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Lincoln, Nebraska: 1942
"Seed and feed store in Lincoln, Nebraska." Our third view of the Grand Grocery from 1942. View full size. ... to Great Falls to visit my in-laws. Our first stop is Lincoln, to visit some work-friends and to see that amazing work of art, the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 1:17pm -

"Seed and feed store in Lincoln, Nebraska." Our third view of the Grand Grocery from 1942. View full size. Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon, OWI. Living, breathingHere it is folks, real life 66 years ago. I could gaze at an image like this for hours, wishing I could fall into it. In fact, if you don't hear from me after several days, it's because I'm over at the market squeezing the oranges. Now an Embassy SuitesA little googling and someone said that a Lincoln phone book from 1938 gives the address as 1000 P Street. Well, here it is: View Larger Map How sad, how sterile. We've really lost a feeling in our country. Sigh...I am fairly certain that no generation will look back to their childhood and wish they could go back more than the Baby Boomers!!! It was a time of innocence, more prosperity than the generations before and close family ties! It was a time of feeling safe and loved. It was a time of growth! I love my "electronic toys" that I have today, but I would actually love to go back to a time when I had to actually get my butt out of the chair and change the channels on the TV. When I would have to keep calling someone until their "busy signal" went off. Sigh...I love the present, but I cherish the past!!! I was lucky...I was born AFTER the terrible times in the 1930's and WWII. I was born in the time after war and poverty - a time when America was growing! Thanks for letting me wallow in my sentimentality! Absolutely love this site - it lets me remember where I came from. Thank you sooo much! Ah, yes the swell world of 1942No internet (No Shorpy!). No iPod. No computers. No Lasik. No Viagra. And for those of us who are not persons of pallor, well before Brown v. Board of Education, Rosa Parks and MLK. Rationing, a world war to be fought... I wouldn't go back there on a bet. Going backWith family in the Seattle area we have found it nice to cross Nebraska on old U.S. 30. It is relaxing and not much traffic and we get to see a lot of nice towns. Next weekNext week the family and I are flying to Kansas City, renting a car, and driving to Great Falls to visit my in-laws. Our first stop is Lincoln, to visit some work-friends and to see that amazing work of art, the capital. A lot of the old buildings are gone, but the people are just as nice. No remotes???That would indeed be a barbaric time in which to live!...There weren't even any TVs back in 1942. So, PattyAnne, you'd be getting up to change the dial on your radio. Maybe from "The Shadow" to "The Jack Benny Show". And PattyAnne (I don't mean to pick on you...really!) You were born AFTER war and poverty? When was that? I think the latter was certainly still there, even during the Eisenhower years. And as to war (assuming you are American) there was that little business in Korea, and then, that nastiness in Southeast Asia...etc. Fortunately, I was born in Canada. Had I been American, I would have been just old enough to be eligible for the draft before the end of the Vietnam War. I love the past too, but I think I'd like to just visit, not actually live there. As the poster who "Wouldn't go back there on a bet" observed, the past was not perfect. When people wish they lived in another time, they never seem to imagine themselves as out-ouf work and starving, as beaten down minorities, as fighting in a war, or as having an illness that was yet incurable. All this being said, I am a "person of pallor", so I too would love to stroll down that long-ago street and exchange some pleasantries with the locals. But I'd want to be back before the draft board found me. In '42, the War was not yet going too well for the Allies. I thank the ones who did go over there, many of whom never returned. They were fighting for the preservation of just such idyllic scenes. [Just on a technical note: There were a few thousand telvision sets in use, mostly in the Northeast, in 1942. - Dave] LincolnI think those folks in the pic are standing on the corner where the Embassy Suites is ... looking toward the point where the Google photo was taken. Same result, though, if you really want to embrace that whole "How sad, how sterile" stance. The building with the yellow awnings is now a multiplex theater. Re: Ah, yes the swell world of 1942I agree with the notion that it is of great nostalgia to look back at such times in history. But perhaps it is best to do just that, look back. I can't imagine the social norms of 1942 as I am merely 23 years of age, but I am willing to bet that there has been much progress made in the way of personal and individual freedoms - even if not stated in law. I'm also willing to bet that "minorities" of race, sexuality, gender, or whatever it may be would agree. I once asked my grandmother, born in 1921, if she could live in any time period of history which she would choose... she had many reasons for different places in time but she said as a woman, she would want to live in no time other than the present (or the future I'd say). I'm fine right here in 2008. Old Lincoln, 10th and P I've walked that street. A friend in college lived in an apartment upstairs of the corner building at the end of the block north of the Grand Grocery, the little building with the gap just south of it. A funny apartment in a funny little building. The apartment was one room wide but 4 or 5 rooms deep, because the building extended to the alley, half a block. And and unbelievably cozy apartment it was. Downstairs, a courtly gentleman from the British West Indies, I believe had a tailor shop. The thing I find so appealing about this picture is the people have the time to stop and chat with each other. No one is hurried and they seem to be enjoying themselves and each other in a way we've lost. Lincoln was much smaller then, about 90,000, and much closer to the farms around it than now, as can be seen. The modern hotel is--well, it's there. I watched them build it riding my bike home from work in the afternoons. It has an opulent but gaudy lobby. But, to be fair, the hotel was not the reason all those buildings except one are now gone. An ill-conceived downtown redevelopment plan in the late 80s led to the entire block being razed, the only one of many targeted to suffer that fate. An even uglier parking lot was there for several years before the city convinced the hotel magnate to put up the new hotel. And also, to be fair, I remember that more than half the buildings on that block were in really run down condition by 1989, several vacant. Fortunately, the redevelopment plan failed to ruin the rest of the downtown. The block was pretty much intact until 1989, though the Grand Grocery was long gone by then. I believe the Green Frog Lounge was in that building or just east of it. The gap you can see between the buildings on the right side between the building where my friend had his apartment was wider in my time there, with a 50's bar built back from the street that extended south to the alley where the power poles are. Otherwise the buildings are pretty much as I remember them. Around the block to the east was the best Mexican restaurant in town. Next to it was a business supply store whose elderly founder was so distressed at the loss of his building that he passed away. Next to that was Lincoln's best "hippie" store, Dirt Cheap. South of that was the Sam Lawrence Hotel, which my mother informed me that back in the 20s when she came to Lincoln on the train with her mother to go shopping, "Nice ladies didn't stay there." The only buildings left today as they were then are the one you can't see casting the shadow on the lower left side, which is the former post office, now condos. The other you can just see the top in the upper left side of the picture and used to be the Law School at the University of Nebraska. Everything else is gone or changed. Unlike the picture with the girl, the cars, and the office buildings, 12th Street looking north from N, which is nearly the same today, in this picture nearly everything has changed. But this one, with the people enjoying each other and the nice day, is in my opinion the most attractive of the 5 color shots Mr. Vachon took that day, all within this 5 block area. A tip of the hat to the kind poster who mentioned our exquisite state capitol building. Most states' capitols are worth a visit but ours is a real treasure with its grand rotunda, lofty tower, and beautiful interior finishing. I never tire of touring that wonderful building. If you don't see anything else in Lincoln, you should see that. Or for an excellent virtual tour, www.capitol.org Thanks Shorpy, for the wonderful trip down memory lane. It was different when I came here to the university in 1963, but much more like this picture than what it is now. I've only been in the new hotel once. These old pictures are treasures indeed. Lincoln, then and nowI'm always excited to see pictures taken in Nebraska, because, as a Nebraskan, the fact that our state is frequently ignored by the other 49 gives us a bit of an inferiority complex. Anyway, I've greatly enjoyed the grocery pictures from Lincoln, and find the comments prompted by this one to be very interesting. To start with the obvious, yes, the Embassay Suites is not very exciting, but I can think of much worse fates for an old part of town than having a higher-end hotel locate there. Here's a picture I snapped of it this afternoon. (I'm no tterrace, so bear with me). The people in the foreground of the 1942 picture are where the trees are in my picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27323798@N05/2718259429/ As Lee pointed out, there is a building casting a shadow in the 1942 picture that still exists today as high-end apartments. It would be directly to the left of the people in the foreground of the photo. This building is still looking pretty spiffy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27323798@N05/2718260985/ I also love the community feel of the 1942 picture, though I disagree with the statement that our country has "lost it" (I was born in the mid-1980s though, so maybe I just have no idea). After growing up in a town of 2,000 people, I feel that smaller towns and rural areas still have a lot of the things that so charm people from this picture present in real life (including old guys in bib overalls). It probably is true that urban areas are increasingly disconnected, but their huge size and the relative mobility of their residents makes this unsurprising. And in defense of the lack of non-carbound Nebraskans in this picture, I will mention that it was about 98 degrees when I took this picture at 5:15 tonight--not great weather for socializing outdoors! :) @CGW: I am visiting the state capitol on Monday before I move out of state. First time since 4th grade--I hope you enjoy it! Maybe we'll be on the same tour. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Up in Nebraska: 1934
June 1934. "Nebraska State Capitol, Lincoln. General view from southeast. Mayers, Murray ... photo. View full size. Factoids The Nebraska State Capitol has a nickname that is not quite suitable for this site, ... to see. One More Factoid The flag of the City of Lincoln, Nebraska features this building, among other things. One More ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/16/2014 - 5:00pm -

June 1934. "Nebraska State Capitol, Lincoln. General view from southeast. Mayers, Murray & Phillip, successor architects to Bertram Goodhue." We had a bowling trophy that looked a lot like this. Gottscho-Schleisner photo. View full size. FactoidsThe Nebraska State Capitol has a nickname that is not quite suitable for this site, but does capture the tower's, ahem, essential appearance quite accurately. It also houses the country's only unicameral (single-house) legislature. Nebraska's by all accounts a well-governed state, among other things its unemployment rate is consistently among the lowest of all states, so the unique arrangement seems to work well. Ostentatious I was always a little surprised that the common sense farmers of Nebraska were OK with this impractical monstrosity. New Car SmellSpanking new 1934 Studebaker. A real trophyNo bowling trophy was ever decorated like this building. The floors are all mosaic; the ceilings are all tiled or painted (except in the supreme court chambers, where they are coffered wood); there are murals and sculpture everywhere. It was built at the high water mark of American civil architecture and is worth a considerable detour to see. One More FactoidThe flag of the City of Lincoln, Nebraska features this building, among other things. One More FactoidWhen the capitol was designed, Nebraska still had a bicameral legislature, so Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue designed the building with two legislative chambers. Only one is actually used for that purpose now. But as the tour guide said to us on my last visit to the building, they wouldn't know how to get by without that extra big space being available at all times. Even the streetlights are still thereView Larger Map Common CentsI lived in Lincoln for a couple of years in the 1970s and took a guided tour of this building. Impressive interior. The story the tour guide told was that those common sense farmers that Banderboy refers to (however ostentatious their tastes) had the capitol building paid off in full before construction was completed - reportedly the only state capitol building (at that time anyway)of which that was true. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner)
Democracy's Dashboard: 1934
June 1934. "Nebraska State Capitol at Lincoln. House chamber." Note the electro-mechanical ... doubt portly politicians that occupied the seats. Only Nebraska If I remember correctly, Nebraska is the only state in the country than has a unicameral legislature - ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/10/2014 - 12:29pm -

June 1934. "Nebraska State Capitol at Lincoln. House chamber." Note the electro-mechanical tally board, and voting controls decorated with medallions of Abraham Lincoln. Large-format negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Tight FitMaybe it's just the perspective, but the space between the rows seems pretty tight for the no doubt portly politicians that occupied the seats. Only NebraskaIf I remember correctly, Nebraska is the only state in the country than has a unicameral legislature - only a House, no Senate, and it is also the only state legislature that is non-partisan. Seems to work for them. It's the detailsCheck out the mural running just below the roof line, and the carved figures on either side of the tally board (the eternal farmer and his wife and child?). And those light fixtures, fantastic! The blackout curtains on the windows helped date it to WWII even before I saw "1943" in the caption. I absolutely love this architectural style (neoclassical? Greek revival? WPA public building?), where government buildings seem to invoke a kind of civic religiosity. Can you imagine a government or public space built like this today? It would be a cost-cutter's dream. [There are no "blackout shades." The caption says 1934, not 1943. - Dave] The only oneNebraska is the only state that has only ONE legislative body --not a two-part senate AND house legislature, unicameral (spelling?) ONE legislative body. Got a light?I think the items with the Lincoln medallions are really lamp shades; the lamps could probably be extended out of the desk on a vertical rod. You can see the ball chain for the switch coming out of the one just to the right of the aisle, closest to the camera. The object in the desk to the left of the lamp, with small knobs on it, might be the voting controls. (Or, given the era, it might be an inkwell or ashtray...) I think it's interesting that they didn't anticipate having more than 102 legislators when they installed that tally board. At least in 2012, the lamps and the possible voting controls were still there. The tally board was somewhat modified but still there. Lincoln LampIt appears that the things with Lincoln are desk lamps all neatly folded down. On the right side of the aisle you can see toggle switches that if I may take a guess of what they are: one to light up the name for being present, one for yea, one for nay and one to turn on the desk light. What a beautiful chamber! (Technology, The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner)
Nebraska Noir: 1940
November 1940. "Lincoln, Nebraska. State capitol in background." Medium format acetate negative by John ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/29/2019 - 3:15pm -

