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The Toyopet Kid: 1960
... in January 1960. Full disclosure: it's my brother's unlit pipe and I'm not driving. I'm in a parked 1960 Crown Custom at Hil Probert's ... was corked with rubber stopper on a nylon string. The pipe was a nice touch I never pictured your house on a hill. Maybe I got ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 06/24/2009 - 5:01pm -

In answer to countless requests for photos of 13-year-old boys smoking pipes while driving the automobile ultimately to be called the Toyota, I hereby submit this 35mm Kodacolor negative my brother took in January 1960. Full disclosure: it's my brother's unlit pipe and I'm not driving. I'm in a parked 1960 Crown Custom at Hil Probert's Toyopet dealership in Larkspur, California. That's our house up the hill at the top right. Note the special bonus for fellow Shorpy obsolete car make aficionados. View full size. Look out below!That house didn't slide down the hill and into the car lot did it? It looks like it is perched on the edge of a previous landslide. Fill er upIn a circa 1959 car mag I read an article on one of these early Toyotas (the Tiara, I think). The reviewer noted with some surprise that instead of a regular gas cap, the fuel filler was corked with rubber stopper on a nylon string. The pipe was a nice touchI never pictured your house on a hill. Maybe I got things confused, in my mind's eye with that picture of you and your brother in 1949, on your grandmother's steps. You shot an AeroI believe the dark-colored car is a Willys Aero from 1952-55, the last generation of Willys passenger cars. First case of dealer buy-back?An elderly aunt of mine bought an early model Toyopet and experienced considerable woes with its mechanical reliability. As this was a secondary product line with a well-established dealer in her town, he had the good sense to buy the car back from her. Not sure of the exact history from there, but a vague memory is that Toyota pulled out of the U.S. market until they had the bugs worked out of their export products. ToyopetI have heard that roller skates had more under the hood than a Toyopet! I hope your family never had the misfortune to have one of these sad vehicles. Of course, that same car might be worth a fortune today. Obsolete featuresSuicide doors at the rear, but is it a working semaphore on the B pillar or a delete plate for U.S. import? Former Toyopet ownersMy, I hadn't seen one of those since ... forever! My dad owned a light green Toyopet Crown back in the early 1960s. Used, but almost new, bought through a local Datsun dealer. Toyota didn't have permanent operations in Mexico at the time, so the car was basically an "orphan" which at best got serviced at the local Datsun shop with Datsun spares. I am told that once, when the little motor finally gave up, it was refurbished completely with Datsun spare parts, from pistons and rings to valve lifters and such. Funny thing is, they fit and worked nicely in that car, making it good for another several thousand miles. I've heard the Toyopet was indeed flimsy and had a whole lot of space under the hood - my brother used to joke that the engine was barely bigger than one of those exercise wheels they give hamsters to run in; he even said that the engine was rated at about "1 HP" (Hamster Power). Nevertheless, that car lasted well into the early '70s with the family, and in the meantime it made a lot of trips to my grandparents' home, a grueling, three-hour trip over a rutted dirt road that among other amenities crossed several BIG railroads and forded a river that could get you stuck in the rainy season. Lots of childhood adventures there! Guam ToyopetIn the late '60's our family was stationed on Guam, and my dad drove a dark blue Toyopet for a short time. Judging from the color slides I've seen, it looks like a 1959 model. I can't recall the circumstances (I was 4 or 5), maybe our Coronet wagon was in the shop, or we were waiting for it to be shipped from the States. We lived on Anderson AFB, and drove that thing all over the island. I wonder what ever happened to it. ToyopetMy father had a car repair shop from the 30s until 1972. I remember him and his friends laughing at a Toyopet that had been in a wreck. When he took off the front fender, on the inside you could see the printing on the cans that had been used to make it. House on the hillAbout that chasm below our house: up until two years prior to this shot, that was a continuation of the gentle slope seen above and to the left, covered by acacias. One day a crew showed up and, after clearing the trees, brought in earth movers that excavated up to within a few feet of our foundation - which turned out to slightly encroach the adjoining property. Other than scaring us to death, the eyesore remained vacant for several years - during which our house fortunately remained in the spot on which it had been built in 1906. A couple years after this photo was taken an ugly apartment building was built way down at street level, as seen on Shorpy here. All of it, our former home included, is still there today. Also, kudos to commenter argo for nailing the Willys Aero identification. Toyopet PowerI was stationed in Japan with the Navy in the late 1960's. My buddy and I owned a 1962 Toyopet Crown that appears to have been nearly identical to the one in the picture, but with right hand drive. There was a mild hill near the base, and if there were more than two people in the car, the extra passengers would have to get out and walk up the hill. I do remember we never had a mechanical problem with the car, and when we got new orders, we sold it for we had paid for it two years earlier. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, tterrapix)
The Modern Kitchen: 1920
... Two Kitchen Questions 1) What is the purpose of the pipe-shaped apparatus on the upper and lower portions of the front of the ... are nickel-plated gas lines. The valves screw into that pipe and are adjustable. The bell shape in front of the valve is part of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 3:39pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Kitchen of Ernest G. Walker," newspaperman and real-estate developer. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Magnesite FloorThe kitchen floor is [or at least could be] a waterproof concrete-like product called magnesite, and has continuous mop boards molded in to facilitate easy cleaning. Magnesite was a popular choice for upscale kitchen and other utility floors in the teens and twenties, and was also used for kitchen counters and even sinks. The Will Rogers Ranch House in Malibu still has its magnesite kitchen counters, which are an attractive pale doeskin color. It was also tinted with pigments and scored to look like quarry tile flooring in 1920s houses. My Materials Handbook defines it thus: "A flooring material composed of calcined magnesite, magnesium chloride, sawdust, ground quartz or silica, and fine powdered wood waste; used as a finishing surface on concrete floor slabs." Two Kitchen Questions1) What is the purpose of the pipe-shaped apparatus on the upper and lower portions of the front of the range? It doesn't appear to be part of the gas line. [They're bumpers that protect the valves. - Dave] 2) What technological or inspirational leap was required to create a single spigot on a kitchen (or bathroom) sink that would handle the outflow of both hot and cold water and — mercy me! — allow them to mix as warm as well? I've always wondered this in connection with older plumbing. Bonus question: In the jar on the side table, that's the best Mr. Walker could do for flowers? Modern TimesI wonder what material is on the two tables. It looks to be tacked down to the one on the left and draped over the one next to the stove. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was vinyl....but I know better. Also, I'll bet the ice box is on an exterior wall and the top right door is for ice. It was popular at this time to have an ice door on the outside of the house that fed directly in to the ice box. The delivery man could put in a new ice block without even knocking on the door. Ahhh, modern conveniences. Curious Interesting to note that the gas oven is vented to the outside. And we've sure come a long ways in flooring, haven't we? State-of-the-art technology!I hope that the beautifully tidy kitchen, the flowers on the table, and the satisfaction of a state-of-the-art Chambers stove helped that poor woman's quality of life, wearing that ratty apron and those pinching boots. Apparently, this must have been taken in the late 20s: http://www.oldstoveman.com/contents/media/chambers%20fireless052.jpg The Chambers logo changed sometime in the 20s from triangular to circular. [Below, an ad from September 1920 showing a Chambers stove with the round logo. - Dave] I'm Amazed....how many gas stoves and ovens seen in the pictures from this era, are connected to a chimney flue. Modern gas stoves do not connect to a chimney flue or any vent. ["Gas" back then meant coal gas, which was poisonous. - Dave] CookingThis is the very model of the modern kitchen, indeed. They have two cabinets full of china, a phone, AND a light over the sink. I wonder what's in the double-boiler-y thing next to the clock. I can't tell if she's making breakfast or dinner -- I wish I could see what she's doing. On the TableProbably oilcloth -- cotton or muslin impregnated with linseed oil. Ummmmm!I wonder what she's preparing, betcha it was yummy. Wish my stove was that multi-functionalShe's got two separate ovens, broiler, and I'm guessing bread/plate warmer at the top. Me want. Although this oven/range would never pass code today. There is a fella somewhere in Pennsylvania that retrofits these antique stoves. And they sure ain't cheap. Oh, and love the amount of cabinet space too. Interesting KitchenI found a few interesting items. The box on the wall beneath the phone appears to be some sort of primitive intercom system. Above the doorway there is another box which may have some sort of bulb or light cover protruding from its left side, about a foot away is a bell. Could this have been an alarm of some sort? Also, I sold plenty of Chambers gas ranges back in the 1950s and 60s. They were a high end product and like the Blackstone Washer it probably weighed 100 pounds more than a Caloric or Tappan. Chambers competition was the Crown Gas Range. Crown would custom build ranges for their end users and they would come with an engraved escutcheon inscribed with the family's name. Odds and EndsLooks as though the kitchen has all the mismatched china and a couple matching serving pieces. The matching set, which still may be everyday china are in the hallway or service porch with the icebox. Big Japanese VaseThe very large vase standing next to the ice box is a late 19th Century Japanese "floor vase." Many of these were sold by Japanese importers at the numerous American world's fairs between 1890 and 1916, and some of them were as large as six feet tall. They were often displayed in the corners of American dining rooms with tall flowers, peacock feathers or pampas grass fronds. Here is a similar but slightly smaller version from one of the Imari kilns. Intriguing StoveThe gas plumbing for the stove is really interesting. Two of the ovens have the usual small valve with the porcelain knob, plus a much larger lever below that's held off by (presumably) the safety bumpers. What would they be for? An extra-large flame for preheating? The third oven (warming oven?) doesn't seem to be adjustable. I noticed in a previous post that manuals are still available for this stove. But my curiosity didn't extend to $15. Cooking with gasI've owned and restored a few stoves similar to this one. The pipes on the front are nickel-plated gas lines. The valves screw into that pipe and are adjustable. The bell shape in front of the valve is part of the burner and is where you make the air adjustment. In good condition, old stoves like this one still work very well. Proper attireI don't see a "ratty apron" or "pinchy shoes." The apron just looks like it is performing its natural function as an apron and her shoes just look like shoes. The cook's workplace was clean and well-fitted and her job was certainly important. Being a cook in a kitchen like this was not a horrible job. My Irish grandmother was a cook in just such a kitchen, working for an aristocratic lady. I knew her years later when she worked quite happily in her own smaller kitchen. And her apron always looked used! And she always wore leather shoes - no sneakers for her! That black round thinghanging on the corner of the stove . What is it? OilclothBack during WWII I spent my school vacations working on an ice wagon and many is the 50 pound chunk of ice I have placed in boxes like the one in the picture, but I never saw one that loaded from the back side. I remember one that I had to fill from the top. A lot of people out on rural routes did not even have an ice box but used a #2 galvanized wash tub to store their ice in. They had quilts in there as insulation and generally bought no more than 25 pounds at a time. 25 pounds sold for 10 cents as I remember it. The table covering is another of those vanished items from the 1920s and earlier -- oilcloth. I can still smell it to this day. Not an unpleasant odor and quite serviceable. I have a Confederate cavalry sabre that has an oilcloth-covered handle wrapped with iron wire. My Rebel forefathers had to use oilcloth because leather was needed for horse harnesses, revolver holsters etc. More about ValvesAfter zooming quite a bit to the stove hardware, I don't think those extra levers are valves at all, but simply latches for the burner-valve guards. Moved in the opposite direction to the one shown, they'd latch the burners off, a good idea since the valves are at small-child height. The third of the vertical ovens does indeed appear to be adjustable, but missing its porcelain knob. And the big can above the burners, brethren, is a cistern. For hot (well, warm) water. It made use of waste heat from the stove. [Actually they are heat-retention hoods. See above. - Dave] Not Always ExpensiveI cook every day on a 1934 Magic Chef I bought for $120. I'm the second owner and it has never been restored. I think the key to its longevity is the fact that it was never out of use, it was well cared for, and very well made. It easily weighs 3 times as much as a modern stove of similar size. It is packed with asbestos, so it holds heat well. Also, I have a 1926 duplex with the Magnesite floors just as described, in the bathrooms. The floors are indestructible. Why they ever stopped installing them, I have no idea. Cooking HoodThe big can above the burners is a fuel-saving device. It's an insulated hood which could be lowered over the burner once the pan was up to cooking heat, allowing the burner to be turned off an cooking to continue using the "stored heat" in the pan. Not sure how well it worked. [A colorful theory, but how would that work for pots and pans with handles? As noted below, the cans are hot-water reservoirs. - Dave] [Actually Sooty is right on the money. - Dave] Cooking Hood AgainPages 2-5 of the installation instructions explain everything. [Sooty is correct! And I am corrected. - Dave] Cooking with the gas turned offChambers Gas Ranges had insulated ovens that let you "cook with the gas turned off." Example: a stuffed 12 pound turkey in a roaster; put in a cold oven. Run the gas on full for 45 minutes. Shut off the gas and flue to keep the heat in (lever on front of each oven near the gas pipes). The turkey will continue to cook from the retained heat and in three hours you have a great meal ready. It saves fuel cost and unlike modern stoves, the food is not dried out from being cooked with the gas burning all the time. [What keep the roast cooking is radiant heat from the cast iron enclosure. Which has more to do with mass than insulation. In modern ovens, the gas isn't on all the time. The thermostat shuts it off once cooking temperature is reached. - Dave] The black cylindrical apparatus over the back left burner was a Thermodome. You lowered it over a boiling pot to continue cooking with the gas turned off. Chambers 1927 "Idle Hour" Cookbook: http://www.vintagechambers.org/pdfs/IdleHour1927.pdf Avon callingThe two "alarms" above the doors are doorbells. Presumably one for the front door and the other for the side or back door which would be the tradesman's entrance. The maid or housekeeper would answer the phone and the doorbell in a home like this which is why the bells and phone, including the switching box to send calls up to other parts of the house, are in the kitchen. Weeds of LoveFor time immemorial children have brought their mothers, grandmothers, nannies, mammies and cooks "flowers" (i.e. weeds) from the yard to say "I love you," and these women have put them in drinking glasses or canning jars on the kitchen table. Hot and ColdMy 1928 bathroom sink has separate taps for hot and cold water. Old hot water systems often flowed at a slower rate than the cold water supplied from the main to the house. The reason the two were not combined into one spigot was because the stronger cold water pressure could cause the hot water to flow backward. I have been cooking on a 1940 Beach (Canadian) gas stove since I bought it in 1970 for $25. Super baking oven, and the broiler is in the oven, rather than in a drawer under it. The one-piece cast iron top weighs 15 pounds. The trash burner next to it also provides hot water to a radiator in the front hall. Her NameIt makes me sad that so many of these old photos fail to identify the Black people in them, so I spent a few hours researching the woman pictured here. Her name is Elizabeth Bagley according to the 1920 census. She was born in Virginia and is a 75 year old widow working as a cook at 1522 R Street NW (as noted, the home of Ernest G. and Romaine Walker) The 1910 census spells her name "Bagby" and says she is 60 years old. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Kitchens etc.)
Uneeda Biscuit: 1911
... sloganeering will ever turn Byers Full Weight Wrought Iron Pipe into an impulse purchase.) Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full ... the entrance for the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Byers Pipe Was a product of the A.M. Byers Company in Pittsburgh. Here's a photo ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/25/2022 - 2:30pm -

