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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)
Home of the Brave: 1949
... She definitely needs more apparel, or is it clothing? Neon and Bulbs The movie "Home of the Brave" cost $375,000 to make in 1949. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/05/2018 - 3:42pm -

New York, 1949. This Kodachrome slide of Broadway at Times Square arrived by postal mail a few weeks ago from Shorpy member RalphCS, who snagged it at a yard sale. Good work and thanks! There are a few more to come. View full size. Neato!I could look at this all day! The New York I RememberI used to live at 72nd Street Central Park West and walk to this area on weekends. It's great to see a photograph from that time. I had no camera of my own, but borrowed my mother's. CheersLondon 2.0 Face on the Camel signHard to tell from this angle, almost looks like a Mexican sombrero maybe? [The infamous "Urban Sombrero"! - Dave] A Plethora of DetailsSuch a wonderfully colorful photo with so much to see, captured on a bright sunny day in New York City to distinguish it from the more typical drab black and white photos we typically see of it in this era. "Every hour 3490 people buy at Bond" -- their numbers may be down somewhat these days, and I wonder whatever happened to Mr. and Mrs. Statue. I was always fascinated by how theaters used to be able to construct such colorful electric signage on a movie-by-movie basis in those days. Let's stop in at the Mayflower Coffee Shop and try their doughnuts. Kudos to the photographer for capturing the Camel sign blowing a smoke ring. We see the ubiquitous DeSoto taxicabs of that era in New York City as well. [Plus a Packard. - Dave] Wow!Amazing photo! How can I buy a print? [I've added it to Print Gallery. - Dave] Camel FedoraA better view of the sign. Click to enlarge. [Not quite the same sign, is it? The Kodachrome version shows the brim turned down. - Dave] Different stylesMen wear clothing and women wear apparel? Zooming in, it looks like the female statue is a bit cold. She definitely needs more apparel, or is it clothing? Neon and BulbsThe movie "Home of the Brave" cost $375,000 to make in 1949. Today it would cost at least that much just to create the elaborate signage that accompanied it at Times Square. ... and "The Home of the Brave"I hope one of those other Kodachromes shows the marquee of the theater just beyond the Victoria, because I can't for the life of me make out what it's advertising and I am dying of curiosity. "Strangers" on a SignNext to the Victoria: Jennifer Jones and John Garfield in "We Were Strangers." I was able to tweak the image just enough to make out the names, then a quick visit to the IMDB to find out what movie they were in together. The Barkleys of BroadwayAlthough this was the only film that Astaire and Rogers made together in color, it was their last film together, and their first after ten years apart. The song “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” by George and Ira Gershwin, was also used in the 1937 film “Shall We Dance,” in which Astaire sang it to Rogers, as in “The Barkleys of Broadway.” The dance duet for the 1949 film was ballroom, not tap, and is well worth watching for its elegance, vigor, and moments of restraint. He was 50 at the time, she 38. Color!!!I love these shots from RalphCS. Thanks, man! Somewhat illogically, I suppose, when I view so many B&W photos at Shorpy, I begin to sense that much of history was drab and graceless — mostly blah. Thanks for the magical antidote Ralph! Most will never knowAfter spending a long time gazing at all the fascinating sights in both of these nostalgic Times Square pictures from RalphCS, it is impossible to choose a favorite. There is so much going on in both of them and if one were to focus in on each pictured person's current activity, one can get caught up in their imagination, i.e., the young man with the long cardboard box hailing the taxi (what is in the box, where is he taking it, etc.). Each person pictured has their own mission, errand or destination just as is still going on everywhere today, like watching an ant farm with all the inhabitants completing their tasks, all intent on their own personal pursuit. One can write an entire book just observing the characters in both pictures and envisioning their purpose at this hour on this day 68 years ago. The mystery is in knowing that everyone alive is doing likewise somewhere on earth at this hour today and may also unknowingly be having their photo frozen in time, oblivious to the fact that their particular moment of activity may be stored away in obscurity for almost 70 years and then suddenly be revealed on computers or TV screens for everyone to see and question. Most of the people in these pictures are probably long-gone and will never know that on April 5th in the year 2018, they were being studied and scrutinized in detail anywhere in the world by countless viewers of Shorpy's wondrous website. Do this, don't do that --To Greg B's point about the elaborate signs - it may have been the studios that were paying for those. 1949 was the tail end of it, but Hollywood used to operate under the "studio system", where movie studios would also own a relatively large chain of theaters. The studio probably had more money than an individual theater, so they could more easily produce fancy signs. Something that probably helped was that under the studio system, studios would sign contracts with actors for several movies. Once they figured out who their top few leading men and ladies would be, they could re-use the letters for those names for several movies if they wanted to. I also understand that until maybe the 1970s, it wasn't common for movies to be released all across the US at the same time. They'd get an initial release in, say, New York and LA, and then expand to smaller cities over time. Spending money on fancy signs in New York might have helped the studios to convince independent theater operators in smaller cities to book the film - "it sold 5,000 tickets a day in New York!" Finally, for electric signs like this, it wouldn't have been difficult for the sign company to stock a few copies of the alphabet, with bulbs installed and ready to go. Then, when they got an order, they could paint a backing board, hang the letters on it, and wire them together relatively quickly. This would have worked better for standard-ish typefaces, like on the "Home of the Brave" sign, and not as well on custom ones, like the curved letters for "Barkleys of Broadway". In another sign of the times, 1949 seems pretty early to me for a "seven-segment" clock display (on the Bond store). Apparently somebody didn't care for the open-topped "4" that most LED and LCD seven-segment displays now have, and installed one more segment to get a pointy-topped 4. June 10, 1949Based on all of the visible movie marquees on this wonderful pair of Times Square photos, they were taken on or around June 10, 1949. (High-speed film may have been needed to catch a theatre actually showing "Night unto Night." It was savaged by critics. In an era in which even bad reviews tended to be understated, the New York Times review on June 11 ended with this dig: "Having waited so long to expose 'Night unto Night' to the light of day, the Warners might better have left it at the bottom of the well, for some things are best forgotten.") Feel the heatThose hot days in NYC. You can just feel the car exhaust bouncing off the pavement. Nice to see the top of the Empire State Building sans radio tower. [Look again. - Dave] Bond Sign Waterfall turned off hereThe bond sign had a 50,000-gallon waterfall 27 feet high and 120 feet long behind the large "BOND" logo which was apparently turned off when this photo was taken. Drat! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Movies, NYC)
Daddy WAS a Fireman: 1928
... when I saw that guy seated on the left. It's Not Neon but I'll bet that sign would light up real good. (The Gallery, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/20/2017 - 1:00am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1928. "Fire Dept. truck decorating." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Gus the firemanCouldn't help but think of the Gus the fireman character, played by Burt Mustin, from the old "Leave It to Beaver" show when I saw that guy seated on the left. It's Not Neonbut I'll bet that sign would light up real good. (The Gallery, D.C., Fires, Floods etc., Natl Photo)
Shave Yourself: 1910
... on Brady's Baths gives this photo a remarkable feel. Neon evangelism? I was always taught that we cannot shave ourselves; only ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 2:01pm -

Atlantic City, New Jersey, circa 1910. "The Boardwalk at night." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The boardwalk at nightis really a timeless view. One can almost see Snooki and Jwoww staggering along the boards in the harsh glow of the electric lights. No PeopleThat's really unusual for any photo from Atlantic City. [That blur on the boardwalk is people. This was a time exposure. - Dave] Return of HelmarYes! The Helmar Cigarettes sign at night! I loved the spare wire construction of it in the daytime shot and wondered about it. Now I see that it was apparently holding lights. One of many things I love about Shorpy is that the answer to questions usually shows up eventually-- either in another shot or from a commenter. This is a gorgeous view though. I can't get enough of these black and white nighttime scenes. Not a dirty Brady in the bunchFrom the 2000 Arcadia Publishing book Atlantic City by John T. Cunningham and Kenneth D. Cole: When bathers in 1887 shed their exhibitions, they did so in bath houses such as Brady’s Baths. Each day bathers leased suits from Brady's for wading in the water. For those who abstained, Brady's built a covered observation deck just off the boardwalk. The woolen or flannel suits may have endangered bathers if they ventured too far into the water, as the suits became heavy when waterlogged. ["Shed their exhibitions"? Hm. - Dave] Tripician's MacaroonsA few of the pictured businesses on the boardwalk: C.M. Kuory (furniture). The Tokio. Field's Mexican Store. Shourds. Tripician's (confections), still in business. In old ACEven though I'm an avowed tv addict I don't like to apply ANYthing I see on the tube to my beloved Shorpy page. I like to keep you separate from the rest of my world, kinda like an oasis. Gotta make one exception though; doesn't look like I'm gonna be able to not think of "Boardwalk Empire" whenever I see vintage pictures of Atlantic City. They just made that era in that place so VIVID. An Enduring ProductThis morning I "shaved by myself" with my old Gillette Safety Razor, a close relative of the one being hawked in this photo. It's still a great shave. The Safety Razorshould never be used by five-year olds as a means of washing the remnants of a spaghetti dinner away ala "shaving just like Dad". The result may be a small scar on the upper lip like mine. GhostelI love how the old Hotel Traymore is just barely visible in this shot. The floodlights on Brady's Baths gives this photo a remarkable feel. Neon evangelism?I was always taught that we cannot shave ourselves; only Jesus shaves. Or something like that. Miami-CareyOff the wall like most of my comments, but, here I go anyway. This reminded me of the old medicine chests with the slot in the back to dispose of your used razor blades. All they did is drop into the space between the wall studs. This was in the days of real men who didn't need no stinkin' insulation! ShopfrontsFive wonderful shopfronts in the foreground, from F.W.Woolworth to The Tokio. I grew up in Upminster, Essex, England and our local 'Woolworths' had a similar shop front to this one - although it was never known as the 5 and Dime, for obvious reasons. Boardwalk EmpireI don't know about Snooki, but I can imagine Nucky in this picture. Something went wrongJudging from the 'movement' in the lights, it looks like either somebody kicked the tripod during the exposure, or it wasn't completely steady. I can't imagine the razor was moving during the exposure. [The camera moved near the start or end of the exposure. - Dave] From the Movie "Atlantic City"Like Burt Lancaster said, "In those days, Atlantic City had floy-floy." Safety razorI last used a safety razor a couple of years ago just to try it out for old times sake. I guess there must have been a trick to using one, because even with a new blade my neck was full of little nicks. Needless to say I went back to the more modern version. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC)
Store Wars: 1941
... when I left there in 1975. "House" with a neon sign When we drove through Phenix City in the mid '50s, I heard the ... the places offering "entertainment" was outfitted with a neon sign so it could be easily found by those wishing to pay for female ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/07/2018 - 10:27am -

May 1941. "Soldiers from Fort Benning in a country store near Phenix City, Alabama." Medium format negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Appropriate game theme for them to be playing!https://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=3071&picno=2753 Five Balls For Five CentsIt's a survivor. Or rather, there's at last one "Contact" pinball game still around. Backlight animation for the plane and the carrier. Don't tilt. No refunds. Saints in Sin CityI've read stories where Phenix City (not Las Vegas) was the sleaziest, most corrupt and violent city in the United States during the 40's and 50's, and a lot of it came from providing the Fort Benning soldiers booze, gambling, prostitution, etc. Let's hope these guys didn't fall into that black hole. The rest of the story"The Phenix City Story," filmed on location there in 1955: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048488/ Go Alabama!I just had to be the contrarian. Everything you've heard is trueI lived in Phenix City and worked for The Columbus Ledger across the river in Georgia in the early '70s. The Ledger won the Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Phenix City cleanup, from the assassination of state attorney-general-elect Albert Patterson to the destruction of tons of slot machines, the closing of prostitution dens, and gambling halls. I became obsessed with the story, read all the Pulitzer application folders, and discussed it for hours with the old newspaper hands who covered it for The Ledger. Interesting that Ma Beachey, the most notorious madam in town played herself in the film. By the time I lived there, PC was a small, quiet Southern town more concerned with Auburn football than vice and corruption. By the way, the two men who everyone knew were behind it all, including the man who everyone said killed Patterson, were still living there, untouched and unindicted when I left there in 1975. "House" with a neon signWhen we drove through Phenix City in the mid '50s, I heard the rumor that one of the places offering "entertainment" was outfitted with a neon sign so it could be easily found by those wishing to pay for female company. Never saw the place myself, but after the cleanup of gambling and prostitution, there were several female hitchhikers that we saw along the highways out of town. War Eagle!I would just love to have that Auburn pennant! Of course, Auburn wouldn't be officially Auburn University for another 15 years. Back then we were still Alabama Polytechnic Institute. Very long time lurker, first time poster. Thank you for all that you do, Dave (and tterrace)! Hello ColumbusFor the relatively short time in the early 1950s when I was stationed at Fort Benning, Phenix City was off-limits. Columbus, Ga., was bad enough for me. (The Gallery, Jack Delano)
30 Rock: 1933
... is 30 Rockefeller Plaza before the RCA and current GE neon signage. Not that it wasn't famous before, but the TV show "30 Rock" has ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:22pm -

New York. December 5, 1933. "Rockefeller Center and RCA Building from 515 Madison Avenue." Digital image recovered from released emulsion layer of the original 5x7 acetate negative. Gottscho-Schleisner photo. View full size. City of the godsIn 1933, my father was a seven-year-old living up Lick Branch Hollow in the Ozark Mountains. He would read books by kerosene light in the evenings. His family kept butter and milk (and Uncle Linus' hooch) in the cold spring-fed creek outside their house. It's astonishing to think he could have boarded a train and eventually arrived in this city of the gods, only a thousand miles away. Sign of the CrossThe double bar cross was the emblem used by the National Tuberculosis Association. Wonder if the lights were part of the campaign to fight TB. Gotta love those whitewalls!On the convertible by the front door. Double O's. Looks like it's ready to go somewhere in a hurry. Released emulsion layer?Dave, can you explain the technology of this image? How does an emulsion layer get released from a negative? [This is a process used on deteriorating acetate transparencies and negatives when they've begun to shrink. The negative is placed in a chemical solution that separates the emulsion from the film base. The released emulsion layer (the pellicle) is then placed in another solution to "relax," or unwarp, it. It's kind of like disappearing your body so that only the skin is left. More here. - Dave] Amazing viewThe shot is incredible! It looks almost surreal. I love it! Awesome scan job.I only wish I could see an even higher res version. Great work bringing this one back to life. WowI just can't believe how beautiful this shot is. Looks like the view from my New York Penthouse sitting there drinking martinis and listening to that new "jazz" music. High DramaThis marvelous building, reaching for the sky as if erupting from the ground, combines amazing delicacy, impressive size, and a feeling it is built for the ages to admire. SO much more breathtaking than today's typical glass box, although you need a view like this to really appreciate the classical lines and artful massing. A nice complement to the gothic cathedral in the foreground - a true temple of commerce! Churchly And Corporate SpiresThat's St. Patrick's Cathedral on the lower left, probably the only building from the 19th century left on Fifth Avenue, except for the Chancery House that's attached to it. Both styles of architecture are very dramatic. When I was a small child, at Christmas, my family would go to the Christmas Pageant at Radio City Music Hall every year, and then attend Midnight Mass at St. Patrick's. Ever since, I've never been able to separate religion from showbiz. Possibly because they really are the same thing. Take a peekThis picture makes me want to get out the binoculars and look in the windows. "Don't get much better"This image is a about as close to textbook perfect BW as you will find. It contains the complete range of grays from what looks like solid black in a few places to solid white in the highlights. The camera was level and the focus was dead on. As a photographer, I am envious. Old shooter Reaching New HeightsThe skyscraper is 30 Rockefeller Plaza before the RCA and current GE neon signage. Not that it wasn't famous before, but the TV show "30 Rock" has made it an even more iconic. Another claim is the gigantic Christmas tree on the Plaza, between the building and the skating rink, that when illuminated kicks off the Holiday Season in NYC. Hugh FerrissThis is like the photographic equivalent of one of Hugh Ferriss' architectural drawings, coincidentally of roughly the same era. MagicThe quality of this incredible photo captures the magic that New York City always longs for but seldom delivers. King Kong might have had a chance...had he chosen 30 Rock instead. OKLo mismo digo. Gracias. American Express BuildingThat hole in the ground, I believe, bacame the American Express Building. If you come out of the subway at the Rockefeller Center stop, and come up on the escalator in that building, you get an incredible view of St Pat's from below, with the spectacular statue of Atlas in the foreground as well. Very cool. Other noteworthy background details here include the Hotel Edison, and the old NY Times Building, at Times Square, before they went and utterly ruined it in the 60's by stripping all the detail off the skeleton. And check the skylights on the roof of what I think is the Cartier store, in the foreground! Send this to Christopher NolanHere's the art direction for the next Batman sequel. SpectacularWhat a wonderful, wonderful image! I love coming to Shorpy because you never know what Dave will come up with next. Thanks so much! The GreatestDave, this has to be one of the greatest photos you have posted. I work around the corner, and can look out my window at 30 Rock from 6th Avenue... my building wasn't built until 1973. Thank you. Time stoppedIs it 2:25am or 5:10am? Can you spot the clock? What Gets MeLooking at this photo - and it looks spectacular on my new monitor - is the sky. It has a sort of foggy twilight quality that is difficult to put into words but which emphasizes the the "star" of the photo - the RCA Building - and its nearby consorts or supporting cast over the buildings in the background which seem to fad into the mist. The building seems like the height of modernity, and one can easily imagine a couple of kids from Cleveland named Siegel and Shuster seeing this and making it a model for the cities of the doomed planet Krypton. Very neat picture...Can you give us an idea of what it looked like before it was restored? [There's an example here. - Dave] StunnedWhat a totally wonderful image, Sat here slack jawed at the incredible detail and the superb composition. I am amazedThe detail in the spires at St. Paul's Patrick's is fantastic. The amount of work that went into that building must have been enormous. I am very grateful not to have been on the crew detailed to put the crosses atop the spires! The Future Is NowInteresting that this photograph looks into a future in which many of the same buildings are still with us. At far left midground is the tower of Raymond Hood's American Standard Building. Next to it, with the illuminated sign on top, is the New Yorker Hotel (now Sun Myung Moon's) where Nikola Tesla spent the last ten years of his life. At center is the N.Y. Times Building with its flagpole convenient for deploying the New Year's Eve ball. And last, but not least, the Paramount Building topped by a globe and illuminated clock which is about as close to the Hudsucker Building as could hope to be seen. Of these four only the appearance Times Building has changed to any extent. A wonderful slice of time. TremendousTwo of my favorite photos on Shorpy consist of those like this one, showing the immense power of a huge city, even in the depths of the Depression, and those of small towns, especially when patriotic holidays were still celebrated. Samuel H. GottschoI'd never heard of him, but one look at this photo and I'm instantly a fan. This image is nothing short of spectacular. Ethereal, PowerfulThere have been many photos on this site that have impressed and pleased me, but this one is one of my favorites. Absolute magic. It's the quintessence of the power and style of 1930s design. Time machineI admire NY photos of the 1950s. And now I see that many of the buildings in NY I admire already were erected in early 1930s! What a discovery. What a shot. The Singularity of the MomentThis is an amazing photograph. As one earlier contributor observed, the pure technical aspects of the black and white composition are fabulous. The spread of detailed gray shadows and whites make this photo almost magical. It has the qualities of an Ansel Adams zone photograph that makes his work so arresting. But what really makes this photograph dramatic is what it reveals about New York City in 1933. A vision of the future of large cities, bustling twenty four hours a day and electrified. Today visions such as these can be seen on any continent in any large city. It has become the norm. But in 1933 there were only two places in the world that looked like this: New York City and Chicago. One can vicariously put oneself into the shoes of some kid from rural America or from Europe setting on Manhattan Island and seeing visions such as these for the first time. I can only guess it had the same effect as it had on 14th-century peasants in France, visiting Paris for the first time and entering the nave of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Beautifully put!I'm sure Samuel Gottscho would have been very gratified to know thoughtful and eloquent people like Bob H would be appreciating his work in the 21st century. PenthouseIs the Garden Patio still across the street from the skylights? I am in love with this photographExquisite doesn't even begin to describe it. In Your Mind's EyeYou can smell and feel the air and hear the traffic. It may be calm now...I have a feeling that all hell is about to break loose -- this picture was taken the day Prohibition was repealed. I worked hereI worked here in the 1960s for the "Tonight" show unit as as a production assistant for Dick Carson, brother of Johnny Carson. An attractive, dark-haired woman named Barbara Walters was working at the "Today" show at the same time. She is about 10 years older than I am. I also worked with the News department for a time. I was in the elevator with David Brinkley coming back from lunch when I learned that President Kennedy had been shot. We stayed up all Friday night and most of Saturday assembling film footage for a retrospective of JFK's life. When we weren't editing, we were visiting St. Patrick's Cathedral to light candles with others in the crowd. That's an absolutely amazing photo. I'm going to link this to other New Yorkers and broadcasters who might be interested. Thanks for all your work. Cordially, Ellen Kimball Portland, OR http://ellenkimball.blogspot.com 30 RockIs the excavated area where the skating rink is? I've been there once and it is very magical. Right across the street from the "Today" studio. Tipster's PhotoStunning, but in a different way than Gottscho's. It helps when the subject is beautiful. 30 Rock 09 Here's the view today made with a 4x5 view camera, farther back seen through the St. Patrick's spires and somewhat higher than the 1933 photo. Lots more buildings now. I was doing an interior architectural shoot, and went out on the terrace of a wedding-cake building on Madison Avenue. It was after midnight. Not much wind. Strangely quiet. As an architectural photographer I have great admiration for these Gottscho pictures. 30 Rock in Living ColorThat's a lovely photo, and it's nice to see the perspective so close to that of the original. Design Continuum of Bertram GoodhueThe proximity of St. Patrick's Cathedral to the newly constructed tower by Raymond Hood brought to mind two "bookends" to the unfulfilled career of Bertram Goodhue. During his early apprenticeship he undoubtedly worked on the St. Patrick's Cathedral, in Renwick's office, which greatly influenced his early career and success. The tower (30 Roc) represents what might have been...rather what should have been the end result of Goodhue's tragically shortened career (ending in 1924). Hood's career, which began to emerge after Goodhue's death is far better known, but is greatly in his debt. Hood's 1922 Tribune Tower clearly displays this link, as a practitioner of the neo-gothic style. Much of Hood's gothic detail is a through-back to design ideas that by 1922, Goodhue had already left behind. Goodhue was by this time already synthesizing elements of european modernism into an new original american idiom. Goodhue's last major projects were already working out the language of the modern/deco skyscraper; (the Nebraska State capital and Los Angles Public Library the best examples.) Goodhue's unique career was the crucible where concepts of romantic imagery of the Gothic, the sublime juxtapositions of minimal ornament on architectonic massing was being forged with modern construction technology. A close study of his career and work will show that not only Hood, but other notable architects of the era built upon the rigorous and expansive explorations that Goodhue was beginning to fuse at the end of his life. *It is also curious to me that Hugh Ferris is credited with so much of these innovative design ideas; no doubt he was a super talented delineator, his freelance services were utilized by many architects of the time including Goodhue. Some of his famous massing studies (sketches) owe much to Goodhue's late work. Amazing Execution and RestorationI agree with "Don't get much Better" ! This is as good as it can get for B&W. The exposure is so right-on and this in 1933!! Is this a "night" shot.. there is a lot of ambient light. Simply Amazing. I want it! Rock RinkThe not-yet-built skating rink is in front of the building. The empty space became 630 Fifth Avenue, where a statue of Atlas stands. Vanderbilt Triple PalaceA long time since this was posted, but I am surprised no one recognized the southern half of the iconic, brownstone-clad Vanderbilt Triple Palaces in the foreground (640 Fifth Avenue), just opposite the lower edge of the excavated building site. The northern half, with two residences, had been sold, demolished & replaced a long time ago, but the southern half stood until 1947 (Grace Wilson Vanderbilt continued entertaining in her usual style until WWII). The entrance vestibule to the three residences featured a nine foot tall Russian malachite vase, once given by Emperor Nicholas I of Russia to Nicholas Demidoff, now on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art a couple of dozen blocks north on Fifth. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Cascade Cafes: 1941
... identifying all the cars by their headlamps. All That Neon! Wouldn't it be great to see this same scene lit up after dark? I miss ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/30/2018 - 2:46pm -

