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Breaker Boys: 1900
... mine after he got married, and lived a long life. Vance Palmer was a trapper, but worked in a glass factory almost his whole adult ... worked in the mines, and died at the age of 60. Puma, Palmer, and Beafore were married and had children. Get your facts straight ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 7:15pm -

Kingston, Pennsylvania, circa 1900. "Breaker boys, Woodward Coal Mines." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. BoggledI love the photos on this site, but the pervasive idea that child labor was a good thing for those children working long, hard hours in dangerous mines and factories is simply mind-boggling. Salt of the EarthI've read enough of Joe Manning's interviews to form a sort of composite biography of these breaker boys, who sorted coal after it came out of the mine. Worked, got married, had four or five kids, lived to a ripe old age. Generally speaking, no regrets. Breaker BoysThis is Joe Manning, of the Lewis Hine Project. The previous comments by anonymous are a total misrepresentation of my work and has me more than a bit ticked off. I've posted five stories on my site of boys who worked in coal mines. Only Arthur Albicker was a breaker boy. In 1911, he and another breaker boy fell into an open chute. Arthur was badly injured and the other boy was killed. Arthur eventually recovered and returned to work. He died at the age of 36 from lung disease caused by being gassed in WWI. His wife was pregnant with their first child. Joe Puma was a nipper, later left the mine after he got married, and lived a long life. Vance Palmer was a trapper, but worked in a glass factory almost his whole adult life, and died at the age of 50. Henry Sharp Higginbotham (Shorpy) was a greaser and died in a mining accident at the age of 32, his wife pregnant with their first child. Joe Beafore was photographed by Hine in a glass factory, later worked in the mines, and died at the age of 60. Puma, Palmer, and Beafore were married and had children. Get your facts straight Anonymous, or please don't comment on my work. If OnlyIf only these young men were able to do some commenting of their own. I imagine they might have a few sharp words for the boo-hoo brigade. Looking on the brightsideI'm sure slaves likely didn't complain much day to day and made the best of the situation they were in -- would that make slavery an acceptable practice to you? Work EthicThese young men grew up and gave us the country that we grew up in. What will we leave behind? Avenging AngelsAlways amused by the retroactive righteous indignation so predictably if pointlessly poured out on these pages. The need to tut-tut and show your moral superiority is an itch too powerful not to be scratched in public! My great-granddadWorked in the Pennsylvania coal mines along with most of his eight brothers, starting at age 15. Grandma said her mother had something like 100 cousins. What's for lunch?Tut tutting and indignation aside, I always wonder what was in their lunch boxes. A great photoLike Lewis Hine, but with good composition and a budget. One's perspective.I think you'll find those who think these boys came out the stronger with no regrets for their child labor are speaking from the position of having done little similar work themselves at any age. Otherwise, you might have a different kind of appreciation for what our forefathers went through growing up in turn of the century USA. From my perspective, youngsters can always benefit from "work" of some sort but the kind of things documented in these photos only proves how far we've advanced and not how lazy and coddled today's children have become. My grandpa told stories of waking up in the family log cabin, 5 to 10 years after this photo was taken, and brushing the snow off his bed covers that had blown in overnight. His description of those winter mornings 100 years ago didn't once make me think back on those as the good ol' days, it only made me appreciate modern central heating more. Well, it happenedWe have child labor laws. They grew out of the conditions child laborers faced and are both accepted and preferred in today's economy. Today, our children don't do this. But, at one time, they did. Ample photographic evidence exists of that state of affairs. The child laborers likely did not see themselves as victims, and they are not portrayed as victims in their photos. How, exactly, should one proceed? Should we not display the photos at all? Should we only display the photos with stern commentary about how awful those days were? Or should we accept the complexity of the situation--that children worked in dangerous and dirty conditions out of both custom and economic necessity, that these children took pride in their work, and that reformers tried to and ultimately succeeded in putting a stop to this labor? (The Gallery, DPC, Kids, Mining)
Metalhead: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. Slice and Dice Those curlicues ... different. - Dave] (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 3:31pm -