Detroit circa 1911. "National Biscuit Co." Manufacturers of the once-ubiquitous Uneeda Biscuit as well as its obliviated sibling, the Uneeda Jinjer Wayfer. (Proximity notwithstanding, something tells us that no amount of glib sloganeering will ever turn Byers Full Weight Wrought Iron Pipe into an impulse purchase.) Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Shorpy is my daily time travelI love this website. Notice the slightly less concise version of "Got Milk?" -- "Do you know Uneeda Biscuit?" Ubiquitous ... or "ubiscuitous" ??If you were patient and hung around, the next year — i.e. 1912 — you could have a package of "Leap Year Jumbles" (Hopefully NOT available in a titanic-sized box) And if you were really patient, and hung around for 17 years, you'd see this block (of Woodbridge Street) demolished to provide the entrance for the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Byers PipeWas a product of the A.M. Byers Company in Pittsburgh. Here's a photo of the still standing Byers Mansion - actually two dwellings, one for him, one for his daughter's family - on the former Allegheny City Millionaires' Row. Note the wrought iron gates. Look Ma, no wires!It's interesting in some photos showing downtown scenes, you see overhead wires crisscrossing all over the place but in the last few Shorpy pictures, you really don't see any! I guess they were buried under the streets. [There's a smattering of wires here that the Detroit Publishing people retouched out of the negative. - Dave] Marketing issue resolvedGottaHava Cast Iron Pipe. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Factories)
Nightline: 1920
... or if he fired a track pistol. Criminal Mastermind? Pipe the swell on the far right, gazing levelly at the camera. Oh, he's a cool ... who have absconded with our retirement accounts). Pipe the swell What in the hell does pipe the swell mean? [Pipe = ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/06/2012 - 1:54pm -

"Election night crowd at White House, November 1920." The chosen one was Warren Harding. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Mrs. WethenThe very indignant lady at the far left takes a wonderful picture! Mother of the loser? Patiently waiting for the black or white smokePatiently waiting for the black smoke or white smoke. Incredible resolution, is it a 8 x 10 plate? [6 x 8, seen here at one-quarter resolution in the "full size" view. - Dave] Ia! Ia! Shub-Niggurath!It's the so-called "Innsmouth look". I hear it's all the rage this year in Arkham, Massachusetts. Whoa...Check out the fourth guy from the left and his bulging eyes. Must have been a tense night. Top ThatNot a hatless head in the entire crowd. And no man without a necktie. Wow. Deer in the HeadlightsIt's surprising just how many people in this crowd are looking straight at the lens, and if startled to attention by the photographer, and just in time to lose their night vision for a few minutes to a burst of flash powder. I wonder what he said, or if he fired a track pistol. Criminal Mastermind?Pipe the swell on the far right, gazing levelly at the camera. Oh, he's a cool one, all right. KnickeredAt what age was it customary for boys to stop wearing knickers and put on their "big boy pants" like their fathers? The boys in this photo look to be in their teens. Holy cow!Just about everybody in this alarming photo looks as if they'd "fit the profile" by today's tense standards. Were they all arrested just minutes later? Jeepers CreepersStartled looks on some of them, indeed, Tipster. The Charles Boyerish fellow fourth from the left, in particular, has a whole lot of eyeball going on. Not a slob in the entire crowdAs a previous poster mentioned, every single person in attendance is presentable, indicating respect for the occasion. Psychologists believe that well-dressed people also behave better and usually obey the law more conscientiously. (Tell that to Bernie Madoff and all the other white collar crooks who have absconded with our retirement accounts). Pipe the swellWhat in the hell does pipe the swell mean? [Pipe = slang for "look at." - Dave] Hi-ResThe high resolution/quality really makes me appreciate the content on this one. It would be impossible to make out all these disgruntled faces on a picture half the size. One of the things I've always admired about Shorpy is not only the interesting subject matter, but the high quality of the images themselves. This is a shining example. Hey CopperI love the look of the cop on the left, nightstick ready for those who may step out of line. Didn't they carry guns back then? (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Politics)
Surratt House: 1900
... the left, top floor dormer, he man may be holding a long pipe or a pen. The bits of daily life are what fascinate me about many of these ... and many other cities started in the 1870s. - Dave] Pipe Up The man in the dormer is smoking a "churchwarden" pipe. Better ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 7:13pm -