November 1940. "Lincoln, Nebraska. State capitol in background." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Another Picture from a Hotel WindowIt appears that Mr. Vachon took this picture from a room at the Capital Hotel (still standing, but now a YMCA). Below him is 11th Street. The Barker's shoe store was on O Street. https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM6NF_Capital_Hotel_Lincoln_NE (The Gallery, John Vachon)
Yard Man: 1942
... it's this guy again , somewhere in Grand Island, Nebraska, snapped by John Vachon for reasons unknown. Cinch up that tie and get ... wall in my garage. It is still quite usable. Vachon in Nebraska, May, 1942 Based on Vachon’s letter to his wife of May 8, 1942, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/08/2022 - 3:35pm -

May 1942. Yes, it's this guy again, somewhere in Grand Island, Nebraska, snapped by John Vachon for reasons unknown. Cinch up that tie and get back to work! View full size. Up to No GoodA loose tie and a jaunty hat ... I'd call him a young rake. New tagCheck the Tags above to see the new one added to Slender Man: Handsome Rakes. (Don’t make me explain the joke!) It's WoodyHarrelson with a rake. The Progress of the Slender ManThe Rake progresses. But why?Don't you just itch to know the back story of Dapper Dan and the rake? People people people, label your photos for those of us in the 21st century. Seems Like Old TinesI have that exact rake hanging on the tool wall in my garage. It is still quite usable. Vachon in Nebraska, May, 1942Based on Vachon’s letter to his wife of May 8, 1942, this could have been shot on a one-week trip to Grand Island, Kearney, North Platte, and Scott’s Bluff, assuming he left on the 9th. He was working out of Lincoln for a while and seemed a bit dissatisfied with what he was being expected to shoot. “Next week will work out OK, and produce, because I’ll be alone, but it won’t be what these boys [note: local FSA types, not Stryker back at FSA in D.C.] expect for me to get, and I fear for after I get back.” Vachon thought they were expecting “a picture of a cow and a farmer’s new barn.” I think we’ve seen here that John Vachon was looking for, and shooting, something else. Thank goodness. (John Vachon’s America, page 209) Scary gardener guyLike something from Stephen King. Don't hire him. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Handsome Rakes, John Vachon, Slender Man)
Lincoln: 1942
Lincoln, Nebraska. 1942. View full size. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by John ... plate from Brown County. The next behind is from Lincoln, Nebraska. I can only see a corner of the next one, but it looks like ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/17/2011 - 9:44am -

Lincoln, Nebraska. 1942. View full size. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information. Turn aroundThis shot makes you wonder what the girl looked like Where Did Everybody Go?Except for the one young lady, the streets are deserted! It's interesting that the cars are all shades of blue, black, white or gray, which isn't all that much different from what the color of cars have been for the last twenty years as well. I miss the way they looked in the early 70s, which was the only era in which autos came in all sorts of loud primary and secondary colors. Lincoln : 1942The streets are lonely ; but the number of cars are no way, less ! Are they Austin cars ? (Austin of England) Or might be Morris. [These are all American cars. - Dave] Re: VehiclesI think the second car from the right is a 1940 Chevrolet, not 1941. More than the girlYou can see 2 guys to the right of the girl, toward the 1st corner a guy with a blue shirt and hat is walking toward the parked cars, if you go to the right of him another guy looking down with a brown hat. Also at the next intersection it looks like a group of people are getting ready to cross the street VehiclesIt appears to me to be, from the left, a light-colored '41 Ford, then '41 Chrysler, '41 Chevrolet, '38 Buick, '41 Chevrolet, '39 Ford. For Idleracer, yo're right; cars have become more bland. The high spot was the mid '50s, when they even had tri-tone. (I had a '55 Roadmaster with orange-red top, light gray midsection and orange-red under the sweepspear . . ) VehiclesI think you're right, Dave. The photo was dark enough I didn't notice the separate parking lights, and did not recall the chrome stripe atop the headlight housing on my late uncle's '40 model . . . View is 13th South of N St. looking NorthI'll have to send you a picture of this scene today...probably one of the few places in Downtown Lincoln that look exactly the same. I couldn't figure out the location of the other picture posted of Lincoln..I think all the buildings in it have been razed. Cars are from all overThe first plate in the front is a beautiful 42 Kansas Sunflower plate from Brown County. The next behind is from Lincoln, Nebraska. I can only see a corner of the next one, but it looks like Hastings, Nebraska (14). The next plate up the street is Sedgwick County, Kansas. The last car up the street looks surprisingly like a 41 California plate, but I can't make it out well enough. Considering an A ration in 1942 was 3 gallons a week, they must have saved up their gas to all get into Lincoln? [There was no rationing yet in the Midwest. (Which why none of the cars have ration stickers on the windshields.) On May 15, 1942, gasoline rationing began in 17 Eastern states. The allotment was three gallons a week. It wasn't until December 2, 1942, that gasoline rationing was required in all states. - Dave] Gas RationingThanks. I'd forgotten that rationing didn't cover the non-Eastern states until almost 1943. My granedfather didn't have an A ration. He had a nearly unlimited ration. He was a vital war worker, working in the Southern Illinois oil fields. And a horse ate his soybean 1943 license plate. He backed the car up to the fence by the horse field and the horse ambled over and took a big bite out of it. He had to get a replacement. ChryslerThat's a '42 Chrysler. The '41 had a taller grille. +68As noted previously, this is 13th Street looking north from N Street. The girl and flags are gone and the curbs have been modified, but otherwise, the scene is virtually the same. I've attached a shot of the same perspective taken on March 22, 2010. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Patriotic)
Meet the Rommels: 1915
... job of keeping his pants up. Germans from Russia in Nebraska When I was visiting my uncle in Lincoln Nebraska I noticed a sign for a Germans From Russia Museum while driving about ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2017 - 2:02pm -

Oct. 30, 1915. Fort Collins (vicinity), Colorado. "A case of 'Economic Need.' Jacob Rommel and his family live in this roomy shack, well-furnished, with a good range, organ, etc. They own a good home in Fort Collins, but late in April they moved out here, taking contract for nearly 40 acres of beets, working their 9- and 10-year-old girls hard at piling and topping (although they are not rugged) and they will not return until November. The little girl said, 'Piling is hardest, it gets your back. I have cut myself some, topping.' The older girl said, 'Don't you call us Russians, we're Germans' (although most of them were born in Russia). Family been in this country eleven years." Glass negative by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. ShoesAs I look at the photos on this site, I'm frequently thankful that I live in an age when shoes are comfortable. CharacterI am continualy struck by the amount of character in each of the faces from so long ago. If you look at each of the 6 in this picture....well, you can read tons of emotion and stories in each one of them DSS suspendersPapa's wearing two pair! GermansMy family is German and also came from Russia. They were driven out by the Russian Army and settled in California. Many times they were referred to as Russians. Germans from Russia are not Russian. We speak German, cook German food and many of us belong to the Historical Society of Germans from Russia. When I read that the oldest daughter in this picture asked to not be called Russian, it stirred up some old memories. Please do not refer to us as Russians. We are German. The girl on the left looksThe girl on the left looks so beautiful. She could be ready to laugh, on the verge of a joke... So much emotion in her face. And her face is mirrored so well by the girl on the right. Same tilt, different emotion. Her laugher may not be as free. The Rommels: Colorado Beet FarmersThis is Joe Manning, of the Lewis Hine Project. I interviewed the granddaughter of Mr. & Mrs. Rommel, who is also the daughter of Martha Rommel, the youngest girl in the photo. The family has a very interesting story, and Shorpy readers can see it at: http://morningsonmaplestreet.com/2014/11/26/jacob-rommel-family-page-one... SuspendedIs the inner of the pairs of suspenders actually a strap for carrying a basket of produce? The outer pair seems to be doing a perfectly adequate job of keeping his pants up. Germans from Russia in NebraskaWhen I was visiting my uncle in Lincoln Nebraska I noticed a sign for a Germans From Russia Museum while driving about the city. After a quick google I found the museum is run by the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia which has chapters thoughout the US. StressShocking to see the age of Alice, mother. She is 48 and looks well beyond her years. Due to the crushing burden of house chores, cooking, taking care of children, and work. My great grandmother was a beauty but by middle age barely recognizable. Farm, husband died in an accident, 5 children 1912. The Walla Walla Germans from RussiaMy maternal Grandmother was of the first generation of our family to be born in the USA, in 1908. In school, she said they were called The Dirty Little Russians. She was a bit of rebel, marrying someone who was not also German Russian. Grandpa was mostly German, with a little French, although his family had come to this country shortly after the Civil War. Grandpa was very dark when they met, in the early Fall, and she asked her friend if she knew what he was, because her mother had told her never to bring home an Italian (That´s EYEtalian). When it came to marriage, though, not being German Russian was too much of a stretch. When, at 19, they asked their families to sign for them to get married, Grandma´s parents and Grandpa´s mother objected, telling her son he could do better that to marry a German Russian. It took some creative effort to get that accomplished, and they were married in 1929. They were one of the happiest couples I´ve ever known. Grandpa was a terrible tease, but Grandma told me that she had always felt loved. They were happy until Grandma passed away, in 1974. I look at my adopted kids and their multiracial families and marvel at how far things have come! (The Gallery, Lewis Hine)
Buy War Bonds: 1942
... "Street corner in downtown Lincoln during University of Nebraska commencement week." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon. ... by I.M. Pei that is shaped like an outline of the state of Nebraska. It was the first place I used an ATM! (The Gallery, John Vachon, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/13/2023 - 12:51pm -

May 1942. "Street corner in downtown Lincoln during University of Nebraska commencement week." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. The Nut House is no moreHere is a photo with which to make a better comparison of the tall building behind the Buy War Bonds sign and the Street view below. If I'm correct we're at the intersection of 13th and O streets, looking north. The brick two-story structure on the corner has been replaced by a modern five-story and the Nut House did not survive the transition. Nuts! About war bondsUS Savings Bonds were first authorized in 1935. In April 1941, Series E were issued as Defense Bonds. As the billboard dramatically shows, they became War Bonds right after Pearl Harbor. Just as the goal of gasoline rationing was to save rubber, a major purpose of war bonds was to reduce inflation by taking money out of circulation during a time of full employment and rationing. War bonds paid a mere 2.9% interest after 10-year maturity. Only about one percent of matured savings bonds have not been redeemed, but that amounts to around $9 billion. We haven't stopped having wars since 1945, but the term "war bond" has never been used again. Stuart TheatreYes, this is looking at the northeast corner of 13th and "O" Streets. I used to walk by here all the time when I lived in Lincoln in the 1980s. The tall building in the background was built in 1929 and contained the exuberant Stuart Theatre. The theater was poorly renovated in the 1970s to cover up much of the original decor. It was still a great place to watch a movie, however. A couple of decades and a few owners later the theater was returned to its over-the-top interior and is now called the Rococo. To the left, on the west side of 13th Street, now sits a bank building designed by I.M. Pei that is shaped like an outline of the state of Nebraska. It was the first place I used an ATM! (The Gallery, John Vachon, Stores & Markets, WW2)
Old Corner Bookstore: 1900
... of your size. I bought mine at a western store in Lincoln, Nebraska that has a large period clothing section catering to re-enactors. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 1:13pm -

Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1900. "Old Corner Bookstore, first brick building in Boston." Detroit Publishing Company 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Dentist NeededThere must have been a corn-on-the-cob vendor nearby. Three pedestrians are picking their teeth. Ann Hutchinson lived thereMy 10th great-grandmother, Ann Hutchinson, lived at that location! Just visited it this summer, fun stuff. No OverweightsPre-automobiles and pre-fast foods.... look how trim all of the men are regardless of age. Compared to todayEveryone's so... thin. Old JokeI bought a suit with 2 pairs of pants and burned a hole in the jacket. Old Corner BookstoreA picture and more information about the Old Corner Bookstore. Covered HeadsEvery man has a hat on. Also, I wonder what the guy in the 4th floor window is doing and what's that circular object in the window? Great PicUsing Google Street View, you can see the building still stands. I'm fascinated by the people you can spy through the windows--the barber, and assorted other folks. I especially enjoy the class case suspended on the second floor full of trousers. Too coolI'm fascinated by the two young dudes leaning against the lamppost. Are they ogling or hoping to be ogled? Only the attire has changed since then. Old bookstoreI love the finger-o-doom pointing downwards on the building behind. Where are all the women? The Corner StoreI'm always wondering why I can't find a good old corner bookshop-barber-loan shark-jeweler-wood engraver-tailor place anymore. Is that...The current Boston Globe Bookstore? Circa 1900Must be the photo, not the bookstore that's circa 1900 since Boston's first brick building must have been built many years before 1900. [There are two giant signs on the store that say when it was built. - Dave] Quick, Marty! I see a time-space wormhole!Jeez, the man standing right on the corner is using a cellphone! Shorpy Zoom PleaseCan we get the Shorpy Zoom to shed some light on the three windows with people please? The barber, the wood engraver, and the kid in the attic. DiamondsThe Old Corner Book Store is now a jewelry store - the building is still there, but the books have long since departed. The cobblestones are still there, though. Time Machine is Working Just FineBeautiful and fascinating photograph! WowLoved this picture - so much to look at! Very cool. Thanks! Another Cool Boston FeatureAnybody interested can also check out this Google Earth tour of the sites in the famous children's book Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. Rens Spaans - Hair CutterThere's a Dutch name for you. It takes one to know one I guess... Mr. Spaans was apparently "badly injured" in the March 14, 1887 Bussey Bridge Disaster, the train accident following the collapse of a railroad bridge that left 38 dead and some 40 "more or less injured". More here. Sam, you made the pants too long.By the way, when do you suppose this building was built? (Just kidding). One common-tater asked what the guy on the fourth floor was doing and my guess would be that he is sewing on a sewing machine as that is exactly the posture he would be in and being that it was on the fourth floor, with no a/c, it must have been warm, dark and stuffy, hence the wide open window. The circular object MAY be a sewing machine or other tailoring tool. I wonder if your younger readers know that in the 1950's and early 60's, men's suits often featured two pairs of pants because most men would remove their jackets at work and the pants would wear out long before the jackets, making the jacket useless. It was a really good idea. I love this photo and particularly the very well-dressed people in the street. There was a time when people had to be "presentable" before they left the house. Since I saw some people last night at the local Seven Eleven in their pajamas, slippers and robes, I fear those days are gone forever. Thanks for a fascinating look back. UsuryTwo percent per month works out to "only" 26.82% when compounded annually. Unfortunately, Google Maps shows this building is gone. This may be a stupid question but...I'm assuming the 'circa 1900' refers to the photo, but now I became curious as to when the actual 'first brick building in Boston' was built. I found this site, which said it was built in 1712 and has pictures of it still standing today. [Look at the photo. There are two giant signs on the store that say when it was built. - Dave] Pants!I'm somewhat partial to the sign off to the left side for the Eclipse Pants Co., where they offer pants made "at very short notice." Was it common to suddenly need pants in 1900? Never mind any kind of sub-joke about their pants being too short or anything. Man: Excuse me, shopkeep, but I'm in dire need of pants! Shopkeep: You've come to the right place. Short notice is all we need. The Banker and the BearBook ad from June 1900. Closeup of DoorwayWould it be possible to get a closeup of the door with the "Suits ... 16.00" sign to better read the placards. By the way, other than patronizing your advertisers, is there anything we can do to support this wonderful site? [Buy a print! - Dave] Where are the women?For pete's sake, man! This district has bookstores, engravers, loan sharks, and cut-rate tailors! This is no place for any respectable woman! By the way, I think Mr. Cell Phone is actually picking his nose! Dave? Closeup? Different CornerI grew up in Lexington, MA and Boston was my playground. There are a lot of wicked pissa hidden treats all over. Brattle Book shop was established in 1825. Not as old as this building but it smells like history inside and they have an amazing collection of rare books. http://www.brattlebookshop.com/Stuff/rarebookroom.html Pockets and shoesNot the best fitting suits, but they sure beat pajamas. Check out the pocket-watch pocket on the gentleman in front. No wristwatches yet. And how about the shine on the shoes in an era where piles of manure had to be navigated while crossing the street. Modern men can take an example of that. 1900Interesting that the pawn shops and quick loans still exist. And the people, caught in the windows--they had no idea they were being preserved for posterity. 108 years from now, one of us, caught on a cell phone or digital photo will be on Shorpy! This is within a few years of James Joyce's "Ulysses"--I know it's not Dublin but the details are intriguing. Hats off to Shorpy!For another excellent find. I always appreciated the era of hats, and being bald now, I long for those days to return. Face it, all I have to choose from is a baseball cap, which makes me look like the world's oldest 10-year-old, or a cowboy hat, which unless you happen to be riding a horse just doesn't cut it. Let's bring back the derby and fedora! Me too...I love how everyone is dressed smartly and I was wondering about the color of their suits. What was the predominant suit color back then ? [An intensely deep, dark purple. - Dave] Another slice of lifeI love the "slice of life" images on Shorpy. The sight of people in the windows is fascinating. These pictures make history come alive and I wish more people could share in that sense of life. Too many think History is a dry, static thing and are unable to make a personal connection. Make Way for DucklingsIn an interesting bit of serendipity, I Just happened to run across my childhood copy of Make Way for Ducklings at my mom's house last weekend. I found every word was deeply lodged in my subconscious although I hadn't read it in at least 30 years. As I re-read it, I wondered if the Old Corner Bookstore (which as a child I assumed was a generic description) still exists. And lo and behold, thanks to Dave and Shorpy, I now know the answer! Another Old JokeWhy did the golfer buy a suit with two pairs of pants? In case he got a hole in one... So what is that "cell phone" thingy then?By the way, re: JimsShip, if people can wear pyjamas to the 7-11, you can buy yourself a dapper hat and wear it any time you like! Bowler hatsYes, these are still available. Easy to find on eBay, if you are confident of your size. I bought mine at a western store in Lincoln, Nebraska that has a large period clothing section catering to re-enactors. That way I could try it on. I wear my bowler every few weeks (to the dismay of my children) and always get positive comments. Wood engravingI have degree in printmaking and have actually created several wood engravings so I'm especially intrigued with the Robert Stockin Wood Engraving business and wish I could see inside. Wood engravings (not the same thing as woodcuts) were used for newspaper and commercial illustrations. That might be a proofing press in the window immediately left of the shield "erected AD 1712" sign or it might be wishful thinking on my part. I'm especially fond of the pointing hand of doom on the side of the building in the upper right. This is a great photo. Fickle Finger of FateSomething I always like in signage of this vintage is the Victorian Directional Hand, employed here to show the way to the Bay State Loan Co. and the Eclipse Pants Co. It makes me wonder what the giant VDH painted on the side of the building at upper right is pointing to, though. CommentedWith 42 and counting, this has provoked comments galore! What is/are the most commented upon photo(s)? [The Beaver Letter. - Dave] The Victorian-era Pointing Hand.Now we know what inspired the Microsoft programmers when they were developing the Desktop for Windows. Street signsLike many other commenters, I've been to the current store and walked or driven by this building hundreds of time. One thing I found interesting is the street signs on the building. Both are partially hidden by the awnings, but one says School Street and the other says Washington Street. Were street signs on poles not used in that era? [They were, but not everywhere. - Dave] Bring back the derby and fedora!Fedoras are back, especially here in New York. I've been wearing them for 4 years. I have a total of three felt fedoras and a straw one, two porkpies, felt and straw and a homburg. Back then was definitely the good old days. People knew how to dress. I wish more people would bring it back. In my opinion after 30 years of sports clothing as the "average daywear" I think it's about time we change back to formal and dress casual. This must be the original negative for our postcardThe museum I work at has a postcard published from this photo in its collection. You can see this colorized image here. It's interesting to see how this image was used back then. (The Gallery, Boston, DPC, Stores & Markets)
The Right Connections: 1942
... in the electrical engineering laboratory. University of Nebraska, Lincoln." Acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/12/2023 - 9:08am -

May 1942. "Jim Tillma, a senior in the engineering college, in the electrical engineering laboratory. University of Nebraska, Lincoln." Acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. It's a testKeep trying those plugs, Jim, until the lightbulb comes on. LampshadesOne has two bites out of it, the other is completely gone. I imagine it might have to do with a heavy plug in an upper row being pulled out, up and away. Rubber Soles, Jim!Based on the florid castings of those ancient Weston electrical meters, it wouldn't be surprising to learn that the patch panel was a castoff from some power plant or such, donated to the university to further higher education (and retire the fossilized switchgear). But hand-patching lines to loads, like we used to do for theatrical lighting circuits pre-solid state, isn't for the faint of heart, especially at some of those voltages! Rubber-soled footwear, please, and keep your left hand (the heart side) in your pants pocket, lad, if you're hoping to live long enough to earn that MSEE. (Technology, The Gallery, Education, Schools, John Vachon)
Vacation Time: 1969
Leaving Walnut, CA for Wyoming and Nebraska in July 1969. I'm on the left, trying to look cool, going to start ... did, didn't I?) West of the Midwest Wyoming AND Nebraska? You are a lucky, lucky boy. One of our few vacations from our ... Was not this the year of the PLAID ? Fun vacation Nebraska? For a vacation? I drove through that state. Couldn't get out fast ... 
 