October 1942. "Office employee Annette del Sur publicizing salvage campaign in yard of Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, California. The earrings and hair ornaments are fashioned from aluminum turnings." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. Slice and DiceThose curlicues look sharp enough to be dangerous. Metal shavings are sharp!Hopefully, she had those shavings sanded down a little. When I was young and stupid, I made a copper "ring" with a pipe-cutter and didn't realize the indent it made on the inside of the ring had an edge! Picture # 2I am sure I saw this same picture published on these pages on an earlier date. [This is our third photo of Annette so far. But they're all different. - Dave] (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
Killer B: 1942
... plant, Kansas City." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. View full size. You give us those nice bright colors ... was the daze... (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2012 - 12:18pm -

July 1942. "Production. B-25 bombers. Mounting a 1700-horsepower Wright Whirlwind engine to the firewall of a B-25 bomber. Fairfax bomber plant, Kansas City." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. View full size. You give us those nice bright colors Kodachrome remains the photo standard. What a loss! That Stopped the Corrosion....That zinc chromate paint was a necessary factor in keeping the corrosion of aluminum to a minimum.(whew!) Considering the fact that many B-25's ended up in the Pacific theatre, it was a wise choice. Admittedly, it's a great color for the Kodachrome format. Caption CXI'm suremit's in the original caption, but you might note that no B-25 version was powered by the Wright Whirlwind. Virtually all were powered by Wright Twin Cyclones. Fairfax Airportin Kansas City Kansas, built 6,608 B-25's and sent 862 to Russia, the 1700hp engines were Wright R-2600-92 and were 14 cylinders in double row. Good view of the de-icing bootA useful safety innovation from B.F. Goodrich. Developed in the 1920s, these rubber boots on the wing leading edges could be inflated with compressed air to crack off accumulations of ice. Ice on the wings reduces the airfoil efficiency, sometimes to the point that there's insufficient lift to maintain altitude. Man on the chainNote the classic aviation style overalls, and on his belt, a ring to hold "tool chits," brass tags that were turned in at tool room for specialty tools. Thems was the daze... (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
A Full Tank: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. Tanks Can someone tell me ... but also bolts. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2012 - 11:07pm -

June 1942. M-3 tank and crew at Fort Knox, Kentucky. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. TanksCan someone tell me which of these guys is the commander? anyone? The commander is...The commander sat in the turret, so that's him in the upper right. Because it had two main guns, it had 2 gun crews. The Soviets called this tank "The Grave For Seven Brothers." Thanks ACThanks my uncle was a tank commander in WWII RivetsI had heard this tank was especially dangerous for its crew because it was riveted and not welded together. When struck by incoming, broken rivets could fly around the interior like bullets. The great resolution of this photo shows not only rivets but also bolts. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, WW2)
Balloon Wranglers: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. Use? How were these things used? Looks like it would be a ... bombs in 1944. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 1:58pm -

May 1942. Another shot of Marines training with barrage balloons at Parris Island, S.C. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. Use?How were these things used? Looks like it would be a sitting duck on the battlefield. [Hmm. If only there were some easy way to look up the answer. - Dave] Barrage BalloonsAw come on Dave you know that there are people in your readership who are just as capable as Google in giving an answer. Barrage balloons were used primarily to protect fixed installations or cities. The idea was to force aircraft - specifically dive bombers - to drop their bombs from higher altitudes thereby reducing accuracy and or to force a low flying plane to change course repeatedly rather than have a straight bombing run. The cables with which a barrage balloon was tethered would be dangerous to planes - they could rip a wing off for example. The British deployed more than 400 barrage balloons over London in 1940 (during the Blitz) and by 1944 there were over 3000 barrage balloons in England. The Balloon Barrage destroyed over 200 V-1 flying bombs in 1944. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
Testing, Testing: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. Always amazing It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful and ... trade as a "megger" (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 8:35pm -

October 1942. "Testing electric wiring at Douglas Aircraft Company. Long Beach, California." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. Always amazingIt never ceases to amaze me how beautiful and detailed these 4X5 Kodachromes are. Every hair, the text on the equipment - it is all there. Great photo! [Detail below. - Dave] Testing...Good grief, at first glance I thought she was one of my old schoolteachers. Insulation testingAmong other things, she's testing the strength of the insulation with that Megohmeter, known in the trade as a "megger" (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
Angel of History: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. Cowling I believe the yellow painted parts on the cowling are ... worker's head is. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 3:37pm -