Circa 1900. "Mrs. Mary Surratt house at 604 H Street N.W., Washington." Boardinghouse owned by Mary Surratt where the Lincoln conspirators are said to have plotted the abduction of the President in 1865. Brady-Handy Photograph Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size. A watched totDon't overlook the people in the windows. The person on the right, bottom floor just behind the steps, seems to be taking a bite of something while in the house on the left, top floor dormer, he man may be holding a long pipe or a pen. The bits of daily life are what fascinate me about many of these pictures. GuiltyMary Surratt was the first woman executed by the United States government, less than three months after the Lincoln assassination. Her death set off controversy that lasted over a century, but today there seems little doubt that she was closely involved in Booth's conspiracy. Ironically, her son John Surratt Jr. escaped the 1865 fury over Lincoln's death by fleeing the country; he was eventually captured and tried, but released after a mistrial and lived to be 72. You want MSG with that?Surratt House has morphed into the "Wok N Roll" restaurant in D.C.'s Chinatown. There is a plaque. View Larger Map Mrs. SurrattAs she was lead up the gallows and positioned over the trap door, she kept pleading "Please, don't let me fall." I've always wondered if she was referring to the height or the drop from the hangman's lever? However she may have meant it, she fell. The StreetWere the roads paved in this era? When did widespread road paving begin in cities? [The street in this photo is paved with asphalt. Asphalt paving in Washington and many other cities started in the 1870s. - Dave] Pipe UpThe man in the dormer is smoking a "churchwarden" pipe. Better in 1900The two buildings looked better in the 1900's than they do today. In the picture of the buildings today you can see where they took the stairs out and changed the entrances. Looks pretty dumpy now. I am surprised...that this building has not been acquired as a national historic treasure by the Government. Whether or not you sympathize with what Booth et al did in 1865 to President Lincoln and his Cabinet, this structure should be preserved and restored to its appearance in April 1865. "Chriswarish"That photo looks like a Chris Ware illustration, including the boy! Surratt House on the BlockThe Surratt House was added to the National Register of Historical Places in 2004. Washington Post, Mar 24, 1922 Lincoln Death-Plot House Goes on Block Surratt Home, Rich in HIstorical Past, Fails to Bring Satisfactory Figure, However A three-story brick house, once one of the proudest and most pretentious in the city, and rich in historical past, was placed on the auction block yesterday afternoon. It was the home of Mrs. Mary Surratt, who was executed for her alleged share in the assassination of President Lincoln, and stands at 604 H street northwest. A crowd of morbidly curious had gathered to watch the proceedings when the auctioneer unfurled his red flag and started to work. There were a few bidders, but it took some time for the auctioneer to work the price up to any considerable figure. The best offer received, $9.700, was considered too small, however, and the auctioneer announced that the house would be sold to a man who had privately offered $10,000. The old house, recently painted a dark gray, seemed forlorn. The steps that many years ago had led to what is now called the second story had been removed, and the entrance was on the sidewalk. Where the steps once led into the house, there was a door that had been closed many years. In and out of it at one time had gone men and women whose deeds were to shake the foundations of the country. Mrs. Surratt used the house for many years prior to 1865 as a boarding house. It was in the little parlor on the second floor that the Lincoln conspirators met and planned the martyred President's death. Mrs. Surratt was buried in Mt. Olivet cemetery, near the west fence. My ancestral homeThanks for the great photo. My great-grandma and her family lived in this house in the 1880s. The story goes that they moved because of the nuisance of souvenir hunters coming by and trying to take a piece of the house. Their next address was 606 H; so would this be the house next door I wonder? +116Below is the same view from June of 2016. Streets RenumberedSometime after 1880 the streets were renumbered. This house was originally 541 H Street at the time of the assassination, and later became 604 H Street. (The Gallery, D.C., Kids)
Shop Early for Xmas: 1922
... or I'm missing something very obvious and it's a water pipe or something. [It's the decoration (or alarm tape, which did indeed ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/06/2015 - 12:35am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Sport Mart, 1303 F Street N.W." Shorpy would like one of each, please. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Update: For the window-shoppers among us, I've posted a bigger closeup here. Lionel Train SetThat Lionel Electric Train Set is to die for!! I know fellow collectors who, if they had only the original box displayed in this picture, would be in fandom heaven. Joshua Lionel Owen invented the first toy trains in 1901 so New York City Department Stores could use them for window displays during Christmas. The rest as they say is history. Great picture. Also, just can't imagine any store having all those guns in a front window anymore, with just plate glass in front of them as protection from theft. Were people really that honest back then? Don't bother with the girlsLove all the signs. Also interesting to see another pre-WWII swastika, and this one is even turned 45 degrees onto a point, the same as the Nazis did. [That's two interlocking S's, for Stetson Shoes. Ten lines. A swastika has six. - Dave] Airguns $1I'm sorry, Shorpy, you don't want that. You'll put your eye out. Western Auto, Carroll Cut Rite....In the small mill town where I grew up, we had the two stores mentioned as well as United Cigar and Hart's 5 & 10. Their windows examples of just about every single item in inventory. The multitude of tiered shelves allowed one to see what was inside without actually going in. For the kids (like me) that had a total of $10 to buy six gifts, it was great to stand in front of the window and budget out the allotment, figuring out who would get what before actually buying. Mom always got the blue bomb bottle of Evening in Paris or dusting powder, Dad got something in Old Spice, an inflatable toy for my baby brother, handkerchiefs or an autograph book for Sis, etc. Christmas will never be as meaningful as when we had to budget every cent because it really meant something more than just purchasing merchandise. I'll take the...Kodak Autographics, bike and Lionel train sets, please! Santa Please......bring me the sled that looks just like Rosebud, and the Lionel trains, and the golf set with those fabulous hickory shafts. I need a new niblick. Alice MaynardOne wonders what Alice Maynard is selling "upstairs." Probably entirely innocent - probably ladies clothing based on what we can see in the second floor windows - but the filthy mind gets all sorts of ideas. Can I have the .22 please?That Winchester pump .22 would be worth big bucks if it were in good condition today. Re: Santa Please...I couldn't help but notice the fatness of the "pre-pass" era type of footballs. More like a rugby or Aussie rules football. Toy StoryGreat photo, Dave. I can't tell how much the chess set is, but it looks like a nice one. Cowboy suede holsters and Indian feathered headbands would be frowned upon today. I am puzzled why a thermos is more expensive than a golf set. There's so much to look at. By the way, are those irons (the kind for pressing clothes?) What's with that? [The sign under the vacuum bottles is for a $15 "tackle outfit." - Dave] I have a pump .22 a lot like the one in the window......but its a "Savage" vs. a "Winchester", octagonal barrel, you can take it apart with one screw. Last fired about 25 years ago! Not to Nitpickbut it's Joshua Lionel Cowen, ne Cohen. He was the great-uncle of the infamous Roy Cohn, who later was board chairman of the train company. Fix bayonets!That Daisy BB gun has a bayonet on it -- more fun than lawn darts! SavageI believe Savage was taken over by Winchester way back when. I had a 1918 Winchester pump as a kid. I really loved it and used it in the late 40's and 50's. Wish I could find another under $1k. Aw, Why do I have to be a girl?I'm looking at all the really neat stuff in the window. All my friends were boys when I was growing up and their toys were the best. If I lived back then, my mother would have shopped for me one door over to the right, where they have a selection of ugly, boring dolls. Dreaming of the train set... .38How long would those pistols last in a glass storefront in 2008? Not long. Pistols..The pistol on the right is most likely a Colt Model 1903 .32 ACP or perhaps a Model 1908 .380. The Revolver is a Smith and Wesson. I can't identify caliber size or frame type. As to the pistol on the left, your guess is as good as mine. It's interesting that Washington D.C. in the 1920's where you could buy guns no questions asked at a department store with glass windows was much safer than 21st century D.C. where possession of any one of the firearms in that window was a felony until recently. What every boys wants...but should he get a revolver? Oooooh! Oooooh!I was born 25 years later, but in spirit my nose- and handprints are all over that Sport Mart window. I have hundreds of engines and cars in my collection but no Lionel that goes back to the 1920s, much to my sorrow. Dad couldn't wait to put one under the tree, so I had my first one at age 4; at 62 I still play with trains! (Sadly, electric train sales have fallen on hard times and only the old boys are interested.) I do have most of the cameras in that window but they aren't quite so shiny -- but they do work, even the ones going back to the 1870s. Air rifles weren't allowed in my family (had to play with my friend's guns on the sly) and they sure couldn't be had for a dollar then! Even the boys in my family spent a lot of quality time using an iron (the ones that put a crease in your britches and made your starched shirts crisp -- not the ones you hit little white balls with) but I don't remember thinking it was much of a sport! Note that the golf balls there are individually wrapped. I don't recognize the bike in the window, but it looks big; in the early 1950s we had a hand-me-down of indeterminate origin, the only 38-incher in the neighborhood. Not much in the window for the little girls in 1921. The signs seem to indicate they may not have gotten them personally as gifts, but in some families the "tomboys" had their ways! Some things have changed for the better. A Visit from the Innuendo FairyDon't all "bicycles" have "reputations?" Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more! ShockingBesides the toys there are bunches of household items on display (but don't get me wrong, I want the train set and a basement to put it in). I'm suddenly interested in the parallel history of the battery and portable electrical devices. Things like flashlights had to have been introduced for the consumer with a battery in mind. Of course after a few years batteries became ubiquitous, but imagine going to a store and picking up a battery and not already owning anything to put it in. Lionel for ChristmasI had a circa 1941 Lionel freight train complete with all the cars and a headlight. I got it for Christmas. It also had little tablets that you could drop down the stack so that the engine puffed smoke as it tore around the three-rail track. Alas, my dear mom gave it away to Goodwill one day when I was in high school. Sigh! Indoor SportsSome of the Christmas Specials in this display window bring new meaning to the term Sporting Goods. The lower left section is filled with electric-powered household appliances: Irons, a toaster, a coffee percolator ("perculator" in the sign) and a set of antler-handled carving knives for that Christmas turkey. When I was a kid in the 1950s there were a few moms in our neighborhood who seemed to think that Extreme Ironing was a competition sport, but they usually got their gear at Sears. And what about that accordion in the back row next to the electric space heater? $16There's a sign just below the sled for $16 but I can't make it out. Can you blow it up? [Kaboom. - Dave] Electric TorchJust to feed everyone's new interest in the subject, here's a post from the inimitable Daniel Rutter that includes some early flashlight background. $5.50 for a dozen golf balls.A lost ball in a water hazard or the rough had to have hurt! Made In U. S. A.For an advocate of American-made goods which are currently difficult (to impossible) to find for gift-giving, I assume that almost everything in this window was made right here in the USA. A twinge of sorrow takes over as I wonder if Lionel is still made here, or Daisy Air guns or Flexible Flyers. Christmas lights shown here for $8.50 (a huge amount of money in 1921) can be bought today for a couple of dollars. Yes, imports are cheap, cheap, cheap, but also disposable and short-lived. Time marches on and even Levis are made in Mexico, Converse in China. I did find nail clippers made in the USA last week for $1. Maybe I'll be like Jack Benny and give gifts of just shoelaces and nail clippers this year. Don't know of ANY toys or electronics made here. One other non-imported gift suggestion is to give the gift recipient a hand-made gift card for FOUR HOURS of personal advice. (few people will cash it in) Merry Christmas fellow Shorpy addicts. Get the boy something he wants...All he wants now is a Wii, a Playsatation, a Game Cube, an iPod... How unfortunate. I want a time machine. How dare they...Look at them! Creating these restrictive gender roles and explicitly marketing them to impressionable children? The audacity! The horror! Someone call the NOW and shut these advocates of boyhood down! Rampant (and refreshing) political correctness aside, this is a fabulous picture. I love these, where you can just drink in wonderful little details. You can even read the sign company name on the SportMart sign. You really do a great job sharpening these up, Dave. What's the white squiggly line in the upper left corner? Looks like the border of a postcard or something, but how did it get in that rather strange location on this picture? Either that, or I'm missing something very obvious and it's a water pipe or something. [It's the decoration (or alarm tape, which did indeed exist in 1921) on a windowpane. - Dave] Made in USA.Yoda, I know what you mean, but on the other hand, today when we sub out low end manufacturing, the material wealth is so much higher. Most kids today would already own some or most of the goods in the window display, whereas I bet that the overall market penetration of electric trains, etc. was much more limited in the 1920s. Is that a Red Ryder BB Gun?Santa sez "You'll shoot your eye out, kid. Merry Christmas! Ho, ho, ho!" Jean Shepherd must be chortling (yes, chortling, that's what he said) and smiling down on this scene. Nice gunsGrew up in Rogers, Arkansas where the Daisy plant was located. I had a lever-action '.30-.30' style bb rifle that you loaded from the side - it lasted for years and received all kinds of mistreatment. Also, learned to shoot with my grandfather's .22 that looked quite similar to the one pictured, but I cannot remember what make it was. Smith & WessonThe 3 pistols in the front center appear to be Smith & Wesson. Their boxes sport the distinctive (intricate) S&W Logo, or an earlier version of it. Small Pistol on the LeftI realize this is 6 years later, but what the heck. The small pistol on the left in the group of three pistols appears to be either a Mauser 1910 (25ACP) or the 1914 (32 ACP). (The Gallery, Bicycles, Christmas, D.C., Stores & Markets)
Laying Pipe: 1923
July 21, 1923. "Water conduit." Part of the Washington, D.C., aqueduct system seen here , along what used to be called Conduit Road. View full size. Interesting cast in place Was it circular diameter or a half diameter with a shallow ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/13/2014 - 6:34pm -

July 21, 1923. "Water conduit." Part of the Washington, D.C., aqueduct system seen here, along what used to be called Conduit Road. View full size. Interesting cast in placeWas it circular diameter or a half diameter with a shallow trough bed laid on the grade? P.S. Thanks 20002ist. A very narrow gauge construction railroadNote the tracks on the left, and some dump cars in the center of the photo. I shall returnToday, of course, Conduit Road is called MacArthur Boulevard. To answer Paul's question, the conduit did not have a fully circular cross-section. The photo below gives a good view. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Traffic Ahead: 1901
... Wooden poles were used in the early days, round metal pipe poles with a bell shaped cap were very common, and metal lattice as seen ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/29/2023 - 3:35pm -

Detroit circa 1901. "Woodward Avenue and Farnsworth Street." The future Motor City on the cusp of the Motor Century. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Re: Pole ClimbingThe town here in Texas where I grew up still had the metal climbing steps on poles in the late 70s, but by then the bottom steps had been raised about 7 or 8 feet off the sidewalk, probably to keep adventurous kids from climbing the poles. I always wondered what the world looked like from the top of a pole. Detroit Institute of Artsand the main library, across the street. The only two things on Woodward Avenue that don't make me think I was born 75 years too late. bjzielinski's Street View is in front of the Maccabees Building, original (radio) home of The Lone Ranger. Actually, Cater-Corner From the LibraryThis view is looking southeast at the corner of Woodward and Farnsworth. Farnsworth does not extend west of Woodward (the street to the west of Woodward is named Putnam). The future (and current) site of Main Library is thus out of view to the far right of the picture. Similarly, the site of the Detroit Institute of Arts, to the northeast of this corner, is out of view to the far left. The location shown is now the site of the Horace Rackham Education Memorial Building (opened in 1941), which was originally built for the Engineering Society of Detroit, but is now owned by the University of Michigan and largely leased to Wayne State University. Previously on ShorpyLooking up Farnsworth in this Kodachrome from 1942. One of the photos that helped get me addicted to Shorpy way back when. Interesting poles for sureThree quick Shorpy questions: 1. The street lamp almost in the middle of the photo appears to have a pulley and rope, extending down the pole to the street. Is this light now electrified, where its predecessor perhaps was oil-fired, requiring raising and lowering the lamp twice daily for lighting and extinguishing, plus re-filling the oil? 2. The other poles which seem to be handling electricity, also basically in the center of the photo, appear to be metal. since they're honey-combed in the middle. I would have thought wood was the preferred pole material. Were these man-made (and fairly stylish) back in 1901? 3. Finally, I hope someone shows us that intersection today. Bet it looks incredibly different now. About those polesPower poles could be and WERE made from a number of different materials, although wood was the preferred medium. In western New York, many power poles and street lamp poles from this time period were made from reinforced concrete, which wasn't surprising because the County Engineer "happened" to own a batching plant. But like them or not, they were still usable until the late 1950s and early 60s. The metal poles that replaced them only lasted and twenty to twenty-five years. Pole ClimbingSome telephone poles still had the climbing steps in them when I grew up on the 50s. Since then they've discovered climbing spurs. LibraryIt looks like this photo is looking north along Woodward. If so, then the main branch of the Detroit Public Library was built in the open area to the right of the second house. Designed by Cass Gilbert, the library was started with a $750,000 gift by Andrew Carnegie. He offered the money in 1901, but the city didn't get around to accepting until 1910. Some things don't change. Eventually, the houses were replaced by the front lawn of the library, probably when it expanded in the '60s. Current viewView Larger Map PolesMark, those are arc lights, which were high maintenance compared to later incandescent and todays bulbs. Note the transformer on the pole just below the attachment of the bracket arm, the wires dropping down to it from the crossarm, and the low voltage wires hanging in a catenary shaped arc to the lamp fixture. Arc lights were much brighter and lower maintenance than oil lights. The carbon rods had to be replaced regularly, but nowhere near the daily schedule required of oil or gas lamps. Two methods were common for the way to lower the lamps. Often, the metal arm which reached out over the center of the street or intersection would be pivoted to the pole, and the winch would lower the whole arm through an arc to a level where the worker could perform his duties. In this picture, lowering the metal cantilever could interfere with the trolley wires, so the arm was mounted rigidly and the lamp was lowered straight down to service it. The metal poles in the background were for the trolley line. Wooden poles were used in the early days, round metal pipe poles with a bell shaped cap were very common, and metal lattice as seen in this picture were used to a lesser extent. Those poles and the pulleyThe metal poles are for the trolley car company's wires. More prosperous lines used metal because it lasted almost forever. Philadelphia still uses some that were erected at the start of electric service in the mid 1890s, although they have received new paint, and some have rusted to death from the inside. The light on a rope might be an arc light, whose carbons need periodic adjustment. The trolley workers can climb on top of one of their cars to get to their wires in the middle of the street, while the electric company's men climb poles, in this case to disconnect wires so the light can be brought within reach of an adjuster on the ground. That locationThat location would be Woodward Avenue and Farnsworth Street. [Incorrect. - Dave] (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Caught Napping: 1908
... something coming out of his mouth. what is it? [A pipe, among other things. See above. - Dave] The Sleeping Soldier ... Ewww on the closeup! Are You Sure That's A Pipe? That looks more like an exploding cigar that exploded while he was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2012 - 2:06pm -

