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Las Vegas Club: 1951
... 35mm Kodachrome transparency. View full size. Neon was king What else can one say. Keeping all that functioning was a very ... in Las Vegas for one night. I don't gamble, but the neon signs were spectacular and the people watching entertaining. Here is a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2021 - 5:49pm -

From 1951 and Don Cox comes our second nighttime glimpse of the Las Vegas Club, "The House of Jack Pots." 35mm Kodachrome transparency. View full size. Neon was kingWhat else can one say. Keeping all that functioning was a very good contract to have. Fremont Street 1977On a road trip in 1977 I stopped in Las Vegas for one night. I don't gamble, but the neon signs were spectacular and the people watching entertaining. Here is a Kodachrome slide I took of the rest of Fremont street, with part of the Las Vegas Club sign on the far left. NeonIt really needs to be a thing again. Can't beat NeonI thought the last installment of the Las Vegas Club neon was impressive, but this view of the vertical version outdoes even that! There's something real about Neon and actual light globes that today's LED lighting simply just misses the mark. I agree with the comment about high maintenance. Neon can last a long time, but the complexities of the signage of the Vegas strip of that era must have been huge. Not only the massive amounts of hand blown tubing, each with a particular 'noble gas' eg argon, xenon, neon - each gas produces a different colour under electric current. But think about the enormity of the control switching making it all work. In that era it would have been all electro-mechanical relays and micro switches attached to motorized spinning wheel switching etc. Fascinating to see in action both in the control rooms and on the street. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Don Cox)
The Hotel Essex: 1906
... -- always the same letters -- were often out in the neon sign on the roof, resulting in HOT SEX. Clearly, this was not due to ... [Oh right. Not gone! - Dave] Despite certain neon letters not working properly ... this is the cleanest 1906 photograph ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/09/2024 - 4:53pm -

Boston circa 1906. "Atlantic Avenue elevated at Hotel Essex (Terminal Hotel)." Completed in 1900, now the Plymouth Rock Building. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing. View full size. How could they resist?I can attest that certain letters -- always the same letters -- were often out in the neon sign on the roof, resulting in HOT SEX. Clearly, this was not due to chance, but creative vandalism. Gone? Then what is this?https://maps.app.goo.gl/HeJRkk4dkxWC9dP79 Really echoes the architecture of the Hotel Essex. Is this just a similar building in a close location (next to South Station. I guess if it was industrial, then look alike buildings could be all over I guess?) [Oh right. Not gone! - Dave] Despite certain neon letters not working properly... this is the cleanest 1906 photograph I've ever seen. Fireproof, as featured inFireproof Magazine, July 1906. No interior photographs or floorplans, but the architect is identified, Arthur Hunnewell Bowditch. His Wikipedia page doesn't include the Hotel Essex among his notable projects. But, in 1931/32 he designed the Art Deco Paramount Theater, the last of the great movie palaces built in downtown Boston. Looking at the two 1906 photographs and Street View, I'm certain there was a second-floor entrance to the Hotel Essex, directly from the elevated train platform. A nice perk for guests. If only --So 120 years ago, I could walk to my local train station and arrive at South Station, walk out and up the stairs to wait for the next elevated train to my office at North Station. But today, I have to go below ground and take two overcrowded subway rides to get to the same location. MBTA, please bring back the Atlantic Avenue line! Platform AdsOne of the advertisements I can see on the platform is for Mennen's Toilet Powder. The rest are inscrutable to me. (The Gallery, Boston, DPC, Railroads)
Howard's Chicken Shack: 1943
... https://goo.gl/maps/UuGw392TpYw re: Custom Neon Harold probably got much of his sign's cost paid for by 7-Up for advertising rights. Custom Neon Howard must have been pretty prosperous to afford custom neon on his ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/03/2016 - 12:14pm -

February 1943. "Daytona Beach, Florida. Street scene." Howard's Chicken Shack -- we're going to phone 9363 and see if they can deliver to 2016. Medium format negative by Gordon Parks for the Office of War Information. View full size. We DeliverIf you are good today, we will let you deliver the phone order on the bicycle. If you are not good, we will make you drive the (between 12 and 16 years old-depending on how close it was to a 1927 or 1931 production) Model A Ford. That is, if we have any ration coupons to put gas in it. I'm a Harold's man myselfDelivery available today! Harold's is a Chicago institution! 559 2nd AveAccording to https://volusiahistory.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/early-daytonas-forgotten... 2nd Ave is now known as Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Blvd. https://goo.gl/maps/UuGw392TpYw re: Custom NeonHarold probably got much of his sign's cost paid for by 7-Up for advertising rights. Custom NeonHoward must have been pretty prosperous to afford custom neon on his signage. Wonder what image was on top of the sign? Had to be a chicken....right? All bicycles had to have police issued license plate in the 40's? A Small PuzzleI looked at Model A Fords on Google Images and couldn't find any with the 'large' wheel hubs the car here has; it had me wondering if it really was a Model A, but the tail light and bumpers say it was. Apparently later wheels (Model B?) could be used. '40 Ford TudorBlack sedan is a 1940 Ford Deluxe Tudor (you can see the Deluxe script on the side of the hood )with an accessory spotlight and accessory bumper guards on the end of the front bumper. At first I was going to say '39 or '40, but the steering wheel is a '40, '39 would have a banjo wheel. Bike PlateI remember getting a bike plate in Florida even in the 60's. We filled out a form and paid a few dollars, and got them at my elementary school. We looked forward to it since we thought they were cool to have on our bikes. 40 indeedThat sure is a '40, for all the reasons you state. Another spotting feature is the wing window. 1939s didn't have them. The wheel bolt pattern on the model A was the same as cars up until '48, and even later on five-lug pickups. This cars' change was probably done to take advantage of the better tires available by then. My ElginThe bicycle strongly resembles the ancient hand-me-down Elgin upon which I learned to ride. The heavy frame featured a second upper bar exactly as shown here. From recent research, I believe mine was an Elgin Four Star model. I can't see the characteristic painted stars on the fenders of the bike in this photo, but everything else matches my memory. This was a massive bicycle, really too large and heavy for a young rider. Even with the seat all the way down, I could barely reach the ground. I had to walk it up most hills, as it was a single speed. The very large balloon tires gave it a very nice ride. Like a lot of long-gone things, I wish I had it today! (The Gallery, Bicycles, Eateries & Bars, Florida, Gordon Parks)
All Lit Up: 1910
... on the boardwalk at S Kentucky Avenue. Early neon lights? The Moerlein's and Spearmint signs appear to be neon lights. If so, they must be very early examples of that art form. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/01/2023 - 1:37pm -

Atlantic City, New Jersey, circa 1910. "The Boardwalk at night." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Double ChairsSmith's double chairs appear to be simply the famous Atlantic City rolling chairs for two. We know the exact date they were introduced there: June 11, 1887. TripAdvisor says that that 50-cent ride will cost you about $40 today. Incredible detailOutstanding photo. Somebody call GhostbustersI’ve never seen so many spectral bodies in one place before. Only the ghosts come out at nightHere is as close to a comparative daytime view as I could find, looking down from the Hotel Traymore about four years earlier. The only sign I can see for sure in both photos is Moerlein's Barbarossa, which Google tells me is a dark lager brewed in Cincinatti, Ohio. I couldn't identify any of the 1910 buildings in Street view. Based on where the Hotel Traymore was located and a slight dogleg in the boardwalk that you can see in the 1906 photo, here is where I think the nighttime photo was taken, on the boardwalk at S Kentucky Avenue. Early neon lights?The Moerlein's and Spearmint signs appear to be neon lights. If so, they must be very early examples of that art form. [Light bulbs only -- no neon. - Dave] Boardwalk rolling chairsAt one period after this photo two rolling chair lanes were created with boards going the opposite direction which created a smoother ride for rolling chair riders. All the rolling chairs in the photo have hard tires. Only one company (Eveler) had rolling chairs with balloon tires. The others (Shill, G. George, etc.) used hard rubber. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC)
Kodachrome Vegas: 1958
... too And parked at the curb at left, a 1958 Rambler. Neon Kodachrome A beautiful photo. I love the colors. The 'CLUB' sign in the upper left corner has a curious appearance of neon green outlines at only the outermost points on the illuminated letters. A ... 
 