June 1941. "Street scene in Cascade, Idaho. Cascade is a microcosm of Idaho's past and present -- all the industries of the state, including lumbering, mining, agriculture, stock raising and tourist trade, are apportioned to this town and its valley." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Perfection Is GoneThis downtown is even more gone than most Shorpy pictures, judging by google streetview. I think I can figure out where this was by the church building. But the diagonal parking has been replaced by a grocery store, a bank, and a depressing suburban look. It's possible one or two of these buildings is still standing, but I couldn't find one. VisitsI visited here in June 1973. Friends living farther south had a cottage in "The Cascades", as they called it, suggested that I go up there for a couple of days, stay in the cottage. So their two sons and I headed up in my MGB. The drive up was great (got lost somehow at least once), countryside was beautiful, we had a ball. And then it snowed on us. I was not ready for that. Made for interesting driving with in my MGB. Learned to really love a wood stove. Oh well. Nice memories. A place for everything and everything in its placeThis is the kind of orderly approach to life that I recommend to one and all. Anyone know where we can find it? Sidewalk- level advertisingJust as a tobacconist might have a wooden Indian, or a barber a spiral-striped pole, I see the beer hall has two kegs sitting on the sidewalk in front of the store. Or, more likely, they're there waiting to be swapped for two full kegs when the delivery truck comes around. The ChallengeNeed one of you car geeks to go down the line identifying all the cars by their headlamps. All That Neon!Wouldn't it be great to see this same scene lit up after dark? I miss street scenes like this. I'd wager that downtown Cascade doesn't look nearly as vibrant today. Paradise lostFood, coffee, drugs, beer, pool, cards, candy, tobacco, all within a couple hundred feet of street front. We traded Utopia for the mall, and now we don't even have those. How FunLooks like it would have been a wonderful street to visit. [You could get gas at either end! - Dave] My IdahomeIdaho is still a lovely, orderly place. It didn't change. (The Gallery, Russell Lee, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
A Busier Bisbee: 1940
... the street -- Phelps-Dodge Mercantile . - Dave] Neon Signage lit up at night I imagine it sure would've looked pretty. And ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/23/2018 - 7:06pm -

May 1940. "Main street of Bisbee, Arizona. Copper mining center." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Walgreen AgencyNote the Walgreen Agency drugstore. "One of the most significant expansions during the 1930s was the establishment of an agency cooperative purchasing system, whereby Walgreen's products became available in a number of independent pharmacies. By 1934, there were 600 agencies in 33 US states, stocking over 1,000 Walgreen's products. At its peak the Walgreen's Agency system had more than 2,000 participants within the network. The system continued until 1980, when the administration of the cooperative purchasing program was discontinued." On another note, Walgreen's invented the Malted Milkshake. I did not know that. Copper Mining EconomicsIn the 1970's, I lived a few months in Ajo, Arizona. Phelps Dodge operated an open pit copper mine and smelter there. It was a company town. The price of copper spiked while I was there, and the workers were put on a 12 hour workday, seven days a week for four weeks, and then took a weekend off. On Monday, they started a new cycle of 12 on and 12 off. Most of the modest housing was built by Phelps Dodge and rented to the workers. After working for Phelps Dodge for five years, the workers could buy their house for $1. National brands squeezing out the local guysThis is 1940 and I see Walgreen's, JC Penney, Woolworth's, Coca-Cola, Florsheim, Rexall, and maybe Blue Ribbon. I hear so much about Chain Stores and national brands squeezing local stores as some modern problem, and here we are in the photograph. All we need is for that business at the end of the street to be a Sears. Many years ago Sears was accused of shutting down Main Street as Wal-Mart is today. [That's the company store at the end of the street -- Phelps-Dodge Mercantile. - Dave] Neon Signage lit up at nightI imagine it sure would've looked pretty. And attention grabbing. The Review lives on. Looking from the other end of the street. More of the Bisbee Daily Review. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Way Station: 1943
... to the right of the poster, is awaiting his cameo. Neon Sign The neon sign pointing to the "Street Cars" is a mate to one we have that says "To ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/13/2015 - 10:16am -

January 1943. "Chicago, Illinois. Waiting for trains in the concourse of the Union Station." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. Which one is it? Pt 2You are close davidk but off the mark a little: The guy leaning against the radiator is a jazz musician, he plays the sax. You are right about the guy with the open paper buts he's an FBI agent keeping tabs on the older gentleman leaning against the pole with the poster. He's Paddy O'Brian of the Irish Mafia and he runs a speak easy on Dearborn Ave. The girl in the center looking at the camera is Roxy (aka Sally from Kansas) the next big star to hit town. PS My first ever post..I love Shorpy If I was there then...I'd wonder, "How would people like to buy suitcases with wheels on them?" The Architect of this Station... must have played with Erector sets when he was a kid. Which one is it?The Nazi spy is definitely the man on the left in the fedora and overcoat, leaning on the radiator, affecting the nonchalant pose. The person on his tail is the similarly dressed man, central, in the background, with the open newspaper. Defintely a time gone byI can almost smell the cigar smoke. Much Ado About Nothing but funActually davidk, the newspaper reader and the man leaning on the radiator are both FBI. They are watching the group in the middle, who are waiting for their contact with the stolen diamonds to smuggle out of the country. On the right is Mugs Malone, former "almost" heavyweight champ and now muscle for the mob. Center is Donna Reed in her cute little boots and brains of the outfit. Behind her is Humphrey Bogart, an insurance investigator pretending to be a tough gang member. If you look quickly between the paper reader and the man with the satchel (containing the diamonds), a disguised Charley Chan is following the real Nazi spy. Parmelee Transfer Worked Like MagicYou may have only had an hour for a train connection in Chicago between different station, but Parmelee Transfer would get you and your luggage to your connection on time. Long goneI used Chicago Union Station for many years, 1965 - 1997, commuting to and from my work. I vaguely remember the old, spacious concourse. Most of my memories are of the 'new' concourse, as Milamber2431 says, under a skyscraper. The term I have heard for the new concourse was "Chicago Union Basement" - which unfortunately fits. The ceiling is very low, and the space is broken up. No comparisonto either of the NYC stations. This looks like something thrown together over a feverish weekend, just to keep the passengers free from rain. The two NYC stations look like something grand, this shabby and morose. Going back 50+ years, I remember taking the train to Milwaukee, and likely walked somewhere near. The floor was paved with 'get-er-done-quick' asphalt. The Two FedsJumped right out at me in the unenlarged photo, they are too conspicuously casual. Tall man is packing a shoulder holster, evidenced by the bulge in his overcoat. His target has not yet arrived. Marcy, in her pretty white boots, is the decoy. Alfred Hitchcock, to the right of the poster, is awaiting his cameo. Neon SignThe neon sign pointing to the "Street Cars" is a mate to one we have that says "To Trains" with a similar arrow. Ours also came out of Union Station and hangs in our hallway pointing the way to the nearby Metra station. Tracks are still there, concourse is goneThis photo shows the south side of the concourse. The doors on the left lead to the south-bound train platforms (note signs for track numbers 8 and 12). If you walked through those doors in January 1943 you would be here. The east side of the concourse was seen here. The west side of the concourse was seen here. Union Station actually has more traffic today than in the 40s, though it's mostly commuters. Trains board at the same spot pictured above, but the expansive concourse is gone. It's all underneath a 1970s skyscraper. Composition, Noir. . . cries out for half-silly scenarios, and, bless 'em, the Shorpites have provided them. Even so, it's a strikingly beautiful compo. No ComparisonTo: tomincantonga. The concourse was the equivalent to the train shed of other stations. Penn Station's concourse had a similar beams, girders and rivets appearance. If you want to see grandeur comparable to the New York stations, find photos of Union Station Headhouse's Great Hall--which fortunately still exists. The Concourse, which is not shown to best advantage in this shot, was actually pretty grand itself. It was in a separate building from the Headhouse. The Headhouse contained the vast Great Hall, ticket offices, restaurants, barber shops, bars, lounges, jail, etc. The Concourse and Headhouse were connected via a passageway under Canal Street. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Swing Street: 1948
... Skyscrapers and offices took over and now it's like the neon landscape of The Street never existed. Proud Fink That is the first ... spun it in 1975. From my own stash of 78's : Neon and Rain-Washed Street I think this is my favorite modern-era Shorpy ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/01/2019 - 1:08pm -

July 1948. 52nd Street in New York. "The Street is at its best at night, when the neons start to bloom. It loses some of its carnival atmosphere when daylight dims its gaudy luster." Kodachrome by William Gottlieb for Collier's magazine. If anyone needs us, we'll be digging Harry the Hipster at the Onyx. View full size. The day the Grind diedJuly 4, 1960. Seven clubs had their liquor licenses pulled on the same day. "They're slapping us to death with suspensions," complained stripper Winnie Garrett. "It's such a lousy little street. Why can't they leave us alone?" The clubs closed, the strippers exited with the jazz musicians. Skyscrapers and offices took over and now it's like the neon landscape of The Street never existed. Proud FinkThat is the first time I have ever seen anybody proclaim being a Fink in bright lights for all the world to see. Neat addition of the Shorpy mark. It fits right in this photo, and even helps create a sense of balance to the composition- Kudos. Only missing Nick's PlaceReminds me of Pottersville from "It's a Wonderful Life." GeniusI'll be checking out Erroll Garner in his prime at the 3 Deuces. And later, I might check out that new club, Shorpy. Miss D and BebopBack in 1955 I was blessed to have had a very pretty and hip eighth grade English teacher. On occasion she would bring her 10 inch LP jazz recordings for us to listen to. More than once she reminded us that before taking the job she had she had lived in New York and had the opportunity to see the great musicians we listened to. That would for certain have included 52nd Street. Wish I could have been there. If you're hip and not a squareyou'll avoid Harry the Hipster and be nursing a beer listening to Tatum, or Erroll Garner with J.C Heard and Oscar Pettiford. Just those four alone represent more musical talent than you'd find most anywhere today. And the clubs: Jimmy Ryan's and the Onyx for example were places of musical worship. Where's that time machine got to? Harry was quite the hipster indeedIntriqued by the Harry the Hipster sign I decided to check on him. He was apparently quite the entertainer and ahead of his time musically. I will include a clip from YouTube of him performing. Wikipedia has a nice article on him as well. Art Tatum, Fats Waller and GodMy favorite story about 52nd Street was told about Fats Waller from 1940 or 1941 - drummer Henry Adler (who Buddy Rich, among others, studied with) was in the audience: "So I was at the 3 Deuces catching Fats Waller's outfit when Art Tatum walks in the door. A few moments later, Fats notices too and stops the band dead cold. Then he stands up and says 'Ladies and gentlemen, I'm just a piano player, but tonight, God is in the house.' and he motions towards Art Tatum amidst a swell of applause." It's always been bit surprising seeing Harry "The Hipster" Gibson's name in this iconic photo as, the year before (1947) he was largely blacklisted after the record below was banned from radio play, never to be heard there again until Dr. Demento spun it in 1975. From my own stash of 78's : Neon and Rain-Washed StreetI think this is my favorite modern-era Shorpy picture. Also best Shorpy placement ever! I love seeing Art Tatum, Oscar Pettiford, Erroll Garner et al on the marquees. Further proof I was born too late. Real cool world This is going right on the front screen. Is that Art Tatum, playing down the street from Garner? Probably not, but I'm getting a little misty thinking about it. Don't you just hate Robert Moses? Rockefeller Properties expansionThe removal of the jazz clubs was mostly the result of a hostile takeover by Rockefeller Properties, which wanted to get rid of any neighboring businesses that were not to their liking. The only structure that has remained on that block is the "21" Club. It has been said before,and will be said again, but this photo has the best watermark yet. Two months earlierAnd without neon. As the caption has it, “It loses some of its carnival atmosphere when daylight dims its gaudy luster.” (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Music, NYC, William Gottlieb)
Fishbowl: 1908
... would swim around in its tank and periodically light up a neon sign. Pewabic Tiles Another Detroit treasure with tiles made by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/10/2023 - 4:16pm -

The Belle Isle Park Aquarium in Detroit circa 1908. Its cavernous spaces and glass viewports afforded aquatic life a fascinating peek at the bipedal terrestrial creatures known as homo sapiens. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Hey, what's in that vase?Ewwwww... Those spittoons just disappeared over the years. And leaving our local museums spit-free except for the occasional cobra or llama. Bet there were some great echo effects bouncing off all the tile work. As a wee bipedaling homo sapien I remember testing out such places with gleeful boy noises. That is one magnificent barrel arch beyond the equally grand dome ceiling. A Sign of CivilizationI await the return of spittoons to all public buildings. PixelatedIt's interesting how the brickwork resembles pixels in a digital photo. [Or a TV. Which was my impression, too -- "These tiles are tiling!" - Dave] In Swimming ColorThe aquarium today, in all its green glory. The forward lookBrass expectoration appurtenances notwithstanding (say that fast five times), this photo has a distinct contemporary feel to it - the lighting, natural yet at the same time seeming to be carefully arranged, plus the composition. I can see it on slick paper in an upscale lifestyle-type magazine, advertising fashions, perfumes or other snazzy stuff. Come to think of it, the visual aesthetic, if not the architecture, reminds me of that of the Case Study homes photographs. The pixelation-like effect of the brickwork is also eerily arresting. League of Extraordinary Museum-GoersWow, the first thing I thought was "steam-punk." Those brass railings and the radiator and the projecting stands for the aquariums are all very cool! Gone, almostThe building is still there on Belle Isle, but the city closed the aquarium last year due to Detroit's disastrous financial situation. Sigh. --Ray in Henderson, NV The Shocking TruthI remember the electric eel that would swim around in its tank and periodically light up a neon sign. Pewabic Tiles Another Detroit treasure with tiles made by Pewabic Pottery, which is still in business. Really SciFiAfter the "Lady in the Lake," this image is the most striking I have ever seen on Shorpy (and that's saying something!) Thank you Dave! Wow, wow, wow, wow, wowThis photo is really ... eerie. It just looks so different from modern times that I can hardly believe it ever happened. And how in the world did they clean the tanks on those ornate stands jutting out into the middle? Is that an optical illusion, or does the round railing keep one from falling down to another story below? Thank you for posting the modern photo showing the green tile. I never would have guessed the color. I hope Detroit does better this year, and I hope they can keep this place open in the future. But what did they do with the fish?I visited the aquarium with my first grade class in the spring of 1957, the high point of the school year. And it was foreign travel from Windsor Ontario. Back then, we only needed notes from our mothers to cross the border! Life AquaticI've got relatives in Detroit of long standing, but I've never heard of this delight until now. There are a few more present-day pictures (how dazzling that green tile is!) on the tour here: http://www.belleisleaquarium.com/aquarium_tour.htm Yes, thanks KwameThank you Kwame for closing our wonderful aquarium just so you could spend all the money on your criminal activity. What a shame. Recent pictures that I have seen show that the former aquarium is now full of crap and is being used for storage. Nice. FramesI really like the frames surrounding the wall tanks, presenting the displayed sea-life like works of art. I wonder if the frames were painted gold or silver to look like gilding. Fate of the fishThe fish were loaned out to various aquariums across the country. Come visit the aquarium again. Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium care for the koi that overwinter in the basement. They are usually there on Saturdays, late morning, caring for the fish. Check out their website, belleisleaquarium.com for more information or to get involved. The original aquarium frames were constructed from cypress, a wood particularly resistant to damage from moisture, and were gilded. The frames were carved in an egg and dart motif to frame the exhibits as if they were canvases. The frames were removed during the 1955 renovation and replaced with stainless steel. The lovely tiles are green glass. They were not made by Pewabic pottery ... a common misconception. Eero SaarinenI too thought it was a modern building. Very prescient design. Love it!!Re-posted to Michigan in Pictures with links to more historical information on Belle Isle Aquarium! (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Education, Schools)
Pabst Over Chicago: 1943
... night time shots of it? [The nighttime shot of this neon sign is here . - Dave] Animation Thanks Dave, do you know if ... westbound US-30.) I remember being in awe of a big neon Phillips 66 sign receding in the distance as my dad drove west. It was a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/07/2017 - 2:11pm -