Company F, 12th Infantry. Soldiers in their bunks on Governor's Island circa 1908. View full size. 8x10 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. Soldier A and Soldier Bthe man in the front looks like he is having a great dream, but the man behind him has something coming out of his mouth. what is it? [A pipe, among other things. See above. - Dave] The Sleeping SoldierNeatly stacked and secured in the rack next to the sitting (and blurred) soldier are Springfield 1903A1 rifles, I believe. Note also the soldier in the second bunk from the front: asleep with his shoes/boots on. Posed photo, perhaps? Denny Gill Chugiak, Alaska [If he was posing he probably wouldn't be drooling. - Dave] Can I just say...Ewww on the closeup! Are You Sure That's A Pipe?That looks more like an exploding cigar that exploded while he was asleep, but still failed to wake him up. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, Patriotic)
Boston Laundry: 1905
... Look closer. Ceiling Its painted Horizontal pipe is strange I can't figure out why, that horizontal pipe at the top has an elbow on the left end that seems to be just cut short ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/24/2011 - 7:53am -

"Women at work in an unidentified laundry, possibly in Boston." Circa 1905. Currier Photo. View full size. CeilingI guess the cloth on the ceiling is to keep the operation clean? Re: CeilingThat's not cloth. Look closer. CeilingIts painted Horizontal pipe is strangeI can't figure out why, that horizontal pipe at the top has an elbow on the left end that seems to be just cut short not going anywhere. Maybe....maybe not....It would be apparent if it were paint the seams between the ceiling boards would yet clearly show ---- hmmm, the texture on the window panes match the disputed area of the ceiling....hmmm again.... platform?It is weird looking. My best guess is that the wood planks are not part of the white (looks like plaster) ceiling, but some sort of platform slightly below the ceiling (storage perhaps). The horizontal pipe's elbow goes above the plank, making it appear cut off. Optical illusionMe thinks Nick's opinion is close enough to win the washer and dryer ---- the ceiling planking is not part of the ceiling but perhaps even a "dropped walkway or rollway" coming from another building ---- note how it comes level from the right for the first 5 boards, then begins a slight decline the rest of the way towards the left ---- also, one can note the "white" between the planking cracks.... The Ceiling, Part VIIIHere's a closeup. As we can see, the planks are not part of the ceiling. (The Gallery, Boston)
Delfeld & Son: 1954
... Arrangement of picture Equal red Ridgid three-way pipe threaders are still used. But as every plumber can see, young Paul works ... using it for show and go since late 1989. Threading pipe I see they are threading galvanized pipe. Not a fun thing to do by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/17/2016 - 11:20am -

May 1954. "High school football player Paul Delfeld, 17, of North Dallas, Texas, helping father at plumbing business. Other photos show Delfeld attending high school classes; practicing football with teammates; playing in game; working at ice cream parlor; attending various social functions with girlfriend Janelle Gibson and other teenagers." Medium format negative from photos taken for the Look magazine assignment "High School Hero." View full size. Arrangement of pictureEqual red Ridgid three-way pipe threaders are still used. But as every plumber can see, young Paul works at wrong, opposite side of tube, it is always easier to use your own weight and push tool down than lift the handle up. And there was the Depot HackThe name has changed, eventually known as the station wagon, replaced by the van, mini van, and SUV. As a lover of antique cars and hot rods I have a 1955 Chevy wagon known as a Handyman wagon and a 1948 Chevy 1/2 ton panel truck. The panel truck is basically a 1/2 ton pickup truck with a box. Some call them a large sedan delivery. The station wagons and deliveries sit on a car chassis. The station wagon, especially those like my Handyman wagon served as a family car and a work vehicle by many who couldn't afford both. With side windows that often rolled down, the whole family could enjoy nature as they traveled, unlike the sedan deliveries. Both are on the common car chassis. There are variations of both. Some government deliveries and panel trucks had side windows and several types of rear hatches. My 1955 Chevy 2-dr wagon served in small town America, also as a plumbers truck, for what seems many years before I saved it from a hot rodder planning on making it more of an off road toy. Far from original now, I recreated my own idea of a mini van. We've been using it for show and go since late 1989. Threading pipeI see they are threading galvanized pipe. Not a fun thing to do by hand. You can see how much torque he has to put on that thing to do the job. They have motorized threaders these days, but if you aren't careful with them, you can break a wrist. Soldering copper pipe or gluing PVC together makes things so much easier these days. Paul N. Delfeld 1936-2011Paul graduated from North Dallas High School in 1955 and went on to run the family business. He didn't marry Janelle, but a young lady named Henrietta. He died Sept. 8, 2011, at age 74. Henrietta predeceased him after 45 years of marriage. They were survived by four children. Sedan DeliveryThe vehicle being used for this plumbing business is a 1940 Chevrolet sedan delivery, which is based on the car chassis. More common for that type of business would have been the larger "panel truck" which was based on the sturdier truck chassis. That sedan delivery would be a very valuable candidate for todays street rod builder. Lead melting FurnaceOn the ground by the father's feet. Melted lead by day and fried fish on the weekends. Like Father, Like SonPaul grew up to be the spitting image of his dad. They look like twins Sedan deliverySome places had high licence fees for truck chassis, but the normal rate applied to the car-based sedan delivery. I also believe that certain places didn't allow trucks to frequent every street, thus putting a crimp in the plumbers, painters and even flower and grocery delivery people's ability to conduct business. The hotrodder of today would like the delivery, but the smaller panels aren't shunned now either. Sedan Delivery, Part 2In addition to what damspot stated, in New York State, you had to have a more expensive license to drive a pickup or delivery truck than a simple operator's license. For a "kid" (under twenty-one) to get one was a real pain in the behind. Nowadays, the two levels have been merged (although motorcycle licenses were separated) at the higher rate. Gridiron star back in the 50sIn 1953 Paul Delfeld was an all-state high school running back. A personable guy, Delfeld gained 1,078 yards for an 8.8 yard average and led the state in scoring with 23 touchdowns. His career ended with a leg injury. He played a little college football, then went into the family plumbing business. “He loved to play football,” says Rufus Hyde, Paul’s coach. “You sure like to coach a boy like that.” Silver 8 StreakIdentifies a base trim level 1950 Pontiac Chieftain. MemoriesI showed this photo to my mother-in-law who grew up in North Dallas. She remembers the Delfelds as their family's plumber during the 40s and 50s. Thats my Dad and GrandpaThat's a staged pic behind their house for a Look magazine article that featured my Dad and his football talent. That man could do anything on or off the field! He gave us the best of everything in life regardless of what it took and I think of him daily. I remember working with him as a kid and growing up learning so many things that I'm passing on to my kids today. I can only hope I keep trying to model myself after him. If you knew him you would understand. Here are some pics I have from his football days. (The Gallery, LOOK, Sports)
Our Gang: 1916
... in the pavement. This position correlates with the vent pipe seen in the original photo. The corner entrance has been closed and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/06/2010 - 6:08am -

June 27, 1916. Springfield, Massachusetts. "Street gang, corner Margaret and Water streets -- 4:30 p.m." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Knickers, and rifles, and guns -- Oh my!It's pretty hard to look tough in a pair of knickers. You try it! Well done, boys. One Chewer in the bunch.Second from the left, not counting the little kids. Present arms!I'd venture a guess thats a Daisy one-pump BB gun that fellow to the left is sporting, presuming Daisy was in business at that time. Uh-ohThese kids creep me out. They could be capable of murder and abuse! Roll Your OwnThis is definitely a pouch and paper crowd. When America Was GreatKids, cigarettes and guns. All was well. Standards of dressInteresting that in those days even street-corner gangsters wore ties! Some things never changeAdd about 150 tattoos, 50-odd piercings, spray-on jeans for the girls, and pull the boys' pants down around their knees ... make the rifle an Uzi and make the soundtrack a cacophonous mixture of hiphop and metal, and ... voila! You've got now. What was sad then is still sad today. Ominous BunchI fear they didn't amount to much in adulthood. This is another Shorpy masterpiece. Armed & DangerousLooks like Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall with the East Side Kids! At least that's not an AK47 as you see in gangland today Go Shorpy! Times have changed.1916 Gangstas! Street ToughsMargaret Street today runs from Main Street just a couple of hundred yards or so down toward the Connecticut River, where it dead-ends at Interstate 91. I have a hunch Water Street may have run parallel to the River back in 1916, decades before the land along the waterfront was taken for the purpose of constructing the highway that now runs from Vermont all the way to New Haven. The Springfield waterfront in the 19-teens was probably teeming with streetwise little roughnecks like these fellows. The first wave of..Mad Men--but without the scotch. Fast forward ten years and they'll probably be running it though, and with a tommy gun instead of a rifle. Love this picture! Calling Prof. HillWith five of those boys wearing identical newsboy caps, a.k.a. Gatsby hats, do you suppose that represents the "gang colors"? The Gatsby Hat Gang? Note also: BB guns and 10¢ a pack cigarettes. "Oh, we got trouble!!" ATF Back when Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms was a convenience store, not a Gummint Agency Tough Looking BunchI imagine Hine took this picture and then started running. Where's Leo Gorcey?Early version of the Bowery Boys modeling the latest Hart, Schaffner and Marx fashions while enjoying those Royal Nestors. Tough?The Cornett boys could kick 'em all up and down the block. Daisy Model 25The gun is a Daisy Model 25 BB rifle. For more on its history check out Page 18 of Daisy Air Rifles and BB Guns: The First 100 Years. *sigh* I still remember my first Daisy. 1916 KidsI love reading comments from people. These kids were just your average-type kid back then. Everyone smoked (no health issues yet) and all the kids carried BB guns, even to school. It was a much different time back then. I can remember my grandfather telling me he started smoking at the age of 9. Not a household nameThis was 23 years before the "Daisy Red Ryder" gun made the company a household name in 1939. But, Daisy had been making rifles since 1882. When I was a kid I had a Daisy pump gun that could be shot 60 times without reloading. There were several boys in the neighborhood that had BB guns. It's a wonder that we made it to adulthood with both eyes intact. The DaisyI did a quick check, and the pump Daisy was introduced in 1914. Pictures on Daisy site confirm memory; that is almost certainly a Daisy pump. That young hoodlum is armed and ready to shoot his eye out! He's the only one with what was likely a pretty high end toy for the day...I bet he allowed the others to plink at pigeons in exchange for cigarettes! Uneeda Biscuit!Whether you know it or not. ChangesThis is in the South End of Springfield. There are still gangs hanging out there today, but smoking something completely different now. The building is still there (I think)This is a Street View at the corner of Margaret and Main. If you look closely at the bottom right of the window. You can see a round metal plate in the pavement. This position correlates with the vent pipe seen in the original photo. The corner entrance has been closed and altered and the entrance is now on Main Street. View Larger Map Pretty well dressed gangWhat impresses me is that for the most part these kids are neatly and properly dressed -- I think the tough guy in the middle is playing to the crowd & most probably has his necktie in his pocket- he'll spruce up before going home to Mother. Could be my fatherDad was a 4-year-old living on Margaret Street in 1916. They do make them like they used toFor those of you who want your very own Daisy Number 25, the company recently reissued it. Tough looking gangNo, Hine didn't start running after taking this picture, he took another one a few minutes later (or before?). Look for the differences: Springfield StoryHow much you wanna bet they couldn't dance as well as the Sharks or even da Jets? My First GunMy first gun was a Red Ryder lever action BB gun. I didn't grow up with dolls, I grew up with guns. Margaret Street & East Columbus AveMy Aunty Pat(Pasqualina) grew up on Margaret street, and her husband(Nicola Buoniconti, we called him "Uncle Slim") took over her father's bakery(Mercolino's) after he retired. That's my grandfatherThe smoker is my grandfather, Arnold Martinelli I am pretty sure of it. He lived at 123 Water Street during this time. He came from Italy in 1906. He would be about 12 in this picture. He was a tough guy and occasionally a wise guy. He grew up to invent the injection mold process for making plastic wares such as food storage containers and drinking glasses. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Sportsmen's Tavern: 1940
... button is on his shirt. - Dave] Put that in your pipe and smoke it Anyone that young smoking a pipe today certainly wouldn't have tobacco in it. Greco-Italian War The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/12/2019 - 10:39am -