Posted by Deborah - 01/16/2013 - 7:57pm -

Classic Las Vegas -- Fremont Street. 35mm Kodachrome film taken by my father-in-law, Woodrow Humphries. I'm guessing 1958 or so. The Westerner was open from 1950 to 1962. The Mint and The Boulder Club (with its famous sign) are on the right edge. The marquee above the Nevada Club was a late-'50s addition. Any other thoughts are welcome. I just noticed the VW Beetle! View full size. KudosAmazing photo. Car is the foreground is a 1958 Chevrolet. Kudos tooAnd parked at the curb at left, a 1958 Rambler. Neon KodachromeA beautiful photo. I love the colors. The 'CLUB' sign in the upper left corner has a curious appearance of neon green outlines at only the outermost points on the illuminated letters. A neat effect from however Kodachrome reacts to the combination of incandescent and neon lighting. Is that a searchlight in front of the Nevada Club? [The much-brighter incandescents are blown out (grossly over-exposed) either on the film or, more likely, the scan, thus bleeding over and obscuring the neon outlines. Film still has the edge over digital in dynamic range. - tterrace] Union PacificSeeing the Union Pacific depot at the far end of the street reminds me of riding the train. During the 50's my family would ride the Challenger from the East LA station to North Platte, Nebraska to visit relatives. When we stopped in Las Vegas, late at night. I would step off the train and watch the lights of Fremont Street while my dad had a cigarette. Thanks for the memory. Stunning Image!Kodachrome and Vegas neon; what a combination! There's something about the way Kodachrome reacted to and rendered green that is always eye-catching, but this is just amazing. I wonder if they still make Cibachrome prints?!??! I'll take this in a 24" x 36", gloss lammed, on black Gator Board, please. Nice to see Vegasbefore it got gaudy. Henderson Home NewsHere's a newspaper that shows the exact same headliners at the Nevada Club from August 20, 1959. Music music musicI see the Hilltoppers headlining the marquee, and their site lists them as being active from 1952 to 1957, so pretty good chance this is 1958. Tuesday NightsYou might get the feel of this place and time watching the new CBS show "Vegas". Car guy's eyeI noticed the '58 Rambler and '58 Chevy first thing. My first car was a '58 Rambler, a gift from my parents, well-used by the time I got it. It had its good points, but style was not one of them. The Chevy came from another universe; a universe where things were beautiful. Visiting the old Golden NuggetWhat a beautiful picture this is of the old downtown Vegas. I used to love visiting the old Golden Nugget years back. I loved the old downtown area when I was a young kid. My folks used to let us see downtown as we drove through Vegas to visit with my godfather who lived just outside of downtown. I later gambled and usually ate at the Golden Nugget casino there on visits in the early 70's. I loved the howdy pardner sign down the street. I remember when Glenn Manning who was the giant man from the "The Amazing Colossal Mant" movie, tore down the frontier and howdy partner sign on the set for the movie. Fremont StreetI was on Fremont Street just a couple of weeks ago. The Plaza Hotel is still there, recently remodeled. The Golden Nugget is probably the nicest hotel on the street, but the casino is pretty tight compared to Binion's across the street. The Golden Gate, right at the end of the street and across from the Plaza, has a really nice little cafe called Du Par's. The giant cowboy is still there and hopefully will be forever. Live It Up (at the Union Plaza)@rfleischer, The Union Pacific station continued to operate in that location as long as passenger trains served Las Vegas, Amtrak's 'Desert Wind' being the last scheduled train to leave the station in 1997. There was a lovely moderne station on the site until it was demolished to make way for the Union Plaza Hotel (last I knew it was known simply as the Plaza). Passengers continued to be served by a station on the UP property connected to the hotel. It was very convenient to step out of the train and into the hotel, as I did more than a few times. From time to time, there are reports or rumors of a LA - LV passenger train being resurrected but I wouldn't hold my breath. @Vintagetvs Quite right! Before they tarted it up, "The Meadows" was a nice place to go for a tranquil holiday. Not Just a 58 RamblerBut a 1958 Rambler DeLuxe, which meant there was no side trim or excess chrome (though still more chrome than 10 cars put together by today's standards). And instead of two headlamps on each side, there is only one. Many were sold as fleet vehicles, taxis and government use. I purchased this model in 1996 and restored it. Despite its clunky family car look, I won my share of awards and trophies. Mine had the pushbutton transmission. A Roof Over ItPrevious posters failed to mention that this part of downtown Vegas now has a roof over it. It is the called the Fremont Street Experience. It's referred to as a "light canopy." The screen contains 12.5 million synchronized LED lamps, including 180 strobes and eight robotic mirrors per block. You have to see it to believe it. As Mr. Mel mentioned, check out "Vegas" on CBS, 10 pm on Tuesdays. Great show set in the early 60s. Or watch the original Ocean's 11 movie, with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. 1959 ModelBehind the searchlight trailer it looks like there is a 1959 Mercury or Ford station wagon. Since the dark wood does not appear to go above the front wheel it cannot be a 1958 Mercury, and since there is no center hood scoop it cannot be a 1958 Ford. [The car is a 1959 Mercury Colony Park. - Dave] More CarsBehind the Beetle is what looks like a 1955 Plymouth (it's hard to tell), followed by a 1956 Pontiac. We had one of the Pontiacs; it was the first car I ever drove. August 1959@SouthHammond63 – good find. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Neon Texaco: 1951
"Las Vegas 1951." Today's first Kodachrome, of the gas station at the Hotel Last Frontier, comes to us by way of the late Don Cox, 70 years after he snapped the shutter. View full size. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Don Cox, Gas Stations) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2021 - 3:27pm -

"Las Vegas 1951." Today's first Kodachrome, of the gas station at the Hotel Last Frontier, comes to us by way of the late Don Cox, 70 years after he snapped the shutter. View full size. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Don Cox, Gas Stations)
Neon Naons (colorized)
Colorized version of Five Little Naons: 1912 . View full size. (Colorized Photos) ... 
 
Posted by motobean - 01/21/2010 - 1:49pm -

Colorized version of Five Little Naons: 1912. View full size. (Colorized Photos)
Arizona Motel: 1942
... court. Phoenix, Arizona." An early example of Desert Neon Noir. Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security ... (or spherical) thing hanging to the right of the neon sign? It appears to be inside (or outlined by) a cage-like (for lack of a ... Beautiful sign I love the little detail of the 2 short neon tubes on the bottom of the sign that light up the AAA panel. Sign of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/11/2022 - 4:09pm -

February 1942. "Tourist court. Phoenix, Arizona." An early example of Desert Neon Noir. Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Business trip ...Or family vacation? Whatever it is, the photograph is great! But what's puzzling me is the scrotum hanging on the crossbar to the right of the sign. Going out on a limbI am loath to reveal such ignorance but where better to be set straight than here? WHAT is that disc-shaped (or spherical) thing hanging to the right of the neon sign? It appears to be inside (or outlined by) a cage-like (for lack of a better term) structure made of woven rope. Is it a nest or hive? It looks vaguely snakelike. And those are all the clues I'm going to give you. [It is the counterweight on a neonized version of an old-school well sweep. - Dave] Once again y'all do not disappoint. I would never in a million years have got that lid off on my own but would you have got it off if I hadn't loosened it for you? Just saying. I mean, just kidding. Beautiful signI love the little detail of the 2 short neon tubes on the bottom of the sign that light up the AAA panel. Sign of a weighty matterThat big suspended ball to the right of the motel sign appears to be a counterweight holding the sign up. Why all that to hold a sign up? Perhaps it was to apply a traditonal abobe-style way of holding a sign up, in keeping with style of the motel. If in fact that sign setup is in keeping with the adobe motif. Balancing Act?I'm betting that's a natural rock or poured concrete round boulder carefully tied and used as a counterweight for the motel sign. Pretty clever and a good use of resources. Look out below!A counterweight to that neon sign, hung from a dead tree branch. I would advise you not to stand (or park your car) underneath it. Introducing the 1941 MercuryHere’s an original dealer training film that details the features of the all-new Mercury line for 1941. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05cUGrerGKs Non-noir versionLet the sunshine in! Still there -- sort ofIt's been remodeled and is now transitional housing. Better than being razed to the ground like so many other things in Phoenix. Nice NeonSuch an evocative photo! If only it could have been in color. "Air Cooled"So is "Air Cooled" could mean airconditioning, a swamp cooler, or even a fan. I wonder which it was? I'm impressedit lasted long enough to be remodeled and remodeling was chosen over demolition. The remodeling is fairly recent; attached is a combined Google Maps photo showing before remodeling and Google Earth photo showing during. It looked to be in pretty bad shape. Click to embiggen. Lit UpIn response to those desiring a colorized look, at the neon sign, my feeble attempt. Glowing PraiseI really like the neon Shorpy! Lone Snag MotelSeen here some 17 years later (both visible cars are 1959 vintage), the sign and counterweight are gone, but the dead tree still stands. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee)
13 Inch Lunch: 1942
... Morris! That has to be the best sign. Makeshift Neon This establishment would have stood out at night, since neon tubing is in evidence. At the peak of the roof is the word BEER, and below ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/23/2022 - 3:14pm -