Posted by Mvsman - 09/13/2011 - 10:36pm -

Leaving Walnut, CA for Wyoming and Nebraska in July 1969. I'm on the left, trying to look cool, going to start high school in the fall. Yikes, those socks! There's my Dad and Mom, who appeared in earlier pictures. They're showing some age progression. Both are in their early 40s here. My little brother was a surly bundle of anti-joy then, and he whined a lot through the whole trip. We packed up the '64 Chevelle wagon and left for the great unknown. As a surly teen, I read a lot of books along the way and grunted and moaned a lot. During the trip, we heard about the Charles Manson family murders in Los Angeles, and being only 30 or so miles away, I was really scared to come home. It all worked out ... thanks for looking and I look forward to your comments. View full size. Chilling NewsWe too were leaving for our vacation on our way from Diamond Bar (not too far from Walnut) to visit the grandparents in "Idyllic Larkspur" (near San Francisco) when we heard all about the Tate-LaBianca murders on the car radio. It definitely put a damper on the trip for us adults. With the three kids squabbling in the back of our VW van (Mom, she looked at me!), I don't know if they heard any of it or not. Our oldest kid was 9, the middle one 6, and the youngest 4. -- tterrace's sister Vacations in a wagonYou know, vacations just aren't vacations without a station wagon. Sorry, but an SUV just isn't the same thing. Folks across the street have a 1965 Rambler Classic Cross-Country; ours was a 1966. Did you have air-conditioning? Maybe that would have quelled the grumbling and moaning somewhat. I know that we welcomed the A/C in our Rambler after 10 years without it in our '56. But now, decades later, I'll occasionally switch mine off and roll down the windows when cruising along a rural road, and the breeze carrying the aromas of cut hay and other vegetation fills me with a warm, nostalgic glow. A great, era-defining shot, thanks! (Out of respect for your mother, I won't comment on her headgear - although I just did, didn't I?) West of the MidwestWyoming AND Nebraska? You are a lucky, lucky boy. One of our few vacations from our Indiana home was a trip to Iowa but since my dad was on some sort of a deadline* we didn't get to enjoy any of Illinois' diversions that must surely have existed along I-80, or so I dreamed. Departing from Walnut, CA, mvsman must have seen plenty of I-80 as well on his "Asphalt of America" tour. *Who has a deadline on a trip to Iowa? It was only 250 miles! FootwearYour shoes are in style about every 8 years or so. Just keep the shoes and wait for them to come back. Your dad's dark socks (with shorts), on the other hand ... Adler socksI bet they were Adler socks. I graduated from high school the year before and it was all the rage to wear Adler socks in colors that matched your shirt. Black socks with sandalsMy wife thinks I invented that look. I can't wait to show her that it's retro chic. Chevy Bel AirIt's either a 68 or 69, sitting in the other neighbor's garage - complete with trailer-light connector installed in the bumper. [It's a '68. - Dave] Love Your Mom's Hat!I think you looked quite cool for an "almost" high schooler! Your mom's hat is the best! I bet she's pinching your little brother. Or maybe that was just my mom! PurgatoryWe used our '69 Pontiac Catalina station wagon to put the gear in the middle and the whiny kids waaaay back on the rear-facing seat. Man, I loved that car! Meanwhile ...At the beginning of that very same month we were on our way back from Los Angeles in a white 1965 Impala wagon with no AC and a ton of camping equipment both on the roof and in the back. We stayed in Reno on the Fourth, hoping that the drunken manager of the KOA there wouldn't accidentally back over our tent. I was more or less inured to the lack of cool, even back in Maryland, and I think the only time we really noticed it on the trip was when it was over a hundred crossing the Mojave. The Impala was passed on to my great-uncle who drove it until it dropped sometime in the mid-1970s. By 1969 we had left short haircuts behind, which since I had thick glasses meant I looked totally dorky in a completely different way; my father, on the other hand, was well into leaving hair itself behind. I notice you're wearing the de rigueur cutoffs, which is pretty much what we wore when we weren't in jeans. TweaksDitch the socks and you'd fit in perfectly with today's Williamsburg hipsters. You were scared?I was terrified! I was 11 years old at the time of the Manson murders and lived only 20 miles away. In my 11 year old mind, I was convinced the murderers would find their way to my house and they were specifically go after me! Thanks for posting this. This photo captures the "feel" of L.A. suburbia of the era perfectly- just as I remembered it. To the Moon!I started high school in 1969, too. Did your trip start before or after the moon landing? Did your parents make you watch it on TV, even though you wanted to be out with your friends? That was a surly moment for ME for that reason. Don't worry -- the shades and the hair in your eyes make up for the socks. 1969Was not this the year of the PLAID ? Fun vacationNebraska? For a vacation? I drove through that state. Couldn't get out fast enough. I was only 3 in 1969, but lived in nearby Simi Valley, home of Spahn Ranch. What city was this taken?? Oh yeah, love your mom's hat. I have pics somewhere of my mom wearing the same thing. What were people thinking?? We went after the moon landingI actually watched it on my little black and white TV in my room. I was a space geek then (and now). Thanks! That Ramblerbelonged to the superintendent of our school district! He and my dad knew each other causally, to say hi to or wave at as the car went by. I don't recall if we had AC in that car. It had a small engine and was seriously underpowered for hills and mountains. Now, I'll try to did up slides of our earlier trips in my granddad's borrowed 1959 Chevy Nomad wagon! This was truly a luxury barge on wheels. This thing looked like it was 15 feet wide and 25 feet long (to my 8 year old eyes). I had the entire back area to myself and my comic books, as little bro wasn't on the scene yet. The Summer of '69Grew up in La Puente, not far from Walnut. My 1969 was the the summer of "Sugar, Sugar" and Man on the Moon. 41 years ago -- WOW Taz!When I saw your brother, the Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil came to mind! Mom's "Hat"That's no hat, it's a curler-cover. A la Phyllis Diller. A different eraIn '69, my dad was making probably about $18K-$20K a year. My mom stayed home. Yet we took similar vacations, 2-3 weeks at a time. Now, my wife and I work like rented mules and can't afford to go anywhere. When station wagons ruled the roadEach summer, Dad would load up the gear in the suction-cup equipped, stamped steel Western-Auto roof carrier on top of the old '61 Ford Falcon wagon and off we'd go. Looking back, it truly took faith and fortitude to pile a family of five and enough gear to support a safari in that underpowered, unairconditioned two-door wagon and set off fron Louisville to the far reaches of the country (New York City, Washington D.C., Miami). I remember fighting with my brothers over the desirable real estate in the back of the wagon where you could stretch out (no seatbelts) and watch the miles of highway fade into the distance through the tailgate window! Wagon MemoriesOur 1957 Mercury Colony Park station wagon with the Turnpike Cruiser engine had a similarly slanted rear window. On our trip to California later that year, Pop decided to drive on through the final night to miss the desert heat, with us kids sleeping in the back. I discovered I could position myself to see the road ahead as a reflection in the rear window, while simultaneously looking through the glass to watch the clear Western skies for shooting stars. What can beat the cozy feeling of slipping off to sleep while rolling along the open road while Pop faithfully pilots the family bus through the dark? Sixty-NineAh, Summer of '69, my favorite year. Got my driver's license. Got my FCC Third Phone. Started work part time in a REAL radio station. My parents ran their own store so we couldn't take too many trips. I'm jealous of those of you who did. And yes, Nebraska was borrrring to ride across back then, but today it isn't bad -- there are several interesting attractions across the state and a nice Interstate to zip you through! FourteenI was 14 years old that summer of 1969 (living in Cocoa Beach, Florida). I can relate to the yellow socks. I had a few pair of those. The color of the socks were supposed to match the color of the shirt. It looks like those are a freshly cut-off pair of jeans. What's in your father's right shirt pocket? A lens cover, maybe? Who took the photo? I see the car in the garage across the street looks like a '68 Chevy Impala--round taillights. And the Rambler in the next drive looks very nice too. A little peek of the mountain is nice too. I've never been to that area so I have no conception of what it's like there. Great photo, thanks for sharing a piece of your childhood memory. Cartop carrierMan, I want one of those roof carriers. Looks like it holds a lot of stuff. Memories aboundOur vacations were exactly the same (even my dad's socks with sandals). We headed from our Fountain Valley Ca home like thieves in the night. Had to get across the desert before the heat killed the kids. Of course we had an aftermarket AC installed by Sears so the front seat was a chill zone (no kids allowed). Our vacations happened at breakneck speed but we saw everything and always ended our trips with a pass through Vegas for Dad & Grandma. Fun times! "The Box" - Rooftop CarrierOur family trips were always in a station wagon, and always with "the box" on top. Dad built and refined a series of boxes over the years. They were much larger and taller than the one in the picture. All our luggage, supplies etc went in "the box" leaving the wagon for the 6 of us. With the back seat folded down my brother and I could sleep in sleeping bags in the back. In the winter dad put brackets on the box sides and bungee-tied all our skis on. The station wagons themselves were amazing. Dad always bought the biggest engine offered (we needed it), a large v8. The last wagon had dual air conditioners, front and rear. And how about the rear doors on a wagon. The rear door folded down or opened from the side, and the window went up and down. SUVs, get serious, they have very little useful space. No fairI suspect one of the reasons the younger brother is looking so crabby is that he didn't get sunglasses like everybody else. It's no fun to squint all day. Tterrace is completely right, roadtrips just aren't the same without a big ol' station wagon. I loved sitting in the rear-facing seat when I was a kid. And I remember being fascinated by the tailgate that could open two ways: swinging from the left-side hinge or folding down like a pickup truck. Hi Pat QYour recollections are so evocative of those road trips from another time. Life seemed simpler, or is it just filtered through our nostalgia screen? Great Time To Be AliveSure brings back memories!! I started HS in '68. We went on many, many driving vacations to New Mexico, Colorado, OK, MO & many places near the Panhandle of Texas where I grew up!! Road trips now are usually to the coast or TX Hill Country, but still have a magic to them, leaving before the sun's up!! ChevelleLove the car. In high school, a wagon was an embarrassment. Now I wish I had one. VentipanesOur family of six and a dog would pile into our '63 Lincoln and while sitting in the driveway Dad would ask Mom, "Okay, where do you all want to go?" Then we would be off to Nova Scotia or Florida. There was no AC in either the Lincoln or the '63 Impala we had so we would drive the whole way with windows open in the summer heat. If you turned the vent windows all the way open so they were facing into the car they would generate a terrific amount of airflow into the cabin at highway speed. It was quite comfortable actually and 40+ years later I wish cars still had those vent windows. Lunar summerSeveral have mentioned the Apollo 11 landing. I have a similar tale. I was 7, just a little too young to understand the significance of the event. I remember my mother trying to keep me interested as she sat on the edge of her seat watching the coverage. Now I'm glad I remember that night, and get chills watching the video and Walter Cronkite taking off his glasses and saying "Whoo boy!" totally at a loss for words. That was an awesome summer! Oh yeah, we had a station wagon too. '69 Caprice Estate with fake wood paneling! Almost had the wagon...Our family was cursed to miss out on having station wagon vacations - first time in '65, we were supposed to be getting a red '62 Corvair wagon from my uncle who was going into the Air Force but he hit some black ice and rolled it while he was delivering it from back east (he was unhurt). Next in '66 we traded our rusted-out '56 Chevy for a beige '63 Dodge 440 eight-passenger wagon; I was looking forward riding in the third seat on our annual trip from Chicago to Paducah, but a lady in a '62 Continental hit it. We ended up with a maroon '65 Impala hardtop for the next several years' vacations, but at least it had AC! Our imitation wagonWe did not have a wagon so Dad cut a piece of plywood for the back seat of our 57 Mercury that gave us kids a full flat surface in the back seat. Holding it up were two coolers on the floor. On top Dad blew up two air mattresses, then they gave us "kiddy drugs" (gravol). They caught onto that after the first trip in which that back seat became a wrestling arena. Hi BarrydaleSugar Sugar is a favorite of mine to this day. The San Gabriel Valley has changed a lot since those days, eh? And the year beforeAnd the year prior to this photo my family, consisting of myself at 13, my sisters aged 10 and 4 (or 5) loaded up in a 2 door Marquis and headed from Raleigh up through Indiana, SD, WY Oregon down through LA and back east across the desert through AZ, NM, TX and driving one marathon from Texarkana to Anderson SC in one day, during the peace marches throughout the South that summer! I still remember passing the civil rights marchers for mile after mile on the roads through MS, AL and GA. The trip took two months.... and you think YOU heard whining from your brother? Sometimes things don't changeThe socks may be a little bit high, and shorts a bit short, but the way you are dressed is exactly the way many kids at my middle/high school dress now. Especially the ones going into high school, I'm just stunned by how similar you are. I could actually almost confuse you with my younger brother, who is so similar he even has blond hair. Right now I'm planning a road trip in my 1968 Ford Falcon for the spring, its a 4 door sedan and not a wagon. But it is a daily driver kind of car, not a show car, so I drive it in the same way your parents might have driven their car, not to show off, but just to get around. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Kids)
Eagle Fruit Store: 1942
Eagle Fruit Store and Capital Hotel at 10th and P, Lincoln, Nebraska. 1942. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2011 - 4:01pm -

Eagle Fruit Store and Capital Hotel at 10th and P, Lincoln, Nebraska. 1942. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon. View full size. Rode hard, put away wetThe car on the right is a 1938 Studebaker -- the headlights are the "datestamp" -- looks like it's been a tough four years. i sure enjoyed this site. myi sure enjoyed this site. my daughter sent it to me. i am 73 so i really like looking at it. sami Eagle Fruit StoreWhat is the intersection? What is there now? It would be interesting to see a "then and now" contrast. [The intersection seems to be 10th and P. In the back you can see the Hotel Capital, which is still there, at the top left of the satellite photo below. - Dave] 10th & PBoomer's Printing Company is currently at 10th & P Street. Bottom left corner of the satellite aerial. The hotel was probably "Hotel Capitol" and not "Capital" since Lincoln is the capitol (ol ending) city of Nebraska. The hotel has been renovated and is now condominiums. Wish I could see the front of the old coffee shop, too! [Lincoln is the capital (ending in -al) of Nebraska. Capitol (ending in -ol) is the big building in the capital city where all the lawmakers meet. The hotel is the Capital (below). - Dave] +68This is indeed the corner of 10th and P Streets looking east. As noted by Lincolnite, Boomer's Printing now occupies the corner where the Eagle Fruit Store was in 1942. The earlier building was razed and replaced by a Trailways bus station which was subsequently replaced by Boomer's. This is the same view from the same perspective taken on March 23, 2010. It's difficult to see, but the Capital Hotel building is still visible as is the square white ornamentation on its corner which can be seen just above the green overhang in the 1942 view (it's obscured by trees in the 2010 shot). (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Stores & Markets)
Good American Food: 1942
May 1942. "Grand Island, Nebraska." Home of the "homey" Palace Cafe. Medium format acetate negative by ... signs directed at "tourists" ... what made Grand Island, Nebraska a tourist hot spot in 1942? What tourists? Both cafes seem to ... food and service in the middle of 1942 in the middle of Nebraska? Somehow I doubt that the Caredis Cafe next door is offering moussaka ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/19/2022 - 12:51pm -

