if the power to drive this equipment was electric motors or would it have possibly been steam? [She's wearing a bonnet. Incandescent lighting, at first using direct current, goes back to the 1870s. - Dave] (The Gallery, Factories, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Read 'Em and Weep: 1941
... calm and purl one The lady on the left appears to be knitting herself a new dress. Small pox? The one on the left in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/28/2013 - 12:30pm -

Detroit, summer 1941. "Girls playing cards and drinking Coca-Cola." The card table seems to have turned in this seventh installment of Arthur Siegel's mysterious photos for the Office of War Information. View full size. Keep calm and purl oneThe lady on the left appears to be knitting herself a new dress. Small pox?The one on the left in the bathing suit has something on her thigh that looks it could be a small pox vaccination scar. It was sometimes put on the thighs of little girls, so that it would be covered by their skirts. There were girls my age who had it, too. It didn't work too well, though, because by the time we reached our teens, the mini-skirt had been born! (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Detroit Photos, Pretty Girls, The Card Game)
Oscar Weston: 1911
... 'toting work' off and on for a year at the Chesapeake Knitting Mills in Berkley, Virginia." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/24/2011 - 1:24pm -

June 1911. "Oscar Weston, 1320 Berkley Avenue, South Norfolk. Has been doing 'toting work' off and on for a year at the Chesapeake Knitting Mills in Berkley, Virginia." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Jeez......the depth of field in this photograph is astounding to me. He practically leaps off the page. Staring at this picture, I get the feeling that for a nickel, he'd give me directions to the local druggist. Oscar Weston 1898-1966I did an archive search for any Oscar Westons in Virginia and got just one result. I bet it's him: SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION DEATH MASTER FILE WESTON, OSCAR Birthdate: 1/10/1898 Date of Death: 12/1966 RESIDENCE: VA 23506 (Norfolk) Oscar Weston1910 United States Federal Census about Oscar Weston Name: Oscar Weston Age in 1910: 12 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1898 Birthplace: North Carolina Relation to Head of House: Son Father's Name: Robert J Father's Birth Place: North Carolina Mother's Name: Fannie Mother's Birth Place: North Carolina Home in 1910: Norfolk Ward 8, Norfolk (Independent City), Virginia Marital Status: Single Race: White Gender: Male Household Members: Name Age Robert J Weston 48 Fannie Weston 38 John Weston 19 Gussie Weston 15 Oscar Weston 12 Oscar WestonThis is my grandfather. That is unbelievable that this picture existed so long without our family's knowledge. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Norfolk)
Swing Set: 1922
... well, childhood. I remember using various colors of knitting yarn and winding up with a rudimentary needlepointy kind of thing. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2012 - 8:42pm -

Washington, D.C., 1922. "Fair Bros. playground." The Little Rascals. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. String and cardThat string and card thing has stirred up some ancient childhood memories, buried since... well, childhood. I remember using various colors of knitting yarn and winding up with a rudimentary needlepointy kind of thing. Sort of the equivalent of paint-by-numbers; presumably there was a name for it. So glad the exposure caught the kid on the swing; brings the scene even more to life. The ones looking back at the camera help, too, as well as the look of genuine delight on the face of the teacher (keeper?). Unhappy GirlJust to the right of Pigtail Girl. She looks like she just sat down on someones Peanut Butter Sandwich but she can't move until the picture is taken. Der BingleSomehow I expect Bing Crosby to show up and sing, "Would You Like to Swing on a Star?" Yarn cardsTterrace, we called them "lacing cards" back in the late 50s. [That kind of rings a bell, thanks. - tterrace] This is the beginners classAs is clearly indicated by the use of lacing cards. The advanced class on the other side of the playground gets pot holder looms. (The Gallery, Kids, Natl Photo)
Priscilla Mills: 1911
... April 1911. Meridian, Mississippi. "Noon hour at Priscilla Knitting Mills. Small boys who work here." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/28/2012 - 12:42pm -

April 1911. Meridian, Mississippi. "Noon hour at Priscilla Knitting Mills. Small boys who work here." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Like a Rockwell illustrationbut more blurry. Lunch?Looks more like recess to me! Kids will be kids.... Sans footwearIt's amazing that so many boys, barely in their teens would go about daily life without shoes. I wonder what the top on that road isBlacktop? Gravel? Got to take pretty tough feet to run on that if it is gravel. Come to think of it, blacktop, too. With the sun beating down around noon. LunchI feel the same way at lunch time every day. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Railroads)
The Spinners: 1942
... set the twist. After which, it is ready for weaving or knitting. Roving versus Yarn Boy I am having a tough time decoding what ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/15/2018 - 5:26pm -