B-25 bomber cowl assembly, North American Aviation, Kansas City, Kansas. October 1942. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. CowlingI believe the yellow painted parts on the cowling are actuators that open the small cowling doors around the engine for cooling on the ground during runups and taxing, if anyone knows about this, I'd like to know more about it. Shock MountsThose yellow things are Dynafocal mounts, where the powerplant attaches to the engine mount ring, which is attached to the airframe structure. They dampen vibrations from the running engine and keep them from transferring to the airframe. The cowl flaps are on separate ring which goes on after the engine and mount are joined. I do not know if the 25 had electric or hydraulic actuators. There is also a metal/asbestos ring (fire seal) which goes around the gap where the engine accessory case goes thru the hole where the worker's head is. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
Long Beach: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. This aircraft While you may be ... feature women. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 4:54pm -

October 1942. "American mothers and sisters, like these women at the Douglas Aircraft Company plant in Long Beach, California, give important help in producing dependable planes for their men at the front." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. This aircraftWhile you may be right about it being a B-17, I am not certain it is. This cannot be the area where the B-17 wing carries through the fuselage, because it was low-wing and hugely thick. This is most likely the horizontal stabilizer area in the back of the plane. If you look at the original in the top left you can see a structure which is probably the leading edge of the tail fin and above their heads are support structures for the vertical tail. What has me confused are those reinforcement strips below them. Any idea....why type of airplane they're working on? I've found sources saying Douglas built B-17s at the Long Beach factory. This seems to be one. The section they're working in could be where the wings meet the fuselage. [The B-17F "Flying Fortress" bomber, A-20 "Havoc" assault bomber and C-47 transport were among the aircraft made at the Long Beach plant. - Dave] AirplaneCould those strips be part of a cradle underneath the fuselage? Hard to tell because of the shadows, but they look like they may have some sort of padding between them and the plane. FrumpMother is getting kinda frumpy, but sister is attractive. Ever Noticed?The Kodachromes with the most comments feature women. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
The Finishing Touches: 1942
... View full size. Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. No OSHA The guy on the ladder at left is standing on the edge of ... final fate. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 9:28am -

October 1942. Final assembly for a B-25 bomber at North American Aviation, Inglewood, Calif. View full size. Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. No OSHAThe guy on the ladder at left is standing on the edge of the top step! Oddly enough......this fellow's name was Jim Osha and his unfortunate accident immediately after this picture was taken had far reaching ramifications... :-) Safety 1stHe actually fell after photo was taken? Do you know what happened next? Was he badly injured or killed from his fall? Were better safety measures taken after the fall? Just curious to know, I work in aviation and have always been instructed on working safely. [That was a joke. Jim Osha. Get it? - Dave] B-25 in the backgroundThe B-25 at the right edge of the photo (tail #253332 or 42-53332) had an interesting history. It was transferred to the Netherlands East Indies Air Force as #N5-122 as part of a joint NEIAF and RAAF squadron that operated out of Australia (since the Dutch East Indies had largely fallen to Japan.) That squadron apparently suffered great losses of the B-25Cs, but no word on this plane’s final fate. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
The Avenger: 1943
... at Vultee-Nashville. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. View full size. Great pic ... very strenuous. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/06/2021 - 11:50am -

February 1943. Working on a "Vengeance" dive-bomber at Vultee-Nashville. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. View full size. Great picAnother great pic of America at war. No commentary about race or gender. Times have changed, and I'm glad to see that ethnicity, race, and gender are (almost) irrelevant with respect to jobs, wages, dating, etc... Look at her muscles!I would not want to get into a fight with that lady. Work at these factories must have been very strenuous. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
River of Fire: 1941
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. Youngstown, OH A friend just ... the monkey." (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Industry & Public Works) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 3:29pm -