January 1942. "Roadside stand -- U.S. Highway 80, Texas, between Dallas and Fort Worth." Acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Office of War Information. View full size. No trace of any of this nowThere is about 30 miles separating downtowns Fort Worth and Dallas. This could have been pretty much anywhere along the way. Interstate 30 replaced the part U.S. Highway 80 headed west out of Dallas. Texas Highway 180 follows what was U. S. Highway 80 west of Loop 12. Either way, it's nearly nonstop development between Dallas and Fort Worth now. I remember, in my youth, people commenting that the best thing about Pearl Beer, brewed in San Antonio, was it was cheap. A 13 inch hot dog sounds really ... filling, especially with a bun and toppings. Reminds me that September 30th the month-long annual State Fair of Texas opens and every year there is a new, deep-fried offering. This year it's a doh-muff. It's not the strangest, nor the least heathy deep-fried thing they've come up with. All kinds of sandwiches!I see on the list they have the Ruby and further down I see they have the Carousel Club! Wow, they do have a variety! Pearl Beer? Really? Just the name says "tastes bad" to me. Marketing genius comes in all grades. Brings Back MemoriesBut memory is a fleeting thing at my age. If I remember correctly Sivils Drive In where I misspent a lot of my youth was where Commerce or Fort Worth Ave merged with Davis or Highway 80. If one continued down Davis it crossed Loop 12 and continued into Grand Prairie and passed Yello Belly Drag strip. After that it became Main Street until outside Grand Prairie it was called Highway 80 again. I think this photo was taken on the west side of Grand Prairie before the city limits of Arlington on the way to Fort Worth. https://flashbackdallas.com/2015/12/03/sivils-drive-in-an-oak-cliff-inst... (xXx) (xXx)Gotta love, and wonder about, the (xXx) (xXx) on the front of the Pearl Beer truck. Safety FirstYup, safety first when smoking ... call for Philip Morris! That has to be the best sign. Makeshift NeonThis establishment would have stood out at night, since neon tubing is in evidence. At the peak of the roof is the word BEER, and below it HAMBURGERS. The perimeter of the roof and the eaves are outlined in neon, and the hanging sign also has tubing on it. The transformer for the building neon appears to be behind the centre Royal Crown sign, since that is where the tubing ends. I'm not sure if the "extension cord" hanging out the window is the source of power for all this or not. If it wasn't misspent, it wasn't a youthFulltimer, your memory is very good. I looked at the link you provided, and the Sivils Drive-in was where you remember. Your references are correct as far as I can tell. I also need to change my earlier comment about Interstate 30 replacing U. S. 80 because now I see that from Loop 12 in Dallas to Interstate 35W in Fort Worth, State Highway 180 follows the old routing of U.S. Route 80. A onetime favorite beer.During my five-month career as an enlisted man at Fort Hood in 1964, I drank more than my share of Pearl Beer. It was my first choice among the brands being sold at the PX. Then I shipped to Europe and my whole perspective changed. I like to tell people my mission in the Army, with a little help from some buddies, was to deplete the supply of beer in southwest Germany. Somehow we came up a bit short. xXx originsFrom Wikipedia: "The triple-X logo has long been associated with Pearl. In fact, it was used at the brewery even before Pearl beer became synonymous with the company. When the San Antonio Brewing Association bought the City Brewery and opened it for business in the 1880s, they used the triple Xs in the brewery's logo." "Many people wonder where the Xs came from, and how were they ever used on beer. In truth, the three Xs are actually a quality rating system. The system was initially used in Europe during the 16th Century. As European royalty traveled their lands and visited neighboring counties, a royal courier was sent ahead of the official party. The courier's job was to sample beer at inns along the way. If the beer was only average, the courier would mark the inn's sign or door with a single X. If the inn's beer was deemed good, the sign or door would receive two Xs. A mark on an inn of three Xs meant that the beer inside was excellent, and a must-stop for the royal court as they passed through." Pearl Beer has a long and interesting history and is still produced today in Ft. Worth, TX. The name has its origins in Germany. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_Brewing_Company xXx xXxThe triple XXX was meant to denote the strength (and purity) of the alcohol content. Although not really applicable to beer. The use of the triple XXX was made popular by moonshiners and was a sign that their shine had been through the distillation process three times. Pearl beer wasn't actually half-bad. Pearl is still brewed in Texas but the company is now owned by Pabst (another Texas based company). Pearl BeerPearl has a long and somewhat checkered history in Texas. It was brewed in San Antonio for decades. It was a decent (for the time) and cheap brew when I was a college drinker in the early '70s. The brand has been punted back and forth between parent companies for years and most recently revived again by Pabst. They do absolutely no promotion of it so it seems to sell as a curiosity to those who remember it's its glory days. The old brewery site was turned into an extension of San Antonio's RiverWalk and the old brewery buildings were modernized and are now used for all sorts of retail establishments and office spaces. It's worth visiting if you're in the city. Thanks for the edit, Dave. Re-reading is fun-dimental...and sometimes forgotten. They Only Come Out At NightHamburgers and beer. Barefoot on Highway 80During World War II while my dad was overseas in the Army Air Corps, we lived on a farm just south of Highway 80 that ran alongside the Interurban tracks and a main railroad line that carried train car after train car loaded with tanks, trucks and all manner of military equipment painted olive green headed to ports in Houston to be transported to our troops in Europe. I had to cross Highway 80 to get to school. Nearly all the boys went to school barefooted. My school pictures of that time show the boys barefoot and the girls with shoes on. Math on an empty stomachA dime for a foot-long plus, two bits for lunch. What do I get for the extra fifteen cents? A Pearl and a slice of pie, maybe. By the way, I have heard that there are people who actually put meatloaf sauce (ketchup) on tube steaks. Disgraceful! Castlemaine XXXXThere is a dinkum Australian beer from Queensland called Castlemaine XXXX. I met a True Blue Aussie from Brisbane visiting Vancouver several years ago and asked him if he liked Castlemaine XXXX. His response: "Struth, you can start your car with that stuff." (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Eateries & Bars)
Last Call: 1942
... out there get stuck on either side of that fence? Neon — Any chance of finding a photo of what appears to be a huge neon sign on the front of the station? [Aside from the photo you were ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2022 - 4:39pm -

May 14, 1942. Washington, D.C. "Filling up with gas on the day before rationing starts." 4x5 inch acetate negative by John Collier for the Office of War Information. View full size. Even or odd? In the 1970s, I remember my parents were relieved that one of our cars had an odd-numbered license plate and the other an even-numbered one. They were extra happy they had bought a new high MPG Honda that year, despite the fact it put us at odds with the rest of friends and family. Anyone out there get stuck on either side of that fence? Neon —Any chance of finding a photo of what appears to be a huge neon sign on the front of the station? [Aside from the photo you were just looking at? - Dave] Washington Rubber Co. Cheaters!In January 1943, only seven months after rationing started, Washington Rubber Co. was suspended from gasoline transactions for two months due to violating gas ration orders. In our nation's capital! The citation referenced the location as Fourteenth and Belmont Streets N.W. In another photo Dave posted, the still standing Clifton Terrace Apartments in the background (thanks Notcom) would place our busy Conoco station here. Car on the far rightThat suicide door is HUGE! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Gas Stations, John Collier, WW2)
Calf Fries Coming Up: 1942
... friend tells you what they are. Bull Calf had neon running along its eave On Street View I checked the phone poles around ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/26/2022 - 11:04am -

January 1942. "Roadside cafe. U.S. Highway 80, Texas, between Dallas and Fort Worth." Acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Office of War Information. View full size. No potatoes involvedCancelled my order. Turns out Calf Fries are in no way related to French Fries. Calf Fries!Known colloquially as "Swingin Steak". The NSFW menu"If you don't know about 'em you haven't lived in the Southwest for very long": as they say, ignorance is bliss. Prairie oystersThat’s what they call them in western Canada. Prairie oysters: Having a ball in CalgaryIn Canada calf fries are known as prairie oysters, and there was even a 1970s country and western music group from Ontario called Prairie Oyster. This story will tell you everything you need to know. Remembrance I lived in that area for years but what got my attention was the root beer sign at the end of the building. When I was young in the '60s I remember the billboards that used to advertise Hires root beer with "HIRES TO YA" Whenever I see a Hires sign, I think of it; Not to mention I always said it aloud. Calf Fries Coming Up… or maybe Coming BACK up after your prankster friend tells you what they are. Bull Calf had neon running along its eaveOn Street View I checked the phone poles around where I think this photo was taken to see if I could find the same numbers today. No luck. Bull Calf doesn't seem like a proper name for this place, more like very targeted advertising. There appears to be numbers over the door. Dave, can you read those numbers? [1218 -- the 1937 Dallas City Directory locates the Bull Calf at 1218 West Davis Street. The 1942 Directory shows the Bull Calf and its neighbors Jake's Auto Parts No. 2 and Hudson Oil filling station (seen in this photo and in the next post) located on West Commerce. So it seems the building was moved from Davis to Commerce with the old address number still over the door. - Dave] (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Eateries & Bars)
Drink Gluek: 1940
... Minneapolis, these signs bring back memories of crowded neon over the sidewalk. I think I see a Fitgers sign in the middle. That ... regional in distribution at this time. Your Beer in Neon That Gluek's neon sign must have served as a beacon in the stormy night ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/05/2013 - 12:42pm -

