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Freaks Museum: 1942
... the attractions of Hubert's Museum on West 42nd Street in Manhattan. She took a disreputable carnival attraction into high art ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/08/2022 - 2:41pm -

March 1942. El Centro, California. "Carnival attraction at the Imperial County Fair." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Times changeThose may have been freaks in 1942 but a stroll down the sidewalk in 2022 will turn up better examples. Look before you drinkI noticed the fellow at right seemed to be holding a refreshing drink in a glass jar until I noticed the goldfish swimming in it. Must have been a prize at one of the game concession booths. If I remember, you got five ping pong balls to throw at the little jars of fishies, and if one stayed in rather than ricocheting off the lip, you won the goldfish. I learned from hard experience the fish's life expectancy was only a few days before he took the inevitable trip down the commode. One step furtherLess than two decades later, Diane Arbus took her camera inside the freak show. An early focus for her were the attractions of Hubert's Museum on West 42nd Street in Manhattan. She took a disreputable carnival attraction into high art institutions. Hubert's closed in 1969, but can be briefly glimpsed in a street scene in "Midnight Cowboy." Have you "herd" of Ralph ?? Freaks?Judging by the hair (from behind), the audience is overwhelmingly female. A notable exception is the fellow on the right who appears to be scrutinizing the two women with almost identical hairdos on his left. And what’s freakish about a glass blower or a tattoo artist or a Native American or a woman in shiny shorts? I used to stand in the crowd, listening to the spiels, but I never paid to go in. Hurry, hurry, hurryAs I commented in a previous photo, the crowd at the 1942 Imperial County Fair in El Centro, California was nearly all female. Maybe because of WWII? I'm guessing the woman in shiny shorts is a contortionist and the pitch is she can fit inside the box behind the announcer. Few people in 1942 had tattoos, so did not realize the poster does not represent the way tattoo art is made (roll my eyes). The Indian is wrong on many levels. Aside from Native Americans not being freaks, he's holding a shrunken voodoo head, wearing a vest embroidered with a Mexican wearing a sombrero, and is generally dripping with Mardi Gras beads. But his presence causes me to notice the blonde announcer in the white t-shirt has an Indian Chief profile tattooed on his left forearm. Coincidence? The Sultan's DelightShe doesn't look particularly delighted. And that fellow's goldfish is gonna be dead as a doornail before too long. Time travelAnnouncer guy of the show can easily slip into any contemporary photograph and nobody would notice, despite eight decade time span. Guess who won a goldfish I wonder if the little fish survived the trip home. Goldfish BowlThe man on the right has definitely won the prize (you can spy the little fella in the glass jar he is holding), but may be miffed that his date seems more interested in the "freaks" than his achievement. One hopes that the goldfish avoided the fate of so many of its brethren and escaped the toilet bowl to live a long and happy life, peering at the wider world through a window of curved glass. Announcer guyHe's is actually part of the show, the incredible 'Man from the 21st century' Wally Is CorrectModern society has put these carny side shows out of business. (The Gallery, Bizarre, Native Americans, Russell Lee)
Now Highering: 1912
... Pole sign, "Hudson Tunnels" - The Hudson and Manhattan Railway Tunnels - Known locally as "The Tubes"; service began between Lower Manhattan and Jersey City, July 19, 1909. Known today as the PATH System by the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/16/2019 - 8:44pm -

New York circa 1912. "Broadway, looking north from Cortlandt Street and Maiden Lane." Our second look in recent weeks at the Woolworth Building in the final stages of construction. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Mourning jewelry window signAs anyone who every watched "Antiques Roadshow" or has done any research into old jewelry knows, it used to be a common practice to mourn one's dear departed with "remembrance" jewelry to keep in mind the loved ones who are no longer with us. Some people were in mourning for years and others, like Queen Victoria, mourned her late husband Albert for the remainder of her long life. Lots of this jewelry has black stones or black metal and some of it even incorporated locks of hair of the deceased. Some of it was exquisite and very expensive and is in museums it is so valuable, and some not so much. I had never seen it advertised in other Shorpy pictures though, so this is a first for me. "The Tubes"Pole sign, "Hudson Tunnels" - The Hudson and Manhattan Railway Tunnels - Known locally as "The Tubes"; service began between Lower Manhattan and Jersey City, July 19, 1909. Known today as the PATH System by the younger folk, but still the Tubes to me. What, pray tell... is that statute on top of one of the buildings. [Appropriately enough, it's atop the Walkover Building. -tterrace] Cable railwayMany people will know of the cable cars of San Francisco, this picture shows a similar system in New York. The Broadway cable railway opened in 1893 and ran Battery Place from Whitehall Street to Broadway - Broadway to Seventh Avenue - Seventh Avenue to 59th Street. The motive power was provided by a continuous steel cable running in a slot under the street between the rails. The central powerhouse was at Houston and Broadway. [Those slots are for access to underground electrical conduits. The last of Manhattan's cable-powered lines had been converted to electricity by 1901. -tterrace] street lightWhat is the smaller light (?) just behind the street light across Maiden Lane? Conduit CleaningThe rectangular panels located between the streetcars' running rails and the centered slot rails were to allow access to the electrical conduit whenever necessary to clear the conduits accumulation of the abundant brown debris seen on the surface of the street. PurportedlyWoolworth could see the completed building from his summer home, Winfield Hall, in Glen Cove on the North Shore of Long Island. Just for comparison, The Woolworth Building started construction in 1910, and Winfield Hall was rebuilt (after a rather suspect fire) in 1916; the skyscraper cost an estimated $13.5M to build, while the rebuilt Winfield Hall racked up an impressive price-tag in excess of $11M -- including a $2M marble staircase. Fire Alarm Box LightIn response to the post by Jmarksr: The smaller light beyond the streetlight marks the location of a Fire Alarm Box. This lamp will have a red glass shade. At night, one could immediately locate the nearest fire alarm box by looking for a red lamp. In my youth, the globes in some towns & cities were red, and in others the globes were orange. I don't know why. (Some towns also had green lamps on police call boxes.) The early fire alarm boxes were "Telegraph" boxes which used an ultra-reliable spring-wound clockwork mechanism to tap out the code of the fire box on a dedicated telegraph line to the Fire Dept., where it was recorded as punch marks on a moving paper tape. (Later, some cities converted to an actual telephone system.) The telegraph system was powered from lead-acid batteries at the Fire Dept. It would function even during a power failure, as the batteries could support the system for many days. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Mott Street: 1910
... song lyrics, this time in the 1925 Lorenz Hart song "Manhattan": And tell me what street Compares with Mott Street In ... wondrous toy Just made for a girl and boy. We'll turn Manhattan Into an isle of joy. Thank You Thank You Thanks for the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2012 - 3:25pm -

1910. Mott Street in New York's Little Italy, now Chinatown. At the left, 166 Mott (Raffaele Venezia Cafe) is now Face to Face Skin Care. Google Street View. 8x10 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. WatermarkI've noticed the last three pictures have been watermarked. Are you going to be watermarking everything from now on? [We've always watermarked the really nice ones that are likely to be used elsewhere. They represent hours of labor by yours truly. - Dave] Really amazing...I love that the buildings have changed barely at all. Really interesting to think of the history in those buildings that the people living there now have probably never considered. I Heart NYCWow! I walked down that street in December when I was visiting NYC (I'm from Brisbane, Australia). I love the black dog on the right. Somehow, I always spot the dogs. Built to LastThe first home I remember was at 1244 15th Avenue in San Francisco. That was 1936. Went past there recently and the street looks exactly the same and it was anything but new when we lived there. Bet you won't find today's buildings looking exactly the same 100 years from now. You're doing a wonderful job of teaching/reminding us of our history. Thank you. Mott Street, 1925 and todayThis is a fine neighborhood for Dim Sum, and another site immortalized in popular song lyrics, this time in the 1925 Lorenz Hart song "Manhattan": And tell me what street Compares with Mott Street In July? Sweet pushcarts gently gliding by. The great big city's a wondrous toy Just made for a girl and boy. We'll turn Manhattan Into an isle of joy. Thank You Thank YouThanks for the opportunity to see this in a gorgeous and detailed vintage view and in an interesting modern view. I am a big fan of the "Then and Now" type books on different cities, and love to compare shots such as these. While I prefer the 1910 photo (if only filmmakers would get this kind of detail in their period-piece movies!), the Google shot has an interest all its own by virtue of one's being able to manipulate the view! Quite amazing, actually. FantasticWow, I love pictures like this. Not posed at all, just a moment in time caught on film. There are kids playing with something, a guy reading a newspaper, looks like a guy jumping over a broom and every one wearing a hat. The dog, the groceries...perfect. Probably everyone in that picture has already passed on but this one moment in their lives has been captured. [Very true, although, practically speaking, there was no film back then. This was caught on glass. - Dave] Time TravelThis is time travel in its purest sense, a view into a moment of time frozen forever. Italian cafe, shoemakers, street sweeper, horse carts, vegetable vendor, little children moving around in their home neighborhood. I love it. Time travel, indeedI recall a time travel novel that had as its basis the fiction that if one were to be so imbued with a time and place and strove to "live" as though you were in that period in a locale that existed now and then, one would wake up some fine day, open the shades and voila, 1910 would be there. How I wish that were true. For now I'll just sit here and revel in each detail of pictures such as this. Thanks again to Dave and all the other posters. Time and AgainThe time travel novel referred to below was called "Time and Again" and in my opinion is one of the best novels of its kind written. It's also illustrated with old photographs of places that the hero visited. That goes along with my "sliced cheese" theory of time, in which past, present and future exist simultaneously like slices of cheese in a package, and to travel from one era to another all you have to do is figure out how to peel back the paper separating them. Looking at these great, large format photos with all their detail makes me feel like I could really travel back in time if I really concentrated. [What if time is more like a box of crackers? Or a jar of olives? (The kind with pimentos.) - Dave] Raffaele Venezia Cafe or Store circa 1910I am looking for info on my friend's ancestor, the above named, who had a shop at 166 and/or 171 Mott Street at the turn of the last century. Any info appreciated. Lynne Funk AIA LFAArchitects.com (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC)
After the Earthquake: 1906
... 5.9 Magnitude Earthquake In Virginia Rattles Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens The FDNY and the US Geological Survey has confirmed a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in central Virginia. Residents of Manhattan and Brooklyn have reported feeling the earthquake Oh, well found ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:40pm -

"Market Street toward ferry." San Francisco after the earthquake and fire of April 18, 1906. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Thanks...Just experienced my first Earthquake just over an hour ago. Once again, Dave you leave me speechless. Walter in Bethesda, MD Good TimingDave, you've done it again! There was a 5.9 tremor in Va. today and we felt it on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay. So, earthquakes will be the topic of discussion for a while. Quick WorkWow, you practically beat Reuters to the punch. 100-year photo blog indeed!Just arrived home after my building was closed following today's earthquake. Turned on my internet, and what do I see? AmazingEven in the aftermath of this great tragedy, everyone is as fully and fashionably dressed as they must have been before April 18th. I would expect that at least some of the people in the photograph were made homeless by the earthquake and fire, but you would never know it to look at them. Ironic timing is ironicWas this photo already chosen for today? Fortunately, DC doesn't look this way nowI don't know if this photo is a coincidence coming so soon after the Magnitude 5.9 earthquake that rattled Virginia, DC, Maryland and all the way up to New York City. Fortunately, we didn't get this kind of damage!! This just in...Very timely. The earth movedfor me! Unfortunately, I was home alone. I'm 35 miles S.E.of Washington, so a bit closer to the epicenter than D.C. My behind started moving as my chair followed the floor movement, them my whole body followed as the movements became stronger. The desk then started shaking, moving my PC case and monitor. My first thought was that there was some some structural collapse in my home, then I realized it was a quake. Lasted about 40 seconds, then slowly subsided. A quick survey showed no damage, power, phone, and DSL service all normal. That's a pretty short skyline.I can only imagine what was going through the minds of those folks as they survey the damage. The Ole Man PurseWhen will the ole man purse be back in style, I wonder. This Just In As WellFrom The Gothamist, a little while ago. [UPDATE] 5.9 Magnitude Earthquake In Virginia Rattles Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens The FDNY and the US Geological Survey has confirmed a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in central Virginia. Residents of Manhattan and Brooklyn have reported feeling the earthquake Oh, well foundPuts things in perspective a bit. It Would SeemIt appears that no matter what the occasion, the San Franciscans of 1906 got gussied up before going out. Get a load of those ladies' hats. Just Sayin'After their homes and business's have been devastated, the men still wear hats, collars, ties and suits. The ladies never go out in public unless well groomed. Definitely saying something about the quality of the general mass but not the underbelly that also existed then. First EarthquakeHow ironic that on the day you publish this photo, we in the mountains of Pa. experienced the first earthquake any of us can remember. Trolley wiresSince there are now trolley wires over the cable car tracks, the date is later than just the day after the earthquake. Fashion PlateWhere did that cool looking dude get his fresh boutonniere and clean pocket hanky? San Francisco where is Clark Gable? Previously on ShorpyMany are familiar with the famous 13-minute film of Market Street shot from the front of a trolley car as it rolled toward the Ferry Building on a busy afternoon in San Francisco. Although the footage has long been dated by LOC curators to circa September 1905, extensive new research by David Kiehn, historian for the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum in Fremont, CA, has established that this footage was probably shot by the Miles Brothers film company on or near April 12, 1906, scarcely a week before the earthquake and fire. The footage was only shipped by rail to New York for processing and distribution on April 17, and the Miles Brothers studio was destroyed a few hours later. The San Francisco Chronicle has details of Kiehn's discoveries. The San Francisco Museum & Historical Society is sponsoring a lecture by Mr. Kiehn about his findings on Sept. 21. The Underbelly SpeaksAs part of the Underbelly, or the Great Unwashed, as we are sometimes called, I'd just like to go on record as saying that, in case of earthquake, hurricane, rapture or other major disruption of life, I have prepared an outfit consisting of tattered Chuck Taylors, raggedy cut offs and a tie dyed T-shirt. I'm gonna hit the streets in style. There's no there thereThe gent with the fresh boutonniere and clean pocket hanky likely got them in Oakland. The folks on the left hand side of the photo are walking up Market Street from the Ferry Building in the background, indicating they're returning to San Francisco, not fleeing from the now extinguished fires. Likely they had evacuated to Oakland or elsewhere and are now returning to see what's left of their homes and businesses. Ferries shuttling between San Francisco and Oakland and Marin served as the city's lifeline for days after the quake and fire. I'll bet most of the returnees in this view ended up camping in Golden Gate Park. A Trip Down Market StreetLook at this movie of a cable car going the same direction on Market Street just days before the Earthquake. (The Gallery, DPC, Fires, Floods etc., San Francisco)
S.S. Rotterdam: 1910
... from three 8x10 inch glass negatives. Landmarks of the Manhattan skyline include the Metropolitan Life tower. View full size. ... much more contemporary vessels. Then look over to Manhattan and see -- shocked: only three prominent towers, which are the Plaza ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2012 - 7:28pm -

Hoboken, New Jersey, circa 1910. "S.S. Rotterdam at Holland America docks." The full panorama made from three 8x10 inch glass negatives. Landmarks of the Manhattan skyline include the Metropolitan Life tower. View full size. This Pano Blows My Mind!And with 8x10 glass plates you say?! I do not have the best eyesight in the world be I tried unsuccessfully to find any hint of joining or places slightly out of register. This is fantastic to me because I can't imagine how it was done. [They're combined using Photoshop's Photomerge tool, which does most of the heavy lifting. But there are discontinuities and rips in the fabric of spacetime that must be repaired with something called Puppet Warp. With tweaking, it took me about an hour. - Dave] Before FrankieThis pier was at the foot of 5th Street, northeast of Hudson Park. Today, instead of a pier, you would see Frank Sinatra Park and (on the far left) Frank Sinatra Drive. This particular SS Rotterdam sailed between 1908-1916, and 1919-1940, with a self-preservation break to avoid mines and u-boats during WWI. Rotterdam IVRotterdam IV was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd for the "Holland-Amerika Lijn," as the Dutch company is called in the Netherlands. Completed in 1908, she made her maiden voyage in 1909 from Rotterdam to New York. During World War I the ship carried soldiers and weapons from the US to France. Because of the Dutch being neutral, Germany did not suspect. She was scrapped in 1940 in Rotterdam. Coaling ShipAt first I suspected those men dangling over the side on platforms were painting the topsides -- they could definitely use a fresh coat. However, more careful scrutiny revealed the barges alongside are piled high with the period's favorite fuel. In fact, the crew is getting the stuff into the ship's bunkers, by all accounts a laborious, dirty process. Even zoomed in as far as my equipment allows I'm not able to see the details of how they get the coal into the scuttles on the ship's side, but my guess is from there it just tumbles down a chute into the bunkers. The white superstructure, high above the waterline, is being painted with the mop-like devices I remember from my time as a frequent passenger on the last of the ocean liners from 1963 to 1972. The painting crew is doubtless waiting for the coaling to be over so they can start applying the darker color to the topsides without having the black dust settle on their work and ruin it. Ocean liners were the queens of the ocean. Their brass was always polished and their brightwork always flawless. This photo reminds us why they needed such big crews. Where to BeginWhat a great image this is. Add color within the mind and actually be there, in 1910. What's astounding is how much the Rotterdam resembles much more contemporary vessels. Then look over to Manhattan and see -- shocked: only three prominent towers, which are the Plaza Hotel (1907), the Times Building (1901), and the Metropolitan Life Tower (1909). You'd have to wonder how the Dressed Meat Company delivered fresh meat in that wagon to the passenger shipping lanes, from its "model abattoir". And how did the wagon get to Hoboken from 11th Avenue in Manhattan -- ferry boat? Berwind's Eureka Coal King's Handbook of New York City, 1892. The Berwind-White Coal Mining Company was incorporated in 1886. … The company own and operate extensive coal-mines in the Clearfield and Jefferson County [Pennsylvania] regions, and are mining what is known as the Eureka Bituminous Steam Coal. The Berwind-White Company own 3,000 coal cars and a fleet of 60 coal barges, used exclusively for the delivery of coal to ocean steamships in New York harbor. The coal is of the highest grade of steam coal, and is supplied under yearly contract to nearly all transatlantic and coasting lines running from New York, Philadelphia and Boston, among these steamship lines being the Inman, the North German Lloyd, the Cunard, the Hamburg, and the French lines, whose gigantic and palatial ocean greyhounds have a world-wide reputation. What a Great Picture!The Pennsylvania RR tug, the sidewheeler in the river, the coaling operation -- stuff, stuff and more stuff. Could study this picture for days and keep finding interesting tidbits. Great find. Good Job Dave!Ok, I got it now. What "blew my mind" was I thought printed this way a the time! Whew, what a relief, you really had me going. Again, nice job!!! [A century ago, the people at Detroit Publishing combined these images into panoramas the old-fashioned way. I wonder what they would think of Photoshop. - Dave] Former HAL headquarters in Rotterdamis now called Hotel New York. "Trolley" TracksThe tracks in the street and the box car sidings with overhead wires are not for passenger trolley cars, but for the Hoboken Manufacturers' Railway, later the Hoboken Shore RR, which hauled freight until about 1976, using electric locomotives until about 1947. (Panoramas, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Queen of the Mustangs: 1966
... Underneath a bedspread was a mint condition Kaiser Manhattan, jade green with a white "Bambu" vinyl roof. The plush green interior ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/23/2011 - 1:31am -