November 1941. "Slag runoff from one of the open-hearth furnaces at Republic Steel in Youngstown, Ohio. Slag is drawn off the furnace just before the molten steel is poured into ladles for ingotting." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. Youngstown, OHA friend just introduced me to this blog and I was so excited to see this picture. My grandfather worked at this steel mill. He probably didn't get there until the 50s, but I'm sure it looked the same. Light of the mills.I grew up on the near north side of Youngstown and during WWII we could read our comic books on my front porch by the light of the furnaces. It was a great place in the 1940s and 50s. Steel Mill PhotosCan anyone direct me to more Steel Mill photos on Shorpy? [Use the Search box at the top of the page. - Dave] Flushing the monkey.Open-hearth furnaces had one tap hole and when tapped everything came out. Steel first then the slag. This a blast furnace. The slag notch on a blast furnace is several feet higher in the hearth than the iron notch which is at the very bottom. The bustle pipe above the workman's head and the tuyere just to the right of where he is standing are the giveaways. Here the slag is being tapped off before it can reach the tuyeres and in anticipation of tapping the iron. Many years ago I knew an ex steel worker who had retired in the late fifties. He told me where he had worked the slag notch was called the monkey and tapping off the slag was "flushing the monkey." (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Industry & Public Works)
Pistons Aplenty: 1942
... Cincinnati." Medium format nitrate negative by Alfred Palmer for the OWI. View full size. Zollner Pistons I see that these ... powered tank used by the Marines. (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, Cincinnati Photos, Factories, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 2:39pm -

February 1942. "Aluminum casting. A woman's place in this large Midwest aluminum factory is on the inspection line. She's giving a final checkup on these aluminum pistons which are destined for use by America's armed forces. Destination of the finished aluminum products is kept secret. They'll probably end up as jeep or airplane engine parts. Aluminum Industries Inc., Cincinnati." Medium format nitrate negative by Alfred Palmer for the OWI. View full size. Zollner PistonsI see that these pistons have "Zollner Heavy Duty" cast in them. Zollner Pistons of Fort Wayne, Indiana was a (the?) leading piston manufacturer in the USA, and was bought by a German manufacturing firm in 1999. Fred Zollner founded the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons basketball team, which later was called the Fort Wayne Pistons, and is now the Detroit Pistons. PistonsThese look rather big for a Jeep engine. InspectingI love her coiffed hair, possibly hand-stitched collar, pretty puff-sleeve dress, and kitchen style apron. She looks like a perfect little housewife.. until you notice her workman's gloves. Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. PistonsThe pistons appear to be for a slow RPM engine, diesel maybe, because of the long skirts. Also they must now go to a lathe and have "ring lands" cut in them. Washington PistonsI'd suspect that those are tank pistons rather than aircraft or jeep. Willys MB or Ford GP 'jeeps" had 4 cylinders with less than 130 CID. Perhaps these went into a Sherman M4A2 diesel powered tank used by the Marines. (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, Cincinnati Photos, Factories, WW2)
Flag Day: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. Hmm, something wrong there.. Someone goofed, there are only 48 ... (I'm from Italy...) (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Patriotic, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 12:00pm -

"The floating folds of the Star Spangled Banner symbolize the American way of life to soldiers in training for the battles that will bring freedom to an unhappy, wartorn world." Fort Knox, Kentucky, June 1942. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. Hmm, something wrong there..Someone goofed, there are only 48 stars!! :-) no, I'm not serious Happy Flag Day, 2007!Happy Flag Day, everyone! Simply delighted to live here. - Kristy in Texas (where my husband puts out the flag as soon as the sun comes up) Beautiful! My new wallpaper!Beautiful! My new wallpaper! Flag DayIt's a day to honor our flag, we should all have raised our flags, my grandparents were born in Italy flag day?what's the "flag day"? (I'm from Italy...) (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Patriotic, WW2)
Student Driver: 1942
... Kentucky." 4x5 inch Kodachrome trans­parency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. View full size. Re: Stuart M3 ... on the M3A1. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/05/2014 - 3:37pm -