November 1940. "Having a beer in 'Art's Sportsmen's Tavern' on a rainy day in Colchester, Connecticut." Acetate negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Who's in retreat?Maybe our history buffs can tell us who is retreating in Athens in November of 1940. Can't read the first word in the Daily News headline. [ITALIANS. - Dave] Windows to the PastI found this site comparing past images of Art's with modern views. In the Google Street View it appears to be a pub: Dude on the left with Jimmy Durante appendage.I'll just bet he honks a symphony whiles he's sleeping. Election Day?Any ideas on the button the gentlemen man on the left is wearing on his trousers? Something to do with voting/election day perhaps? [It's a hunting permit. The campaign button is on his shirt. - Dave] Put that in your pipe and smoke itAnyone that young smoking a pipe today certainly wouldn't have tobacco in it. Greco-Italian WarThe Greco-Italian War of 1940 was a part of World War II. Fascist Italy invaded Greece from Albania on October 28, 1940. They were repulsed by the Greek Army back beyond the border at some places by November 5. The Italians never got as far as Athens. I think that's where the news was coming from: the Greek command HQ. Human felicity"There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern or inn." --Samuel Johnson Which is even truer on a rainy winter's day. I'll be there in a bitJust let me lace up my boots. Shouldn't take more than 30 minutes. Arthur Charles Zupnik (1909-1999)Owner (for twenty years) of Art's Sportsmen's Tavern, Justice of the Peace, and charter member of the Colchester Fishing Club. https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1999-01-27-9901270586-st... I want to be thereSomething about this photo really pulls at me. I want to sit with these guys and just listen to the conversation. I also want a pair of boots like that young man has. Election DayCampaign button looks more like Wendell Willkie than FDR - certainly not WC Fields! [It's FDR. - Dave] (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Jack Delano)
Pop with Pipe: c.1963
... c. 1963 - Birmingham, Alabama. My dad and his classic "pipe in the mouth" pose, outside our home in North Birmingham. If I could just see him light up that pipe one more time... (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery) ... 
 
Posted by Bidcaller - 12/05/2014 - 7:56pm -

c. 1963 - Birmingham, Alabama. My dad and his classic "pipe in the mouth" pose, outside our home in North Birmingham. If I could just see him light up that pipe one more time... (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Second Home: 1943
... that in the upper left hand of this photo (near the stove pipe) there's a picture of what appears to be a mother consoling a child. Penny for his thoughts. Pipe smoker is wearing a Stormy Kromer as well. I wonder what he's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2014 - 12:39pm -

January 1943. "Freight train operations on the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad between Chicago and Clinton, Iowa. The caboose is the conductor's second home. He always uses the same one and many conductors cook and sleep there while waiting for trains to take back from division points." Medium format nitrate negative by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. "Stormy" and brake tests."Stormy" Kromer was the inventor's name, the hat was a Kromer Blizzard Cap. The last one my wife bought for me was made in China, so I don't buy them anymore. There used to be a pair of hand (lantern) signals in the rulebook to handle brake tests: Rule 12(f), the lamp swung horizontally over the head was the signal for the engineer to apply the brakes for the test, Rule 12(g), the lamp held at arm's length overhead was the signal to release. If all was well and the pressure recovered at the caboose, the next signal would be the "highball", otherwise someone would start walking the train to find the problem. Classy RV-ingWouldn't it be great to have an RV these days that looked more like that than the generic, mundane look most modern RVs have? I suppose one could refit an RV to look like this, but the weight of the wood paneling might be a problem, not to mention the weight of the woodstove. One can dream, however unrealistic one's dreams might be. The Modern CabooseIn Canada at least there are still uses for cabooses. Mainly they're used on short switching runs where one or two cars are dropped off and or picked up at a specific shipper. I suspect that this is a time saving measure since it would be inefficient to keep moving the ETD (FRED) to the new end car, and it poor electronic brain might not be able to cope with a movement that temporarily splits the train in the middle. Lots of factors killed Cabeesemost already mentioned, but there were a large number of workers comp incidents that arose in a people transporter located a mile back of slack action on a freight train. One of the best ways to improve safety is to eliminate the need to expose workers to the danger in the first place. So this was a big improvement. Cheesecake, though, is something to be missed. Comforting memoriesAs a young boy in Maine my brother and I would watch the trains go by and count the cars. It was a thrill to wave to the conductor. My grandfather, an old railroad man, introduced us to a conductor friend of his and we even got a quick look inside a caboose. A dream come true for a young railroad fan. Proper pinupsSome tasty cheesecake here. Contemporary girls a la Sundblom and Elvgren along with some smaller older pieces. I Miss the CabooseNice man cave. September snowThe graffiti is correct; it did indeed snow in Illinois and Iowa on Friday, September 25, 1942 - up to two inches (in Iowa Falls). Newspapers the next morning reported that this was the first September snowfall in Des Moines in the history of the weather bureau. The high school football game between Garner and Buffalo Center was called because of darkness after "driving snow" knocked out six lights. Wall CandyI worked on a railroad for 36 years and the cabooses never were allowed to look like that. Years ago the caboose was assigned to the Conductor for each trip he made so it was decorated it the way he wanted it. I rode these for many years until they were replaced with a flashing rear end device. FRED Back in the day!It would have been nice to be there. Caboose LoreWhatever happened to cabooses? Were they stopped as a cost-saving measure, or was the conductor no longer needed on freight trains? They were a "natural" ending to trains as they looked so different from the other cars. When they passed you knew that it was OK to cross the crossing. Now freight trains just end and it is sad. Part of the fun with trains was waving at the caboose. Quite often, the conductor or whoever was in it would wave back. Cabeese and conductorsThough the cabeese have been replaced, not so the conductors. Their office has been moved into the cab of the locomotive..Conductors are actually in charge of the train, not as ususlly believed, the engineers. Engineers run the locomotives and the conductors tell them where to pick up and drop off freight cars. I prefer the caboose to the Freds that are used now. The Freds not only have a flashing light, but they radio air pressure and other information to the engineer, but the conductor is usually a nice friendly guy, much more than the Freds, A Place to HangI feel sorry for the modern conductor and brakeman. They used to have a home away from home at the end of the train but now only have a seat in the lead locomotive or a seat in the empty slave locomotives. Get a load of the CabooseGet a load of the caboose on the broad on the wall of the caboose. LOL (Am I the only one to post this obviouse joke?) A glimpse of the cabooseFrom "I Like Trains" by Fred Eaglesmith Sixteen miles from Arkadelphia right near the Texas border traffic was stopped at a railway crossing I took it to the shoulder I stoked the kettle I put it to the metal I shook the gravel loose I missed the train but I was happy with a glimpse of the caboose (chorus) cause I like trains I like fast trains I like trains that call out through the rain I like trains I like sad trains I like trains that whisper your name I was born on a greyhound bus my Momma was a diesel engine They tried to put me behind the wheel but I wouldn't let them You should have seen the look in their eyes and how it turned to tears when I finally told them I wanna be an engineer Now you think I've got someone new but darlin' that ain't true I could never love another woman besides you It's not some dewy-eyed darlin' darlin' that's gonna drive you insane But anymore I'd be listenin' for the sound of a big ol' train (chorus) cause I like trains I like fast trains I like trains that call out through the rain I like trains I like sad trains I like trains that whisper your name Cabeese have always intrigued meThanks for the view of life inside a caboose, I have always been fascinated with them. After reading Lectrogeek's link about the demise of the caboose I learned quite a bit of info about trains that I just took for granted before reading the link. The link's explanation of the features of the FRED device does bring up one question though. Before the days of computers and the prevalence of two-way radios from the back of the train to the front, how did the engineer get all of the air pressure and movement information from the conductor? Stormy Kromer!I spy an actual Stormy Kromer hat hanging on a peg! Still made in Michigan, originally designed by Stormy's wife from a baseball cap and made to stay on a railroad engineer's head no matter how windy. Technology overtook them.Renaissanceman asked "Whatever happened to cabooses?" Technology, in the form of flashing end-of-train devices (acronym is FRED, I think) and computerised detection for when the rear end passes critical points (signals, switches, etc) replaced the need for a man at the back. Home sweet home!Except for the slack action when a long train started up, I'm sure. Note the stout rod holding the potbelly stove down to the floor. And here is an explanation for why we no longer have cabeese. MemoriesMy brother forwarded this shot to me and boy do I love it. Our father was a conductor on the C&NWRR and the photo brought back so many wonderful memories of my childhood. As a railroading family, my father would periodically take me to the yard with him to work. One of the highlights of the trip was reaching for the curved handrail on the side of the caboose and let the train's passing movement pull you up for the ride. Once on-board, I loved climbing up to the copula for a bird’s eye view (usually it would be a trip to Proviso Yard where I could be handed off to see my uncle, grandfather or a cousin). Thank you for any train picsMy Grandfather, whom I adored, worked on the Erie Lackawanna from the early 1910's to the late 1960's. Any old pics of the great train days are so appreciated. Thank you. I find it interestingwith the cheesecake motif that in the upper left hand of this photo (near the stove pipe) there's a picture of what appears to be a mother consoling a child. Penny for his thoughts.Pipe smoker is wearing a Stormy Kromer as well. I wonder what he's thinking? How long will the war last? How long till he sees his son again? How long till lunch? How long is it gonna take this photographer to get his shot? The end of the endTwo innovations contributed to the end of the caboose. Roller bearings on the freight cars meant the guy in the cupola didn't have to watch for "hot-boxes" from the earlier cotton-waste oil-saturated bearing packing. The advent of the walkie-talkie meant communication between the engineer and the guy on the ground taking care of the switching. Not Politically CorrectPersonalized cabooses like this started dying off probably by the 1950s when most large railroads and the unions agreed to use "pooled" cabooses where the caboose stayed with the train and only the crews changed. Today it is totally politically incorrect to post lewd photos or drawings like those in the photo. If doing such today does not get you fired, it will certainly cause you to have to attend Diversity and Sensitivity Training Sessions. Oh yeah, most jokes are strictly off limits, too. The railroad is a changed place these days. It's all in the detailsAnd what a wealth of details in this photo! Like the splatter on the side of the cabinet just above the waste basket. Probably from tobacco juice, or possibly empty beer cans? Neither of which would fly in today's railroad workplace, according to several of the comments. And the guy with the pipe would probably be out of a job as well. And what's up with the rolling pin hanging on the wall? Maybe to roll out a few pancakes for cooking on the stove when they got hungry? The print of the mother and child on the left looks like it has been hanging there since the caboose was built. And, echoing several of the other comments, I miss the caboose and the waving conductor. I still remember that as a kid, and this was back in the 1970s. Outstanding photo and keep up the great work. Politically Correct PinupIt's in the eye of the beholder. Working on the railroadI come from a railroad family. My grandfather had 50 years on the job, as did my father. I haven't seen the interior of many caboose cars but I did not see any decorated like this one. My dad used the downtime to study his safety rules for the next level of exam, necessary for promotion, not looking at nekkid women. Men were paid on time in grade status, but to promote you had to take a test and wait for an opening. Railroading was a serious job, the company took safety very seriously as did the men, particularily the brakemen because they would be out there on the track swinging the lantern to guide the engineer on his back-up as well as to switch the track. Never would alcohol be on the job, not ever. It would not be tolerated by the company, nor by the men whose lives were at stake. My dad smoked cigarettes, as did his father. Everyone smoked cigarettes and since it was not an issue like it is today, I cannot image that it wasn't allowed in the caboose. My dad quit railroading in the 1980s saying he was quitting because the new men coming in did not care--they were not interested in learning the job the right way, just "get it done quick, rest, play cards, and get my pay". It hurt him to see this low standard of work ethic, as it did other men. Sad commentary on progress, is it not. We loved seeing the trains pass--ran from our play when we heard the whistle blow just to wave, first at the engineer who would sound the horn for us, and then at the caboose where the men would wave back. it was especially nice if it was our dad in the caboose. Dining carI assume the "Dining Car in opposite direction" sign is a joke? If so, very clever. Afterlife of CabeeseA friend of ours, who has a stand of sugar maple trees and a hobby sugaring operation, got a retired Canadian National caboose (red, of course) with the idea of using it as a warming hut during the sap boiling. He paid some nominal price, and it was delivered to his site on a flatbed truck. He'd determined how high the caboose should be mounted -- you get the caboose only, not the wheels -- and he'd prepared a foundation for it that would place it at the actual height of a operational caboose. To get the thing off the truck an into place, he rented a crane and operator at something like $100/hour (this was three decades ago). Well, it took the crane operator four hours to get that caboose off the truck and onto the foundation! Yes, it all worked out OK, and yes, there's a red CN caboose sitting in a southern Ontario stand of maples. But that "freebie" caboose ended up costing a whole lot more. Air on the BrakesAccording to the air brake gage on the back wall there is air on the train so the caboose is hooked up (coupled) to the train. I wonder who's cut out head is pinned to the lower left door window? (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Grandpa's Pipe
... born in 1916, standing on his grandfather's chair with his pipe in his mouth. He lived in Lindenhurst, Long Island, New York at the time. ... 
 