October 1940. "Beer signs on truck. Little Falls, Minnesota." Gluek's and Grain Belt on tap. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Still standingAll that remain of Gluek's are the silver buildings at left in the street view. They used to be part of the loading docks. View Larger Map This is a recent look at Grain Belt, now home to architects and a public library. These brewers were about ten blocks from each other. What's playing at the Ripley ? Childhood VisualsBeing a kid from Minneapolis, these signs bring back memories of crowded neon over the sidewalk. I think I see a Fitgers sign in the middle. That would make sense because Little Falls is about the same distance from Duluth as it is from Minneapolis and beer was pretty regional in distribution at this time. Your Beer in NeonThat Gluek's neon sign must have served as a beacon in the stormy night to many a thirsty soul. Alas, they are no more. http://www.nemplsonline.com/node/1149. The beer was also sold in cone top cans for many years. The pull/pop-tab-can generation should Google "Gluek's cone cans" to view this era of the beer delivery system. Some of these old cans are worth more than a loaded iPhone 5 to collectors. Now Playing at Ripleys Theater.I'm Nobody's Sweetheart Now, (1940). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032621/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 "In this low-budget musical, two sets of politically ambitious parents attempt to pair up their youngsters who unfortunately despise each other and only pretend to like each other to please their parents." Plus 73The truck is long gone, but the buildings are still there, as is the light post in the foreground (you'll have to rotate the street view map to see it). View Larger Map Must haveI Must have those signs for my man cave!! Those would be sooooooo cool. Hell, I'd put 'em up on side of house to the annoyance of neighbors. Gluek's & Grain BeltGrain Belt is still produced for local Minnisota consumption, though now it is contract brewed as the brewery no longer exists, but here is a little summary of the Gluek's Brewery: "The brewery enjoyed modest success until the spring of 1880, when it burned to the ground. Reconstruction was immediately begun, but G. Gottlieb, the founder, was to die that fall. His sons continued the business as G. Gottlieb & Sons, and later as the Gluek Brewing Company. By 1902, the plant was turning out 44 barrels a day. The brewery survived Prohibition but was eventually sold to G. Heilemann in 1964, who tore the place down two years later. The Gluek's label was acquired by the Cold Spring Brewing Company, which today produces beer for the Gluek's restaurant in downtown Minneapolis." So Gluek's still exists, in a manner of speaking. What's there, what isn'tIt's nice to see the buildings have been saved. On the other hand, it's too bad the same can't be stated of the atmosphere, which time has mercilessly obliterated if the Street View image may be trusted. I'd just love to become a time traveler and snatch one of those mint-condition neon signs, by the way. Heck, I'd make off with the entire truck and its load, given the chance. The Minneapolis Brewing Company, which conceived and produced Grain Belt, shut down long ago. Thankfully, the brewery's buildings were apparently too darned big to make them easy candidates for demolition, and many of them have been restored. On the other hand, the Gluek brewery buildings and the Gluek brand have vanished. (As far as I know, that is; the brand was resurrected for a time by Cold Spring Brewery, I believe.) In its day, the Gluek brewery's advertising cleverly indicated how one should pronounce its odd name. See, for example, this coaster, and this ad unearthed and posted by James Lileks (http://www.lileks.com/). Even the Name is now GoneThe Gluek beer name has now vanished as well. IIRC on the Twins radio broadcast Dan Gladden even advertised for Gluek in the early and mid 2000's. See this. Small (people) worldThe movie showing in Oct. 1940 at the recently-opened Ripley was "I'm Nobody's Sweetheart Now." The cast was a set of generally forgettable actors, with one exception: Margaret Hamilton, who will forever be known for her role in "The Wizard of Oz" as the Wicked Witch of the West. Ironically, Little Falls was also the home to lumber heir Laura Jane Musser, who would become Margaret Hamilton's biggest fan. As this 2012 article in the local Little Falls newspaper explains, Ms. Musser, who spent much of her life living in a set of wood-framed mansions at 608 Highland Avenue known collectively as "Linden Hill," was deeply into the movie in general and Ms. Hamilton in particular. The socialite visited the set during the movie's production, and eventually she and the former witch became lifelong friends. Hope they didn't get a flatIt looks as though there's no tire on the spare rim. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon)
Co-op Gas: 1941
... still in business. The things you find out here -- Neon Tower I'd love to see a night photo of this Moderne gas station, since the tower has lots of neon tubing on it. There is some neon around the overhang as well. Canada has ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/13/2020 - 8:31pm -

August 1941. "Cooperative gas station in Minneapolis, Minnesota." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Co-Op Doo-WopThis photo has a very 1950s look to it. I suppose life, fashion, architecture and design in particular, took a break during the '40s while all efforts focused on WWII. Sometimes I wonder how different the 1950s would have been if the war had never taken place. I only know of co-ops in New York CityI thought co-ops were member owned apartments in the Big Apple. Well, they are. I didn't know about other co-op ventures, like this service station. By the way, if you look by the left shoulder of the attendant, you'll see Walker Mufflers for sale. I did a search on Walker exhaust and muffler systems, and by golly, they are still in business. The things you find out here -- Neon TowerI'd love to see a night photo of this Moderne gas station, since the tower has lots of neon tubing on it. There is some neon around the overhang as well. Canada has lots of Co-op gas stations, particularly on the Prairies and in the West. Here is a list of Co-op stations on Vancouver Island, with the Canadian term "gas bar" used. Fill it Up?Just think, most people under 40 or so have never had a person come out and fill up their tank at the gas station.* I remember the first time I had to do it myself. It was down south in 1976. We ended up with self-serve up north where I lived a few years later. [*Unless you live in New Jersey or Oregon. - Dave] TiresI remember when they came spiral-wrapped in brown paper. August 1941Four more months that pile of tires will be just a memory. All the rubber for the war effort among a host of other sacrifices by Americans and their families. Co-OpedThere was a Co-Op gas station in my home town in central Ohio in the 1950s and '60s. It was part of the Farm Bureau agricultural supplies center, which was run as a cooperative with local farmers. CO-OP ragtopWow! All the way from Virginia in a 1941 Buick convertible (rag top). Probably not many convertibles in Minneapolis due to the short top down season and long northern winters. Pre-war good times. Red River Co-opThe full name of the Co-op gas stations and supermarkets in Manitoba is Red River Co-op. Photos below are of Winnipeg, my hometown. The Virginian brideA plausible candidate for the driver of the car in the Minneapolis gas station in August 1941 with Virginia plates is photographer Post Wolcott. Before the war and rationing FSA photographers drove more than they hopped trains. We know Marion Post had wed Leon Oliver Wolcott by August because her colleague John Vachon reported the news to his wife Penny in a June 27, 1941 letter. Her groom was a deputy director of a section of the Department of Agriculture, and in her 1965 oral history she explained that her marriage came with two children and a farm. Her Smithsonian bio places the farm in Virginia. Before August 1941 was over, her car had reached grain elevators in Minot, North Dakota, dude ranchers in Birney, Montana and a farm family in Laredo, and main street in Sheridan, Wyoming. Massachusetts has a local option Attendant required to fill tank in the next town over. Yeah, it's weird. Since only the folks who live there are inexperienced at filling their own tanks. The rest of us come from places where we're trusted to manage on our own. It's a "safety" thing, I guess, like the stickers requiring you to turn off your cellphone while filling, which seem to have disappeared. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, M.P. Wolcott, Minneapolis-St. Paul)
Veribest Canned Meats: 1900
... on my wall! Thanks Dave, that's funny! They say the neon lights are bright ... on Broadway, and we have O.J. Gude to thank: ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 4:16pm -