June 1942. "Light tank, Fort Knox, Kentucky." 4x5 inch Kodachrome trans­parency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. View full size. Re: Stuart M3 Light TankMy father always said these tanks were death traps. They sustained many casualties against the Germans in those early battles in North Africa. The German tanks were far superior. It wasn't until the introduction of the M4 Sherman tank that we had something that could compete. Yank in a TankMy father trained at Fort Knox before the war started and was in the first battles fought in North Africa in 1942. He commanded an M3 light tank. This is a photo taken during their training days. My father is the one in the turret at the top. This looks like the same type of tank in today's post. Quandary Did 'Sarge' say the first left or the second left? A Few Good MenLooks like Gomer Pyle, but he was a Marine. Stuart M3 Light TankThat's what it appears to be. Here's a link to a running, if somewhat worse for wear version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URclSaYDFwA War Is HellHere's another shot of an M3 Stuart illustrating how dangerous they could be when hit. Not sure if this was during pre-war training or in North Africa. My father's note on the back only says, "A tank on fire." Incendiary nicknameWW2 GIs had an unkind nickname for US tanks..."Ronson" after the popular cigarette lighter, whose catch phrase was "lights up first time, every time", referring to how quickly the gasoline-powered tanks caught fire when hit by the Germans. On a similar note, several versions of the later M4 Sherman were equipped with a flame thrower [and were widely used in the Pacific]--these flame tanks were known as "Zippos". SirenNote the siren next to the assistant driver's bow machine gun. Just above it you can see the end of the sponson machine gun. These were later eliminated on the M3A1. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, WW2)
Made for Each Other: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. He's cute. But the pinky rings aren't..! [He's also ... little tenderness... (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 9:31am -

Preparing a model of the B-25 bomber for the wind tunnel at North American Aviation's plant at Inglewood, California. October 1942. The model maker holds an exact miniature reproduction of the type of bomb the plane will carry. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. He's cute.But the pinky rings aren't..! [He's also here, minus his shoes. - Dave] Hm."Where do I put it?" Big BombThat looks like quite a large bomb for the plane. Maybe it was a special use device like a dam-buster; even bears a striking resemblance to the Little Boy Hiroshima bomb. HmmmI'm thinking of the opening to Dr. Strangelove. Try a little tenderness... (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
Where's Adolf?
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency: Alfred Palmer. Awesome Suck it, Hitler. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 10:19pm -

May 1942. Langley Field, Virginia. YB-17 bombardment squadron. "Hitler would like this man to go home and forget about the war. A good American non-com at the side machine gun of a huge YB-17 bomber is a man who knows his business and works hard at it." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency: Alfred Palmer. AwesomeSuck it, Hitler. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
Bathing Beauty: 1942
... the previous operation." 4x5 nitrate negative by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. View full size. Effable ... "staged" -- it's posed. - Dave] (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, Factories, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 7:10pm -

February 1942. Akron, Ohio. "Conversion. Beverage containers to aviation oxygen cylinders. Removal from solution tank at a rubber factory now producing metal essential for the Army. This bath, which follows the removal of the weld scale, gives the inside of the cylinder a further cleaning and removes all chemicals which may remain from the previous operation." 4x5 nitrate negative by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. View full size. EffablePrime Fark material here. Tank McNamara Approves!Shorpy loves him some oxygen tanks! https://www.shorpy.com/node/2403 https://www.shorpy.com/node/3245 https://www.shorpy.com/node/3737 https://www.shorpy.com/node/6187 https://www.shorpy.com/node/3831 Firestone Steel ProductsThere's a good chance that this photo was taken at the Firestone Steel Products Division in Akron. They also assembled Bofors wheel mounted cannons for the war. Great lightingThe light that makes this shot is the one behind the man. See how it lights both the subject and the figure, both giving depth and mood. Brilliant. Staged though, obviously. Also look at the movement in the man's hands, you can see the rope through them. [It's not "staged" -- it's posed. - Dave] (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, Factories, WW2)
Fledglings: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 4:11pm -

October 1942. "Another B-25 bomber rolls off the final assembly line to join other ships in the outdoor assembly area. North American Aviation Inc. Inglewood, California." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
A Cup of Fire: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. Captivating I don't know if ... Euclid Square Mall. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 3:57pm -