July 4, 1966. Twin Cities Fourth of July Parade on Magnolia Avenue in Larkspur, California. And if two brand-new, dealer stock Mustangs weren't enough, an early Studebaker Lark in the used car lot. The other Twin City was neighboring Corte Madera. My Ektachrome slide. View full size. Love that Lark!'59 -- and if it has painted trim rings around the headlights, it's the Deluxe (entry-level) model, though someone paid the dealer ten whole bucks to add those nifty bumper guards. The Lark was essentially a '58 Studebaker with the front and back ends lopped off, but kept the car company afloat for several more years. Steve Miller Still working on a '63 GT Hawk someplace near the crossroads of America BirdsAnother great photo and another that brings back a flood of memories. When we'd get a new car this is how it worked: My Dad would just show up after work in a new car. Never consulted Mom, she hadn't a clue. Brother and I never knew either, of course we were small but still never saw it coming. Can't imagine doing that to my wife and living. So, for example, that's how he got his 1964½ Mustang on a trade in on his '59 T-Bird. Sky Blue with white vinyl top but there were paint problems so it was repainted silverish by the dealer. He came home once with the car that had the Warner Bro's Road Runner on the side but that was just a joke to make Mom freak out. She did. I think it was just a joke. Will you be moving the focusWill you be moving the focus of the blog into the 60's and 70's? I do hope not. I love Shorpy as a glimpse of a past and a way of life I wasn't able to see....this just reminds me of going through my photo box. Nothing wrong with that, but I'm less likely to check Shorpy everyday. Dear ComplainerTo the tipster that complained about 60's and 70's contributions: Who cares if you check back less often. This isn't about you. Grow up. Glimpse of an unknown pastPersonally, what strikes me about tterrace's 50s and 60s photos is how, in many ways, they feel more distant and distinct from today than images from earlier decades. Part of the somewhat tragic appeal of this site is recognizing modern elements of social regression within the sort of hapless, untrimmed clash of poverty and wealth of the the 10s and 20s. These less somber shots of hiked socks and parked cars offer a potent contrast, showing the more abundant and egalitarian affluence of the post-war era, which some claim as a myth but certainly seems real enough in these rich and warm Ektachrome reds. I've come to regard these entries as a very fitting complement to Shorpy's standard fare. I mean, two lovely Mustangs adorned with flags rolling down Magnolia Avenue on Independence Day 1966! Could anything BE more perfectly iconic of an era on the verge of being razed into wistful memory? Such A Different PerspectiveBrian said it much more eloquently than I could have, but it makes me sad when I see someone getting upset to see Tterraces great photos. I have collected and been fascinated by photos from the early part of the last century forever, but Tterrace's photos touch me in a totally different way. They are my own past, seeing them brings back so many memories, it is as if I am seeing my own family. I hope his treasure box doesn't ever run empty, although I know it will. Until then, I adore the memories that his and his brother's work brings back for me. And yes...it's all about me! Seriously, we will never run out of great photos from the more distant past. I hate to feel bad for enjoying these great images of my own childhood. Kathleen Dad's SurprisesJNC, my father would come home from work with a new car exactly like yours did! I can remember every one, I think. And that is probably why I am such a sucker for cars from the fifties and sixties. NOTHING was more exciting. I remember all us kids, and mom too, racing out the front door to see our brand new car! I remember our '62 Chevy station wagon came home the day before we took our family trip to North Dakota from California. That car was so cooooool because we could lay the back seat down and sleep in a heap of blankets. No seatbelts required...I guess we survived! Steve, I love the Lark, too. It brings back memories of my friend's when we were in high school. We lived on top of a hill, and had to push it halfway down to get it going, but it was our transportation and we loved it. A few years ago, the same friend bought the same model, yet again. This one is a pet. Kathleen Another candidate for the tterrace fan club ...Please don't ban more recent ('50s-'70s) pictures from the site. Remember, not everyone who visits here is a baby boomer. I'm 33 and have been loving tterrace's photos, particularly those of family life in the 1950s. I wasn't born then, and popular memory of that era is now distorted by myths both good and bad. I have found it fascinating to look at these pictures and see a true record of how (some) people lived back then. Also, many of the pictures are very interesting or even beautiful in their composition: this one and this one, for example. The '60s and '70s stuff I'm not so crazy about, but I'm sure there are viewers who get the same enjoyment from them as I do from the '50s photos. Pictures from the '80s onwards would probably be pushing it, but in general, I think that if there are adults around today with no memory of an era, it can probably be classified as "historic." Not that it's up to me, of course! Imported Indeed!Larks (the only surviving Studebakers at the time), for the last few years until their demise in 1966, were all made at the Studebaker plant in Hamilton, Ontario Canada. Just my two cents worth...In regards to the "Will you be moving the focus" poster, I too had similar thoughts. I don't think he was complaining so much as he was just asking an honest question (seems to me). We all have our reasons for coming here. I heard about the site through the podcast "This Week in Photography", and was instantly grabbed by the exceedingly high-resolution, pin-sharp view into the distant past. I didn't know such high quality shots exsisted; it makes it very easy to see that people were just people, especially in the more candid shots (meaning unposed, "slice of life" shots). Yesterday was no different from today, a week ago was no different from today, 100 years ago was no different from today; it was just another day, only the scenery and technology has changed (and yes, obviously, child labor, etc.). If there were high-res photos from the 1600's, I would be craving those. TTerrace's photos certainly hold a value to many - evident by all the fans he has. I like his shots (I really like the "then and now" shot of him as a kid and an adult in the same location; the Knott's Berry Farm shot is great, too). If I had to hazard a guess, I would think that Dave and the Shorpy gang are interested in what all of his customers have to think, and why they come here, and why they return. For me, it's the older shots. I grew up in the 60's, "The Wonder Years" was basically the way my life was (maybe that's why it doesn't draw me in the same). I just dig the Victorian era, through the 20's - 30's; that's the draw to me. If the focus of the blog did change, I wish you well; if that's where your customers want you to go, by all means. Just for me, that isn't where the draw lies. One thing Shorpy did do for me, it made me aware of the storehouses of old, high-res shots I didn't realize exsisted. If you do change, well, you did me a service, and opened a door to where I now know these storehouses exsist. Just my two cents. I'm six again!Seems like my memories of being a kid are all in Ektachrome too. I'm enjoying Shorpy very much, thanks for a great site. PicturesI love all the pictures on this site! I think Dave has done a great thing. There really should be no debate about when the pictures are from. They are all fascinating in their own way. This site......does not belong to you or me, it belongs to whomever runs it and we are all but time travelers who are lucky enough to find someone such as this to let us rest here for a while. Now that being said, they can do as they see fit relative to content, 50's, 60's,70's, 30's, 20's, civil war era- it doesn't matter to me WHAT gets posted, I was not even born till the late 50's and I love ALL the pics posted here. It seems some here forget the postings are for your INTEREST and not your CRITIQUE. I'm just very, VERY grateful and thankful for all the hard work that's put in to this place. I'll GLADLY take whatver's given here and never, EVER complain. If some here don't like it, and are such sticklers (English translation: whiners)I'd suggest going and starting your own site maybe and invite us all over to have a look, otherwise, just enjoy....Fischer Couldn't Agree MoreFischer, I totally agree. And I suppose this is as good a place as any to say *THANKS A MILLION* to Dave and any other powers that be, that we have this site. I am absoulutely sure that all of us scroll past photos that don't grab our interest at times. I think that is easy enough for anyone to do...."this one's in color! Ok, I will move on." It's as easy as that. Photos of day to day life, of any era, are truly amazing. Far from the movie set 'reality', we actually can look inside the lives of others. I am sure I am not the only one who blows these photos up as huge as possible, looking for details; figurines, shoes, toys, books...just the objects that surround the main subject are probably the best thing about these great pictures, at least for me. They are all amazing, and a gift for us to see it all for free. Kathleen The LarkI had an uncle who loved Studebakers. In fact until they stopped making them the only cars I ever knew him to own were Studies. The interesting thing about the Lark in this picture is that it seems to be parked on a used car lot under a sign that says "Imported Car Service." I guess even in 1966 the Studie had become an exotic bird. The interesting thing aboutThe interesting thing about the Lark in this picture is that it seems to be parked on a used car lot under a sign that says "Imported Car Service." The lot is part of Hil Probert's Toyota dealership, one of the first, if not the first dealer to sell Toyota products in the USA. In fact, the sedans were called "Toyopets" when he first sold those c.1958-9. Lark PowerOur '60 Lark (the second Stude in our family) was a thing of beauty and I thought it would last forever. It turned me into a hot rodder with no power steering or brakes but power power in its V8 engine. Our taxi model held as many kids then as a van does now but, of course, with no seat belts -- they just piled in. Our children learned to drive in it and after that we figured they could handle anything. BTW, our first Stude, 1935, ended up in the Imperial moat in Tokyo in '48 after we sold it. They pulled it out and I bet it's still running. Great cars. I like the 50s/60s picturesI'm only 17 so even pictures from the 80's seem historic to me. Pictures from the 50's and 60's really interest me because it's like looking at the past that wasn't too far away and yet so familiar. It's strange that I have a soft spot for these pictures even though I wasn't born yet. My parents keep saying how great the time they were growing up was and the pictures on this site help me tap into their familiar past. Keep them coming! [Thanks, Tony. (Why do I suddenly feel about a million years old?) - Dave] The 100-year-old photo blogWith respect, I think people are coming down too hard on the Anonymous who asked about the focus of the blog. The blog is titled "The 100-Year-Old Photo Blog" and the sidebar description says it's about what life was like 100 years ago. It's easy to see where their expectations on the age of the photos came from. The 100 Year Old Photo Blog?Surely then by strict definition of the name, the only pictures that should be posted here this year should be photos taken in 1908. No photos of the Civil War and its aftermath, no images of Bohemian youth in the post World War One era, no 1920s auto accidents, and of course no Kodachromes at all of course. In fact pictures from 1909 wouldn't be allowed until next year and we'd never see another picture from 1907. Let's not take ourselves TOO seriously. Wow, I was just asking....I asked a question and gave my opinion. I did not whine, complain, or intend to do anything to offend the amazing authors of Shorpy. I thought they might want to know what their readers, commenters and buyers of their photos (I've bought a couple) think about a recent change. I certainly did not ever say that Shorpy cannot post anything they want. They can run a picture of one Monopoly piece everyday if they wish, it's their website! Thanks to those who saw it for what it was...a question by someone who really loves these amazing glimpses into a past I hadn't before realized had been preserved in such detail. But don't worry, you prickly, angry, hair-trigger Defenders of the Light, you have succeeded. I won't be back to the comments section. I might make another mistake or ask the wrong question. Back to lurking quietly as I should have done all along. Why Can't We All Just Get Along?I love this site and check it several times a day. I have a soft spot for tterrace's pix because they are from my era. But I also enjoy looking back even further. Everything is a learning experience and I for one am thankful to have the opportunity to visit here and glean some insight into our society's history. I especially enjoy hearing visitors' comments, so to the anonymous tipster who now prefers to lurk quietly in the background, don't let one somewhat rude comment spoil this wonderful place for you. I'm stepping off my soapbox now... To Anonymous TipsterTo the Anonymous Tipster who posted at 6:23 a.m.: Now don't be that way. It's rather childish (and I should know because at almost 52 I get that way myself sometimes). I actually think that you, and others who have commented negatively on this question of photos from the '50s to the '70s have sparked an interesting and lively debate. My comment (100 Year-Old Photo Blog?) was directed not at you but rather at Stacia showing the absurdity of taking the description of this blog too seriously. Personally I like the posts from the more recent times because I remember these times and things like the Studebaker Lark, or the picture of Hollywood and Vine before it was populated by assorted low-lifes (never been there but TV was). But you are entitled to your opinion and as they say I defend to the death your right to hold whatever position you want. I, at least, do not intend to ridicule you - unless you post something absolutely moronic, and it has happened - but rather to engage in debate over a difference of opinion. But if you can't take it, then don't post (but if you do, I'd hope you'd register for an account and be willing to back your opinions with your name.) Brent McKee Focus of ShorpyJust wanted to point out that Dave - who posts the "official" Shorpy pictures - is posting the same range that he always has. These more recent ones belong to tterrace and he is kindly sharing them with all of us via the Member Gallery. I'm enjoying them all! It's the huge range of subjects in the photos - from grocery shopping to world war armaments - that makes this site so addictive. tterrace is adding to that range, not taking away from it. ToyopetWe live up in the Pennsylvania mountains, and would not expect to see what I saw last week in a client's warehouse: a well-preserved Toyopet. What a silly-looking little car! Fortunately for the company, Toyota was management-agile enough to refocus and retool to produce the envy of Detroit: a long-life dependable car for the American public, not an imitaion of American cars. Otherwise, we'd all be driving pieces of junk like the Falcon or the Vega. [The Falcon, by most accounts, was a pretty good car. It was also the basis of the Mustang you see here. - Dave] PicsI like all the photos I've seen. I'd also be disappointed if the pre-40s pictures got pushed out for the Boomer pics, but I won't complain about the flavor of the free ice cream! But do remember that posting under your own name should be done carefully. It can be searched by prospective employers (loads of companies do it) and can open you up to harassment, especially if you have a strange name like I do. Zsa Zsa's LarkStangThis brings back memories for me, my first car was a '68 mustang convertible, white, like in the picture. The year was 1976, but still. nothing like driving a big V8 convertible. Toyopet - year?MacKenzieK, I'm doing research on the old Toyota Toyopets. you said you know someone who has one? Do you know what year it is? 1958? 1959? There are only a few known to still exist, it would be great to track this one down, too. thanks. dpitts@cdfms.org ~Daron Toyopet - Larkspurtterrace, I just returned from Larkspur this past week doing research in to Toyota's history and the dealership Hil Probert had. What do you know about the early Toyota dealership and the fact that it was/may be the oldest/first toyota dealership in the US? Thanks for any help you can give me. dpitts@cdfms.org ~daron [San Diego Union-Tribune: "John A. Rose opened one of the first Toyota dealerships in America in 1957 on a remote parcel in Mission Valley." Below: Probert Toyopet ad from 1959, and 1958 Toyopet Tiara sales brochure. - Dave] Probert ToyotaI worked at Probert Toyota right after Mr. Probert died. The story at that time was that Hil Probert was the "Pioneer Toyota Dealer" i.e. the first Toyota Dealer in the United States. He started importing Land Cruisers in 1957 and had a famous scenic ride up Mount Tamalpais to his favorite spot in the whole world under a large oak tree. The only way to get there was in a Land Cruiser, so Hil became a deputy of some sort, either with the Sheriff or the Fire Dep't in order to gain access to the restricted lands. Hil died in 1968, just as the Toyota Corona was taking off as "The New Hot One". They were selling about 50 cars a month in 1968. Hil also had a car collection on the property. Where the Lark Creek rear parking lot is today, used to be large tin sheds, home to about 40 old cars. There were various makes, but the one that I remember most was the Kaiser-Frazier. There were maybe a dozen or so, including a Henry J and a four-door phaeton convertible. Underneath a bedspread was a mint condition Kaiser Manhattan, jade green with a white "Bambu" vinyl roof. The plush green interior was complemented by its white padded dash. 1958 Toyopet CrownI own a 1958 Toyopet -- this was a dream for me to find and it took over 30 years to locate. Working for Toyota for the last 30 years I was happy when this one came around. The car has been shown all over Arizona and California for all to enjoy. When I bought it in May 2007, the car had not been on the road since 1964. Rebuilt the engine and some detailing. Original paint, just polished it out. The car can be seen on my website, www.Frenchysrides.com. Comments are welcome. Thank you for reading my story and visiting my Web site. Frenchy Dehoux I was 2 Months Young!When this photo was taken. I was being held by my loving mother. I was her firstborn. I didn't know it at the time (or much of anything else) that I would be the oldest of six children. I love parades and the celebration that accompanies the 4th of July. This past 4th of July was the first one, we as a family, celebrated without my loving mother. This month, August, one year ago my mom entered into Heaven. I know I will see her beautiful smile and hear her sweet, soft voice again. Until then, memories brighten my days and prayers calm my nights. I love you mom and I know that you love me more. 4th of July ParadeI was honored to be asked to participate in the annual Fairfax City, Va. 4th of July Parade in 1968. I was Oakton High School's first Sweetheart Queen my Junior year. A blue Mustang was the vehicle that I rode, waving & smiling. Halfway through, my facial muscles cramped & my wrist tired. It was the longest parade ever. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, July 4, tterrapix)
Pickled: 1954
... of her date's nose? [Midtown Nose Borer. Endemic to Manhattan. - Dave] Robert Q I had an album of Robert Q. Lewis' when I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/11/2014 - 1:47pm -