Posted by carolelinda - 04/15/2016 - 6:39pm -

This is my dad, Fred, who was born in 1916, standing on his grandfather's chair with his pipe in his mouth. He lived in Lindenhurst, Long Island, New York at the time. Lindenhurst MapYou may find this map of interest, it shows Lindenhurst as of 1915. Perhaps you can find your family! http://maps.nypl.org/warper/maps/12235#Preview_tab (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Members Only: 1910
... "Some of the boys working in Phoenix American Cob Pipe Factory. Smallest boy is Joe Krummel. See sign: 'Wanted -- Men and Boys.' ... the classic three-quarters stance; and best of all, Bowtie Pipe voguing a runway pose. Those highwaters are the perfect foundation. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/07/2009 - 2:36am -

October 1910. Washington, Missouri. "Some of the boys working in Phoenix American Cob Pipe Factory. Smallest boy is Joe Krummel. See sign: 'Wanted -- Men and Boys.' Around corner was a sign, 'Girls Wanted.' Couldn't get any photos of girls." Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Rakish, or Nonconformish?I wonder if cocking your derby was the 1910 equivalent of the backward baseball cap. Immortality LostHey you there! On the left... squeeze in a bit! Awwww shucks! Fashion ForwardOver on the right, these boyz are stylin! Open-placket shirt, tucked tie, popped collar; Knicker-Boy Joe with arm akimbo; Mr. Sweater in the classic three-quarters stance; and best of all, Bowtie Pipe voguing a runway pose. Those highwaters are the perfect foundation. Showin' OffThe guy outside with his derby at that angle is just showing off for the camera. The guy you really want to watch out for is the one in the suit and tie giving the rest of them the stink eye. His derby is pushed forward. You just know he's tough and he's got something to back that up with. He'll fire the lot of them for being lazy no accounts if they don't get back to work right now and anyone who argues is going to get a well placed boot where it won't be at all useful. Members Only: 1910This is Joe Manning, of the Lewis Hine Project. The smallest boy, identified by Hine as Joe Krummel, was in fact Joe Krimmel (WWI draft registration). According to the Social Security Death Index, he was born January 15, 1897, and died in Amazonia, Missouri, in September 1975. There is a family history posting on the Web that states that Joe had a son named Victor Junior Krimmel, who had a son named Victor Junior Krimmel, Jr. According to the Nevada Marriage Index, the younger Victor married Patricia Ann Rager on May 6, 2005. Their last address appears to be in Nebraska. The Implied StatementPhotos from this period of street and factory kids show a rough era. One had to know and be adept at the "sweet science" of fisticuffs. Each one is showing the thought, "why I oughta..." And this is the look you would have gotten if you were the pathetic "new kid." Washington, MOis the capital of corn cob pipe manufacturing. All of General Douglas MacArthur's signature corn cob pipes came from one company (Missouri Meerschaum) in Washington, made to his precise specification (including burn marks so it didn't look new!). Missouri Meerschaum still produces the "MacArthur Natural" along with 17 other models. Started in 1869, the Missouri Meerschaum Company is the largest corn cob pipe manufacturer in the world, has been producing hand-made pipes for customers that included President Dwight Eisenhower and Mark Twain. The company's products were even used in the Robin Williams movie "Popeye." Even with the decline in smoking the demand for corn cob pipes remains and they are still churning 'em out there, albeit without the use of child labor anymore. Boy with pipeHe has an air of lazy grace and tough as nails confidence. That pose speaks volumes, even if it was only a serendipitous itch on the back of his head. I wish I could do a Purple Rose of Cairo and walk into this picture to get his story. Lucky HorseshoeThat horseshoe on the gate is hung with the ends pointing down. The one who installed it must have believed that luck pours on you in that position rather than the popular belief that loss of luck occurs if it pours out. Or he never gave it a thought. Corncob fuelIn later years, a model steam locomotive was built by one of the workers at the corncob pipe factory. He used defective pipe bowls and cob scraps to power his 1/8 scale steamer instead of coal. He called his railroad "Route of the Corn Cob" and the new owner who lives near Washington, MO runs the engine at the Mid-South Live Steam club track in Columbia, TN. (The Gallery, Lewis Hine)
Kenneth Bell Smoking a Pipe
Kenneth Bell smoking a pipe. This is sometime around WWII. Exact date and location unknown. Kenneth ... 
 
Posted by roguescooter - 09/03/2008 - 3:37pm -

Kenneth Bell smoking a pipe. This is sometime around WWII. Exact date and location unknown. Kenneth married Joyce Blackburn. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Indian Orchard Mills: 1911
... September 1911. Uncropped full image. Pipe smoker I love the kid smoking the pipe. Bet it doesn't contain bubble water either. Indian Orchard Mills I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2012 - 9:47am -

Group in front of Indian Orchard Mfg. Co. Everyone in public was working. Indian Orchard, Massachusetts. September 1911. Uncropped full image. Pipe smokerI love the kid smoking the pipe. Bet it doesn't contain bubble water either. Indian Orchard MillsI just searched out images for the mill that I discovered my Great-Great Grandfather worked at in 1879. He came down from Montpelier, Vermont for this. (The Gallery, Factories, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Sidewalk Squadron: 1942
... right a spitting image for my grandmother's house. Same pipe fence around the pride-and-joy 6-foot lawn. Ahooga I had (actually ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/19/2023 - 9:26pm -

July 1942. "Detroit, Michigan. Boys and a girl on bicycles." 4x5 inch acetate negative by Arthur Siegel for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Thanks for that caption, FSA!Without it, I would never have realized I was looking at boys and a girl on bicycles. [The captions are a finding aid for researchers who may not have access to the negatives they describe, or to avoid having to take the negative out of its sleeve, and also because it can be hard to figure out what you're looking at in a negative image. - Dave] Omira Avenue??Brick house on the right a spitting image for my grandmother's house. Same pipe fence around the pride-and-joy 6-foot lawn. AhoogaI had (actually still have) one of those horns on my bicycle which I got around 1948. No batteries required and really LOUD. Captions MatterIn regards to GlenJay's comment: having slogged through 12 linear feet of uncataloged negatives and prints in a local museum, I can verify that even a bare bones caption dramatically reduces a researcher's workload. Bike BreedsTwo Cleveland Welding Company (CWC) "Roadmaster" bikes (one slightly older) ca. 1937-1941. From the Vintage American Bicycles website, "CWC started producing bikes in September of 1935." The third boy's bike appears to be badged Winton, though that company stopped making bicycles before 1900; but hundreds of badges were placed on various makers' models. Cannot ID the girl's bike, but it is certainly the de rigueur 1940s "girly" color model. Remember the days when your bike handles fell off and you were left with cold steel? Bell Bottom BluesSailor, Tuck in those pant legs, or else a member of the Sidewalk Squadron is going to make unwanted contact with it! Child retirees ??We hear so much about restrictions on automobile tires during the war, but what about bike tires ? Were they similarly rationed, or was it just too minor an issue to bother with? (that would be hard to believe: it's seems like nothing was "too minor to bother with" during WWII.) Waiting for someone to identify the models: I thought one was a Schwinn, but the spelling is wrong (unless they omitted one of the "N"'s as a wartime economy measure!) [Roadmaster, Winton, ???, Roadmaster. - Dave] Rubber shortageGlancing at the front bike tires made me think of rubber rationing and if bike tires were rationed. Of course. Immediately after Pearl Harbor ALL rubber was rationed/banned for most civilian use from tires to hot water bottles to rubber shoe soles. I had never heard of these but there were Victory Bicycles built during the war to aid with transportation. Less metal by weight, elimination of the frills, small amounts of strategic metals, narrower size tires. Neat photo today that had me diving into bikes in WW2. Is that a rock?Why hang a rock from your handlebars? And if it's something else -- what is it? [The girl has one, too! - Dave] Not an onion, but ...with apologies to Abe Simpson, "So I tied a rock to my handlebars, which was the style at the time!" My mom (b 1942) told me that in Des Moines in the '50s it was popular for girls to tie a thread around the neck of a dime store chameleon and pin the other end to your blouse so the little lizard could walk around on your shoulders. Crackerjack outfitThe guy on the left has a sailor hat and bellbottoms. Was there a high school Naval ROTC equivalent at the time? (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Bicycles, Detroit Photos, Kids)
B&O: 1942
... connected to a mechanism within a bracket-mounted box. A pipe passes behind this box, curves down and ends at some hardware located ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/30/2022 - 10:18am -

September 1942. "Richwood, West Virginia. An engineer on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad." 4x5 inch acetate negative by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Springs and pulleys?That is the most unusual view of a locomotive I've ever seen! Looking up from beside the driving wheels, am I seeing leaf springs? I didn't know there were springs on locos! And what are the belt and pulleys for? It appears that the "2" in 4-6-2 has springs to keep it pressed onto the tracks. Can anyone explain? It's sheer weightkeeps it on the tracks. The springs do the same thing the springs in your car do. Don't know about the small pulleys though. Yes, springsAll wheels on railroad rolling stock have both springs and equalizers. The springs support all of the weight, and allow the wheels to follow small irregularities in the track. Equalization allow for larger irregularities in the track, and assures that the weight is properly distributed. In the picture, the lever which links the trailing axle spring to the springs on the driving wheels is partially visible at the far right. Levers are used so that the weight can be less on the trailing axle than on the drivers, for example. Dunno about the pulleysAll locomotives and all rolling stock have some sort of spring suspension, just like highway vehicles. That's no mystery. As for the pulleys? I dunno. It was common in the steam era for passenger cars to have a 32-volt DC generator belt-driven from one of the axles. This would charge a battery, so the lights wouldn't go out when the train stopped. This system was gradually replaced by head-end power, reaching completion in the 1970s, but cabeese continued to use it through the end of the caboose era. I say I dunno because locomotives got their very small electric power requirement (basically just a headlight and dashboard light) through small steam turbines, starting after 1900, when vibration-tolerant light bulbs were developed. Just like automobiles The pulley and belt are part of the power steering mechanism. Pulleys and BeltThe only purpose I can conceive for the pulley and belt would be, perhaps, for a speedometer. It's an arrangement I've not seen before on a steam locomotive. Edited 12/31/22 3:30 pm Yup! Found this, with a bicycle chain drive, in a 1941 steam locomotive parts catalog. Postulating a potential pulley purposeThe top pulley appears to be connected to a mechanism within a bracket-mounted box. A pipe passes behind this box, curves down and ends at some hardware located behind the driver, which may be a steam-operated sander. The box at the top may be a valve equipped with an overrunning clutch that opens when the drivers are reversed to provide traction sand behind the drivers instead of, or in addition to, ahead of the wheels. Or not. This is all just a guess as we mark time waiting for a comment from someone who knows what the heck he/she is talking about. Regardless, the whole setup looks to be very light-duty and unrailroady, as is the bare light bulb below the "P-3" label. Not likely to pass the hammer test. PulleysI surmise it's for a speedometer. Locomotive IDNo. 5123 was a Class P-3 4-6-2 locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1913. Only one 4-6-2, of more than 200 operated by the B&O, survives today. Here's another photo of this locomotive, taken in 1936. Springs on A Steam LocomotiveThis drawing shows how springing and equalization works on a steam locomotive to keep weight evenly distributed over irregularities in the track. Fireman or firemen?A engine that size is approaching, but doesn't exceed, the limits of what one good fireman can handle. Probably a bit over 4 tons per hour. On a passenger engine, such as this one, he was also keeping the floor swept, monitoring the water level in the boiler, and watching track conditions and signals ahead, among other things. Manual firingInfo on the B&O P-3 class is far and few between, did find that the locomotives had no mechanical stoker. Poor fireman who had to shovel in the tons and tons of coal by hand. I wonder if the B&O employed 2 firemen on this type of loco. Been There, Done ThatI've hand fired a steam locomotive of that size and type. Yeah, It's work, but one man can do it. (The Gallery, John Collier, Railroads)
Watering Hole: 1940
... says Eat. Pretty self-explanatory. Food, Beer and a Pipe Is the guy on the right heading out in a hurry to smoke a bowl/pipe? It looks like a pipe in his hand that he is emptying for a re-fill. If ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/03/2018 - 12:48pm -