May 1942. "Grand Island, Nebraska." Home of the "homey" Palace Cafe. Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Now, good ol' American marketing.Lots of building still there, but that monster in the center is gone. On the horns of a dilemmaI'm drawn to the courteous service and homey atmosphere at the New Palace -- not to mention the modern rest rooms and reasonable prices -- but then at Caredis I am welcome "just as I am" and am invited to inspect their ... something. Whatever it is, I'd like to check it out. Since I'm so welcome. In other news, the woman walking away from the camera on the far right-hand side of the photo instantly struck me as resembling Loretta, the female assassin who walks towards Robert Redford a/k/a Johnny Hooker in the alleyway in The Sting. Loretta wasn't wearing a headscarf, but still. Gives me chills just thinking about it. Both the Palace Cafe and Caredis Cafehave large signs directed at "tourists" ... what made Grand Island, Nebraska a tourist hot spot in 1942? What tourists?Both cafes seem to be catering to tourists. I wonder how big the hospitality business was in Grand Island 5 months into WWII. The Palace Cafe looks like it was a movie house in a past life, what with that sidewalk canopy/marquee and the vertical signage. Superb (Again)Vachon wasn't one of the photographers I learned about back when that was my field of study. But I'm going to make up for lost time. These Shorpy sharings induced me to buy a couple of his books. I eagerly await their arrival. Rare bird sighting!Photographer Vachon, perhaps by chance, captured the ultra-rare auto seen here in the closest parking space on the right-hand side. The famed Borden Dairy firm decided, in the mid 1920s, to branch into another industry, and thus was born Borden's Eagle Automobiles, Inc. There was just one model, shown here: the Borden's Eagle Condensed Special. Unfortunately, the demand for such a truncated car just wasn't enough to justify the investment and the venture was unsuccessful, folding after just two years. MystifiedWhat would have been un-American food and service in the middle of 1942 in the middle of Nebraska? Somehow I doubt that the Caredis Cafe next door is offering moussaka instead of mac and cheese, bifteki instead of burgers or baklava instead of apple pie. But the cooled air and the 24/7 might be a thorn in the side of the New Palace Cafe. [In the 1920s and '30s, any American restaurant with "Palace" in its name was very likely a chop suey joint serving Chinese food. Grand Island's original Palace Cafe, whose owner Saburo Shindo was Japanese, was one of them. - Dave] CuisineNo sushi or weinerschnitzel. Evolution of transportationFrom right hand corner: Walking-bicycling-Model T Ford-Model A Ford-current Chevrolet. But seriously --It's a Ford Model T from the last few years of its' run, 1925 or so to '27. Comparing it in size with the brand-new '42 Chevy across the street shows just how much the "low-priced 3" American cars had grown already. TouristsConstruction started on the nearby Cornhusker Ordnance Plant in March 1942. Thousands moved there to work at the plant, making Grand Island a boom-town with a shortage of housing. Suspect "tourist" in this sense would mean "out of towner". Why tourists?Grand Island would have been a good day's drive east from Denver in the 1940s. It was probably a natural stopping point unless people really wanted to press on more hours to Lincoln or Omaha. One reason for Grand Island tourists in 1942In 1905, in a tiny rental home at 622 W. Division Street in Grand Island (in "Railroad town") a child was born to a recently-married couple with special Shorpy-cred: Uneeda Biscuits Co. salesman William Fonda, and his wife Herberta. The baby was named Henry. The Fonda family's stay in Grand Island was brief; the next year, the threesome moved east to Omaha, where Henry was raised and developed an interest in theatre. Fifteen months before this picture was taken, Henry was nominated for an Oscar for playing Tom Joad in John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." He didn't win then, but would win one eventually. AAF Base, Grand IslandMy late father was an engine mechanic on the big WWII bombers (B-17, B-24, B-29). He spent essentially the entirety of his service at the AAF bases in Fort Hayes, Kansas, and Grand Island, Nebraska. Anyone who's ever spent time near a military base knows there are always lots of "tourists." (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Karl the Karrot: 1955
... birthday, ca. 1959/1960. Local Kids Shows The Lincoln, Nebraska area had Sheriff Bill and Silent Orv (who was silent because they'd ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/22/2011 - 4:52pm -

This button was a promotional piece about 1-3/4" in diameter, given out by shoe stores on the purchase of a pair of Keds, one of the sponsors of the daily kids' show "Fireman Frank" broadcast by KRON-TV in San Francisco during the mid-50s. Fireman Frank was George Lemont, a hip SF deejay who stepped into the role after the original Fireman, a roly-poly avuncular gent more in the style of a kids' TV host, dropped dead. Lemont's humor appealed as much to adults as well as kids; you could hear the studio crew guffawing off-camera at things that went over our heads. Between cartoons, Lemont brought out his cast of puppets, including robot Dynamo Dudley, the beret-wearing, bop-talking Scat the Cat and best of all, Karl the Karrot. Karl, as you can see, was a sort of proto-beatnik, literally a carrot with a pair of shades. His dialog consisted entirely of "blubble-lubble-lubble" while he thrashed about, chlorophyl topknot flailing. At home, we were all in convulsions on the floor. Original Fireman FrankI remember watching the jolly chubby Fireman Frank. One day he was gone. I wondered what happen to him. Does anyone know his name? Fireman Frank FanThis is cool. I loved afternoons and Saturdays with Fireman Frank on the tube. It killed me how Fireman Frank broke himself up waving around a limp Karl the Karrot - where Karl would stare out blankly, bobbling up and down as Frank tried to contain his hysterics below while snorting in a vain attempt to conceal his own amusement. Fireman FrankHey, my cousin, best friend and I were on that show. We just loved it. When he interviewed the peanut galery (that was on Firman Frank I think) He asked my cousin, who had swiped her mom's hat to wear there, to show her profile so that the audience could see her hat. She of course did not know what that meant, so she took it off and gave it to him. It was funny to me because when she got home she got into trouble for taking the hat. I of course was happy she had gotten scolded as she was a very pretty girl and was always the center of attention. I was just a messy little tomboy that just went along for the ride. Thanks for the memories. Local live kid showsmust have been a national staple. In Texas, we had Mr. Peppermint in Fort Worth, Uncle Jay and his sidekick Packer Jack, an old prospector, in Austin and Cap'n Jack (I think) in San Antonio. Even tiny KCEN in Temple had their own guy, who could draw a picture from a kid's scrawl. We went for my brother's birthday, ca. 1959/1960. Local Kids ShowsThe Lincoln, Nebraska area had Sheriff Bill and Silent Orv (who was silent because they'd have to pay him more if he spoke). Later on, I learned television directing on the last live "Romper Room" in the country - never knew what might happen with a roomful of pre-schoolers on live TV. Fireman Frank FanTo add to the Fireman Frank archive: Dynamo Dudley's mother (or mother-in-law) was a can of nails that would be grabbed and rattled whenever it seemed necessary. Yahoo! At Last...he's alive!!!I have vivid memories of Karl the Karrot...one of my all time favorite TV characters. I have been asking people "Do you ever remember watching a show in the 50's with Karl the Karrot who just bobbled his head around and went...blblblblblblblbl blblblblb blblbl?" No one remembered and I was beginning to think I'd made it up! Thank you for bringing Karl (and that cool button) back to me...I shall forward this page to the zillion people who thought I was just having another acid flash!! Holy Karrot juice!Never thought I'd find a person who had seen that show. I remember the carrot losing his "vigor" over the week and being pretty limp on Friday to be revitalized on Monday. I have the button also. (After 50-some years) Fireman FrankI was on Fireman Frank with the greatest young comedienne of her time, Westlake Stephie, age 7. It was a fun show. Fireman Frank againWatched it everyday it with on. The thing I remember most was, Fireman Frank said "we don't like Lima beans," and I still don't like them. Rhode Island RedI, too, loved Fireman Frank. Wasn't Rhode Island Red one of his characters, too? The limp Karl the Karrot, wobbling around by Friday afternoon, was something we all looked forward to. Thanks for bringing back these wonderful memories. Too bad there aren't any witty kids' shows today. And I think the Peanut Gallery was Howdy Doody (with Buffalo Bob Smith) and not part of Fireman Frank. Karlotta Karrot During those years of childhood in San Francisco there were truly great kids' shows. Fireman Frank was without question the best. I remember Karl's girlfriend Karlotta, who spoke in the same type of oogle pattern that Karl used. By the way does anybody remember during Christmas time when Happy Holly of the Whitehouse department store called Santa? Love Karl the KarrotKids' shows in the '50s were great. I loved Fireman Frank and Karl the Karrot. My absolute favorite though was the Banana Man on Captain Kangaroo! Banana ManI never saw Karl the Karrot (we had The Old Rebel and Cowboy Fred and Captain Five at various times), but The Banana Man was my absolute, all-time favorite too. If you never saw his act, it's hard to imagine what it was like. Here is a website, somewhat disorganized, with a lot of info: http://facweb.furman.edu/~rbryson/BananaMan/index.html The "Sam Levine" and "History" links are the best, but it's all interesting (to absolute fans anyway). Py-O-My was the sponsorI remember having to put up with Frank while babysitting my little sister after school before the folks got home (I was a teenager then) and the sponsor for a while was Py-O-My (kind of like Betty Crocker) dessert and pudding mix. Rumor was that the original Fireman Frank partook too much of Py-O-My and dropped dead of blocked arteries. I remember a couple of guys in our neighborhood and I set up a FF-like puppet show one summer to earn money to buy Superman and other comics by charging a nickel to the little kids who wanted to watch. One guy's older sister made a "Scat the Cat"-type sock puppet while I had fun cutting and pasting pieces of cardboard together to make a Dynamo Dudley. I remember one kid's mom getting upset because he has swiped the only two carrots in the house to make Karl (In those days two carrots went into the stew). We made enough to make our local grocer happy to sell those horrible old comic books. Fond RekollektionsI remember the Karl the Karrot episode where he had a fight with Rocky Mashed Potato. I loved Scat the Cat,with his band-aid on one of his cheeks. Rhode Island Red the giant rooster puppet, with a wing that would pop up like it was pointing while he said, "He went thataway!" then break into a silly laugh while his head went up & down. Wish someone can find the name of the original Fireman Frank...just for memories and recognition for him. Fireman Frank ShowThat was a great show; a classic 50's kids show. Can't forget Skipper Sedley who became "Sir Sedley" for whatever reason. Also "Mayor Art"; "Bozo The Clown"; "Captain Satellite" and on a national level, "Howdy Doody" and "The Micky Mouse Club" These were all basically afternoon and Saturday shows. The essential 50's morning children's show was of course, "Captain Kangaroo" with the classic serial Cartoon "Tom Terrific".. Frank and Karl! Oh yeah!Great memories. Loved Fireman Frank and Karl too. I remember Karl getting more wilted every day. And I do remember Happy Holly at Xmas time. This is the first time I have heard anyone else mention Happy. Those were great days for kids' shows. I had the TV pretty much to myself as my parents and older sisters had not acquired the habit of watching very much. I have been trying to find video snips of some of those old shows but they are rare. Loved Fireman Frank!Fireman Frank used to show "The Little Rascals" as well as cartoons. Plus he demonstrated how to make chocolate milk with Bosco. His puppets were hilarious. Scat the Cat had been in fights and had a rough voice. I think robot Dynamo Dudley talked in gibberish like Karl the Karrot. I had a Dynamo Dudley Club Card at one time. The funniest puppet was Rhode Island Red, the rooster. My mother would come into the room and laugh. I would love to see photos or kinescopes of that show. Where is this stuff? THE DAY KARL "DIED" !The "Fireman Frank Show" with Lemont was the best kids program ever and Karl The Karrot was special. Karl was a real carrot and noticably "age" or wilt every day due to the hot studio lights. I clearly remember Karl breaking off in Lemont's hand during their dialogue and Lemont saying something like: "Ah kids; Karl is hurt but will be back like new soon. And of course Karl returned as a fresh new carrot for the next show. I'll never forget the shock of Karl's "accident" and "relief" at seeing him back better than ever for the next show! My kids thought I was making this story up when shared during their youth. Thanks for the super comments. Fireman FrankSeveral commenters have asked about the first Fireman Frank, the one who George Lemont took over from. I just came across a post on a forum from someone who remembers, and the guy's name was apparently Frank Smith. So now we also know where the Frank came from. Fireman Frank 1955-57Coming to the SF Bay Area and getting our first TV in April 1955 I only recall the latter (thin) Fireman Frank (with his weekday nightly KRON show after the early evening news and a longer one on Saturday afternoons with a drawing contest that I submitted to a few times). Captain Fortune had an early Sat morn one on KPIX, with the stock intro showing a bunch of kids running up to a large Victorian-looking house on a hill. One of CF's standard features was to have one of the guests make some scrawl on a large drawing pad and then ask him to turn it into a specific item. KPIX also had a late afternoon (pre-news) Deputy Dave featuring, of course, western films (vs cartoons). It seemed like that they all had Bosco as a sponsor (using a milk carton that had its brand obscured). He once had a contest for an (outboard) power boat - awarded for the best name for it. An acquaintance of my father won with "DD5" for Deputy Dave (Channel) 5! The arrival of the Mickey Mouse Club on ABC (KGO) in October 1955 provided some stiff competition for some of these locally-originated afternoon kid shows. The San Antonio show mentioned earlier was Captain Gus on KENS in the afternoons http://www.dmd52.net/blast.html feauring mostly Popeye and Three Stooges fare, at least during the few seasons of its 2-decade + run that it had my attention. Before Fireman FrankGeorge Lemont was to kids as Don Sherwood was to the adults. I remember his predecessor, Frank Smith, but George had a show before Fireman Frank. He was called Uncle George and would draw caricatures and cartoon pictures. He used clever cross-hatch shading on his drawings and would call them "the downtown treatment." I loved his puppets, but he reached a new height with the introduction of Karl the Karrot! Great days of kids' TV back then: Kris Kuts (the felt shapes), Deputy Dave Allen, Captain Fortune (Who's that knocking on my barrel?), Mayor Art, Crusader Rabbit (voice done by a lady from Petaluma, I'm told)and Captain Satellite (I remember seeing his first telecast on that NEW channel, KTVU). Del Courtney and Tony Petucci (Ralph Manza), Sandy (The moon belongs to everyone, the best things in life are free) Spellman, Fran O'Brien, Sherwood's minions, Bobby Troop, George Cerutti, Julie London, and Ronnie Schell. Great times. Rad CarrotThat is a mighty rad carrot with a hairy nose and wild hair. No wonder why he had some major kid appeal. The 50's Bay Area Christmas While reminiscing about Fireman Frank and Captain Fortune, each Christmas, I always recall with grand fondness those early television trips to the North Pole escorted by the magic elf, Happy Hollie. "Happy Hollie calling Santa Claus at the North Pole... come in, Santa!" I believe it was brought to you by either "The White House", or "City of Paris". You could always be assured there'd be one commercial by "Mission Pac"... fruit packages for mail delivery to east coast friends. "No gift so bright, so gay, so right, send a Mission Pac on its way" Fireman FrankI'm so happy to learn there are others that have fond memories of Fireman Frank / Uncle George! Remember how he'd have the puppets refer to him as "skinny-in-the pit"? I would crack up when he'd tell the kids to be sure to send in for his one-way yoyo while just dropping a stringless yoyo. The lady who voiced Crusader RabbitHer name was Lucille Bliss, and she also did Smurfette. But legendary to me is the fact she waited tables on the side, and a deejay from KSAN recognized her voice, and asked her to come into the station and record the doomsday alerts. "This is a test - this is only a test. In the event of an actual alert, " etc. In the voice of Crusader Rabbit! This included (I assume) the real kiss your butt goodbye warning, in the event of nuclear war! Man- would I love to hear a copy of this. Jay Ward with Art Alexander created the Rabbit here in Berkeley, eventually moving to LA for production. You can read all about it in The Moose That Roared, by Keith Scott. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Curiosities, tterrapix)
Grand Grocery: 1942
1942. Grand Grocery in Lincoln, Nebraska. View full size. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/11/2007 - 9:45pm -