Dining With Shorpy, cont'd: "New York, 1954. Singer Jaye P. Morgan performing on the Robert Q. Lewis television show; at a party; eating at a restaurant." A dish of dills, a tub of kraut, and thou. Photos by Phillip Harrington for the Look magazine article "The Private Life of Jaye P. Morgan." View full size. Pickles Cigs and SauerkrautBet they smelled just lovely. J.P. is probably best known today from her Gong Show appearances. Yeah!If that's not a pregnant meal then she's a guy. What a snack! And 20 years laterJaye P. would be making pickle jokes on the Gong Show! Weird.Looks like she's dining with Nicolas Cage. I only knew her from the Gong Show, I never knew she was so pretty! WowThose pickles do look like they're on the verge of becoming sentient. (Maybe they already were.) But regardless, I'd never heard of Jaye Morgan before, what an incredibly beautiful woman. The ThingWhat is that object growing out of the top of her date's nose? [Midtown Nose Borer. Endemic to Manhattan. - Dave] Robert QI had an album of Robert Q. Lewis' when I was a kid; couldn't get enough of it. It was called "I'm Just Wild About Vaudeville" and contained such gems as "Loving You Has Made Me Bananas" and "Oh Katerina," which contains the line "Oh Katerina, Katerina, to say I love you, must be leaner. There's so much of you, who could love you? Learn to swim, join a gym, eat Farina." The Importantce of First ImpressionsIs Robert Q. Lewis balancing a pickle on the end of his nose? A precognitive audition for future Gonger Morgan? I think she's about to reach for the mallet! [That's not Robert Q. Lewis. -tterrace] [P.W. Herman Sr. - Dave] If I sit very still... I can balance this pickle on my nose." I thought at first it was a film defect, but it has a definite texture. There must be a plant or something just next to him. Pickles and KrautThe tubs of pickles and sauerkraut on the table were a feature of the late lamented Arthur Maisel's chain of restaurants. This might have been the one at Broadway and 51st. She IsWorth a 'search'; at near 80, she's still roaring along. And you can take a moment to enjoy her voice; she has a great set of pipes. Brined, Not PickledIt looks to me like the end of a branch of dried coral used as a decoration, perhaps in a vase hidden behind him? (Eateries & Bars, LOOK, NYC, Phillip Harrington, Pretty Girls, TV)
East Side Story: 1959
... (farther east, at Essex, the view would be blocked by the Manhattan Bridge). Other than that the foreground scene is little different; ... Regardless, you would have to be on the west side of the Manhattan Bridge Roadway to take this picture; that would put you in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/30/2022 - 2:43pm -

November 4, 1959. "People and cars, Essex Street and Henry Street, Lower East Side, New York City." 35mm acetate negative by Marion Trikosko for the U.S. News & World Report assignment "Puerto Rican Story N.Y.C." USN&WR Collection, Library of Congress. View full size. Standard TreadThe track (or tread to use the older term) width of American cars had been more-or-less standardized since the dawn of motordom; originally they had to fit the ruts left by Conestoga wagons and if you look at pictures from the London-to-Brighton run you can see the American cars axles are considerably wider than their bodies, while the European ones aren't. By 1959 after several decades of "longer-lower-wider" you can see how the Chevy's body is overhanging it to the sides by some distance, and the elephant-on-roller-skates effect that has. That's why Pontiac's "Wide-Track" under the same basic bodyshell was such a sensation. Henry and ...USN's credibility not withstanding, it would seem this was actually Henry and Market (farther east, at Essex, the view would be blocked by the Manhattan Bridge). Other than that the foreground scene is little different; beyond the Woolworth Building, though, there've been some changes over the years. East Side StoryThis is more the real setting for "West Side Story." They used "West Side" instead of "East Side" because they preferred the sound of it. Garbage canWow that open wire garbage can on the bottom left really takes me back, I remember them from when I was a kid. Henry and Market Streets it isNotcom is correct. First, Essex doesn't intersect Henry Street because Essex becomes Rutgers as it crosses E Broadway. Regardless, you would have to be on the west side of the Manhattan Bridge Roadway to take this picture; that would put you in the intersection with Market Street, looking west down Henry towards downtown Manhattan. On the right, the building with the blank wall is in the 1959 photo and the Google Street View. The six-bay building with arched windows on the top floor is where Henry Street dead ends into Oliver Street, and is still there. The depth of field in the 1959 photo is impressive. [This is one of a group of photos documenting life in the largely Puerto Rican neighborhood that included Essex and Henry streets, with pictures taken along both. The caption, devised by a Library of Congress cataloger, shouldn't be taken to mean the streets intersect. - Dave] Perfect setting for a movie...This photo beckons for some sort of giant insect creature to be walking amongst the skyscrapers, terrorizing the helpless humans. 1959 ChevyThe car parked on the curb, facing the photographer, is a 1959 Chevrolet - perhaps an Impala, but also possibly a Bel Air or a Biscayne. Hard to tell from the angle of the photo. My family had a 1959 Brookwood station wagon that would have looked essentially the same from the front. So aggressively ugly in that late 50's/early 60's style that it was almost a thing of beauty: wildly oversized horizontal wing-fins in the rear with huge horizontal teardrop taillights; massive chrome (anodized aluminum) grille up front, with additional horizontal styling touches above. Just an absolute monster. People like to hold up the infamous Edsel as the ugliest car of that period, but for me, the 1959 Chevy was every bit its equal. [Biscaynes didn't have those fender ornaments. - Dave] Farther down the streetIf you look at the cornices of the buildings I'm pretty sure this is further along down Henry street nearer to 40 Henry. The corner to the left is now an unnamed street/alley bordering a parking lot. [The building on the left is 58 Henry Street. - Dave] 283And a Fireball Straight Eight. NO PARKINGNot much use here. Maybe no one can see them. [You have to read the fine print! - Dave] Answers 7-decade-old questionWhen we moved into my boyhood home in New Jersey in 1952, it was a nice home on a nice street. But the street name was "East Side Avenue." My mother, a native of the West Side, hated the street name, saying it reminded her of the "Lower East Side" of NYC. She got everyone on the street to sign a petition to have the street name changed, which it was. I never had a clear picture in mind of what Mom was talking about. Now, I do. Unique look of FilmA challenge: create a similar looking image using a digital camera. Three days later, and half a continent awayI was born. 1949 BuickThe car heading toward us on the right seems to me to be a 1949 Buick Super Series 50. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, News Photo Archive, NYC)
Skyscraper: 1909
... brisk. But here we have a 1912 street scene from midtown Manhattan, less than a century ago (almost), within living memory of at least a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2012 - 10:52pm -

New York circa 1909. "Panorama of Madison Square." This glass plate, part of a nine-exposure panorama, affords yet another view of that enduring architectural icon, the Flatiron Building. 8x10 dry-plate glass negative. View full size. SprintLast time I was there in 2005, Sprint occupied the first floor of the Flatiron Building. Kind of sacrilege, really. 6 E. 23rdThe FDNY suffered its largest loss prior to 9/11 on the site of the Bartholdi Hotel. On October 17, 1966 a fire spread from an adjoining property on 22nd street to the basement of 6 East 23rd street. Twelve firefighters were lost that night when the floor of the Wonder Drug Store collapsed. http://nyfd.com/history/23rd_street/23rd_street.html Manure guyIn the foreground, white uniform, big shovel. Awful AwningsBeautiful building, but the aesthetic is somewhat spoiled by the awning obsession of the era. S.S. FlatironWith that puffy plume at the top, it looks like it's steaming up Broadway. Deja Vu All Over AgainWe return to Madison Square Park (bottom left) and the back of the statue of William H. Seward, he of the folly. Also we see the Hotel Bartholdi, named after the Statue of Liberty sculptor. The corner storefront of the Flatiron Building appears to contain our old friend the United Cigar Store. On the next block, East 22nd Street, the corner is occupied by the VanGaasbeek Oriental whatever. That corner now houses a usually deserted Restoration Hardware, which appears to be in the original building that we see in the photo. 1 of 9Please don't leave us hanging; we want to see all 9 negatives! As always, thanks for this. And I wouldn't describe it as an awning obsession, more like a necessity on those hot New York August afternoons. Ahhh summer!I am sure that the awning helped to keep the stores and offices cool in the summer. All the open windows (at least even one with a curtain blowing in the breeze) in skyscrapers! How odd to today's eyes of closed up buildings. That sign selling cordial sure gave me a start. Look at the TimeThe first thing that stuck out to me was the standing clock, which is very recognizable. It still stands there today. Also interesting is that that 200 Fifth Avenue, or International Toy Building (to the right of the Flatiron, next to the clock), was just built in 1912. It recently underwent an interior overhaul. Awnings were a necessityThis was long before air conditioning was prevalent so awnings were a common method used to cool down a building while still maintaining the view out the window. 23 SkidooLegend has it that the unique winds created at this intersection (Fifth and Broadway at 23rd Street) would lift many a lady's skirt, much to the delight of the male audience that would congregate here (at least when women still wore dresses). Awnings againThe main advantage of awnings (as opposed to, say, shades or venetian blinds) was that they let you keep the window open in the rain. Open windows were necessary probably as much for ventilation as keeping cool. [Although they do seem more prevalent on the sunny side of the building. - Dave] American ParthenonAlfred Stieglitz also saw the Flatiron as a kind of steamship: "With the trees of Madison Square covered with fresh snow, the Flat Iron impressed me as never before. It appeared to be moving toward me like the bow of a monster ocean steamer, a picture of new America still in the making. The Flat Iron is to the United States what the Parthenon was to Greece." 98 Years AgoIn the great span of history, 98 years isn't really all that long, and the march of history in centuries past wasn't all that brisk. But here we have a 1912 street scene from midtown Manhattan, less than a century ago (almost), within living memory of at least a few souls still among us, and the horses still outnumber the motor vehicles. I'm guessing that in another five years, by 1917 or so, the cars would outnumber the horses, and that in 10 more years -- 1927 or so -- the number of horses would be very small indeed. This is really a glimpse at the very last days of the pre-automobile world. We haven't lived with these infernal, gas-guzzling contraptions for very long. M&L Hess Real EstateSign was still somewhat visible as of 2003. http://www.14to42.net/20street1-2.html From 1 to 9, slowly.If I look at the panorama too quickly, I may get dizzy. Hotel BartholdiI am fascinated to find that this is the location of the Hotel Bartholdi. A few weeks ago I posted an image in the members gallery, of an electric charabanc parked, I assume, in front of the hotel. The streets are full of peopleThat's something you don't see these days. People are afraid of speeding cars. I assume that horse-drawn carriages weren't quite as dangerous. EntrancesComparing this picture with StreetView, the building entrances in the middle of each side seem to have been remodelled. Instead of the pillars supporting the canopy being proud of the main building, they are now just a relief on the surface. White WingThe Department of Sanitation's "White Wing" sweepers did their level best keeping those NYC streets clean. I don't know if white was the best color for their uniforms though! Google Clock ViewView Larger Map The streets are full of streetcars, too!Including the blurry end of one on the extreme left, and off into the distance, I count no less than 20 streetcars. Is it 1912 rush hour? OmnibusOk, I'm the first to spot the motorized bus! It looks more like someone chopped the back off a 1920s bus and shoved an open cab on the front with an engine. Neat! Also, notice the peculiar way of routing with a lampstand in the middle of the open street and ropes and posts in a line from it. The clockWho maintained it? I know there were lamplighters during the times when gas lamps lit city streets, but the clock must have been mechanical. Did someone wind it, or were they electric even back then? Pach Brothers StudioIf you look close at the building behind the Flatiron you can see a billboard (on the roof) for Pach Brothers Studio. I took portrait classes from the last owner of Pach Brothers, Oscar White. When he closed the studio it was the oldest operating studio in North America. He had an amazing archive of famous clients' images. President Ulysses S. Grant was involved in getting the studio started. Re: S.S. Flatiron and American ParthenonSomething as glorious as this had to appear sooner or later. (The Gallery, DPC, Flatiron Building, NYC, Streetcars)
Gotham: 1915
... and skyline." The Woolworth Building stars in this Lower Manhattan view, with the Singer, Bankers Trust, Hudson Terminal, Municipal and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:39pm -

New York circa 1915. "Brooklyn Bridge, East River and skyline." The Woolworth Building stars in this Lower Manhattan view, with the Singer, Bankers Trust, Hudson Terminal, Municipal and Park Row buildings as understudies. 5x7 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. How it looked in 1927When Harold Lloyd filmed Speedy in 1927 from this vantage point he captured the Standard Oil Building (near Battery Park to the left), and the Transportation Building (to the left of the Woolworth Building), two buildings that do not appear in this image. Intermodal xportationSo many kinds of transportation here, in between eras. The bridge has more streetcars than horse buggies, and no autos that I can make out. So were these electrified streetcars with overhead power? In the foreground is what is now Empire Fulton Ferry State Park. There are horse-drawn wagons loading or unloading the boxcars in the foreground. Is that sand in the barge? On the river I see no sail-powered boats. So even though we're still very much in the age of animal power, wind power is pretty much a thing of the past. Great photo for mixing smaller and larger scales. Lightning Rods?I notice several structures have rod-like structures. It seems 1915 would be a bit early for anything other than Morse-based radio, so I'm wondering if those are lightning rods. Nice angle on the bridge and city. Anyone know the likely photographer vantage point? [By 1915, New York's skyscrapers had dozens of Marconi masts, for both marine and terrestrial telegraphy as well as wireless telephone, and hundreds of flagpoles. - Dave] So neat and clean The little bit of rail road at bottom center looks so neat and clean it could almost be part of someones "N" scale layout. The only activity in that area is the loading/unloading of the two cars on the most distant track. Team tracksThe rail cars being loaded/unloaded are on what the railroad industry called a team track, in reference to the teams of horses required to handle the boxcar lading. The tracks served businesses that had no direct rail service to their doors, and were owned by a railroad in most cases. Team tracks are very scarce today. Pulling loads and empties scattered throughout a yard is a very time consuming and expensive proposition, and railroads have generally opted out of business of this nature. Had the opportunity to work the old Milwaukee Road Railroad Reed Street team track yard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin many years ago. We handled mostly fresh produce from California, destined to brokers who sold the stuff to local supermarkets. One of the brokers might have an iced URTX reefer consigned to them show up, and would send a couple of fellows with a truck to unload it. They did it just like the guys in the picture: one bag or carton at a time. The only thing missingis the bat signal in the sky. 1923 - 1925New York Stock Exchange Addition from 1922 is there. Enlarged 195 Broadway from 1923 is there. Transportation Building from 1927 is not there. More like 1922195 Broadway (AT&T or whatever they called it-- the white bldg just right of midspan of the bridge) has been expanded north to Fulton St, so can't be much before 1922; the Cotton Exchange at 60 Beaver St isn't there, so not later than 1923. (The Cotton Exchange is the building with the columned top and blank east wall near the left edge of the 1960 aerial.) Must have been taken from the tower of the building that's still there on the east side of Main St, at 40.7036N 73.99045W. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC, Railroads)
The Heart of New York: 1907
Circa 1907. "The heart of New York (Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn)." The Singer Building rises. 8x10 glass ... really tiny. - Dave] Even Today The best views of Manhattan are from Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey. Singer Tower The ... to see ships with masts and sails plying the waters around Manhattan. There is a large three masted ship tied up to the pier, slightly ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 12:38pm -

Circa 1907. "The heart of New York (Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn)." The Singer Building rises. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Ghost TownNot a soul in sight! [They are there, just really tiny. - Dave] Even TodayThe best views of Manhattan are from Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey. Singer TowerThe Singer (sewing machine company) tower, under construction was the tallest building in the world for a couple of years. It was demolished at a youthful 60-years old. Tall ShipsIt is interesting to see ships with masts and sails plying the waters around Manhattan. There is a large three masted ship tied up to the pier, slightly left of center. I can remember going to The South Street Seaport Museum to look at the Peking and the Wavertree. Indecently, the South Street Seaport Museum is located at Pier 16 On the East River. Pier 16 is the right hand pier of the two Mallory Line Piers. Transportation History DivinedI just realized how the waterfront railroad terminals in New Jersey worked! If you look closely, several of the barges are from the Lehigh Valley Railroad, which ran from that region of Pennsylvania to Jersey City. I must presume that the goods that were to be transshipped from freight cars to ships or the city itself were loaded on to barges and then delivered to the deep water piers in Brooklyn and Manhattan for delivery in the city or loading on to ocean going vessels. Thus explaining why all the great photographs I've seen on Shorpy feature so many small barges, lighters, and other riverine craft. I imagine the completion of the New York Central Railroad's High Line was a serious blow to the LVRR and other lines on the New Jersey side of the Hudson and the Holland Tunnel doubly so. Imagine what New York City would be like if there had been a more efficient rail system from New Jersey to the docklands of the East River. How did it take me so long to figure this out?! What's going on here?Heavy traffic out there! Up until the 1960s-1970s, various railroads transferred huge amounts of cargo to and from the city by barges called carfloats carrying rail cars. Several railroads had small switching yards isolated from their main lines fed by carfloats, plus warehouses as well. Those railroads also often had their own “navies” of tugs and barges to transfer cargo to and from ships in the harbor.. Note the covered barges (AKA house barges) in the foreground marked for the Lehigh Valley RR. The one at far right is owned by the Lackawanna RR. The covering structure allowed secure storage and protected cargo from the weather during transfer. Covered barges had side doors to allow direct transfer to freighters that also had side doors. The freighter in foreground right looks to be transferring cargo via one of the barge’s roof hatches located over its side door. At far left are 2 hold barges, apparently one with coal being loaded onto the ship alongside. Those barges were mostly owned by coal companies. A stick lighter (AKA gas hoister) is at bottom right with others elsewhere in the picture. Essentially a derrick on a barge, they were used to handle heavy/bulky items. The bigger one opposite is a self-propelled steam lighter. Those were used for making faster transfers of goods – no waiting for tug service. A good reference is “New York Harbor Railroads in Color, Volume 1” by Thomas R. Flagg (Morning Sun Books, 2000) (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC)
Queensboro Bridge: 1909
... as much play like her more famous sisters the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, but she's a beauty just the same. She offers one of the best views of the Manhattan skyline, too. As Is The row of tenements on the right side is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 7:10pm -