New York circa 1900. "John C. Graul's art store, 217 Fifth Avenue." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. I better run!To the train depot. That lady is looking at the very photograph I want on my wall! Thanks Dave, that's funny! They say the neon lights are bright... on Broadway, and we have O.J. Gude to thank: It's 1878 in Brooklyn, and my great-great-grandfather O.J. Gude starts an outdoor advertising company with $100 in capital and goes on to pioneer the first use of the electric bulb in a billboard sign in May, 1892. Soon The Great White Way will be born. Shopping in New York with my fatherThese stores look pretty classy from that genteel age of gracious living. My father was somewhat of a bargain hunter and low-price shopper and I remember in the 1950's going with him into New York every three months or so where he would purchase $1 neckties at a store called Tie City or he'd go to Orchard Street on the Lower East Side to haggle over the price of socks and underwear and even suits and shirts. Once a year or so, he would buy new eyeglasses at Pildes Opticians, which had the newest styles and the lowest prices. We'd buy a wonderfully delicious lunch at Katz's Deli or some cheap Italian pasta emporium whose name I've forgotten. I have inherited the skinflint miserly pennypincher mentality but every once in a while I splurge exorbitantly although I now live far away from N.Y. My father used to tell me that in New York you can get anything from anywhere in the world. I was very impressed and still am. Photo shopperA closeup. Shadows and lightThis picture is deliciously creepy. The lone woman window shopping in a near-defunct district ... those hauntingly dark windows above her. Thanks for this one, Dave. I love these thrilling peeks into time gone by. Literally they make my day. I'm a bona fide Shorpyholic! VeriworstAccording to a New York Times expose six years later (July 12, 1906), Veribest canned chicken loaf was "a small amount of muscle fibre and a large amount of cornmeal." Mystery SolvedNow we can see where Nestle might have gotten the inspiration for their familiar slogan. Who can resist?It looked familiar. Upton's Opinion DifferedUpton Sinclair's infamous book "The Jungle" didn't opine that Armour's meats were the Veribest™. The Brunswick, againThere are interesting differences between this view of the doomed Brunswick Hotel building, and this one, posted in July. Building Coming Down SaleThe vacant windows would certainly uphold that sign. Cool and creepy all at the same time. Look again. She's Kuklanated.Somebody's going to be late for the big Gude meeting. Paintings...I would love to be able to get my hands on those paintings being sold in that store. The frames alone are absolutely beautiful. Location, Location, LocationAll the $5 Hat Shop had to do at their new location was hold out for another 30 something years and they would have had it made. 359 5th Avenue would put it directly across the street from the Empire State Building which is at 350 5th Avenue. A woman of means This window-shopper's ensemble is very finely hand-tailored, and her coat appears to have a velvet collar. Everything fits her perfectly, suggesting that she has access to a private dressmaker. Her hat is equally stylish. Wonder what type of feathers make up that jaunty plume? Notice how carefully coiffed her hair is, and how shiny clean. Knowing from Shorpy how grubby life could be for many people at the time, this lady had it good. DyslexiaI thought it said Verbiest. I don't want my meats chatting at me. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
Bus Kennel: 1943
... for the Office of War Information. View full size. Neon Greyhound Dog Running In case haven't seen what the old Greyhound neon signs looked like in action. Eagle Down Both of those eagles ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/25/2017 - 1:25pm -

September 1943. "Indianapolis, Indiana. A Greyhound bus station." Photo by Esther Bubley for the Office of War Information. View full size. Neon Greyhound Dog RunningIn case haven't seen what the old Greyhound neon signs looked like in action. Eagle DownBoth of those eagles on the roof were moved and mounted at the entrance to the former State Museum, which was located in the former City Hall on Alabama and Ohio Streets. In 2012, while they were hanging some silly Super Bowl banners, the crane hit one of the eagles and destroyed it. It has been replaced with a new one, but a piece of history was lost. Running GreyhoundThe running greyhound neon sign is real neat. I would like to have seen it at night. Indianapolis Traction TerminalThe buses are resting in the shade of the Indianapolis Traction Terminal, built in 1904 and used by interurban electric railways until 1941. It was one of the largest terminal structures ever built specifically for interurbans. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianapolis_Traction_Terminal (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Esther Bubley, Indianapolis)
Foot Traffic: 1942
... just destroys the simplicity of the original design. Neon The glow framing the large second-story window comes from the store name mounted vertically in neon lights. Morris Lapidus Morris Lapidus also designed the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2013 - 11:42am -

January 21, 1942. "Mangel's, 130 E. Flagler Street, Miami, Florida. Exterior, night. Ross-Frankel Inc., client; Morris Lapidus, architect." Note the ghost pedestrians. Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Busy feetLooks like at least four different pairs of shoes out front (three women, one man), and one of the wearers (in dark coat and hat) went closer for a better look and stood still for a while. Not as stellar todayView Larger Map If onlyI could beam myself up into that picture! That store window is fabulous! We NeedTo talk to whomever thought an awning was just what they needed. Amazing how it just destroys the simplicity of the original design. NeonThe glow framing the large second-story window comes from the store name mounted vertically in neon lights. Morris LapidusMorris Lapidus also designed the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach - once the most glamorous of Miami Beach's hotels - which opened in 1954 (and recently re-opened in 2008 after extensive restorations). (The Gallery, Florida, Gottscho-Schleisner, Miami, Stores & Markets)
Best Deal in Town: 1936
... one on Market St. in 1942. -tterrace] Pontiac in Neon It appears Mr. Herzog was quite the promoter. That Pontiac with the hood outlined in neon must have been quite the sight in 1936. Upstairs, Downstairs "OK, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/19/2015 - 12:59pm -

    Labor on the left, management on the right. Everyone smile! June 3, 1936. "J.A. Herzog Pontiac, 17th & Valencia Sts., San Francisco." 8x10 inch acetate negative originally from the Wyland Stanley collection. View full size. Birdcage signalUnique to San Francisco were the "birdcage" traffic signals invented in the 1920s by SF's Engineer of Underground Construction, Ralph W. Wiley. I remember many of these still being in operation in the mid-1950s; the last of them were removed in 1958 or 1959. Apparently only 20 or so are still in existence; here's an exciting video of one that's been restored to working condition. Road BarnaclesWhat are the big round covers on the street? [The buttons were a way to designate a streetcar safety zone, like this one on Market St. in 1942. -tterrace] Pontiac in NeonIt appears Mr. Herzog was quite the promoter. That Pontiac with the hood outlined in neon must have been quite the sight in 1936. Upstairs, Downstairs"OK, everyone who showers BEFORE work, please stand on the right. And everyone who showers AFTER work, please stand on the left." Used car specials!I wonder what they're asking for the '32 Marmon? It would be tough to get parts: Marmon went tango uniform a few years earlier. My grandfather was of the unlucky associates to feel the Depression hit home with that closure. The buildingBut, bloody and unbowed, it still stands. [The building now on the site dates from 2002. -tterrace] Pontiac “Dart”I never realized that the Pontiac “Dart” is a Native American Arrowhead, until I read it in Five Fascinating Things You Didn’t Know About Famous Car Logos by Joshua Johnson. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
Streets of San Francisco, Cont'd
... SF Bay Area history project , with Ron's permission. Neon everywhere! That street must have been quite a sight at night! I'm really looking forward to the day when old-fashioned neon signs become so antiquated as to be fashionable again. I really miss them! ... 
 
Posted by rsyung - 07/28/2014 - 3:36pm -

Chinatown, San Francisco, August 1957. Taken on the same visit as the drive down the "Vertigo" location. Kodachrome slide, Contax camera. View full size. SF ChinatownGrant Ave at Sacramento St. View Larger Map Ford Day in Chinatown?Along the curb we have a '50-52 shoebox Ford, then a '53, a '55-'56 (looks like '56 trim) Victoria, a '55-'56 station wagon, and a '57. Mystery Solved!Now we know how the mysterious blue and red smears showed up on Grandpa's step van. SF ChinatownMapped out and Street Viewed this photo in our SF Bay Area history project, with Ron's permission. Neon everywhere!That street must have been quite a sight at night! I'm really looking forward to the day when old-fashioned neon signs become so antiquated as to be fashionable again. I really miss them! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Sidewalks of Springfield: 1910
... modern could it get, they asked? On the threshold of NEON I want to eat at THE L Y N C H LUNCH That sign has ... I had to look it up on wikipedia to learn that the first neon signage was demonstrated in December 1910. Sports Minus Two If TomR ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/17/2018 - 4:57am -