May 1, 1943. "South Water Street freight depot of the Illinois Central Railroad, Chicago." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. View full size. DirectionalityI believe this photo is facing north. Quite a few of the skyscrapers are still there. All the way to the left, the black & gold building is the Carbide & Carbon (or is it Carbon & Carbide?) building on Michigan Ave. I seem to remember something about it being the "first" skyscraper. Just to the right, with the little cupola on top, is the original Stone Container Building at Wacker & Michigan Avenues. Off in the furthest distance in the center of the photo you can see what was originally called the Pamolive building (it became Playboy Towers, and is now a condo building). I think the building behind the Pabst sign at the right edge of the sign is the Chicago Tribune building, and across from it (underneath the main part of the sign) you can see the white building that is the Wrigley building. They flank Michigan Ave. just north of the Chicago river. Fellow (ex-)ChicagoanDefinitely facing North, definitely the Carbon & Carbide building - my dad used to have an office there. Not sure about the Playboy Towers.... might that be the Drake Hotel? 33 to 1?Blended 33 to 1? That sounds like a strange formula to me...but of course I'm not informed on the whole beer and beer history thing. 33 to 1Here's a 1940 Pabst ad that explains it. NorthThere is no question about it, this photo is facing north. Good Railroad ShotThe blue flags placed on the cars would be a violation of federal regulations today as they now have to be located at the switch providing access to the track. Also, note that several of the cars are on "yard air" in order to test the brakes on each car prior to movement. Finally you can see that this photo provides good images of several different types of car ends all together in one place. As I am from Milwaukee, I have no clue as to which buildings are which! I do know that the photo is definitely facing north as I now work for the South Shore commuter railroad and am familiar with the lakefront. I also know that the original Santa Fe railroad corporate headquarters was almost directly to the west of this photo and is still there today with the Santa Fe sign on top. It is now an historic landmark. Bootcamp BeerI went to Navy bootcamp in Great Lakes Il. in 1983 and after spending 10 wks. without beer our first chance to have a brew came. Unfortunatly for me the ONLY beer avaliable to us at the time was Pabst Blue Ribbon. Now, not being a Pabst fan I was very unhappy about that but after 10 tough weeks I said "what the heck" and ordered a couple of beers. I'll tell you what, that was the best beer I've ever had. I got so drunk the rest of the day was blur. I'd like to say "Thanks you Pabst" for the best beer ever and day I don't remember. Water Street DepotIt appears we are looking north from either Monroe or Randolph. I want to say we're looking from Monroe and that bridge spanning the width of the pic under the sign is Randolph. The row of low-rise buildings on the left side of the pic that are ~6 stories tall and have the water towers on top of them would then be on the east side of Michigan Ave and sitting directly on the north side of Randolph. I believe these trains are in the area east of Michigan Ave and north of Monroe, but south of Randolph as it used to be a railyard (now Millennium Park, north of the Art Institute). Furthermore there were never any buildings previously on this spot, as it would have either been a rail yard or part of Grant Park (where no buildings were allowed to be built, except for the Art Institute). This leads me to believe that we are looking north from Monroe towards Randolph and beyond. The vast empty space behind the Pabst sign spanning the whole width of the image would now be occupied by Illinois Center, the Prudential Building and of course the tall white AON Building (3rd largest in Chciago at the moment), or whatever they call it these days. Pabst SignCan anybody tell me if this sign was was animated and are there any night time shots of it? [The nighttime shot of this neon sign is here. - Dave] AnimationThanks Dave, do you know if the sign was animated in any way? [The hands on the clock moved! If you mean did various parts of the sign blink on and off, I don't know. - Dave] ChicagoI see the tallest building to the far left when I'm going to and from school. It's surrounded by a bunch of other buildings now. Chevrolet SignThis is a film clip of another Chicago sign. It shows how animated signs were operated. I can't find any date, but the technology looks like 1940 or so. http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/410104.html Chevrolet SignAfter viewing this clip of the Chevy sign, I'm fairly convinced that it and the 'Pabst' sign are one and the same. Shown in the clip of the Chevy sign is the same tall building that is located to the left of the Pabst sign in the photo. There are other similarities as well, like the circular design of the sign, the clock at the lower right, etc. It's my guess that Pabst took over the sign after Chevy and made the slight changes to suit their logo. South Water Street TodayThis photo is facing North on South Water Street and intersecting roughly what is now Columbus Drive. The ground level of this photograph is now covered by an elevated roadway in this area. If you went to this spot today, the Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park designed by Frank Gehry would be just behind you. The Playboy Building is visible in the background, now once again called the Palmolive Building and converted to condominiums. It sits between the Drake Hotel and John Hancock Tower at the end of the Magnificent Mile. The Drake is not tall enough to be in view here. The Allerton Hotel and Northwest University Law School in Streeterville are also visible here, which they wouldn't be today from the site, although they are still standing. Several of the mid-rise buildings in this photograph are no longer standing, in particular the large red-brick warehouse at the center mid-ground, to the right of the Playboy/Palmolive. This is where the NBC Tower now stands, just north of the river. Driving and DrinkingThis was indeed the Chevy sign. Pabst took it over. You can still make out the Chevy logo in the superstructure of the sign. The lower left hand corner of the "B" in Blue and the upper right hand corner of the N in "Ribbon" served as the edges of the classic Chevy "bowtie" logo. Going to ChicagoIt's interesting to think that Muddy Waters would have just arrived in Chicago when this photo was taken. Pabst signThe Pabst sign was next to Randolph Street Bridge; refer to the 1922 Zoning map that is available at the University of Chicago library site - the Illinois Central may very well have called the yard the 'Water Street Yard,' but Water Street moved to the South Side when Wacker Drive was created after 1924; the Pabst sign was located nearest the Randolph Street bridge and is the current location of the Prudential Building, not the Pritzker Pavillion. Warehouse full of booksI believe the red brick warehouse-like building on the right (east) of the photo survived into at least the 1980s, serving as the temporary home of the Chicago Public Library's main branch after it moved from what is now the Cultural Center (location of many shots in DePalma's "The Untouchables" and just out of camera range to the left) and before the opening of the Harold Washington Library Center. I used their manual typewriters and xerox machines to peck out and photocopy my resume. Why Boxcars are blue-flaggedThese boxcars are blue-flagged because they have both their doors open and gangplanks spanning the openings between cars on adjacent tracks. This is also why they are all 40-foot cars and are all lined up with each other. Less-than-Carload (LCL) freight is being handled here! This something that US railroads have discontinued; for decades, they haven't accepted any shipment less than one car load. As effective highway trucks were developed, they took this trade away from the RR's for obvious reasons. But, back in the 1940's, RR's would handle a single crate! This required sorting en route, which is what is being done here. There's a large shift of workers shuffling LCL from one car to another by way of the side platforms and the above-mentioned gangplanks. The LCL required local freight crews to handle this stuff into and out of the freight stations, and required station agents to get the cargo to and from customers, collect charges, etc. Very labor-intensive, yet somehow the trucking companies do it at a profit. From Pabst To Rolling Rock Beer "33"This photograph has also added another “answer” to the question: “What does the “33” on the label of a bottle of Rolling Rock Beer mean?” http://www.snopes.com/business/hidden/rolling.asp One person seeing this photograph concluded on a Rolling Rock Beer forum that the Rolling Rock "33" may have referenced the smoothness of blending “33 to 1.” http://toms.homeunix.net/toms/locFSA-OWIkodachromes/slides/blended33to1.... Makes you feel like a heroEven now, when I get a color transparency (2 1/4x2 1/4 or 4x5) and look at if for the first time, it is stunning. I can't imagine what it must have looked like to someone seeing it color for the first time ever! Sign BackgroundIf you look closely at the superstructure of the sign you can see the slogan "Blended 33 to 1" in the framework, which is seen far better in the nighttime shot Dave linked to. As to whether this would be considered animation I don't know, but a typical setup would be to light the Pabst Blue Ribbon sign, then switch to the "Blended" slogan, then light both. Don't know if that was done here. Those catwalksThe "down-the-throat" shot of those catwalks atop of the freight cars gives the viewer a good idea of what the brakeman had to deal with while setting the brakes. The uneveness of those platforms, even at a standstill, is enough to make the average person think twice about climbing up and traversing these planks. Before airbrakes became the norm, this had to be one of the most harrowing jobs a railroad worker had to face. And this would be on a nice calm day. With rain, wind or snow, even the most seasoned brakeman must've had second thoughts. Blue Flags?Mr. Leaman pointed out the blue flags were being displayed incorrectly by todays rules. But not being a train enthusiast, what did they indicate in the first place? Blue-FlaggedAny rolling stock or engine that is "blue-flagged" cannot be moved unless the person who placed the flag removes it. It's a safety rule, and for the protection of the workers, many of whom are between or under the cars. The iconic "Santa Fe" sign referred to in earlier posts is now on display at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL - not too far from Chicago and well worth the trip! http://www.irm.org The early brakeman's plightJKoehler, I read somewhere that a conductor remarked about brakemen in the days when cars used link-and-pin couplers, "If they still have their thumbs after three months, they must be really lazy!" Phantom Memory of a huge Chicago Phillips 66 Sign?For decades I’ve had a childhood memory of seeing a huge Phillips 66 sign atop the Chicago skyline, while driving with my family in the “wayback” of the family station wagon on the way to visit our grandparents in Iowa. We were coming from Michigan, and driving on Chicago streets because the still-under-construction Interstate Highway System still had gaps. (We were probably driving on/towards westbound US-30.) I remember being in awe of a big neon Phillips 66 sign receding in the distance as my dad drove west. It was a wide straight street, very busy. The sign had lots of neon motion, even in the daylight. This memory (if real), would have been somewhere between about 1963 - 1968. But am I mistaken? Did the Phillips 66 sign never exist, and could this Papst sign be the one I saw? (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Times Square: 1943
... to its appearance in photos. This is wartime and the neon signage is a sad subdued shadow of its peacetime glories. Admiral -- ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 1:35pm -

New York, March 1943. "Times Square on a rainy day." Medium-format nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. Color me grayThis would be fun to see in color: the brightness of the billboards and the taxis would really stand out against the steely cold damp drabness of everything else. Colorizing after the fact wouldn't quite capture the atmosphere, but maybe I'll try anyway. Unless someone else wants to...? Saludos Amigos en la Plaza del TiempoThe Globe Theater on the right has put up a lavish display for Walt Disney's "Saludos Amigos," a 42-minute feature cartoon that encouraged our wartime "Good Neighbor Policy" with South America. Here's the Disney lobby poster that the Globe copied for its building-high banner. March 1-17, 1943Well, the only way I can narrow down the date is to find out that the movie at the Globe changed beginning Thursday, March 18 (Saludos Amigos had its last showing on the 17th). Are there any other little hints in the picture to help date it? Blackout!Check out the blackout headlights on the taxicabs. My mother remembers those. Taxi!Those taxicabs look particularly strange, kinda like a 1930s front plastered on a 1940-ish body shell. And the coupelet back makes them even stranger! Any idea what they are? [Circa 1940 Checker Model A. - Dave] Mother & Father DuffyAt the far left, you can see the Father Duffy Statue. Here's the statue in 1944. The pretty woman in the middle is my mother. BeerSchaefer is the one beer to have...when you're having more than one! Now you know the rest of the jingleSchaefer is the one beer to have...when you're having more than one! Schaefer's pleasure doesn't fade even when your thirst is done. The most rewarding flavor in this man's world, for people who are having fun. Schaefer is the one beer to have when you're having more than one. I wonder how long it's been since that was on the airwaves... Stop n GoIs that one of the old-fashioned stoplights that only had red and green lenses? I would have thought those were all gone by 1943. BroadwayThis picture shows Seventh Avenue, which looks like it was a two way street then. Out of the photo, to the left, would be Broadway. Mayor Bloomberg has shut off any traffic between 47th and 42nd Streets on Broadway. It is now a mall, complete with folding chairs and is mobbed on the nicer days. GloomyIt makes me shiver just to see this photo. How gray and cold that rain must be. I also notice the "Buy War Bonds" sign on the Flatiron Building, and the WAAC sign. Is that a recruiting station or something? Also visible above the marquee is an Orpheum sign, presumably from the old Vaudeville days. A real step back into America's past. I wonder if it was Sunday, with so few people on the street. [That's not the Flatiron Building. Which is taller, and not on Times Square. - Dave] Laffmovie Here, a 5/15/43 NY Times entry about the theater to the right of the Astor. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9802EFDD103CE03ABC4D52DFB... Parts of the 42nd Street sister-theater mentioned in the article have been put to good use as the AMC Empire 25. http://cinematreasures.org/theater/255/ Depression That brilliant facade of the night, the signs that scream see this, drink this, buy this, are stripped of their promise by the harsh drab light of day. Across the street is the Orpheum. A gilded palace where baggy pant top bananas tell stale jokes and cheap B girls shimmy and strip to the cat calls and wolf whistles of the lonely and desperate. I pull up my collar against the wind and start across. My feet make pearlescent rings in the oil drenched street. It's a cold rain, but not enough rain to wash the dirt from this city. Depression is daylight, and rain and Times Square. Crossed StreetsPerhaps Mr. Mel has Bway and Seventh reversed. In the foreground Broadway is on the right -- a two-way avenue at the time, one-way going south when I moved here, no-way as of last month (pedestrians only). Seventh Avenue is out of view on our left. In the distance where the Times building is (with a V for "Victory" and War Bonds), the two cross and Broadway goes away down the canyon to the left and Seventh Avenue continues down the canyon to the right. WAAC = Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, soon changed to Women's Army Corps (the famous WACs of the WACs, WAVEs, WASPs, and SPARs). Re the Flatiron Building misidentifications, I myself got the Times tower confused with yet a third building in the Central 40s (still standing) in another Shorpy last week. It's too easy to get confused because with the ugly sheathing obscuring all the turn- of- the- century beauty, the Times tower shell we see today isn't recognizable to its appearance in photos. This is wartime and the neon signage is a sad subdued shadow of its peacetime glories. Admiral -- Canadian ClubNot only is that not the Flatiron, it's the building Times Square was named after -- the old New York Times headquarters. Known mainly for the past 60-odd years as the building that holds up the big billboards at the end of Times Square. It's encased almost entirely in signage. Now that's Times Square!Mysterious and alluring, rain or shine, night or day. Not the sterile, Disneyfied pedestrian mall that's closed off to traffic now. Red and GreenI'm not sure when New York replaced all the older two-color lights, but I can remember them still being around during my childhood in the mid- to late-1950's. As I recall, at one point they had them showing both red and green to mean "caution" in place of the yellow light. Some things never changeThe manhole covers look the same today. The potholes, too. Taxi grabThat shot of the Checker Model A taxi is a frame grab from the film Kiss of Death (1949). The one where Richard Widmark pushes the old lady in a wheelchair down the stairs. Trash basketsI love the wire trash cans. They're right out of a Looney Toons reel. Do these still exist? 47th StreetThis is looking south from 47th Street. The building on the right has been replaced by the W Hotel and the Marriott has replaced the building just south of that. This is where the TKTS booth is nowadays. And as a matter of fact, my office window (where I am sitting right now) is on the left -- just to the right of the letter A in "State". MasterpieceAlso visible is a billboard for "The Human Comedy," a superb movie, a bit maudlin now, but still a classic and well worth watching. Admiral-Canadian Club ReduxThat Admiral - Canadian Club stack of signs was at the north end of Times Square and not hung on the Times Tower on the south end. Notice that the Astor Hotel is on the left, or west, side of the Square. The Astor Theater was a favorite with my family, when we were in town just to see a movie, and not to go to the Paramount, Roxy or the Music Hall (or to the Center Theater for the ice show), all of which complemented their movies with stage musical and comedy shows, such as The Phil Spitalny All-Girl Orchestra featuring Evelyn and Her Magic Violin, Phil Silvers, and Danny Kaye. Wow! There were giants (managed by Bill Terry and Mel Ott) in NYC in Those Days! And weren't those funny-looking cabs DeSotos? [The ones in this photo are Checkers. - Dave] Movie schedule"The Human Comedy" opened at the Astor Tuesday, March 2 so that eliminates one day. The Lonely CrowdI love the complete anonymity of the few people in this photo. You can't see their faces. They could be anyone, lost somewhere in the sprawling metropolis. Horn and HardartThe building just to the right of the Globe Theater (partially shown) is Horn and Hardart Automat. If this is 1943 it may not have been the Automat yet, as I didn't get to New York until 1947, at age 15, but by then it certainly was the Automat as I was in it a lot. Coming from Boston and all alone I was a scared kid to be in middle of Times Square. The Palace theater was across the street showing "The Spiral Staircase." I believe to the right of the Astor was the Victoria Theater, probably yet to be where the Laff Movie seems to be in 1943. I think the Globe was later to be the Times Square Theater or something like that. I remember seeing "An American in Paris" there around 1953. Times bldg. & Flatiron bldg.Sorry, Dave, but according to emporis.com Times is taller than Flatiron (110.64 m vs. 86.87 m). Funny thing is that I too misidentificated these two buildings before I started read more about Manhattan skyscrapers. Now I'm old NYC highrise fan and I love your site. [Maybe you're still a bit confused. The Times building is behind the "Buy War Bonds" building, which is just 16 stories tall. - Dave] The 1943 Father Duffy area in 2009As of 2009, the large Celtic looking stone cross to the left in the 1943 pic is now directly at the bottom of the steps of the TKTS booth in Times Square. The other side of the cross has the statue of Father Duffy so the 1943 pic is facing south. I think that spot is still called, Duffy Square? Interesting how the subway entrance used to be in what is now pavement in the middle of the two streets. Here's an example to compare it to. "Times Square: 1943" http://www.nytix.com/repository/broadway/TKTS/times-square-steps1.gif And the ladies under the Father Duffy pic in 1944. "Mother & Father Duffy" http://gothamist.com/attachments/jen/2008_10_tkt18.jpg +66Here is the view from the identical location and angle from August of 2009. As Azelzion noted, the Horn and Hardart Automat is visible on the right of the original photo (my father told me that the one time he visited New York City was when he was in the Marines in the early 1950's and had Thanksgiving dinner at that automat). The Grand Slam souvenir shop now occupies that site. I believe it is the same structure but under a new facade (no traces of the automat can be seen inside, either). The Globe Theater, which also has an "Orpheum" sign, next door to the automat was replaced by a Howard Johnson's restaurant in 1955 and was a Times Square landmark until it closed in July of 2005 (I was fortunate to have had lunch in the aged but still charming restaurant in November of 2004). The site is currently undergoing construction of a new building to house a retail store. WAAC BoothHere's a closer view of the WAAC booth with my Mom and her friends. Taken the same day as the pic below with Father Duffy. Locus of creativityThis wonderful image adds another dimension to the descriptive work from that era left to us by Kerouac; it is the Times Square of Edie Parker, Huncke, Lucien Carr, Burroughs, Ginsberg, and late-night camaraderies that inspired some of the best writing of that generation. Almost exact location, 11 years laterAbout 11 years later, my grandfather took a picture on a very similar, rainy day. He was about half a block farther south, and little bit to the left. One thing that surprises me is that the first movie theater just south of 46th has a Planters ad over the marquee, and not an ad for what's showing, like in the 1954 image. Other little changes, like light poles are different, no WAAC globe in 54, and many more pigeons! In Living ColorA large full colorized version can be found here. More on the Checker Model A here. About that traffic lightA couple commenters noticed the traffic light with only red and green; New York City didn't start using red-amber-green until the early 50's, and the transition took about 40 years to complete. I remember seeing some red-green signals still hanging on here and there in the city through the 70s. The other interesting thing about this particular light is that you can see here that the lenses are masked for war-time darkening. There is only a very small cross of light visible for each indication, rather than the whole 8"-wide ball that would normally be visible. I find it amazing that anyone could see these signals darkened like that. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, NYC)
Market Street: 1957
... Great pic, brings back great memories. Market Street neon Thanks for posting all the wonderful vintage SF street scenes. --Randall and Al, San Francisco Neon, neonbook.xyz (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery) ... 
 