New York, 1909. The new Queensboro (59th Street) Bridge over the East River. 8x10 inch glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. It's Amazing!Given that it is 1909 it is amazing the large and heavy construction that was done. At this time I would assume it was mostly horsepower and manpower to dig the holes for the pilings, to lift the heavy beams and pour the concrete. [They used steam-powered dredges, shovels and cranes. - Dave] Feelin' GroovyShe doesn't get as much play like her more famous sisters the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, but she's a beauty just the same. She offers one of the best views of the Manhattan skyline, too. As IsThe row of tenements on the right side is intact today. It is 59th St between First and Second Avenues on the downtown (south) side of the street. It is just as seedy looking today as it was in 1909. If you travel one block in any direction you're in a high rent district. Still Smokin'A lot has changed, but the old smokestack is still standing sentinel. View Larger Map S-s-smokin'Okay, you urban savants, we have a sizable smokestack rising from the middle of a sidewalk, evidently still doing its thing. Now, what and where is the source of the smoke? Suburban minds want to know. [It's a smokestack for the Con Edison steam plant at York Avenue. - Dave] Kickin' down the cobblestonesI moved to NYC in the fall of 1986, and the first time I tried to drive over this bridge it was tied up with construction workers paving over the brickwork surface. I sat sulking in the traffic jam for a long time before I realized that those of us stuck on the bridge were seeing -- for the last time -- the cobblestones sung about by Simon and Garfunkel. And suddenly I was glad to be there. Junk ShopFilled with today's valuable antiques! CagyWhat do you think the round cagelike structure on the left is? [It's the framework for a gas tank. - Dave] Gas LightsAre those foot pegs on the post for lighting/servicing the light? This is the exact locationThis is the exact location of the original photo. I walk or drive past this street almost daily. It's one-way from 2nd Avenue halfway to 1st Avenue. Westbound traffic is allowed to enter only the outer roadway of the lower level of the bridge. I know, it's confusing to many in New York City too! View Larger Map Cable CarsApparently the street cars were powered by cable? I did not realize that form of propulsion was in places other than San Francisco (then again I never really thought about it). Am I incorrect? [These are electric streetcar tracks with an underground power supply. - Dave] The BridgeIt is fascinating that the south side of 59th Street overlooking the Manhattan-side bridge approach has remained the same for a century, while almonst the entire surrounding blocks have been upgraded to the nth degree. I lived only five blocks south of here in the 1960's. The very first T.G.I. Friday's saloon opened four blocks north at 63rd and First back in 1963 -- I was one of their first regular customers. Fill 'er upThose natural-gas tanks are still around. The tank will partially retract into the ground when its contents are low. As the amount of gas rises, so does the tank. The cage supports the adjustable design of the tank. StreetcarsAlthough the tracks in the picture might have had underground electric supply, there were cable cars in New York not far from where this picture was taken. The cars which crossed the Brooklyn Bridge were cable powered from 1883 through 1908. There were other cable car lines in New York City as well. See http://www.cable-car-guy.com/html/ccnynj.html Low-RentI like "Rent Very Low" sign -- you don't see that much in NYC anymore. Still Seedy After All These Years60th Street on the other side of the bridge is home to Scores strip club. Gotta go one more block to get a little more upscale. The pedestrian path on the upper level is gone. Bike/ped access is now on the lower level, also on the opposite side of the bridge. The first three arches on the left house city maintenance garages, the fourth arch (blocked by the wagon with blanketed horses) is First Avenue. The next five or six arches house a supermarket with astonishing Guastavino tile ceilings and very weird acoustics, a supermarket that took 20 years to arrive because of resistance from the $utton Place community to the south and east that didn't want the neighborhood north of the bridge encroaching on its own. 59th StreetThe south side of 59th Street. Photographed from upper level of Queensboro Bridge during 100th Anniversary Celebration of the opening of the bridge. +101The current view east on 59th Street of the Queensboro Bridge isn't as tidy as it appeared in 1909. Below is the identical perspective taken in April of 2010. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, G.G. Bain, NYC)
Grand Central: 1906
... New York circa 1906. "Grand Central Station and Hotel Manhattan." The coming decade would see the replacement of this structure by ... - Dave] A streetcar named electric The last of Manhattan's cable cars were converted to electric power around 1901. The car ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/09/2018 - 4:58pm -

New York circa 1906. "Grand Central Station and Hotel Manhattan." The coming decade would see the replacement of this structure by the current Grand Central Terminal. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. The eagles of Grand CentralA search for Grand Central Eagles yields interesting stories. The couple who found one in their back yard. And the story of one that ended up Upstate. Poor Grand Central Station only lasted 12 years: from 1898 to 1910. Electric TrolleyIt's surprising to see electric trolleys and horse-drawn trolleys sharing the same set of tracks, but also surprising to see an electric trolley with no overhead wires -- how did it pick up the electricity? [Through the slot between the rails. - Dave] A streetcar named electricThe last of Manhattan's cable cars were converted to electric power around 1901. The car draws its current via a "shoe" that extends down through the slot seen running between the tracks. Same system used by electric streetcars in Washington, D.C., many examples of which can be seen on these pages: Cable car?I'd be pretty confident saying this is a "cable car." The Metropolitan Street Railway operated cable trolleys. http://www.cable-car-guy.com/html/ccnynj.html#msry San Francisco wasn't the only place that had them. [In 1898 the Metropolitan Street Railway began converting its cable traction lines to underground electric power. - Dave] Eagle on the ballIt is speculated the that eagle below the dome ended up in Essex, NJ at the Space Farms Zoo and Museum. http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1113715013034126691DiLhTm Greg American ExpressWikipedia tells me AmEx started as an express mail and shipping operation. What do you think this wagon's delivering, and to whom? White Wing!The man lower right in the white suit and pith helmet is a "White Wing." These were the first street cleaners in New York. Is this the spot?View Larger Map Lone HorsemanThis is the first urban horse & carriage era Shorpy picture in which I recall seeing a (civilian) man on horseback, rather than drawn in a wagon or carriage (he's right above the streetcar). Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, though!! I wonder if he ever took his horse up to Central Park for a lively canter. Broncs to BikesUrban horseback riders at the turn of the last century were regarded in a similar way to how we view motorcyclists today; traveling light, moving fast, a bit intimidating (ex: mounted police), a little daredevilish & somehow just a touch less civilized. I mean, you never see the very Edwardian Sherlock Holmes mount a horse except in an emergency. In many ways, today's bikers have adopted the horseman's accoutrements and lingo: leather chaps, buckskin and fringe, saddles and saddlebags, triple-trees, trick riding, trail runs, etc. "I'm a Cowboy, on a Steel Horse I Ride!" - Bon (yech) Jovi Sharing the tracksIn the lower right, under the American Express horse, are the remains of the railroad tracks crossing the horse car track. They joined the trolley track on Fourth Avenue or Park Avenue South, as shown in other Shorpy photos. Even after the 1st Grand Central was built about 1873 and steam locomotives were banned from the streets of lower Manhattan, the New York, New Haven & Hartford RR still insisted on using horses to pull its passenger cars farther downtown over these tracks. (The Gallery, DPC, Horses, NYC, Railroads, Streetcars)
Fellow Travelers: 1936
... lines, downtown side, 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue, Manhattan." The WiFi is down, but we do have heat! 8x10 gelatin silver print by ... and Broadway, which is part of the first subway line in Manhattan. The first two elevated railways in Manhattan were the Ninth ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/14/2016 - 12:53pm -

Feb. 6, 1936. "El station, Sixth and Ninth Avenue lines, downtown side, 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue, Manhattan." The WiFi is down, but we do have heat! 8x10 gelatin silver print by Berenice Abbott, Federal Art Project. View full size. SoundsI don't suppose it had a telegraph clattering, not having a ticket window. Stations on the NJ commuter lines had that, back then. Waiting involved listening to it. Also they had a very high dry heat on cold days that would burn your nose out. The young man on the left looks particularly dapper.This setting could have fit into an Edward Hopper painting. Historic preservation?That station was essentially unchanged for 70 years. It looked just like this when I was a kid in the 70s (minus the stove) and wasn't updated until about 10 years ago. BackupWhile there is now a turnstile that accepts 5 cent coins, the old ticket chopper is still in reserve on the left side, now with a cloth cover. Elevated not SubwayThe caption is correct. This is not the current station at 72nd and Broadway, which is part of the first subway line in Manhattan. The first two elevated railways in Manhattan were the Ninth Avenue El, begun in 1872 and which eventually ran from South Ferry to Jerome Ave in the Bronx, followed later in the 1870s by the Sixth Avenue El, which ran from Rector Street to Central Park. Once it hit Central Park the Sixth Ave El merged with the Ninth Ave El. The Sixth Ave El was torn down just a couple of years after this photo was taken, with the Ninth Avenue El going out of service in 1940. 72nd & Broadway?There is an above-ground subway station at 72nd and Broadway (and Amsterdam) that looked like this at least through the 80s. Is that what jjdaddyo is recollecting? Perhaps this picture is mislabled. Meet me at the El station at Sixth and NinthBring the Microfilm, make sure you're not followed. Wonderful characters!Peter Lorre, Broderick Crawford, Margaret Hamilton? GodfatherThe guy on the left is a ringer for the little Italian baker that Michael Corleone made stand on the hospital steps, with his hands in his pockets, to fake out any would be assassins of the Godfather. 5 centsAmazing to contemplate that there was once a time when a device could be built with the words 'drop nickel here' stamped right into the metal housing, secure in the knowledge that passage would always cost exactly 5 cents. I'll betthe mug on the left is packin' a rod. As Velma Waited Nervouslywith her back to Sam. The short man was fondling the Gat in his pocket in case Sam Spade was only pretending to warm his hands. Nickle fareI'm only mangling the chronology slightly to mention that when the El opened, the 3 cent coin was made of, and called, the "nickel", and the 5 cent coin was the silver half dime. The story is spoiled, since the original fare was 10 cents! Museum quality artEnlarge the picture and enjoy the beautiful, creative window designs over the doors. Time travel?Is that Klinger? Drop Nickel HereA nickel! Plus all the free heat you can absorb. Film NoirWhat a cast of characters. I love this photo. It's included in one of my wonderful Dover books titled New York in the 1930s. What's He Doing in New York?Corporal Maxwell Klinger (far right) should be in Toledo, Ohio while he is stateside! Re: Wonderful charactersOr Charles Dierkop, Lee Marvin and Joe Walsh? (The Gallery, Berenice Abbott, NYC, Railroads)
Harlem River: 1890
... over the Harlem River along the northern boundary of Manhattan, looking south. Circa 1890 albumen print from a photograph by William ... Croton Aqueduct carried water from Westchester county into Manhattan. Hidden by the Washington Bridge is the still-standing High Bridge ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 1:33pm -

The Washington Bridge and High Bridge over the Harlem River along the northern boundary of Manhattan, looking south. Circa 1890 albumen print from a photograph by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Graffiti on the rocks?Beautiful picture! I never realized how beautiful the High Bridge had been -- it calls to mind a Roman aqueduct... Hey, do you think the large rocks in the right foreground have graffiti on them? I thought first it was some natural geologic pattern, but it sure looks like an "A" on one of them. If so, I wonder what it says ... High BridgeIt looks like an aqueduct because it was an aqueduct. The Croton Aqueduct carried water from Westchester county into Manhattan. Hidden by the Washington Bridge is the still-standing High Bridge tower. From the tower, water was gravity fed to the rest of Manhattan. Harlem River BridgesThe Washington bridge (at 181st Street) looks largely the same, but the Harlem High Bridge (at about 174th Street), once famously the prettiest bridge to Manhattan, has been significantly reworked. The entire middle section, over the water, has been replaced with a now-rusting metal structure. It is sadly ugly, but presumably provides easier passage for boats. There is now a third bridge that sits between the two at about 178th Street. Here is a view of the two northernmost bridges from the south: That's the Harlem River Parkway on the left; it follows the route of the old Harlem Speedway, of which I am sure there are many photos in the archives, perhaps to be delivered to us by Shorpy in the future. Here is an image of the High Bridge showing the replaced section in the middle: The High Bridge does not carry cars or trains; there is some kind of water pipe embedded under the roadway, and the surface has been closed since the 1960s. Supposedly, local kids used to walk out to the middle and drop rocks on tourist boats passing underneath. Personally, I do not believe this. The city of New York has allocated money for repairing the surface of the bridge and it is scheduled to reopen as a pedestrian and bicycle route across the East River. BeautifulNicely architected and nicely implemented! This gives the lie to my boyhood fantasy that nothing significant was accomplished before I was born. Harlem River SpeedwayLook through the Washington Bridge on the right side and see Highbridge water tower. It's still there, although the reservoir that was beneath it is now a park. The muddy shore on the right was later made into the Harlem Speedway for horse & buggy racing. Today the Speedway is a "Class A" bicycle path on the river side, and the Harlem River Drive inboard of that! The arches that stepped across the river (farthest bridge) were removed when they widened the Harlem River and created The Erie Ship Canal. Today the arch piers that touch the river are now one large arch like the Washington Bridge in the foreground of this photo. The NYC Parks Department "owns" Highbridge now and they are refitting it for a linear park and bike path. It should be open by 2009. Historic slide show of the Harlem RiverSee a slideshow of historic images of the majestic Harlem River here. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC, W.H. Jackson)
Seeing New York: 1904
... real handful to navigate that beast through the streets of Manhattan. Tourists I can't get over how well dressed this visiting ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 9:51pm -

Circa 1904. "Seeing New York." Electric omnibuses at the Flatiron Building. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. In living colorColorized version of a very overloaded one used by the Fifth Avenue Coach Company: PricelessThis is one of my favorite Shorpy pics ever. The expressions on all the faces speak volumes. Great. I believe it's called a charabancThere's a picture of another electric charabanc at https://www.shorpy.com/node/7251 . The name is a good description: charabanc = char-à-banc = bench carriage. According to Wikipedia, mostly used for sightseeing and daytrips, safety record not great. How very usefulA Telephone Connection is mentioned on the omnibuses - but not the number. OMGWhat about the ghost lady in the back? The choice of the futureIt was a time when there was not yet a clear choice on which energy would propel the cars and trucks. You had electric engines, gasoline engines and even steam engines in almost equal numbers on the streets. Hard work.It must have been a real handful to navigate that beast through the streets of Manhattan. TouristsI can't get over how well dressed this visiting group is. If you wander over to Times Square, or even the Flatiron these days you see a lot of people in shorts and T-shirts, many overweight and continuously munching. The more formally dressed 1904 crowd may have been a bit much, but somewhere in between there is an answer. The Case of the Toppled TouristsWow, no sidewalls, safety belts or anything. I don't imagine those bus boats were in service for very long. Electric?From what's visible of the undercarriage, it looks like these are driven by electric motors. [Hmmm. Maybe that's why they are described in the caption as "electric omnibuses"! - Dave] Guess I really ought ro read 'em once in a while, eh? A warning for the ladiesDon't visit the Heel Building! QuackThese sightseeing contraptions are as ugly and ungainly as the "duck" amphibious sightseeing vehicles which are seen in many cities, these days. Ottawa has a number of these monstrosities blocking traffic during tourist season. Nothing beats making tourists stick out like sore thumbs. Fred MacMurray You can't hide behind that mustache. Smart to have your hat attached by that wind trolley too. People were just so civilized back then. Being clean and proper was the order of the day. Lady in Row 5 seems to be making sure her companion is up to snuff. OK, so I want to know:Who killed the electric omnibus? Tourist DestinationAt what point did NYC become a tourist destination, where people come just to see the city itself, as these people are doing? I guess that sort of thing doesn't just happen at a "point in time," but gradually. Timely questionsI surmise that the doors on the sides of the cars open up to allow for artfully placed hidden steps for boarding? How else would a lady's delicate and well turned heel ascend and descend the bus? How far could an electric omnibus go before needing a recharge? Duck ToursThese remind me of the Duck Tour vehicles in Boston and other cities. Refurbished WWII amphibious vehicles. It's also neat to see the guy in the last row with his hat clip attached so he won't lose it in the wind. Vehicle Equipment CompanyThese “Automobile buses” were made by the Vehicle Equipment Company of Long Island City, New York. Their literature called them “A combination of the commercial and pleasure types.” The Vehicle Equipment Company was started in Brooklyn in 1901 by Robert Lloyd and Lucius T. Gibbs. By 1903 they had relocated to Long Island City. Up until mid-1906 they built a large number of commercial electric vehicles. From 1903 to 1905 they also built a 3-seat electric car called the VE Electric. Almost all of their vehicles were single motor shaft-drive. The company went into receivership in 1906, and the General Vehicle Company (owned by the General Electric Company) purchased the factory and reorganized to build both gasoline and electric vehicles, as well as replacement parts. Vehicles built from mid-1906 on were known as GV Electrics. By 1915 there were some 2,000 GV Electrics in New York City alone, representing more than 25% of all trucks of all types working daily in the city. The style of “Automobile bus” seen above was also very popular in Washington D.C. and other cities as well. General Vehicle Company ceased production around 1917. AdvertisementFrom the Daily News Tribune of June 26, 1904. This ad occurs only in June and July issues. Most likely, they did't work so long. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Flatiron Building, NYC)
Buy Their Fruits: 1906
... * Three hot dogs and a made-to-order lemonade in 1906 Manhattan, New York, or * A bridal tour or auto ride in 1906 Chester Park ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/19/2022 - 3:08pm -