Circa 1910. "Main Street -- Springfield, Massachusetts." Back when people actually had to go outdoors and walk around. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Timing is everythingI suspect if there had been TV, computers and the Internet in 1910 (or 1810, or 1810 B.C.), people would have holed up in their homes and never saw or talked to each other then, either. A Panorama of Travel!In this scene, a person could be walking, driving a car, reining a horse, hopping a trolley, traveling by railroad or be flying a plane above the clouds. How more modern could it get, they asked? On the threshold of NEONI want to eat at THE L Y N C H LUNCH That sign has quite a few lightbulbs. I had to look it up on wikipedia to learn that the first neon signage was demonstrated in December 1910. Sports Minus TwoIf TomR is correct, then basketball and volleyball might never have been invented. Both originated in Springfield, MA during the pictured era -- to provide a fun means of exercise to sedentary people. I guess there's always a reason to avoid exercise, even before TV, computers and the Internet! Modes of MotionJKoehler forgot to mention the motorcycle: Cities thenCities back then were so much nicer looking with their detailed architecture and more moderate size; a lot more human-scaled and natural seeming than the bland faced, towering glass and concrete boxes that litter our streets today. There was good reason to be out on the street back then, there's was lots to see! I always prefer going to the older parts of a new town when I visit because they're so much more interesting and engaging. This street here looks fascinating. Pity most of them appear to have been torn down from what I can see on Google streetview. (The Gallery, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Bellevue-Stratford: 1910
... the Hyatt. the lobby is virtually unchanged. Budweiser Neon That very large Budweiser neon sign on the left side of the photo is exactly like the one that was in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 11:22pm -

Sooty Philadelphia circa 1910. "The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A painting?Gorgeous. Perhaps it's the sky and soot (not including what appear to be fingerprint residue at left on the horizon), but the quality of light gives it a painterly quality. Alice in WonderlandAnother wonderful building. Thanks. DetailsIs that a rooftop tennis court in the distance? Or perhaps just a way to have an outdoor venue w/o birds stealing your food. Those Bellevue-Stratford balconies make me cringe a bit -- 15 stories up and just cantilever support. Love to have a high resolution copy of this photo. I love looking at the upper story stonework on these old buildings. MagicalAlmost mystical. Thanks for this beauty. Legionnaire's Diseasemade its first known appearance at this hotel during the 1976 American Legion convention. The bacteria had been hiding out in the hotel's HVAC system. Rooftop SchoolyardMy guess on that enclosure on the rooftop in the distance is a schoolyard/playground atop a school. Even 100 years later, we still have these in Philadelphia and they look just the same today as they did then. I don't think the balconies on the Bellevue-Stratford are cantilevered. It appears to me that they're supported by large stone corbels for the first 14 floors and iron brackets for those 3 uppermost ones. Hey, that's my officeBeautiful. I work in this building. today it houses 11 stories of offices (including governor Rendell's office) and the remainder is the Hyatt. the lobby is virtually unchanged. Budweiser NeonThat very large Budweiser neon sign on the left side of the photo is exactly like the one that was in Times Square, NYC for many years. I guess Philly had enough Budweiser Beer drinkers to warrant erecting such an expensive sign, even in 1910. Only Two LeftI believe only two of the clearly visible buildings are still standing, the Bellevue and the Academy of Music (to the left). It's interesting to see that the Academy of Music has such a pitched roof. From most current vantage points, it appears to be flat. The Budweiser billboard is interesting. Even with all the large breweries in Philadelphia at the time, there was still room in the market for out of towners. The rooftop tennis court (or whatever that is) is interesting. That's not there anymore either. The building is probably still there but with a more normal rooftop. Still Standing, Still BeautifulMy wife and I stayed at the Bellvue for our anniversary a month ago, and the place is still a stunner. I've uploaded a photo showing the hotel as it appears today. If you're ever visiting Philly, I highly recommend heading up to the bar at the top (XIX, or "Nineteen"), ordering a bourbon, and taking in the view. BeautifulThanks for this image, simply amazing. High in the sky at the Bellevue-StratfordFrom a 1907 postcard: Drinking highballs, very high, In a garden near the sky, Up above the world were we, This was the way it looked to me. Then and nowMy parents had their first real date in the tea room on the upper floors here. Now the 11th floor is the Governor's office. It's still as beautiful, but you won't find people making u-turns in the middle of Broad Street! (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia)
Gurley-Lord: 1929
... dealership now, but still there. Those neon signs. That neon sign on the roof is one sign and a half. This business, judging by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/13/2015 - 11:00pm -

"Gurley-Lord service station, San Francisco, 1929." One of eight 8x10 negatives showing rubber-related activities at Goodyear tire dealers. View full size. Prest-O-Lite in 1923?Hard to imagine that there was much call for Prest-O-Lite acetylene gas service for auto lights in 1923, eleven years after the introduction of automotive electric starting and lighting systems. [Acetylene-generating tanks were also in service on trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and camp stoves. -Dave] Goodyear to FirestoneI'm not sure why, but I immediately recognized this as the automotive district near the DNA Lounge on 11th street. (Something about the sidewalk spacing?) I found an address in a genealogy journal: GURLEY-LORD TIRE CO, J F Gurley Pres, D A Lord V-Pres, Distributors of The General Tire, 1517 Mission at 11th, Tel HEmlock 1800 Looks like it's a Firestone dealership now, but still there. Those neon signs.That neon sign on the roof is one sign and a half. This business, judging by the quality of the signage, was a very successful and prosperous one. Photo dateThe coupe (Durant ?) is much newer than 1923; probably 1928. [Actually 1929. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco)
Evening in Chinatown, 1956
... in San Francisco's Chinatown, circa 1956. I like the neon signs. View full size. Reminds me of Hitchcock's ... Novak's Jaguar all around SF? Way hip photo. All that neon I love it, the sun's going down and all the neon signs are coming on. ... 
 
Posted by Rute Boye - 08/10/2012 - 7:59pm -

I don't know too much about this slide, except it was taken in the evening in San Francisco's Chinatown, circa 1956. I like the neon signs. View full size. Reminds me of Hitchcock's "Vertigo"Reminds me of the Hitchcock movie, "Vertigo." Remember when Jimmy Stewart follows Kim Novak's Jaguar all around SF? Way hip photo. All that neonI love it, the sun's going down and all the neon signs are coming on. I can almost smell the Chinese food cooking in all the restaurants. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Night on Catherine: 1954
... it doesn't look as "swinging" as it once did. All that neon... ...would be thrown away by government decree in the 1970's thanks to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/09/2008 - 3:07pm -

"Montreal July 1954. Night on Catherine and Peel Streets." From Set 3 of found 35mm Kodachrome slides. View full size. I don't know about you, but I'm heading right over to the Indian Room to meet Jack Delano for cocktails. Public WorksGarbage bucket style "C", eh? Much better than those style "A" or "B" ones, I presume. Garrett Dash Nelson Sainte CatherineSainte Catherine is the main drag in Montreal, now a one-way street running through the heart of downtown Montreal from upper class boutiques on the west side to lower class red light districts in the east end. It was the scene of the famous "Rocket Richard" hockey riots of 1957, and more recently the Stanley Cup riot of 1993. And a 1953 FordThe ghost of one anyhow, zooming by... Sainte-Catherine and PeelThere is a webcam run by Tourism Montreal at that location: http://www.montrealcam.com/en-visitation.html Unfortunately it doesn't look as "swinging" as it once did. All that neon......would be thrown away by government decree in the 1970's thanks to Quebec's French-only laws. Streetcar GhostsThere are also at least two streetcar ghosts in the picture as well: the more visible one is eastbound and you can see its illuminated dash lights a third of the way from the Indian Room to the Players signs. The windows of the westbound one are clearly shown above the Players Please sign. The unmistakable notice that every Montreal streetcar carried announcing a $40 fine for spitting appears at the upper left corner of the United Cigar Stores clock. Strictly speaking this is the corner of St. Catherine and Windsor since till about 1962. Peel only applied from Pine to Burnside (de Maisonneuve). (Cars, Trucks, Buses, Kodachromes 3, Travel & Vacation)
Desert Hero: 1919
... ask a question and get an answer. Beautiful. No Neon Yet? I'd love to see that Madison Theatre electric sign at night. What ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/11/2011 - 5:58pm -