August 1942. "Aroostook County, Maine. Airing wool before spinning." Medium format negative by John Collier for the Office of War Information. View full size. The CountyEven today, Aroostook County in Maine is a rugged and beautiful place populated by tough-as-nails New Englanders. No doubt doubly so back then. Spun YarnAiring before spinning? Sorry, the caption is in error. The photo shows already spun yarn. Typically, after spinning and plying (twisting a second thread of spun yarn with the first), the plied yarn is then washed and hung in skeins (as shown) in order to set the twist. After which, it is ready for weaving or knitting. Roving versus YarnBoy I am having a tough time decoding what stage of yarn preparation is going on here. With respect to the caption writer, I doubt the wool was "aired". It's much more likely that it was dyed or bleached and hung out to dry. The "large skein" configuration bears testament to that. Strangely though it looks like it's already been spun (if not plied). Wool that is ready to be spun is called roving and it's much fluffier than this. (See picture below.) However, if you are dyeing your wool a uniform color, it makes the most sense to do it while it's roving (aka "dyed in the wool"). Any other fiber enthusiasts out there with more mid-century experience than I have? That's some bad hat, HarrietTook me a while to figure out what that was on her head! Freshly washedKathyRo, if you’re spinning “ in the grease”, with fresh off the sheep fleece, you really want to wash it after spinning, and before skeining. The yarn blooms a lot when the lanolin is washed out. (The Gallery, John Collier)
Bedford Sweaters, late 1950s
... I like to think she was on the cutting edge of all things knitting. I include two of her wool creations below: the cowboy sweater (to ... 
 
Posted by Islander800 - 03/14/2014 - 6:47pm -

Here're my brothers and me, late 1950s Bedford Quebec, wearing sweaters that my aunt knitted for us. They were amazingly warm (were they wool?) and she put a lot of work into them. I'm on the left, in the now-cringe worthy "Indian on the warpath"-themed motif. View full size. Definitely woolBack in those years, Islander800, your aunt in Quebec would most certainly have been using wool. My mom didn't discover acrylic until the mid-to-late sixties, and I like to think she was on the cutting edge of all things knitting. I include two of her wool creations below: the cowboy sweater (to chase your Indian) was my older brother's and the choo-choo train was mine, both knitted circa. 1963, making them over 50 years old. I still have them: took those photos today. Wow!As a knit nut, I see your Aunt was a patient and talented woman. They are so cool. Reminds me of Beaver's Eskimo sweater. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Family portrait with hired help
... to the stern looking man with the great derby hat. She's knitting, and she's the only one not wearing a dress made of the same material ... 
 
Posted by sprouseart - 02/21/2008 - 8:49am -

I came across this image so long ago that I can't remember where I purchased it. It has always been one of my favorites though for many reasons. First, I've always been taken with the expressions, especially on the men, even the dog! Written on the reverse in ink is "Dads four sisters + brother Oscar and hirid (sic) help." Out of the four sisters, the only one who isn't looking directly at the photographer is the sister on the right sitting next to the stern looking man with the great derby hat. She's knitting, and she's the only one not wearing a dress made of the same material as the other three. I think it's possible that she may be blind or close to it. The other women are sewing, there is thread and some kind of sewing apparatus on the table in front of them). It seems that the fellow on the right in the derby and the young fellow in the hat on the left have some sort of pattern in their laps. Perhaps they are tailors. The three fellows seated on the ground have tools in their hands, but I can't figure out what they are exactly - except for the knife held by the one in the middle. Is it possible that the young fellow on the ground to the right is wearing some sort of Civil War uniform? I'm not sure when this photo was taken, but I get the feeling that it may be post Civil War. I also love the odd details of this image such as the torn hat of the man in the middle, the fact that the man in the derby is missing a button which and has used a pin to fasten his vest in its place, the way that the fellow on the ground to the left has only his top button fastened. There are handwritten names above the women, but I can't make them out. Under the young fellow to the right is written "Unlce Oscar." The photgrapher's mark is "Hesla S.A." and the town's name "Linn Grove, Ia." (I found this online - www.linngroveiowa.org) is also printed on the image. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Me in a Pram: 1954
... Letterfearn, Wester Ross, Scotland, 1954. My mother is knitting, my grandparents are also in shot. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Sulzermeister - 05/26/2017 - 7:14pm -

Near Letterfearn, Wester Ross, Scotland, 1954. My mother is knitting, my grandparents are also in shot. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
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