1942. Grand Grocery in Lincoln, Nebraska. View full size. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon. Alternate version shows a different view. 12 Ounces?It's amazing how much we as a society have come to consume--both in terms of foodstuffs and material goods. I don't think you could purchase only 12 ounces of a soft drink today even if you wanted to. It's the behemoth 44 ouncer or nothing!! TatersInflation sucks!! Potatoes, 4 cents a pound?? [Something tells me that potatoes today are probably even cheaper, adjusted for inflation. Class? - Dave] TatersPotatoes at 4 cents a pound in 1942 would cost about 50 cents a pound in 2007 according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minnesota. They have a neat calculator that lets one compare prices back to 1913. The link below will take you to the site. http://www.minneapolisfed.org/research/data/us/calc/index.cfm [Thanks. So how much do potatoes cost now? - Dave] Why the potatoes?Ok first of all, why are the potatoes the only thing in discussion? Also, why is there a picture of a lady under the sign that says quality meat, how old are rice crispies, and does it say weiner over the red cross on the door? ANSWERS: 1. That's the Old Dutch Cleanser lady, the Dutch Cleanser people having supplied the signs (probably for free). 2. Rice Krispies: Wikipedia says 1928. 3. It says Weiners on the glass for the same reason it says Oranges and Grapefruit on the glass. - Dave OhOh,...thankyou. Pepsi-ColaPepsi-Cola hits the spot! 12 full ounces, that's a lot! Twice as much for a nickel, too! Pepsi-cola is the drink for you! Pepsi ColaThe Pepsi jingle - "twice as much for a nickel too" - was a bit of a double edged sword for them. It stated that the drink was a bargain but also indicated that it was cheaper to make - presumably by using corn syrup rather than real sugar which of course doesn't give the same taste. The cost issue tended to appeal to people on the lower economic side. In Quebec it wasn't uncommon for French-Canadians to refer to themselves as "Pepsis" or for that term to have been used as a derogative by Anglophones. Pepsi JingleInterestingly, don't the lyrics imply that the competition (Coca Cola?) only sold 6 ounces for the same price? [Yes. - Dave] Potatoes now cost about .99Potatoes now cost about 99 cents a pound for Idaho baking potatoes, though it depends on the store and the season. 25 cents a poundA local store here in Joplin, Missouri has Russet potatoes $4.99 for a 20-pound bag. Translated, 25 cents a pound. InflationMy taters are 59 cents a pound at the grocery store today. On sale they would run about 39 cents. So for 1942 = 3¢ a pound. Not bad! OrangesThis is the type of place my grandparents went to all the time. Amidst the oranges, what are those redder things? I'm hoping/assuming those aren't rotten oranges, but I don't think rotten oranges turn red, but green to black. I can't figure those out. [Maybe this is why they're a penny apiece. Eww. - Dave] CopenhagenNote the Copenhagen sign under the left window. That's the same logo they still use. Yech!Maybe i'll have an apple instead... Mary?i do believe i see the face of the Virgin in those oranges. either that or a man with a machinegun. Blood OrangesThose could have been blood oranges that had the peelings removed. They are common and we have them here in California. They are delicious. Re: Blood OrangesOn the NewspaperArchive site I found some ads for these penny-apiece oranges in the Lincoln newspapers from 1942. They were described as "commodity surplus" and as "juice oranges - very thin skins." Basically they seem to have been giving them away as part of a program run by the Surplus Marketing Administration. Oranges Aren't some of them just wrapped in red tissue paper? 7UpAlong with Pepsi, there is also the 7Up sign below it. The name was chosen as a way to indicate more for the money, the pitch being that you got an extra ounce(7 instead of 6) compared to Coke for your 5c. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Stores & Markets)
Coeducated: 1942
May 1942. Lincoln, Nebraska. "University of Nebraska during final exam and commencement week. Bob Aden studying with ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/27/2021 - 1:03pm -

May 1942. Lincoln, Nebraska. "University of Nebraska during final exam and commencement week. Bob Aden studying with his wife in their apartment." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. Nice leg makeupShe either bought the premium stuff or really had a good tan; silk stockings were NG by that time. Needed for the war effort. A better captionI don't know what this says about me, but my first thought for a new caption was "Bob Aden mansplaining the concept of in-group dynamics to his wife, Marion. Both are students at University of Nebraska." (I'm pretty sure that's a social psychology textbook.) Keeping track of John VachonOver past months on Shorpy, we've been following John Vachon as he moved around photographing military preparations and military environments during the lead-up to U.S. entry into World War II. Now the war is on and Vachon is assigned to the Office of War Information. Here he is in the farm belt, photographing university students, one an MBA candidate, the other a liberal-arts major. The connection to War Information? The Adens' lives, like almost everyone's, are about to change radically. Looking forward to following Vachon's further movements. (He stayed with OWI until it was shut down in 1943. He was drafted near the end of the war.) Apologies to Dali, a melting radio?Being a native Floridian my experience with radiators is minimal but I'm told they can get really hot. A few observationsIt must have been a nice day with the window cracked. Bob's shoes need a shine (the Navy will fix that) but otherwise the happy couple seem to be fairly comfortable. I note their own telephone which was a luxury not within the budget of your typical college students. Even a party line hookup cost more money than most students could afford. I am guessing that come graduation Bob will be off to the Navy per a comment on the previous discussion thread. Those Old PhonesCould weigh a ton. My grandmother had one (from the 30's) and holding that handset for longer than a few minutes would give her cramps. They were not all that good at fidelity either. Leg Makeup Did Exist.I was an urchin during WWII. My aunts did buy leg makeup in a bottle that to my untrained eye did look like the real thing. That sofa!My great aunt had a sofa with upholstery like that, and it's very unusual. The pile is almost wiry, yet you could push it from side to side with your hand. Strangest feeling upholstery ever. [It may have been some sort of scrunchy nylon. My grandparents had a swivel chair upholstered with the same stuff. - Dave] Domestic dreamyI'm crushing on the understated romance in this photo, since I'm sure Mr. Aden was covertly admiring Mrs. Aden's gorgeous gams, leg makeup or no leg makeup. (And I LOVE leg makeup ... I'm wearing Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs as we speak.) Another thing I love is Mrs. Aden's cute glass shelf and the charming little lay-abouts placed just so both there and on the sill beneath. And I want that Bakelite radio. Family CircusThe Family Circus comic book just peeking out in the magazine holder is perfect. I'm sure these adorable co-eds weren't reading it. Leaves me wondering, who was the Family Circus fan? [Comic book? - Dave] I stand corrected ... never heard of Family Circle mag, though Wikipedia says it continued to be published until 2019. (The Gallery, Education, Schools, John Vachon)
Omaha Stakes: 1938
... from the original negative. November 1938. Omaha, Nebraska. "Cars parked diagonally along a row of parking meters." Photo by John ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2017 - 11:06am -

        We've updated this post from 2008, originally illustrated with a low-res catalog print, with this high-resolution scan made from the original negative. November 1938. Omaha, Nebraska. "Cars parked diagonally along a row of parking meters." Photo by John Vachon for the FSA. View full size. All the same?Look closely, the first seven cars are all different, two doors, four doors, at least two different coupes. Look at some of the color pictures from this time frame you will see many different colors also. [I think the point is that the first three or four cars are remarkably similar in appearance, superficially at least. They seem to be the same make. No doubt the car experts out there can ID them. - Dave] ArrowsThe parking lines becoming arrows on the sidewalk pointing to which car goes with which meter ... great! CarsI think this is the first picture of this type that I've seen from the 30s where all of the cars look very late model. It isn't just the cars in front, the ones in the background are new looking as well, no model A's, or T's. I'm not a car expert, but I think you get what I mean. The closest three carsAre all 1936 Fords. The leaping greyhound hood ornament on the first car was a popular accessory of the era. The fourth car down appears to be a 1937 Packard. Beyond that it gets difficult to tell. The coupe with the sidemounted spare (the fifth car down) might be a Buick. Japanese Flag?Fifth parking meter down has a short flagpole beside it which appears to be flying a Japanese flag. Japanese FlagSeems to me the flag is not flying next to the parking meter but on a car parked behind the meter. Maybe there is some kind of meeting going on, judging from all the late model, official-looking, cars parked in a row. That in fact may have been the real subject of this photo. [The "real subject" is "cars parked diagonally." - Dave] POVA similar picture today would show a mass of silvery/light gold colored 4 door econoboxes. Fifty years from now a viewer would be hard pressed to discern one from another. Carbon CopiesSo everyone had the exact same car back then? ColorYou can get a car in any color you want, as long as it's black. Hood OrnamentThe leaping greyhound was also the hood ornament that represented Lincoln automobiles. Now, a Lincoln is part of the Ford Motor Company, but a Lincoln is not a Ford and vice versa. "Japanese" FlagThat's no Japanese flag -- it's a flag indicating a bus route. They still have the same design in Omaha today except they are metal now. There are ones with blue dots and green dots as well. Corner of 16th and DodgeThe location of the Woolworth's is now the spot where the First National Bank Tower stands and the Metropolitan Drug Store is its parking garage. The only building on that corner still standing would be the one from where the picture is taken. Movie on the marqueePretty sure the movie playing in the theater in the background is THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER, starring Bob Burns and Fay Bainter (names on middle row)! The 5th car down is indeed a BuickIt's a 1938 Club Coupe. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Omaha)
Ducts in a Row: 1934
June 1934. "Nebraska State Capitol at Lincoln. Supply fan room." Part of the Nebraska Oratory Exhaust System (NOES), designed to expel hot air from the ... first to reply? It doesn't work. Thank goodness Nebraska's legislature is unicameral. Only half the hot air of other states. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/29/2015 - 12:43pm -

