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Pink Lady: 1960
... Red-shirted gent would have been a great poster boy for a pipe tobacco advertising campaign. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Boats & ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/25/2023 - 2:45pm -

June 18, 1960. "Rowing, Harvard-Yale Regatta. Crew race at New London, Connecticut." Our host (far right) is Commodore Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, and we are aboard his 90-foot yacht the Versatile, last seen here. 35mm Kodachrome slide by Toni Frissell. View full size. The VersatileRe-named Windroad and allegedly purchased by Prince Rainier of Monaco. Color FilmYou can't beat Kodachrome for fall colors. It also works on shirts. The SquintRed-shirted gent would have been a great poster boy for a pipe tobacco advertising campaign. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Boats & Bridges, Toni Frissell)
Winter Crossing: 1900
... load and unload the box cars. I bet the guy smoking the pipe could have told us. Extraordinary! This is an extraordinarily ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 3:18pm -

Circa 1900. "Detroit River. Car ferry Michigan Central entering slip." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Who's with me?Winter break on the Detroit River! Frigid WonderThis is just a beautiful photo, of an otherwise thoroughly utilitarian scene, just barely romanticized by having train cars and a paddlewheeler as subject matter. The texture in the broken ice at foreground, the impressionistic smoke, and mist in the distance -- Wow. Brr.I'm getting frostbite just looking at this picture. All aboardI see the three sets of tracks, but would like to see the actual way they load and unload the box cars. I bet the guy smoking the pipe could have told us. Extraordinary!This is an extraordinarily beautiful photo. The black and white textures are remarkable. I can feel the cold air and hear the ice crunching as the ferry drifts in. The ghostliness of the image is echoed in the misty distant skylines, and the whole is anchored by the two figures. What a composition! SkylineDoes anyone know if the ferry is pulling into Detroit or Windsor? Any clue from the church in the distance? Interesting weatherCloudy, with a 100% chance of thumbprints! Link & PinThe center car seems to be fitted with a link & pin coupling. The Railroad Safety Appliance Act took effect in 1900 outlawing these hand crushers on railroads engaged in interstate commerce. Absolutely wonderful!As a person who lived in Archangelsk city, I used to see a scenes like this many many times. I feel the atmosphere, I even can feel a smell of it. Wonderful! Just great! "Michigan Central"This seems to be the same sidewheeler design as in the previous shot of a car ferry, the "Transport." The names (hard to see) are stenciled on a signboard over the wheelhouse. A ferry wonderland"The Great Lakes Car Ferries" by George Woodman Hilton has another photo of the Michigan Central on page 35. Best. Photo. Ever.I've been reading Shorpy regularly since sometime in '07 when I saw a link on either Boing Boing or Neatorama. This is abso-freakin-lutely the Best. Photo. Ever. Bless you, and keep doing what you do. Over the riverAt about this time, my grandmother may have been on a sleigh on the frozen river, on the way back to Windsor from Detroit, smuggling back cotton socks. She would have been 10 years old. Such was the family story. Great photoI am so impressed with the high contrast in the sky. If it were not clearly labeled as a scan directly from the negative, I would have assumed this was a print which had received a lot of attention in the darkroom. This image is one of Shorpy's all time greats. [All of the images on this site are adjusted for contrast in Photoshop. - Dave] 57 summers laterBelow is a scan of a 35 mm Kodachrome slide showing this same rail car ferry yard as it looked on July 6, 1957. The photo was taken from the deck of the Ambassador Bridge and its viewpoint is 180 degrees from that of the 1900 photo (the bridge was built during 1927-1929). View full size. The church steeple seen in the distance on the 1900 photo is located in Windsor, Ontario. Here's a photo of it taken from the bridge deck just seconds prior to the one of the rail car ferry yard in Detroit. Jules VerneyUntil you focus in on the rail cars, and the pictures resolves into the recognizable, there's a kind of Victorian Future-Shock quality to it. Frozen in timeThe sharpness of the broken crystal shards could kill a man, they stand pointed end up, ready to cut a careless worker or walker, like razor-edged beveled glass. Two men are seen, yet each is lost in their own solitary thoughts. Possibly thinking "damn, it's cold." Final departureIt looks like they are taking boxcars full of the damned over the river Styx. The church might be in WindsorIt looks very much like Our Lady of the Assumption Church near the foot of Huron Church Rd. It is still there, presently in the shadow of the Ambassador Bridge. If so, the view is downstream. Detroit RiverThis is the Detroit side. The river flows extremely fast, and the ferry docks were set up so the boats always entered dock facing upstream. Michigan Central was built in 1884 by Detroit Dry Dock in Wyandotte, while Transport was built there in 1880. Both were cut down to barges by the 1930's. A nearly identical boat, Lansdowne of 1884, survived in steam until 1970 for CN/Grand Trunk, until she blew a cylinder head (I remember the shock among the Detroit trainwatching community at the time). Her long survival was due to the limited size of the RR tunnels under the river, which couldn't handle hi-cubes and other large cars. Lansdowne then became a floating restaurant, with two Milwaukee Road Skytop observation cars aboard. Recently scrapped in Buffalo. I frequently went down to watch Lansdowne and an even older propeller ferry in the days of no security, "Sure, just be careful!" WindsorI live in Amherstburg, about 20 miles downriver from Windsor. I love these photos of the Detroit River. Great StuffI love these pictures of the Detroit River railroad ferries. My grandfather worked on these boats when he first came to Detroit from Pennsylvania in 1919. I remember watching them shuttle across the river during my childhood in the '60s and '70s. Does anyone know what that factory on the right is? Is it the Michigan Peninsular Car Co. (aka American Car & Foundry)? It seems to be in basically the right place on the west side of Detroit. My great-grandfather, on the other side, worked there. Building a ModelI'm building a 1/87 model of the train ferry Windsor, and these pictures and diagrams have proven to be invaluable. Thanks, Terry Jolliffe Belle River, Ontario (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Home Office: 1920
... you might get interested in your work, and let your pipe go out. -- James McNeill Whistler I am waiting I can only hope ... Yes? Piped He's a fan of tobacco. Could be a water pipe on the desk. Office By the looks of the top hinge on the door on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 12:10pm -

"H.E.F. in den, 2227 Nichols Avenue," circa 1920. Herbert E. French owned National Photo, the source for so many of the images seen here. Evidently he surrounded himself with his work. National Photo glass negative. View full size. Sense of HumorH.E.F. seems to have a great sense of humor with his walls covered in "posters" and beautiful women... he even has a prank-type of toy... seems like a modern day frat boy almost. Yet another placardYou should be ve-ry careful, you know, you might get interested in your work, and let your pipe go out. -- James McNeill Whistler I am waitingI can only hope someone can explain what the fascinating object in the photo on the board might be. Poster OptimismNote the poster to the left of the door: "CHEER UP THERE AIN'T NO HELL" Humm, interesting! Hef!Most photos titled "Hef in Den" would have a rather different assortment of pinups on the wall. Show Your ColorsHerbert apparently liked this poster but wasn't so keen on the advertiser. source: Library of Congress The previously noted "Cheer up there ain't no hell", was copyrighted and printed by the Celebrity Art Co. of Boston Mass. I love the bulldog print too; it looks very modern. I know its a stretch, but something about the expression reminds me of George Rodrique's Blue Dog series H.E.F. styleH.E.F. was an Arts & Crafts kinda guy, wasn't he? Psst! Look behind the man's seatI think there's a snake on the floor. But is it real or is it a model? EEK!I just saw the large snake (boa?) on the rug behind Mr. French. Wonder if it is alive. [It's a wood snake. - Dave] Thar she blows!The fascinating object appears to be a harpoon gun without a mounted projectile and rope. I'm fascinated with the Gibson prints hung overhead. Lair of the black mambaOn the rug, slightly to the left of his chair.....is that a rubber snake? No more waiting.The "fascinating object" might be a naval deck gun, dating from the turn of the century on. Mixed molding messageH.E. is using his chair rail as a picture rail... HEF's decorI think some of this constitutes examples of his work. National Photo shot ad layouts -- composites of artwork and type for brochures and flyers. A lot of the printing seems to have been done by Standard Engraving. Together they did postcards, novelties and souvenirs for the National Remembrance Shops. At least this is what I gather from some of the National Photo commercial stuff that I've come across the past couple of years. Who's there?Above the door on the right: Opportunity knocks daily Usually in the morning My, My, My...all those saucy ladies on the walls. A kindred spirit. . . with a love of photography and boxers. (The canine variety) ReflectionThe matted photo to the upper right of the gun photo looks to be the Washington Monument and reflecting pool. Yes? PipedHe's a fan of tobacco. Could be a water pipe on the desk. OfficeBy the looks of the top hinge on the door on the right, it seems to have been opened quite a bit. I'd suggest it is a door to the outside. Old PrintsI think I have a few of those prints high on the upper right wall. They're printed on thick stock and one says "Copyright 1903 Collier's Weekly." Roycroft and GibsonH.E.F. was very fond of Charles Dana Gibson. The curious chair looks very much like Roycroft work, and there are what appear to be several Roycroft printed mottoes pinned on the wall, though I am not sure if "Cheer Up, there Ain't No Hell" is one of them. What is it?What is the purpose of that object setting on the left side of his desk that looks like a tangled hose? Is it a work of art? [Looks like a speaking tube. - Dave] BlamMethinks the weapon is what was called a naval quick firing gun. PressedIf those were three ironing board cupboards, that would explain "There ain't no Hell." Who needs hell when you have ironing? Slithery message to the maidWith a few changes, I could work very happily in this room. 1. Add a computer. 2. Throw out the masochistic desk chair and bring in something with a bit of pad and swivel. 3. Exchange the wood snake for a cat and a note to the maid, "Leave this room alone." Seriously, what is the deal with the snake? Highly irregular, I'd say. No snakeI thought it was a snake too, hubby said no, it's a cane. I guess that would make more sense. [Hubby is wrong. - Dave] The Little DoorsI wonder if the little doors are for those built-in ironing boards we see so often in Warner Bros. cartoons. They're on an exterior wall so unlikely to be cupboards. [Three ironing boards? - Dave] The mystery objectappears very similar to a mariner's or astronomer's sextant, but not exactly. Whoever comes up with the correct answer should win two autographed 8 x 10 glossies of Keefe Brasselle. What funI spent a very long time just enjoying this room. Thank you. ClosetsThe closet doors in my house (built in 1926) have the same latches. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, The Office)
A Face in the Crowd: 1942
... observing 1. Only 2 men smoking and one man with a pipe. 2. The man with the pipe could be Norman Rockwell (looks like him a little). 3. The girl in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 10:15pm -

October 1942. "Thousands of North American Aviation employees at Inglewood, California, look skyward as the bomber and fighter planes they helped build perform overhead during a lunch period air show. This plant produces the battle-tested B-25 'Billy Mitchell' bomber, used in General Doolittle's raid on Tokyo, and the P-51 'Mustang' fighter plane, which was first brought into prominence by the British raid on Dieppe." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. I could not find a singleI could not find a single overweight person in this crowd. You would have a hard time taking such a photo in the USA these days! Come to think of it, I'm not sure I have seen overweight people on any Shorpy photos. I still thinkGreat picture!! Yet I still think the buttons are to apply for the job, and thats their number in line. They all look like they are waiting to go through the fence to the table on the other side. I'd bet this was a type of 'job fair' despite what the caption said. Theres so many of them dressed like individuals, not co-workers, if you know what I mean. [The caption is from the photographer and there's no reason to think he is wrong. In fact, people drinking and snacking indicates break time. -Ken] Gamblers VisorI bet the the man a "gamblers visor" is an accountant. They were used to prevent eye strain. More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_eyeshade Repeat after meI will never complain about my crowded lunchroom again! Therewere no overweight people then, only the few naturally stout. No one had a potbelly or a fat face. I'm observing1. Only 2 men smoking and one man with a pipe. 2. The man with the pipe could be Norman Rockwell (looks like him a little). 3. The girl in red with her hand on her forehead is thinking "I could'a had a V8." 4. Why is the man to the extreme left wearing a gamblers visor? 5. Below "visor man" one of the few men wearing shades sports a Hitler mustache, which I think might not be considered a good idea during 1942. 6. Apparently the men wearing ties are the "management" and as apparent are together because the workers seem to not mingle with them. 7. The girl with the black coat and blue dress (in the middle of the picture) is beautiful. Great picture Dave, the clarity is outstanding. The more I look at this group the more I see...So many stories here. What do you suppose the yellow buttons with the numbers are for? Could they be their IQ? Or the number of friends they have? The fellow in the blue shirt who looks to be picking his nose doesn't seem to have a button. They are all have different numbers, as far as I can tell. A crude security badge? I love this shot. This picture looks like Norman Rockwell could have painted it. Classic. I love the pocket protectors, too. I can't believe I used them for so many years. [The buttons are ID badges similar to the one below, from a different photo. - Dave] Yellow buttonsI suspect that the yellow buttons are union membership badges... Try AgainCome to think of it, I'm not sure I have seen overweight people on any Shorpy photos. Here ya go: https://www.shorpy.com/webb-and-mother "I could not find a single"I could not find a single overweight person in this crowd." The fella to the left of thermos guy looks a little husky. Okay, 1. :-) The caption says they are on a break, but it appears that many that aren't looking at the camera are facing to the left, if not looking that way, as if they are waiting for something to happen on the other side of the fence. employee badgesI think those yellow buttons are employee ID badges. In the days before instant photos and laminated paper "nametags", numbered buttons were sometimes used. I have one from a cannery that looks similar to these. Hilarious! I frgot thatHilarious! I forgot that one. But seriously, can you imagine how different a present day photo of a couple hundred American factory workers would look? An alien viewing the two photos would probably think it was two different species. It was probably the more the active lifestyle that kept these people thin than the food. I have an old cookbook from the 50's and it seems every recipe back then started out with heaps of butter, lard or (gasp!) bacon fat. Clark GableCheck out Clark Gable next to the gal in the white spectacles! Every FaceI've been looking at every face to see if my maternal grandfather is in this crowd. He was born in 1898, served in the navy in WWI, and had 2 children when this photo was taken. I know only that he worked in an aircraft factory in Cowtown during the war...don't know which one. Something tells me he would't have been standing patiently by the gate while eating lunch...more likely he was running a craps game in the shade under the wing of the aircraft in the top left corner. Goober Pea SurpriseI'm surprised to see so many men of military age. Men of military age.The war, for America, was less than one year old when this picture was taken. Also, contrary to the myth, not every able-bodied American male felt compelled to run down to the recruiting center and enlist on 12/8/41. eventually, conscription was used to fill the ranks. Additionally, the physicians at induction centers were shocked by the effect of 10 years of hard economic depression on general health of American men. Many willing young recruits were turned away because they just weren't fit enough the stand the rigors of training and fighting. So many men of military ageIf you had a job that was vital to the war effort, such as building bombers, your draft classification was 2-A, "Registrant deferred because of civilian occupation (except agriculture or activity in study)." Meaning, you were not going to be drafted. I know a lot of men who studied engineering in the 1960s so they could get jobs in the aerospace industry, to gain that deferment. Re: SurpriseI think these men were probably deferred from military draft because they were engaged in essential war work. The deferred classifications for occupational status were: II-A Men necessary in their civilian activity II-B Men necessary to national defense II-C Men necessary to farm labor No fat peopleWhere are all the fat folks?, there are none. I've noticed this in photos that predate 1960, everyone looks like they're the right weight. We can assume they all smoked like chimneys and got lots of bad diseases like TB, rickets and other things we'd consider less of a health problem today. Nevertheless it's scary to think that an entire society has become so inclined towards obesity in less than 60 years. Just about the time TV hit the mainstream and car ownership skyrocketed. Coincidence? Consolidated Fort WorthI like this photo - I just wish we could see more, since I actually work at this plant now. 6. Apparently the men wearing ties are the "management" and as apparent are together because the workers seem to not mingle with them. They look like engineers to me. There are more jobs than aircraft assembly. The caption says they are on a break, but it appears that many that aren't looking at the camera are facing to the left, if not looking that way, as if they are waiting for something to happen on the other side of the fence. It's possible they were watching something or several somethings take off. The plant is side by side with the runway, and planes still take off and land all the time. I'm used to seeing F-16s and C-130s, but I'm wouldn't turn my back if I'm just standing there on break. Aircraft workersMy dad worked in aircraft factories before and during the war. At one point he was called up for service, and the examiner noticed he could only see out of one eye. Told him he'd be of more use to the country building airplanes. When America was youngI notice there's hardly any gray hair in this photo. Though I'm in Florida, at my place of work (a building with hundreds of employees), people without any gray hair are a minority. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Factories, WW2)
Wonderland Park: 1958
... Corrugated Naked I-beams, metal roofing and an exposed pipe. It looks more like a warehouse at the top of the room than a luxury home ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 10:04am -

"9038 Wonderland Park Avenue, Los Angeles, 1958. Case Study House No. 21." Architect: Pierre Koenig. Color transparency by Julius Shulman. View full size. These two look pretty sophisticated and worldly. Wonder what they're saying? Progressive"Really, Pierre, if I hear 'Blue Rondo a la Turk' again I will just SCREAM" Dearest Darling"Honey, could you bring me a beer, please?" (Says the woman.) That would work for a nice gender-reversal commentary. In actuality, it's probably close to "Goodness, I wish he'd hurry up with the stupid pictures already!" I'm enjoying these interior shots of 1950s homes. Thanks. He and SheShe: You call that thing a stereo? Pfft. He: There is no fi higher than my hi-fi. I defy you to find a fi higher than mine. She: Hah. I've seen tweeters twice the size of your so-called woofer. He: It's not the SIZE of the woofer, it's the excursion of the cone! She: I've heard this song before. It's a sad one. He: Can I get you a drink? She: Now you're talking. PoseursI don't mean that in a bad way, but there's a quality about this photo that feels stiff and as posed. By comparison, the photo of the Spencer residence in Santa Monica -- while it may be just as posed -- has a palpable, almost erotic (at least to me) tension about it. This is practically a sales brochure. Still ThereAnd still cooler than the other side of the pillow. View Larger Map While you're up"While you're up can you get me a Grant's?" This photo is a good match for those used in the ad campaign for Grant's Scotch way back when. Grant's is still on the shelves in liquor stores, along with Passport and Vat 69. Time Out"Chet or Dave, dear?" [I was always kind of partial to Huntley. - Dave] The Architect HimselfThat's Pierre at the stereo. http://leblog.exuberance.com/2005/06/meeting_mr_pier.html P.S. Dave, when do we get to see the ne plus ultra of the case study houses, Number 22? [You'll have to wait till 1960. - Dave] CorrugatedNaked I-beams, metal roofing and an exposed pipe. It looks more like a warehouse at the top of the room than a luxury home by modern standards. [The Case Study houses were intended as examples of affordable contemporary design, not luxury living. - Dave] Fab, Pre-From the outside it's not terribly impressive, is it. Kind of a Miesian mobile home. $3.1MIt may have been affordable when it was built in 1958, but according to the LA Times it sold for $3.1 million in 2006. TranquilGiven the era and the locale, and the rather languid look in her eyes, I'd say it's more like, "Honey, could you grab me a Miltown?" LA County AppraisalSquare Footage: 1,280 Year Built: 1958 Bedrooms & Bathrooms: 2 / 2 2008 Tax Roll Values Land: $271,000 Improvements: $406,000 Indicated Sale Price: $3,186,031 SchnoggeredShe looks quite drunk to me. The red nose and tired, glassy eyes all add up to too many Singapore Slings or Gimlets. Pierre's thinking it's about time to put another notch on his French curve. FrecklesAnd she's a real redhead. Now I'm interested. Unfortunately, she'd be about 75 today. The RedheadShe may be 75-78 but have you seen Jill St. John lately? But all is not lost for our pretty Wonderland Park subject. She may no longer qualify as a cougar; perhaps a swamp lynx? Wonderland LadyShe is rather attractive, despite those wicked long fingers. Other Worlds, Other Sounds"You beast. You know I'm helpless when I hear Esquivel!" ParkedI'm glad to see that the "experimental garage" finally became reality. Hi-FiWe had a hi-fi like that in the 1960s. The only problem with it was that Grandpa, who was rather dotty, would mistake it for the sink sometimes, when clearing the table, and scrape food scraps onto the knobs and dials and reel-to-reel tape unit. Return to SenderHave you ever thought of randomly mailing a copy of this photo to the current owners? It would be fun to see if you got a response from whoever lives at this address now. I know if someone randomly mailed me a historic photo of my house I'd be stoked. [Something tells me they know about it. - Dave] What he said"Be Sociable, Have a Pepsi!" Of course, if it's raining, they can't hear each other over the racket on the tin roof. Being thereI don't think I'd like to live there, but I'd give anything to be in the photo. More Brubeck, pleaseNone of that Maynard Ferguson. More Brubeck, please. Sold in 2006I found this reference to Case Study #21 going under the hammer in 2006. http://la.curbed.com/archives/2006/10/pierre_koenig_h.php Judging by the floorplan the stereo is along the east wall with the front door behind Koenig. The house sold for a little over $3 million. [$3,186,031, as pointed out below. - Dave] Not tonite dearNot tonight dear. I have a headache. I said I have a headache. Thank you dear. This does look a bit like a console stereo ad but its delicious nonetheless. Alternate conversation: While you're over there dear, will you center that GD bird! You keep setting it back. I want it forward. Thank you dear. The ConversationHim: "I thought you said you quit smoking...? Did you really think I wouldn't find your ashtray in here?" Her: (to self) "Crap! I knew I should have hidden it in the oven." Branjelina, 1958Inspiration for the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie photoshoot? [Amazing! Although as with a lot of attempts at "retro" styling, the actual midcentury photo (or movie) looks more modern than the re-creation. - Dave] (Art & Design, Julius Shulman, Los Angeles)
Dry Dock: 1910
... chock built into the side of the ship behind the hawse pipe. The Delaware did not. This is the Delaware. The ship in the background ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 2:03pm -