February 1942. "Casting a billet from an electric furnace, Chase Brass and Copper Co., Euclid, Ohio. Modern electric furnaces speeding the production of brass and other copper alloys for national defense. Here the molten metal is poured or cast from the tilted furnace into a mold to form a billet. The billet later is worked into rods, tubes, wires or special shapes for a variety of uses." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. CaptivatingI don't know if it's the fire or the size of the machine next to the men, but there's something about this picture that's absolutely captivating. Chase BrassNow it's the site of the Euclid Square Mall. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, WW2)
First Flight: 1942
... View full size. 5x4 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the OWI. Taking a Hard Look I love how the guard is looking ... in action" in 1943. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2012 - 11:03pm -

B-25 bombers on the outdoor assembly line at North American Aviation, almost ready for their first test flight. Kansas City, Kansas. October 1942. View full size. 5x4 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the OWI. Taking a Hard LookI love how the guard is looking at the B-25 in the foreground like he had never seen one before. Maybe it was his first day on the job. Flight planIt's amazing, by today's standards, how small these aircraft really were. My father loved airplanes. Back in the 1930s, he'd go out to the local grass landing strip, pay the fee and get a ride in the old "barnstorming" biplanes of the day. When WWII came along, he wanted to join the air force. However, he was a big man who carried a few extra pounds. The air force refused him on the basis of his weight. Looking at these aircraft, I can see why. He ended up in the Navy and went "missing in action" in 1943. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
Outta My Way: 1942
... -- Fort Knox, Kentucky." Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. View full size. Creepy! ... head looking out. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/07/2017 - 3:51pm -

June 1942. "Tank driver -- Fort Knox, Kentucky." Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. View full size. Creepy!When the random thumbnail popped up, I saw a death's head looking out. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, WW2)
Wingwoman: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. This reminds me so much of This reminds me so much of the ... the Riveter" poster. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 12:02pm -

October 1942. Inglewood, California. North American Aviation drill operator in the control surface department assembling horizontal stabilizer section of an airplane. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. This reminds me so much ofThis reminds me so much of the popular "Rosie the Riveter" poster. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
Killing Machine: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. Tank Driver His face is so ... war until V-J Day (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 3:22pm -

June 1942. Army tank driver at Fort Knox, Kentucky. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. Tank DriverHis face is so sharp and clear, I can't stop looking at him - I think I'm in love. I wonder who he was? The TankBased on the shape of the driver's observation port (or whatever it's called) this is probably an M3 Medium - known to the British as the General Lee type. To our left, the driver's right is the sponson for the tank's main armament, a 75 mm hull mounted gun. Above him is a 37 mm turret mounted gun. The British disliked the height of the turret on this tank, and replaced the turret with a lower profile one to make a type they called the General Grant. The Russians, who got 1,300 via Lend-Lease, called them the "coffin for seven brothers." The Grant/Lee type were withdrawn from combat in Europe by mid-1943 but continued to operate in the China-Burma-India theater of the Pacific war until V-J Day (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, WW2)
Mobilized: December 1941
... Ohio." View full size. 4x5 nitrate negative by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Cleveland, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 4:11pm -

December 1941. "New recruits for America's armies. Scout cars ready for delivery. White Motor Company, Cleveland, Ohio." View full size. 4x5 nitrate negative by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Cleveland, WW2)
Doing Her Part: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. I miss you Please, please, please, bring back my Kodachrome. I miss you dearly! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 5:39pm -

October 1942. Inglewood, California. "Young woman employee of North American Aviation working over the landing gear mechanism of a P-51 fighter plane." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. I miss youPlease, please, please, bring back my Kodachrome. I miss you dearly! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
A Swell Soiree: 1942
... View full size. Medium format negative by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. What names! French Vineyard ... photograph! Great picture. (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, Pittsburgh, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 11:19am -