Posted by Rute Boye - 08/19/2012 - 6:19pm -

Looking east on Market Street in San Francisco from the Old Federal Office Building. Note the electric buses. This is quite a bustling scene, but I wonder if the poor pedestrians caught in the center island ever made it all the way across the street. 35mm Anscochrome. View full size. How many rememberPhotostat Copies While You Wait ? "Fulton"UN Plaza didn't exist in 1957, so Fulton St still intersected Market west of 7th St (which hadn't yet been extended NW across Market St). Comparing with todayFirst thing I noticed was the street sign saying Fulton. Fulton runs east-west a few blocks north. What the sign calls Fulton is actually seventh street. The Odd Fellow Hall is still there and active. The Merrills Drug sign is still there in the Google Street View photo, but it seems to have succumbed in the past few years. The Federal Hotel is now the Alda Hotel, and the green Alda Hotel sign is an obvious re-purposing of the original. The United Artists theatre is now the Market Street Cinema, featuring a "Live Nude Show." Rainbow Pizza in the Alda Building is good for a very large slice of Thin Crust New York style pizza. I remember this from a day riding the antique Trolleys. I love those PCC cars to this day. On the corner of Market and Seventh, the "Grant Building still stands. Across the street, the building that now houses the Renoir Hotel is visible, but the sign indicating what it was called back then is lost of a large mess of signage. Very little else is visible and there is new construction, in the form of a donut world on the corner of Market and Seventh. All in all, a great look at past vs present. I miss SF. Waiting for the streetcar This is Market Street at Seventh -- today it's pretty rundown. The pedestrians standing on the median strip are probably waiting for the green streetcar that is approaching. In later years they added a metal railing to keep commuters from being run over by traffic. I lived in SF for 31 years, from 1980 to 2011 ... now I'm a suburban VA resident outside DC. Not stranded, but waitingI love this photo, especially with the Ferry Building at the end for context. Those electronic buses still run on Market, along with other historic streetcars. The center island is actually the F-Market streetcar stop. ["Electronic" buses! Transistors or vacuum tubes? - Dave] Locker ClubsHunters Point Naval Shipyard, Naval Station Treasure Island, NAS Alameda were all near enough to provide clients for the Locker Club. Locker ClubNot sure how close this scene is to a base but it is interesting to see the 24 hour locker facility on the left side. Up until the late 1960's sailors leaving or returning to their base had to be in uniform. Locker clubs sprung up outside the bases where the sailors could change to civvies before going on the town and then change back upon returning. Market Street MemoriesI was lucky enough to be an eight year old in San Francisco in 1953. The Emporium, Woolworth at the corner of Market and Powell, and taking a cable car from our apartment on Taylor Street to school six blocks away are memories that will last forever. Great photo, thanks! More MemoriesHey, Bob401: remember the rooftop carnival on top of the Emporium? I was 7 then; I might have been on the train with you. (Not my photo, but the only one I've come across.) Trolley busesThere seems to be some confusion about the two buses vs. the trolley. All are electrically-powered via overhead wires. Market St. and pedestriansYup, those guys are just waiting for the streetcar. Still, Market St. jaywalkers abounded then and abound now. It was enough of a problem at the Emporium (the building with the red script "E" in the middle distance), that a police car would often be parked nearby in those days. And the cop on his car's speaker would say things like, "Will the lady in the green coat go back and cross with the green light?" It was worse.The modern view by GFrank52 shows 4 sets of trackless trolley or trolley bus wires. But, before 1947 when there were 4 streetcar tracks, they were too close together to stand between the tracks to wait for a Market St. Rwy. car. (The newer competing Municipal Rwy. of S.F. had the outside tracks.) So the older company advised prospective passengers to signal the motorman if you wished to ride an Inside Track car and he would wait until it was safe to cross the other track to board. The Library of Congress has a 1906 movie showing this setup on an older 4 track section much closer to the Ferry terminal. Tx for the memory!I explored Market St from 7 to 20; what great memories you bring back. Q, the movie at the United Artists appears to be Run Silent Run Deep, which supposedly was released in early 1958. OTOH, there were such things as sneak previews, though they would not usually be advertised so well; they were supposed to be sneaky. Behind the United Artists sign, you can see the sign for the Centre theatre. Absolutely full of fleas, we picked them up every time we went there, but we and a thousand other kids went there once a week anyway, for the old serials from the 1930s and 1940s. A fleabag for truly dedicated film aficionados. Locker Club Part DeuxNavy (land) bases in the 60's generally allowed sailors to enter or exit their duty stations in civvies however there was generally no room aboard ship for this luxury. Seventh StreetMy Father was employed at Commercial Metals Company located at 650 Seventh Street at the time the photo was taken. The Fosters Cafeteria at the corner of Seventh and Market, who's sign is visible just above the front of the bus on the right, had great rice pudding. Before North Seventh StreetOn the left past the Locker Club is the Greyhound sign, with an arrow directed towards the Greyhound Bus Depot, which was located on Seventh Street in the block just south of the Oddfellows Building. In the early 1970s, Seventh Street was extended one block north of its prior endpoint at Market Street, to its current terminus at McAllister. This was at the time of the creation of United Nations Plaza, and the closing of two blocks on Fulton Street. All the buildings on the north side of Market from Fulton to a point just past the Greyhound sign were demolished for the creation of United Nations Plaza, extension of 7th Avenue, and the construction of the BART/Muni Civic Center Station. I worked for around 15 years in the building at the corner of 7th and McAllister, where I had a fine view of the former Hibernia Bank headquarters branch at Jones & McAllister. The building housing my office was one of only two original buildings in the former block from McAllister west of 7th to Leavenworth, and on Leavenworth south to Fulton, which survived. The City I remember!We lived across the bay in Richmond, but came to The City to shop and go to movies (Fox Theater!). My father was born in SF, in the same room where his mother had been born. Little did I know in the '50s and '60s that I would one day live in SF, and work in the Ferry Building! Great pic, brings back great memories. Market Street neonThanks for posting all the wonderful vintage SF street scenes. --Randall and Al, San Francisco Neon, neonbook.xyz (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Andy's Cafe: 1941
... Hotel and Restaurant across the street. The Stockman's neon blade sign says, 26 & N Street. The 1940 Omaha directory lists Andy's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/11/2023 - 4:31pm -

September 1941. "Stockmen's and farmers' and truckers' hotel near Union Stockyards. South Omaha, Nebraska." Acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the FSA. View full size. Where our customers must be satisfiedAndy's Cafe makes quite a promise. I assume he was trying to draw customers out of the Stockman's Hotel and Restaurant across the street. The Stockman's neon blade sign says, 26 & N Street. The 1940 Omaha directory lists Andy's cafe at 2524 N Street, and Gross Lumber & Wrecking at 2522 (you can see the numbers in the photo) N Street. Here is an Earth view of that intersection today. The heart is where I believe Andy's was, since the trolly tracks turn to the right (towards downtown). Click to embiggen All gone now ...This appears to be the intersection of South 26th Street and N Street, in an area that seems to have been demolished to make way for the JFK Expressway, Interstate 75. Interestingly, Shorpy favorite John Vachon seems to have taken a picture of this place in November 1938. Czech influenceFrank Pivonka - the name on the very top of the building in the center-back, had a saloon on Seventh and Jones street. He was the first Czech to settle there. He was born January 19, 1840, and built the Pivonka Block. He’s maybe this guy https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/61824231/frank-frederick-pivonka. The Last RoundupSurviving for a surprisingly long time, the area received some sympathetic coverage at the end. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, M.P. Wolcott, Omaha)
Hollywood & Vine: 1963
... from the author of course) is the Econolite exposed tube neon pedestrian signal. Installed from the mid fifties to the late sixties, ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 06/24/2009 - 5:04pm -

August 1963. Here I am at world famous Hollywood & Vine, or in this case, Don't Walk & Vine. Hint: I'm not the one in the green skirt and heels. View full size. Great!These are wonderful. Please post more! More recent photosYes, I would also like to see more photos from the '50s & '60s. I like the old stuff but it's nice to revisit scenes of our youth too. For more recent photos...... check out the Member Blog. I notice the stuff there doesn't get as high a hit count, so maybe some people are overlooking it. Been a bunch of great color slides posted recently. Auntie MameIs that Auntie Mame at the theater across the street ? Please, Sir, can I have some more?When I was in L.A. in the early 90's it didn't look as pretty as this. Awesome 1959 Ford station wagon driving with the back window open (you'd get a ticket for that today). The lady with the matching shoes & handbag has got great style, you should've gotten her number. What type of camera and film were used for this great shot? As I've been trying to get this exact 'period' kind-of look... CoffeeI noticed the Farmers Brothers logo on the wagon. In the 70's - 90's when I was in the coffee business, Farmer Brothers stood for the cheapest crappiest coffee one could buy and always competed for the business on lowest price, regardless. I had always wondered if there was a time when it was good. Maybe 1963 was it? Green Skirt and HeelsWell it's too bad you're not the one in the green skirt and heels - how incredibly chic she looks - especially with the contrast of the old ladies on the right. Nonetheless, you're still a looker! Period kind of look photosThis was shot with the Kodak Retinette 1A that I got in late 1962. The slide film was something Montgomery Ward marketed under their brand name. Not sure who actually manufactured it, but either due to its inherent characteristics or the Ward processing service, most of it has acquired a drab yellowish tint that's been corrected out here. Unless it was Kodachome, most vintage color film is going to present problems today. Kodacolor negatives pre-1953 have faded to uselessness, and the prints yellow. Ektachrome only got stable around 1962. You ought to see what my Hudson shot really looks like, or me hanging from the tree. All purple. I can generally correct most of it out, and then the skilled technicians at Shorpy Labs apply their expertise to the final product. Most Excellent!Thanks for posting. I wish I could jump right in that photo and live out the rest of my life! Cheers. MoviesOn the bill at the theater across the street are "Auntie Mame" with Rosalind Russell (the good version) and "The Day They Robbed The Bank Of England" starring Peter O'Toole and Elizabeth Sellars (and Aldo Ray, although his name isn't on the marquee). "Auntie Mame" came out in December 1958 and "The Day They Robbed The Bank Of England" in September 1960, so that is definitely not one of the higher end theaters in Hollywood. Comments by JM Berry "In the 70's - 90's when I was in the coffee business, Farmer Brothers stood for the cheapest crappiest coffee one could buy and always competed for the business on lowest price, regardless. I had always wondered if there was a time when it was good. Maybe 1963 was it?" Excuse me, but who did you work for and please state why you are such an expert on coffee? [I would imagine that being in the coffee business and having drunk a lot of awful Farmer Bros. coffee qualifies J.M. as an authority on the subject. And yes, Farmer Brothers coffee is bad. Really bad. - Dave] Blistered tourist?I wonder if the grandmotherly-type lady in the stripes has worn a blister onto her heel with a Hollywood walking tour. It appears that she may be protecting her skin with a Band-Aid where her shoe was rubbing. Oh, and are you by Fred Waring's star? (My parents loved him...they vacation near his Pennsylvania home each fall.) Farmer Brothers CoffeeMy neighbor across the street drives a Farmer Brothers Coffee truck. Wonder if it's still bad, or if he thinks so? Fred WaringGlad to see that there are still people out there that remember Fred Waring. I was a member of the Pennsylvanians in the 1970s, and spent many wonderful years in the Poconos, specifically at FW's headquarters in Delaware Water Gap, Penn., and at his Shawnee-on-Delaware, Penn., home. By the way--Fred is one of only a handful of performers to have 3 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is recognized for his work in radio, television and recordings, and one of his stars is right on the corner of Hollywood and Vine, right next to the special star placed there for the Apollo 11 astronauts. If your parents have Internet access, they might want to visit the Fred Waring's America web site. The special collection of all things Waring is housed at Penn State University. Just type in "Fred Waring's America" on Yahoo! or Google and take it from there. The site has CDs for sale of many of the classic Waring recordings. Pete Misiak That girl in the green skirtThat girl in the green skirt has a striking profile resemblance to Jennifer Tilly, one of my favorite character actresses. At least, I trust it's her acting skills that provide the character part. Otherwise, I'm keeping my distance. Comments by JM Berry re. FB coffee You have no clue as to what you are saying. The best coffees in the world can taste like crap if the brewing cycle/temp/water quality, etc. are not correct. To make a statement such as yours just shows your lack of knowledge about coffee, period. [Sounds like it might be time for someone to switch to decaf. - Dave] Don't Walk indeedGreat pic. I love seeing the old traffic equipment in these photos. In this case the star (aside from the author of course) is the Econolite exposed tube neon pedestrian signal. Installed from the mid fifties to the late sixties, they stayed in service in many parts of California until just recently. Fred WaringI remember Mr. Waring clearly. I shook his hand (after going through his band "bodyguards") at a concert in Concord, New Hampshire. I last spoke with him as my father and I came off the ninth hole at his golf course at Shawnee on the Delaware. He had a table set up with a single rose in a vase. He was cheerful, and happy to watch the golfers putting out. He died not long after that. Fred Waring was a class act, from what I could perceive looking in from the outside. He brought us beauty and pride in our country. May his tribe increase, and his memory persist. Pastor Tom Fowler Told ya!Remember how I said my parents were fans of Fred Waring? Well, "Pastor Tom" is my dad! I had no idea he'd met Fred Waring on two different occasions ... to think I learned of that on Shorpy! Oh, and to Mr. Misiak, thanks for the heads-up on the Waring sites. It must have been a blast to so fun to tour with Fred Waring & the Pennsylvanians! (Just read your bio on WJR.com, and you've had a fascinating career so far!) Shorpy rocks. When does Shorpy get a star on Hollywood & Vine? Me tooJust to bring this full circle, I, the Hollywood & Vine striped shirt person, remember watching Fred Waring on TV in the early 1950s, too. I also recall being astonished to find out that he was the Waring of the Waring Blendor. Waring BlendorI was aware that Fred Waring was involved with the Waring Blendor, not as the inventor but as the principal investor and the manufacturer. I have to wonder if he made more money out of the Blendor than he did from the music business. Kiss my CoffeeNot to jump into the coffee fray, but seriously: If a specific coffee has to be handled with kid gloves, kissed, massaged, and lastly, blessed by the Pope in order to be palatable, it ain't good coffee. My Favorite FarkThe flashing "Dork" sign. Photoshop & VineThe ultimate accolade. Your photo has been Farked. What a great sport!You rock, tterrace. Not only have we enjoyed your photos, on Shorpy and elsewhere, but now we can enjoy what those scamps over at Fark can do TO your pictures! Oh, and according to the homepage, it looks like the Fark gang are tackling these boaters. DORK!!I really enjoy navigating these photos. It reminds me of happier times. The "Dork" photo made my day! Keep up the great posts, tterrace!! Fellow DorkI had the twin of that shirt in 1963! When I first saw the photo I thought "Hey, did somebody snap my picture one day while I was standing at Hollywood and Vine?" Then I realized that, no, the guy in the photo is way too beefy and well-muscled to have been me. Thanks for the reminder of how scrawny I was at 18! (Or maybe I was there when the photo was taken, but I'm hidden behind one of the poles?) L.A. WomanA nice Asian girl but maybe a little old for you. She looks so much like my mother. Who was quite a hottie back in the day! Girl in the Green SkirtI mentioned the girl in the green skirt down in the comments below somewhere. But I forgot to ask...do you recall noticing her after all these years? We're about the same age, and I'll admit to having not just a few standout moments where a fine-looking female captured my full attention at a particular moment, and inexplicably every so often pops into a pleasant daydream of days gone by. You do have the advantage of an actual photo to stimulate the memory. But I have the advantage of going on pure memory which can be altered to great effect over the years. Like they say, the older I get, the better I used to be. +51Approximately the same view in 2014. (ShorpyBlog, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Farked, tterrapix)
D-Day: New York
... sign on top of the Sky-View Cab Company. It looks like neon. I was watching an old movie from the forties (?) on TCM and I noticed ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/06/2013 - 10:25am -