Circa 1910. "Brooklyn Navy Yard, dry dock No. 4." The battleship is unidentified, but probably not for long. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. "Pocket Battleship"These vintage warship pictures are fascinating. So this is the USS North Dakota, eh? BB-29, caught with her pants down, as it were. I know little about old battleships, but to my eye this one appears kind of small. Looking at the turrets and gun muzzles in particular, plus the apparent overall size. Since my knowledge is limited I would have guessed this to be a heavy cruiser. I wonder what its dimensions were? Back in my PA days I used to visit the USS Olympia in Philly. I loved the lavish wood paneling in the wardroom and the brass fixtures in the engine room. And I've always liked the "reverse" bow profile of those turn of the century ships. Great stuff! BattleshipsThis ship is either the Delaware, BB-28, or the North Dakota, BB-29. The distinguishing characteristic is the arrangement of the cage masts and funnels: in the order mast-funnel-mast-funnel. Also, the secondary battery is located in casements on the second deck along the sides of the ship. North DakotaIt could very well be the USS North Dakota, BB-29. According to Wikipedia it suffered an oil-tank explosion and subsequent fire, and this could be a photo of it being refitted and fixed up after said incident. USS North DakotaThis is the USS North Dakota. She and her sister-ship, USS Delaware, had a second funnel behind the mainmast while the next two dreadnoughts in the US Navy, USS Florida and USS Utah, had two funnels inside of the masts. The USS North Dakota also had three stripes on the second funnel whereas the USS Delaware only had two. I'm still trying to ID the pre-dreadnought docked beyond the warehouse. USS FloridaThis could be the USS Florida (BB30) which was launched in May of 1910. The USS New York (BB34) and USS Arizona (BB39) were launched subsequently in 1912 and 1915, respectively. [This ship looks like it's been around the block a few times. - Dave] Or around the Horn a few times. I should've noticed that. Sisters, Not Twins Delaware and North Dakota looked the same from the outside, but the former had reciprocating engines and the latter had turbines. Reciprocating engines had better fuel econmy in this period (before reduction gears) while turbines were less vibration prone and could produce more power in the same volume. In this case the engines seem to have been rated the same and therefore the piston engines' better efficiency seemed to make them an obvious choice, leading to a few later US battleships being engined with recips. The British converted to turbines in Dreadnought (1906) and never looked back. NoDakLooks like USS North Dakota (BB-29) to me. Brooklyn Navy Yard 2011 I took this photo yesterday from the same spot as the original. There have been crews here attempting to clean up the area around this dry dock and make it into more of an attraction. The water hasn't been drained for years, but the dry dock on the other side of the building on the left (featured in a previous post) is one of the oldest active dry docks in the country. The Navy Yards is an amazing place to work and to visit. Tours are offered every weekend and it's a great thing to check out if you are in the NYC area. Delaware Class BBChecking through the photos I could find, I believe this is either the Delaware (BB28, launched February, 1909, commissioned April, 1910) or North Dakota (BB29, November, 1908, April, 1910). One identifier to me were the low mounted casement 5 inch guns. Also of interest and something I had not seen before is the large below water port towards the bow. This I believe is the starboard 21 inch torpedo tube. USS Delaware/USS North DakotaI think it's either the Delaware (BB-28) or the North Dakota (BB-29). The bridge and forecastle match the Delaware class. They were both commissioned in April 1910 and went on a cruise to Europe that November, so it could be either. Can anyone identify the battleship in the right background? The other battleshipLooking at the photo I notice that the turret does not have the squared, boxy look turrets have in other classes but rather angle upwards from gun ports to the rear of the turret. Looking at photos of the various battleship classes circa 1910 shows only the South Carolina class (South Carolina, BB26 and Michigan, BB27) having this angled turret armor. The South Carolina class was the first to have the cage type masts and also the first to superimpose the turrets, ie, putting a turret directly behind and above the other changing battleship appearance to what we are most familar with. An Amazing PictureI have been through many dry docks in my military service but this amazing on many aspects. One being the year and the size of the ship. Modernization and technology was starting to take effect as we know it. Dry docking 1910 and 2011 -- not much difference. Whoa! That's a lot of bricks! Fire damageThe USS North Dakota was at the Brooklyn Navy Yard at least twice in 1910 - in June and again in October. On September 8, 1910, an oil explosion on board killed three sailors, and put the ship at risk. Six members of the crew were awarded Medals of Honor for their heroism in the immediate aftermath of the explosion. And today it looks likeIt just so happens I took a tour of the old Brooklyn Navy Yard a few months ago. I believe that this is either the same dry dock or the one next to it. The "innards" cranes, tracks, etc... have been replaced over time. Additional photos of the dry dock in its present state are here. UmmmIf this is the Brooklyn Navy Yard, why is th Williamsburg Bridge on the LEFT? Shouldn't it be on the right? Or has the yard shrunk about a mile in intervening years? [The camera is facing northeast into Wallabout Bay, and the bridge is where you'd expect it to be -- straight ahead and a little to the left. - Dave] Ship in the right backgroundThe shape of the turret makes me think it could be a Pennsylvania/Tennessee class armored cruiser, not a battleship. Hard to tell. Navy Yard tenant nowI have a studio overlooking this dry dock. It is no longer in use and there are cranes surrounding it that must have been added after this photo. My studio is in the building to in the left of the photo second floor 5th and 6th window from the end. The Navy YardShortly after September 11, 2001, I looked at some warehouse space in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The guy that was showing me around had bought the property shortly before. One of the features that he thought might impress me was that it was bomb proof. It seems the Navy built the 6 story structure as an ammo depot during WW2. AvastIt looks like this modern metal marvel has two old school crow's nests. The question not answeredWhy are there no identifying markers on the bow? Was it typical not to mark the ships? Details First the Crow's Nests are probably just that. Remember these ships didn't have radar, so the only way to detect any other ship or objects in the water was visually and the best place to detect things visually is not from the bridge but from the highest point on the ship, in this case the top of the cage mast. You'd send lookouts up, and either have high powered binoculars up there already or send them up with them. As far as identifying markings on the bow, the don't appear to be in use during this period, at least not in the U.S. Navy. In fact I don't believe they were in use for battleships at the time of Pearl Harbor. I'm given to understand that they'd have their names on the stern in brass letters, but that was pretty much the only obvious identification from off the ship. Battleship in backgroundMy first guess was way off base. Especially since there is only one aft turret. I'm glad now that one did not get posted. With one aft turret, two gun positions near the stern (the boxy squares) and a gap between the upgrade cage mast and the rear stack, this is a Connecticut class battleship. I notice a band at the top of the rear stack, and assume this is an identifier but I did not see a photo to pinpoint which of the six ships this might be. Dakota or Delaware The USS North Dakota had a large open chock built into the side of the ship behind the hawse pipe. The Delaware did not. This is the Delaware. The ship in the background is a Connecticut class battleship. Cannons - still in use in 1910?Even with the turret mounted big guns, a bit of old school Naval design seems to have remained in place; are those cannon sticking out the sides?? re: Cannons - still in use in 1910?The guns on the side are the ship's secondary armament. In this case they are fourteen 5" guns in casemates. The guns were placed there to deal with smaller ships close in - like destroyers or torpedo boats - that the main battery couldn't depress low enough to hit. I love Shorpy commentsI always learn something when I read through the comments and I especially enjoy the lack of trolling. Even when someone is corrected it is usually done with manners and grace. Additional reason to identify ship as DELAWAREIn looking at photos of DELAWARE and NORTH DAKOTA while in this configuration at navsource.org, I spotted an additional reason to identify the ship as DELAWARE. A close look shows that the pole mast atop the after cage mast is mounted on the *forward* side of the mast on DELAWARE and on the *aft* side on NORTH DAKOTA. This ship appears to have the pole on the fore side, hence more likely to be DELAWARE. Funnel stripes can vary from year to year so are not as reliable by themselves. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC)
Perry-Payne: 1900
... and who would foot the bill? Long stack pipe In the days when buildings were heated by coal it could be a problem if ... this shorter neighbor- hence the unusually long smokestack pipe. Smoke goes up The stack of the old had to be raised when they ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/13/2017 - 12:37pm -

Cleveland circa 1900. "Perry-Payne Building, Superior Avenue." This fine old structure, completed in 1888, survives today as an apartment building; the Brown Jug next door has, alas, evaporated along with its "Fine Old Whiskies." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. +116Below is the same view from July of 2016. Who pays for the chimney?Interesting that the shorter building has it's chimney outlet higher than the taller building so that the smoke wont blow in through the open windows. That's all well and good if the shorter building arrived second, but what would be required if the taller building arrived second? Would the shorter building be required to extend it's chimneys retrospectively, and who would foot the bill? Long stack pipeIn the days when buildings were heated by coal it could be a problem if you were a small building right next to a tall one. No doubt the owner of the taller building preferred to not have his building smoke-stained by this shorter neighbor- hence the unusually long smokestack pipe. Smoke goes upThe stack of the old had to be raised when they built the new building. Along with coal smoke, a health risk, comes coal embers, a fire risk. The builders of the Perry-Payne built the new stack with their building to ensure their own safety and to ensure that their brand-new building wouldn't immediately burn down. They probably also had a 'party-wall' agreement to allow direct connection to support and upderpin the wall of the older, shorter building on the Perry-Payne's new, deep foundation. (The Gallery, Cleveland, DPC)
Fish Camp: 1958
... Dad probably has Field and Stream tobacco in that pipe and I like the fact that he wears an undershirt under his undershirt! Are ... the story of that hat! And don't get me started about the pipe. Hope it was a fun day for all. [Jim is the youngster wearing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2022 - 4:02pm -

The North Woods circa 1958. "Jim Baker and Mike." 35mm Kodachrome. View full size. A good day fishing!Wow, what a cool picture! It reminds me when I was a kid in Maryland and dad was doing a lot of freshwater fishing. Is the fishing camp in Wisconsin? Dad probably has Field and Stream tobacco in that pipe and I like the fact that he wears an undershirt under his undershirt! Are they good Catholic boys? It almost looks like the boy on the left has a rosary around his neck. [Mike's family is Lutheran, and that's a fish stringer. - Dave] Yes, I know what a fish stringer is and a rosary doesn't look like one! [Mike has one, too. With fishes. - Dave] I bet Mark Trail is nearby and not to be left out, he's got two rosary stringers! Baker's got it goin' on!Baker (?) was certainly gearing up for any number of eventualities when he got out of bed that morning: two shirts, high boots, and - oh! - that hat! Somebody tell me the story of that hat! And don't get me started about the pipe. Hope it was a fun day for all. [Jim is the youngster wearing stripes. Pipe Guy might be his dad. Below, more M&J. - Dave] Sizzling in that cast iron frypan as we speak.Sure wish I was there for that dinner. Looks like it's going to be a good one. Dad picked up a straw Yeddo hat on the way to the camp... and for a couple of bucks he could vacation in style. Or not. As I remember, they were pretty weird looking, but perhaps my fashion sense wouldn't be fully developed for another ten years or so. Out of curiosityI've been waiting for someone to comment about what kind of fish they're catching. So, now I'm asking. Walleye Fillets coming up!Those look like really nice, "eatin'-size" walleye pike. Not the easiest fish to catch, so they are good fishermen. Judging from the popple or birch trees in the background, Northern Minnesota or Wisconsin is a good bet. Sensational KodachromeKodachrome doing what it does best - impressing with its color and contrast. A work of art in each snapshot, amateur or professional. (Camping, Wisconsin Kodachromes)
Spray Beer: 1908
... to know everyone on his patrol! Said the man with the pipe "Hurry up and take the picture, Sonny! I ain't got all day you know." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 11:19am -

Niagara Falls, New York, circa 1908. "Imperial Hotel." Where the thirsty traveler could partake of the evocatively named Spray Beer. Around the corner was a Temperance House, whose amenities might have included a milk bar. At left, a political banner advertises the Democratic presidential ticket of William Jennings Bryan and John Kern. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. The DSLR equivalentCould you replicate this photo with a modern DSLR? You would need a stack of ND filters in order to drag the shutter enough to blur the walkers in what looks to be bright sun. They would have to be very expensive ND filters to get that tack sharp resolution. I'm not even sure there is a lens available for a 35mm camera that would give you that wide of an angle without an extreme fisheye effect. The photographer is standing across the street from a 6 story building, and not only get the entire building in the shot but we can see halfway down the block as well. Amazing! [Size-wise, you're comparing apples to olives. The digital analogue to images made with an 8x10 view camera would be taken with a medium- or large-format camera (Hasselblad, Phase One, Better Light) with a digital back. We have one example here. - Dave] House (er, hotel) of cardsThe perspective of this photo makes me dizzy. It looks like the walls are about to fall outward. "Do you work here?"Having worked with the public and had people ask me "Do you work here?" while I am standing behind the cash, wearing a tacky polyester uniform with a large name-tag with the name of the store, I know that with multiple signs stating "Hotel Imperial" in every nook and cranny, people would STILL ask "Is this the Hotel Imperial?" My favourite "Do you work here?" story: I was standing with a number of other employees, all of us wearing our bright red and white polyester uniform pant-suits, with our company name tags, all holding price-guns and a woman came up and asked "Do you work here?" Without missing a beat I said to her "No. Sorry. We are a club which goes from store to store repricing merchandise. This is our club outfit." The woman looked at us with confusion and said "Ummm... Oh... Sorry..." and wandered off. Are you sure this is the Hotel Imperial? I see the name "Hotel Imperial" seven times, eight if you count the unseen side of the entryway on the right side of the building. Hotel VertigoThe upper facade of the hotel seems to be angling outward in a rather unsettling manner. But as the top of the telegraph pole on the right appears to have the same problem, I trust the hotel is in fact quite normal and the issue instead has to do with the photographer's perspective. [The pole does have a pronounced curve, but the hotel is exactly vertical. The tilt-shift lenses used in these view cameras do create a distinctive exaggerated geometry, however. - Dave] ArtistryAnother primo example of extraordinary masonry. Beauty is in the details----to paraphrase another artist. That Refreshing SpraySpray Beer was apparently (and appropriately) a Niagara region institution! That interesting mailboxI had no idea that our current round top US Mail box was only a 20th century creation. Would love to see more shots of this earlier incarnation, and get an idea of when these were actually made. When did the ones we now know begin? Tilty ShiftyLooks to me like the photographer didn't pull off the tilt-shift quite right. LocationDoes anyone know which streets we see in this picture? [Falls and Second. - Dave] I walk a beatDoes anyone see the local cop on the corner? He was sure to know everyone on his patrol! Said the man with the pipe"Hurry up and take the picture, Sonny! I ain't got all day you know." re: Interesting mailboxThat's a design I don't recall seeing before. The more familiar one, still in use today, can be seen as early as 1906 in a photo from the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum: BrickworkThe brickwork on the Imperial Hotel is fantastic. It's incredible the workmanship that was put into those old buildings. It's too bad that so many of them are gone now. I doubt that kind of work could be duplicated today. Spray BeerSomething you do when you have a mouthful of your favorite brew and someone tells a really funny joke. (The Gallery, DPC)
Northward Ho: 1905
... think. Considering the front "blow down" valve and the pipe leading to the boiler. The "radiator" is the condenser for reusing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 2:07pm -