June 1934. "Nebraska State Capitol at Lincoln. Supply fan room." Part of the Nebraska Oratory Exhaust System (NOES), designed to expel hot air from the legislative chamber. 5x7 negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Can I be the first to reply?It doesn't work. Thank goodnessNebraska's legislature is unicameral. Only half the hot air of other states. Far From HomeWhat were Mr Gottscho and/or Mr Schleisner doing in Nebraska? [Do I really have to say it? -tterrace] Yes. Gottschco et al's work seemed to be mainly in the NYC Metro area. What brought them to Lincoln? There had to be other capable Photographers closer to those ducts. Underpowered They're going to need a bigger fan... Variable speed?The devices on stands in front of each motor might be some kind of variable speed control. Even back then, a simple motor starter, or one that could reverse a motor, wouldn't have been that big. I'm not sure if they would have been adjusted based on the season, or occupancy, or something else. Those mesh panels are at least trying to keep people out of the belts. These days, the belts would probably have to be totally enclosed, like this. https://www.osha.gov/Publications/Mach_SafeGuard/gif/mach13.gif They'd also be V-belts, rather than flat leather, but I think V-belts didn't get used as much for things like this until synthetic rubber got better, during and after WWII. (Technology, The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner)
Finals Week: 1942
May 1942. Lincoln, Nebraska. "University of Nebraska during final exam and commencement week. Bob Aden (at the second ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/27/2021 - 12:56pm -

May 1942. Lincoln, Nebraska. "University of Nebraska during final exam and commencement week. Bob Aden (at the second table) studying in the library. He is working toward a master's degree in Business Administration; his wife is in the university's Liberal Arts college." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. 6 feetSocially Distanced. Social distancing,1942 style. Good ventilation, too. Add tattoos, piercings, a different style of clothing and surgical masks, and presto, you have a fast forward to 2021. Café chairsI associate that type of chair more with a café in France than I do with a library in Nebraska. I love the way everyone (except for the gals at the very back) has his or her head down, busy reading or writing. And there’s a spartan cleanness to the landscape, without the plugs and cords and apparatus mess and distraction of electronic devices. And that wife would bethe former Marion Cramer of Galesburg, Illinois. After Robert's stint in the Navy at Pearl Harbor the couple would return to his home town, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 1946, where he would become president of the South Dakota Oil Company and she of the Sioux Falls Mental Health Association. The couple had two children. Mrs. Aden died in 1971. Bob would marry Kaye Hyde in September 1971, and she passed in 1999. Mr. Aden died in 2003 at the age of 84. Here is the first Mrs. Aden. You could never doze off ... in one of those chairs. Perfectly designed for napless hours in the library. (The Gallery, Education, Schools, John Vachon)
Elinor Blevins, Auto Fiend: 1915
... View full size. Movie Star Eleanor Blevins from Lincoln, Nebraska, was in 24 movies between 1913 and 1916. This list of Iowa ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2012 - 4:26am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1915. "Miss Elinor Blevins. Movie star, aviatrix, auto fiend." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Movie StarEleanor Blevins from Lincoln, Nebraska, was in 24 movies between 1913 and 1916. This list of Iowa orphans lists an "Elinor Blevins" who apparently went to Lincoln. StreamlinerThe car is a racing car (giveaway is the big numbers), but it's also equipped for high speeds with special aerodynamic modifications. Note the fairing around the radiator in front and the boat tail. It might be that the exhaust coming out of the dashboard, as noted by Toto, is some sort of aero trick of the period, since it would be tough on the passenger. It would be piping hot after a few minutes with engine running, and if it leaked, it would gas both the occupants with carbon monoxide (cars of the period usually ran rich, and of course had no catalytic converters). I do not see any third person in the car even though I blew up the picture. To me it looks like the car is right hand drive and Miss Blevins is driving, even though the male passenger has goggles (appropriate for the period with no windshield) and she doesn't. The cockpits of racing cars of the period would hardly have room for a third person anyway. Could it be that the car was prepared for a land speed record attempt? That would explain the fairing. Could it be British? That might explain the right hand drive. [There were plenty of RHD American cars in the teens. No one would be gassed by CO -- it's an open car. That "hidden driver" comment -- it was a joke. Next! - Dave] Hidden DriverI can't be the only one to notice that she isn't driving the car. There are three occupants. The man in the near passenger seat, she is in the middle, and the driver is clearly a slouched-down Oscar the Grouch. You can see his hand on the steering wheel. ExhaustedCould that possibly be the exhaust pipe coming out of the passenger compartment beneath the man's arm? If not what is it? They're definitely sittingThey're definitely sitting still, as the cameras of that period didn't have fast enough shutters to capture motion effectively. Not a pedal car, though. You can see the engine crank on the front between the wheels. [Shutter speeds on a good circa 1915 camera -- measured in thousandths of a second -- would indeed be fast enough to freeze the wheels on a moving vehicle. The question would be how fast can the car be going before the wheels start to blur. - Dave] Whoah, Nellie!"Movie star, aviatrix, auto fiend?" I think I have a new girl-crush! Weightman SpecialWell at long last I know her name! The guy is one D. Braily Gish, a hot-shoe auto dealer in the Washington area known for his fast driving. Who knows if he was related to the famous actress sisters. The racing car is called the Weightman Special and still exists. It was made up by an eccentric millionaire named William "Wild Bill" Weightman, the ne'er-do-well heir of a Philadelphia dynasty known for its monopoly on the production of quinine. "Will Bill" fancied himself a race car driver and bought up or built several such cars. This one was made on the frame of a Stutz Bearcat and had a most unusual racing engine -- hence the exhaust pipe exiting through the cockpit. The pictures were probably part of a set taken by the National Photo Company in Washington during November of 1916, when auto races were held at the Benning Track, a horse racing oval east of the city. D. Braily Gish won the feature race in the Weightman Special against other local speed demons. The car was then sent to California, where "Wild Bill" Weightman raced it. It survives in a private collection. And here it is todayAt Monterey. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Movies)
High Voltage: 1934
June 1934. "Nebraska State Capitol at Lincoln. Transformers." Large-format acetate negative ... ground. The building is 400 feet tall. It is the third Nebraska State Capitol. It cost $9.8 million in 1932 dollars. Ommmmm ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/21/2014 - 8:24pm -

June 1934. "Nebraska State Capitol at Lincoln. Transformers." Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Fuse cutoutsI agree- those are fuse cutouts. And since there are six, these must be delta connected transformers. Wye-connection is more common today and requires only 3 fuses. Arresters are usually located outside the building where the feed is tapped off the distribution. Quick factsabout the magnificent Art Deco style building: Construction started in 1922, completed in 1932. The architect was Bertram G. Goodhue. There are 15 floors above ground. The building is 400 feet tall. It is the third Nebraska State Capitol. It cost $9.8 million in 1932 dollars. OmmmmmYes, I bet I know what that room sounded like. Probably a little lower, closer to a pure 60 hertz than today, since there were no switching power supplies to draw higher-harmonic currents. I'm pretty sure that the things that resemble rolling pins are actually surge arrestors, and the high voltage conductors coming into them look like a good example of the old-school hand-taped terminations that old-time electricians talk about, before today's termination kits that make the job easier. (Not that I actually have any real high-voltage experience.) I wish I had an unobstructed view of that sign, to know what digits precede "00 VOLTS". I'm guessing 6600 or 6900. You could get either from the same equipment, depending on how the regulators were set at the substation. In the '30s, standard voltages were usually multiples of either 110 or 115, varying by utility, but since at least the '60s, 120 ±5% is the uniform standard. Nevertheless, people not even born then persist in calling it "110". Oh, and I should mention that they look beautiful in black-and-white, and that sign is probably porcelain enamel and I want it on my wall. HmmmThose devices look more like fuses to me. Pull straight down to disconnect. The "rolling pin things"The things that look like rolling pins are cutouts. They are used as a means of disconnection. Pulling the handle straight down (and out of the main body) opens the circuit. Cutouts often (but not always) includes a fuse. This was the next step beyond the "Frankenstein laboratory" -style open blade knife switch. Looking at the size of the bushings (insulators) and wiring, my guess is that the voltage is either 2200 or 4100. These were common distribution voltages back in the day. Fast-forward to todayFuture PCB cleanup site! PCB's If You Please.Great picture! I remember as a young lad in high school electrical class in the early 60's, our teacher took us on a field trip to an electrical transformer manufacturing factory on Evans Ave in West Toronto not too far from our school. What stands out in my mind is the factory employees clad in big rubber boots and raincoats, filling these transformers with PCB oil from a hose. We watched in awe as the lightweight, dark colored oil splashed everywhere. The scene in the filling room was amazing even then, as excess "harmless" (we were told) PCB laced oil, flowed to the floor drains. There was no knowledge then of the danger of PCB's (or if there was no-one was telling us or these poor employees). I sometimes wonder if my personal bout with prostate cancer 12 years ago (cured I'm told) had anything to do with the exposure. Probably not in my case because I never got any on me, simply breathed it in the air. I, like Shorpy or most anyone who worked in factories in those days, probably exposed themselves to these or many other carcinogens/poisons over the years. After the factory tour we returned to school and, not to be outdone, the Chemistry class teacher let us hold mercury in our hands! Bowling pins and Devo hatsThe other commenters are correct. The heavily-insulated conductors at both top and bottom, and lack of a ground connection, prove that they are indeed cutouts. I've never seen cutouts that look like this, although I have seen older photos of enclosed porcelain cutouts. Modern cutouts are usually of the open type. It is true that distribution voltages in that era were most often in the 2000-4000 range, but 6900 volts was not uncommon in urban areas. By 1939, another capital city, Austin, had 6900 volt distribution in its central district (constructed with NIRA funds after 1933), despite a smaller population than Lincoln at that time. Here is a circa 1960 installation a few blocks from my house. I intended to take this picture weeks ago, but I had to wait for decent light conditions to coincide with free time. The arrestor is on the right of the near end of the lower crossarm. I suppose it resembles a telescope or a Devo hat more than a bowling pin. The open-type cutout is to the left. This is a grounded wye system, 7200 volts from phase to ground. (Technology, The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner)
Big Cop: 1938
October 1938. "Policeman, Lincoln, Nebraska." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/29/2010 - 8:49pm -

October 1938. "Policeman, Lincoln, Nebraska." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. The Addams FamilyUncle Fester on patrol. Negative, I know ...But he looks like a lot of present day and women on the street just coming out of McDonald's. You don't see as many people this large prior to about 1950 or 60. That's one large man judging by his head and back! Whoa! They don't wear hats anymoreRemember when cops wore hats? In some cities it was required that they wore their hat when dealing with the public. Nowadays, it's no hat, a buzzcut or a shaved head, and wraparound shades. Next frame: death stare.I wonder if the clicking noise made him turn around. I'm sure of one thingThis cop would never have needed to use a taser, even if he had one. Now I get itMy son once described the back of my head and neck as "looking like a package of hot dogs". Although this officer's is not quite that extreme, I can now see what he meant. Tor JohnsonHis day job. Nick on O StreetThat would be Officer Nick Nichols, at 11th & O streets, looking west, doing what was known as "O Street time"--standing on Lincoln's main street in the downtown business district, not so much to direct traffic as to portray a visible police presence. Gold's department store on the SW corner to his left is easily identified today, as is City Hall--the former Post Office and Federal courthouse, also extant today, and still under municipal care a block further west on the north side between 10th and 9th. I would peg this photo as about 1942. [As noted in the caption, the picture was taken in October 1938. Below, more of John Vachon's Lincoln photos, including the officer's other side. - Dave] Inspires respectA look back at the good old days when they hired police officers whose mere size and presence inspired respect. I doubt many young punks disrespected this officer to his face like they do nowadays. I love this photoI know nothing about the photographer, John Vachon, but this shot made me take a look at his work here Shorpy, and I'm glad I did. My favorites (like this one) seem to have this something casual or playful about them, while still being formally well-composed. (The Gallery, John Vachon)
The Daily Planet: 1934
June 21-26, 1934. "Nebraska State Capitol, Lincoln. General view from university, a.m." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2014 - 6:30pm -