New York, June 6, 1944. ALLIED ARMIES LAND ON COAST OF FRANCE. GREAT INVASION OF CONTINENT BEGINS. "D-Day. Crowd watching the news line on the New York Times building at Times Square." Photo by Howard Hollem or Edward Meyer for the Office of War Information. View full size. Unidentified ObjectDoes anyone know what the curved metal object with letters on it is? It appears to be on top of a car on the right. [DeSoto "Sky View" taxicab sign. - Dave] Internet, 1944is what this could have been titled. The scrolling electric sign was as good as it got then, and I am sure those folks were fairly amazed to see it. I wonder what it took to program it? My great-uncle went in at D Day +60 (August 7) as a replacement in the 2nd Infantry Division (L Company, 23rd Infantry Regiment); he was seriously wounded at Brest, France, a month later, died in 1956...and I was named for him. That was never far from my mind when I served in Iraq in 2004 at the same age he was when he earned his Purple Heart and (I believe) a Bronze Star. To all those who went in on D-Day...and throughout WWII, I stand and salute. So what about that moving sign?According to various sources the NY Times installed the first moving "news ticker" in 1928, using 14,800 electric bulbs. Given the technology of the day, I can only guess that each bulb required a relay, which would have to click on and off almost instantly to momentarily light its bulb, as the text scrolls along. This must have been a maintenance challenge (there seems to be a few extra bulbs lit, and some brighter ones that may just have been replaced). They may have used or even invented the "matrix" technique still used today for LCD displays, which uses "crosspoint" wiring to greatly reduce the number of lines going from the elements to the control system, but my mind still boggles at the number of wires remaining, and what kind of electro-mechanical system translated "operator input" to the streaming text. If only Shorpy's world-wide readership included a retired electro-mechanical sign technician! Just the technology of the news line was something...Before zooming in to see the image full size, on first glance the guy on the left and the guy 2nd from the right were in a posture not to different than someone holding a cellphone to the ear. Of course it's clear they were dragging on fags, sucking on coffin nails, drawing down on Pall Malls while taking in the portentous news. As someone not born until 12 years after the war was over - I am fascinated by what day to day life in the US was like, mobilized for war. Of course I grew up knowing it was a success, but at that very moment, who knew how this was going to work out - the intensity of the moment, even for folks in the street in Times Square, must have been incredible. Pausing to rememberMy brother landed D-Day plus 12 and my uncle D-Day plus 20. They were lucky, I guess, and returned to us to live out long lives. Great photo. Really profound. 6-6-44Yet to be born, a twinkle in my father's eye as he dropped from the sky into Caen with the Canadians early that morning. RIP Dad. 23,740 days later Kind of Gladwe can't see many faces in the crowd. We'd have to start wondering what they were thinking -- Is my son there? My dad? My husband? My brother? Funny but I cannot summon up any memory of D-Day. VE and VJ Days, and the dropping of the two A-bombs are sharp and clear, but not D-Day. I think perhaps that it might relate to what happened in early May. I was out riding my trike when a Western Union messenger rode up on his bike and went into the three-family apartment in which I lived. I heard a terrible scream through the open windows of the first-floor unit. All the neighbors (women since the men were in the military or working) flocked to the apartment with screams continuing for some time. I learned that the woman's son had been killed in action. I did not totally understand the horror, but I was sad because the young man had been very nice to the punk kid airplane nut from the third floor, even letting me hold his model planes. The first-floor family were an elderly couple, with the one child, who had become a fighter pilot in the Pacific. The husband walked with heavy braces and crutches, and, as I later learned, they just quit and gave up life. They moved within days and we never heard from them again. I think that I was in a bit of a void for a while. Walking to churchOn January 6, 1944, I was 6 years old in Fort Smith, Arkansas, part of a young generation which at the time had no knowledge of a condition known as peace. On that day, my mother received a phone call from a fellow church member who was calling everyone in the congregation to say that the invasion was under way. This was the signal to come to the church to pray. Our family; mother, father and two boys walked to the church to pray for the safety and success of our "American Boys" on that day. DeSoto Sky ViewThose great old DeSoto cabs had a sliding roof panel to let passengers see the views above them while being carried through the Manhattan canyons. The skyscraper with the clock housed the Paramount Theatre, a wonderful place to visit for a movie and a live stage show. I saw Phil Spitalny and his "All-Girl Orchestra featuring Evelyn and her Magic Violin" there with my family. The movie was "Miss Susie Slagle's," starring Veronica Lake and Sonny Tufts. Bright Lights, Big SignRadio CoverageThe National Archives in College Park, Maryland has recordings of the entire NBC and CBS broadcast day from D-Day and anyone can go in and listen to them. It's a very good way to get a sense of what the day was like for people at home listening on the radio as events unfolded. News ZipperFrom a 2005 NYT article on the Zipper: The Motograph News Bulletin, to use its original formal name, began operation on Nov. 6, 1928, election night, as a band of 14,800 light bulbs that extended 380 feet long and 5 feet high around the fourth floor of what was then the Times Tower. It was installed for The New York Times by Frank C. Reilly, according to an article in The Times, which identified Mr. Reilly as the inventor of electric signs with moving letters. Inside the control room, three cables poured energy into transformers. The hookup to all the bulbs totaled 88,000 soldered connections. Messages from a ticker came to a desk beside a cabinet like the case that contained type used by old-time compositors. The cabinet contained thin slabs called letter elements. An operator composed the message, letter by letter, in a frame. The frame, when filled with the letters and spaces that spelled out a news item, was inserted in a magazine at one end of a track. A chain conveyor moved the track, and each letter in the frame brushed a number of electrical contacts. Each contact set a light flashing on Broadway. There were more than 39,000 brushes, which had to undergo maintenance each month. The frame with the letter elements passed up and overhead, forming an endless circuit. Mr. Reilly calculated that there were 261,925,664 flashes an hour. D-DayJune 6, 1944, I was 16 years old and in Basic Training with the the US Maritime Service at Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Many of us teenagers had close relatives in the military and wished we were there with them to fight the Axis. A month later, I was in a North Atlantic convoy assigned to a 20 mm anti-aircraft gun hoping that a Nazi plane would dare to fly over. "I'd show 'em." Of course I didn't tell this to my shipmates. skyview cabI believe this is the light-up sign on top of the Sky-View Cab Company. It looks like neon. I was watching an old movie from the forties (?) on TCM and I noticed these cabs. They had a sunroof cut into the roof of the cab so the passengers in the back seat could look up and see the buildings. I can't remember the movie, but the plot involved the passenger looking up and seeing something relevant to the story line. It must have been a gimmick for the cab company. It also must have been one of the early sunroofs in a car! More SkyviewThe Skyview NYC Taxicab that the tipster may have seen on TCM was in the musical "Anchors Aweigh". The scene where Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly are Standing up and looking out at the city in Betty Garrett's Skyview cab. Those DeSoto Skyview Cabs were sold exclusively through James Waters Chrysler Agency in Long Island City, Queens. The price for a new one was about $1100. I once heard a story that he was Walter Chrysler's Son-in-Law but I can't confirm it. The Skyview cabs were all over the placewhen I lived in NYC from 1941 - 44. They were stretched DeSotos with a couple of fold-up seats and the roof had glass so that one could see the tall buildings. There was also a radio built into the armrest on the right. The driver turned it on and the passenger controlled the rest. I had many rides in those cabs. Hovercraft at D-Day@sjack: I don't mean to rain on your parade, and I certainly don't wish to denigrate the memory of your father and his courageous service to our nation in World War II, but I'm quite sure he didn't lower tanks onto hovercraft for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. The US Army did not make use of hovercraft until Viet Nam, and then it was only on an experimental basis. As your comment is titled, memories are funny sometimes. Perhaps your dad talked about loading tanks onto landing craft, not hovercraft, like the LST (landing ship tank) or smaller versions like the LCU (landing craft utility), which were flat-hulled vessels that could approach fairly close to the beach and lower a ramp on the bow, allowing troops and vehicles to exit. The Bronx is up but the Battery's down"New York, New York, A Helluva Town" was sung in the Broadway "On the Town" but for the film changed to "New York, New York, A Wonderful Town" because of those archaic Hollywood codes at that time. Los Angeles may have our Dodgers but they don't have our songs or our Skyview Cabs. RememberingDuring my early teen's in the 1950's I was invited along on several fishing trips with 3 WWII veterans. One had been an Army Ranger, one a sailor who had been on the Murmansk Run, and the third a paratrooper. You can imagine the banter among those guys. The Ranger was in the D-Day invasion and had been wounded in the buttocks. The Navy vet always asked him how he could have sustained that injury advancing from the beach. Curiously, the paratrooper never spoke any particulars of his service. They're gone now, but I remember them being nice to this kid. Thanks guys. UnawareJune 6, 1944 - I was happily gestating in my mother's womb and would be born during the Battle of the Bulge (no relation to mom's condition). My dad, drafted in 1940 into the 7th Cavalry (yes, Custer's old outfit) had been converted into armor and was preparing to sail overseas to a place called Leyte Gulf in the Philippines where he would be wounded and spend the rest of the war, plus another year, in Letterman Hospital in S.F. Until his death in 1996 he could remember most of his company's buddies names and the names of their horses. More on radio coverageThe NBC and CBS D-Day broadcasts are available at the Internet Archive. NBC: http://archive.org/details/NBCCompleteBroadcastDDay CBS: http://archive.org/details/Complete_Broadcast_Day_D-Day That woundHow your Ranger probably caught that one: We were taught in training that buttocks wounds were very common; moving forward under fire without decent cover, one crawls. It is most difficult to accomplish this without making your buttocks the highest point of your body! Let us never forget the men of D-Day.An awful lot of them gave up their tomorrows so we could enjoy our todays. 'On The Town'Is the movie 'Mr. Mel' is thinking of; 'Anchors Aweigh' is set in Hollywood. Right Stars, wrong movie. 'Lest We Forget'A line from Ford's 'She wore a Yellow Ribbon' that fits this day so well. Odd TriviaThere are a couple of boats trading on the Great Lakes today that were at the Normandy invasion. One still carries the battle ribbons with stars on her bridge wings. One other point is that the Times building was of very attractive design before it was covered up with billboards. Communiqué No. 1I followed the NBC link provided by hlupak604 and listened to some of the radio coverage and heard, more than once, the short text of Communiqué No. 1 from Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force, which appears to form the basis for the scrolling text on the news zipper. It runs as follows: "Under the command of General Eisenhower, allied naval forces, supported by strong air forces, began landing allied armies this morning on the northern coast of France." Thanks! Uncle SamMy uncle Sam (no pun intended) landed at Omaha Beach, and immediately sustained an injury to his head. He was fitted with a metal plate to replace the part of his skull that he lost. Needless to say, his fighting days were over. However, he went on to be become an accomplished auto mechanic. Family, friends, and neighbors all asked him for automotive advice. He passed away last year at the age of 90. Thanks, Uncle Sam! - because of your sacrifices, I am free today to write this. Yeah, I remember.Although we didn't know it at the time, my brother was in the sand of Utah Beach just then. He survived the war. I remember vividly the headlines in The Detroit Times that afternoon, "WE WIN BEACHES". Due to the time difference, of course, there was plenty of fresh news of the invasion in the afternoon paper. I've been a news junkie since. May we never forgethow brave these men were. My uncle fought in Okinawa in 1945, unfortunately he never made it out alive. I still have the last letter he wrote to his "beloved mama", what a sweet soul he was. Bless them one and all. Memories are funny sometimesMy father was on a supply ship in the English Channel on D Day, lowering tanks into hovercraft that were being sent to French beach heads. Many, many, times I tried to discuss his experiences that day but he never really had much to say. He said that on D Day he was "on the water" (in the Channel) and they were pretty much working constantly getting the tanks loaded and shipped. They slept whenever they could he said. He landed at Utah beach (but didn't say when) and moved up the coast doing whatever was asked (he was in a supply unit) until he got to Belgium. And that was pretty much all I got out of him. His shared memories of the battle of the Bulge were even more meager ("it was very cold"). I'm jealous of people whose fathers discussed their war experiences; mine just didn't seem to want to share. Cold for JuneI realize most people dressed up in public back then, but most of the women in the photo are wearing overcoats. It must have been cold in New York that June day in 1944. Hovercraft tanks, sort ofOne of many unique innovations for the D Day invasion was the "Duplex Drive" tank, essentially a standard Sherman tank which was fitted with an inflatable, collapsible canvas screen and twin screw props which would enable the tank to float like a boat and wade ashore. Unfortunately, the contraption worked best in calm water, something that was in short supply off the Normandy coast that day. I remember a buddy of mine whose dad had served with the US Navy at the invasion re-telling his dad's stories of the DD tanks being dropped off in deeper, rough water due to enemy fire and sinking like rocks. Fortunately enough of the tanks were able to make it on shore to provide badly needed armor support for the ground troops, and the tanks were deemed successful enough to serve in the invasion of Southern France two months later, as well as during numerous river crossing operations during the remainder of 1944 and 1945. Good article with photos of the tanks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DD_tank Full messageI believe the full message read: "ALLIES LAND ON NORTHERN COAST OF FRANCE UNDER STRONG AIR COVER" (The Gallery, Howard Hollem, NYC, WW2)
The Invention: 1928
... video display, its 48-pixel-square grid composed of small neon lamps. Washington, D.C., in 1928. "NO CAPTION" is the caption for ... over this system (closed circuit) in 1928. Those are neon tubes on display and the scanning wheel can be seen in the background It ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/14/2013 - 5:41pm -

JoeH has identified the mystery man as Washington inventor and television pioneer Charles Francis Jenkins (1867-1934), pictured here with what might be considered an early flat-panel video display, its 48-pixel-square grid composed of small neon lamps. Washington, D.C., in 1928. "NO CAPTION" is the caption for this one; again we turn to the crowd-source wisdom of the Shorpy masses to inquire: What the heck is it? (Close-up here.) Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Before his timeHe has invented a wall light. To test the idea he has used flashlight bulbs, but he will substitute LEDs when they become available. Pest controlA multi-moth trap A TV PioneerLooks like Charles Francis Jenkins, a television pioneer. Early prototypeWorld's first and largest Lite-Brite? Patent 1984683Maybe a modification of this. It still existsOr one of its cousins. Much more info on this here. Close-upOf the individual "pixels." Invention ideaIt would seem that it's a light of some sort, based off all the wires going into the back. Perhaps this is the watershed work that gave us animated signs, like the ones banks use to show the time and temperature. Matrix DisplayAncestor to the LED signs you see everywhere. The first ones were done with light bulbs. This may be an early attempt to display video. Paleo-Jumbotron.Perhaps a demo model of the tickertape news banner on the Flatiron Building? Bell Labs Experimental TVI believe this is an early experimental TV system developed by Bell Labs. Herbert Hoover was the first President to have his image transmitted over this system (closed circuit) in 1928. Those are neon tubes on display and the scanning wheel can be seen in the background It is also described as a flying spot scanner system using mechanics rather than electronics that would be developed ten years later. PrototypeLarge economy sized 'Battleship' game? A choice of slow or dim.Lacking any other devices, early attempts at displaying moving images relied upon incandescent bulbs or neon lamps in a matrix, as in this picture. They were essentially useless for displaying moving pictures; those employing incandescent lamps were extremely slow, because of the thermal inertia of the filaments, whilst those using neons were very fast, but also very dim. Large advertising signs using incandescent lamps, for displaying script, or slow-moving images, worked well enough, as we all know. [According to one of the links below, a similar display was a grid of anodes comprising 2,500 specially designed neon lamps. - Dave] Radiomovies, Radiovision TelevisionC. Francis Jenkins self-published a thin book with the above name. The copyright is 1929. He called over-the-air transmissions Radiovision. Television was by wire ... related to the telephone. His lab was over the Riggs Bank at Dupont Circle, DC, for a while. In the book, he has an honor roll of pioneers who received his broadcast images. One of them is G.E. Sterling, who later went on the be Chief Engineer of the FCC and finally an FCC Commissioner. But that was 50 years ago, back when the FCC had a commissioner with engineering knowledge. I recall that Dr. Jenkins had a patent on paper cups which brought in enough money that he could afford to dabble with technical things. The Smithsonian used to have a display of some of his TV equipment. Not yet the telephonoscopeThe French illustrator and writer Albert Robida explored the social advantages and disadvantages of the Telephonoscope in the 1890s in his book 'La Vie Electrique.' Sometimes it takes inventions an awful long time to come to fruition. Important Anniversary for C. F. JenkinsThe 85th anniversary of the debut of Jenkins' regularly-scheduled RadioMovies broadcasts (Friday, July 6th, 1928) is approaching. Download a PDF file explaining how Jenkins' TV contraption worked here. Read real press coverage of Jenkins from that era here. Thanks, Shorpites!I only knew about Baird, Farnsworth & Zworkin. This is TV and I love TV. (Technology, The Gallery, Harris + Ewing, TV)
Dog Funeral: 1921
... element. We used to name them too, but when you have 90 neon Tetras, the attrition rate is just too great to keep up! Touch a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/12/2009 - 11:47am -