Circa 1905. "Motor car, Canadian Government Colonization Co." I wonder if there was a calliope aboard, or bagpipes. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Comedy Imitates LifeIn his album "Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America, Part 2" the founding fathers invent a new medium called Tele-wagon. It would be pulled around Europe while people extolled the new country's virtues through a small hole cut in the side. I wonder if Mr. Freberg knows how close to reality he came with his seemingly-goofy idea. Early HybridThere's an electric motor on the front axle, and what looks like a big radiator just aft. And a boiler tank in back. How'd this thing work? What propels this - um - contraption?Looking underneath, I wonder if this wasn't some sort of early hybrid... There appears to be an electric drive on the front axel but just behind it there is what appears to be a radiator and at the rear, what appears to be a gas or water tank. And finally those large boxes underneath appear to be battery boxes used in electric trucks of the period. What's your guess - steam/electric? Gas/electric? Interesting.... Fine example of the sign painter's art!And to think that we Canadians sometimes like to make fun of Americans for being "over the top." I guess we're caught this time! An amazing variety of typefaces, though. Oily AcresThe driver appears to be a bit slippery looking. I don't think I'd buy a necktie from that guy let alone travel thousands of miles for free land. John A. would be so proudFrom the federal agency that brought you Miss Canada astride her wheat-swagged bicycle... When it came to platitudinal boosterism, nobody beat the Canadian Government in the early 20th Century. Free land, mild climate, peerless soil, and the promise of happy, rosy-cheeked offspring playing amongst the wheat. Of course they never really told you that the land wasn't really free...there was a $10 service charge when you got to the Dominion Lands Office which some simply didn't have, having spent the last of their money on Canadian Pacific passage. And there was always a chance the surveyors' maps were off and you'd land was mostly under water. And the least said of the weather the better. But still, an admirable (and fantastical) showing from the fair Dominion. Considering the speed at which the Last Best West was settled between 1890 and 1914, it seems to have worked! What the heckare all of those electric bells and whistles for, the ones behind the vehicle operator's head? The signage on this wagon is magnificent. GadzooksMonty Python meets Kids in the Hall, and Charlie Chaplin is driving! Please Tell MeThat this thing survived and is in a museum somewhere. Canada, eh?Our much-advertised self-effacement isn't much in evidence, here. My mother came to Canada based on a lecture extolling the virtues of Canada's wide-open spaces and the ease of British subjects to get work. Ironically, her attempts to get a job as a teacher, here, were initially rebuffed with the terse "We don't hire Scottish people". Turned out it was a receptionist who didn't like Scots. "We don't hire your type..." --- I should have mentioned that efforts at convincing immigrants to settle the west, which also included "free land", often led to clashes in cultures. Those people from Eastern Europe fell afoul of suspicious governments (Federal and Provincial) and their neighbours when they gathered together to farm land communally. The Doukhobors, for instance, arriving in 1899 (7900 people) and 1902 (another 500), were initially permitted to own land individually but farm communally. However, but by 1905, the government of the day disallowed this practice. This and the Doukhobors refusal to swear the Oath of Allegiance, led to the government cancelling their homestead entries. They rejected government interference, which led to radical action by various sects (sometimes by carrying out bombings or nude protest). They were eventually disenfranchised, and their children removed from their care. It wasn't until the 1970s and 1980s that the Doukhobors began to reclaim their culture and, in some cases, their family ties. The Doukhobors immigration was the single largest mass migration in Canadian history. The photo was apparently a gift from the State Historical Society of Colorado to the Detroit Publishing Collection in 1949. There is more information about the Canadian Colonization Company (a privately owned company that bought land and then distributed it for a fee) and other companies like it. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=a1ARTA0... Coming and GoingFunny, my ancestors (part of the Mayflower crowd) settled in Canada as Tories but my grandfather and his 12 siblings immigrated back to the US around 1900 and became US citizens. What goes unsaidOh yes! A land of plenty and prosperity. Then there's the arctic climate six months of the year. Hope you like it uber-cold. Steam Lines?There appear to be steam lines, with sliding joints and valves, going to the wheels. What the heck? Actually, given the boiler and radiator, I really like the idea of a steam calliope. HomesteadersIn 1906 my Gr. Grandfather and family of 11 boys, (two with his second wife)set off with this dream from Minnesota to Saskatchewan. Every son went back to Minnesota to find a wife, and that is how I ended up being Canadian. ElectricDoes that motor drive the wheels? or is it just for the lights? Filling the Promised LandAt this time Canada was enthusiastically promoting immigration. Here's another 1905 promotional wagon, somewhat less hi-tech. Steam, I think.Considering the front "blow down" valve and the pipe leading to the boiler. The "radiator" is the condenser for reusing exhausted steam from the engine to turn it back into water for greatly extended mileage. The electrics are provided by a dynamo which charges batteries for all those lights. Oddly, the head and tail lights appear to by acetylene lamps. And, strangest of all. I think the rear wheels steer the thing. Hey, only on Shorpy, right? Bells whistles etcBehind the driver are two large meters that probably gave the amount of remaining charge in the batteries. A bank of knife switches that operated the numerous light bulbs are in evidence as well as what appears to be a large round rheostat to control voltage. The temperatureWhen our Fellowship sponsored a family of Kosovar refugees during the war in the former Yugoslavia, we were trying to impress upon them that the winters were "very, very cold". After bringing this up a number of times, the father finally said "If the winters were that cold, no one would be living here. Since you're living here, I think we can manage." Manage they did. Although part of the family returned home after the conflict ended, part of the family remained and remained good friends. And it wasn't until we saw photos of Kosovo in winter that it dawned on us that cold winters weren't exactly a surprise to them. That's something we still joke about (amongst other cultural misunderstandings on both our parts). Early day hybridAccording to "The Golden Years of Trucking" published by the Ontario Trucking Association in 1976, this was a gas-electric four-wheel-drive truck built by the Commercial Motor Vehicle Co. of Windsor, Ontario. It had an electric motor on each wheel, was 20 feet long and had an 81-inch track. The four cylinder engine produced 20 HP. The truck was sent to England to visit "every town and village in the country." Because it was so underpowered it never made it out of London. Presumably it was left in England. The sides could be hinged up to expose examples of the wonderful Canadian produce. [Fabulous. One question: When? - Dave] Wondering no moreI always wondered what possessed the various branches of my family to come to Canada. Now I know! Northern LightsI'm hoping the lighted letters on top worked thusly: each letter lights up in turn (C-A-N-A-D-A), and then the entire word flashes several times ("CANADA" "CANADA" "CANADA"!). That would have been all kinds of awesome! The CPR and Western ImmigrationThe Canadian Pacific Railway was instrumental in promoting immigration to Canada and settling the western provinces, in particular. 1905 was a pivotal year because that was the formation of the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Since the CPR had the only available transportation method of getting settlers into these new provinces, and they had a vested interest in encouraging both the agricultural future and the urban future of the west, they made it their business to encourage settlement. Since they also had a vested interest in getting settlers from Europe via their steamship line, they were VERY interested in advertising both the method and the reason for getting to Canada. They advertised in the form of lectures and through films (William Van Horne hired film maker James Freer to film all aspects of Canada (discouraging the use of winter scenes) "James Freer, who began shooting scenes of Manitoba farm life in 1897, and who was being sponsored on tours of Britain by William Van Horne as early as April 1898, was a pioneer in every sense of the word. None of his films appear to have survived, but his promotional literature indicates the eclectic nature of his offerings, part hard sell and part general-interest subjects to attract the audience. Entitled "Ten years in Manitoba -- 25,000 instantaneous photos upon half-a-mile of Edison films," a typical Freer "cinematograph lecture" included Arrival of CPR Express at Winnipeg, Harnessing the Virgin Prairie, Harvesting Scene with Trains Passing and Winnipeg Fire Boys on the Warpath. The first tour was evidently considered both a popular and a commercial success, though its immediate impact on emigration figures cannot be calculated. In 1901 Clifford Sifton, then minister of the Interior, agreed to sponsor a second one "under the auspices of the Canadian Government." This 1902 tour, using the same program of films, was less successful than the first, and neither the CPR nor the federal government was prepared to sponsor a third." http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/publications/archivist-magazine/01500... A joint effort between the CPR and the Canadian government IN THE WESTERN US STATES featured an "exhibition van" "which travelled the highways and country roads, much after the fashion of the van used in England by the railway company. The car was in charge of L.O. Armstrong, an effective speaker who represented the railway. According to the same book, "Building the Canadian West - The Land and Colonization Policies of the Canadian Pacific Railway (cited above), there was a colonization company (Beiseker and Davidson) active in the western US states and eventually brought 23 settlers from Colorado to found the Bassano Colony, in Alberta. This was in 1914. http://books.google.ca/books?id=CxsA_rOLK1UC&lpg=PA113&ots=2geF2e37ks&dq... No description of the van is given. I have contacted the CPR Archives to see if I can find out more. The automated response tells me that I can expect to wait 6-8 weeks for an initial response... Great. Similar to the Homestead ActThe promise on the wagon of 160 free acres reminds me of the promises of the American Homestead Act that promised anyone 160 free acres of land if they stayed on (and improved) the land and stayed for 5 years. In the corner of the prairie where I grew up (NW Iowa) my ancestors and lots of people made it, but lots of people didn't make it in the wilds of South and North Dakota. I can't even imagine how you could make it in a sod hut or tiny cabin even further north in the winters of Western Canada. All of those pioneers were made of sterner stuff! CPR Archives responseI received an email this morning from the CPR Archives... The photo of the motor car is interesting and new to us. The CP exhibit car was a railway car promoting farming in western Canada (see photos NS16354 and NS12974). CP also had a "trailer" which was hauled in Europe (see NS11550 in Paris)." I also came across this, which is unfortunately unaccessible in its entirety without purchasing the book. In my reply to the archivist, I cited the posting earlier by Jimmytruck. Curiouser and curiouser. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Curiosities, DPC)
The Flattenator: 1925
... good luck from spilling out? Also note the terra cotta pipe sections on the left. Standard plumbing fare in the 1920s. [They ... White Dome shortening plant. Terra Cotta Pipe Sections The ones divided into six sections, known as a "six-way clay ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 5:39pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1925. "Crawford Paving Co." Steamroller made by Barber Asphalt Paving of Buffalo, N.Y. National Photo glass negative. View full size. Their good luck fell out!Didn't Barber know that you're supposed the put the horseshoe with the open end up, to keep the good luck from spilling out? Also note the terra cotta pipe sections on the left. Standard plumbing fare in the 1920s. [They look like chimney liners. - Dave] External DriveInteresting that the drive train, including the cylinders, is external to the body. And with direct gear drive to the wheel! Sorta kinda similar to a Shay locomotive. Betsy?Looks a bit like Betsy in Disney's "Cars" to me. No power steering in those days, just muscle and then some. There's a thriving steam scene over here in Britain where all sorts of people restore and show these sort of machines. Quite a sight when there are hundreds all together! http://www.heritagefield.co.uk/gallery/2008/index.html 23-Point TurnsI've used the term "steam roller" my whole life to describe modern road flattening machines, but this is the first time I've actually seen one powered by steam. I love how the crankshaft is right out there in the open, ready to mangle an arm or two. Does that chain connected to the steering wheel provide some sort of power assist? With that screw gear steering system, it was probably quite a job to change direction even while moving. Alias M.I.L.Also known as "the mother-in-law." Where in D.C.?Anybody have any ideas where this is? The building in the distance with the semicircular roofline is a real curiosity -- looks a bit like a grain elevator. Also suggestive of an observatory of some type. Very strange to see an arched metal roof in the pre-Quonset hut era. There is also a "jog" in the street in the distance suggesting a public square or bridge. [There is one last photo on this series that may contain a clue. I'll post it later tonight. - Dave] Dave, your tease! I'm tingling with excitement in anticipation. Re: Where in D.C.?From another Crawford Paving photo, here's that siloish building seen above. With ROSSLYN spelled out across the top. Click to enlarge. Maybe near the White Dome shortening plant. Terra Cotta Pipe SectionsThe ones divided into six sections, known as a "six-way clay conduit," are used for running telephone & telegraph wires underground. I happen to live in the house of a man who made a good living in the manufacture of them. One of his largest customers was Western Electric. These conduits are responsible for helping clean up the tangle of overhead wires - seen in many of Shorpy's early street views - by taking them below ground and out of sight. As a side note, his factory would sell the second quality conduits to many of the farmers and residents around town who would use them to build garages & outbuildings, many of which still stand today. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Mass. Mess: 1900
... Bond, James Bond The guy second from the left with the pipe behind him is the spittin image of Sean Connery Smellin' Like a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 6:46pm -

Circa 1900. "U.S.S. Massachusetts crew at mess." Watermelon -- yay! 8x10 inch glass negative by Edward H. Hart, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Mustache?Are mustaches a requirement for sailors at the turn of the century? All of the men in the front seem to have them. Hats Off to You!Is the hat in the top foreground hanging there, or was it thrown there, or (I hope) was the sailor was so surprised by the flash that it flew there?!? These sailors would faintif they could have a meal on board any of today's US Navy vessels. re: ToastLooks like he is holding up a piece of hardtack, a staple of the navy going back to the Revolution. Simply a hard biscuit made of flour and water (Civil War soldiers called them Army Bread, wormcastles (because when they got moist they would get infested with insects) and tooth-breakers) You can buy some here from a company that's made it since 1801: http://www.bentscookiefactory.com/store.html MarkTwo thoughts; that is a lot of asbestos, and the sailors of 100 years ago were a lot older than today's lot. Comments add so much!I love the discussions of things like this. The input from others, added to the information in the photo, teaches and gives us so much more of a feel for the experiences of people who lived before we were born. As far as the bread, it may well be hardtack but I hope, for the sake of the men, that it was toast! I've seen Andrew Zimmern eat a salad made with hard-tack that didn't look too bad, but it was soaked for a long time and had lots of things added to it. Just a plain piece of it would have fallen in the category of things one only eats to keep his belly from growling. Those older sailors, who had probably had some teeth pulled by that time, must have had an especially hard time eating it! William Christen, I love your pictures! Maybe he wanted some jamThe dark-skinned diner over the standing-in-front-guy's right shoulder is holding up what appears to be a piece of toast. Curious. Comments?Were the comments intentionally removed from the bottom of the full-sized image, or is my browser acting up again? If it was intentional, let me go on record as disliking it. I now have to click two places and toggle back and forth to see both. Yuck! [Click on the full-size image to see the comments. - Dave] Toast and JamEndless Summer has better eyes than I do! On the blow up, it certainly does look like a piece of toast. I hope it didn't have weevils in it. My dad spent time aboard ship in the 1940s and said the bread often had weevils in it, but they ate it anyway. They couldn't keep it out of the flour, and it added protein. It looks like maybe this kind of toaster was used. It is a non-electric model, so I assume they heated it on a stove top. My first thoughtWow, dozens of men in a small steel room surrounded by machinery. That must have been LOUD in there. Then I realized that this was taken long before deodorant was commonly used and it must have been RANK in there! All those hooksI'm wondering if this area was also the crew's bunk space as well as mess. By the looks of them (each numbered, by the way) I'd think each hook would be a place to hang a hammock, or one half of the hammock, anyway. Maybe also a convenient place to hang a hat while having a bite to eat. "Toast"That looks like a piece of ship's biscuit, or hardtack. One may wonder why he's displaying it so proudly. The name is Bond, James BondThe guy second from the left with the pipe behind him is the spittin image of Sean Connery Smellin' Like a Rose.Dear Truck5man, Precisely because all those men lived in such intimate surroundings, hygiene was, and still is, an item of pride in the U.S. Navy. The only RANK here was denoted by uniform markings. Any sailor who got sloppy about his cleanliness would probably be given an involuntary scrub-down, fore and aft, by his shipmates with a stiff brush and lye soap. The only exception was a pre-nuke, pre-diesel ship at sea. If water could not be distilled fast enough, the priority was always drinking water first, boiler water second and bath water a distant third. Of course there was always sea-water and a bucket. Re: Comments?I was originally as disconcerted by the new format as was Edvado, but now I'm clicking on the small picture to see the comments and when I get to the top I click on the small picture again to see the full size picture. It's not as comfortable as before, but it works. Thanks Dave for the continuing good work! Format ChangeWhat works for me is center-clicking on the small image to open up comments in a second tab, then center-clicking the small image in the second tab to get the full size image on a third tab. Then it's just a matter of switching tabs to view details or read comments about the image. I didn't like it at first, but being able to read comments and look at details without having to scroll up and down from one to the other is an improvement. I suppose we could do that before, but with the comments included under the full sized image it never occurred to me to try. In 1917In 1917 grandfather was a Chief Commissary Steward on the USS Indiana, a sister ship of the USS Massachusetts. These two ships and the third in the class, The USS Oregon also seen in the past on Shorpy) I am sure the fare was the same--perhaps no hardtack. Some of the faces might have younger as the Navy had a maximum age limit by then First image: Cooks and bakers on the USS Indiana (1917). Second image: food prep in the USS Indiana galley. Watermelon ??Spent three years aboard ship in the Navy back in the 60's. Never ever did I see a watermelon cross our mess deck! Apples and citrus fruits galore but no watermelon. Still not as good. I agree with Edvado. The old system was better. One click to see the full size photo AND the comments, and more importantly, one click to get back to the front page. Now it takes two clicks each way and it's easy to get lost so it takes several clicks to get untangled. The full size photos do load faster however. [Actually there's less clicking now, if you count scrolling as clicking. - Dave] On a Macbook or other Apple products, two fingers stroking the screen or pad scroll you around with no clicks at all. This was much nicer on the old scheme. Mess Misc.Compared to today's Navy, these fellows look so old but there obviously were many more lifers then...old tars. The sailors on the left side of the photo look like they're still waiting for their food while the other guys are digging in. Not Rank There      Side note to "Truck5man" and "codebasher" in the Navy the officers have rank and enlisted men have ratings.      Now hear this! Stand down, turn to and make your Groucho Marx type jokes about rank officers. The old NavyBare feet on the mess deck is not allowed, but there they are. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, E.H. Hart)
Devine's Place: 1905
... flimsy. They look like they're made out of steel water pipe. The insulators look about the size of those used for low voltage ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 6:57pm -

Circa 1905. Our latest installment from the Duluth, Minnesota, panoramic series. Anyone for a round of Blatz? Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. That street in the foregroundis probably the kind of place that your mom would tell you to never walk down. Trolley wireI have never seen a trolley wire suspension system like the one in the photo. Maybe there weren't enough wooden poles so they resorted to the iron poles and arches, but it would seem that insulation of the wires from the ground would be difficult. Anyone seen this system in any other Shorpy photos? WonderfulThere are two really superb looking Victorians at the middle horizon that would be well worth a second look. Charles Addams could have been the architect! Grand! Is that Andy's place? I'm buying but ...it'll have to be the hometown Fitgers, or at least the cross-port rival, Superior. I'll take a passon that Blatz. But I could really go for an ice cold Battle Ax! Battle Ax -- The beer that made Duluth, well, Duluth! Well goshNow I have an urge to go grab me a chew of "Mail Pouch." Isn't advertising wonderful? Still standingThe dark church and the Fitgers smokestack are still there in this panorama: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Skyline-Duluth-200603... Now I have a hankering to visit Grandma's Saloon again for old time's sake. It was a day trip from my home town of Minneapolis, but it's a long ways from where I live in Texas now. Sigh. I'm surprisedthat Dave didn't name this photo "(S)hoes and rubbers" but that might have been just a too bit racy. Pleasantly SeedyNotice how The Builder's Supply building in the foreground has a first floor below the road. I wonder if all of the buildings on the other side of the bridge approach - including Devine's Place - at one time had first floor storefronts and then the buildings were modified once the bridge was built. Just a wonderful, wonderful picture. The beer made in Superior...was Northern. Duluth had a couple other breweries besides Fitger's Brewing (Fitger's & Rex Beer). Duluth Brewing & Malting (Royal Bohemian, Stag, Moose & Karlsbrau Beer) & Peoples Brewing (Peoples, Regal Beer, Olde English 600 Stout). All brand are gone except Olde English 600, which still lives on as Olde English 800 Malt Liquor. Battle Axwas a brand of chewing tobacco. If "Mail Pouch" wouldn't turn off chaw customers, why would "Battle Ax"? A complete version of a wall painting, courtesy of Olivander's Flickr site, is below. Well engineeredThe guy who designed the elaborate chimney flu on the building next to the hotel was determined to not let one tiny bit of rain or snow get down into the house. [Achoo. - Dave] Luxe accommodationsIn just a single-block stretch of seven or eight storefronts there are the Scandinavien Boarding House, Zenith Lodging and the Sven (?) Hotel. And they all look a little rough around the edges. I imagine these fine establishments were most often frequented by merchant seamen coming ashore after crossing Lake Superior, before reloading the next day to head back east through the Great Lakes, perhaps all the way to the St. Lawrence Seaway. They were probably a little rough around the edges as well. Great photograph. [The St. Lawrence Seaway didn't open until 1959. - Dave] City GasDuluth must have had a municipal gas system in those days. Above the Blatz building you can see the frame for storage. Norse StreetThis looks like a real Scandinavian street, with the Scandinavien Boarding House, Svea Hotel, Northland restaurant and A.W. Anderson's shop. Maybe that's one of my immigrant great-grandfathers sitting under that awning. I'm curious where the dirt road that goes under the bridge leads to, though. Fire!In the middle left are the ruins of a building that looks like it burned down. Duluth had what this country neededA good 5 cent cigar! Star of DavidI see a Star of David symbol in three locations: on the Blatz Brewery sign, on a storefront just to the right of the Northland Restaurant, and on the side of the large white building at upper left. Was there a significant Jewish presence in 1905 Duluth or does the symbol indicate something else? [In Germany, the hexagram or Bierstern (beer star) was a symbol of the brewers' guild. - Dave] Flimsy trolley polesThe trolley poles are amazingly flimsy. They look like they're made out of steel water pipe. The insulators look about the size of those used for low voltage telephone wires. I can only see one street light (at the right) so it must have been dark at night. I don't think the trolley poles would survive a midnight collision with a hefty Scandinavian dock worker full of Blatz. ChurchvilleI can see at least four steeples in this shot as well as the building with the onion dome might be one (I am inclined to think it's a hospital or a school). Just how much "churchin'" did one town need? Did anyone notice the Coca Cola sign on the left? Also, judging by the size of some of the mansions in town, there was some serious money in Duluth at this time. Stables!Finally spotted a stable! J. Hammel & Co, sale and exchange stables. Would love to see a close up of it or other stables from long ago for that matter! Points of interestThe large white building with the Star of David at the left edge of the photo is the local Orthodox synagogue in Duluth, still standing and in service. The onion dome sits on top of the Masonic Temple Opera Building, built in 1889 on Superior Street. The dome was later removed so as not to "mock the Classic purity of the Orpheum Theater" being built next to it on the avenue, according to a local architectural guide. Those trolley polesI saw a couple of comments about the trolley wire infrastructure and I've lived in a city that still has streetcars my whole life, so hopefully I can clear a bit up: The insulators don't look that big in the picture and they don't look that big from the ground either, when you're standing on the sidewalk looking up. The are substantial pieces of porcelain when you're holding one in your hand. Also, they only need to insulate against 600 volts DC, which isn't that high. With respect to the support poles, they're probably painted steel poles. Notice that they are only carrying the span wires and trolley wires above the tracks as well as some DC feed circuits. They aren't carrying nearly as many circuits or heavy objects like transformers that the electric utility poles are. Poles like the ones in the picture have lasted between 60 and 80 years at home. The support poles have to be installed on a slight angle, leaning away from the street, when they're installed because the tension of the overhead wires above the tracks and the span wires supporting them tends to pull the poles in towards the street. If you look closely at the support pole at the far right of the picture on the sidewalk closest to the camera, you can see it bending in towards the street. That suggests that it either wasn't installed correctly or (more likely from the way the pole appears bent) the span wire' tension's much too high... Streetcar wire like that's one thing that hasn't changed much over the last 100 years and the stuff hanging above the tracks a block from where I'm writing this looks the same in 2009 as it does in the picture from 1905. A Battle Ax in Indianapolishttp://www-lib.iupui.edu/static/exhibits/circle/exhibit3_1.html While on an entirely different expedition, I just came across another old photo showing a 'Battle Ax' mural, right here in my hometown. Thought I'd share... http://www-lib.iupui.edu/static/exhibits/circle/exhibit3_1.html Did the streetcar company have one of these?I've just come back from holiday in Greece. Trams and trolley buses are alive and well in Athens and Pireaus. The modern trolley poles look pretty substantial, but here is a delightful 1910 photo (courtesy of the ISAP archives) of a horse drawn tower wagon for inspecting the tram wires on the Pireaus waterfront. The Duluth trolley poles at the right of your picture look very similar to the one on the left of this one and the insulator is indeed very small. I wonder if the Duluth streetcar company had such a handy vehicle? Panoramic Duluth1890s. Click to enlarge. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Duluth, Railroads)
Oswego: 1901
... bleeding. I see the smokestack from galley stove (small pipe with cap to the left of the main smokestack) but I can't figure out what the pipe coming from the box forward of the wheelhouse leading up and thru the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/30/2022 - 8:06pm -

"Down the river -- Oswego, N.Y." Circa 1901, the steam tug Charley Ferris on the Oswego River. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Busy shorelineA terrific view of a less-familiar American shoreline (Lake Ontario). And busy! A tugboat, a two-masted schooner, a yacht, barges, rowboats, a jetty, railroad tracks, warehouses, and best of all: a lighthouse and a ship under full sail, both on the horizon. No automobiles. She's bleeding pretty bad, Cappy.What a cool picture. Pretty calm day from the looks of it. The schooner off in the distance is just ghosting along. The iron fastenings on "Charley Ferris" are really rusting thru the paint -- bleeding. I see the smokestack from galley stove (small pipe with cap to the left of the main smokestack) but I can't figure out what the pipe coming from the box forward of the wheelhouse leading up and thru the forward glass is. If it's for heat coming from the engine room, I'd think you'd have small deck grates in the floor of the cabin since it's above the engine. If it's a small outside wood or coal stove, the flue pipe is awful short and the smoke would hamper the vision for the man at the wheel ... unless they've removed the flue pipe because when the photo was taken it was summer?? Puzzling. Still a place of commerceBelow is the Oswego River flowing into Lake Ontario today. The small lighthouse and the ground it stood on are gone. In the 1901 photo there is a flag flying at right. I'm betting it is at Fort Ontario, top right in the photo below. The 1901 photo is an idyllic scene. But one thing I noticed made me think, "No, oh hell no!" AloftGot a dude on a crosstree (?) rear left. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Luncheonette: 1950
... Waterman Pens Scripto Mechanical Pencils Dills Pipe Tobacco Blackstone, Robert Burns & El Producto Cigars 3 in 1 Oil ... 
 