March 1940. "Saloon. Silver Peak, Esmeralda County, Nevada." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Signs of the TimesIt looks to me like times were a lot simpler back in Silver Peak in 1940. If you're thirsty and want a cold one you go to the building with the sign that says Saloon. If you're hungry you go to the building with the sign that says Eat. Pretty self-explanatory. Food, Beer and a PipeIs the guy on the right heading out in a hurry to smoke a bowl/pipe? It looks like a pipe in his hand that he is emptying for a re-fill. If not, It must be a shadow? It certainly does not look like a pipe of the time period. Drink up!if zzyzx is correct, drinking must be a lot more popular than eating in Silver Peak. That "Saloon" SignI was in a lot of saloons in a lot of strange countries as a teen Marine and in more saloons stateside as a young man. Now at the age of 70 I'll admit that I'd have a tough time passing a sign like that without stopping in for a cold one. Silver Peak UpdateI have spent some time in Silver Peak as both of my brothers lived there until recently. The old saloon, along with much of the town, was destroyed by a fire in 1948. Silver Peak today is essentially a company town since nearly all of the residents work at the lithium mine. There is one other business in town, the bar and grill. Everything else has to be purchased in Tonapah, 60 miles away (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Eateries & Bars, Small Towns)
Nicotine, Caffeine, Gasoline: 1939
... pretzel like product. This could then be grated into pipe tobacco or finer snuff, or cut into ropes and smoked as a crude cigar, or ... as a boy I could have retired much sooner. Edgeworth Pipe Tobacco Edgeworth Ready-Rubbed, a very nice blend of burley and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/07/2018 - 4:50pm -

June 1939. "Country store. Wagoner County, Oklahoma." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Down to SnuffGreat-Grandmother and Grandmother were both snuff users. Snuff was nasty stuff. They would put it behind the bottom lip and spit every 5 or 10 minutes. Great-Grandmother lived to be 94 and used it till the day she died. Times sure look tough thereI wonder if anyone had enough change to buy that Ice Cold Coca-Cola. The Big TwistInteresting ad for Red Raven tobacco twists. A twist was a bundle of cured, whole tobacco leaves that were rolled, twisted and tied into a pretzel like product. This could then be grated into pipe tobacco or finer snuff, or cut into ropes and smoked as a crude cigar, or even chewed like a plug. It was basically a pure tobacco product that had gone through no processing or flavoring, and the user could consume it whatever way he preferred. Economical Benefits of Smoking CigarsI don't see any ads for cigars helping to hold this storefront up but a friend once told me that cigars were the only way to use tobacco economically. You smoke the cigar down as short as you want and extinguish the stub, chew up what is remaining until all the flavor is gone, place the old chew on a windowsill in the sun until it is completely dry, then powder up the remains and use it for snuff. All gone and no waste. Squeak and BangThe universal call of an old wooden screen door opening and closing. If I had a dollar for every time I heard that noise as a boy I could have retired much sooner. Edgeworth Pipe TobaccoEdgeworth Ready-Rubbed, a very nice blend of burley and Virginia, still out there as Lane Limited Ready-Rubbed. Tornado alleyI'm guessing the place more or less survived a few tornadoes. Oh, and whoever left the broom outside, pick it up and get back to work. Hard TimesPerhaps another title could be: Abandon hope all ye who enter here. Difficult to believe that many products were on the shelves in this store on its last legs. A feeling of hopelessness in this snapshot from the past. Nicotine, Caffeine, Gasoline:An ine emerges. Pump ScaleIt may be obvious, but how does the scale on the pump work? I assume the scale indicates gallons of gas. Is the glass container filled to the zero mark so that as gas is released the new level shows how much was purchased? (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
Newport News: 1941
... drawing to the nth degree the placement and bend of every pipe and conduit for his assignment at the time, on submarines. There were ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/07/2020 - 3:53pm -

March 1941. Newport News, Virginia. "Shipyard workers going home at 4 p.m." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Huntington Cafe The street appears to be Washington Avenue. According to an ad in a 1940 edition of the local newspaper, the Huntington Cafe was located at 3600½ Washington Ave. In the ad, the restaurant was looking to hire a waitress. Nary a woman to be seen!I don't see any women yard workers in this pre-WWII scene. That would change during the war. https://www.marinersmuseum.org/sites/micro/women/wartime/ww2.htm N.N.S.& D.D.Co. The Shipyard - Newport News Shipyard & Dry Dock Co.- has been a definitive workplace of generations of local (and not quite local) families since the end of the 19th century. My stepfather began working there as a full time employee just after WWII, when he graduated from 4 years at the Apprentice School in 1950, through the auspices of the GI Bill, and became a Piping Designer in the Submarine Division. He was a part of the development of the nuclear submarines from day one. Hyman G. Rickover was a seemingly permanent fixture of that section, ruling with an iron will. Stories about him were regular parts of every day's dinner table conversation! Dad worked there until his Union went on strike in the late 70's/early 80's and never went OFF strike. He continued working for another company who was a contractor for the shipyard for a long time, until he retired. He passed away this past spring. Asbestosis was a major player in his passing, after spending decades in that shipbuilding environment, making frequent journeys from his office space to the outside buildings where "mock ups" were located, and actual construction in the dry docks took place, where there was little to no breathing protection provided or even acknowledged in those many early years. He recieved legal asbestosis "benefits" from various class action law suits, but in the end, no amount of money could repair the damage inflicted by those incredibly tiny, dangerous fibers that permanently scarred his lungs. His father - my paternal grandfather - had worked there, beginning in the Sail Shop, in the late 1920's, which was actually after sails were no longer part of ships, but handled all the textile components of ships, and the yard itself. He fabricated upholstery on ships and subs, awnings on buildings, and other items. He retired in 1968. He has three sisters, two of whom married men who would become permanent employees of the shipyard through their retirement. The other one was associated through shipyard contractors. I have numerous cousins, brothers, nephews, and many school friends who either have worked for the Yard in all its incarnations, ownership, changes, etc., and still do, or have done. One uncle gave his all, who was an official photographer for the Yard, when he had a sudden heart attack during lunch with coworkers in a little cafe across the street from the yard, and didn't go home again. In the 1960's, taking Dad to work across town from as far as Denbigh so Mom could have the one car on Fridays so she could do all her shopping is something I will always remember. Being part of all that craziness of early morning traffic and back again for the madness of afternoon shift change, with the thousands of cars from everywhere, and what seemed like hundreds of charter busses from as far as North Carolina transporting the employees on their way in and on their way home again seemed to be just another normal day. The shipyard has been a permanent fixture of most of my early life, from the age of 6, until I married at 19, and moved away to the Midwest at 20, in 1977. It still continues to move on as it provides submarines and aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy, as well as numerous other projects that keep "the yard" humming. (Original 7/2/2020) Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.In the 1940s A&P was at the height of its success - so much so that it was charged with antitrust violations. Because of management mistakes, it started sliding in the 1950s and disappeared in 2015. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Atlantic_%26_Pacific_Tea_Company Eight O'ClockThe A&P is gone, but I still drink Eight O'Clock coffee. "No Pedestrian Traffic"A 1940 newspaper want-ad for a waitress position at the Huntington Cafe (lower left) gives an address of 3600½ Washington Avenue, which means Vachon was standing near the intersection of Washington and 37th Street, facing south. There is still a gate to the shipyard at that corner, but "no pedestrian traffic" signs in place of crowds of workers headed south at shift change. Today, there are acres of surface parking lots behind Vachon's location. Many women - just not in sight here!(EDITED to remove typo. ORIGINALLY posted a few years ago.) This photo just doesn't show the right building or gate for all the women employees to be making their way out of the buildings to go home. There were/are different buildings where the white collar workers - management, secretaries, administrative assistants/private secretaries, file clerks, the typing pools, other clerical workers, etc. - had the offices where they did their vital work, and design divisions had their facilities, working in large open office spaces where their drafting desks and other equipment was kept, and where they did their work everyday, Monday through Friday. Not a computer to be found, or even a pocket calculator. Yet. I'm sure there were all the IBM, other bookkeeping and office machines were being used to the utmost, keeping up with the work of production, repair, refitting, calculating contracts, payrolls for all the thousands of workers, and so forth though! My dad's "tools of the trade" were drafting pens and pencils and slide rules, and all the other drafting tools needed for his work, calculating and drawing to the nth degree the placement and bend of every pipe and conduit for his assignment at the time, on submarines. There were plenty of ladies working in those office spaces too. And, not every category of worker worked the same shift everyday. Production workers down in the yard, such as these men shown, worked one of three standard shifts, days, evenings, graveyards, and a five day shift out of any given seven days. My uncle worked in the welding shops, five evenings a week, always getting home about 11:45PM. My aunt always had his "dinner" waiting for him when he got home. I used to spend weekends there with my cousins as a kid when I could, and he was usually not home at least one evening until quite late. "QUIET" while he was sleeping during the early part of the day was an unbreakable house rule! The office workers worked the standard 9-5, Monday through Friday's, where the production personnel worked 7-3, 3-11, or 11-7, part of seven days a week. And there were also the Apprentice School students, who worked their time in the school proper for their four or more years, just like any other college program, but also worked in the yard itself, or in the design divisions, or whatever other division coincided with their area of interest or focus, as part of their training as well. Their schedules were always a mystery! And there were also the predictable city bus routes which included the shipyard stops as part of their daily routes. Staggering shifts like that was the only way they could get a handle on the amazing traffic tidalwaves that were part of getting people to work and back home again everyday. There are (or at least there were) specific parking areas near the buildings down in the yard where they were working, and surface lots for the use of specific classes of workers close by the buildings where they worked. (The Gallery, John Vachon, WW2)
A Woman and Her Pipe
The second of a series of images collectively titled "Cabins and Darkeys", taken near Vicksburg, Mississippi and dated February, 1907. These glass "Extra Rapid Dry Plates" were manufactured by the M. A. Seed Dry Plate Co. of St. Louis, Missouri an ... 
 
Posted by AllenTenn - 03/23/2012 - 11:49pm -

The second of a series of images collectively titled "Cabins and Darkeys", taken near Vicksburg, Mississippi and dated February, 1907. These glass "Extra Rapid Dry Plates" were manufactured by the M. A. Seed Dry Plate Co. of St. Louis, Missouri and were found, in their original box and sleeves, in an antique mall. Photographer unknown. Scanned from a print made from the original glass negative. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Lost: 1904
... Forgive my automotive ignorance, but what are those six pipe-looking things in front of the steering wheel? Sweet Ride That's a ... driver" "If you're so smart, YOU drive" The pipe things I believe those are sight glasses used to control the flow of ... 
 