1906. "The French Market -- New Orleans." Yes, they have bananas, and you can compare apples and oranges, too. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Loving you has made me bananasThe pretty lady with a pout (near the bananas) is, in my mind, experiencing a slight -- ahem -- bit of friction with the gentleman (pork pie hat) standing to the left, gazing at her. I think he wants to appease her in some way but she is having none of it. Perhaps he has offended her by suggesting that she buy a few bananas and a jar of peanut butter -- still a relatively new invention -- and try putting them together in a sandwich. Meanwhile the other gentleman (bowler hat), having overheard their tiff, has discreetly averted his gaze out of respect for the couple in their awkward moment. BOGOGet a pound of road apples free with every pound of fruit you buy. You pick and bag the free product! Sam the Banana ManIn 1906, Sam Zemurray had been living in New Orleans for over a year and had already acquired the Cuyamel Fruit Company. Great biography by Rich Cohen: The Fish That Ate the Whale. 300 years of rueful streetsThe sight of this delightful variant of the traditional Belgian block pavers seems as good a reason as any to point out September marked the tricentenniel of New Orleans' street grid. Let the good times roll(out)! A sorry sightNo, not the French Market; it's that poor old horse in the foreground. It looks to be nearing the end of a hard life and in need of veterinary care. In a better life it would've had some TLC and days of ease in a peaceful pasture before its days were done. The buying power of a dimeLet's see, for 10 cents I could buy: * A dozen bananas in the 1906 New Orleans French Market, or * Three hot dogs and a made-to-order lemonade in 1906 Manhattan, New York, or * A bridal tour or auto ride in 1906 Chester Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, or * A box of sulphur and molasses kisses in 1907 Hartford, Connecticut, or * A baked potato in 1909 at the Hotel Secor in Toledo, Ohio, or * An orchestra seat in 1910 at the Theatre Comique in Detroit, Michigan, or * Two tickets to a three-reel movie in 1912 at Moore's Garden Theatre in Washington, D.C., or * A refreshing Bevo in 1917 Oklahoma City. I'd probably go with the orchestra seat. The offer nine hours of continuous high-class performances and I can stay as long as I like. Garic's BakeryIt opened in 1885 and was one of 150 bakeries listed in the city directory. This site outlines it's its history. It passed through several different owners after the founding family sold it in 1952. It remained a bakery through sometime on the early 1970s. The place was the last bakery to produce hardtack. The HorseAdding to SWA's comment. That poor horse in the foreground has serious health problems. Its legs are all bent, distended stomach, coat all mangy, and many other issues. The poor animal should have been retired a long time before this sorry moment. Maybe its owner just considered the horses as a 'thing' and as long as it could pull a cart there was no concern. (The Gallery, DPC, Horses, New Orleans, Stores & Markets)
Penn Station: 1910
... between the west portal near North Bergan, NJ (known as Manhattan Transfer) and the station. An excellent read on the construction ... late 1950s the four blocks of land the station covered in Manhattan had become too valuable not to sell. So Bright It's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 5:22pm -

New York ca. 1910. "Pennsylvania Station. Track level, main and exit concourses, stair entrance." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Erector SetMy brother made something similar in the basement in the early 60s. Stairway to HempsteadOne of those original staircases still exists: http://www.flickr.com/photos/whatafarce/437171241/ Practice RunThough the station appears to have not yet opened for use there is a DD1 transfer locomotive a few platforms in the background. These locomotives used outside third rail and had a small pantograph to collect power from an overhead catenary. *sniffle*Every photo I see of the original Penn Station is like a little knife in my heart. As someone who didn't move to NYC until after its destruction, I feel like I've been deprived of something magical. What a coincidence!I was just watching "Metropolis" last night. Where is the Metal Man? Sensible ThinkingEven with their minds on all that beautiful iron, stone and glass and McKim, Mead & White still had the foresight to build large ports beside the tracks to quickly and easily sweep the trash that riders might toss. Railroad ObserverThis photograph shows the station when final construction and clean up was almost complete. The electrified third rails can be seen adjacent to the tracks. These powered some pioneering electric locomotives that would handle the trains between the west portal near North Bergan, NJ (known as Manhattan Transfer) and the station. An excellent read on the construction of this station and the far bigger challenge of tunneling under the Hudson River is, "Conquering Gotham: A Gilded Age Epic: The Construction of Penn Station and Its Tunnels" by Jill Jonnes. We don't need no stinkin' rampsThe architects must have considered themselves generous to people in wheelchairs by putting those intermittent landings every 12 or 13 stairs. Not a soul in sightGood thing too with these nails sticking up. Beautiful ironworkI love all the lattice work, the lattice arches, and the rivet details. Everything looks all crisp and new in this photo. Booooard!Would be said soon, but not quite yet. The debris and construction detritus here and there, the temporary shack thing on the left, and more tellingly, the lack of track number signage on the arches over each stairway tell me this photo was taken before September 8, 1910, when Penn Station came online, no pun intended. Penn Station to my pre-teen small town mind was mind-blowing. When you entered from the street and started down its super scale main stairs, it was like entering another world, one that promised travel to distant and exotic destinations. My dad worked for the PRR so we went to NYC often, free. But our home destination was Altoona, Pa., not a hotbed of exotica. From NYC Architecture: In 1963, one of New York City's finest buildings was demolished to make way for a new $116M sports arena and entertainment complex. Sound familiar? Pennsylvania Station, the monumental 1910 Beaux-Arts masterpiece of architects McKim, Mead and White, was leveled, and replaced with the fourth incarnation of Madison Square Garden. In the 1950s the rise of the automobile and the frenzy of highway building had severely threatened the viability of passenger railways. The owner of Penn Station, the Pennsylvania Railroad, was near financial ruin. In the late 1950s the four blocks of land the station covered in Manhattan had become too valuable not to sell. So BrightIt's amazing how much effort was put into letting natural light into this space. From the windows and skylights to the glass block floors they did everything they could to maximize it. Unfortunately, with dirt and grime accumulating over time, it no doubt got more and more dark and foreboding. It's not something most would notice as it happened gradually, but that along with the inevitable dust and other detritus gathering on all that open steelwork I can only imagine how disgusting the place must have been in its twilight years. The lack of proper maintenance and utter disdain for classical architecture that prevailed in the mid 20th century certainly didn't help. Many historic treasures have been restored to an amazing condition that few knew existed. Images like this show just how breathtaking some of these great old spaces that we see today as grungy and dark can be if they're properly restored. A beautiful 20th century cathedral.I looked into Wiki to see when it was built and, as I thought, it was brand new in 1910 when the picture was taken. Based on the exterior photos I have seen, the current Pennsylvania Station doesn't hold a candle to this one. Penn's legacyAs many probably know, Penn Station was owned by the spiraling-towards-bankruptcy Pennsylvania Railroad. The Pennsy couldn't afford to keep this giant station operating when the air rights over the tracks were so lucrative (the space over the tracks now Madison Square Garden). Its destruction lead to the modern preservation movement. Many historic structures have been saved due to this building loss, and subsequent awareness of the value of significant buildings. "It was a crime to tear it down!"This is a moldy bit of received wisdom that's become tedious by constant repetition. Penn Station may have been pleasant to look at in 1910, but by 1960 it was a decrepit eyesore that was a complete bust as a functioning train station. If even half of the Monday-morning preservationists who bemoan its fate had been willing to put some money where their mouths were, it might still be around. Underlying fundamentalsPenn Station's success as a functioning train station is confirmed by the fact that nearly all the below grade facilities - tracks, platforms, and even some stairways - are still in use today. The universal regret over the loss of the superb public spaces above grade is reflected in the most recent proposal for the site, Moynihan Station, which aims to recreate these spaces right across the street inside the the shell of the old Post Office Building, another design from the office of McKim, Mead and White. Up and DownRamps were not needed since anyone in need could use elevators from the concourse towards the left that would take them down to track level. Though 99% of the architecture is lost, those same staircases and elevators are still in use today. Joe from LI, NY The 11:31 to BabylonI see this same view every night when I catch the 11:31 to Babylon. Except now there is a ceiling roughly 15 feet overhead, complete with various pipes and other assorted infrastructure that make the experience of travel so rewarding. Maybe not in its primeBut when I first saw it in 1958 it blew my 12-year-old mind. A fitting entry portal for the "Standard Railroad of the World." Form vs. FunctionA note to all the "Monday Morning Preservationists" -- would you prefer to drive to West New Jersey to see the Knicks? Rangers? Concerts? The dog show? A decrepit museum was replaced by a useful, functioning building. If you want to see what Penn Station would look like today, go across the Hudson to Hoboken and take a look at the Hoboken Ferry station. Without money to maintain its turn of the century glory, the ferry station has turned into a depressing mausoleum of days gone by. All the whining in the worldAll the whining in the world about how unsightly, grimy, or whatever Penn Station was in its declining years (all of which could have been dealt with by apportioning for its upkeep a fraction of the money that went into real-estate thugs' pockets in the transactions that led to its demise) can't obscure the fact that a soaring, beautiful monument to the aspirations of man was replaced with a squalid, stunted, cheap and uncomfortable monument to greed and hubris. The Sistine Chapel is reputed to be just awfully expensive to keep clean; why not spray acousti-tile over it and be done with the burden? When you stepped out of your train onto that platform, the astonishing and unexpected vastness of the space around you was a perfect metaphor for the possibilities of your future in America's greatest city. As I suppose the current incarnation is as well, in its own way, in this Age of the Bankster. I consider myself lucky to have there, grime, panhandlers, dirt, and all. No title needed.Imagine anymore the vision for having a building whose primary purpose would be to create a life experience for those passing through, and incidentally to also serve as a train station! We live cheaper lives now in many ways. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads)
Nautical New York: 1900
... circa 1900. "Shipping at East River docks." More maritime Manhattan. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:39pm -

New York City circa 1900. "Shipping at East River docks." More maritime Manhattan. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Earl Of ???I'm having the hardest time reading the name on the transom of the vessel tied up to the south of the pier. I would guess the ship to be a commercial barque but hopefully someone more expert in rigging will step in to correct the record. Of the name, the left side looks possibly to be "Earl of" but I can't piece out the rest. It's a bit like trying to read the 7th line of the Snellen eye chart without my glasses. Earl of DunmoreIt was sunk by a German submarine in 1917 according to one source. I found this picture of the ship. There are small differences, but the paint scheme is the same. Opinions? British ship. "Earl of Dunmore"British ship. "Earl of Dunmore" in both pictures above, is on the left in top picture, where I believe she is lying at 19th street or pier 11, east river New York. the lower image is of this ship at Port Pirie S. Australia circa 1894. Earl of Dunmore was under command of a Shetlander (Capt. T. Kay) from her completion in 1891 - 1903. I am currently working on a scale model of this ship at 1-48 scale, and also writing up the history of ship and master, any one who has any information on this ship or information on anyone who sailed with her I would be delighted to hear from them, or if I can help anyone interested in the same I will do my best. my e-mail is. joekay18@gmail.com Barque Earl of DunmoreLaunched 1891 on the River Clyde. Rigged with double top and topgallant sails. Journal of the Royal Naval Reserve, 1892. Earl of Dunmore, ship; outbreak of fire at Chittagong, January 5, 1892, when laden with jute. Inquiry held at Chittagong, February 6, 1892. Fire apparently intentional. Conduct of stevedore suspicious. Round the Horn Before the Mast, 1902 By Basil Lubbock Friday, 21st July, 1899, San Francisco. — The four-mast barque Earl of Dunmore came into the wharf next to us this morning, fifty-two days from Newcastle, Australia. She is nothing like such a fine ship as the Royalshire; though her tonnage is greater, her masts and spars are half the size of ours. She is a Glasgow-built ship, like the Royalshire, and is overrun by a wild crowd of Scotch apprentices. The Hobart Mercury, August 15 1903. A London Ship on Fire in Sidney Harbour. A Sensational Scene. SYDNEY, August 14 … The barque Earl of Dunmore, which arrived from London on Sunday, and is lying off Chowder Bay, was discovered to be on fire at 2 o'clock this morning. Included in the cargo was 130 tons of dynamite and gunpowder, and the crew lost no time in attacking the flames, but in spite of their best efforts the fire, which gained a firm hold on the cargo of the forehold, spread fiercely and rapidly. In this hold was stored a large quantity of inflammable material including oils, turpentine, and tar. This caused dense pungent smoke in great volume, which hampered the efforts of the seamen. There are four hatches on the vessel, all of which have been nailed down, and nobody has been below for several days. Captain Menke, his wife and child were transferred to the pilot steamer for safety. A steamer with the Harbour-master on board arrived alongside the burning ship within half an hour of the receipt of alarm, and directed salvage operations. Powerful pumps on the Harbour-master's boat poured water equal to 2,000 gallons per minute into the hold In which the fire was raging, but the flames made headway. A lot of cargo was stowed on deck, and much of this caught fire. The sailors, in order to avert the danger where it presented itself of the fire running along the decks, seized burning bales and cases, and threw them over-board. When the deck cargo was cleared away there was a much better chance of getting at the seat of the outbreak, but the fire had the mastery for a very long time. Presently the flames spread to the vessel's rigging, and the decks began to grow hot. Captain Menke ordered that the decks should be cut away, in order to afford more access to the burning cargo, but as soon as the sailors chopped away some of the planking they found iron sheathing underneath. It was decided at 4 o'clock, as the flames stall raged with undiminishable fierceness and the weight of water poured into the hold was beginning to cause the vessel to sink at the bows, to beach her. Pumping operations were temporarily discontinued, and a steel hawser having been passed to the tug Hero, with some difficulty the vessels anchor was freed from the bottom, and partly lifted, and the Earl of Dunmore was slowly towed towards Rose Bay, where she was beached. The ship had in her forward hatch a quantity of wax matches and underneath was stored a quantity of oils and other cargo equally combustible. It is presumed that rats got at the matches, and caused the conflagration. The Melbourne Argus, December 19, 1908. Earl of Dunmore. Furious Gale. An adventure which is not likely to be soon forgotten by her crew befel the four-masted barque Earl of Dunmore, on her voyage to this port from Fredrikstadt, Norway. Whilst “running down her easting” across the Southern Ocean the barque was sorely tried by a terrific Westerly gale accompanied by seas which Captain Mencke describes as the highest and most dangerous that he has experienced for many years. Gigantic billows swept the decks from poop to forecastle at frequent intervals threatening serious injury to the ship, and necessitating extraordinary vigilance on the part of the crew to escape danger. The disturbance arose on the 20th November, in lat. 42deg. south and lon. 6Odeg. east, lasting, without abatement for a whole day The use of oil to quell the seas was freely resorted to, large quantities being poured over the vessels sides; but despite this expedient, heavy bodies of water thundered over her as she sped before the gale. All movable objects on deck were dashed about in the flood whilst some disappeared overboard on the receding billows. A complete clearance was made of the galley … pots, pans, and other cooking utensils being washed out of the apartment to the unspeakable dismay of the cook. Several of the crew were thrown down by the seas and narrowly averted meeting with serious injury, a few bruises and scratches being the only ill effects. In the meantime squalls of alarming intensity completely drowned the voices of officers and crew until ultimately the storm gradually “blew itself out,”and affording them breathing space. The Earl of Dunmore which is laden with timber met with such light and baffling winds in the earlier stages of her voyage that she did not cross the equator until the fifty-eighth day out. Quite a different experience, however, then awaited her, and she made a capital run of 46 days from the line to Hobsons Bay averaging 220 mile per day for this period, and thus converting what promised to be a protracted voyage into a good one. On her previous voyage to Melbourne the Earl of Dunmore accomplished a splendid passage of 78 days from New York. Captain Menke who is in charge of the vessel, is accompanied by his wife. One's still thereMost of those buildings are long gone, but the one at center, beyond the three closely-spaced masts in line with the right edge of the Earl of Dunmore, seems to still be there (mostly, anyway) at the SE corner of Broad St and Exchange Place. It's the bldg at the right edge of another Shorpy pic. The narrow slab extending toward the camera from that building has been demolished in the last few years. A 1927 view of the building, in the lower left corner of the aerial pic. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC)
The Office: 1923
... Socially I guess the older women struck out. Manhattan is full of them. Ordinary expressions Well, some of them are ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 3:34pm -