Posted by sledworks - 11/13/2011 - 6:16pm -

Early 1950s lunch counter somewhere in northern New Jersey that sold candy, cigars, small gifts and toys. View full size. I remember hundreds of theseI grew up in Brooklyn. I remember hundreds of stores like this. We had one on Kingston Avenue, in Crown Heights. My grandmother would take me for "a malted." One could, of course, get an Egg Cream, as well, which contains neither eggs nor cream. Note also the two wooden phone booths in the back and the older mechanical cash register behind the soda counter, in counterpoint to the electric cash register at the front counter. Some of the stuff for sale is interesting. Wind-up alarm clocks (top-right). Camera equipment -- Ansco something. Brownie camera, Kodalite Flashholder. A tricycle and a kids tractor up above the phone booths. Betcha they don't offer wi-fi. LuncheonetteAlternate title: A Kid's Dream Come True. Toys, candy plus burgers and shakes all at your fingertips. These are great vintage store and pharmacy shots, obviously done by commercial photographers. How did you come by them? So many thank you's shorpy, this one is awesome!The candy store -- growing up, as a little kid in the fifties, let me be very clear, I was six years old, left my house to walk three blocks to the most incredible place on earth; the candy store! No parental supervision, just a total array of colors, sodas, newspapers, comic books and most of all, candy. We were poor so the only way to buy a piece of candy was to sweep some neighbor's yard or collect deposit bottles. This brings it all back. I wouldn't trade being poor vs. rich for anything. I appreciated that five cent chocolate bar immensely. Thanks Shorpy, you rock! El ProductosGood to see that the store has a good supply of El Producto Cigars. You never can tell when George Burns might wander in looking for his favourite brand. Burns smoke 10 El Producto Queens a day for most of his long life. He'd order them in batches of 300 from the manufacturer and if his shipment was late he'd call the factory and send his butler out to get as many as he could find. How I got my imagesOwning an antique mall has been one source for finding some of my images. Some of my vendors know what I look for and show me before they put them out for sale. Ebay has been a source obviously. I've been buying since 1997. My third resource, and most prized, was from a former coin-op book author who passed away over 10 years ago. I bought several original images that he used in some of his books. I plan to upload some of those here. Dessert under glassLove this with the Coke clock and soda machine. Twelve stool counter equals a busy soda jerk. The phone booths probably each have a fan that is automatic. Brings back some memories from childhood. I want a hamburger and a real Coke with cane sugarAfter I'm done I'll wander over and get a 10 cent Hershey Bar that's twice as big as the one you get today. Counter servicejimmylee42, you're on the beam, but instead of a soda jerk I see a large middle-aged gal with bright red fingernails who calls you "Hon." A trip downtownThis scene so reminds me of the shopping trips made to the SS Kresge, FW Woolworth , or the Metropolitan store in downtown Windsor Ontario. The SS Kresge store had wood floors, I can still hear them creak. Now, where's the toy department? Let's see the new Dinkys. Vintage EatsSomething tells me this was either a Woolworth's Or McCrory's. Being from North Jersey I'd go with the latter. Let There Be LightWhen you closed the door in the phone booth, the ceiling light would come on. A nickel had been the price for a local call for decades, but by the mid-1950s it had doubled to 10 cents in most places. It was a surprise to find that it was still 5 cents on a visit to New Orleans in 1976. Delightful memoriesNot only do I want to buy those two riding toys for my granddaughters, but I want to have a leisurely lunch at the counter and scan the items for sale!!! Misspent youth, of courseTakes me back to cherry cokes at the Peoples Drugstore at Fesseden and Wisconsin Ave., Friendship Heights, D.C. Boy, were they delicious! Sigh! The good old daysWhen you could pick out and buy one thing instead of a plastic-encased "multipack" with three or four of whatever you just needed just one of. RepurposingI'm a big fan of antique shops, and can't recall how many shops I've been in (mainly in small towns) that were originally drug stores or something similar, with many of the original fixtures still intact (lunch counter, back mirror, wall displays, etc.). And a lot of the items in this photo can still be found in those shops -- Coca-Cola clock, Ronson lighters, pedal cars, countertop display cases, alarm clocks, etc., albeit at much higher prices than in 1950. Deja VuThough I never visted this lunch counter, when I saw this photo I felt I had been there before. Growing up in the fifties, I ate at many a lunch counter that looked just like the one here. AgogLook at the firetruck with the raised ladder, in the second overhead cubbyhole (visible in the mirror)! I always wanted one of these but we could never afford one. To the kids this must have been a fantasyland! "Hon"tterrace, As a former resident of northern New Jersey, I can almost guarantee you the "large middle-aged gal with bright red fingernails" would NEVER call you "Hon." 30 years ago I moved to Maryland, where the "Hon" is quite prevalent, and I remember being quite shocked when a total stranger addressed me that way. My OrderI'll have a cup of coffee and a piece of that banana cream pie. How much will that be? Fifty cents? I don't want to buy the whole place, I just want a cup of coffee and a piece of pie. Next thing you know they're going to charge a quarter just for a cup of coffee. 1950 InventoryMissing in stores today: Kodak and Ansco Film Ronson Cigarette Lighters Irvin S Cobb Corn Cob Pipes Westclox & Big Ben Alarm Clocks Waterman Pens Scripto Mechanical Pencils Dills Pipe Tobacco Blackstone, Robert Burns & El Producto Cigars 3 in 1 Oil Still There: Tums Kleenex Topps Gum Coca Cola I was surprised to find outThat you could still buy one of those Moist-N-Aire machines. I'd like to have a cherry Coke, club sandwich and an order of fries, please. Complete blast from my past!My father owned a Luncheonette in Passaic until 1977. I have some fond and some not-so-fond memories of it. But everything in this photo rings the nostalgia bell in me. His store wider than this, but the stools and counter and various wares are all familiar friends. My job at the age of 4 was to stock cigarettes and make Heinz soup in the electric soup maker. I still have two of his three malt mixers and they still work! Thanks for the memories. Are those bunnies?As I time-traveled back to 1950 to stroll around this wonderful establishment, I think it was near Easter because on the top of the display counter on the extreme left there appears to be a display of cellophane-wrapped chocolate rabbits near a collection of chocolate eggs in egg cartons. Also, on the far back wall, left side of photo, it looks like Easter candy novelties. Of course it could just be wishful thinking since there was something unique and especially delicious about chocolate rabbits in those days that just do not taste the same anymore. RonsonsI see my dad's old lighter on display. All that's missing is the pack of Parliaments. Having grown up in NYC this brings back such fond memories. A couple of things that haven't changed.Note the napkin the sugar dispensers. Go into any Waffle House in the South and you will find those exact dispensers. I always hated the napkins, they were too small and light. Couldn't clean your hands if you got syrup on them. But I love the photo, brings memories of the great "real" milkshakes you could get at a drugstore counter. Made in a metal tumbler and poured into a real glass. The chocolate was great not the imitation you get nowadays. And of course the paper straws. Thanks for sharing. Give or take a year or twoMost Europeans were just getting rid of ration cards. So a store like this would have been a major cultural shock for them, even for those who had actually been off rationing for some time. West of the Iron Curtain, that is. East of that? I can't even imagine. I'd be sitting at that counter!Wow, does this photo bring back memories. It looks just like the place my friends and I would "hang out" at at lunch time and after school, right down to the way it's set up with the phone booths in back. We'd buy cigarettes from a machine (put in 30 cents and get 2 cents change back on the side of the pack). Luckily, I didn't smoke too long. Cokes were either 5 or 10 cents and an order of fries was 15 cents. The guy who owned the place and his wife were like grandparents to us. They really cared about the kids. Pens and phonesYou can still buy Waterman fountain pens, Mr Mel ... but not in a drugstore. But when I looked at this photo, I tried to imagine getting to the phone booths past a couple of kids spinning like dervishes on those stools. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Qwerty Women: 1902
... the fourth and fifth windows on the left are serpentine pipe coils which would radiate heat when steam was passed thru them. These ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/21/2010 - 1:31am -

Dayton, Ohio, circa 1902. "Typewriting department, National Cash Register." 8x10 inch glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size. Nary a bottle of white-out anywhereI wonder how fast most of the could type -- probably 70-80 wpm -- and how often they made mistakes. Some years ago I was looking at the file copies of my university department's PhD dissertations. The ones from the 40s and 50s were bound carbon copies and would go on for page after page after page without a correction: the standard of typing was just that high. And I suspect that they were typed at 70-80 wpm. This comes from someone who can barely type their name on a word processor with making two or three errors. Thank heavens for spell-check. Oh Dear,I'm sorry ladies, I was looking for the Faulty Wiring Department and naturally stepped in here. No MistakesIf they made a typing mistake did they have to start the document over? I don't see any correction fluid bottles. Maybe they just passed one around. All in whiteWith few exceptions they are all dressed more or less alike. Fashion, company policy or company culture? Uniform HairstyleDo you think it was company policy or fashion of the day? Earplugs not included?I wonder how unbearable the sound in that room could become. Great PictureI can almost hear the noise. Clackety-clackLooks like maybe 75 typists - 15 rows of 5, give or take. Must have been noisy when they really got cranked up. I was rummaging through my attic a few years ago with my 15-year old niece, and showed her my 45-year old manual Corona typewriter that I used to type my senior thesis (along with a couple of gallons of "white-out".) She was absolutely mesmerized. Almost as fascinating as her grandmother's rotary telephone, still hanging on the wall of her kitchen even today. Gibson GirlsThey are wearing their hair in the style made popular by the famous portraitist of the time Charles Dana Gibson, especially the young lady on the left front. I'm certain the dress code, along with everything else at that time, was very strict, too. And I'll bet that not one of them was late to work. Dressed alike? Not too sure.While I do look at this picture and think that they're all dressed pretty much alike, I bet they'd think you were crazy if you told them that. First of all, I bet color would change the perception a lot. Second, I think our eyes aren't as trained to the details of that style of clothing. On one level, sure, they're all very similar: high collars, kerchiefs, long sleeves, etc. But the details are as different as a group of office workers' clothes today. And I bet that if one of them looked at an office picture of today they'd say that all the clothes look the same too. Some of the women seem to be wearing the same smock (or whatever it's called) but that's a separate issue. Including that in the "isn't it weird that they're all dressed so similarly" concept would be like thinking it's odd that all the people in a McDonalds are dressed similarly. Hair and thereDoes NCR have a hair do code? All the women have the same hair style. Paging Mr. Leroy Anderson Summer?Is that a palm tree in the background? Could summer account for the lightness of their clothes? You can imagine a room like that could get fairly warm. The new girl.Third row, third from left doesn't appear to have a typewriter yet. In the absence of Solitaire, she might have been playing Tic Tac Toe. Electric Light, Steam Heat. By today's standards the electric distribution for the hanging shaded electric lamps would be deemed unsafe. On the large crossbeam above the second-from-the-right hanging lamp are porcelain fuse holders with screw-in fuses. The electric service wires then travel to the left horizontally along the beam towards the windows, the wires held in vertical porcelain blocks which hold the wires well separated. Between the upper and lower horizontal feed wires, round junction taps are installed to supply electric power to each hanging lamp suspended on braided wire. The lamp shades are glass with the colour green cast in the glass in the upper surface, white below to reflect light downwards. Until their demise, almost every small railway station had a similar green-shaded lamp hanging over the desk in the bay window facing the track. Below the fourth and fifth windows on the left are serpentine pipe coils which would radiate heat when steam was passed thru them. These pipes would always clank and bang from expansion when warming up, a welcome sound on cold days. Thank You. Hair CaughtThere's no danger of any of them getting their long hair caught in their typewriter. Maybe the hair styles aren't really a fashion statement. Whew.Whenever I see pictures like this, I'm so glad I'm a woman born well into the second half of the 20th century. NoiseNot only the noise of the keys, but imagine the ringing of the bells before each carriage return (if they had all the bells and whistles c. 1902). Easy VirtueI bet the shameless woman wearing the colored suit on the far right was known to her female co-workers as a woman of "easy virtue" and a gal that was always ready to show a fellow a "good time!" A few menThere are a few men in there in the back right corner. I wonder if this was an acceptable job for men in those days? I don't know for sure, but I believe most of them wore the white aprons to protect their clothing from ink stains. Anyone who has ever used an old typewriter knows they are notorious for leaving one's fingers and clothing stained if not careful. The white topsProbably were company policy as company dress codes were big until about 1970. My mom worked in the Infants & Children's clothing department of JC Penney and even they were supposed to wear white uniforms with white stockings and shoes in the 1950s, as did medical personnel. Ringer in backUnless I'm mistaken, there's a guy typing all the way at the back, between the columns in the center of the picture. Looks like another guy lurking over his shoulder. Was this a job he hid from his buddies? Or did he brag of spending his days surrounded by pulchritude? As for the hairstyle, it's the Gibson girl look, very fashionable at the turn of the 20th century. No. 2The majority of these look to be Remington No. 2s or equivalent. They were "invisible" typewriters -- the keys struck the bottom of the platen and you couldn't see what you were typing without raising the whole roller. The woman in the front row middle has hers raised. TypereadersLooking carefully, I can see several women without a typewriter in front of them. I suspect there's woman in each row without a typewriter is actually a proofreader, making sure that there are no egregious errors in the pages typed by her row-mates. And sexist it might be, but I wonder if the men at the back are possibly fixing that particular typewriter. I notice also that a lot of the women are typing what appear to be index or catalogue cards, possibly part of the accounting system? Another fascinating photograph. Dress codeAccording to a family friend that worked in a similar circumstance - you had to wear a white blouse to the neck and long sleeves. Your skirt had to come to the ankle, and your hair had to be kept up and tidy appropriate to office standards. Her job did not require an apron, but if you had to have one, it was to be spotless. Her cousin kept an extra on hand, in case she needed to change her apron. CaligraphThe woman front and center is using a Caligraph: no shift key, separate keys for lowercase and uppercase letters (in different arrangements). No touch typing there! Age of ArousalEarlier in our theatre season, I had to come up with three Remington Invisibles, and desks, this for a production of "Age of Arousal." Here is our take on a similar situation. The National Cash Register PlanNational Cash Register has some of the very best factory-people-lifestyle photos on the internet. You will see women in the "women's" lunch room, women in workrooms, men in workrooms attending the different stages of making the cash register all looking crisp and tidy as in the above photo. NCR also provided row house neighborhoods on NCR property for its employees probably as well as doctors and grocery stores, tying all aspects of the employee, to the company. I imagine NCR ran a tight ship with a tight employee code. The Ford company also provided this for their employees. An interesting if not unnerving concept today. (The Gallery, DPC, Factories, W.H. Jackson)
Beetle in the Boonies: 1972
... to the rusted out heater ducts in his car was a PVC pipe section that ran from the base of the back seats to the windshield to act ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 05/03/2016 - 10:04pm -

Good to see Tony W. back. His shot of the Mustang at Zion inspired me to haul out this one I took a year later, June 1972, near Lake Tahoe. Those were the days when, if a car happened to zip by as you were taking a shot, the chances of it being a VW Beetle were whole orders of magnitude greater than today. It's one of the interesting time-capsule details you notice in films of that period that have a lot of location filming, like on the streets of San Francisco in Bullitt or Dirty Harry; the sheer quantity of those things. Ektachrome slide. UPDATE May 2016: I've finally found out where this is: the VW is on California State Highway 89 approaching the intersection of State Highway 88 in the Hope Valley area south of Lake Tahoe. View full size. The Blacktopttpix, do you recall what road/route this was on? SmokingThose old VW's sure had big ashtrays. The cars nowadays have such little ones they are practically useless, and I don't even smoke. All work and no play...It looks like the opening shot to "The Shining." VW BeetlesEven today you'll find more VB Beetles in San Francisco then in any European city. German cities included! The Beetle in BullittWas moving at a conspicuously slow rate. Also watch the movements of pedestrians on the street to realize the film was accelerated a bit in the editing process, Still the best chase sequence ever. As to the ubiquity of VW Beetles - I was in Madison, Wisconsin in the early 70's and you could spit in any direction and hit one. What is surprising is that for a vehicle that sold in excess of 500K units in 1970 (and tailed off precipitously after that), they seemed to disappear so fast from the streets. Road salt in Wisconsin had something to do with that attrition. The heater boxes (enclosures around the air cooled engine which would duct warm air to the passenger cabin), would rust out quickly and so winter driving was an adventure. A co-worker with such a beat and rusted VW was the only employee at our business able to start his car during the record cold of January 1982 (-41 F) and he ferried all the other employees to work in his ~1972 Beetle. The adaptation to the rusted out heater ducts in his car was a PVC pipe section that ran from the base of the back seats to the windshield to act as a defroster. But I digress, this isn't a car-talk blog. I live the photos from the 70's, however. Keep it up. Yellow was the colorThat I remember being the most prominent at that time for the "Bug". My wife had a 72 when I met her and I thought this one was identical, but she said this one in the pic is a little earlier version. I know that the Beetle's body style was nearly unchanged during a 15 year span. At that time they depreciated in value very little compared to other cars. Oh the memoriesWhen I was a little kid we had a neighbour lady that took us for a ride in her VW Bug. It had no back seats, we sat on milk crates, and there was a BIG hole in the floorboards. Being small at the time I am sure it looked bigger than it really was. But my sister kept hold of the back of my dress so I didn't end up on the road. It's always nice to see a real one......those modern "cute" so-called beetles just don't have it. Nor do the current "Minis". And, it would be interesting to hook a tachometer up to Winston Churchill's grave to see how many rpm's he's doing at the thought of Bentley and Rolls Royce being owned by Volkswagen...and Jaguar being owned by an Indian company. I just had to post on this thread, after seeing a post by someone called "Lanceless" Germans Don't Keep Old CarsWe had a series of VW's though the years including the highly treasured "Old Volkswagen", a very basic 1951 model my father brought slightly used in 1953. According to my friend who visits auto enthusiasts in Germany, they are unsentimental about these "obsolete" old cars. Even here, our German mechanic had a hard time understanding why we wanted him to spend extra time fixing the Old Volkswagen's mechanical brakes. "This car is worn out" he would say. AshtraysWhat with the cigarette papers, roach clips, metal 35 mm film cans of stash, and some seashells from your last trip in Big Sur, those ashtrays had to be big. CoincidenceGrowing up in Southern California in the 1960's & 70's, you definitely noticed the over abundance of Veedubs. I recall one month sometime in the early 70's in my neighborhood there were 3 car wrecks, all involving VW's, all fatalities, and the vehicles getting the worst end of the deal were Volkswagen bugs. My parents took notice and forbade me from even considering a VW as my first car. My first car? A 1961 Chevrolet Biscayne that I did wreck later because faulty brakes. I wonder if I would even be typing this if it had been a VW? Oh my !This photo sadly reminds of how much I miss my "bug". Mine even had a gas gauge, talk about luxury. re: smokingmy 2010 Dodge didn't even come with an ashtray, nor a lighter! but it has 2 electrical outlets. however, it has no personality, unlike beetles, which always look happy to me! Beetles in californiaNo need for road salt in Calif - that's why thye're still around. We still have a few in Sweden, but they can't go out except a few times each summer - the rust worm never sleeps when it's wet. Bug in BullittPretty certain the frequency of sightings of Beatles in Bullitt was partly because the same same scenes were repeated, but filmed from different angles. We all had oneThey were great cars, too. Any hill mine could not climb, it almost certainly would make it up in reverse. Foy Las Vegas Super BeetleThank you for another fantastic image tterrace. Although you are somewhat older than I am, our upbringings share some of the same themes and imagery. Your photo of a 1972 Beetle conjured up fond memories of our orange 1971 Super Beetle. It was the first car my wife I purchased shortly before we were married in 1986. I think we paid around $500 for it, but the memories of that car and role it played in our young lives together are priceless. We may drive much newer and more expensive cars now, but that little Beetle that saw us safely through our first years together, rank it as the best vehicle we’ve ever owned. Thanks again. Nearly new, too!An almost brand new VW at that -- I believe 1970 was the first year for those two vents in the, er, bonnet. Can't really call it a hood. Nice BugI still see plenty of Beetles around here in San Diego. My best friend recently bought his own. Here's a picture I took: As for me, I took a break from the time consuming process of scanning the big negatives, but I'm going to be posting more pictures soon. My dad's friend recently gave me a small box full of large negatives (which hasn't been opened since 1964) from the '40s, '50s, and early '60s, so I'll have plenty to work with for a while. Consequently I won't know anything about them, but it'll still be interesting. Beetle YearIt's hard to see in the picture but that Beetle in the picture is a most likely a 1971, is the only year it had that decklid, side tail light reflectors and the little vents behind the rear quarter windows. If that isn't a little black crescent shaped vent behind the quarter window I am seeing then it can only be a 1970. Bugs in Lake TahoeIt's always grand seeing photos of specific locations we are familiar with. Not only have I spent my entire professional career in the automotive field (and that includes many VW Bugs) but the majority of it has been in the San Francisco Bay area and I can't begin to tell you how many times I have driven by this exact location on our way to our place in Lake Tahoe. The field you see on the left now serves a dual purpose as it is now used as a golf driving range in the spring and summer and a place you can rent and ride snowmobiles in the winter. I am with CoincidenceI was a Sunday driver like few others. Detroit to Bay City, was just a Sunday drive to me and my girlfriend. We took this drive on December 7, 1941. When my wife to be and I heard on the radio what Japan had done at Pearl Harbor while we were on this Sunday drive I told her it will take us about six weeks to clean their clocks. Four years later with a wife and son at home I was being shot at by Germans in Germany. In the 1970s I thought of all the money we could save if we had a VW. Then I thought it is much more important for us to be alive at the end of the year than any money we might save. That nixed the VW. Just looked out my window here in SFAnd there's a Beetle parked across the street. No shortage here. Speaking of ashtraysMy car doesn't have an ashtray or lighter! I don't smoke, but I think the option should be up to the driver. Ah well, another thought for another day. Just came to me. Another '71 Super Beetle owner!I also owned a '71 Super Beetle, but beige, bought used in 1976 for $1,400 in Northern Virginia. My dad and I split the cost just after I graduated from college. I drove it for 17 years (the longest I've owned any car), across the country several times and back, down to Mexico and back, then for 10 years in Sacramento. It was an (almost) totally dependable vehicle, except for a few adventures, most notably blowing a spark plug and being stuck in a tiny Mexican town for four days. I had the engine rebuilt in '85 and finally sold it in 1993 because of failing headliner and extensive cosmetic needs on the outside, and the tempting scent of a barely-used Mazda pickup truck. I do regret selling that car now. 49 percentA note from my 1969 college (Chico State, CA) journal: "49 percent of the cars in the parking lot are VWs." MemoriesMy best friend's family had two VWs -- a Beetle that all of the girls learned to drive in, and her Mom's camper that she was often stopped in because she was going too slow! We tootled all around in that Beetle all during high school. When she bought her first car, she bought ... a Rabbit. Old habits die hard! SF VWI grew up in SF. My dad bought one of these brand new from Stan Carlsen VW on 19th Ave. It was a 1970 Beetle; same exact color, with a sunroof. It had the pair of louvers in the rear hood - I think 1970 was the first year that VW had that feature. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, On the Road, tterrapix)
Stoplight in Vermont: 1941
... and he always wore that kind of hat. He also smoked a pipe or a cigar. However, by 1941, I believe he had pulled up stakes and moved ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/09/2019 - 10:24am -