Posted by bronson - 10/11/2008 - 4:28pm -

July 1904. The Trevor family takes a motor tour of France. Apparently they got lost. View full size. Pipes?Forgive my automotive ignorance, but what are those six pipe-looking things in front of the steering wheel? Sweet RideThat's a very nicely built, highly sophisticated car for 1904. I especially like the big horn on the right fender, in case the little one on the left doesn't scare the pedestrians enough. The only thing it's lacking is any attempt at a windscreen. Who needs a windscreen...... when you can wear one on your head? Quite the attire in the back seat. Honk HONKI do believe this might be the first example of the famous "Town horn, Country horn." Other possible titles"Transporting bee-keepers" "World's first back-seat driver" "If you're so smart, YOU drive" The pipe thingsI believe those are sight glasses used to control the flow of oil to various places in the engine.There were a lot of things to do to drive these "old time" cars. How fastHow fast was this touring car? I can't imagine it going very fast. What were the tires made of? It looks like they have screws in them to keep them on the wheels. Was there a trunk of any type? [Trunks back then were actual trunks strapped to the back of the car. For a discussion of tire clamps see this post. - Dave] Where it all startedOne of the earliest examples of men not asking for directions. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Bleak House: 1940
... the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Pipe dream. I’ve always wanted to purchase buildings like this and fix ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/18/2019 - 10:54am -

October 1940. "Abandoned farmhouse. Ward County, North Dakota." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Pipe dream.I’ve always wanted to purchase buildings like this and fix them up a bit. Leave them looking old though. Playing throughA picture (especially of an abandoned structure) in which the photographer has shot through and out another open window or door on the other side is endlessly thrilling to me. It strikes me as being almost too poetic, too metaphorically sublime -- in a very good way. At any rate I love this shot. It's extra. Pristine targets for the sharpshootersHow many beautiful and valuable signs I've seen with those damn bullet holes. Wish I could travel back and save those tin beauties... BLEAK indeed - A MONUMENT TO BROKEN DREAMS - - -Assuming John steadied his camera on his car window sill, this sad, tiny, well built former farm house sat close to the road - else why would big business attempt to squeeze 5 cents out of passerby traffic for a soft drink or a bit more for a 'hard' one. Wonder if STRUTZ, LARKIN and GRONNA were small real estate hopefuls. The windows and their fittings were probably carefully removed for another frugal homesteader's use elsewhere. Hoping they succeded - - - Is there anything new at all? Tiny houses seem to have already been old by 1940. Joyce Kilmer poemI've always loved this poem and this house is a poster child for it: https://allpoetry.com/The-House-With-Nobody-In-It The start of it: Whenever I walk to Suffern along the Erie track I go by a poor old farmhouse with its shingles broken and black. I suppose I’ve passed it a hundred times, but I always stop for a minute And look at the house, the tragic house, the house with nobody in it. That's the ticketThe owner must've been a Republican, at least in the 1938 state elections (Gronna didn't run in 1940, so the signs must be survivors from 1938): Alvin C. Strutz was elected Attorney General; Ben C. Larkin was reelected Railroad Commissioner; James D. Gronna was reelected Secretary of State. The sign with the "ER" looks to have a "K" before the "E", so it's probably for State Auditor Berta E. Baker, who in winning reelection was actually the lead vote-getter for the GOP ticket in 1938. Wonder if the inhabitants of this farm voted for ex and current Governor (and convicted felon) William Langer in his losing independent bid for Senate in 1938. He would win a Senate seat a month after this photo was taken, would be found guilty of moral turpitude by the Senate committee on elections but seated by a vote of the whole body, and would serve as a strong isolationist until his death in 1959. Just behind the barnIf I'm not mistaken, there appears to be a railroad track and a telegraph line in the background. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Rural America)
Aunt Mary's Car: 1920
... item. It looks like something on the end of the tail pipe, too. Maybe a warning whistle. It also looks like there is an accessory ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 06/24/2009 - 5:12pm -

c.1920, in the vicinity of Merced Falls, Calif. My mother's older sister and her car. Maybe someone here can identify it. From original 116 negative. View full size. Model T Runabout Mary's CarThe rear license plate seems to say 1928 or 1929---what do others think? ["20." - Dave] Aunt Mary and Her CarThanks for the auto ID, Anonymous Tipster. As for the date, I'm afraid that Mary died in 1922, of tuberculosis, two weeks shy of her 29th birthday. Clothes Make The LadySo Aunt Mary was only 26 years old when this picture was taken? Those clothes make her look at least 50. Mary's back storyThank you, Aunt Mary's niece, for more about her and her family, poor things. You are right about TB. It was a terrifying disease with an unpredictable but often fatal course. Even worse, there was considerable stigma associated with having it. When my mother-in-law was a child in the 1920s, her father spent several months in a TB sanatorium (he survived, lived a long life and died of something else). She said the children were forbidden to ever speak of it to anyone, for if it was generally known he would lose his job and friends would be reluctant to be with them. She was still uncomfortable talking about it in the 1980s. Something About MaryShe was a very pretty woman nevertheless. About Aunt MaryIf this was taken in 1920, Aunt Mary was pregnant with her first child, who was born in October of 1920. What is surprising is that she had her photo taken while pregnant, something most women of that era were too embarrassed to do. (Even in the 1940s our mother was quite chagrined to find out someone took a snapshot of her while she was expecting.) Aunt Mary's story has an even sadder ending. During her second pregnancy, her tuberculosis, which had been in remission, flared up again, and she died two weeks after the birth of the baby. The baby, being exposed to TB at birth, died of fulminant tuberculosis at age 6 weeks. Mary left a husband and a 2-year-old. Mary was born in June, married in June, and died in June. This was the tragedy of our Mother's family. We have forgotten today the toll that TB took on people's lives in the early to mid 1900s. Until medication for treatment was developed in the 1940s-50s, TB was one of the top ten killers. -- Aunt Mary's Niece, who never knew her Aunt Mary's Clothes"Those clothes" were simply the style of Aunt Mary's era. Yes, today those styles are old-fashioned and pretty silly looking. Just like the clothes we wear today will look old-fashioned and silly looking in 2096 (yes, 2096!). Girls born in 1892 wore those kind of clothes in 1920. Actually, if you take a closer look at Mary, she's pretty easy on the eyes. Some 21st century treatment on her wardrobe, makeup and hair and I'll bet she'd turn a few heads. TB's Heavy TollMy paternal grandmother contracted TB during my grandfather's courtship of her (started with a cold she got while sitting on the ground watching Granddad play baseball), and died when Dad was 5 (1930). Dad, born with TB, was cured of it at Johns Hopkins during his first 5 years, but still worries about a recurrence to this day- and he's 83 now. My regret, of course, is that I never got to know my grandmother. Indeed, even my father's memory of her is very sketchy. Mary's Model TThe car seems to be a ca. 1917-1919 non-starter car. There is an accessory "keyed" ingition switch on the coilbox on the firewall. I put "keyed" in quotes because the stock Ford switch had a key, but they were all the same! I see an electric taillight, which may have been added on. One popular package on 1919 and later cars that had starter motors and generators included demountable rim wheels and an electric taillight. Those cars had no kerosene side lamps. We can't tell if this car has them because of Mary's position. This car does not have demountable rim wheels. The toolbox on the running board is an accessory item. It looks like something on the end of the tail pipe, too. Maybe a warning whistle. It also looks like there is an accessory dashboard, and auxiliary outside brakes on the rear drums. The outside brakes and keyed ignition tell me Mary was a cautious woman. 1917 Model T RoadsterI think the car was a 1917 model year produced around March–April 1917. See the rationale at the Model T Ford Club of America Forum. Others may see additional items that will alter that recommendation. Respectfully submitted, Hap Tucker 1915 Model T Ford touring cut off and made into a pickup truck. Sumter SC. Merced FallsMerced Falls, 30 miles east of Merced and just a couple of miles south of Snelling, was quite a place in those days. Mostly gold dredging in the Merced River. Not a lot left today. There was a cement factory there also. It was in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada range. There are still a lot of "potholes" filled with water when the dredge would move on to create another hole. The last time I was there (40 years ago) there was still an old dredge in one of the potholes. Great fishing and frogging. Re Merced FallsMerced Falls was at that time a company lumber town. Aunt Mary was a bookkeeper for the Yosemite Sugar Pine Lumber Company. See her photo with co-workers in "Times of Flu." Aunt Mary and the other unmarried lady employees lived in the Company Hotel. There was housing for families and barracks for the single men. There was a mess hall, pool hall, and a baseball field. The Lumber company was noted for its Incline Railway system which brought the logs down from the mountains above. The track was 8000 feet long and 3100 feet in height. It started at an elevation of 5000 feet and ended at 1900 ft el. More technical info for train trekkies can be found here. Aunt Mary married the company town butcher, a young man from a butchering family in England. Later they moved to a house in nearby Snelling. Aunt Mary had moved to Merced Falls from (foggy) San Francisco to live in a drier climate near the mountains, which was thought to be beneficial for tuberculosis. Which it was for a while. The area today is a county park, the town partly drowned under the waters of Lake McClure, formed by the Merced Falls Diversion Dam. SnellingMy family has been going to Henderson Park for 50 years especially at Easter. My uncle Alvin and Grace Halstead have lived near Merced Falls for almost 30 years. Many great memories of the time spent there. Tom Mitchell Killer TBI read with interest the comments on Aunt Mary's pictures and her tuberculosis. Those who wrote that it was a killer are indeed right. My great-grandmother, two great aunts, and one of their sons all died of it within a short time. My grandmother had it when she was pregnant with my mother. She was told that that the baby would either be dead in six months or always immune. Since Mom died at age 72, I guess it was the latter. Her first cousin Edna also had TB and was ill for several years. The picture is of my grandmother and grandfather in the 1930s. While my grandmother survived TB, she died of a brain aneurysm before I was born. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, tterrapix)
As Advertised: 1939
... them, much less create a window display. - Dave] Pipe tools Those three-part items (reamer, tamper, pick) for 10¢ or 25¢, lower right, between what I take to be zippered pipe/tobacco pouches for a buck. Box of 25 cigars for 69¢ At that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/15/2019 - 8:30pm -

Spring 1939. "Drugstore window in Washington, D.C." Medium format acetate negative by David Moffat Myers for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Fingers of FearFrom the Amazon description of the book in the display window: Ruined in the stock market crash of 1929, Selden Seaforth is on the verge of homelessness and starvation when he gets a lucky break: an old school friend, Ormond Ormes, hires him to catalogue the collection of rare books in the library at the mansion of Ormesby. The mansion has a reputation for being haunted by ghosts, but Seaforth quickly finds out that ghosts are the least of his worries: the house is also inhabited by a bizarre family of madwomen, not to mention possibly vampires, werewolves, and the undead ... [J.U. Nicolson was evidently big on alliteration. - Dave] Inflation!I love these old store photos. Shows you how much inflation we have really had. National brandsI'm not quite 70 but I recognize two products in the window. They're both at left: Lavoris, which I remember as the palatable mouthwash, as opposed to the intensely medicinal Listerine. The other is Castoria, which I vaguely recall, only from TV commercials, as Fletcher's Castoria. Vitamin GWe call it riboflavin these days. Not so cheapThe bottle of vitamins at $1.49 would go for almost $26 today, and $18 for the 98 cent pan. As advertised -- Don't take our word for itOf course everyone will remark on the prices, but I notice there's not a single brand name in the whole store window (not the signs in the window, the window itself) that I recognize and I'm 70, so it's not like they are before my time. I do like how they have posted the newspaper ad in the window along with the items advertised so that you can know you are getting the advertised price. I give those 98-cent drugstore frypans about a week to last. Now if I could just figure out what a "public telephone" was -- Try to find oneA public telephone, that is. What the world needs... is a good five-cent cigar at 25 for 69 cents! Related to United Cigars - and Marvel Comics!Interesting history of Whelan Drugs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Cigar_Stores RelativityAccording to one obscure chart I found, the average annual salary for a public school teacher (for example) in Washington DC in 1939 was $2,350. [Indeed. Relative to 1939, the number of hours (or minutes) the average person has to work in 2019 to buy something like a toothbrush or a whisk broom is so inconsequential, no store would bother advertising them, much less create a window display. - Dave] Pipe toolsThose three-part items (reamer, tamper, pick) for 10¢ or 25¢, lower right, between what I take to be zippered pipe/tobacco pouches for a buck. Box of 25 cigars for 69¢At that price, I’d resume smoking. Also, I’ll take one of those whisk brooms for a dime, please. A drugstore!!I've noticed Shorpy has not featured drugstore photos recently, so I was delighted to see this one. Thanks! Also, I wonder when "films" lost the "s"? I presume the word refers to the item you put into a camera and took back to have developed. Another label recognizedI also recognize the Fitch's Shampoo. That line of products was a staple in the barber shop when I was a kid. Fred Fitch also developed one of the first types of anti-dandruff shampoos. Going Viral From a 1937 TIME magazine article: “The 541 cigar stores of United Cigar-Whelan Stores Corp., which dot the country like an attack of measles, have long been filled to bursting with Mickey Mouse watches, G-Man automatics, shoe trees ... ” Whelan's Drugs Such a DealEven adjusted for inflation those whisk brooms are a deal at $1.84 in today's dollars. Cheapest whisk brooms I could find on Amazon cost $4.32. [$2.83 at Walmart. - Dave] First EditionsAt least four of the books shown are still in print. I think I have a couple in my library from roughly the date of this photo. (The Gallery, D.C., David Myers, Stores & Markets)
King of the Road: 1940
... scary to think a semi-trailer being pulled by a piece of pipe and a chain. Pipe and chain The pipe and chain is quite normal and safe. It is part of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/17/2018 - 1:45pm -

March 1940. "Interstate trailer truck at Elko, Nevada." Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Towing a trailer?I see a pole and a chain coming from the back axle of the trailer. It looks like it is going straight back to a second trailer? It's scary to think a semi-trailer being pulled by a piece of pipe and a chain. Pipe and chainThe pipe and chain is quite normal and safe. It is part of the tow dolly or "Joe Dog" used to tow double semi trailers Tractor-Trailer Prepared for SnowChains are readily available for snow! March in Nevadahe will be needing those chains going either way. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
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