Washington, 1923. "Stamp Division, Post Office." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. Everyone look busy! Dalton Adding MachineThe adding machines appear to be Dalton Ten Key models, manufactured from 1902 to 1928. Museum of HP calculators Also love those staplers: Acme No. 2. Early Office Museum [Oooh. An Acme. A great brand! And they'll deliver anywhere. A cave out in the desert, for instance. - Dave] Stamp subjectsSome of those old geezers look like they should be posing for stamps. At computer with the computerIn the early days, accountants were often called computers - the human adding machine. In the middle of this photo it appears we have a woman "computer" at a very large calculating machine - electric by the looks of the cord hanging down. Must be the head number cruncher... I'll be that made some noise when it ran a calculation! DiversityAn amazing diversity of ages in the office. Don't know that you would see that now. Time TravelerCheck out the young guy on the left, 4th desk back from the front. He looks like he is from 40 years later (i.e. shirt collar, haircut style). Surfing at WorkSome things never change! The CrowdReminds me of a scene in the 1928 film "The Crowd". The other thing is, I am a bit surprised to see the older ladies in the workforce; would have expected only young secretarial types looking for that first husband while trying to make it in the city. Next QuestionWhat are they doing exactly? Anyone know? I was thinking exactly the same thing.His doleful expression also seems very modern, I recognize that look, I'm sure I portrayed it myself. Stamp DivisionThe Stamp Division of the (then) Post Office Department managed the supply and distribution of postage stamps and stamped paper for all the post offices throughout the country. They would fulfill orders from local offices and also receive back damaged and unsalable stock. Given the magnitude of the operation, a big part of their function involved accounting, which appears to be going on here. William H MacyLeft column of desks 6th row looks like William H Macy or a close relative. i wonder what his grandfather was doing in 1923? Paging Jim HalpertThe person who stands out most for me is the young man on the right behind the lady standing. He doesn't quite fit in and yet he seems happy to be there. My thought is that he's fresh out of college and is honored to be working amid such esteemed company. Look around him at the generations of intelligent men and women in the room. He seems to gain inspiration in knowing that one day he too will be older and venerated. His jacket is off, but rather than attempting to look casual, he's smartly dressed and his perfectly knotted tie is surrounded by a dapper vest and crowned by a starched collar. The older men around him serve as an inspiration to him and his belief in the system. They are role models, peers, and father figures. The gentleman immediately behind the young man could easily have stepped off a Smith's cough drops box and exudes 19th century style and dignity. The man to the right appears to be related somehow to Wilford Brimley and behind him is a pre-campaign John McCain. Looking around the room, I can see why he wants to fit in and be one of the crowd. Looking back at him I can see that he never would. The slight smile tells me he wants to rise and strike out as an artist. The culture of the era wouldn't allow him to do so. With some luck, at some point in his career he was allowed to rise and become one of the supervisors who stood watch over the room. Our young man's supervisor is standing far in the back, ready to answer questions and shake those drifting off. I imagine that after the image was snapped, he thought, "I wonder if I'll see that picture? I hope I looked OK." Then his eyes went back to the ledger and suppressing a yawn started adding those sums again... At least we have cubiclesAt least we have cubicles now. Fascinating though -- other than the racial homogeneity, these faces could easily be those of the co-workers around me today. Also, it's almost lunchtime. I wonder how long they got for lunch? Office Christmas PartyWith that entire group of sober, somber and serious toilers, imagine what their holiday party was like. Not one laborer is hamming it up for the camera, not even a shadow of a smile to be had in the bunch, no out-of-bounds behavior for a picture to be frozen in time. The job must have had excellent fringe benefits (or French benefits) and although they all looked absolutely miserable and more like salt mine workers than accountants, they wanted to keep those joyless jobs. Try to imagine the annual holiday party with alcoholic spirits served to bring these stuffy stiffs to life. Those three old girls on the left would be kicking off their shoes and dancing on their desks. Someone should have told them "a little nonsense now and then is relished by the best of men." Do you suppose they had casual Fridays. [I wonder how many government office parties served booze during Prohibition. - Dave] SociallyI guess the older women struck out. Manhattan is full of them. Ordinary expressionsWell, some of them are smiling or have pleasant expressions on their faces, despite the fact that most likely the photographer had just yelled out, "OK everybody, when I say 'HOLD IT' don't move a muscle for X seconds!" Anyway, just exactly how joyful does anyone expect accountancy to make a person? ShortyI can empathize with the lady sitting in the rolling chair with her side to the camera. Her feet don't reach the floor when her chair is high enough to reach her machine. That makes for a VERY uncomfortable 8-10 hours. Though she does have great shoes... BytesAll the data contained in those cabinets would fit into my PC. FacesAs someone who enjoys the study of the Faces of Mankind, this is a wonderful photo to look at. I wonder if they had to use postage stamps to ship out any of the reports that came out of their calculators, or did they have access to email, instead? Older WorkersWell, this WAS before Social Security. People worked till they dropped. [Government employees usually had pensions. - Dave] IBMAnd in 30 years most of offices like this would be taken over by IBM and their punch cards. Amazing pictureThis is one of the most amazing pictures I've seen on Shorpy. Definitely the most people looking right at the camera, and a real study in captured moments. That young, disgruntled looking fellow certainly could belong to several different eras. So many old, distinguished types. It's one of those photos where you can smell the wood, leather and shoe polish. Thank you for all these images. So-So History but Excellent HumorOlder than Yoda cracked me up with his vision of the matrons in this shot indulging in barefoot, desk-top dancing at the office party! The sobering (sorry) response about Prohibition being in force at the time just made it all the funnier! Jim Halpert?He looks more like the 1920's Dwight Schrute to me. Dwight's main ambition in life is to die at his desk, this fellow probably did. Smiles"Smiles, everyone! Smiles! Welcome to Fantasy Island!" Look at that lighting!The ceiling's covered with classic ribbed acid-etched Holophane glass pendants -- the elder fixtures -- and between those are newish "schoolhouse" style opal glass shades. The schoolhouse fixtures became institutional classics and probably have 150 watt bulbs inside the shades. The Holophane shades were designed to refract and emphasize weaker early light bulbs, and worked surprisingly well as task lights. What a great scene this is, in so many ways. Those LampsWe have four schoolhouse lights in our home exactly like the ones in the picture. They were taken out of the old post office here and have "1917" etched inside the fixture. Whenever we move, we take them with us. Grumpy Mother in LawThat lady on the far left looks like one of those "children should be seen and not heard" types. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, The Office)
Sun Coffee Shop: 1935
... they couldn't afford the rents on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The reason they could do it so cheaply was, simply that the overhead ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:35pm -

December 1935. "New Orleans, downtown street." North Front at Canal. Nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Untrustworthy LaundryAnother wonderful Shorpy picture packed with detail! I'm curious about the laundry sign in the centre of the the picture; they are advertising that they are "Not in the trust." Can anyone shed light on what this phrase refers to? [It means the business is not part of a price-fixing cartel. - Dave] French DripNot to be confused with French Press. The French Drip coffee maker consists of a pot from which you serve and the top part which contains the coffee grounds. Pour the hot water into the top portion and allow the water to drop through the grounds infusing the flavour into the water. continue to add water until the desired amount of coffee is made. Similar to the way that most coffee makers today operate, but when you realize that in the day most coffee was either percolated or served out of those big urns you can see why they advertised the more labour intensive (but better tasting) process. Chinese LaundryChinese Laundries were ubiquitous in most cities. There was one in our neighbourhood when I was a kid but it closed in the very late 60s. The building is still there but I doubt that the people who live in the remodelled and upscale building know its history. I can still remember the tubs sitting outside the building at the back that was the actual wash-house, also turned into a pied-a-terre. The photo was taken before its latest refurb. Bohn Ford still thereOne of the Fords in the foreground has "BOHN" on the spare tire cover. Bohn Ford (now Don Bohn Ford) is still there, located on the West Bank in Harvey. In the '70s they were Dick Bohn Ford (no snide remarks, please). Also, it looks to me like the sign for the cross street is Canal. Today that's where the Harrah's casino is located. The City That Never SleepsNew Orleans looks to be one well-caffeinated town! LuzianneI actually drink Luzianne coffee, but I didn't know the brand was that old. Getting your message acrossThe lengths they've gone to, extending so many signs closer to the street and car traffic, it seems. I imagine the first business to extend their sign outwards by about 10-15 feet caused the many others to do the same. Looks like the Oriental Laundry is ahead right now. Dang!`Wish that pedestrian wasn't blocking our view of the menu board. Also, wonder when New Orleans got the tri-color traffic signals. All goneThe city of my birth and it probably didn't look much different in 1948 when I made my appearance. Canal Street and North Front don't meet up today; Saks Fifth Avenue is on this corner and Harrah's Casino is across the street. At 921 Canal St was the wonderful New Orleans department store Maison Blanche where we would go for photos with Santa and his sidekick Mr Bingle. Today it's the Ritz Carlton. I have to find one of our Santa photos. Arthur Brisbane was one of the most important newspapermen of the early 20th century and worked for Hearst, but would die a year after this photo was taken. The Daily States would disappear by 1962 in a newspaper merger. BangAnd how often today do you see a huge "FIREWORKS" sign? [Well, if you live down South ... - Dave] Barq's has biteBarq's Root Beer on the chalk sidewalk sign, didn't know Barq's was that old. Signs on signs.Interesting in that some of the poles carrying the advertising signs have smaller signs advertising the fact that they maintain the signs! Jax Beer signNot to mention the more picturesque neon Regal Beer sign. Jax and Barq'sI find it interesting that the tradition of being able to get a beer anywhere in New Orleans stretches back as far as anyone can remember, which is very much uncommon in the rest of the South. Does anyone else see the partially hidden Jax Beer sign? I also like that the Barq's Root Beer logo hasn't changed in 75 years, in those days Barq's was a Southern Mississippi and South Louisiana beverage with the Biloxi, New Orleans, and Baton Rogue bottlers each having slightly different syrup formulas. Sadly, I'm too young to have experienced the old Third Coast. Very exoticWhat, I wonder, is "French Drip Coffee"? French DripCoffee made in a two-part pot. The bottom has a spout and handle and it is capped with a small pot with a lid.... You put the coffee in the top pot and and boiling water is poured over the grounds. They then drop down into the bottom pot. It is/was the favoured coffee in Louisiana. Pots were hard to get for a long time but the popularity is again on the upswing and there are pots again being made. Here is a poem about making the coffee... http://frenchdrip.com/_wsn/page3.html Popular Among the PoorOftentimes in the South of antiquity, and I suppose the process was developed during the Civil War as a result of the Union blockade, a substitute for coffee was chicory. A brew from it would be syrupy, bitter, and quite strong, but sometimes ya gotta do what'cha gotta do. Chicory coffee is still popular today in some areas of the South. I Love This SiteThanks for this wonderful photo. I grew up in Metairie, 20 mins from New Orleans - but really I'm from that sweet old city New Orleans. This photo along with the others on this site are inspiring me to do a painting. Thank you so much! Re: "Oriental" LaundryIn 1959-60 I lived in New Orleans, on St. Charles street, between Canal and Lee Circle, maybe 6-7 blocks from the Sun Coffee Shop corner shown above. My then employment required white dress shirts. One block down St. Charles and across the street from me was what I called a Chinese laundry. I would leave my shirts and get them back wrapped in a brown paper package tied with white string. In the 1990s I saw the play "Driving Miss Daisy." I was astounded to see, as a prop, laundry returned in brown paper tied with white string. Until then I'd never realized that was probably a common practice. I lived about two blocks toward Lee Circle from the Liberty Theatre. https://www.shorpy.com/node/5786 The Liberty and another theatre close by were still open when I was there. The Dream FactoryThe above New Orleans "Sun Coffee Shop" photo is shown in "Hollywood: The Dream Factory" (TV 1972). It's meant to show a scene of the 1930s depression. It immediately follows a "Hollywood Party" with women dancing, literally, on tables. It's at 2:35+ in this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83cqJPwlvQA === Happy New Year, Shorpy, Dave, and all! Chinese Hand LaundriesMy Father the Laundryman, always complained about the Chinese Hand Laundries in NYC. He once said to me that he was convinced that Chinese Government subsidized those businesses so they were able to undercut the pricing of the regular (White) owned shops. They really weren't his competition because they couldn't afford the rents on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The reason they could do it so cheaply was, simply that the overhead was much lower. Their shops were in mainly in less affluent residential areas. The usually lived in or above the store and employed no help. The entire family worked, the husband marked the incoming wash, with those indelible ink characters, used to identify the customer, found usually on the inside of the article to be laundered. The pair after laundering the clothes then ironed them. The children did other tasks including pick up and delivery. All meals were taken on the premises. They never got rich but the children all went to the public school and many continued to High School. I think most of us are familiar with the 3rd generation and their accomplishments in this country. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, New Orleans, Walker Evans)
Sixth Avenues Busy Corner: 1906
... I lived on the eighth floor of a an apartment building in Manhattan that was built around the time this photo was taken. The windows ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 8:24pm -

New York circa 1906. "14th Street Store." Several subplots here, involving roofs, windows and hair. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Eye SpyI think those two lasses in the window have spotted the camera. MonumentalLove the building with the sign on the side. It's hard to make a skinny, monumental building. It doesn't look like it's over about 30 feet wide. Window Cleaner's ChoiceYears ago I lived on the eighth floor of a an apartment building in Manhattan that was built around the time this photo was taken. The windows were equipped with iron rings for fastening a window washer's safety belt, similar to rig this gent is using. When I asked why he balanced himself on the ledge of the window instead of using the safety belt he had with him, he replied that he would rather trust his sense of balance than the 90 year old rings. After a closer inspection of the rings, I had to agree with him. Widow, er, Window WasherMan, it would kill me to have been that poor window washer. At least he probably talked to the girls on his way up! Human Hair Goods?Eww. No thanks. Building maintenanceNowadays the only place you see regularly-scheduled painting of structural gingerbread is at Disneyland. Don't recall ever seeing a Human Hair Goods store on Main Street, though. An E-ticket attraction that never was. TodayThe "Busy Corner" building is still around today, as are some others including the very skinny one (no longer with a human hair dealer, alas). The El is long gone, however. How marvelous!The entire building is still there, although now it is an Urban Outfitter. The 4-story building getting its gingerbread painted is also still on the street. The elevated streetcar, though, is gone, replaced by the IND, which opened the underground station at 6th Ave and 14th St in 1940. When you look at the store selling "Human Hair Goods," just imagine it as the place where Delia sold her hair in O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi." It was written in the same year, 1906, and just a few blocks uptown, at Pete's Tavern, at 129th E 18th St. Great photo of one of the world's great cities, at a time when it was becoming an indelible part of the American imagination. The Corner todayThe West side of the facade is missing two entries (the big arches on the right of the photo), but everything else about the building looks pretty much the same. View Larger Map Human HairThree of my granddaughters have donated about a foot of their hair to an organization that supplies hair to make wigs for child cancer victims. I guess O. Henry's Delia has nothing on them. Sharp ShotFull of interesting detail as it is, this photo is also noteworthy, to me at least, because of how beautifully sharp it is in a technical sense. You can look at almost any part of it and see amazing details. Some window washers still use that rigI worked at a place two years ago that had those hookups outside each window, and sure enough a fellow came by once a year to climb out and use them. He smelled of alcohol, and I hardly blame him! Macy's was thereThe skinny building was also once Macy's, though I don't know if it was before or after this photo. The tracery of the Macy's name can still be seen under the paint over the front door. The building is now owned by the New School University. The large building on the corner is a high-end condo building now. Henry Siegel's FateI believe the structure in the foreground with its gingerbread being painted is actually the elevated station. The station building on the other side of the tracks matches it. All of the Henry Siegel's 14th St. Store buildings are still there, although the shorter middle building has had an apartment structure built on top of it. The corner building is now filled with (what else?) luxury condos. Alas, the story of the 14th St. store itself did not end well for Henry Siegel. It lasted only a decade, and ended with Siegel going to jail. He would end up living in a boarding house in Hackensack. More of the story can be found in this 1999 NY Times article. The sliver buildingat 56 west 14th street was vacated by Macy's when they moved uptown to 34th street in 1902. With a good eye one can see the Macy's star logo on the facade still today. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/30/realestate/streetscapes-readers-questi... Wigs, glorious wigs...From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, September 22, 1875 Wowsa!!So much to look at. What a great picture - this is one I could keep coming back to and still see something new. Thanks, Shorpy. Human hair? Good store!The human hair store doesn't bother me a bit. Hair was commonly used in beautifully woven and braided jewelry in the 19th century. (I've tried to copy the technique with my own hair - it's difficult!) Women also bought human hairpieces and extensions, much as they do today. I'm adding this photo to my Shorpy all-time favorites. So much to see! Can't decideWhat intrigues me more. Is it the skinny building with all the ornate work, or the sign "Dry and Fancy Goods"? Piggy Bank from the 14th Street StoreI am soooo enjoy this site. Back in the 1970s as a teenager, I inherited a small "piggy bank" with a serial number, 55738, on it. It is a heavy metal woodgrain lockbox four inches wide with a carry handle on it. No key. Printed with copper-like inlay: "The 14th Street Store 6th Ave's Busy Corner, New York, Henry Siegel, Pres." I would love to know who used it, what they were saving money for, and the value of the box today. I am now in my fifties and still proudly display my antique box. [This would have been used in the store by cashiers or clerks. - Dave] The Bank BoxSo I just wanted to comment on the little bank picture that was posted. The box was a giveaway that the store had. Bank in those days a lot of department stores also contained banks. That box was a giveaway for children when their parents would open accounts. I did a bunch of research on the one I have just like it! [The box below is not a "giveaway." - Dave] We have a 14th Corner Store Bank Box too! My husband was given one of these bank boxes to him by his Grandmother and now the bank is being passed down to our 10 yr old son. I would love to pass on the history of this box to him as well. What an interesting box. The box displays serial number 92743, and looks a little different than the one pictured below. It does not have any engraving on the top other than that of the serial number. Looks like the one below has some words engraved on the top where my serial number is located. Does anyone know anything more about these boxes? Macy's Sign When I walked by 59 West 14th on Wednesday scaffolding was up. Looking at the building yesterday the tracery of "Macy's" has been painted over. Macy's mysteryBut what in the world is this guy up to? Tying his shoe? Scraping something off his shoe? Taking a shortcut off the El platform? (Thanks to Cosmopolite for bringing this brilliant, busy photo back to our attention.) (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Stores & Markets)
Online: 1900
... of tenement, New York City." Hung out to dry somewhere in Manhattan. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 8:19pm -