August 1941. "A street corner in Burlington, Vermont." Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Is that Grandpa Hall?The man on the corner could be my grandfather Peter Hall. It looks just like him, and he always wore that kind of hat. He also smoked a pipe or a cigar. However, by 1941, I believe he had pulled up stakes and moved to Maine, unless he just happened to be back in Vermont for a visit or for business. Most interesting ghost in the underworldI don't always haunt greasy spoons, but when I do, I haunt Limoge's Grill. It's a long way to LimogesAnother classic title by Dave. Have to wonderAre those singing telegraph cables overhead? Please step downWow, what an interesting building on the corner. It looks like in the old picture, from the step-down entrance on the "ground floor" that someone actually started a restaurant in the basement of what looks like an pre-existing house. Normally you'd expect some kind of hill or slope to necessitate a raised first and second floor in a home, but none exists here. Neat to see that the house still remains, that the paint has been stripped off the brick which suggests a major renovation, and the "basement" appears to have continued service as maybe a rental unit. Looks like the neighborhood has been gentrified. Excellent picture, Dave. A couple of survivorsMostly the same with a lot less character. Ready, Set, GO!Is WALK written on the middle lens of the traffic light? Probably a reasonable explanation and I'm sure it made sense then, but I'd probably have looked both ways and run. Stop-Walk-GoI notice this old Crouse-Hinds traffic signal has Stop-Walk-Go lenses rather than the more typical Stop-Caution-Go. It was an early attempt to provide some pedestrian indications without additional signals and cost. There's a little info here http://www.kbrhorse.net/signals/ch_dt_4-way01.html though the arrangement is different. Wow!This photo has everything! KidsI'll bet there's a baby carriage without wheels somewhere. The daily breezeThe coolest thing about this picture is the lady sitting in the sun on the side porch, with her planter box of flowers, enjoying her newspaper. Stayed close by --We were in Burlington two weeks ago. We stayed at an Airbnb that was just five houses down North Street (toward the lake) from this house. This area is the south part of the Old North End. It used to be a lot rougher than it is now. I was a prison guard in the late 1980s in nearby St. Albans, and half the inmates at that time were from the North End of Burlington. No longer. Burlington is a great town; big enough to be interesting but small enough to feel safe. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Jack Delano, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Douglas MacArthur: 1930
... 1930. Washington, D.C. "MacArthur, Douglas, General." Pipe, corncob, evidently at the cleaners. Harris & Ewing glass negative. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 9:28pm -

November 1930. Washington, D.C. "MacArthur, Douglas, General." Pipe, corncob, evidently at the cleaners. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. ComparisonI couldn't help but compare General MacArthur to this clown: https://www.shorpy.com/node/6645 MacArthur MagicWhy, just 15 minutes ago Doug had the cigarette in his left hand and the medals pinned over his right breast. [A speedy about-face. - Dave] Phillipines, TheReturn, shall I. The sameDouglas MacArthur who two years later in D.C. led troops against World War I veterans and their families protesting to get their bonus pay. Nuke 'em !And to think that 21 years later, he was willing to nuke China ... He does not appear so rabid in this picture ! Interesting featureInteresting plane of focus with his pants going soft very quickly, together with his right shoulder but not his left. Character StudyPerhaps it's only my perceptions, filtered through a knowledge of what was to come for McArthur, but it seems to me you can see a great deal in this: his expression shows self-confidence, almost arrogance; an instinct for how he's viewed by the camera; nattiness of dress (although what's up with the knitted tie?); and a kind of superciliousness. Yet to come were Corregidor and Korea and the Old Soldier fading away.... Not long before attacking his own sideThe Bonus Army (WWI Veterans) marched on Washington during the Depression, and MacArthur and Eisenhower were instrumental in running them out of town. Tsk Tsk. New Chief of StaffIn November 1930 he became Army Chief of Staff and was promoted to full general (four-star) from major-general (two-star). He's wearing four here, so it would have been just after the promotion I think. This is a pretty remarkable attainment for a guy who had just turned 50. Appropriate for the Leyte invasion anniversaryOctober 20, 1944 A DandyNot bad for a kid who spent his last three years at West Point living off post with his mother. Generally speakingA REAL gentleman! MacArthur Military MuseumI shall return to this museum in Little Rock to see a display of photos from the Vietnam War by two journalists that served there in the 60's. This museum is an old military arsenal from the middle 1800's and happens to be the birthplace of the general in 1880. Dougout DougLooking rather spiffy in front of the oft-occasioned camera. Living Off PostI guess that's why he graduated top of his class. An amazing amount of negative comments for a man whose contributions to this nation were so great as to even enabled a cottage industry of heelbiters. Dirty Doug"Doug" kept a mistress for quite a number of years Isabel Rosario Cooper, a Filipino actress whom he met when she was 16 years old. Her pet name for him was "Daddy". He is famously reported as having given her many gifts but no raincoat because "She didn't need one ... her duty lay in bed". Captures the whole manA mix of brilliance, arrogance and probably more than a little entitlement. I'd love to see a picture of his father, Arthur MacArthur, sometime. Men-o-WarMany of his staff and other soldiers under his command in the Philippines referred to him as Dugout Doug. One has to wonder why, when another American Army general halfway around the globe was "Old Blood and Guts" Patton. For all practical purposes, MacArthur sat out the war while his subordinate commanders fought and died. Meanwhile Patton was in the thick of it. Even MacArthur's "I Have Returned" publicity photo on the beach at Leyte was staged. RoyaltyIt was almost as if MacArthur was really looking to be King of the Philippines. He formed the country's army in the 1930s but it wasn't ready for the Japanese attack in 1941. It was rumored that he had vast personal holdings there. He was Field Marshal of the Philippine Army (a rank that didn't exist in the U.S. Army). After Pearl Harbor he led the U.S. to victory in the Pacific, but when North Korea attacked South Korea in 1950, and the Chinese Red Army went to the aid of the North, he wanted to nuke China and President Truman objected, called him home, and fired him. Truman's action as Commander-in-Chief effectively ended his military career and solidified Presidential command of the armed forces. Some felt that he should have been the Republican nominee in 1952 presidential election but the GOP wisely chose General Dwight Eisenhower, his archrival. Forward to 1942Following the loss of the Philippines, Dougout Doug (as my father also called him) was awarded the Medal of Honor for his failed defense. His father, Arthur McArthur, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his 1863 bravery at Missionary Ridge. I have looked for, and never seen, a photo of Doug wearing the Medal of Honor or the ribbon. I think in 1942 he was so ashamed to have received the Medal of Honor that he gave up wearing decorations for the remainder of his life. He certainly was not camera-shy, and if some one can find the photo I am looking for I would like to see it. General StudiesHere's someone who spent a fair amount of time in front of a mirror. Note the jaunty tilt of the off-center cap. Bravo. Power MacFor years, my opinion of MacArthur ran much along the lines as yours. What changed it was reading "American Caesar" by William Manchester. MacArthur was arrogant, flamboyant, conceited, and in every way a prima donna, who both used and relished media showboating. And despite the brilliant Inchon invasion, he deserved being fired by Truman for his insubordinate statements regarding how to deal with North Korea and China. But he was also an extremely able general, who consistently kept several steps ahead of the enemy. Moreover, he took and held more territory with a smaller loss of lives on our side than any other WW2 general we had. By counter-example, much of the bloodbath of Okinawa would have been sidestepped had he been in charge there. His plan was to capture enough of the island to provide us with airbases for attacking the home islands. This was achieved early in the campaign, as the Japanese decided to let us land essentially unopposed. As a result, we gained control of a large swath of central and northern Okinawa quickly and with low losses. MacArthur could see no point in spending thousands of American lives to root out the Japanese army in the south of the island, where they had dug in for the usual to-the-last-man defense. Instead it was better, he thought, to use the Army and Marines to keep them bottled up there at low cost to us. And, finally, he ran the postwar occupation of Japan much better than anyone else likely could have. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Public Figures, WWI)
Sins of Passion: 1937
... Cigars, and "Model" which looks to me to be some sort of pipe tobacco or tobacco pouch. In fact, besides the ad for the movie, the only ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/01/2010 - 2:21am -

August 1937. "Early morning scene. Tower, Minnesota." Medium format nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. I want that Phillip Morris sign.Is this Lee Harvey Oswald's dad? Still standing on Main.View Larger Map Opera singers!Not only does Lucky Strike have Madeleine Carroll selling tits wares, but also Metropolitan Opera singer Helen Jepson. Even better than a doctor! The resemblance to Oswald is spooky! So that's where all those Norwegian bachelor farmers wound up on a Saturday night! "Sins of Passion" does not show up on IMDB. Were there second rate theaters that sidestepped the Hayes Office, showing this kind of film without getting arrested? [The Hayes Office was an arm of the motion picture industry. Which of course didn't have the power to arrest anyone. - Dave] It's HIM!! Wow, I was thinking the same thing! Suspicious cigarette he has there. B.V.Ralph Fiennes, Before (Lord) Voldemort. Saturated MarketInexplicably, I have the desire to use tobacco products. CALLING...PHIIIIIIIIILLLLIIIIIIIP MOOOOOORRRRRIIIIIIISSSSSS!!!!! Time traveling tterraceWhere'd tterrace get the time machine? And if he could go back in time, why'd he pick this bar to hang around? "Sins of Passion"A "sex hygiene" short produced by Maurice Copeland. Generally classed as an exploitation film with the ostensible topic of venereal disease. As if we needed itEven more proof that LHO had been in some unexpected places. People's BeerFrom Oshkosh. First black-owned brewery in the U.S. http://www.mainstreetoshkosh.com/2008/02/peoples-beer.html Lucky Opera SingerHelen Jepson chose Lucky Strikes because of her voice. Her arias must have been something, punctuated, as they must have been, by coughing fits. On the Sunny Side of the StreetThis place does not appear to be there any longer. The building below in the Google Street View is on the south side of the street facing north. The shadow of the time-traveling tterrace shows him to be on the north side of the street facing south. Helen Jepson saysHelen Jepson sang lead soprano with the Metropolitan Opera from 1935 to 1941. She was also popular on radio shows and had a brief film careen. Do you suppose she REALLY smoked Luckies "because of her voice"? SundayReminds me of Edward Hopper's "Sunday" from 1926. Beautiful downtown TowerI've been to Tower -- on business, believe it or not. Can you say "middle of nowhere"? SmokesWe see ads for Lucky Strikes (before Lucky Strike green went to war and didn't come back) featuring actress Madeleine Carroll and soprano Helen Jepson; Chesterfields (whose theme song contains a line "while your Chesterfield burns" that was highly alarming in Canada where chesterfield is another name for a sofa); Philip Morris (featuring Johnny, the Bell Boy), Camels, as well as Van Dyck and White Owl Cigars, and "Model" which looks to me to be some sort of pipe tobacco or tobacco pouch. In fact, besides the ad for the movie, the only non-tobacco things I can see here are a sign pained onto the glass for Peoples Beer (a small brewery out of Oshkosh) and a small sign telling people that this place "serves" "we have Wrigley's" Spearmint gum. JohnnyThe "Call For Philip Morris" Bellman was Johnny Roventini, a 4-foot-7 actor who was a national celebrity in his time. More Doctors Smoke CamelsDid you know? Censorship, Mad City styleA November 1937 edition of the Wisconsin State Journal reports that the City of Madison's censorship committee (led by its acting mayor) concluded that "Sins of Passion" could not be shown in the Capitol Theatre - but instead could be shown only "as an educational film in a school auditorium or some other public place." The Mayor's last name was Gill, not Quimby. The sun is in the morning. The sun is in the morning. In Minnesota, the sun rises in the northeast in the summer. So I believe the google picture could be correct. This ain't Florida. In summer you have 18 hour days or longer. [Back to school for you. The sun doesn't rise in the northeast anywhere north of the Tropic of Cancer.* - Dave] *Actually, back to school for me. The sun will never pass directly overhead north of the Tropic of Cancer, but it can rise north of due east, and therefore can shine from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere. I think. - Dave North and SouthIt's not astrophysics, but the sidewalk is sloping downhill to the left in the Lee photo. The Google Street View below seems to show the sidewalk sloping in the opposite direction. From what I can tell, most or all of Main Street in Tower slopes downhill east to west. The two stores are probably on the opposite sides of the street, the Street View store on the south side and the Lee photo on the north. On the other hand, step down the street to the old building next to Hardware Hanks on the north side of Main Street. View Larger Map I think this is probably your old store, or at least a better candidate. The sidewalk has been raised (as wasn't too uncommon in many midwest towns as the roads were improved and built up) but the short step inside the alcove seems to still be there. The photo isn't very good and someone parked a silly trailer home partially in the way of our better view!! Sunrise[Back to school for you. The sun doesn't rise in the northeast anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. - Dave] Oh, yeah — just like a rocket can't work in a vacuum, I suppose. I suggest that you go back to school. In the northern hemisphere, for instance, after the autumn equinox and before the spring equinox, the sun rises south of east — and between the spring equinox and the autumn equinox, it rises north of east, the number of degrees north dependent on the latitude and date. In extreme cases, such as just south of the Arctic Circle (which one might note is in the northern hemisphere), on the day of the summer solstice, say, the sun will rise just east of due north, and set (24 hours less a bit later) just west of due north. Thus, there certainly are dates and (north) latitudes where on those days and at those locations the Sun will rise exactly in the northeast. (Similar arguments might be made about southern latitudes, but that wasn't what you tried erroneously to dismiss.) [Back to school for me indeed! - Dave] This Post's PopularityCourtesy of Instapundit. (The Gallery, Movies, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
Cripple Creek Short Line: 1901
... smoking material from moving trains ( Cigars, Cigarettes, Pipe Dottle, Matches and so forth.) Written notices would be placed in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 1:39pm -