October 7, 1921. "Dog funeral." Aspen Hill Cemetery, final resting place for one Boots Snook, "dear old pal" of Mrs. Selma Snook of Washington. Today's funeral is for the recently departed Buster. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Born a Dog, Lived a GentlemanI imagine many women can attest to the the opposite occurrence as well: "Born a Gentleman, Lived a Dog." 50 Washington Lovers of Animal Pay Tribute At Last Resting Place of Their Departed Pets In a wonderland Valhalla for pooches, "World Day for Animals" was celebrated in quiet fashion by a group of 50 Washington dog lovers yesterday. A mellow October sunlight flooded Aspen Hill Cemetery, where lie 2,700 "prominent" dogs, at peace with the world at last, far from the threat of onrushing automobiles, and presumably gnawing meaty bones as they growl in endless sleep. ... Owners of deceased pets haven't gotten around to holding religious services yet at burials, although Mrs. Selma Snook, of this city, has had formal burials with children acting as pallbearers for her five dogs, one of which, Buster, has this inscription on his monument: "Born a dog, lived a gentleman." Washington Post, Oct 5, 1936 Saying GoodbyeLooks like Mrs. Snook is comforting a relative or pal of the late Boots. Funny how dogs and their owners so often resemble each other. Mrs. Snook and the principal mourner have the same hair, although Mrs. Snook has tamed hers with a net. Discretionary incomeIt's nice to see that people squandered money on useless items for their pets 90 years ago too. I wonder if they were regretting spending money on a granite memorial for a dog eight years later in 1929 when "Black Thursday" rolled around. This is an interesting parallel between our consumption based society of the late 20th century with its childless power couples and their 4 legged "kids" and the boom-boom 1920's. So glad to see this!Truly man's best friends, treated with the honor they deserve. While I can't afford such elaborate stones, all my pets are buried with dignity. Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn has quite a few dog graves and a horse one as well! Mrs. Snook, to Boots II"If you don't stop chewing on the davenport you're next." And is that Aretha Franklin's hat? Hey!Discretionary income....if they earned it, they can spend it anyway THEY please. Maybe they should throw it down the entitlement rat hole. Sour grapes"Useless," "squandered," "regretting" -- I doubt these folks had ANY regrets about giving their pet a lavish burial. Would you rather spending be regulated? Hope you have a nice view from your porch, cranky old man. Boots HillAll dogs go to heaven. The date of the photographThe date of the photograph was October but the date on the tombstone says Boots died in April. Looks like a new grave so I was wondering what old Boots was doing between April and October. [Try reading the caption again. This is not Boots' funeral. - Dave] Marginal MemorialsIn 1921 the marginal tax rate for US taxpayers in the bottom bracket (taxable incomes up to $4,000) was 4%. The marginal rate for the top bracket (taxable incomes above $1 million) was 73%. By contrast, for tax year 2008 the lowest marginal rate is 10% for taxpayers with $16,050 taxable income, and the top rate is 35% for taxable incomes over $357,700. If Mrs. Snook was lucky enough to be a top-bracket type of gal with a million dollar income, she could take her $270,000 after-tax income and build a grand monument to ol' Boots. Today, any Leona Helmsley-ish dog lover would have $650,000 left after taxes on the same million dollars to take care of her pets' needs. Goober Pea It's my moneyAll of my pets have been buried at my parents' farm, joining their pets and some that belonged to my siblings. I don't regret the money spent at the vet, or for their food, or toys. Still taking petsThe Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery is still taking burials, though it has been buffeted about a bit recently from some changes of management. Note the spelling, BTW: for whatever reason, the official spelling is "Aspin", though "Aspen" seems to get used as often. It is now being run by the Montgomery County Humane Society. For a while it was run by PETA, which explains some of the curious memorials listed in the Find-a-grave listings. FISHcrimination!Why is it that dogs, cats, birds, even hamsters get solemn farewells with respectful burials but FISH just get flushed down the toilet? Aspin Hill lives onThe cemetery is still there. I used to belong to St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church, right next door, when PETA owned it. Here's an article on all the tumult of its recent past. http://www.mchumane.org/aspinhillpetcemetery.shtml No FoolingI thought that maybe it was April 1 when I read the article about Aspen Hill Cemetery and Mr. J. C. Crist! That aside, I hope that the cemetery plot, the headstones and the funeral rites helped Ms. Snook deal with the loss of what MUST have been beloved pets. Could the money involved have been spent on hungry children, homeless pets, animal medical research, or a host of other worthy causes? Yes, but the choice was hers, and anyone who doesn't like it can deal with it by increasing their own contributions to worthy causes of their choice. Boy in the middle"Why wasn't I born a dog?" GratefulI cherish the time with, and have never regretted the money spent on my furry friends. I could not afford a place like the pet cemetery in Columbia, Tennessee, but there's a tiny fenced-in graveyard with a little wood marker for each of my lost friends. It overlooks the Piney River here in Tennessee. I think they must like it. Not kids, but friendsPets are loving, loyal, and would die for you. They deserve to be given a decent rest at the end of their lives. Or would you rather they were just thrown in the garbage? My parents held funerals for our two turtles and one goldfish that passed on when we were very small. The little creatures were buried in the yard, in small jewelry boxes. I don't spend much on my cat and when she goes, she will have a simple, good sendoff. I hope that's a long time ahead. There is a pet cemetery very like this one near me, and I'm amazed at how long some of the animals lived. They obviously brought a lot of happiness to their humans. Four-legged kidsDogs and cats don't get drunk when they're 13 and come home pregnant and strung out on meth (OK, animals with roaming privileges still come home pregnant, but at least you can simply give away their unwanted offspring without any red tape). And they don't forget about or ignore you when you've grown old and useless. We're not that fancyBut our departed pets are all buried on our property, with pretty stones for markers. Our life is blessedly child-free and our pets are family and treated as such during and after their lives. No Glue FactoryAn old farmer down here, a distant relative, buried all of his horses and mules and put up markers for some of them. He kept this up through the 50's or early 60's. That's a lot of digging. Sleeps with the fishesFor my fish, I always say a few respectful words before giving them the big flush. Besides, this method of disposal does use water, their natural element. We used to name them too, but when you have 90 neon Tetras, the attrition rate is just too great to keep up! Touch a nerve?Wow, look at all the comments from people defending their right to spend their money how they want. It's your money, do with it as you wish. Dogs are wonderful animals, but as much as they love you they are entirely dependent on you and can do nothing to support you in your old age. I hope the person comparing a dog to a 13 year old child coming home drunk never ever has to take care of a child. If you have a child behaving in that fashion, it is your fault. Ask Notwhat your dog can do for you, ask what you can do for your dog. Aspin HillThis is one of the oldest pet cemeteries in the nation. I did volunteer clean-up work there in the summer of 2002. There are still plots available, but some of the older areas are overgrown. It's near the intersection of Connecticut and Georgia avenues. The Snook plotI live just down the road from the Aspen Hill pet cemetery, and I visited it today. I found the Snook plot. It's still there, although it was quite overgrown. What I'm assuming to be Buster's headstone, the one to the right of Boots, has since toppled onto its face and has grown over with weeds. The current state of the plot. You can make out the supports for the corners of the plot. The third grave from the right is Boots. Also in the Snook plot are: Trixie Snook Born July 5 1913 Died July 12, 1922 Finest Friends I ever had sleeping side by side, I love and miss you all --Mrs. S. Snook" http://tinyurl.com/Trixie-Snook Snowball Snook Born April 18 1908 Died July 8, 1922 Dear beloved pet. True, Faithful unto death Loved her dearly. http://tinyurl.com/Snowball-Snook Not a good year for the Snook Family. More on Aspen Hill Pet CemeteryI keep a fairly detailed and reasonably "up to the minute" pages on the Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery. Right now, not much is happening with it, though the County has condemned almost the entire property, and unless the Humane Society -- which is incredibly strapped for cash -- can bring it up to code by March, the County may just seize the property, which is most excellently located for use by the Developers who so vastly fund elections in this County. It's sad, it's the last little slice of pre-urban Maryland in this part of the County. More on Aspen Hill, in general, may be found at http://www.aspenhillnet.net Regards, Old Aspen Hill EmployeeI worked after school and summers for the Aspen Hill Pet Cemetery when I was in high school. It was very well kept then, and a interesting and attractive place to visit. Although I moved away from the area many years ago I have periodically returned. It is sad to see how the majority of the grounds have become overgrown and poorly maintained. The people who owned and operated it then are both buried in the cemetery along with several other humans. Several police dogs who died in the line of duty are buried there, and were put to rest with full honors and gun salutes. The "HOOVER" monument marks pets of one time FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. There are dozens of cats buried at the "TIMMONS" monument. There is a section for birds. Several horses are burried there. Normally we hand dug the graves. For the horses the adjacent human cemetery did the digging with power equipment. Because of the location there has long been a chance/risk of the land being re-purposed for business. I you want to see the place I wouldn't wait too long. A little more SnookHere's some more information and more pictures of Mrs Snook's dog funerals and Aspin Hill https://petcemeterystories.net/2018/05/31/aspin-hill-cemetery-for-pet-an... (The Gallery, Dogs, Natl Photo)
Vibrator Sale To-Day: 1921
... by CVS, which promptly got rid of the name (and the cool neon signage on many of the stores). I still can't understand throwing away a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/29/2012 - 8:47pm -

1921 or 1922. "People's Drug Store, 7th and K." On the table: a nice assortment of Star vibrators. This is a new version of a photo originally posted Aug. 15, 2007. In what counts as an exciting curatorial development here at Shorpy, the glass negative is now available for this image (a.k.a. "the vibrator photo"), as opposed to the previous version made from the scan of a print. The new version is a lot sharper, and shows more of the store. The caption info also gives the address, which we didn't have last year. National Photo glass negative. View full size. Not sure what is in thoseNot sure what is in those boxes but they must be impervious to heat as they are on a table over the radiator. Liver?Liver is ok, However.....the item "Hypo Cod"...hmmm....many images, none all that pleasant. dss Love the display!Wish I had that display knack every month when I try to come up with cheap, creative bulletin boards at school... You can tell this is a really old photoby the Beta tapes stacked below the "cough and cold" sign on the right. Well, they look like Beta tapes. The guyThe guy with his hands in his pockets looks like he is "gonna rob da joint" Henry Fonda?Rob the joint? NEVER!! Kewpie DollThe large Kewpie Doll in the back next to the sale sign might be a good clue. In those boxes>Not sure what is in those boxes but they must be impervious >to heat as they are on a table over the radiator. Looks like electric heat clamps for curlers. [They're Star electric massage vibrators. Supposedly a beauty aid. See below. - Dave] Um...If the vibrators are for reducing wrinkles, then what are the "French Tickling Rings" for? (Look just under the word "Fountain", between the nail clippers and the um, chains.) [They're for babies to chomp on. Teething, not "tickling." And necklaces ("Job's Tears"), not chains. - Dave] Listen ya mugs...Does anyone know where in DC this Peoples Drug was located? Could it been the one at DuPont Circle, now a CVS? [This was at Seventh and K. In researching your question, I found a different and better version of photo, which I just posted. Thanks! - Dave] People's Drugstore - 1912Just did a search for "Nutra Vin" and found this January 1912 newspaper ad for this very People's Drugstore at 7th and K. (Click to enlarge.) Waterman Fountain PensStill in business, at least a few years ago. My son bought me a nice Waterman fountain pen for Christmas not too long ago. Remedies for Men. And Women!More remedies from the pages of the Washington Post, 1912. One Word: PlasticsPyralin was Du Pont's trademark for a nitrocellulose pyroxylin plastic that was an early substitute for ivory in the manufacture of toilet articles like combs. It was also used to make automobile side curtains. Between Constipation and Nutra VinIt looks like a beginner set of X-acto knives. Yes? No? Tiny BoxesI'd hate to have to do inventory on this place! Would anyone care to guess what's in the numbered boxes up near the ceiling? And what's behind the back wall? It's obvious that the space goes much farther than that wall. Bzzzzzzzzz.....Bet there was a real buzz in the neighborhood over this sale. GladAdvertisements like the ones posted by Diane and Dave make me extremely glad that I was born in the latter part of the 20th century. Especially interesting in Diane's photo is the Melorose Beauty Cream, which "does not grow hair or turn rancid, and has a very dainty odor." This would mean that other, lesser quality beauty creams of the day did have that unfortunate side effect, I reckon. I'm also not sure if the words "dainty" and "odor" were the best descriptors, either. Use As DirectedAs long as both ends of these devices are plugged in where they are supposed to be, everyone's happy. Just RightHaving the vibrators right on top of the radiator means they're toasty warm when you get them home. Just the thing for "facial wrinkles," no doubt! RootsSeveral years ago my widowed grandmother showed me one of these "vibrators" and told me that my grandpa had gotten it because he had heard they could restore one's hair. She said that he was very disappointed when it didn't do the trick. My grandpa was bald by the age of 23 or so and my grandmother refused to marry him unless he wore a toupee. This he did -- but only on his wedding day and the thing never rested on his head again. WatermanI was reading just last night in a 1957 edition of Popular Sceince, that Lewis Waterman was credited with inventing the first workable fountain pen in the late 1800's. Pyralin IvoryI found this page about pyralin ivory hair receivers and pictures of well groomed ladies of the Victorian age. MopsyWhat is that mop-like thing in the upper right? Is it some kind of light bulb cover? [It's a lampshade. - Dave] X-acto knives or ...They look like cuticle care instruments to me, but they are pretty fuzzy. I too noticed the French Teething Rings and anachronistically grew suspicious that they were really something else. Waterman & Parker (& Peoples)Yes, Lewis Waterman is popularly supposed to have invented the fountain pen, although it might be more accurate to say that he invented the fountain pen advertising campaign, since although he was the first big international success, there had been other pens before his. Parker was one of his archrivals; ironically, both companies are now essentially foreign operations (Parker in the UK, Waterman in France) under the control of the same parent (Newell Rubbermaid). I can make out some steel dip points, which is what you would have used had you been unable to afford the relatively expensive new fountain pen. Finally, as a native of the DC area, I can recall "going to Peoples" to pick up drugs & sundries. A couple decades back they were purchased by CVS, which promptly got rid of the name (and the cool neon signage on many of the stores). I still can't understand throwing away a name with nearly a century of goodwill behind it. No Plastic !If you notice, everything is either in a box, glass or some type of metal because plastic really wasn't invented yet. [Actually, it had been. -tterrace] (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, PDS, Stores & Markets)
Times Square: 1943
... feel like I'm there The cold rain, horns honking, neon crackling; wish I could stop in a diner for some ham & eggs (was ham ... 
 
Posted by Avzam - 10/06/2011 - 4:44am -

This is my first attempt to colorize an old photo (Times Square, photographed by John Vachon in 1943). I researched some of the signs in their original colors so I could be as close as possible in the photo. Such is the case with the "Saludos Amigos" poster and the Schaefer beer sign. View full size. No Business Like Show Business"The Human Comedy" was a timely reminder of how absurd our condition can become at times: men, women and children dying by the score in Europe, the CBI and Pacific, and business as usual (it could have been no other way)in Manhattan. Looks like the Checker Cab design team was trying to compete with their Airflow counterparts. Nice technical work by Avzam. Fooled MeAt first glance I assumed this was Kodak slide film. Great job. Amazing what a different feel this gritty, dark version of Times Square has to what it is now. It reminds me of Europe. One heck of a work!!As an artist myself I've long desired to colorize one of these extraordinary B&W Shorpy photos. I have to admit that you've done an especially wonderful job!! Your work is incredible for a first timer. I hope that I do as well when I finally find the time to colorize one myself. Your colorized image now graces my 30" Hewlett-Packard monitor and believe me - it looks spectacular! Thank you for giving me something to enjoy - and for something that I need to aim for. Thanks again for some wonderful work! Tom Chatterton PerfectionWonderful job, very well done. Note that the taxi cabs have their headlights blacked out, the civilian car near the corner doesen't. But, 'LK' is correct, the photo looks like it was color from the get go. Perfect this way, I think Vachon would approve. Nice first attemptVery good job with the colorization. Looks like you can jump into that picture and hail a cab. Better grab your umbrella though. SuperbThe B&W version of this image was one of the very first pictures I ever downloaded from Shorpy. Such a deliciously evocative scene. The color version is even more exquisite. This is my new wallpaper. Thank you! Off ColorNo question that this is a great colorization job. If I remember correctly that 7th Avenue Trolley car just coming into the picture on the right was mostly yellow. Where the action isThis is a spectacular and extraordinary picture in both black and white and colorized. If you look at and into this photo long enough, you begin to feel the cold rain and atmosphere of March 1943. Some of the events of that month in NYC included the premiere of the musical "Oklahoma" to rave reviews, John Steinbeck married his wife Gwyn in NYC that month. Christopher Walken was born on 3/31/43 in Queens, N.Y. Stephen Benet, author, poet and Pulitzer prize winner died at age 45 in N.Y.C. In Europe, WW2 and the holocaust was in full boil. Americans were using ration stamps and American industry was booming, churning out endless shiploads of supplies for defense. Families were receiving telegrams informing them of their soldiers' news. Patriotism was high but so was fear and worry. After contemplating what might have been happening there and then, you begin to feel you are part of this picture. And you are. Thanks Shorpy for the time machine trip I took this morning via this masterpiece. Well done!!Love those yellow taxis! Ah, SchaeferThe one beer to have when you're having more than one! Great job! Oh wowIf you hadn't said it was colorized, I would never have known. The only things that stand out as not quite natural looking are the taxis. Easily the best colorization job I've ever seen. Impressive work!That is some impressing coloring. Really brings the picture to life. SweetVery nicely done! Superb job!What really makes it for me are the colored reflections of the lights and taxis on the wet pavement. Also the man's brown coat in the foreground. Very well done. Curb cornersWhat are the stripes on the curb -- a no parking area? Color makes this a GREAT rainy day photograph!Super job on the colorization - can't tell it from an original color print. I love vintage street scenes, particularly those taken around dusk on a rainy day. This scene certainly fits the bill, but it's the color that makes this a great photograph. Many thanks. Fantastic.This was the first photo I purchased from you and it looks even better in color! As a fan of the old NYC two color signals (Ruleta's) I will say that if you look closely at the green section of the signal you will see a cross pattern. That was actually a black out plate that was installed during the war to reduce the visibility of the signals from above (thus eliminating the potential for bombing.) The red section was also so equipped and as such the red section may not have been as visible as you have colorized it to be. And now I will go back to picking fly specs out of pepper! lol. Thank you for a great job. I am now torn between the original and colorized version for the next order. Home run!Would love to see a pic taken from this same location today. Checker CabsThose Model A Checkers are fiendishly ugly, yet I'd give my eyeteeth for one. There are only one or two left in existence. They were run into the ground and then stripped for parts to keep the rest of the fleet running. Question for Shorpy-itesDoes anyone know of a website or anywhere I could research what movies were playing at the Times Square theatres and when? For instance, if I wanted to find out how long "Human Comedy" played at the Astor or "Saludos Amigos" at the Globe, where would I go? Just wondering. [N.Y. Times archive. - Dave] Another success!I find the mark of a good colourisation is that I have to study it and think "is it or isn't it?" This one's super; well done. Cold, wet and miserableThe guy just behind the subway entrance looks to be all three of these, with his cap pulled low, shoulders hunched and collar turned up against the rain. I can sympathize with him. Zebra curbsIf I remember correctly the stripes on the curb showed the crosswalk limits. The paint they used back they wore off the streets rather quickly, it wasn't the plasticized stuff that they use today. If you look in the lower right corner, you can see the end of the crosswalk stripe and one of the stripes on the top of the curb. True to LifeOutstanding workmanship! +66Below is the same view from August of 2009. Old Vs. NewAm I the only one who prefers the 1943 version to the newer ole? My all-time favoriteGreat job colorizing my all-time favorite photo shown on Shorpy. I'll be taking my family to see "Wicked" at the Gershwin Theater on W 48th St. in two weeks, so maybe I'll try and get a +68 shot to go along with timeandagainphoto's. I think I have a fedora like the gentleman stepping up on the curb. Re: +66Thanks for the comparison pic of what looks like the exact spot. Very interesting! Sign colors seem a bit too too dullI too have made this my desktop background, but after staring at it for a while, I have to question the colors of the signs, which seem too dull and grey to be realistic, even though you explicitly state that you researched them. Even on a grey, rainy day in a grimy, depressed city, I should think the Saludos Amigos marquee, for example, would be more brightly colored. But as someone with only the most rudimentary control of Photoshop, I applaud your efforts nonetheless! I feel like I'm thereThe cold rain, horns honking, neon crackling; wish I could stop in a diner for some ham & eggs (was ham rationed?). Great, great work - my favorite colorized picture bar none! (ShorpyBlog, Colorized Photos)
Blowing Smoke: 1943
... Does it cough and wheeze? Overlap I wonder what the neon over the top of the words "Costlier Tobacco" would say when lit? It looks ... crossing the street? Slower Burning One of the neon sign slogans apparently was "Slower Burning" ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 1:35pm -

February 1943. "New York. Camel cigarette advertisement at Times Square." Photograph by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. Ames Billiard AcademyRight behind the Camel sign was Ames pool room, where parts of "The Hustler" were filmed with Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason in 1960. Douglas Leigh Inc.Douglas Leigh, the man who designed this and other advertising spectaculars, was 28 when he arrived in New York from Alabama with $9 in his pocket. He developed a multimillion-dollar business designing and erecting breathtaking signs. Leigh created the Super Suds detergent sign with 3,000 large "floating" soap bubbles per minute. A 120-foot Pepsi-Cola waterfall, the Bromo-Seltzer sign with actual effervescence and the Old Gold cigarettes sign with 4,100 light bulbs were all Leigh creations. His giant Camel sign that puffed out real smoke rings lasted for 26 years on Broadway and was copied in 22 cities. He was also the brains behind the 25-foot A&P coffee cup that let off real steam. -- From Leigh's 1999 New York Times obituary Where are my smokes?I just love the two women in the corner digging through their purses... What might they be looking for in 1943? Money? Ticket to a show? And the short white socks... Scotty, beam me to NYC, 1943 please! What's in a name?"Costlier tobaccos," sounds like today's cigarettes! Mixed MediaI adore these adverts where the object does something -- smoke or steam, movement, three-dimensional objects etc. Signs of the TimesAh yes, the sign, the Hotel Claridge and Times Square during the war years. I remember them so well, along with Toffenetti's Restaurant, any Longchamps or Childs NY outlet, the Woodstock Hotel and, when my family was flush, the Hotel Taft and the Roxy Theater. Camels were hard to come by for civilians during the war. My dad resorted to rolling his own using Model smoking tobacco and one of those hand-operated machines. All those bulbs!I would love to see a picture of this sign at nighttime. With all those lightbulbs, I bet you could see it from the moon. Very LifelikeDoes it cough and wheeze? OverlapI wonder what the neon over the top of the words "Costlier Tobacco" would say when lit? It looks like it can be turned on and off to make different slogans. Shorpy window peepers.I just love how many Shorpy images have someone looking out a window! The hotel window above the M in Camel has a shadowy face and a hand holding the curtain back. [That's Ima Lamp. Not much of a talker, but she really lit up a room. - Dave] Big smokeWhen I was about 12 or 13 years old in 1952, I went with my siblings, stepfather and mother on a trip to New York City and walked directly beneath the sign. I was amazed at how large it was. The tube blowing the "smoke" was probably a good 2 to 3 feet across. That scale doesn't show up well in photos. What a dumpNo one's noticed Bette Davis crossing the street? Slower BurningOne of the neon sign slogans apparently was "Slower Burning" http://www.si.edu/opa/insideresearch/photo_pages/V17_TimesSquare_smokeri... And "I'd walk a mile for a Camel" http://www.panoramio.com/photo/19461756 I'd Walk a MileBoth my parents smoked Camels. My dad switched to cigars around 1960, he died in 1963. My mom smoked 'em until she died in 1985. My mom told me that during the war she had to smoke a cheap brand called Marvels because Camels were hard to come by. Apparently cigarettes weren't rationed, but most of the cigarette production was shipped to our troops. Nicotine NostalgiaMy old German father rolled his own cigarettes which he smoked six days a week. However . . . Camels on Sundays! Remember the Leave it to Beaver episode where Beaver & Larry Mondello climb up on a big sign? I think it was steaming tea. When I was a kid......my mom told me that there were 20 guys in a room behind the sign smoking cigarettes. At the appointed time, they would all exhale and blow their smoke through the hole. T'was trueMost of the cigarette production during WWII went to troops overseas. It's the wrong brand, but many should remember the marketing cry, "Lucky Strike Green Went to War." Today's familiar Lucky Strike pack came into being in stores as Green was shipped off to far-flung battlegrounds. Regarding that steamy Camel sign: My brother and I often sidled by it in the 50s, and would wait for the "smoke" to puff out at traffic. I think we thought it was smoke, not steam. I've often wondered if such friendly advertising contributed to my 20 year habit and my brother's 35 year habit. Alas. The Camel SignIt's interesting, I found a number of images of this billboard online. The structure of the puffing billboard remained the same, just the smoker was repainted over and over again. 1941(?) 1943 1944 1945 (film of billboard in action. Opens in your media player) 1964 1965 Time to Go"Lucky Strike Green has gone to war". There was an untold story behind that, which has been told (about ten years ago) in a book called The Father of Spin. The CEO of whichever company made Luckies contacted Edward S. Bernays in 1932 because he had a problem. He wanted more women to smoke his cigarettes, but they told him they wouldn't buy Luckies because the green clashed with their clothing. Bernays suggested changing the package color, but the exec wouldn't hear of it. So Bernays set about influencing public opinion to make green a "fashionable" color. He organized an elaborate clandestine PR campaign (Bernays more or less invented PR), to get tastemakers to glom on to the green idea. It worked in the sense that green temporarily became a fashionable color that year, but it didn't move the sales of Luckies by much, and certainly not in a sustainable manner. If you know that story, it doesn't take much to connect the dots and see that the war was the perfect excuse to get rid of the offending green. Never mind that many folks at the time expressed outrage at a tobacco company's crass claim of "sacrifice," when many were sacrificing much more than a package design. (The Gallery, John Vachon, NYC)
Sun Coffee Shop: 1935
... Jax Beer sign Not to mention the more picturesque neon Regal Beer sign. Jax and Barq's I find it interesting that the ... 
 