Detroit circa 1919. "View of Madison Theatre and Woodward Avenue." Now playing: "Choosing a Wife" and Fatty Arbuckle in "A Desert Hero." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A musical cityThere appears to be nine or ten piano companies in a two block area. How many more must there be that are out of frame? OK, Now You're TalkingThis is my kind of picture. We've got awnings, theaters that show double features, an Edison Shop, trolley cars, piano stores, department stores, Old Glory with 46 stars, Coca-Cola signage, double-parkers, a Best Buy, an Apple Store, 4 Starbucks and I haven't finished looking yet. [48 stars. - Dave] Did you count them? I tried but couldn't. They look like uneven rows, the 48 star flag would have been a solid 6 rows of 8. The 46 star flag would have had both rows of 6 and 8. [Some 48-star flags had staggered rows. - Dave] Angel StatueI have to ask about the angel statue in the lower right, set into the parking area. What's up with that. [It's looking at the angel across the street. - Dave] Ha! noticed that soon after my comment, but, really, what's the story. I presume the City put them there since they're on 'public property'. More importantly, are they still there? Thanks for the answer to my query! The beauty of SHORPY: ask a question and get an answer. Beautiful. No Neon Yet?I'd love to see that Madison Theatre electric sign at night. What fun replacing bulbs! John Breitmeyer's Sons FloristsIn the left background is the 8-story tall Breitmeyer Building. In the early 90's I was part of the architectural team that restored the building - except for the ground floor storefronts, it was almost completely original, and we restored those. The building was one of the first in Detroit that actively catered to African-American professionals (Doctors, Lawyers), giving it some historical significance. Originally, the entire first floor was a florist shop, and the basement contained huge brick boilers, which ran a steam engine for refrigeration equipment (all gone by the 90's). Attached is a picture of a paper model of the building I made at the time. Pianos to the right of me, pianos to the left I seeLOVE the picture! Remember that this was the year before broadcast radio got its start, so if you wanted some music, you played it yourself, either on a piano from one of 2000-odd US manufacturers, or on your Victrola (or Edison!) player. It seems funny that in The Motor City, ten years into Henry's Model T, very few of the cars in this view are Fords. Close to home Incredible! As I type this, I'm sitting approximately behind the lower edge of the Schroeder Hardware Company sign on what we know as the Hartz Building at 1529 Broadway. This photo shows an incredible street scene on both Broadway and on Woodward, and no doubt was taken from high up in the Fyfe Shoes (now Fyfe Apartments) building at West Adams and Woodward. I can just make out the front of the Edelweiss Cafe on John R and Broadway and the cigar company water tower as shown earlier on Shorpy. I'll let the owner of the Hartz Building know about this picture, as the building is positively full of large scale vintage prints. Thanks Shorpy! Hair's RestaurantReally? [I recommend the soup. - Dave] Angels of VictoryThe angels are long gone. I believe they were "angels of victory," part of a campaign to sell War Savings Stamps. On the GridI'd hate to be the guy who had to keep all the bulbs lit in the Madison Theatre sign. The rectangle of lights in the center must have been used to spell out something. I wonder if it scrolled? If it did and the sign was animated, I'll bet it took a room full of equipment to do it. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC, Movies)
Tremont Street: 1923
... it could have a different plate. Too early for neon If that Chevrolet sign is neon, then 1923 would be almost certainly too early for this photo. Neon signs ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:40pm -

Boston circa 1923. "Tremont Street and the Mall." One of the later entries in the Detroit Publishing catalog. Note the big Chevrolet sign. View full size. Boston BravesSeeing the sign "Baseball Today at Braves Field" jogged my memory. As a kid collecting baseball cards in Cincinnati I can remember when they moved to Milwaukee in 1953 and their home field was in County Stadium. I also remember when they moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta. Still recognizable todayProminent is Park Street Church. The two granite subway kiosks hide a mirror image pair. The visible ones were removed decades ago. Many of the buildings are still there but with extensive modernization. Ah, the 1920s, when women weren't afraid to show a little leg! Packard & HudsonThe first two cars parked on the near side of the street are a circa 1919 Packard with a 1920-21 Hudson Touring Limousine behind. +85Below is the same view from May of 2008. 1923 or 1928?I'm certainly no fashion expert, but something about the way the ladies are dressed says late Twenties. [The rubber says Early to Mid Twenties. If it were 1928 the cars would have balloon tires. - Dave] Ain't she sweet?The woman in light colored clothing is turning more heads than the photographer. No doubt her companion is equally well turned out but she is mostly obscured by the man who was walking between her and the photographer's lens at the moment the shutter was opened. Fashion datingKnee length skirts didn't come along until 1925 - circa 1923 they were way longer. Date of PhotoThe 1923 posted date could be valid. Except for the front car, all the other nearby cars are sporting a POV 1922 Massachusetts license plate. The front car (a Packard) looks to be a Taxi - therefore it could have a different plate. Too early for neonIf that Chevrolet sign is neon, then 1923 would be almost certainly too early for this photo. Neon signs were only introduced to the US in 1923, and it's unlikely that Boston would have had one of the first in the country. [It uses light bulbs. - tterrace] Boston 1924This photo, dated 1924, does not show the Chevrolet sign (from a different angle, but for reference match the Coca-Cola sign to the Salada Tea sign in this photo.) Photos dated 1927 and later in that set do show the sign. 1928 without a doubtThe third car in, the one with the street sign in front of it is a 1928 Essex, the one in front of that a c.1921 Hudson, and the first car, the black one, is a 1926 or 1927 Packard. The The Essex and Packard DO have balloon tires. And no respectable women in Boston would have worn skirts so short prior to 1925. Tremont St. Boston ca1923.The R.H. Stearns department store, right side of Tremont, stands today as elderly housing. Is the wireless antenna structure in the background on the building closer to us than the Tremont Theater (later Tremont Temple), on atop the Theater itself? TIA It appears the Chevrolet sign is either atop the Tremont House hotel, or across Beacon St. on the building that was leveled in the 1970's for the 1 Beacon St. highrise, home of the Boston Gas Co. and an underground, 2-screen Sack's cinema. HTH. (The Gallery, Boston, DPC)
Cafe Ginza: 1941
... really gets your attention! Smart advertising. Nisei Neon Great early birthday presents to me to peer back into everyday American ... paranoias of 1942, I hope somebody at least rescued their neon sign, as it's fantastic. And the movie posters somehow look much later ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/07/2012 - 3:19pm -

San Francisco on Dec. 8, 1941. "Japanese restaurant, Monday morning after the attack on Pearl Harbor." Empires may crumble and Reichs turn to dust, but the Coca-Cola Company endures. Photo by John Collier. View full size. Dark days aheadSadly, within a year most of the business owners on this street would find themselves shipped off to relocation camps in the worst assault on civil liberties in the 20th century. USO supportAll of the signage is written in pre-reform style, with non-simplified characters (Japan simplified some characters after the war in 1946, though not nearly as many as mainland China did - today there are characters with three forms: the original, the PRC simplified form, and the Japan form) and with horizontal writing going from right to left. Modern Japanese horizontal writing goes from left to right (like English). The two posters are obviously movie posters. Dr. Kahn Uyeyama (that's a common old spelling for what more modern people probably would write "Kan Ueyama") has a normal Japanese translation of his sign but also in Japanese pronunciation characters a "dokutoru obu medeshin". The sign tacked to the bottom of the movie poster on the right says "December 6 and 7, both nights. Buddhist Community Hall sponsored, USO support event." So yeah. EyecatcherThat Coke bottle balanced on the signpost really gets your attention! Smart advertising. Nisei NeonGreat early birthday presents to me to peer back into everyday American streets (in "Cafe Ginza" and "War News") on fateful December 8, 1941, the day exactly five years before I was born. If the Cafe Ginza's (presumably) Japanese-American proprietors were evicted and relocated during the fifth-column paranoias of 1942, I hope somebody at least rescued their neon sign, as it's fantastic. And the movie posters somehow look much later than 1941, maybe because the characters' traditionally-Japanese clothing takes away the usual Western-fashion clues we use to date such images. Japantown (Nihonmachi)By 1976, this area had been rebuilt with the Peace Plaza and Peace Pagoda, and the stretch of Buchanan Street in the 1941 photo was turned into a pedestrian mall. In the Street View below, the Cafe Ginza would be about mid-way up the block, on the right (it's long gone, of course, along with the Bo-Chow Hotel and the Eagle Bakery & Restaurant - this document shows how the area has changed over the years). Street View today (as close as you can get): View Larger Map Really, the worst assault of the entire century?Worse than Hitler? Worse than Stalin? Worse than the rape of Nanking? Worse than Mao? Worse than PolPot? Stick to photography. Re: Poster on the LeftThe large picture poster on the left is for "Fujigawa no chikemuri" (1939; title means something like "Blood Spray at the Fuji River"), directed by Shichinosuke Oshimoto and starring Hideo Otani et al. The one to the right has the title in romanization (1940; Ōoka seidan tōrima), directed by Norihiko Nishina and starring Utaemon Ichikawa. Dr. Uyeyama's unfortunate neighborsThe restaurateurs who lived above the Cafe Ginza in 1940 likely ended up in internment camps. According to the 1940 census, the residents at that address were Yaneo (age 39) and Shizuko (age 34) Shimizu, identified as the proprietor and manager of a restaurant. Their names and ages match the names and birth years of internees in the Manzanar and Heart Mountain relocation centers listed in the Department of Justice's database of War Relocation Authority information. Dr. Uyeyama's other neighbors, longtime dentist Masuichi Higaki and his family, match the names and birth years of internees at the Granada relocation center in Colorado. Poster on the LeftThe poster on the left is for "Niji tatsu oka", which was released in 1938. It's advertised as a "Toho All Talkie." Even in the late 1930's about one-third of the films produced in Japan were silent. Since I don't read Japanese I can't offer anything on the other poster. The English letters at the top apparently don't refer to its title. Dr. Uyeyama's familyI can find no information about whether or where Dr. Kahn Uyeyama and his family were interned during the war, but I did find that Dr. Uyeyama, a 1934 graduate and clinical faculty member at UC-San Francisco, left the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel in 1947. Census records from 1940 reflect that Dr. Uyeyama and his family (of 1735 Buchanan Street) were all born in the U.S., and included a four-year old son named Terry. Other military records tell of a U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Terry Uyeyama, born in San Francisco, who would have been four when that census was taken. He was interned - by the North Vietnamese as a POW from 1968 to 1973. His honors include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, Silver Star, and Prisoner of War Medal. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, John Collier, San Francisco, WW2)
Washington Rubber: 1942
... Neon Flags in Motion This gas station has a wonderful neon sign. The neon glass tubing is installed so that the uniformed man up on the corner of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2022 - 5:34pm -