Colorado circa 1901. "Cathedral Park near Clyde. Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek Short Line." A gray day in the Rockies. 8x10 inch glass transparency by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. But it's always a gray dayat Shorpy. Barrels?Anyone know the purpose of the barrels on the side of the bridge? Rock formations win the sceneNot so much the railroad theme but check out the interesting rock formations. Barrels?What's the purpose of the barrels placed on the bridge? The only thing I can come up with is some kind of primitive vibration damping system. Missed the TrainDid those two dressed-up people miss the last train? JumbotronThe part of the picture, shown below, sort of looks like the Elephant is leaving the room. Water BarrelsBeautiful landscape. Also, those water barrels were there in case the bridge caught fire. Wood burning steam engines were prone to throw cinders out the stack. They would frequently start brush fires or even set the wood-roofed train cars on fire. Stunning view!Absolutely beautiful! Looks like it could be the inspiration for the great Gorre & Daphetid RR. CuriousWhat are the barrels on the platforms attached to the bridge for? Gorgeous photograph. The rock formations are fascinating. The couple taking a stroll by the creek help to give perspective to this scene. Upper Gold Camp RoadI believe this is now the upper Gold Camp Road between Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek. This shows about the same picture. Do a search on Google maps for Gold Camp Road, Colorado and it will take you right to it. Cliff FacesI see a Cyclops, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, monster faces, a Chinese elder and other assorted interesting shapes on this mountain wall. BarrelsIt is my considered opinion that these barrels on the sides of bridges were there for safety purposes. Should a railroad worker or other person find himself on the span with a train bearing down on them, they could escape into the nearest barrel. I'm sure I've seen these barrels on steel bridges; that's why fire fighting seemed unlikely the issue. CindersIt looks like the hill on the far side of the bridge did burn at some point. Sand Barrels and BracingThe extra track over the bridge with the ends meeting appears to be bracing to keep the main track from shifting on the bridge ties. This appears to be an uphill curved grade. Sand from the six barrels could be used for traction without depleting the sand carried by the engine. Not a location for cannon ball runs. Get our your 4WDApparently you can drive right up to this point on Gold Camp Road, if you don't mind the rough ride and the sheer drops of the side. Magnificent sceneThis must rank as the ultimate setting in a model railroader's dream. I see the GrinchHe looks stoned. Barrels of funThe barrels that are on the bridge are for fires that might start on the bridge. Because the steam engines would drop hot coals as it went down the tracks, they had these handy barrels that were filled with water and usually painted red. If a track crew or passerby saw any smoke from the bridge after the train past, they could use the water to put the "fire" out. The Late Great Gorre & DaphetidJohn Allen was my hero when I was a kid building my HO train layout. John was a good photographer himself and his model railroad was the envy of everyone! Sorry end: John died and his friends tried to preserve his masterpiece but the house caught fire. The End. RIP John wherever you are. For the Squirrels.Concerning the barrels on the trestle. As mentioned, they are for fire protection, and usually had a hook on the inside upon which was hung a bucket under the water. The Sectionmen would keep an eye on the barrels and would top them up from time to time from the creek below, sometimes with a bucket on a rope, or, in dry locations or on HIGH bridges, from a special Water Car handled by a Wayfreight or Work Train. Water could be moved by a hose from a steam locomotive tender. Squirrels, other animals, and birds would attempt to drink from the barrels, and, if the insides were slick, would fall in, not be able to climb back out, then drown. A floating piece of wood plank would give them something to climb onto, then jump or fly free. Sparks could come from locomotive fire boxes and smoke stacks and from red-hot iron brakeshoes on trains descending heavy grades. Diesel locomotives still set fires with carbon sparks from their exhuasts. Train and Engine crews were admonished to not throw discarded smoking material from moving trains ( Cigars, Cigarettes, Pipe Dottle, Matches and so forth.) Written notices would be placed in Cabooses to that effect. Fusees used for flagging and hand signals would set fires if improperly used. When cooler weather arrived, the barrels would be emptied, or they would freeze and break, often turned upside-down on the platform, with the bucket underneath. In spring they would be turned upright, the bucket put back in and filled once again. Different Companies and climates might dictate different policies, but, thats the way it was done here. After they became readily available, steel drums and galvanized buckets were used on water barrels on bridges. Steel drums, with one end removed with a hammer and chisel and with holes put in the sides near the bottom with a pick for draft, still make excellent fire barrels for heat, and burning trash, the latter to discourage bears. As trash burners, a screen would be used in hot weather to capture sparks. They glow red at night, the draft holes making spooky patterns on the snow, melting a hole, sparks mixing with the stars as the coyotes serenade the mountains. Thank You. Twisted by Tempests The Land of Enchantment: From Pike's Peak to the Pacific. By Lilian Whiting, 1909. Chapter III The Picturesque Region of Pike's Peak … Every tourist in the Pike's Peak region regards the "Short Line" trip as the very crown of the summer's excursions. These forty-five miles not only condense within their limits the grandeur one might reasonably anticipate during a transcontinental journey of three thousand miles, but as an achievement of mountain engineering, railway experts in both Europe and America have pronounced it the most substantially built and the finest equipped mountain railroad in the world. It was opened in 1901, and, quite irrespective of any interest felt in visiting the gold camps of Cripple Creek, the "Short Line" has become the great excursion which all visitors to Colorado desire to make for the sublime effects of the scenery. … The "Cathedral Park" is an impressive example of what the forces of nature can accomplish. Colossal rocks, chiselled by erosion, twisted by tempests, worn by the storms of innumerable ages, loom up in all conceivable shapes. They are of the same order as some of the wonderful groups of rocks seen in the Grand Cañon. Towers and arches and temples and shafts have been created by Nature's irresistable forces, and to the strange fantastic form is added color — the same rich and varied hues that render the Grand Cañon so wonderful in its color effects. This "Cathedral Park" is a great pleasure resort for celebrations and picnics, both from Colorado Springs, Colorado City, Broadmoor, and other places from below, and also from Cripple Creek, Victor, and other towns in Cripple Creek District. … Bridge OutIn fact, the railroad itself is gone. The road bed is now unpaved Gold Camp Road. The gorge spanned by the railroad bridge has been filled in. This is the area just below Cathedral Park where in 1901 picture was apparently taken. The stream called Bison Creek is still there and flows beneath the filled in section. Following it downhill leads to a small lake it has formed, and signs of life are there. Beautiful area!I love the area around Cripple Creek and Victor. We go there twice a year. Have never been on Gold Camp Road, but plan to find it and go on it later this year after seeing these pictures. Barrels!They are there to provide water to fight small fires caused by sparks from the locomotive(s) after they passed by. The bridges were built with either untreated or creosoted timbers, highly susceptible to fire, and the railroads, in those days, hired trackwalkers to keep an eye on bridges like this, as well as many other maintenance issues. A small fire or smolder could easily be put out with a little water from the barrels. Otherwise, the nearest water was in the creek below, IF it wasn't dried up for the summer. Guard rails on bridgesThese were placed between the tracks on bridges in case of a derailment on the bridge. It was hoped that the wheels would be snagged between the outer rail and the guard rail. No doubt the guard rails did not always keep the cars or locomotive from going over the side. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, W.H. Jackson)
Fountain Drinks: 1950
... scrap of paper. It took all afternoon! We also built pipe bombs and blew them off in the abandoned buildings and raised heck. Those ... 
 
Posted by John.Debold - 07/08/2008 - 3:10pm -

A New Jersey lunch counter and soda fountain circa 1950. View full size. Smoke gets in your eyes.....& lungsWow, I can't believe the pipes, cigars, etc. for sale in a cute little soda fountain. Kinda makes me lose my appetite! TeeveeTelevision had been broadcast for years prior but I never expected to see a TV in a c. 1950 lunch counter. Grolier Encyclopedia states: The number of television sets in use rose from 6,000 in 1946 to some 12 million by 1951. No new invention entered American homes faster than black and white television sets; by 1955 half of all U.S. homes had one. Still pretty novel then. Looks like a commercial or a news show running. [Media historians (and collectors of old magazines) generally mark 1949 as the year TV "arrived." - Dave] MondayFrom the calendar, we know it's "Monday the 23rd" but what month and year? 1950 or "circa" 1950? Prices!I can't believe what they were charging for fountain items: Adjusting for inflation, in even 2004 dollars it would be: Ice Cream Soda: $4.17 Ice Cream Sundae: 5.83 CalendarIt appears to be Monday, October 23, 1950. Memories>> Wow, I can't believe the pipes, cigars, etc. for sale in a cute little soda fountain. Kinda makes me lose my appetite! Awwwww, poor baby. Good grief. I remember, as a kid growing up in the fifties AND in NJ, that EVERY candy store/soda fountain looked like that! Even the drug stores in town that had soda fountains sold pipes, tobacco and cigarettes. Appears that the brain washing has succeeded. Great picture, by the way! It's Kool insideAlso note the air conditioner. In the 60s I recall the stamped metal painted push-plates on the doors or window decals of the Kool cigarette Penguin proclaiming "Come in, it's Kool inside" for air conditioned establishments - often eateries and bars. Even in the 60s these seemed dated, rusting, and fading. So... another novelty - air conditioning. jnc Alderney, NJ eludes Google!Whenever I see an older commercial photo with superb detail like this one, I scrutinize it for old product signs, dates, and other subtle details. The name ALDERNEY appears twice: on the ice cream sign in the central alcove, and on the newspaper rack. I decided to Google Alderney, NJ, and, guess what? I cold find no references. There's a UK Alderney (interestingly enough near Jersey), and many references to Alderney in the gamers' blogs (Grand Theft Auto). Does anyone know where it's located or what happened to Alderney, NJ? Thanks, JNC, for a most fascinating picture into the past. Your photo blog of ghost signs is equally intriguing (Readers, note - it's listed in the Shorpy Profile as http://blog.hoffmancentral.org/) [There is no Alderney, New Jersey. The signs say Alderney Ice Cream. Alderney Dairy was based in Newark. - Dave] Soda FountainThe most memorable stamped metal, small advertising sign in places like this that I can recall from the period 1940 - 1950, was one for 7-Up. And another standard 'fixture', usually placed on the counter of the soda fountain back then, was the large clear plastic cylinder containing 1-cent stick pretzels standing upright in the container. This is a GREAT photo! Memories IINo, not brainwashing. Losing too many loved ones to cancer has succeeded. Air ConditionerI was in the room air conditioner business in the 1950's. The unit in the picture looks like it could have been a Philco. Anyone know? I can SMELL it now!We had almost IDENTICAL soda fountain/drug stores in Connecticut when I was a kid in the 50's and the prices were exactly the same. We usually got a VP or a CP for a nickel but if we did not have a nickel, we'd ask for a glass of water and the proprietor would good naturedly give it to us, no charge. What a pain that must have been. One thing I remember is the SMELL of these soda fountain/drug stores. One could detect sweetness like chocolate, fruit and candy odors, Orange Crush in the big glass bubbling dispenser, tobacco, sometimes sandwich smells and sometimes coffee. It is a long-gone fragrance I have not smelled since I was a kid. Also, the running fans, overhead and on the counters or tables were always buzzing away and were quite tranquilizing. Our favorite moviehouse advertised "REFRIGERATED AIR" like a oasis in the torrid heat of long, hot summers. Thank you for this WONDERFUL blast from the past. Newarkanyone know where in Newark this was? My grandfather was the first on his block (in Newark) to own a television right about 1950, so they weren't that rare then! CPIs that a cherry phosphate? We used to get that from our local drug store in the 50's. 1950-ish soda fountainWell, it turns out that there's still an Eastern Store Fixtures Corporation, now in Hillside rather than Newark. They don't have any sort of e-mail that I could find--they might be amused to know "their" photo is online all these years later! The 23rdIt could be Monday, January 23, as well. Assuming the year is 1950. If its 1949, then it would be Monday, May 23. If it's 1951, then it could be either April or July 23. Alderney DairyAlderney Dairy was located at the junction of Route 202 (Littleton Road) and Route 10 just north of Morris Plains. It was a great place for ice cream and milkshakes. You felt that it must be fresh since you could look out the window and see the cows. The business was founded in 1894 as Newark Milk and Cream Co., later becoming the Alderney Dairy Co. By 1936, it included 10 creameries, 800 dairy farms, six branch-distributing plants and its pasteurization and bottling plant in Newark - making the company one of the largest independent dairies in the United States. It took its name from the Alderney cow, which later was replaced by Jerseys and Guernseys. All these names came from several small islands in the English Channel. Sip & SupI lived in this area and yes the Alderney Dairy was on the corner of Route 10 and Littleton Road. The name was Sip & Sup. I used to love going there as they had the best ice cream. Sip & SupHello, somebody finally showed up on the internet that remembers the "Sup" as we called it late 50's and early 60's. I started working there as teenager and became night manager after working the various positions and running the snack bar at the Morris Plains Bowling alley, my boss had the lease on the snack bar for a number of years. Then transferred to Sip & Sup in Springfield until I went into the service in 1966. What fun we had at Sip & Sup. I still have some of the original postcards, will try to put on net after I scan them into my system. Alderney DairyI live on the north fork of eastern Long Island in a town called Mattituck. There are many old bottles on my property and every spring, when the snow melts, I find some new ones in good condition. Today, I unearthed a bottle from the Alderney Dairy Co., Newark, N.J. Alderney DairyAs kids growing up in Morris Plains in the early 1970s, we ran all around the then abandoned Alderney Farms and warehouses. Once we went to the top of the cow barn, about 70 feet up, and found tons of old account ledgers. It was a windy day. We pulled the bindings off tossed the pages out the window and they blew all over the farm along Route 10. We had a lot of fun until a detective from Morris Plains police came by and made us clean up every scrap of paper. It took all afternoon! We also built pipe bombs and blew them off in the abandoned buildings and raised heck. Those were the days. I'd kill my kids if they ever acted like I did then. (ShorpyBlog, Eateries & Bars, Stores & Markets)
Christmas Special: 1962
... to look cool? What's your interpretation there? The pipe is trés chic though! And Dave, if you ever "find" a picture of ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 12/24/2015 - 3:54pm -

It's December 1962 and family and friends have gathered for a near-Christmas dinner. I've just gotten my first 35mm camera, a Kodak Retinette, and with the help of my trusty Kodak Master Photoguide, manage to ace this Kodachrome bounce-flash exposure. That's me, age 16, strategically positioned in front of my father, who's still in his supermarket work garb, so it's obviously not Christmas day. Next to me in front are Aunt Grace and Uncle Jack, my mother's oldest brother. At the time I probably thought his shirt/tie combo was corny, but now I love it. Mother's on the left looking pleased, perhaps because the serendipitous arrival of identical cards made for a pleasing symmetry in her card tree on the wall. In back, my brother and our friends Colleen and Bob. Bob had been my brother's Cal Poly college mate, and later lived with us a bit before marrying Colleen. View full size. One thing that never came back in styleThat has to be the skinniest four-in-hand tie I've ever seen. Re: tterrace ChristmasMy favorite is the scene near the end where tterrace's brother learns the true meaning of contrapposto. tterrace, Thanks for sharingtterrace, Thanks for sharing this terrific photograph! What a nice looking group. Your brother looks like he could have been in the movie "American Graffiti." Uncle Jack's tie is awesome! I am absolutely loving your mother's glasses. And you, my friend, are looking right spiffy. Merry Christmas to you and yours. A tterrace ChristmasWe watched this every year at my house! My favorite part is where tterrace puts on a sweater and leads the children's choir in a carol medley. Dad needsA phone book to sit on. Or a shorter son. He knew those vitamins were a mistake. The thin black lineWow, tterrace, could your tie be any skinnier? You're quite the 1962 fashion plate. Glad to meet you!This is what I love about the member gallery -- We get to know your family and look back on its past the same way we look back on our own! I can see you're so proud of where you came from in life. Everyone who uploads to Shorpy seems so very proud. I got a little bit of time on the Frontier tonight, so I have much to upload.... After finals tomorrow! My Apologies!Tterrace, my apologies for not paying better attention. I asked awhile ago what your dad did for a living and I had even seen the grocery store photos. The funny thing is, my dad did the same thing. Keep them coming and my best to you. Love me some card tree symmetry!A very merry Christmas to the Tterraces! I can't quite put my finger on why, but I do enjoy your pictures. The captions probably have a lot to do with it--the serendipitous cards enabling card tree symmetry cracked me up. Is your brother annoyed with the picture taking, or just trying to look cool? What's your interpretation there? The pipe is trés chic though! And Dave, if you ever "find" a picture of tterrace in his Christmas sweater and leading the children's choir, please do share... [Rummaging, rummaging ... - Dave] The Movie I think Harry Connick Jr should play you in the movie. From All of Us ...... To All of You. This would make a nice Christmas card. Love that grin!Tterrace's lopsided grin is absolutely charming. Merry Christmas to you all, and thanks for the memories. Lovely portraitBob looks like he's trying to keep from cracking up. Aunt Grace looks like she's got a witty comment ready to unleash. There's a lot of character in Uncle Jack's smile. Thanks, tterrace! Everybody's happy EXCEPT....... your too cool bro, who found the whole corny "family photo" thing disdainful (just get it over with). I love your mom's humanity and Mona Lisa smile, she was a perfect mom. This is a wonderful picture but the most unique thing I find is that your brother can stand with a swagger, expressing his silent thoughts to get on with more serious and profound activities. Tterrace, you have great riches that money cannot buy. Merry Christmas to you and yours and many thanks for stirring our souls. And a million thanks to Shorpy for their amazing website. tterrace ttwins tthrough ttimeTterrace, you may not know it but you have an almost exact doppelganger in Cincinnati. One of my co-workers looks just like you in this 1962 picture. Also, you both look like the young man in the 1912 Boy Scout image. This is the fifth image on Shorpy's of historical "clones" of people I work with. I don't just mean looking similar to one in the picture but rather having people mistake historical images for PhotoShopped imagery. To me, looking for and finding friends and co-workers adds to the joy of Shorpy's. Tterrace, Merry Christmas to you and your family and a heartfelt "Happy Holidays" to all on Shorpy's! Those glasses....just fabulous!Your mum's glasses would be right at home in Dame Edna's handbag, tterrace. You were 16 in 1962 - I was also 16 (17 in November of that year) and, although we were separated by the Pacific Ocean, I can assure you that my wardrobe was identical. The button-down collars, the ultra-narrow ties, and even your brother's baby-pink shirt.....all had their equivalents here. There is even a link with your father, as my dad managed a co-operative general store and also wore bow-ties to work....I have an original of his, still in its little plastic box. What a great photo this is.....it brings back fond memories. Thank you, and Dave, for sharing these. AmazingI found this shot so totally captivating. I can't figure out why but there is something about it that just holds you there in that moment... Uncle AlbertYour older brother looks just like Uncle Albert. Amazing. Keep bringing the photos. They're great. Just long enoughMom seems happy to sit down just long enough for a quick photo. The apron tells us she will be scurrying back to the kitchen shortly to finish dinner, or perhaps get ready to serve dessert. What was on the Christmas menu? Dad is a fashion independent, with his sporty bow tie, while you have on the thinnest tie I have ever seen. What a wonderful picture; your photos make us think we know you well! Back in the dayTterrace, once again thank you for another lovely glimpse into the past. You are just about a year older than I and you have all these great photographic memories of your family. Somewhere, out there some one has photos of mine, but it sure isn't me. Merry Christmas to you and yours, Sir. (Love that skinny tie.) Made me smile!Just like looking at one of my family pix. What a pleasing photo! I intend to wear a dashing bowtie and think kind regards of the tterrace family and the Shorpy group for the holidays. Merry Happy! Christmas Special 1962Thanks for posting this, full of your sweet memories Happy Holidays, TTerrace, and to all the Shorpy team and fansThese pages (Shorpy generally, and TTerrace's contributions in particular), please me so much. Best wishes to all. And now, years later...Of the people in the photograph, who is still alive and well in 2011? I gotta kill that boy . . .TTerrace, looks like your dad had the same profession as the dad of good old Dobie Gillis. The old man's favorite comment was always, "I gotta kill that boy, I just gotta." To which Dobie's dear mom, Winnie (hey, your mom also looks like Dobie Gillis's mom!) always said, "Now Herbert." Don't tell me there was a Zelda Gilroy in your life, also! My old next door neighbor at that time (I'm also a year younger than you) had a thing about Madonna Christmas cards. Looks like your mom did, too. Finally, I still have two of my old ultra skinny neckties from 1962 to 1964. Hated them for many years, now I'm glad I still have them. But your uncle's tie totally tops them. It kinda goes with his weather battered face. I knew I'd seen him somewhere before!When I first looked at this photo it jogged a memory -- terrace's brother looked familiar. I racked my (66years old) memory banks and then it hit me; that pose was taken from the cover of an edition of the Saturday Evening Post published in 1960 - two years previously. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Christmas, tterrapix)
Santa Fe Flyer: 1943
... dome for checking flues, throttle linkage and the dry pipe. upside down helmet... Further on the upside down helmet: The sand ... seen on the left is more than likely to accomodate the pipe out to the whistle. Browsing the Denver Public Library online ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/16/2013 - 1:59pm -

March 1943. Albuquerque, New Mexico. "An engine being carried to another part of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad shops to be wheeled." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Helmet=Steam Dome CoverAs you can see on the 1823 the sand "dome" or more correctly sand box, is still attached to the boiler (it is seldom ever removed) the diagonal piping being the discharge lines for forward or reverse sanding. If you look at the steam dome, the projection which is the highest point at the middle of the boiler, you can see that the sheet metal cover is removed, and laying on the shop floor. Boilermakers had to enter the boiler through an opening at the top of the steam dome for checking flues, throttle linkage and the dry pipe. upside down helmet...Further on the upside down helmet: The sand dome would be larger with two cutouts for the sanders for both sides of the engine. The cutout seen on the left is more than likely to accomodate the pipe out to the whistle. Browsing the Denver Public Library online AT&SF images are a great way to see this feature on Santa Fe engines. The HelmetThe "helmet" is the cover off of a sand dome. The hole for the sander pipes can be seen in the rim of the cover there to the left. AsbestosThe man working on the steam induction pipe on engine 1696 appears to be insulating the pipe with asbestos putty. You can also see some of the Asbestos lagging around the front of the same engine. When old steam engines are renovated for museum pieces today Asbestos abatement is one of the first things done. Shopping BadThe buildings in this complex have been seen in several "Breaking Bad" episodes. 250 tonsOf lifting power. Very impressive. 1696 in actionThere's a good shot of engine 1696 running in 1948 on this site. The Army HelmetWhat is with the freakishly large army helmet on the floor? Marty and DocRailroad tracks? Where we're going, we don't need railroad tracks. The HelmetI'm usually one of the people supplying information regarding railroad photos, but now I have to beg a question: What is that object sitting on the floor that looks like a giant steel military helmet? I've seen this pic before in much smaller size, and this is a detail I never noticed. Any ideas? Steam locosIf you notice, each of these three locomotives is a different model. One of the problems with steam trains was that each railroad had just a few of any given design of engine, and so had to carry parts, blueprints, procedures, etc., for the maintenance of many different machines. The diesels that replaced them were not really any more energy efficient or powerful. In fact many steam locomotives actually gave more traction for energy expended than the diesels. The diesels' great advantage was standardization, and needing less maintenance. So while the steam locos were magnificent creations, their days were numbered, even as this picture was being taken. Where's Waldo?At first you don't notice them, and then -- I count at least twelve workers in this fascinating view. From left: Man on ladder; blurry man inside smokebox; the distant crane operator; face inside near vise jaw; blur walking toward front of 1823 by last driving wheel; man working on valve gear of 1823 (head & shoulders above vise); man standing on pilot behind open smoke box door of 1823; group of five, distant right. Did I miss anyone? GroundedI believe this is the same flying train, this time with wheels on and on the track. Steam dome cover.Sandboxes don't have covers. You can see on 1696, the nearest loco, that the sandbox is a substantial component made up of castings and rolled plate of at least 3/16th of an inch thickness. On more modern locos the entire unit was fabricated by welding. The "helmet" is in fact a steam dome cover - notice that on 1823 the cover is removed exposing the actual steam dome on the second course of the boiler. The hole in the side referred to by DBurden is where the whistle is mounted on an elbow that in turn is mounted to the steam dome - as can be seen on the suspended 3733. Air conditioning, againI wonder what it was like in that shop in the height of summer, and the low of winter. Albuquerque ....Yup, old shop buildings are still there in Albuquerque. Things are in slow-motion to turn them into the Wheels Museum with a home for the 2926 steam locomotive that is being restored right now ! GrandpaMy grandfather was working here at this time. Magnesia, not asbestosMEGGAHURTZ: The lagging on the steam pipe is made of "85% magnesia" blocks, not asbestos putty. The material was 85% carbonate of magnesia and 15% asbestos fibre as filler. Jazznocracy: Contrary to your claim, it was not unusual for US railroads to have hundreds of the same type of locos in a given class. Santa Fe had 352 2-10-2s alone. Moreover, their backshops were designed and equipped to build the parts needed to maintain these locos in-house. Drawings were either provided by the loco builders at the time of manufacture, or the railroad's own mechanical branch. Diesel parts, however, had to be bought in from the original manufacturer. The diesels running in 1943 were not particularly standardised, nor were they light on maintenance. Mountain and Prairie and Santa Fe1696 is a 2-10-2, built by Baldwin in 1912 or 1913. It is a "Santa Fe" type, so named because the railroad requested a modification to a 2-10-0 locomotive. This type was pretty popular; over 2200 were built for various railroads between 1903 and 1931. It was scrapped in 1954. 1823 is a 2-6-2 "Prairie" type, built by Baldwin in 1903. 1823 was scrapped in 1949. For the details on 3733, see this Shorpy photo. Mass employmentConsider this is just one shop of the Santa Fe, and there were many others. Each shop employed a thousand men (or more), and consider the hundreds of independent railroad companies in the wartime nation. Each railroad had steam locomotives specifically designed to the geography in which they operated, and they appeared in wheel arrangements from four wheeled switchers to massive, hinges chassis to snake around curves when the boilers were too long! That was railroading at its grandest period. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Clarence Bell
... for work in Grendel Mill at Greenwood, S.C. Peterson pipe Looks like the Peterson's pipe I used to smoke years ago. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery) ... 
 