August 1942. "A poster comes to life. Another democratic institution, beer and pretzels. Chief radioman Evans, at extreme left, reaches for a slice of the ham which Mrs. Woolslayer is serving. Sergeant Vineyard is wearing the paper hat. Allegheny Steel, Pittsburgh." One in a series of dozens of photos taken of the three men in a WW2 poster after they decided to get together. View full size. Medium format negative by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. What names!French Vineyard might be a remarkable (if unGoogleable) name, but Woolslayer is pretty amazing too. By the way, Wikipedia tells me the Duquesne Brewing Co. closed its doors in 1972. Another local brewery down the tubes. And notice the ketchup bottleIf it's ketchup, it's GOT to be Heinz. Especially if it's a Pittsburgh photograph! Great picture. (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, Pittsburgh, WW2)
Boilermaker: 1942
... boilers for a ship." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. View full size. Combustion Engineering Sixty-six years later ... like that anymore. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 7:51pm -

June 1942. "Combustion Engineering Co., Chattanooga. Welder making boilers for a ship." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. View full size. Combustion EngineeringSixty-six years later it still looks exactly the same in that factory. They are still making boilers. Matt C Chattanooga, TN Combustion EngineeringWorked for CE many times in the field. Things don't change much -- this picture could have been taken today. What he's working on is called a spool piece. - Bill Ricards, Boilermaker Local 169, Michigan Welding Cables are lighter todayI am sure you are correct about the boiler but welding has changed some over the years we do not have to use a big fat copper cable like that anymore. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, WW2)
Boston Harbor: 1906
... Indian. The three white 5-masted schooners are from the Palmer Fleet which carried coal between Hampton Roads, VA and the New England. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2012 - 4:38pm -

Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1906. "Boston Harbor and waterfront." Panorama of two 8x10 inch glass negatives, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The Waning Days of SailThe three ships with 5 masts each out in the harbor must be Cape Horners. Around the turn of the twentieth century, these enormous ships were constructed to be the fastest to Asia (before the Panama Canal), their speed outstripping even the storied "clipper ships." Day-OThe smokestack with the diamond (left side of picture)is a United Fruit Company, now Chiquita Brands, "banana boat." What's the island in the background?Pretty sure this was taken from Old Harbor South Boston making the samll island in the background Western Way or Thompson Island. Incredible ChangeThere are very few things extant in this photo. The Custom House Block building is still there as is the three story building to its left. Yet beyond that it is near unrecognizable. The end of Long Wharf was the rented Boston Immigration Station now a open public pavillion. Central Wharf, which says Mellin's Food for Infants and Invalids is now home to the New England Aquarium. The islands of the inner harbor can still be seen here. On the horizon from right to left there are many now lost landmarks. At the farthest right is Deer Island and the Suffolk County House of Correction which stood from 1880-1991). Next in the foreground is Governor's Island (with all those prominent trees) which was destroyed with Apple Island with the building of Logan International Airport. Apple is the thinnest mark almost lost in the masts of the white ships. The town of Winthrop is the rise above Apple with well built up Breed's Island to it's left. Part of Breed's became part of Logan and the rest were fused to East Boston. Philadelphia SteaPhiladelphia Stea? (just to the left of the big black ship funnel in the left/center foreground): Steaks Steam Steamers Steamships Steamship Company Steamship Company Ltd. BTW, who is piloting that rail barge a few yards from the dock in open water?? [Boston and] Philadelphia Stea[mship Line]Most likely "Philadelphia Steamship" or "Philadelphia Steamship Line," from the Boston and Philadelphia Steamship Company. Agent: Francis P. Wing Reference 1 Reference 2 Reference 3 (PDF) Hard work and leisureFrom a European point of view, even big schooners were coasters rather than Cape Horners. The latter tended to be the domain of square-riggers (such as the Flying P-liners). Anyway, those two pretty little steam yachts to the right make a nice contrast to the brawny cargo haulers. Five-Masted Coal SchoonersBy 1900 few if any East Coast sailing ships were still engaged in the China Trade. Pacific Coast steamships and the Transcontinental Railroad had taken over most of that commerce as early as the 1870s. The great five-masted schooners seen here, all more than 300 feet in length, were mostly built in Maine beginning in the late 1890s to deliver coal to Boston and other East Coast ports. Some remained in service into the 1930s. Similar Pacific Coast schooners were used to deliver lumber. Here is a typical Maine schooner under sail, the "Martha P. Small," built in 1901. A brief history of five- and six-masted schooners. Maritime CommerceIt was different in 1906. There's a barque being moved by a steam tug slightly left of center; you'd never see a commercial square rigger today. The large coasting schooners have all vanished long ago, too. Even the steamships are classic, period pieces: the Metropolitan Steamship Company (right foreground) operated coastwise, overnight ferries to New York, leaving every day at 4 PM, according to the Wikipedia article. H. M Whitney, in center foreground, was one of its earlier ships, built in 1890 in Philadelphia and in spite of having been sunk in a collision and later raised, looks very smart in the photo. The two, near-sister twin funneled steamships moving down-channel in the center of the image are also handsome ships, lifeboats and davits very white considering their exposure to all that coal smoke. They too seem to be passenger ships. We tend to forget that in 1906, roads were unpaved except in downtown areas, cars were slow and unreliable, and passenger air travel could barely be imagined. While trains were faster, coastwise travel by ship was more efficient and still very popular. The group of schooner masts on the left look like fishing schooners; these continued working the Grand Banks up to World War II. There's a relatively modern looking steam ferry in that part of the photo also. A great variety of maritime commerce, where today you would probably see just an occasional container ship or oil tanker. Coastwise trade in freight (but not passengers) still goes on, but it's mostly in barges pushed or towed by tugs, and Boston has lost ground to New York in international maritime trade. Jib SailsI love the pic of the schooner from willc with five main sails and the jib sails on the bowsprit to match. A marvelous photo so full ofA marvelous photo so full of detail. The ship in the lower right corner identified by the name on her stern is the H.M Whitney. Built for the Metropolitan Steam Ship Company (Whose name can be seen on a flag and the M on the funnel) in 1890. She was sunk in Boston harbour in 1892 when run down by another steamer. Raised and restored, the H.M Whitney continued in M.S.S.Co service. She struck a rock in Hells Gate, N Y Harbour in fog in 1908 but did not sink. In WWI, the H.M. Whitney was sold for ocean service. She seems to have been renamed the Maria Pinango in 1923 and in 1928 sank while in tow near the Azores. Quite a story. I've seen this picture before...This panorama also appeared in the book "Portrait of a Port - Boston, 1852-1914" by W. H. Bunting (First Harvard University Press, 1971). In the book Mr. Bunting identifies several of the ships: Steaming down channel is the Dominion Atlantic liner Prince George bound for Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. In the lower left hand corner is the Boston & Philadelphia steamer Indian. The three white 5-masted schooners are from the Palmer Fleet which carried coal between Hampton Roads, VA and the New England. In 1905 the fleet delivered 123 loads of coal to New England. They could make the round trip between Hampton Roads and Boston in about three weeks including loading time. Beyond the schooners is Governor's Island now part of Logan Airport. The Metropolitan Line steamer H. M. Whitney ran to New York. She lies on the north side of India Wharf. If anyone has any question about what else is in the picture post a note here and I'll see if I can answer it. Crane shipAcross the harbor appears to be an old hulk built into a crane ship and listing to port. (Panoramas, Boats & Bridges, Boston, DPC)
War Machine: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. WWII Photos These Aircraft factory photos are great, I love ... shoe box. - Dave] (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 12:42pm -

October 1942. Cowling and control rods are added to motors for B-25 bombers as they move down the assembly line at North American Aviation, Inglewood, Calif. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. WWII PhotosThese Aircraft factory photos are great, I love seeing them since I work in aviation. [Well thanks. I think there may be a few more at the bottom of the shoe box. - Dave] (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
B-17 Betty: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. OWI Kodachromes Man, all these ... a gorgeous bonus. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 3:28pm -

October 1942. Long Beach, California. "Girl riveting machine operator at the Douglas Aircraft Company plant joins sections of wing ribs to reinforce the inner wing assemblies of B-17F heavy bombers." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. OWI KodachromesMan, all these WWII factory shots are so beautifully composed and lit! The colors are a gorgeous bonus. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
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