Circa 1900-1910. "Yard of tenement, New York City." Hung out to dry somewhere in Manhattan. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. Out of LineWhen I see these back porch clothesline photos I can't help but think of Mrs. Frobisher's squeaky pulley that concludes one of "Uncle Claude's" funniest vaudeville routines ever. W.C. Fields worked it into "It's a Gift" and the whole movie is a nonstop riot, perhaps his best. Well worth the looking into if you have never seen it. UnmentionablesI see a lot of men's underwear and kids' undershirts but nowhere can I find any ladies' undergarments -- corsets and such. I wonder if they aired those out to dry or if they had to be much more modest about it. Pulley ServiceI wonder who had the job of climbing those tall poles to place / replace / rethread the pulleys. Clearly this isn't the French Quarter. Clothespins and CommunityNot only is this a community of laundry, it's a Community. I miss neighbors, and sitting on the stoop on a warm summer evening, kids playing in the street, all of it. Bad Housekeeping?I like the messy, rebellious line of washing about 3 lines in from the top. At first, I decided to attribute it to the wind, but since everyone else's is so neat and straight, I wonder. I do see what looks like "unmentionables" towards the top right, and despite the predominance of plain longjohns, I do see some ladies print dresses in the bottom left corner. UnmentionablesMy understanding is that corsets and other personal items were hung inside other things such as sheets or pillow cases. However I doubt if corsets were washed very often -- if ever. Re: Pulley ServiceI read someplace (don't remember where) that in the days of laundry lines here in NYC, there were young boys who would shinny up the poles and adjust, repair, and replace the lines. I think twenty five cents was the going rate. Risky businessI thought it was a pain hanging clothes on our back yard line that was five feet off the ground. At least I didn't have to worry about falling out of a fourth floor window while doing it. The aroma!Even today, when clothes are hung outside to dry, they smell so much fresher than being confined in a dryer for 30-40 minutes with a chemical laden dryer sheet! Why only whites?Does anyone know why there are only whites drying? Generic Urban nostalgia I suppose most any city boy, or girl, who's over 50, will feel a pang of nostalgia for the 'Gentrified Tenements' our grand-parents lived in. I didn't care about the hour drive past the stinking oil crackers, or the four flights of stairs my mom and dad huffed up with pounds of holiday bounty. I relished the smells and sounds of the aging but solidly constructed apartments. This was life! Whose wash is that? Almost all of these tenements had basement areas where you could hang up stuff during inclement weather. Or dry out unmentionables. My godfather chose to set up an 8x16' model rail-road, much to the delight of us kids. Re: only whitesWhites were the first items washed, the first items hung. The women were washing the other stuff while the whites dried. The last items to be washed were usually papa's work clothes. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
Plane No. 7: 1900
... from the Boonton lock and plane. He, F. C. Wells, was a Manhattan architect and painter. In the 1940s (or maybe '50s) he created a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/15/2022 - 12:28am -

Boonton, New Jersey, circa 1900. "Top of plane, Morris and Essex Canal." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Read if so inclinedI didn't know this, so maybe others don't too: A [canal] inclined plane is a type of cable railway used on some canals for raising boats between different water levels. Boats may be conveyed afloat, in caissons, or may be carried in cradles or slings. This would be the long way roundAt least it would be today. Between 1824 and 1924 the Morris Canal served Boonton's iron industry between Phillipsburg and Jersey City. Iron crossed over the Jersey Hills by use of 23 lift locks and 23 inclined planes. Thank you, Kiwanis. Painting of the Boonton LockI am so very happy to see this image Shorpy-fied! My grandparents lived two blocks from the Boonton lock and plane. He, F. C. Wells, was a Manhattan architect and painter. In the 1940s (or maybe '50s) he created a rather surreal image of the "guard lock" at Boonton (attached). I don't know for certain, but I think he painted this collage of imagery over another painting -- as suggested by the church turrets in the background and the forested mountain on the right. D&H CanalVery cool. I remember my father mentioning it a few times, he was born in 1917 in Irvington. Up here in Ulster County there are a couple of museums celebrating the Delaware and Hudson Canal, roughly the same time period, running from Pennsylvania coalfields to the Hudson River. Coal then moved on barges down the Hudson. It was built in ten years. There's an inland town along it’s its length called Summitville because it was the highest point on the canal. This being a more rural area, there are lots of parts remaining. +120 YearsThe building on the left with the bay windows is still standing: The inclined plane started by the intersection of Main Street and School Road. You can see where the canal and inclined plane were on this old map of Boonton. Lots of great then-and-now photos (including another view of the top of the plane) at Boonton.org. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
High Times: 1908
Manhattan circa 1908. "Times Square and New York Times building." Now playing ... two cars approach an intersection. [By this time Manhattan's trolleys were electric; the slots accessed underground power ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/21/2014 - 7:33pm -

Manhattan circa 1908. "Times Square and New York Times building." Now playing at the Astor: "Paid in Full." 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. The new uptown New York Times buildingCorrect me if I am wrong.. Previous to this picture All the big daily news papers were clustered downtown at Park Row near the battery. It was a brave move for the NYT to move uptown but they had a strategy. Hidden inside that tall building were the presses for printing and assembling the paper. They ran vertically almost to the height of the building. The paper came out underground in the large 42nd street subway station where most of the trains in the city converged. Hot off the presses it was loaded onto subway cars and sent all over the city before the sunup. The Times is still being published today,...but for how long? Not that well paid'Paid in Full' ran for only 167 performances between April 25th 1908 and July of that year, it starred Lillian Albertson, (1881-1962) who later appeared in the film 'The Greatest Show on Earth' playing James Stewart's (Button the Clown) mother. The theatre itself was built in 1906 and was converted to a cinema in 1925, it was closed in 1972 and demolished in 1982. ComplexThe street car track crossings pose a complex enginineering task for the cable movements. And, assuming one track is superior and highest, the other would have its car lifting its cable clamp when making a cross over. Perhaps the helmeted police are involved when two cars approach an intersection. [By this time Manhattan's trolleys were electric; the slots accessed underground power conduits. -tterrace] Great White HunterI wonder what the "Great White Hunter" with his pith helmet is after. At the far left of the frame. [He's a street sweeper. -tterrace] Your ad hereThe New York Times building is now known as One Times Square. It's only tenant is a Walgreen's store on the ground floor; the rest of the building is a platform for a series of billboards. It's one of the most recognizable (and valuable) advertising spaces in the world. It's also where the ball drops on New Years Eve - the ball has a permanent home on the roof. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Washday: 1900
... the line causes rain, there must be a hurricane headed for Manhattan. The Unmentionables What? No jockstraps or thongs? Bombs ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 4:57pm -

New York circa 1900. "Yard of tenement at Park Avenue and 107th Street." 11 x 14 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Recalls Sam LevinsonThe Great Sam Levinson wrote of such a scene that his mother's nightgowns hung down a full three stories when wet, and his sister's skirts which "Dripped technicolor onto other people's whites" PrecipitationRain must have made for an interesting day at work the next morning. The GoldbergsThe lady in the upper left window has to be Mrs. Goldberg. She is getting ready to stick her head out the window and give us some words of wisdom. No. 9My grandfather was section chief for the DM&IR Railway in Duluth, Minnesota. The company-owned house was directly next to the tracks, as these tenements are. My grandmother was fortunate to have her clothesline on the other side of the house. But I remember her hanging out to the schedule of the Number 9 coming out of the Range with a load of iron ore. See the lady in the window? Maybe she sees King Kong! Off line.Don't the people at the far end of the block do laundry? Soggy soxIf putting your wash out on the line causes rain, there must be a hurricane headed for Manhattan. The UnmentionablesWhat? No jockstraps or thongs? Bombs Away!Imagine what marks some birds with digestive problems could leave on those washday whites. Real life in New York CityWow. Here's the world of my immigrant grandparents -- the intimate backyard world. I love the details of the shirtwaist-wearing women in the top story apartment, whose child is out on the fire escape. And the folks around a table on the right hand side of the picture, one story down. They've got a plant on the fire escape and some other stuff -- it's like a balcony! Wonderful picture - thanks Dave! Solar poweredWhat a beautiful example of a "carbon footprint" this photo is showing. Not an electric clothes dryer in sight. Brings back memories of the postwar 1940s era. For some reason washday was always on a Monday, today's washday is a push of a button any day or time of the week. Day of the weekMust be Monday! OMG!What would today's NIMBYists have to say about this scene? Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for meIf a big enough gust hit, those building could go sailing off into the sunset. Drip Drip DripI guess wash day was also No Playing in the Backyard Day! I wonder why the train wasn't movingThere is no Metro North station (back then, "New York and Harlem" station) between 42nd Street and 125th Street, or at least there hasn't been for a long time. This photo was probably taken through the window of a train that had stopped on the tracks for some reason. [This photo was made with a giant view camera (11 by 14 inch glass negative) on a tripod. It's not a snapshot from a train window. Detroit Publishing was a professional outfit. - Dave] The HoneymoonersYou can almost hear Ralph yelling out the window at Norton That carbon footprintOf course most of these clothes were washed in boiling water that had been heated on a coal stove. So that's a few tons of soot right there. Make Mine ModernGracious me, it makes me grateful for the "carbon footprint" of my washer and dryer for it keeps other "carbon" life forms from not only seeing my unmentionables, bot those who might leave a little carbon signature of their own on them. In my world wash day is whenIn my world wash day is when I can be sure of a good warm sunny day, or after the heaters go on, whenever i don't mind my lower floor of the house filled with wet hanging clothes. I don't know what folks did when it rained on wash day. I usually pay attention to the weather. If I do get rained out, fortunately there's still laundromats around with electric dryers. I do have a state-of-the-art front loader machine for the washing (anyone want my old maytag wringer?) I refuse to get a dryer just as I refuse to add a dish washer, or get an air conditioner. One simply has to draw a line. Hung out to dryMore interesting was watching the man who visited your backyard two or three times a year climb the poles to attach the clotheslines. "I climb poles" would echo through the yards. He charged around 25 cents for the climb and would sell lines and pulleys. If one planned ahead, the line and pulley would have been bought in the local hardware store for a small savings. PS The roof was used for sunbathing (Tar Beach) Marmoset or Flower Pot?Great photograph! Is that some sort of an animal on the window sill next to the top, far left? Btw, I see some unmentionables on the lines, but of course I can't, er, mention 'em. From roots like thisCouple years later, couple blocks south, couple blocks other side of those train tracks -- one of the kids playing under those clotheslines will be named Henry Louis Gehrig. From Monday OnFrom Monday on, my cares are over From Monday on, I'll be in clover We picked on Monday because it's washday And we'll wash our blues away From Monday on, the skies will look bright Don't tell me different, I know I'm right I'm gonna start shouting Hey Hey When he says Love Honor and Obey I'll be happy, from Monday on. A catchy late '20s Paul Whiteman tune with Bing and the boys singing about wedded bliss. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
Old New York: 1900
... "A ferry boat, New York." The steamer Cincinnati off Manhattan. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View ... Church about a third of the way from the right, with the Manhattan Municipal Building visible behind it. Stewarts Ferry Food Service ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 6:26pm -

Circa 1900. "A ferry boat, New York." The steamer Cincinnati off Manhattan. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. 2 HPNote the wagon with what looks to be a two-horse team. Other Hudson/North River FerriesThe great picture of the "Cincinnati" on the North River in 1900 reminds me of the Ramsdell ferries "Newburgh", "Beacon", "Orange" and "Dutchess" that plied the Hudson between Newburgh and Beacon NY up until 1963 when the I-84 bridge first breached the waters. Two of the above had two decks, and the other two, just a single deck. I can never remember which had what. Steamer CincinnatiBuilt as railroad ferry for the Pennsylvania RR in 1891. Had a propeller at each end so it did not have to be turned. Notice it also has a bridge at each end. Citizen Kane, IllustratedMr. Bernstein: One day, back in 1896, I was crossing over to Jersey on a ferry and as we pulled out, there was another ferry pulling in, and on it, there was a girl waiting to get off. A white dress she had on -- and she was carrying a white parasol -- and I only saw her for one second and she didn't see me at all -- but I'll bet a month hasn't gone by since that I haven't thought of that girl. Going UpFor 1900, that's actually a pretty darn impressive skyline. To think of what it would become in 100 years probably required quite the imagination at the time. Happy New Year New York; happy New Year Shorpians! Similar FerriesThis is an interesting view of a ferry showing very little change in shape or function for well over 100 years. I've used many auto ferries over the years and never considered that they were earlier used to move horse-drawn wagons long before the advent of cars. East Coast vs. West CoastThe Cincinnati has the round pilothouses (aka wheelhouses) typical of New York harbor ferries during the era, while ferries on the West Coast had square pilothouses like on the ferry Berkeley. Never could understand the reason for the difference. East Coast vs. West Coast thing, I guess. SkylineI recognize very few of these buildings. That may be Trinity Church about a third of the way from the right, with the Manhattan Municipal Building visible behind it. Stewarts Ferry Food ServiceBack when I was a yute I worked in the snack bar on the Staten Island Ferry. Most of the boats I was on were from the 60's and 70's. But one old girl I got to work was the Mary Murray, built in the 1930's. Looked like something from a Popeye cartoon. Skyline IDsPast the left edge of the "Cincinnati" is the Broadway Chambers building, still there at that corner. Just right of the ferry's stack are the tips of the cupolas on the Park Row Building; just left of the stack is the dome of the World building next to the Brooklyn Bridge approach. (Farther right, this pic helps with the identifications.) The guy with his hand on the rail at the front of the upper deck -- Trinity Church is past his arm, and the Gillender Building is past the church. The taller dark tower right of that is Manhattan Life, at 66 Broadway; at the right edge of the pic is the Bowling Green Offices, still there near the end of Broadway. Toward the right edge of the railings at the left edge of the pic, the light NY Life building that's still there at 346 Broadway. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC)
Welcome to Big D: 1963
... passing just a year earlier. My Father, who worked in Manhattan, came home later in the day (it was a bit early for him to be home at ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/22/2013 - 7:44am -