Posted by rbruce - 03/08/2008 - 10:05am -

My great-uncle Clarence Bell, ready for work in Grendel Mill at Greenwood, S.C. Peterson pipeLooks like the Peterson's pipe I used to smoke years ago. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Mullett's Monstrosity: 1905
... just can't get an even break! Why? Put a gigantic pipe organ inside, fire up some pizzas and it could have become world famous! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/18/2012 - 3:40pm -

New York circa 1905. "City Hall Post Office." Designed by Alfred Mullett, completed in 1880 and demolished in 1939, the building was derided as "Mullett's Monstrosity" by its numerous critics. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. A talented draftsman, not an architectOver his career Mullett produced some 40 government buildings, and two of his six huge Second Empire piles remain standing in St. Louis and Washington. During the Modernist period, critics accused him of using overblown ornament to hide weak form. State, War and NavyThe State, War and Navy Building next door to the White House (now the Eisenhower Executive Office Building) was also designed by the flamboyant Mr. Mullett. Coal dumperMy favorite part of this picture is the coal wagon. Does anybody know how it worked? Hm.I wonder what kind of haircut Mullet had? Architectural AgglomerationI think it's kind of wonderful. The effect is fascinating. Look at all that horse effluviaI'm pretty sure that puddle to the right is not rainwater. These streets must have stunk in warm weather. Early coal truckI remember something similar from the 50's though it was from a truck which pulled up outside, extended a metal chute in through a basement window, the bed tilted up and the coal slid downstairs near the furnace. Where was this?I work in downtown NYC. Since this was called City Hall Post Office, I assume it was in this area. The wedge shape of the building makes me think it was probably located where City Hall Park is now. [It across the park from City Hall. When the building was demolished, the land was used to enlarge the park. - Dave] I guess I understand whyThere's certainly a lot going on--or, to be more precise, there's a lot of repetition of just a handful of architectural elements. Still, it's nicer to my curmudgeonly eyes to anything Frank Gehry every wadded up. Ugly SuccessHate it if you want, but how many people successfully created and sold over 40 building designs? Evidently, someone liked it. The MonsterI think they were right back then. It looks like it's moving toward me, like the "blob". Maybe it is violating "design dimensions" that we used to, like too heavy on top for its height. Count the architectural stylesGeesh. I think I'm up to about 12 here. Did this guy pull out every architectural history book on his shelf and plop elements onto this facade or what? Second Empire for the Empire StateI could have been worse: they could have hired Frank Furness. ImhoI've seen many pictures of this building and always thought it was stunning. It's like wedding cake of iron and stone. UNFAIR!If Alfred B. Mullett's New York Post Office had survived another 30 years or so, we wouldn't be calling it a monstrosity. Look at how critical opinion has turned around 180 degrees on the topic of his best known surviving work - the former State, War, and Navy Building (now the Eisenhower Executive Office Building) in Washington (shown a few years ago on Shorpy). Sometimes it seems that the Second Empire Style just can't get an even break! Why?Put a gigantic pipe organ inside, fire up some pizzas and it could have become world famous! Lego Land!I don't know that I would call it a monstrosity. It is pretty busy, though, and those lower columns really ARE eyesores. I keep thinking Legos were involved in the construction. No Horse PileThis building is the definition of the word "pile," but, you know what, I kind of like it. At least it has symmetry. I think it's better (and at least less massive) than his similar buildings still extant in Washington and St. Louis, and much better than his boring post offices, customs houses, and courthouses around the country. I wish it still existed. Somehow this solid block of building had a floor collapse that killed three people. Mullett himself seems like he was a real explosive, interesting character too. I'm really liking that jeweler's clock and the streetlamps (particularly the luminaires; are those incandescents? arcs?). Pure D AwfulI usually like gothic "monstrosities" but this is beyond the pale! Looking at it is like wearing heavy, itchy wool on a hot summer day. The structure has a Cardassian forehead.If one were to eliminate all the gray from this photo, and just turn it into black and white lines and spaces, it would probably resemble one of M.C. Escher's woodcuts. It beats the Jimi Hendrix museumWhen I look at places like this I wonder what the top floor rooms were like and what views they had. When I look at a modern building that appears to be wadded-up aluminum foil, I ask myself, what went wrong here? Go ahead, HVAC itIt's got awnings, so I'm OK with it. Give my regardsto Shorpy, remember me to Stanton_Square. Furness!CGW, you know you DIDN'T say that about Frank Furness! A wonderful architect. And Mullett's rep has waxed and waned over the years, but to me, his buildings (yup, even the gigantic State, War and Navy) enrich a cityscape. The level of detail and articulation he used has been lost since the modernists. Tho I admit that "delicately and subtly proportioned" does not apply to Mullett's work. Frank FurnessHey, I love his buildings! Alright, maybe they're best in moderation, but don't tell me the world would be better off with fewer of his buildings. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Apple of His Eye: 1964
... his hands are from farming his whole life (and smoking a pipe). It's funny what you remember about people but whenever I eat fresh ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 06/24/2009 - 4:49pm -

A friend is having me scan some of her family photos, and I fell in love with this Kodachrome slide; she gave me permission to post it to Shorpy. It's her sister and their great-grandfather on his farm in Sabattus, Maine, in 1964. View full size. Cellar DoorLooks like the cellar door is open in the background. Bet these gems are headed down there. When I lived in Illinois we had a 1 acre apple orchard. Every fall my dad and I would pick the apples and then take them to my aunt's house to store in her cellar. I'll never forget that smell of going down there to get a few Red Delicious a couple months later. The aroma of the apples and the cold chill is wonderful memory. Thank You, Shorpy......For my new seasonal desktop background! From the overgrown roses to great-grandpa's well-worn hat, this image is fantastic. A real slice of Americana. Norman Rockwell photo-realism?Just fantastic. OctoberBeautiful. Like something out of National Geographic. Or it could be calendar art. Lil PumpkinThis has got to be one of my favorite pictures ever posted here. So many reasons to love it. Thank your friend for sharing! Fantastic!Such a beautiful pic! Thank you for sharing! HybridI think the best thing is that their hands are together -- his liver-spotted and gnarled, hers plump and unable to even get around the apple all the way -- which doesn't stop her from taking it on. I love his amused, patient, loving smile. With this ring ... I can't help but notice the ring on her right hand. As a parent of a toddler, my first thought is: choking hazard!! Is there a story behind this particular ring? I've never noticed a ring on the hand of a child her age now -- were they more common back then? That's me!That is me and my Bubba at his farm in Maine -- I remember that house and how I would ride his tractor up the hill to pick the peas and strawberries. Those were the crops I liked the best. My Nana would make homemade doughnuts and we would all help out in the vegetable stand on the weekends -- not sure how much help I and my sisters and cousins were! The ring was my mom's as a baby and she would put it on me occasionally -- back then she says they did not worry about choking hazards. GREAT MEMORIES!!!!! PumpketeerThank you for sharing this beautiful photograph. I love old photographs. I have set this one as my desktop wallpaper. [I bet little Lorri never dreamed she'd grow up to be "desktop wallpaper"! - Dave] GenerationsNote the baby ring. This is something you never see anymore. That's my great-grandpaWe called him Bubba for some reason. He had a big farm in Maine and a roadside stand that sold just about every fruit and veggie you can think of. My cousins and I used to go pick strawberries and peas in the summer. He was always so patient and sweet, I don't remember a cross word from him ever. If you look close you can see how stained his hands are from farming his whole life (and smoking a pipe). It's funny what you remember about people but whenever I eat fresh peas or really good strawberries I think of him. A ClassicA most beautiful photo. The rich colors of apples and pumpkins and the interaction between the generations of a family. Simply a classic. Baby RingsMy grandmother kept my father's and my uncle's rings in her jewelry box and would marvel at how small they had once been. I don't know if that was common. If you look at any old catalogue (Sears etc.), you will see that baby rings were once very common. Apples for the toothless!The baby probably does not have teeth yet, but her face amazingly expresses her attempt to bite into that edible delight. If you look at the close-up photo, it is quite noticeable how beautiful and flawless all of those crisp, juicy apples are, I don't see a blemish on any of them. I can almost smell the familiar scent of a New England autumn, dried leaves, pumpkin shells, a fragrant apple harvest, the nut-like aroma of summer's end. Many thanks for this telling photo of a truly loving grandpa, an obliviously happy baby (who cannot bite into the apple - I know the feeling) and unmistakable, unposed authenticity. This is a beauty. Ah! KodachromeA superb photograph in many respects. If ever the Smithsonian is going to hold an exhibition on what the USA is all about, this picture should be included. It is also a testimony to the wonderful color rendition of classic Kodachrome, something that I think can't be matched by modern emulsions, let alone digital. Dave, can you please post the uncropped image? [It is uncropped. - Dave] Apple/Pumpkin Film FormatThe original is on 126 film, a size developed by Kodak for their series of Instamatic cameras introduced in 1963. Image size is officially 28 x 28 mm, but this was a mounted slide, plus the slight straightening I applied required a teeny bit more cropping around the edges. For all intents and purposes, this is the whole thing. Scannertterrace, what kind of scanner are you using? ScanswerChris M, see my comment here. My MommaWow. This is my momma. What an amazing pic. LOVE YOU Ericka Lea WowI love everything about this picture. A determined toddlerReminds me of the time my 14 month old drilled into an orange with as much efficiency as hungry squirrel. If this baby was at least that age then I'm sure she could have made a dent in that apple. This photo is without question one of the most beautiful I can remember. Simply stunning. Thanks so much! A buck a bushel basketThat's what it cost at the farmers' market back in the early 1950's. The only thing was that they were ungraded as to size. There were some gigantic ones, some tiny ones and all the sizes in between. The qualities I recall most were that they were ripe, hard, juicy and crisp. Most of the apples available now at the supermarket are soft mush. Bleh!! BeautifulThis is such a fabulous picture in so many ways, thank you so much for sharing. Re: Baby RingsI worked w/ my father in his jewelry store back in the '60s and remember the little display of Baby Rings he sold there. They came in an assortment of about 12 rings, various designs and sizes (ALL very small!) If I remember correctly, they even had an "As Advertised in LIFE MAGAZINE" sticker on the box. (I've been following SHORPY a few years, but it's taken me this long to get to this photo) (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids, Rural America, tterrapix)
Fairview Hotel: 1916
... gleam, and the odor of frying fish and the fumes of the pipe struggle for the mastery. The crowd gets noisy at times, but any attempt ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 1:21pm -