May 14, 1942. Washington, D.C. "Filling up with gas on the day before rationing starts." 4x5 inch acetate negative by John Collier for the Office of War Information. View full size. 1940 Studebaker CommanderI don't know my Chevrolets that well but the car facing us, with its driver signing for something, is a 1940 Studebaker Commander sedan. Under the Hood (and under the table)Less than a year later, this station would be charged with violating rationing regulations on numerous occasions!! The apartment building(s) in the background are still there, occupying the whole south side of the 1300 block of Clifton. I need some airI really like the Eco Tirefloater Model 40 from the '30s underneath the Hood Tires man. [It's a Tireflator, not "floater." Because it's an inflator of tires! - Dave] Gee, our old LaSalle ran greatThe man signing something is not at a pump, so not sure what he's signing for. But it brings back memories of when you had to have a separate credit card for each brand of gas. This Conoco did not take a Shell card. After the nice man gave you the amount of gas you requested, cleaned your windshield, and checked oil, tires, etc., you handed him your gas card, which he took inside to swipe in a credit card imprinter (they still sell those things?). He returned to your car with your card, a pen, and a receipt for you to sign. Afterward, he tore off one of the carbon copies for you to have for your records and thanked you for your business. By 1998 that system was all in the past. When my father died that year, my mother had never put gas in a car. And she did not want to learn. The CatwalkIn automotive design terms during the 1930s, the "catwalk" was the area between the front fenders and the hood. "Catwalk cooling" referred to the insertion of air intakes in those areas. Virgil Exner designed that Studebaker while working in Raymond Loewy's studio. Exner later went on to create the huge tailfinned land yachts for Chrysler in the late 1950s. Rationing rationaleMake It Do – Gasoline Rationing in World War II https://www.sarahsundin.com/make-it-do-gasoline-rationing-in-world-war-i... Gas was rationed primarily to save rubber, because Japan had occupied Indochina, Malaysia, and Indonesia. There was a shortage of gas on the East Coast until a pipeline from Texas was constructed to replace the transport of crude oil by sea, which during the early years of the war made it vulnerable to attack by German submarines. In the vault of the National Postal Museum there are a few of the almost five billion gasoline rationing coupons which were produced in response to the 1973-74 gasoline shortage at the direction of the Federal Energy Office. The government had proposed nationwide gasoline rationing, as had occurred during World War II, but national gas rationing never happened and the coupons were never used. https://postalmuseum.si.edu/collections/object-spotlight/gasoline-ration... Neon Flags in MotionThis gas station has a wonderful neon sign. The neon glass tubing is installed so that the uniformed man up on the corner of the building would appear to be waving two flags. The Hood Tires neon flags alternating would really attract attention at night. The Hood Service ManGo to this link. It has everything you would ever want to know about the guy in that sign on the middle of the building. http://diposit.ub.edu/dspace/bitstream/2445/126382/153/39.pdf B.F. Goodrich "Speed Warden" (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Gas Stations, John Collier, WW2)
Electrik Maid: 1950
... counter and a Ms. Pac-Man game." - Dave] Maid with neon Electrik Maid (with a normalized spelling) is now the name of a ... diner. Meanwhile, the defunct bakery’s art-deco neon sign apparently was so well loved that the history-conscious, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/02/2016 - 4:18pm -

        UPDATE: This was the Electrik Maid Bakery at 7000 Carroll Avenue in Takoma Park. Montgomery County, Md., circa 1950. "Potomac Electric Power Co. -- Commercial kitchens, restaurants and lighting. Takoma Park Bakery." We're guessing these are not gluten-free. 8x10 acetate negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size. CleanlinessBoy, cleanliness standards sure have changed in the past 65 years. Electrik Maid Bake ShopsThis strange phrase shows up on the right side of the upper oven's control box. Googling it reveals that such a place exists in Biloxi. Mystery abounds! [It was a franchise operation based in Minnesota. Also a clue as to the address here -- the Electrik Maid Bakery at 7000 Carroll Avenue in Takoma Park, Maryland. - Dave] Who Do We Call FirstThe health department or the fire department? [There was at least one fire here, in 1951, caused by a faulty ventilator in the basement. - Dave] 1950?If this were captioned as 1915 I would never have suspected it was wrong! [Note the radio. According to a 1987 Washington Post article on Takoma Park, "the Electrik Maid Restaurant, said to be the oldest eatery in town, opened in the 1940s as a bakery, one of the first using all-electric appliances. Now it's a kind of Middle-Eastern-Greek-vegetarian diner with nine booths, six swiveling stools at the counter and a Ms. Pac-Man game." - Dave] Maid with neonElectrik Maid (with a normalized spelling) is now the name of a nonprofit storefront community center and music venue, down the street from the defunct bakery. “Electrik Maid” was trademarked in 1920 by the franchiser of local bakeries mentioned earlier. The bakeries featured new-fangled electric ovens, which were then starting to compete seriously with the gas-fueled. In the 1940s some entrepreneur opened Takoma Park's Electrik Maid franchise at (approximately) 7000 Carroll Avenue in the row of art-deco storefronts on the town's main shopping street. The bakery is gone, replaced now by the eclectic homey-tasty Mark’s Kitchen diner. Meanwhile, the defunct bakery’s art-deco neon sign apparently was so well loved that the history-conscious, crunchy-granola nonprofit community center -- http://electricmaid.org/ -- adapted the sign for its own storefront, located since 1981 at 268 Carroll, on the Washington, D.C., side of the street. Lots more about the town on the D.C./Maryland border: http://www.historictakoma.org/takomahistoryinprint.html One left?There's an Electrik Maid Bake Shop in Biloxi, MS. It has been open since 1924, although it moved to a more modern building at some point. (The Gallery, D.C., Kitchens etc., Theodor Horydczak)
Colorado Chaos
... I believe is Florence St.) The Swan Song of Neon As incredible as this looks in the daytime, imagine how it would have looked at night when all of this brilliant neon was illuminated. Unfortunately, the Arab oil embargo and the anti-"eye ... 
 
Posted by billymaz - 12/19/2018 - 2:55pm -

Colfax Avenue in Aurora, Colorado, about 1971. We lived there briefly while my dad was serving in the Air Force at Lowry AFB in Denver. I wish the image was a bit crisper, however, this is remarkable to me mainly for how starkly different it looks today, and how chaotic it looked back in the day. View full size. Street viewHere's the street view from Google Maps. You can see the marquee for the Fox Theater beyond the intersection (which I believe is Florence St.) The Swan Song of NeonAs incredible as this looks in the daytime, imagine how it would have looked at night when all of this brilliant neon was illuminated. Unfortunately, the Arab oil embargo and the anti-"eye pollution" squads ushered in an era where this type of sign proliferation was zoned out of existence. I for one would loved to have been in the sign business back then, but I was only 6 years old. RemarkableI live near this neighborhood now. We moved here in 1996. I'm glad I didn't live here in '71! I think the influence of the military base is evident in the older shot. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Pontiac Noir: 1948
... . 8x10 acetate negative. View full size. Miss Neon I recall there were a lot more neon signs around when I was young. It seems that internally lit plastic signs ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/09/2015 - 12:38am -

1948. "George Daniels Pontiac, Van Ness Avenue." The San Francisco car dealer­ship whose interior we've seen here. 8x10 acetate negative. View full size. Miss NeonI recall there were a lot more neon signs around when I was young. It seems that internally lit plastic signs replaced them but I think the neons were more colorful and vivid. [As well as more expensive. I miss them too. - Dave] WowLove these noir shots! Great photography. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco)
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