June 21-26, 1934. "Nebraska State Capitol, Lincoln. General view from university, a.m." Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. News FlashNot to mention the front end of Flash Gordon's spaceship. Impressive DomeAs you drive by on I-80, a couple of miles to the north, you can see the shiny golden dome glistening in the sun. The Other Daily Planet The Daily Planet building seen on the "Superman" TV series is Los Angeles City Hall. Art Deco on the PlainsBertram Grosvenor Goodhue's building is one of the greatest Art Deco monuments in the nation. It is still there, but with more people now.I found this image on the official Lincoln website at almost the same angle. Apparently it has changed but not by much. Thanks karenagw. Still a nice building though Amazing CapitolIf you're ever nearby, it's well worth a visit. Absolutely stunning architecture and features, with nothing quite like it. We used to play hide and seek in place when I was a kid. I'm sure you can't get away with that anymore. The building is topped by a 19.5 foot, 9.5 ton bronze statue of the "Sower", sowing seeds. Sometimes referred to locally (but never, ever officially) as the "P***s of the Plains". Actually, the view in Baxado's post is the South entrance of the Capitol building. The Shorpy image is of the North. And, of the buildings you see in the image, virtually all of them (save the Capitol, ONE church (the 1 with 2 spires), and the Garage) are all gone and replaced by truly ugly municipal structures. (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Gottscho-Schleisner)
Do Not Touch: 1910
... Three Numbers My family moved to a small southeast Nebraska town in the early 1960s to run a hotel . That town had its own ... local company was bought out by a regional one based in Lincoln, and we finally got dial service with 7-digit numbers. Oh, how people ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/31/2014 - 5:29pm -

Christchurch, New Zealand, circa 1910. "Vacuum Cleaning Company machine at DIC store." Steffano Webb Photographic Studio glass negative. View full size. Steam punksThe kids hanging around the steam-powered vacuum cleaner must be steam punks. It's nice to finally be able to make sense of that term. Telephone contacts1. A 3 digit telephone number? Wow ... 2. Interesting that they have 2 numbers, one for evening. Chief salesman's house number, for those after-dinner sales questions? Just Missed ItThat sale last week. 7:1The lady in the background lost her head after seeing seven men so interested in a vacuum cleaner. This Really SucksWith a vacuum motor that big you wonder how much suction it put out. If I were the family poodle, I'd be scared. How modern!We have a "one lunger" hit and miss oil engine running what I believe might be an air pump from the condenser of a steam turbine. Turbines were fairly new technology at this time. Very cool. Proper name for that machineI believe that, technically speaking, that unit is a "contraption." And the carefully placed chocks under the wheels were an important safety requirement, because no one wants a contraption rolling around unchecked in a crowded urban environment. That would be bad. WowBet that sucks. And I thoughtour old Kirby Classic III was cumbersome! Three NumbersMy family moved to a small southeast Nebraska town in the early 1960s to run a hotel. That town had its own municipal telephone company. Every phone in town had a 3-digit number - our hotel had two lines, 117 and 118. To place a call, one lifted the receiver and waited for the operator to inquire, "Number please". After receiving it, she'd connect you. I don't remember how they dealt with long distance calls - I was grade school age, and such calls were expensive and therefore, rare. In the later '60s, our local company was bought out by a regional one based in Lincoln, and we finally got dial service with 7-digit numbers. Oh, how people complained about the "loss of service"! (The Gallery, New Zealand, Stores & Markets)
Let's Go Play In Traffic: 1957
... appears to be a Cushman. Made in my hometown of Lincoln Nebraska. An interesting little scooter. The Cushman aficionado still have ... 
 
Posted by prrvet - 03/16/2018 - 3:38pm -

This Kodachrome slide was taken by me, William D. Volkmer, on August 30, 1957, on Atlanta's Peachtree Street in the theater district during a Shriners convention. I was entering my Senior year at Georgia Tech. View full size. '50s KodachromeThere is nothing like 1950s Kodachrome slide film for busy street scenes like this. I really wish I could get this look out of my digital files. I have a couple of Fujis equipped with Classic Chrome. It's a good look but it's certainly not this. They save lots of paradesI have to mention that many of the smaller towns and cities I've lived in had their parades saved by Shriners who volunteered to perform on their motorcycles, small cars, trikes and what-have-you with clowns, their trademark red fezzes, and other costumes to fill in for the lack of enthusiastic marchers and perhaps poor planning by the parade planners, to step in and make something out of what would have been a pretty lame performance and turned it into a laughter-filled and enjoyable good time for the kids and adults who took the time to attend and participate. One small city I lived in in the Southwest (I won't point the accusatory finger) was supposed to have their first St. Pat's Day parade and the day before, all they had was the Irish mayor in a green suit carrying his Carmel Quinn album and two Irish setters willing to participate, but since the Shriners were nearby at a convention, they all came to the rescue and saved the day with a fun-filled celebration for all the spectators and were very much appreciated. Good on them. I Was a Teenage WerewolfCurrently playing at the Paramount and starring a young Michael Landon, a couple of years before his role in Bonanza. Julie Andrews in the skyI stayed with my cousin for a month (my parents were living in France) in an apartment just off of Peachtree Street in the summer of 1965 while waiting for my freshman year to start at the University of Georgia. That billboard on the top of that building featured a huge version of the iconic image of Julie Andrews spinning in a mountain meadow promoting "The Sound of Music," that year's biggest film. I saw it every day when I'd walk to the drugstore for a Coke. Diners Club HonoredBefore the ubiquity of Visa/MasterCard/Discover credit cards, this was a selling point worth enshrining on permanent signage. Similar to "Color TV" and "Air Conditioning" on 1950s motel signs. Invasion of the Saucer MenThis was the second feature https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la9VXiM8GJU My first motorcycleThe closest motorcycle is a Cushman Eagle. I got mine as a basket case when I was 15. I don't remember how many cc's it had but it did have a two speed transmission with the shift lever on the tank. It had an arm on the front of the engine you stepped on to start it. There was a small piece of key stock that kept shearing. I got real good at pushing it and jumping on to bump start it. I've been riding over 50 years now. Hot, cold, rain, or sun, I have loved every minute of it. Have a CigarI thought at first that there was an exhaust pipe jutting out under the middle of the bus closest to the camera, until I realized it was an electric coach (something I never knew Atlanta had) and not a bus, so there would be no exhaust pipe. Instead it seems to be a remarkably thick but rather short cigar clenched between that baby-faced Shriner's teeth. Those were the days. CushmanYes! The bike appears to be a Cushman. Made in my hometown of Lincoln Nebraska. An interesting little scooter. The Cushman aficionado still have annual (I believe) conferences/swap meets. Frances Virginia Tea RoomAt the end of the block on the right side of the photo, one can see the sign for the Frances Virginia Tea Room. Owned and run by Frances Virginia Wikle Whitaker, was located in the Collier building from 1931 until 1962, although Ms. Whitaker had retired in 1944. It is the subject of a 2012 masters' thesis written by Mildred Coleman, a Georgia State graduate student who is the niece of the restaurant's manager at the time of this photo. The sign remained until the late 1970s. The building was demolished and replaced with the Peachtree Station of the metropolitan transit system. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Seed and Feed: 1942
"Seed and Feed store in Lincoln, Nebraska." Another view of the Grand Grocery farm store in 1942. "The apples, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/17/2011 - 9:47am -

"Seed and Feed store in Lincoln, Nebraska." Another view of the Grand Grocery farm store in 1942. "The apples, oranges and grapefruit are surplus commodities" sold at very low prices. View full size. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon, Farm Security Administration. OrangesThis week I bought oranges. I got 3 Florida navels for $2.00. Sudan GrassI had to look up "Sudan Grass." Apparently it's a type of sorghum used for fodder. It would fit with the feed store side of the business. Feed and Seed: 1942In 1942 we would have had five acres of sudan on our farm. It was used for livestock feed. It would grow to 6+ feet tall and my teenage buddies and I had a great place to play hide and seek. If dad let the milk cows in to graze the stalks they could be a real challenge for a little kid to find and drive to the barn. Sudan GrassWe had a field of sudan grass -- probably about 5 acres, maybe a little more--on our farm in Oklahoma, right around 1960. We used it for a handful of cows and many, many hogs. It was truly a great place to play. The pigs beat paths through the tall, tall grass, which turned the field into a giant maze. And the sudan grass grew so thick, it even absorbed sound. Thanks for the memories. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Stores & Markets)
Violet Mae Phillips - Spring 1934
... of 1934, at or near the family farm in Cherry County, Nebraska. A few months after this picture was taken, Violet was shot and killed ... 
 
Posted by TK42ONE - 05/18/2007 - 5:45pm -

Violet Mae Phillips in the spring of 1934, at or near the family farm in Cherry County, Nebraska. A few months after this picture was taken, Violet was shot and killed by her father George. It's a long story that boilsIt's a long story that boils down to her father attempting to burn down the house with everyone in it. The kids came out to confront him and it ended with Violet dead and George spending the rest of his life in prison. Not the best thing to find out when doing research on your family history, but it's still history. Violet MaeThere's an article about it on Page 6 of the October 5, 1934, Lincoln Star ("Domestic Tragedy on Ranch in Cherry County; Cody Rancher Charged With Killing Girl"). Violet was a beautifulViolet was a beautiful woman....wonder what happened? Just one of manyI've found several articles about the event while doing my research. Violet was the younger sister of my grandmother. She never spoke of the event, not even to my father (her son). TK www.tk42one.com So what prompted the burning anger?I would like to know why he wanted to burn down the house. What kind of history are we talking about prior to that? Was he well educated? Uneducated? Desparate? Insane? Were there any signs before it happened? It seems like the kind of thing that would make a great story if only some of the basic details could be filled in. Any other pictures? (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Night Life: 1940
November 1940. "Lincoln, Nebraska." Acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Good Times ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/15/2019 - 12:27pm -

November 1940. "Lincoln, Nebraska." Acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Good Times Rollin'With the exception of the Ford (second from right), all of the cars photographed here are practically new. One has to wonder if a similar present-day scene would reflect a comparable degree of apparent prosperity. Where drama meets detachmentAnother exquisitely haunting (and Hopper-esque) shot by Vachon, master of composition and light. It's cold outside?I know it was late Fall when he shot this area, likely cold and wet, but seems like compared to other government photogs of the time, an awful lot of his were just shot out his hotel room windows. [John Vachon shot more than 11,000 exposures for the FSA. Less than one percent were "out his hotel room windows." - Dave] Trouble with a capital "T"... and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for Pool! The first big step on the road to the depths of degradation -- at least according to Professor Harold Hill! What a terrific picture. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon)
Louisiana Noir: 1932
... The story goes that Huey Long liked the form of the Nebraska State Capitol (then under construction) but made sure his was going to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/10/2014 - 4:05pm -

September 1932. "Louisiana State Capitol at Baton Rouge. Tower lights at night. Gov. O.K. Allen. Weiss, Dreyfous & Seiferth, client." Where Huey Long was assassinated. Large-format negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Period typicalThat looks very much like the Los Angeles City Hall. Or, particularly if there is an orange filter on the uplighting, the University of Texas Main Building (better known at The Tower). Both buildings date from the period of 1928-1934, although the UT Tower wasn't completed until 1937. Well, Martha, it's either the State Capitolor the Woolworth Building. Tower EnvyThe story goes that Huey Long liked the form of the Nebraska State Capitol (then under construction) but made sure his was going to be taller, which is why the one in Lincoln is the second tallest state capitol building. Every Building a PalaceThis is the kind of photo we Art Deco/Moderne fans live for -- an exceptionally beautiful twilight image, much enhanced by the framing provided by the shrubbery and the reflections in the water. UT TowerThe 1975 movie "The Deadly Tower" with Kurt Russell as Charles Whitman used this for UT Tower. The top portion of this is a polygon with many more faces than the square-shaped one in Austin so the drama of having to make the 90-degree turns at the corners on the deck as they approached Whitman is a bit muted. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner)
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