Washington circa 1916. "Fairview Hotel, 1st Street and Florida Avenue." The proprietor is former slave and "colored philosopher" Keith Sutherland. See the comments below for more on him. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Room comes with outside bar.I wonder if he ever tried to patent his Pepecual Motion machine? Soup to GoTake a good look at the wooden cart. It has a kerosene container with a tap. It looks like it goes under the "soup" pot. Maybe Mr. Sutherland took his cart around and sold food as a vendor. He has a counter on both sides! Amazing. I don't know why......but I have sudden craving for a delicious CORBY CAKE™. Gold Dust Twins"I will agree with you sister why do they want to break up Fairview for" Cryptic sign. One might assume the city wanted to tear down the, um, stately Fairview Hotel. I can't imagine this was seriously a room for rent, unless it's just the check-in. Looks more like a ramshackle lunch stand. Fair View?Why, I'd say it was better than fair. It's downright byootyfull. Gold Dust Twins"Fairbank's Gold Dust Washing Powder - The Many Purpose Cleaner. Gold Dust products were represented by the Gold Dust Twins, two African-American children surrounded by gold coins. The orange box with the universally recognized twins practically jumped off the shelf. In fact the twins were one of the best known trademarks of the 19th century. Let the Twins Do Your Work was the tag line. The back of the box shows the twins tackling several household chores as well as a list of 34 cleaning jobs made easier by using Gold Dust. http://www.the-forum.com/advert/golddust.htm Wow!Now this is one of the most interesting photos posted on Shorpy in a long time. I would love to know the story behind the "I will agree with you sister..." sign. This Quaint StructureWashington Post, September 3, 1916. PLEAD FOR QUAINT HOTEL Hundred Neighbors Sign a Petition To Save Sutherland's "Fairview." A petition eight feet long, signed by about 100 neighbors of the Fairview Hotel, First street and Florida avenue northeast, will be introduced as evidence against the condemnation and closing of this quaint structure when a hearing is held at the District building Tuesday to determine whether the property shall be razed for sanitary reasons. Keith Sutherland is the aged colored proprietor, and he hobbled to the District building last week and appealed to Daniel Donovan, secretary to the board of commissioners, to save his place. Since filing his appeal the health department has investigated the property. Its report has been turned over to Commissioner Brownlow, and will be heard at the hearing. Fairview is a one-room hotel, opposite the Baltimore and Ohio freight yards. On the spotless whitewashed walls the proprietor, Sutherland, has written some quaint bits of philosophy for the edification of his customers -- truck drivers and employes about the yards. Corby - Washington's Biggest BakeryArticle from October 1915 issue of Bakers Review courtesy of Google Books: The largest bakery in Washington--and model one, too, in every sense of the word--is that owned and operated by the Corby Baking Co., one of the most progressive baking concerns in the United States. The firm was organized twenty years ago, when they started a little bakery down town. In 1902 they bought out a baker at 2305 Georgia Ave., (where their present plant is situated), and then built the first addition. In 1912 they built again, giving the Plant of the Corby Baking Co., Washington, D. C. building its present size. The article even has pictures! Say!I think I stayed there one year Thursday night! Roof GardenFor me a most entertaining aspect of the photo is the three rusty tins being used as planters on top of the shack:     FAIR     VIEW     HOTEL And the whiskey bottles on the stand tell a lot about this place. Those signsKeith Sutherland's quaint signs would qualify today as genuine folk art. Gold Dust TwinsFred Lynn and Jim Rice were known as the Gold Dust Twins in 1975. I figured the name came from somewhere, but I didn't know it was from washing powder. Sage DiesWashington Post, Feb. 21, 1933. Sage Dies Former Slave Prophesied Voters' Landslide for Roosevelt. Keith Sutherland, colored philosopher and prophet whose political forecast won him the thanks of President-elect Roosevelt, fulfilled his final prediction Sunday when he folded his hands about a Bible and died at his home, 1640 Eleventh street. The former slave felt the approach of death Friday, his children said. He called his family together and instructed them to prepare a funeral, saying that he would die on the Sabbath. Last August Sutherland dreamed of a great voters' landslide for Franklin D. Roosevelt. The dream was so "clear" that he wrote Mr. Roosevelt a description of it. Mr. Roosevelt responded with a "thank you" note saying he found the prediction "very encouraging." For the past half century Sutherland has kept a restaurant in Washington where the walls were posted with his prophecies, many of them showing unusual foresight. He was 79 years old. Funeral services will be held tomorrow at 1 p.m. at the P.A. Lomax funeral home, Fourteenth and S streets. Interment will be at Harmony Cemetery. He is survived by four children. The Real McCoyIt actually looks like Grandpappy Amos McCoy's apple cider stand. Hostelry Spared Local News Briefs Upon recommendation of both the health officer, William C. Woodward, and Building Inspector Hacker, the District commissioners decided not to condemn "Fairview," the famous hostelry at First street and Florida avenue northwest , owned by Keith Sutherland, colored philosopher. About a month ago complaints reached the health office that "Fairview" was insanitary and a menace to the health of the city. The commissioners decided to investigate, but before they were ready to take action, an eight-foot petition signed by hundreds of residents of the northeast section, asking that "Fairview" be allowed to remain, was presented to them by Sutherland. Washington Post, Sep 9, 1916 District Building Notes Keith Sutherland, the aged colored proprietor of the Fairview Hotel, at First street and Florida avenue northwest, impressed city authorities so much last week with a plea for the retention of his property, which had almost been condemned to be razed, that it is likely the "hostelry" will be allowed to stand. Sutherland hobbled to the District building and presented a petition for his place signed by about 200 neighbors. Health Officer Woodward investigated the property and it is understood reported favorably on letting it remain. The building inspector, Morris Hacker, has the matter now under consideration. Sutherland is famous throughout his section of the city for his bits of philosophy, with which the walls of his establishment are painted. Washington Post, Sep 10, 1916 Alley Cook-ShopsWashington Post, Jan. 1, 1897. LICENSES FOR ALLEY COOK SHOPS. Judge Kimball Decides They Are Liable To a Fee of $25 a Year. The alleys of this city are filled with colored cook-shops, which heretofore have paid no license fee. Judge Kimball said yesterday, however, that every one of them must pay $25 a year. Only the police and the people who visit the numerous alleys and little streets of the city know how many of these cook-shops exist. The colored people generally resort to these places for pigs' feet, meat pie, and substantial provender prepared by the old mammies and quaint old colored men who run them, and cook dishes to the taste of the people of their race. The police yesterday brought into court, as a test case, Keith Sutherland, who has conducted a cook-shop for many years at 1111 R street. He was released on bonds after he took out a license, and as the matter has now been tested the police will bring all the proprietors of unlicensed cook-shops to the Police Court. Into the FutureThe descendants of Keith Sutherland's little counter 100 years ago were still going strong when I moved to Washington in the 1980s. I was directed by my new colleagues to explore the alleyways around our offices at M Street and Connecticut Avenue for (legal) hole-in-the-wall eateries for lunch and breakfast. It didn't take long for these places to become favorites of mine. I've been gone from D.C. for 20 years now; I'm wondering if these establishment still exist. Sutherland Family 1880 Census 1643 Vermont Avenue Sandy Sutherland, 54 Rach Sutherland, 57, (wife) Webster Sutherland, 12, (son) Keith Sutherland, 25, (son) Hattey Sutherland, 22, (daughter-in-law) Mary Sutherland, 6, (daughter) Willie Sutherland, 4, (son) 1900 Census 1112 R St Keith Sutherland, 46 Hattie Sutherland, 44, (wife) Arthur Sutherland, 3, (son - adopted) Webster Sutherland, 32, (brother) 1920 Census 104 Seaton Place Northeast Keith S Sutherland, 65 Hattie D Sutherland, 64, (wife) Webster Sutherland, 52, (brother) ???, 14, (daughter) Arthur L., 21, (son) Cora, 15, (daughter-in-law) Pinkey ???, 52, (mother-in-law) Just like India of todayHere in India, we still have thousands of "hotels" just like this one. I can walk to the end of the street here and find three of them that in black-and-white wouldn't look so different. Many are even on wheels (carts with bicycle wheels). Most have similar folk-art signs complete with misspellings. And similar records of cleanliness. I always thought it was interesting that restaurants in India are still called hotels. Now I see it's not odd, just archaic. Corby BakeryIt later became a Wonder Bread bakery (last time I was by there, the old "Wonder Bread" sign was still in place). The Corby buildings are still there (east side of Georgia just north of Bryant Street) and now house a strip of retail shops and fast food places. "Arbiter of all Brawls""Keitt" Sutherland was getting towards the end of a colorful life here. Washington Post, February 4, 1900. EX-KING OF THE BOTTOM Once Dominated a Notorious Section of the City. WHERE CRIME AND EVIL REIGNED. Reminiscences of "Hell's Bottom," Which Formally Kept the Police Department Busy, Recalled by "Keitt" Sutherland, the Odd Character Who Figured as Self-appointed Arbiter of all Brawls –- His Curious Resort in Center of that Section. KEITT'S. I, am, going, to, put, my, name, above, THE DOOR. The above legend with its superfluity of commas, inscribed on a piece of board about a foot square, nailed above the door of a tumble-down building at the intersection of Vermont avenue, Twelfth and R streets, marks the abode of the “King of Hell’s Bottom.” The structure thus adorned is the pool room of “Keitt” Sutherland, overlord and supreme ruler of the negroes in the vicinity. Although the encroachments of modern dwellings, increase in the police force, and other accompaniments of growing metropolitan life have somewhat shorn him of his feudal rights and curtailed his former realm, “Keitt” is now, and always will be, monarch of all he chooses to survey. It is still within the memory of the present generation when “Hell’s Bottom” was a fact and not a memory. The swampy, low-lying ground bred mosquitoes, malaria, and – thugs. It was the quarter set apart for and dominated by the tough element of the colored population. A white man with money in his pocket studiously avoided the locality after dark, or else set a fast pace to which he adjusted the accompaniment of a rag-time whistle. Half a dozen saloons congested within the radius of a block served the barroom habitués with whisky as hot as chile con carne and as exhilarating as Chinese pundu. Fights arose approaching the dimensions of a riot, and the guardians of the law had all they could do to quell the disturbances. A policeman or two was killed, and that, together with the growth of the city, led to the rehabilitation of “Hell’s Bottom.” Now it is interesting mainly in its wealth of reminiscence. “How did I happen to put up that sign?” Keitt repeats after the inevitable query. “I’ll tell you. You see my folks used to own that property, and they was sort o’ slow dyin’ off. I knowed I was going to come into it some day, an’ I thought I might as well let people know it. About that time a show came along, and they sang a song somethin’ like this: “I am going to put my name above the door. For it’s better late than never. An’ I’ll do so howsomever.’ It gave me an idea. I just put that sign above the door. After while the folks died, an’ I got the property.” Queer Sort of Place. Guided by the much-be-commaed signboard, the visitor goes to the door of the poolroom and inquires for “Keitt.” He finds the room filled with colored youth of all sizes, the adults of which are engaged in playing pool at 5 cents a game. The balls on the table are a joblot, the survivors of the fittest in many a hard-fought game. The cushions are about as responsive as brickbats. But the players do not seem to care for that so long as they can drive the balls into the pockets and make their opponents pay for the sport. An ancient, dingy card on the wall informs the reader that he is within the precincts of the “Northern Light Poolroom.” The same placard also gives the following warning: “Persons are cautioned against laying around this building.” “Where is Keitt?” inquires the intruder, who finds himself regarded with suspicion. “Two doahs down below. Jest hollah ‘Katy,’ an’ he’ll show up,” is the answer. “Keitt” on inspection justified the right to the title of “king.” He is a giant, weighing 250 pounds, well distributed over a broad frame six feet and one inch in height. He looks like a man who would not shun a rough and tumble fight. He does not have to. A registered striking machine off in the corner shows that he can deliver a 500-pound blow. He might do better, but unfortunately the makers of the instrument did not figure that a man’s fist was a pile driver, and 500 pounds is as high as the machine will register. Many are the tables told of his prowess; of how he whipped in single combat the slugger of the community, a man who had challenged any five to come on at once; of how when only a bootblack in the ‘60’s, he sent three bullies about their business with broken heads and black eyes; of how he used to suppress incipient riots in his saloon by means of his strong arm and without the aid of the bluecoats in the neighborhood. Indeed, the police used to say that “Keitt” was as good as a sergeant and a squad with loaded “billies.” But “Keitt” (the name is a popular conversion of the more familiar “Keith”) has not won his way entirely through the medium of brawn. He is a man of intelligence, and has a keen eye for business. He is the magnate of the neighborhood, with property in his name, money in the bank, and a good comfortable roll about his place of business. He can go down in his pocket and bring out more $50 bills than the average man caries about in the $5 denomination. If one hints robbery or burglary “Keitt” simply rolls his eye expressively, and enough has been said. No one cares to tamper with his till. Plenty of Local Color. The saloon on the outside looks like a combination coal and wood shed. “Keitt” apologetically explains that it was formerly a stable, and that he has not had time to fix up much. Nevertheless, the fish, beans, sandwiches, and other eatables are so tempting that the frequenters of the place do not pay much attention to external appearances. The magic of the proprietor’s name draws as much custom as he can attend to, and fully as much as the customers can pay for. There is a charm about the old haunt that cannot be dispelled by police regulations or the proximity of modern dwellings. On Saturday night the place takes on something of its old glory. In the smoke-begrimed room – hardly 12 by 12 – are found thirty or forty men eating and talking. Through the thick clouds of smoke the lamps throw out a dim gleam, and the odor of frying fish and the fumes of the pipe struggle for the mastery. The crowd gets noisy at times, but any attempt at boisterousness is quieted by a word from the dominant spirit of the gathering. If any one gets obstreperous he is thrown out on the pavement, and it makes little difference to the bouncer whether the mutinous one lands on his head or not. This is the negro Bohemia. They who live from hand to mouth love to come her. The boot-black with a dime receives as much consideration as the belated teamster with a roll of one-dollar bills. Business is business, and “Keitt” is a business man. Consequently there is very little credit given. “Five or ten cents is about the limit,” says the autocrat. But “Keitt” is something of a philanthropist., although he makes his charity redound to his personal benefit. An illustrated placard, done in what appears to be an excellent quality of shoe blacking, has the figure of a man sawing wood. It bears the following words, “Just tell them that you saw me sawing wood at Keitt’s for a grind.” The term “grind” is synonymous with mastication, the wood sawyer thereby being supposed to do a stunt for the recompense of a square meal. This does away with the tearful plaint that is ever the specialty of the hungry and penniless, gives employment to the idle, and increases the size of “Keitt’s” wood pile. The latter is sold to the negroes of the neighborhood at prevailing prices. “Keitt” figures that his method is wiser than giving unlimited credit, and he is probably right. “Keitt” is a mine of reminiscence. He has been in Washington 1862, when he came from Charles County, Md., where he was born a slave. He was a bootblack around the Treasury building, and he remembers seeing Lincoln’s funeral pass by, with the white horse tied behind the hearse. His history of the rise and fall of “Hell’s Bottom” is quite valuable from a local standpoint. Divested of dialect, it is as follows “’Hell’s Bottom’ began to get its name shortly after the close of the war in 1866. There were two very lively places in those days. One was a triangular square at Rhode Island avenue and Eleventh street. It was here that an eloquent colored preacher, who went by the name of ‘John the Baptist,’ used to hold revival services, which were attended by the newly-freed slaves. The revival was all right, but the four or five barrooms in the neighborhood used to hold the overflow meetings, and when the crowds went home at night you couldn’t tell whether they were shouting from religion or whisky. “Then there was what was known as the ‘contraband camp,’ located on S street, between Twelfth and Thirteenth. The negroes who had just been freed stayed there waiting for white people to come and hire them. They got into all sorts of trouble, and many of them settled in the neighborhood. Money was scarce and whisky was cheap – a certain sort of whisky – and the combination resulted in giving the place the name which it held for so many years. The police force was small. There was no police court, and the magistrates before whom offenders were brought rarely fixed the penalty at more than $2. Crime and lawlessness grew terribly, and a man had to fight, whenever he went into the ‘Bottom.’ “The unsettled condition of the locality made things worse. Men used to shoot reed birds where Corcoran street now is. I have caught many a mud turtle there in the 60’s. I saw a man get drowned in the creek at Seventh and R streets. At the point where the engine-house is now located on R street a man could catch all the minnows he wanted for bait. Tall swamp grass afforded easy concealment for any one who wanted to hide after a petty theft or the robbery of some pedestrian. Consequently, it is small wonder that the law was defied in those days. Many Disorderly Rowdies. “A white man never wanted to cross the ‘Bottom’ after dark. If he did he had to keep stepping. Just how many crimes of magnitude were committed there no one can tell. The life of the negro was far from easy. If a fellow took a girl to church, the chances were that he would not take her home. A gang of rowdies would meet him at the church door as he came out. They would tell him to ‘trot,’ and he seldom disobeyed. They escorted the girl themselves. It was impossible to stop this sort of petty misdeeds. “At times the trouble grew serious. I have seen 500 negroes engaged in a fight all at once in ‘Hell’s Bottom.’ That was during the mayoralty elections, and the riot would be started by the discovery of a negro who was voting the Democratic ticket. I have had big fights in my old saloon, but there was only one that I could not stop with the assistance of two bouncers I had in those days. There were fully fifty men in the saloon at the time, and most of them were drunk. They began to quarrel, and when I could not stop them I blew a distress call. About fifteen policemen came, for in those days it was useless to send two or three to quell a disturbance around here. When word came that the police were after them the last man of them rushed through the rear part of the saloon, and I’ll give you my word that they broke down the fences in five back yards in getting away. Not a man of them was captured. “Ah, those were the days. Things are quiet around here now, but sometimes we have a little fun, and then the boys go to the farm for ninety days. I keep ‘em pretty straight in my place, though, let me tell you.” (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Harris + Ewing)
The Little Engine: 1906
... some significant damage around the steam dome (where the pipe comes out to the cylinders). At best, this is a loco that was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 3:12pm -

Harbor Springs, Michigan, circa 1906. "Excursion logging train." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Unusual DriveI know next to nothing about steam trains (or any other type for that matter), but I've never seen a worm gear type set up to drive the wheels before. That's pretty interesting looking. FrankenshayThe interesting thing about this Shay is that it doesn't have a base for the boiler to sit on. Don't think that I have ever seen one quite like this. Also of note is that the boiler sits back on the wheels instead of being over them or at the very least flush with them. Maybe the original was destroyed and the pieces for the drive shaft and such were fitted to whatever components they could find to make it work. Very much a backwoods sort of thing. The boiler probably comes from a totally different engine and was fitted for the purpose. Excellent find Shorpy! Anyone else have thoughts? Shay loggerThis is a Shay geared logging locomotive. What's unusual about this is that it's missing the shielding that you usually see around both the 3 cylinders and the gears that drive the wheels. The cab looks home-made, too, and you can see evidence of some significant damage around the steam dome (where the pipe comes out to the cylinders). At best, this is a loco that was substantially damaged and repaired. But I'm wondering if it's a new boiler on a recovered Shay drive mechanism, a real kitbash. Happy BunchThere seems to be a larger percentage of smiles in this photo than there are in other photos from this time. Must have been something in that Michigan air. Where's My HeadlightThat is a Shay locomotive, very common in period logging operations. What set it apart is the gear drive vs. the side rods on typical steam engines. Shays had the ability to climb very steep grades. I notice also that the trucks (wheel sets) on the cars are not sprung. I bet these folks were more than happy to stand at the end of their journey. The Reverend Ms. Who?I'm intrigued by the woman wearing clerical collar and cross. She must have been from a very forward-thinking denomination to have been an ordained clergyperson in 1906. United Methodist ChurchThe Rev. Ms. Who probably has something to do with the Bay View Association. These are what we call Summer People, and if you live in Harbor Springs that can be a derogatory term. In 2010, Summer People would have nothing to do with religion. 2Shayhttp://www.shaylocomotives.com A surviving Shay with a great deal of similarity: LowriderI am not a train expert but after reading the comments on the engine and looking at the strange way the cars are attached to the trucks, I would say this train has been modified for a height clearance. The cars have a home made look to them and are barely tall enough to stand in. The roof line of the cars, the engine and the smoke stack are all the same. TrucksI think the trucks on those cars trailing the locomotive are the same design that are currently in use on the Eurostar trains. Yep, quite sure. Hemlock Central RailroadYes, this is indeed a Shay locomotive, and the reason it looks cobbled together is because it was--by Ephraim Shay himself, built in his garage. Ephraim Shay invented and patented the Shay locomotive, which was exclusively built for the commercial market by Lima Locomotive Works, Lima OH, starting in the late 1870's. The Shay was primarily used in lumber operations, including Shay's personal logging railroad the Hemlock Central, which ran excursions like this out of Harbor Springs during the summer months to supplement the logging revenue. Shay built his three Hemlock Central Shays himself in his garage. I want to say this is #3, but I can't be sure because I don't have my father's definitive book on Shays at hand. The Hemlock Central was torn up in 1912. Shay died a few years later. He was a fascinating man, one of America's greatest inventors, holding many patents besides that on his geared locomotive. Built by Shay HimselfAccording to the Shay historical site whose link is given below, those trucks are from a 9 ton Shay built by Ephraim Shay himself. He was from Harbor Springs and owned the two-foot six inch gauge Harbor Springs Ry., also known as the Hemlock Central. Vacationers were hauled for 25 cents a trip. Now the remaining mystery is: what was carried in that lock box on the side of the cab? http://www.shaylocomotives.com/shaypages/EphraimShay.htm Ephraim's OwnEphraim Shay, who developed the geared locomotive along with the Lima Locomotive works, lived in Harbor Springs and designed a hexagonal house with walls of stamped steel, built around a central tower. The house still stands on East Main Street. He also designed and operated a private waterworks for the town. The Harbor Springs Railway (nicknamed the "Hemlock Central"), another Ephraim Shay enterprise operating with Shay locomotives, hauled lumber and ran passenger excursions for 25 cents a head. Hemlock Central RailroadTurns out this loco was owned by the inventor of the Shay, old Ephraim Shay himself. Track gauge was 30 inches. More here. (Thanks to the experts over at Railroad-Line.com) Ms. SecularThat isn't a clerical collar. It's simply a woman with a white shirtwaist under her black overdress who is wearing a cross. What's in a nameRecords in my collection show the name of the engine to be "Baby." It's the best photo I have seen of her. William Crippen & Mr. ShayMy 4-great grandfather, William Crippen, worked with Ephraim Shay on parts and design in his efforts to make his first geared locomotive in 1877. Crippen operated the Cadillac City Iron Works, but his little operation was unable to fill the demand of Shay's orders. Crippen was also busy designing his own engine which he received a patent for on Oct. 17, 1882. He only built a single finished locomotive of his own design before he passed away at the age of 59 in 1888. He is buried in Cadillac, Michigan. For more information about the Crippen Geared Locomotive, visit: http://www.gearedsteam.com/other/crippen.htm (The Gallery, DPC, Mining, Railroads)
Santa's Little Helper: 1924
... organ recitals (they have the largest fully operational pipe organ in the world). At one time Wannamake's New York store was the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/06/2012 - 1:55pm -

December 1924. "Santa's toys." Toy World at Wanamaker's in New York. Be nice, boys and girls, and you might get a Packard! Be naughty and you might get arrested! 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Santa looks rather frazzledAnd perhaps a little shnockered, too. Santa Claus is coming to townYou better watch out You better not cry You better not pout Or the evil clown policeman will beat you with his nightstick! Ho ho ho! DisappointedI got dragged down to the store in the dead of winter, got all dressed up in this flimsy summer dress with my knickers hanging out and all I get is this stupid brochure! Modern SantaNewspapers always run articles about how the Santa we know and love today didn't appear until the late 1930s Coca-Cola ads. Before that, we're always assured, he was more of a "jolly elf." But this Santa looks fairly modern to me. [True. The idea that Haddon Sundblom is responsible for the modern incarnation of Santa Claus seems to be kind of a popular misconception. Although he certainly did help to slickify the look. - Dave] Fleet's in!I wish kids still wore sailor suits like the lad on the far left. Adorable! Mrs. Claus looks like she's been been having a nip of The Grownups' Eggnog. Too Many SantasI remember my cousin asking why there was a Santa at Hutzler's and at Stewart's. We must have been about 8 or 9 at the time, old enough to be concerned that there was something fishy about this whole Santa brings presents story, but still very much wanting to be sure to tell Santa what we wanted. I wish I could remember what answer my aunt gave. That Store TodayWannamaker's was a Philadelphia based chain and their store there is still around but now operating as Macy's. In fact they were on the CBS Evening News the other day because of their organ recitals (they have the largest fully operational pipe organ in the world). At one time Wannamake's New York store was the largest department store in the world. Today the building is an office building with a K-Mart as a retail tenant. You'd better watch out!Love the spats on the kiddies. I've never seen socks or pants like that before. 8 Tiny Autos"Now! Packard, now! Willys, now! Buick, and Ford, "On! Chevy, on! Hudson, on! Oakland and Cord!” Future Paint TycoonAt least we know what became of the lad standing to the left of Mrs. Claus - he became the face of Dutch Boy Paints. Is there a dike cracking somewhere in Holland while he tries to score a Packard back here in New York? Please SantaIf I were to find that Packard under my tree this year, I would be the happiest 61 year old kid on the block Skid Row SantaHe's a pretty rough-looking character if you study his face. And what's that? A truncheon his helper is carrying? Good thing all those moms and dads are there to keep an eye on the action. This particular Christmas, by the way, was my mother's first one. She'd been born that August in the Bronx. One of these days I fully expect to see her and her family in one of these crowd shots. Hutzler'sHutzler's? Are you from Baltimore? I used to spend summers there with my mom as a kid. Even creepierSomehow, the scary clown playing police officer rather than delivery boy is even creepier. This is truly the stuff of nightmares. [He's wearing the same policeman costume in both photos. - Dave] Wanamaker'sThis was one of the big-name department stores back in the day. The department store Christmas displays for kids used to be really special. I'd say everyone looks pretty happy to be here. The Wanamaker OrganistHe is currently Peter Richard Conte, one of the great American virtuosos, organist at St. Clements in Philadelphia, in demand as a concert organist, has classical recordings both as an organist and as director of choral works. He will be giving the dedicatory concert for our recently restored 1926 organ here in 2009. Hutzler's againWhat kind of reaction will I get if I say Hochschild Kohn's? Heh. The first time I played hooky from school I took the No. 8 downtown and went to the flagship stores of Hutzler's et al. Do you remember the glorious wall of windows of the Hutzler's Towson store? The building is still there but, sadly, the windows aren't. I'll look around a bit, I've probably got pictures. Maybe Shorpy can do a before and after. Hutzler's and Stewarts--Been a long time......since I have heard someone utter "Hutzler's and Stewarts" in the same sentence. Timonium and Towson MD must've been your stomping grounds! I love the little boys expression as he looks askance at the clown/policeman. These children look pretty terrified of the guy. Brought back year after year.I think Santa looks peeved and ready to flee. Is that Jackie Coogan there behind Santa? The best part of this Santa ordeal for shy children was the Christmas atmosphere and wonderful anticipation while standing in line. The actual sitting on Santa's lap was scary. And yet we were brought back year after year. Wanamaker'sGlad that's cleared up! I saw that news segment about the organ and remember it from my time in Philadelphia, but thought--Macys'?. Wanamaker's was a great store -- I loved their chicken salad with grapes, and sitting on the balcony watching people shop. This is how the "real people" lived, I thought. These little kids are so captivating. The clown must be threatening Santa with a thrashing, and the mean moms love it even though the kids are "ho-hum". I hope that the Packard winner came from an affluent family because there's no room in the flat for that dang thing. The little girl front and center gets my Santa gift this year. Hutzler'sIn the 1960s, Hutzler's opened a modern branch on Ritchie Highway in Glen Burnie, or it might have been in nearby Harundale. They had a nice lunch counter with one of the best crab cake sandwiches in Maryland. Hochschild's, as my mother called it, was okay, but Hutzler's was classy. Wanamaker's 1947My mother would leave me in the toy department while she went shopping. I remember watching the World Series on DuMont station WABD in the store. What a treat, as this was two years before we got our TV. Department storesI remember being taken downtown (Baltimore) by my grandmother at Christmas time to see the decorated windows at Hutzler's, Hochshild Kohn's, The Hecht Co, and Stewarts. It was spectacular! The stores really went all out to have moving objects, colors, and sparkly stuff. Kids would be three deep looking and dreaming. (The Gallery, Christmas, G.G. Bain, Kids, NYC, Scary Clowns)
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