        President Kennedy on that dark yet sunny day in Dallas 50 years ago, minutes before he was assassinated. November 22, 1963. "Overview of crowds of people waving as President John F. Kennedy and his wife sit in back of limousine during procession through downtown Dallas, Texas; Texas Governor John Connally and his wife ride in the limousine's jump seats." New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection, Library of Congress. View full size. There are no words...Life changed for many of us, 50 years ago, tomorrow. The memories of those days forever burned into our hearts. I remember being in Miss Barbara Rappaport's World History class in Abraham Lincoln HS in Brooklyn. Someone came into the class that afternoon, approached her, whispered something in her ear. I still see her, sort of falling into her chair (she NEVER sat in class), with her head in her folded arms, sobbing.... President Kennedy has been shot. We sat there, stunned not knowing what to do, or say. The next days were crazy, with new names popping onto the news minute by minute, it seemed. Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack Ruby, Jackie, LBJ, Lady Bird, Governor Connolly, the Texas Book Repository..... on and on, Zapruder film, grassy knoll, Warren Commission. Blood on Jackie's pink dress, running FBI agents, that presidential Lincoln... Madness, it seemed! Our calm quiet, idyllic world, was suddenly insane. Caroline and John-John at the grave. And finally, the eternal image of the skittish horse, following the caisson, with the reversed boots in the stirrups. We grew up really quick on that day 50 years ago. Those days live on in our hearts, don't they? A Very Long And Tragic DayInteresting to read all the comments from the Shorpy community. Those of us aware of what was happening that day can never forget it, and those who weren't around will never understand our feelings. John Kennedy was so alive, with so much to do with his life, that the idea of his life being cut short was all the more unbelievable. I was living in Houma, Louisiana, and had a paper route, for which I collected my dimes and quarters every Friday. The thirty or so customers I had were usually ready for me when I came around after school, and I'd complete my collecting no later than 5pm. That day, it was well after 9pm when I got home. The phrase I heard over and over-- and everyone wanted to talk, if only to an 11-year-old paper boy-- was "I just can't believe it!" --Jim What I remembered that dayThe often asked question, "Where were you when Kennedy was shot"....I was in 6th grade at about lunchtime. The PA had clicked on (always a noticable indication that someone was going to the office) and the principal read a short message about the President being shot but no other information as of yet. I remember my teacher looking down at the floor with his hands folded. We were released for lunch and in the hall kids were crying. I went home, the TV was on, (I remember looking at Walter Cronkite on the TV) and my Mother had tears in her eyes while she was making sandwiches. "The President's dead" she murmured and threw the towel to the floor. Mom was so proud that Kennedy was our president. She voted for him...partly because of his good looks, same age and he was Catholic. It seemed, to me, that she was just about as devastated over his death as she was of her Father's passing just a year earlier. My Father, who worked in Manhattan, came home later in the day (it was a bit early for him to be home at 4 PM) saying that the trip home on the train was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Every rider had a stunned look about them. Even the conductor was speaking in hushed tones. This is what I remember. The AnnouncementI was on the basketball court at recess in the eighth grade when we were told over the school loud speakers. I'll never forget it. A sunny but sad dayMy mother worked in downtown Dallas, in the Davis Building at 1309 Main Street. She rode the elevator down from the eighth floor, and watched the motorcade go by. Just a few minutes later, the president was gone. I can't exactly place where this picture was taken, except that it's on Main. Downtown has changed a lot, and some streets have been removed over the years as new buildings have gone up. "Your president has been shot"A man came into the break room where I worked and made that odd announcement. We were all in shock and it wasn't until later that I wondered about the word "Your" being used to tell the people there this horrible news. The ShotsMy step brother's brother was walking from his Law Office to lunch when he heard the shots and had no idea what that was about... until later. On top of the busI'm trying to figure if that's an old-school air conditioning system or some other modification, to fight the hot Texas heat? Breaking NewsI was in my TV/Appliance store in Jamaica, NY as I was walking toward a bank of playing TV sets, all of which were on ABC Channel 7. A news bulletin lit of all the receivers. An announcer was on screen reporting that shots were fired during the President's slowly moving motorcade in downtown Dallas. As I kept watching further news breaks, it became clear that President Kennedy had been shot. Later in the day, as the news spread the store was filling up with people looking at all the TV sets. Later that afternoon I decided to close the shop and went home. SurgeA crowd would never be allowed to move that way today with a president so close. Just look at the excited people coming forward behind the bus. The few people at the window seats on the bus have really lucked out. Jackie is looking right at one of them, and JFK himself could be waving at the same person. A gaggle of women on the right could reach out and touch the motorcycle cop. They're all waving and screaming for the President's attention, but he's looking at that friendly face on the bus. I was in Grade 1 in Winnipeg and I remember the grief of the funeral like it was yesterday. We Canadians felt as though this American event was ours too, as though we ourselves had also lost this amazing person. Main and ErvayThe view is toward the southwest corner of Main Street and Ervay Street. The Neiman Marcus building is in the upper portion of the frame. Our Latin TeacherMrs. Closser was my grade 10 Latin teacher at Herman Collegiate Institute in Windsor, Ontario, just across the river from Detroit. She was an American in her 50s who lived in Detroit and commuted every day to teach in Canada. Before the end of the period she would leave the classroom to join the other teachers for a quick cigarette in the teachers' lounge. She never came back before the bell rang. Until that November day in 1963 when she burst into the classroom, tears streaming down her face, and stood in front of the class and announced, "Our President is dead!" She collapsed into her chair as several girls went up to comfort her. She didn't come back for a week. I took the bus to a dental appointment, and recall that even the hit parade radio stations were playing sombre music. I'll never forgetI remember that day. It was a Friday. Thanksgiving was near at hand.. I was 10 years old. I was in the fifth grade at South Avondale Elementary School in Cincinnati. It was warm that day for November..I checked and the high was 68. After lunch at school we all lined up to go back inside and it seemed the teachers were anxious to get us back in class. I remember our math teacher Mr Jackson told us that Pres Kennedy had been shot and turned on our Tv in the classroom. We heard Walter Cronkite voice but did not see him until he announced JFK was dead at the hand of an assassin. In the classroom next to ours a teacher, Mrs Keller, screamed and fainted. She was taken to the hospital. She never returned to school. School did not resume until after the Thanksgiving Holiday. After the death announcement school was dismissed..I walked home. On the corner of Reading Road and Rockdale AV a news person was hawking the Cincinnati Post-Times Star.. he was shouting; "Pooossst Timesss Pap-pur!!..President assassinated in Texas..Extrrey! Extrey! Read all about it President is dead..Pooossst Timesss Pap-pur' Over and over again. I the Irony is he was standing in front of a Statue of Pres. Lincoln. I solemnly walked home..things were in a daze. When I reached my home my step-mom was going out to visit my sister in Childrens hospital. She had had her transistor radio with her so she could get the latest news.. She asked did I hear about Pres Kennedy. I told her yes... The next three days all that was on Tv was news about the assassination of JFK. His funeral on Monday was a site to behold. I will never forget that black caisson with his coffin riding atop it. The sadness and grief of everyone. Never ever...That was a long time ago in a World so different than today's.. ThenI had just joined a Mechanical Engineering firm that week located on 15th Street in D.C. We had radios in the drafting studio and time stood still that Friday. Surreal; we just stood around, what was there to say? Fourth grade teacher's wordsWe had just returned from recess at P.S. 81 in the Bronx. Our teacher, Mrs. Stanton, told us to put all of our books and things away. This seemed really strange to us, as it was time for our flutophone lesson. I remember her words, "President Kennedy is dead. He was in a parade today, and he was shot." I remember the feeling in my stomach--as though it had dropped somehow. We were sent home. My parents had copy of the comedy album, "The First Family," which poked fun at President and Mrs. Kennedy. When Dad arrived home from work that night, he had a copy of the NY Post with its terrible headline. He took out the LP, wrapped the newspaper around it, and sealed up the album with heavy tape. My family had lived in D.C. for about about two years in 1960-62. Once Christmas we attended the White House tree-lighting ceremony which the President presided over. When Dulles airport opened, Dad took me to the ceremonies. I was perched on Dad's shoulders. We stood not far from the stage where Kennedy gave his speech. I remember thinking how handsome the President was. WNTC RadioI was in the student union at Clarkson College (now University) in Potsdam, NY. Saw the news come across the teletype we had in the newsroom window there. I immediately crossed the street and fired up the college radio station, WNTC, so the guys in the newsroom could broadcast developments. As Angus said the radio stations were playing sombre music - I distinctly remember being very hard pressed to find something to fill the time between news bulletins since we were a rock and roll station and there was not much appropriate music to be had. Canadians tooI was also in 6th. grade, and I was living on an Airforce Base in Canada's capital, Ottawa. It hit us hard too, although at the time I couldn't understand exactly why. I was only 11 years old, but I remember I cried, somehow knowing he was a man who would have done a lot of great things. He wasn't our President, but somehow it was as though he was the world's President. To this day in my 60's I remain fascinated and interested in JFK, his family, his life. NewsmanMy dad on the evening of 11-22-63, after a long day of covering the assassination from the Oakland (California) Tribune. Dad was a reporter and remembered when the AP wire first came in from Dallas. Soon the whole newsroom was frantic with the shock and the task of putting it all together for the afternoon edition. They got the special edition done in time, almost an entire rewrite, and this photo shows my dad waiting in the Tribune foyer for my mother to come get him and drive him home. The Tribune photographer had been taking photos all day of the activity in the newsroom and caught my dad here as he waited for mom. "The president has been shot"I was in third grade in Northern Kentucky. Someone's mother had driven to the school to inform us of the news she had just heard. An unseen adult came to our classroom door and spoke with our teacher, Miss Reagan. I recall that she took a moment to compose herself, then stated that we were to put away our books. She said that the president had been shot. We were to pack our things to leave for the day, as school would be dismissed early. Soon, each classroom would be called to the cafeteria to pray. There was a hush. A knot in the pit of my stomach. Not much talking, brief nervous laughter that soon ceased. Then the entire student body, 865 children, assembled in that basement cafeteria. I remember standing room only -- we ate in three shifts -- and all those children were led in praying the rosary until the buses came to take us home. No one talked. Some of us quietly cried. We prayed desperately for the president's survival. Everyone was riveted by the unfolding events. Even the bus ride home was subdued that day. I remember being glued to the TV coverage as events unfolded. Later in the day at home Walter Cronkite announced that the president had died of his wounds. The news coverage was nonstop and I recall that the funeral, especially the sight of the Kennedy children, was overwhelmingly sad. Jackie seemed courageous beyond belief -- how could she retain such composure in this tragedy that had me bawling for days? The pomp & circumstance of the funeral proceedings, all the symbolism involved, marked the stature of this event and also somehow, gave solace. When I heard the newsOne of the things forever remembered by us as individuals is not only where we were, but who it was that broke the news. For many, this accidental fact influenced the way we reacted that day in November. I was 21 and working as a draftsman at a small business computer firm. There were five of us in our windowed room from which we could see the production floor. I had just begun to notice that the assembly workers had left their stations and were standing about in small groups. Moments later one of the electrical engineers, who often used our room as a shortcut, came breezing through and asked if we'd heard that someone had shot President Kennedy. The guy was a jokester (often shamelessly irreverent), so we looked up from our desks, smiled, and waited for the punch line. When he continued out the other door without another word we realized in sudden shock that there would be none. It was true, and thus began a season of feeling that ice water in your veins disbelief I would suffer again many years later when I watched the Twin Towers come down on live TV and realized that we were at war. No matter how hardened and cynical we are made by this world, we are never quite prepared to receive startling and painful news of great magnitude, even though we know it can come at any time, and in any form. Change of subjectI was in fifth grade on the day he died. There are many good comments on that day. Still the bus picture has a reminder of my youth. I grew up in Florida but the soft drink Dr. Pepper was not sold in Florida. In those pre-Interstate years, we went to North Carolina to visit the grandparents. The first thing we did when we stopped at "South of the Border" was to buy Dr. Peppers. It had a real bite and a strong aroma. Now Dr. Pepper is still tasty but without the bite and strong aroma. I would love to be able to buy the original Dr. Pepper. UnbelievableI was 11 years old and, like everyone else my age, I was in school. The door to our classroom was at the back of the room. We had just come in from recess and the teacher was beginning our next lesson when the Principal quickly stuck his head in the door, made an announcement, and quickly moved on. Because of his distance from our teacher and the quickness of his words, she didn't understand him. She asked us what he said and a child that sat at the back of the room by the door said "He said the President's been shot!" Well that was a concept too ridiculous to believe, so our teacher just said "No he didn't, I'll go find out what's going on," and she went out the room to the class next door. The next thing I remember was everyone standing in the hall, lined up to be excused for the day. The teacher from the class next door was crying inconsolably. I was like our teacher, and was having a hard time believing that all of it was happening. It wasn't until I got home and found my family in front of the TV watching the news that I finally realized that my perfect little world was no more. How I remember itI was in the seventh grade at Centralia High School in southern Ohio. We were taking a math test in Mr. Potter's class. There was a wall behind us with large windows that looked into the journalism class. We were distracted by noise from that room, and as I turned to look, I saw the whole room emptying. We returned to work but soon the class behind us returned and some of the girls were crying and dabbing their eyes with tissues. They had gone to hear the news on the TV in the study hall on the same floor. We heard over the intercom that Kennedy had been shot, but we didn't know whether he was hurt fatally. I was so stunned. I still cannot believe that Mr. Potter made us finish the math test! My next class was study hall, and when I could, I rushed up there and positioned myself in the middle of the room to get a good view of the TV, which soon showed Walter Cronkite make the announcement. We were all silent. Next and final class of the day was Ohio History, where our young teacher, Mr. Lungo, through tears, said that we should pray for the Kennedy family, and then just sat throughout the whole period crying uncontrollably. When my little brother and I got home, we found my parents outside. My mom was sweeping the walk and my dad was sharpening a hoe. I asked if they knew Kennedy was dead and she asked how I knew that, like was it something some kid of the bus had said? I said no, it was on TV in school. She looked at my dad and wondered if it could be true. Of course, we all went right in the house and turned on the TV. Naturally, they were stunned and just watched in disbelief. You Can Hear Radio Recordings of That DayGo to RadioTapes.com to hear several hours of recordings of that day, as broadcast over Minneapolis radio station WCCO. Eventually the coverage shifts mostly to the CBS network, including Cronkite's announcement of Kennedy's death. There are also recordings from NBC and Voice of America. I was in second grade, Mrs. Gooler's class at Hale Elementary School in Minneapolis, and we had just returned from lunch. The principal came over the PA system to announce the shooting; we were asked to put our heads down on our desks and pray silently for the president. Not fifteen minutes later she came on again to announce that President Kennedy had died and that we would be dismissed early. (In those days, virtually no mothers worked, and we all rode the bus home for lunch and back for the afternoon class.) I remember arriving home and being shocked--SHOCKED!--that my mother was actually WATCHING TV DURING THE DAY! My parents had a love/hate relationship with the TV and had only bought one the previous Christmas because I was given "viewing assignments" at school. They typically watched it only an hour a day for the NBC Evening News and the local news. And as if that weren't bizarre enough, my father came home from work early, which he never did. All normal broadcasting--including advertising--was suspended until the funeral the following Monday. We didn't completely resume our normal activities until after Thanksgiving weekend. No one who was alive then will ever forget where they were when they got the news; a so-called "significant emotional event" like this generation's 9-11. I was asleepI'm probably one of the few who *doesn't* remember where I was. I was 8. We were living in Melbourne, Australia, where my dad was in the Foreign Service. I remember the next day, my mom had to sew a black armband for him to wear to work at the Consulate. I thought it was a bad thing that someone would shoot the President, but it was nowhere near the same impact it would have been if I'd been in the US. School went on normally, as I recall, and there was not much fuss that I noticed. (Cars, Trucks, Buses, Motorcycles, Public Figures)
The Office: 1926
... at the B&H Photo store on 34th street, here in Manhattan. Up to scratch OK, not my best message title ever, but as one ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 10:20pm -

Washington, D.C., 1926. "Joseph McReynolds -- National Publishing Co." Back office at the McReynolds auto parts and sales business. View full size. The SafeThe safe was probably meant for fire protection of documents and records rather than for security. There was no off-site backup and obviously no fire sprinkler system in that office. Lamson TubeNotice the Lamson Tube message delivery system (look THAT one up!) on the center right of the photo. It seems to have a telephone speaker attached to it, possibly to alert the clerk to an incoming delivery. Lamson TubeThe pneumatic tubes are making a come back. Kennestone Hospital here in Georgia uses them extensively. My Credit Union uses them with terminals for walk up customers. Not to mention drive up windows at banks. Useful technology doesn't go away. Hello?Only one telephone in the whole office. It's not a band sawThat the thing on the right that looks a bit like a band saw is a pneumatic tube message system. When I first started working in New York many years ago, the non-functioning remnant of such a system was still in place in our decrepit office. The last time I remember seeing one was in an Ikea store. They had them at the checkout. No computers.Does this mean they're actually working? Not as much fun to surf the typewriter. Imagine ...An office with n open window! What a treat that would be!! 3 GradsI see 3 graduates of the Palmer Penmanship Method of handwriting. Hey you!Stop scratching those desks! Don't you know they're antiques? iPod 1.0The second young lady on the left has on her desk something that looks like a charging iPod. And under the desk: lovely legs. Fast MoneyI always chuckle when I see a safe on wheels. Nothing Pretentious HereWhat a great photo. Check out the office equipment: One vacuum canister message delivery system; One candlestick telephone for the whole office, in addition to the Ma Bell mini switchboard hiding behind the woman at the left who also is the operator; Self correcting typwriters (you make a mistake, you correct it yourself -- in triplicate). The safe is big enough to hold everything in the office. An efficient office with nicely dressed colleagues. A series of tubesEven into the '60s when Mom would buy stuff at the local "Busy Corner" equivalent, her metal charge plate (which looked just like a GI dogtag) would be put into a tube with the bill and then returned with the final receipt. Come On UpOn the right side of the picture, appearing above the young woman's head, looking like a hair dryer of sorts, we have the delivery end of a pneumatic tube transport system. It delivered sales slips and probably cash and messages from the sales floor to the office. A few still remain in service. I believe I saw one recently at the B&H Photo store on 34th street, here in Manhattan. Up to scratchOK, not my best message title ever, but as one who worked with office furniture relics like this up until my retirement two years ago, I can say that the old-style varnishes used on those things scratched if you just glared at them hard enough. No MinesweeperBut you could play solitaire on a real desktop. New tubesWe just had a new emergency department open up at our local hospital complete with a brand new tube messaging service. Celeb in the house!Is that Robert Duvall pecking on that Remington back there? Burn rubberThat ashtray looks like a tire. Tube GuyWorked for a large furniture and hardware wholesale company in the 50's. It was a summer job and for a two week period I was assigned to work in the central tube room. All of the tubes would come to me in a large open box area and my job was to send them on to their finale destination. The learning curve was a straight line. When it got busy, the tubes would sound like a giant corn popper. It's the details that stand outThe venerable office pencil sharpener on top of the filing cabinet; the hats on the stand way back behind the safe; the ashtray on the desk second from the rear; the inkwells. Items not seen in an office for many years, now consigned to history. Tire AshtraysI grew up in Akron, Ohio (Rubber Capital of the World) in 1950's and most, if not all, of the tire manufacturers made these advertising ashtrays. These ashtrays could be found in probably half the homes in the Akron area. When I would be forced to visit a household without other kids, at least there was something to play with. Our hosts could remove the glass ashtray and have a small tire that was virtually indestructible. It made these boring visits a little more bearable for a youngster like me. Work SucksThe pneumatic tube reminds me of my first job at a newspaper. They were used to shoot copy from the newsroom to the composing room. Tire AshtrayYears back, Goodyear distributed tire ashtrays as a marketing gimmick. Our family ended up with one in the mid-1950s. Made from real rubber with a glass ashtray that would pop out for cleaning. After awhile, the rubber began to smell of dead cigarettes. And speaking of things rubber, the gal in the right foreground is attempting to reduce blood circulation with a rubber band on her right wrist. Been years since I'd seen anyone store a rubber band that way. Lots of light ... sometimesNote that the frosted window at the back of the room also opens, although it's not open now, in September: without air conditioning, cross ventilation was important. The need for large, large windows in an office was also a holdover from the days when there was no electric lighting. Right up to the days when, as here, there are no desk lamps -- only three glaring unshaded bulbs in the ceiling. Is that Mr. McReynolds at back center, facing to the right? I rather like his striped socks. I use one too!I feel a kinship to these bored looking people, I type most of my school assignments on an Underwood No.5 Just like the ones they're using. Only I use mine because I like to. TubularLamson tubes are still in use in Sydney today at Circular Quay. Money is sent between wharves using them! (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, The Office)
The Big Apple: 1912
New York circa 1912. "Big buildings of Lower Manhattan." Landmarks here include the Singer Building and, under construction, ... Although it was hardly the tallest skyscraper in downtown Manhattan, the new Equitable was one of the bulkiest, and it was heavily ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/18/2012 - 6:56pm -

New York circa 1912. "Big buildings of Lower Manhattan." Landmarks here include the Singer Building and, under construction, the Woolworth tower. And let's not overlook the Hotel Grütli. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. SurvivorsMany buildings in this photo are still going strong. Woolworth, Bankers Trust, 2 Rector St., 111 Broadway and, of course, Trinity Church. What else I didn't know there was an elevated train on Trinity Place as well as Greenwich Street. Off in the distance is the Met Life Building, with no competition, and at the right the grand old Municipal Building is nearing completiion. El of a PhotoThe two Tracks shown at the bottom photo are the 6th Avenue (on the right) and the 9th Avenue(on the left) Elevated Lines where they have just diverged from a common track above Battery place and the South Ferry terminal. The 9th Avenue El is also seen further uptown in the photo. The photo also shows the NYC Municipal building under construction and way uptown, the Metropolitan Life building, shown in many images here. Those buildingshold more people than the 25,000 from my town. Coming soon to a Broadway block near youThis view would soon be transformed by the construction of the new Equitable Building at 120 Broadway, between Pine and Cedar Streets. The old Equitable Building burned down in a spectacular fire on January 9, 1912; the Chicago architecture firm of Graham, Burnham & Co. designed its replacement, which was built between 1913 and 1915. Although it was hardly the tallest skyscraper in downtown Manhattan, the new Equitable was one of the bulkiest, and it was heavily criticized for blocking out the sun from the downtown streets. Shortly after it was completed, New York adopted the Zoning Ordinance of 1916, which placed limits on the height and bulk of tall buildings; this law promoted the "setback" massing that characterizes so many NYC buildings built after 1920. With apologies to the Beach BoysWith trains on either side of the building, rooms in the Hotel Grutli would have had good, good, good, good vibrations. Tall, Taller, TallestWhat a great snapshot(!) in time. This image captures the progression of the tallest buildings in Manhattan from 1894 to 1912: The 1894 Manhattan Life Insurance Building (black baroque topped building in front of Bankers Trust pyramid, after its 1904 expansion). The twin-domed 1899 Park Row Building, just to the right of the Singer tower of 1908 (lantern-topped building with flag). The Metropolitan Life tower of 1909 (in the distance, through the haze). Finally, the Woolworth Building (under construction, completed 1913). (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
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