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)
Dallas Noir: 1942
... (1888) next door to it. Do you see the heart-shaped neon sign that reads "Hart's"? That building is still on the NW corner of Elm ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/21/2018 - 4:41pm -

January 1942. "Elm Street -- Theater Row in Dallas." Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Clean CarburetorsThat's Elm Street in Dallas = Deep Ellum as in Deep Ellum Blues as in "when you go down in Deep Ellum, keep your carburetor clean, 'cause the women in Deep Ellum sellin' dirty gasoline." The Majestic Theater opened in 1921 - history here: http://www.liveatthemajestic.com/history.shtm Goober Pea [Thanks, Goob. - Dave] Hotel ShorpyCute watermark on the wallpaper! Neat...I always wanted a high-res pic of world famous Shorpy building! Two signsThe Majestic is playing "Tarzan's Secret Treasure" which was the fifth Tarzan film that MGM did. Released in December 1941, it starred series regulars Johnny Weissmuller, Maureen O'Sullivan, and Johnny Sheffield as "Boy." It co-starred English character actor Reginald Owen, and Irish character actor Barry Fitzgerald just three years before his double Oscar nomination for "Going My Way." (Fitzgerald was nominated for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for the role of Father Fitzgibbon - he lost Best Supporting Actor and won Best Actor and spawned a new Academy Awards rule that you couldn't be nominated in two acting categories for playing the same role in the same movie.) The other sign is something I see at the very end of the street, just to the left of the Palace Theater sign [below]. I swear the letters are F A K E Weird huh? All GoneMost of these wonderful buildings are gone. Go to Google Maps and enter 2036 Elm Street and click "streetview" and look west. Mostly parking lots and garages. It looks like a street (Harwood St.) now runs perpendicular to Elm a couple of buildings east of the Majestic, about where Winn Furniture stands in the photo. This area got pretty seedy in the late 40's and 50's. Two blocks south of the photo location was The Carousel Club, owned by Jack Ruby - the guy who shot Oswald. "Did you ever see Dallas from a DC-9 at night? Well Dallas is a jewel, oh yeah, Dallas is a beautiful sight. And Dallas is a jungle but Dallas gives a beautiful light." - The Flatlanders Goober Pea Dallas NoirI love your addition to the "supersize" wallpaper! Great Photo!This photo is taken looking west down Elm Street from the corner of Olive. The good news is that not all those buildings are gone. On the right side, the Majestic Theater (1921) remains, as well as the Hart Furniture Store Building (1888) next door to it. Do you see the heart-shaped neon sign that reads "Hart's"? That building is still on the NW corner of Elm and Harwood Street. The Tower Building is also still standing just beyond the Majestic with the stair stepped roof. The entire block between Harwood and Olive on the right side of the photo however is now surface parking. On the left side of the photo the Titche-Goettinger department store building is still there and is condos and apartments (at Elm and St. Paul). The White Plaza Hotel is also still there but is now called the Aristocrat Hotel. The left side of the street across from the Majestic is now a 5 story parking garage. What a great photo! Thanks for posting! Re: FAKE__The street actually takes a pretty big dip where that sign is. I can vouch for that as I walked that sidewalk two days ago and drew a picture of the Titches building on the left from where that sign was. Fakes FurnitureHaving lived in Dallas all my life (born 1936), I can recall the scene looking exactly as pictured above. In response to Brent who spied the FAKE sign past the Palace Theater, allow me to clarify that it actually said F-A-K-E-S, as in Fakes Furniture & Carpet Co., located at 2509 Elm. For what it's worth, I still own a bedroom suite my parents bought at that Hart's store beside the Majestic. Abbott and Costello at the MajesticI was living on Eastside Avenue and Carroll Street in Dallas in 1948. I was 10 and recall getting on my bike and riding downtown to the Majestic to see "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein." I don't remember locking my bike and I know my parents never locked our doors. It was a different time in America. The Majestic had a big living room up the stairs with a TV which most people didn't have as yet. After watching a movie I would sometimes watch TV with other patrons. Not Deep EllumJust a comment: this is not, nor was Deep Ellum. If you were to walk a few blocks east, you would find Deep Ellum. This part of Elm was considered Theatre Row. Haverty's Furniture...is still alive and well, with locations throughout north and central Texas. Interesting to see all the lights [only a month after Pearl Harbor]. By the summer of 1942 blackout rules would be in effect and "the lights wouldn't go on again" [to paraphrase a popular wartime song] for another 3 years. Dealey PlazaIf you keep walking in this direction on Elm, you'll find yourself at the front door of the Texas School Book Depository. Titche-GoettingerMy parents purchased a baby carriage for me at Titche-Goettinger on December 22, 1949. Price $39.95. TemptationI cannot explain what drew me to open the super size wallpaper image, but I am glad I did. You constantly outdo yourself, Dave. Judy Garland's Palace Song"A team of hoofers, Was the headline, At the Majestic, Down in Dallas. But they cancelled the day, Their agent called to say... You can open the bill at the Palace!" WatermarkPlease tell me where it is. I've been looking for quite some time. [Click the Wallpaper link in the caption. - Dave] Deep EllumIn the 1960s, when I lived there, native Dallasites talked about "Deep Elm" (pronounced ELLUM by some--as they enunciated each letter of ELM, with a full pronouncement of "M" such as "EL-M"). Anyway, I was never sure of the exact location of Deep Elm. Now that we have Google, I am directed to Wikipedia, among other places, for an answer. Wikipedia says, "Deep Ellum is a neighborhood composed largely of arts and entertainment venues near downtown in Old East Dallas, Texas." Fair Park, the location of the Texas State Fair, the Cotton Bowl, and Big Tex, is just east of Deep Elm. The Baylor University Medical Center adjoins the north side of the district. I don't think Deep Elm was an artsy neighborhood back in the sixties. It was a run-down area--as I surmised when I drove through there on the way to the Fair or some other more distant location. In fact, it is probably still run-down, but trendy. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
The Only Way to Fly: 1965
... It was especially good at taking low light shots, like neon signs at dusk, while still nicely rendering the building they were ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 10/06/2015 - 6:42pm -

My friend's folks stretch out and light up on a nice, comfy flight from San Francisco to Hawaii in 1965. Someone borrowed their Kodak Instamatic for this 126 Kodachrome slide. View full size. How it used to beBack in the day when you could actually sit comfortably in a coach seat. Bet the meal was pretty good too. King and Queens!When I flew for American Airlines in the 1970s we were given strict orders to "Treat passengers as if they were Kings and Queens!" "Make their travel a wonderful experience they will always remember being special." Stewardesses were weighed once a week with unannounced flight inspections to see that we were up to AA's hgh standards and especially checked to see we were wearing beautifully applied nail polish with matching color lipstick! The airlines have certainly come long way and not for the better, unless you are among the one percent few who can enjoy First Class. I have zero doubt...Some sharp-eyed Shorpist will identify this plane from just the window shape and bit of engine visibile... And it's a Tiparillo, of course!Should a gentleman...? Not a 707Assuming this was a United flight, UAL was a big DC8 customer but did eventually buy the Boeing 720, a shorter range derivative of the 707. I'll vote for this being a "Diesel 8." Boeing 707Date of flight and small entry of engine argues for a Boeing 707, active between 1958 and 1979. I Say 707Both the DC-8 and the 707 had varous engines and most engines of the time had a similar look. However, interior photos of both planes show the DC-8 had much more space between the windows than the 707 and in tis photo the windows are closer together, leading me to believe this is indeed a 707. No need to bring your ownIn those days, the airlines actually GAVE you cigarettes as part of the service. (No doubt supplied by the ever-alert tobacco companies.) I recall small flip-top boxes of four. Security What Security?Those were the days when you could just casually walk through the gate without a ticket, board the plane, and escort your friends to their seat, then snap their picture before the plane took off. Same way we used to do it on ocean liners ... remember when they used to call out the warning 'all ashore whose going ashore'? Oh! For the Legroom!I'll pass on the smokes, but give me the legroom. At 6'5", it's difficult to enjoy flying today. I do remember when it was an enjoyable experience. I flew to the midwest from Kennedy on United, the same year this picture was taken. Although I was a little shorter then, the space, food and service was wonderful. They even put a mini 2 pack of Viceroys on my food tray, just in case I wanted to light one up -- at the tender age of 15. A Dress up occasionNote, too, how nicely dressed these passengers were. I remember well feeling that I should be dressed for air travel as if I were going to an important appointment. I'm sure this lady had a pair of nice gloves with her. Imagine wearing a jacket and tie to fly to Hawaii today! And, of course, we passengers were treated as valued guests in return. Dress-upI personally brought Bermudas-style dress to the Hawaii routes in 1968. Four-packsCan someone say how those four-packs of cigarettes were distributed other than as airline giveaways? Were they sold in stores? I Googled for info and didn't see anything, other that in the U.S., cigarette packs must now contain at least 20 cigarettes. My dad was a commercial pilot, not an airline pilot, but he always had those four-packs in his airplanes and I'd sneak a few for my use until he caught me at it. Seems to me they were always Parliaments, Viceroys, or Lucky Strikes. Pan AmDC-8 windows were larger than these (about 17 by 21 inches, says the ad) and were spaced 40 inches center to center. So it's a 707, which I guess means Pan Am, unless the passengers were continuing beyond HNL to Australia on QANTAS. Three Pan Am flights a day from SFO to HNL in 1965, or more in the summer-- the 0900 departure continued west to New York. 126 CameraMy 126 camera always took great pictures. It was especially good at taking low light shots, like neon signs at dusk, while still nicely rendering the building they were attached to. Wish I still had it. Travel in the 1950sWhether our family took a train or flew, we had to wear our best clothes. Here is our family arriving at the Essendon Aerodrome in Melbourne, Australia, in October of 1958. We had just left Canada, and my father's new position with the Ford Motor Company of Australia was to introduce the Ford Falcon. I am wearing the striped jacket and tie, and Mum is giving her best regal wave, with white gloves on, of course! Four-Packs Pt. 2While serving in Vietnam, K-Rations often had 4 packs of cigarettes in them. If you didn't smoke you could trade them to a smoker buddy for his fruit. From what I have read the same was true in WWII and Korea as well. GI Four PacksThe other primary customers were the many Viet Nam era troops. These four packs were included in each box of C Rations (MREs of the day). We used to trade them for preferable brands, and used to practically assault non-smokers to get theirs! Often they would trade their smokes for the piece of chocolate that was included in each ration. A Different 707The four-packs of cigarettes were also in the flight lunches provided on the T29 (twin engine Convair) navigator trainer that Air Training Command flew as a shuttle between its Hq and DC. We called the flight the "707" because it took seven hours and seven minutes one way. One compensation was that you got to stay at Bolling AFB and ride the launch to the Pentagon, at least until Sen. Proxmire put the kibosh on that. More on 4 pack distribution.As a teenager visiting downtown Chicago I often encountered young women passing out 4 packs of cigarettes to pedestrians. The earliest I recall this happening was when I was 16 years old in 1972. They would give you 2 or 3 packs if you asked. With 80% fewer smokesFour packs of cigarettes were common packed in K and later C and MCI rations up until 1975. Coffin NailsIn the 1960s I garaged my car in public lot in the Bronx. I met a fellow there that worked as a salesman for a tobacco distributor. He passed those 4 pack samples out to his better customers. They came in cartons that held 50 4 packs. That was the equivalent of regular carton of smokes. I think a pack sold for about 40 cents at that time, a carton would be $4 and I would pay the guy $2 for the 200 cigs. Re: Four PacksThose four-cigarette packs were comps given away by the tobacco companies. I remember back when I was still working, they had four young ladies passing out four-packs of Salems in downtown Buffalo. I had to laugh watching some of the folks making a circuit of the intersection, trying to score a couple of free packs of smokes. One thing not mentioned was the mini bottles (glass, not plastic) of different kinds of whiskey handed out by the stews as well. On my flight home from the military in 1966, there were five of us aboard a Fokker F.28.The stewardess gave me a half a dozen bottles of Seven Crown to say thanks for my service. I still have one bottle left. Re: That Different 707Yup, went through USAF navigator school (James Connally AFB, Waco) on those things. They had a unique odor inside, a result of many, many student navigators tossing their cookies in bumpy Texas air. You mightfeel a little nuts wearing a suit on a flight to Hawaii, but you'd look cool anyway in your Ray-Ban Wayfarers. Definitely a Pan Am 707-320From the cabin wall pattern and seat materials this is definitely a Pan Am 707. Back when flying was a treat, not a chore. Gone and ForgottenIn addition to the DC-8 and Boeing 707, the Convair 880 by General Dynamics plied the early Jet Age skies. My first flightMy first flight was from San Francisco to Chicago to attend Graduate School. I remember the cigarettes and thought "WOW"!. I also remember the light coming on in the bathroom to return to my seat. I didn't know what was happening and was scared silly! Air Sickeness ExpressMy first 20 years flying, I was very often sick, due to having to breathe people's cigarette smoke! When non-smoking sections came along, it helped, some, but not enough, especially if my non-smoking seat bordered the smoking section. Coincidentally, San Fransisco to Hawaii was the first air trip I ever took, back in 1970. Dad had recently returned from Vietnam and we were on our way to his new duty station of Camp Smith, on Oahu. All dressed upBack in 1961 my parents were taking a trip from Idlewild; I can still hear my mother saying to my dad, "Give me the keys to the car - I don't have a thing to wear on the plane." (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Camels: 1943
... Mixed messages There appear to be at least three neon slogans in the place where "costlier tobaccos" is painted. Can anyone read ... 
 
Posted by Avzam - 10/16/2011 - 9:59pm -

Another Times Square photo from 1943 by John Vachon, colorized. I hope you all enjoy this one as much as I did. Note the lights left on on the second floor. These are the small things that bring a photo to life. View full size. Manhattan Fruit Drinks & SkirtsWhat first caught my eye was the corner store in Times Square offering "Papaya" drinks--this in 1943. As a child in Manhattan in the 1950s I remember visiting fruit drink stands with my father--he enjoyed them. Later, I thought the ubiquitous fruit drink stands were a dividend of the Puerto Rican invasion of Manhattan. But maybe NYC was always in favor of fruit juice. Also, note how abruptly skirt lengths came up as a patriotic gesture! Like YesterdayYup, I remember this as if it were yesterday. What a great job!!!!!! Mixed messagesThere appear to be at least three neon slogans in the place where "costlier tobaccos" is painted. Can anyone read the other two? [The answers to this and other questions appear in the comments under the original B&W photo. - Dave] The Most Dangerous GameThat billboard reminds me of a Vietnam-era Air Force saying: "An optimist is a fighter pilot who smokes three packs a day and worries about getting lung cancer." No Yellow Here!I love those old NYC traffic signals with only 2 colors. Who needs amber? The Color Of Woolworth'sWouldn't the background color of the F.W. Woolworth sign on the left be red with the gold lettering? Woolworth's sign were always red when I saw them in the 50's and later. A whole lotta light bulbsI wonder how many man-hours it took to screw in all those light bulbs on the Camel sign? Another fanAvzam, your NYC Vachon colorizations are uncannily realistic. Bravo. I'd walk a mileI just wish I could grab a pack of Camels, walk to the Cafeteria and listen to some Glenn Miller records. Please keep these WWII NYC photos coming, they are great! No stockingsThis colorized picture is really amazing. It grips you by the collar and shoots you back in 1943. A gem. Those two dames, both looking for something in their handbags, are quite funny. After a few minutes of looking at the details of this picture, I came to realize they were not wearing any stockings. Quite normal for 1943, but something you rarely see nowadays. Bobby SoxersI hadn't thought of that term in a long time; this beautifully colored and evocative wartime picture sure jogged memories. Cushman CollectionThis photo got me searching for color photos of New York in the 1940s. Found these great photographs taken from the Charles Cushman Collection. Thought some here might also like to see them. Predecessor to Gray's PapayaElpine Drinks. Wow, what are the odds?That Bette Davis just happened to be crossing the street just at that moment! Excellent!This is just beautiful! Fantastic work! SearchWe see Nancy Walker in the foreground looking for change for the next leg of her journey. I wonder if Chin's is open yet? Another extraordinary job, Avzam! Beautiful. You feel like you're looking through a window into the past. Wonderful Smoke RingsThose cigarette smoking signs blew smoke rings. I recall one in Milwaukee in the 40s when I was a kid--Chesterfield brand as I recall. The sign was on Wisconsin Avenue at about 2nd or 3rd--on the northwest side of the corner facing southeast. Smoke rings wafted out of the oval mouth out over the street. Caught my eye--after all my Dad smoked as did my Mom at times. I could be and was detailed to buy my parents cigarettes at the tiny neighborhood grocery near my house--Albrecht's. During the War I needed the money and a small stamp from a ration book to purchase smokes. No silly age rules! I didn't take up the habit until I was in college--and have long ago stopped. WonderfulAnother exquisite job. Please keep them coming! Still there in 1959.In 1959 my dad sent my mother and me to New York City for a vacation. I remember this sign. As a curious 12 year old boy, I snuck out of my room to check out Times Square, at 4 a.m. It was overwhelming, of course. We also saw "My Fair Lady" on Broadway. And "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" -- Charles Nelson Reilly was in that one. The tickets were around $6. Wonderful memories! Of COURSE they're not wearing stockings!Hosiery was rationed during WWII. IF you could get stockings, you hoarded them and wore them to a dance at the USO or to see your sweetheart off to the front. The lady in the fur coat (and stockings!) is obviously well off compared to the girls searching their purses. One can almost see her glance at the young ladies and her sniff of disdain at their fashion sense. Yellow busesAs an old Manhattanite, the yellow coloration of those busses in the picture hits me in the eye. Actually, the upper portion was closer to buff. I am attaching a photo of a Corgi model which got the colors right. I love reliving my childhood with these photos Shorpy makes available, and enjoy the many other excellent photos. Smoke or mirrors? It was years before my Father disabused me of the belief that the 'Smoking Man' on Broadway was puffing real smoke and not steam. It was still a thrilling sight. (Colorized Photos)
The Device: 1928
... disc. Think period movie palaces, with big flashing neon displays; something had to run them, and this was going to be the next big ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/31/2021 - 12:40pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1928. "NO CAPTION" is all it says here. Whatever this is, wires are involved. 4x5 inch glass negative, Harris & Ewing Collection. View full size. Perhaps a Rotary SwitchThis looks like a rotary switch of some sort. The disk is glass to insulate the wedges on the glass from each other. The wedges on the glass will make contact with the wedges screwed to the back plate to which the wires are attached. As the glass rotates contact will be made and broken at different times for each of the attached wires. Presumably there is something on the back that will spin the disk, but it can't be very big as it fits in the ladies hand. Perhaps there is a shaft there that would connect to a motor. I can't identify what it's use was. Blinking Christmas tree lights maybe; that's only a guess though. Magnetic triggering device?Just a guess, based on the clear (you can see his thumb under the wheel) circle with triangular sections blocked out with tape or something and the 4 equidistant "sensors" surrounding the rotating piece. Reminds me of a crude version of an automotive crank-triggered ignition setup. Antenna switching device?I wonder if that's an antenna switching device for radio reception. That kind of braided wire is often used for long wire antennas. It really looks like some kind of switch, but it doesn't look as if it's designed to handle much voltage or current. Some Kind of MotorI wondering if the clear disk is a rotor and the four triangles mounted on the board and wired make up the stator. Science project? Switch for Antenna Selection?It looks like a rotary switch with 4 postions. Not intended for significant current, so it probably is used for selecting receiving antenna for radio. Spin the glass dial to select. It is not entirely clear how the bottom triagnuar contacts are connected. It doesn't look like a simple 1 of N selection, but could combine the antennas in certain combinations (e.g 1 + 2). A 1920's version of a 1830's Davenport DC motor Looks like a teaching version of a Thomas Davenport (1802 – 1851) DC Motor. He was a Vermont blacksmith who in 1834 was credited as the inventor of the first DC electric motor in the US. Ambiguous PrototypeWhat we have here is the first CPU heatsink prototype, redundant grounding straps and all. Either that, or a long-lost photograph of Benjamin Franklin's new-fangled lightning-kite attachment prototype. Not Available in StoresIt's a vegetable chopper and potato clock power source. And the old advice is neededYou have to cut the blue wire first. Seldom seen nowadaysThose of us old-timers in the graphic arts industry recognize a 1920s manual Pantone-O'Matic, which chose four complementary colors at the push of a button. Gee whiz for its day, and still in use in the mid-1960s. Invented by Barney Day, younger brother of Benjamin Day, pressman for the old New York Sun. The little color wheels for this device are still seen occasionally in thrift and antique shops. Folks use them to dazzle and confuse rodents and other household pests. Antenna tuner/coupler ?Could it be a variable capacitor to tune a wire antenna to a given frequency ? Looks like it could handle a couple of kV's making it suitable for transmitting as well as receiving. Whatzit?!?Those braided or twisted leads could carry a fair amount of current, but the paperclip contact to the Device wouldn't. The glass disk hints at high voltage, and with thin pads fixed to the disk, passing between copper contacts around it, it looks a bit like a Wimshurst Machine. Note there are 5 pads on the disk, and 4 sets on the (Bakelite, I believe?) base, so pairs line up sequentially, but never all at once. What momma used to say"It's dirty, don't touch it!" Field MillUsed to measure small static (Direct Current) charges. The rotating shutter would convert the direct current to alternating current which was more easily measured with the equipment of that time. When trying to measure a small static charge back then, you would have major problems with drift and noise. http://www.missioninstruments.com/pages/learning/about_fm.html https://www.instructables.com/E-Field-Mill/ Strobe LightYou're all wrong. It's a strobe light. Variable capacitor?Several good guesses already. My guess is that it's a prototype variable capacitor, such as might be used in a radio tuning circuit. As far as I can tell My first guess was a device to measure the speed of light, because it looks like the one that kid on Bonanza invented for the same purpose. Except his was manually operated. Time Lord TechnologyOf course it is difficult to identify as it is the variable tuning apparatus (which sits inside the control console) and is attached to the control handle for the Zig Zag Plotter on a Type 40 TARDIS. Holy Hypno!I think the Penguin used this same device to hypnotize Batman. But in color. SequencerMy take on this gadget is that it's for sequencing 'traveling lights' on advertising signage. Each of the static contact are visibly offset from the rotating contacts by different amounts so they would make and break each of the 3 (or is it 4?) circuits at different times. This would result in the illusion of motion for whatever lights were connected. Well, clearly it's a ... a ... um ...The triangle contactor on the upper left has a wire leaving it, which appears to go under the glass disk to the loop and wire on the lower right, and also to connect to the lower-right triangle contactor. The lower left triangle similarly seems to have a wire that goes behind the board and around to the upper-right triangle/contactor. The metal on the glass disk at the lower left appears to have a triangular piece of wire that sticks up to make contact with the lower-left stationary triangle contactor. As others have observed, they are all offset to make/break contact in sequence. If it's for sequencing marquee lights, why did someone need to make a glass negative of that?? [The Library of Congress archive contains thousands of photos of various inventions, gizmos and gadgets. - Dave] It slices! It dices!That's Ron Popeil's mother holding the device, a very early prototype of the Veg-O-Matic. The only thing I can say for certainIs that thing could use a good cleaning. Interesting clueNote that there are four triangular flanges over the wheel, yet on the wheel itself there are five triangular patches, presumably to block (or make) electrical contact. My guess is thus similar to JohnHoward's, that it's for advertising signage -- you get contact (and thus lights) moving forward or backward faster than the speed of the rotating disc. Think period movie palaces, with big flashing neon displays; something had to run them, and this was going to be the next big step forward. What is it?It looks like some sort of switch or distributor. (Technology, The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Eats: 1975
... Can it be that a mere 36 years ago it was still a world of neon signs, diners that offered "eats," public telephones and gigantic ... of how long ago 36 years really was, than the cars, or the neon, is the vintage Bell "Public Telephone" sign. The Bell System has been ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 10/12/2015 - 7:54pm -

Can it be that a mere 36 years ago it was still a world of neon signs, diners that offered "eats," public telephones and gigantic vinyl-roofed hardtops? It was on Water Street in Petaluma, California. Already those days were numbered. Beasley's, in the c.1850 Wickersham Building, had only 5 years to go before being replaced by a fancy Italian restaurant - at which I enjoyed many a zabaglione, it must be admitted. Water Street, formerly an access alley of tar, asphalt patches and plain old dirt, is now a cobbled promenade, though the now-unused railroad tracks are still there. The rest of the business district is populated by boutiques, wine shops, shabby-chic antique emporia, nail-, hair- and skin-care parlors and lots more upscale restaurants. Somehow it all makes me want to belly up to a counter for a burger and a shake. Car is a Ford LTD, film Kodacolor II, photographer me. View full size. What?Payphones aren't gone. Here in Hawaii, they're all over the place! In fact, I know of five just on my street alone. LTD = Loves To Die (I'm not a Ford fan) Another LTD fan!Ahhh, the memories. We once bought a '72 LTD for a hundred bucks! Yep, you read that right. No, it wasn't a mess. We got it in 1986 and had it for several months until an old lady rear ended me at a stop light and totalled it. It was avocado green--icky color, great car. I got a '71 Tbird with a 429 and four-barrel carb after that. As for the clothing shown? Hellll-o, pimp wear! Tterrace, would you like to go with me for a quick bite to eat at this place? Looks like a lot of fun! Hygienic EatsHere in Indiana, the town of Rossville has a place called Sanitary Lunch, which bears some resemblance to Beasley's. Oh, the Memories.Oh, TTerrace, I just love these pictures of my old stomping grounds. Beasley's used to supply the food to the Petaluma Police jail. Rumor has it that upstairs was the towns red light, er house of ill, er, well, you get the idea. Great pictureI just love these Kodacolor/Kodachrome pictures. Brings back memories I can relate to. The cars are probably fence post now. Keep these pictures coming. Thank you. The loss of payphones and comfort foodI suppose gentrification is better than urban decay, but it is a shame to lose these little places where you could relax and enjoy "comfort foo.d" One thing I do not miss: those huge rust buckets shown in this photo. Compared to the Japanese cars that were overtaking Detroit, these "boats" were a sad reflection on American automotive engineering and manufacturing. "Eats"Beasley's looks both intimidating and intriguing. I'd have to know what kind of "eats" they served before going in, though. I have a feeling they were limited on vegetarian options, although I'd be happy with a grilled cheese and an iced tea. LTD flashbackWhen I was about 10 years old we had a 1970 Ford LTD we had bought from my grandparents. Same car as in the photo -- two-door, white vinyl hardtop, but in a nasty canary yellow color. However, it did have a honkin' Ford 429 engine under the hood and didn't let any grass grow under its tires. And each door weighed about the same as a Smart Car. Unfortunately it only ran best on leaded gas, and when that fuel was done away with, the car never ran quite the same, so off to the used car lot. Thanks tterrace for the automotive memory. Hello, operatorFar more telling of how long ago 36 years really was, than the cars, or the neon, is the vintage Bell "Public Telephone" sign. The Bell System has been gone since 1984. And the pay phone? I still see its credit-card-reading descendants at odd places like international airports, but inside neighborhood eateries or at gas stations--nope. You know that you are really, really old when you can remember the pay phone. 75 LTD My first car was a '75 LTD that was green. I called it the Tank. It was my grandparents' last car, and so had less than 30,000 miles on it when I got it as a senior in high school in 1986. I loved that car. It had a 429 engine that could pass semis on hills. A top speed of around 120 mph. Lots of power. Sometimes I wish I still had it. Oh well! You want 1975?About the 1970s, kids. I was there, and lived to tell about it. There was inflation, and there was Watergate. There was Vietnam. But worst of all, there was ... Polyester. Chest hair. Disco shoes! Beasley's fixturesLast year, a bunch of Beasley's fixtures, including the juke box system, went up for sale. The family had stored them away since closing. Read about it here. Also, I hasten to point out that this was the rear entrance. Haven't come across a picture of the front online yet, but this one already shows up in Google Images. Payphones lost and so forthWhile it is true that Japanese cars eventually put most Detroit iron on the back lot for years, let's keep in mind that the wide open nature of America allowed a family of six to climb into their LTD/Caprice/Roadmaster and GO someplace. Maybe three or four hundreds miles -- easy like -- to see Grandma. Try that in a Datsun Fairlady/Toyopet/Honda 600. Also keep in mind that the Japanese learned a lot about mass auto production from Americans. And now here comes China. Payphones?This may be a dumb comment, but I know I've seen plenty of Bell payphones around where I live - I'm from Canada, so maybe that makes a difference; also I'm only 19, so I don't know if payphones were somehow different back then...? Anyway, cool photo, I also love the "Sanitary Lunch" sign! I'm not that old!Payphones haven't been gone all that long. I clearly remember late '97 to early '98 as the moment when every day laborer who cashed his paycheck at the Money Box suddenly had a prepaid cell phone. Payphones definitely hung on for a few years after that. The blue-and-white Bell sign has certainly been a collector's item for as long as I can remember, though. We had a '70 LTD. Ours was a four-door, butter yellow. We had it until I was about ten. And I think of an "EATS" sign as something you see in a Popeye cartoon. Yeah, I sure do want 1975Hi Dave I was there too and you're right about stagflation (remember that term) and Viet nam. We do seem to have a tendency to block out less wholesome bits when looking at this period through through the rose coloured lens of our nostalgia. But as a teen during that period, i can honestly say that the only complaint i have about the 70's are disco music and the fact that miniskirts were out of style at the time when i really would have appreciated them. TTerrace. Once again, thanks so much. I look at your pictures, close my eyes and I'm there, the heat of the day beading my forehead with perspiration, but with the odd summer breeze providing a most welcome relief. My throat feels oddly constricted. I wonder why lyle Bars- on windows that isDid Petaluma, California circa 1975 really need security bars on the windows? Or is this shot in So Central LA? tterrace's talentI'm not one to fawn excessively over most things, but I never stop being amazed by the humanity of the photos submitted by "t". They all seem to coincide with moments in time with which most of us can easily relate. In this case, just last night we dined at a restaurant where we had to park in the back like this. Three kitchen workers were on their break sitting outside on the back steps in sweaty, sleeveless white t-shirts and aprons, obviously exhausted, drinking cold liquids and smoking, and my mental snapshot of that scenario was very similar to this behind-the-scenes glimpse into the workings of a restaurant. I have no doubt that tterrace is a "natural", a photographer who stirs emotions in most viewers and his pictures will live on as have those of the other greats on this wonderful website. Such a simple yet mind-stirring photo. I think "t" was born to take pictures and to share them. I certainly appreciate them and thank you. The great payphone differencePayphones still exist in many parts of Canada not because people don't have cellphones but because some provinces have laws requiring that the local phone company continue providing them for public safety purposes. And in some provinces the provincial government still owns the local phone company! Pictographic Content"Beasley's Beasley eats public telephone" is the not so hidden message here. Thanks for the postSorry to be late to the party, I just came across this by chance. I am the grandson of the former owner Jack Beasley. Most of my family worked in the restaurant, although before my time (I was born in '84). My mom actually curses losing her childhood to working so much in this place! We chose to get rid of a lot of the things, like the jukebox, since we had no places for it and my mom remarked that it wasn't the "iconic" jukebox of the era since they had upgraded to that one at the restaurant. She mentioned they sorta regret the upgrade. I also remember growing up on our farm property with random signs from the restaurant and other memorabilia. I really appreciate the post and it gave me fond memories of my grandfather. If any of you would like any more information just let me know. Best, Tom I have the original sign!Tom, I stumbled across your picture posting in a search for the Beasley Eats history. I have had the original 2 sided neon sign for a few years now. I live in the Bay area. I was wondering if you or your family was interested in owning the sign again since it is a part of your family history. [Fantastic! -tterrace] (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Eateries & Bars, tterrapix)
A Sign: 1941
... have been a major job keeping signs illuminated in the pre-neon days. Now even neon is passe -- being replaced by LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). [Neon -- ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/15/2011 - 7:48am -

October 1941. Chillicothe, Ohio. "Jewelers sign." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The stuff that dreams are made ofJust the thing Spade or Marlowe would see from his office window. Mis-spelling?Null points for spelling - both you and the sign maker - Jeweller surely? [In American English, "jeweler" has but one L. - Dave] Little light bulbsIt must have been a major job keeping signs illuminated in the pre-neon days. Now even neon is passe -- being replaced by LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). [Neon -- replaced ages ago by fluorescent backlight signage -- is actually quite chic these days. - Dave] Yes, I never liked fluorescent back-lit signs, they are bland, boring. Neon was more colorful and can be animated. LEDs are more colorful and animateable yet- and can create infinite designs and even pictures. Cool sign, cool photoI think John Vachon took by far the most interesting photographs of anyone from the FSA. De-signsSome of these signs were pretty cleverly designed. The garage sign below is one of my favorites. It sold for $34,500 at auction last year. (The Gallery, John Vachon)
Red Widow: 1911
... commonplace, and how things looked in the era before neon, although if Wikipedia is correct neon lighting was demonstrated in Paris shortly before this photo was taken. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 1:28pm -

New York circa 1911. "Times Square at night." Now playing at the Astor: Raymond Hitchcock as Cicero Hannibal Butts in the musical comedy "Red Widow." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Pity the poor commaAbused here in the Evans' Pastilles sign: FOR COLD'S COUGH'S HOARSENESS. Some things never change! [Pity the poor apostrophe -- so often confused with the comma! - Dave] Why Every Citizen Should Read the ChiefUpper right hand corner has a billboard for New York's Civil Service newspaper, still published today, with the same masthead. Only in the bizarro Shorpy worldWould it were possible that the character Cicero Hannibal Butts was the great-grandfather of today's real-life stage actor Norbert Leo Butts! Hail to The ChiefThe Independent Voice of New York City Civil Service Since 1897, so they say. Still publishing once a week, it was the place to check for info on government jobs in the NYC area before the Internets started laying down their tubes. Same View--Seven Years laterThis is the same view as found in this post but several years later. Looks like the Packard dealer didn't make it. https://www.shorpy.com/node/7407 IncredibleCompared to the non-stop intense sounds of Times Square today, that region looks to have been quiet, even peaceful during the time this picture was taken. Well, peaceful might be a stretch unless you closed your eyes to shield from the already dominant presence of light displays. I love both New Yorks. +99Below is the same view south from 45th Street taken in April of 2010. A Daunting ChallengeMaking a silent movie that's a musical comedy would be quite a challenge, I'd expect. [It would be, and it's not a movie. - Dave] Historical Photos Moments caught on camera that will never be seen again. I love old photos~ Wow! This I really like.What a fantastic and almost unbelievable contrast to today! ChiropodistIt's almost seven at night. Must be autumn? I'm wondering what a Chiropodist was? Someone who cracks your spine with his feet? Someone who handles feet? Endearing Times SquareFrom the halo glow of the Hotel sign atop the building to the plethora of illuminated signs, what a treat this magical place is. The automobiles look almost 3D like and so in focus. It's only 9:35 and the night is still young. How about those cool lanterns on their standards. Oh New York, New York. Two cabs, no waitingIdle taxis waiting for customers at the hack stand. And the chiropodist -- my mom went to one in the 1950s to get her aching feet checked. Great picture. Match Game '11Amazing to see how quickly electric lighting became commonplace, and how things looked in the era before neon, although if Wikipedia is correct neon lighting was demonstrated in Paris shortly before this photo was taken. I see the Match Game is on at the billiard parlor. Probably where Brett Somers made her debut. Louis MartinsVisible on 42nd Street are signs for both the Broadway and Seventh Avenue entrances for this 5,000 seat restaurant and lobster palace. It was the reincarnation of the elaborate but ill-fated Cafe de l'Opera, which failed when it required evening wear, and served food that cooled during the long trip from the kitchen. The Great White WayWas bright as it ever was in 1910. Times Square: The PaintingThe remains of a Chancellor Cigar poster from a drugstore. It took me years to find it depicted Times Square. There's a subway entrance depicted in the right half. I couldn't discern whether there is a similar structure in the photo. ChiropodyThe Chiropodist treated both hand and foot. Chiropody, and emptinessYes, a chiropodist is someone who handles feet - specifically, treats things like bunions, corns etc. They're still known as such in the UK (I think they're podiatrists now in the US but I might be wrong!) I love the cars/taxis! And how empty it looks. I've never seen it like that. Was it realyl short exposure so all the people are blurred and not really visible? (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
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