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Sloss City Furnaces: 1906
... and lived there. I wonder if it's still there! The Pittsburgh of the South Growing up in Texas, I was taught that this was one ... in the late '50s and all of the '60s. We heard about "Pittsburgh of the South" in school, of course. It was printed in them Yankee ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 4:34pm -

Birmingham, Alabama, circa 1906. "Sloss City furnaces." Four years later, our site's namesake, Shorpy Higginbotham, would be working for the Sloss-Sheffield Iron Co. at nearby Bessie Mine, helping to supply coal for the furnaces at this steel mill. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Heavy MetalSloss Furnaces is occasionally used as a concert venue. I saw Rage Against the Machine perform there in the late '90s. No sign of Shorpy's ghost. Ghost of SlossI grew up in Birmingham and went there several times on school tour groups. The guides always pointed out the hidden gravesite of a small dog behind some hedges near one of the side buildings. Apparently the dog was loved by the furnace workers and lived there. I wonder if it's still there! The Pittsburgh of the SouthGrowing up in Texas, I was taught that this was one of Birmingham's nicknames. I never really knew if the people of Birmingham ever referred to their city as such. FascinatingSteam, smoke, water, stacks of ingots, men bending their backs both with work and also hands in pockets as per the older gent standing at the rail carriage. There's a lot going on here all right. Not a day to hang the washing out! Can anyone explain the process going on here? Still thereI took the scenic route back to the airport last summer (in part by "lost by GPS") and it was still there. I did not expect it and was surprised to see the furnace right off the road. Looked it over and U turned to check it out again. Tried to imagine what it was like to see it in production. Wow! Whatta photo! StackedI wonder what's going on in the lower center. Looks like a fair amount of wood stacked up, and possibly being burned in the large shed. They might be making charcoal, but why would they bother if coal was available? [Those are metal ingots. Ore goes in, iron comes out. - Dave] Lazy SusanLove the Southern RR ventilated car, the lazy-susan narrow gauge bridge track, and the link-and-pin couplers on the little engine shoving cars into the plant and the in-house railcars. Very interesting moment in time captured here. A brief [?] explanationThere are a lot of folks who know more about this than I, but I can give you a simple sketch of what's going on. The tower just left of the central shed is the charging stack. Note the elevator running up the left side. This is used to haul the ore, limestone and whatever else is needed to the top. The foreman in charge mixes the ingredients in the correct proportion into the top of the stack. This stuff is heated at high temperature in the blast furnace and when it's all blended and liquefied, the bottom of the stack is opened to allow molten steel to run onto the floor of the large central shed. This molten steel is run down narrow gutters in the floor and turned into molds to cool. These molds full of red hot steel look like little piglets being fed by their mommy. That's where they started calling them "pig iron." Note the small steam locomotive with its rear facing us to the left below the elevator. Both the engine and the cars down there have link and pin couplers that were outlawed for interstate commerce by about 1900, which indicates this engine and cars may belong to the steel company. It appears they are hauling waste, also called slag, away. At the far left edge of the photo is a four wheeled railcar with a large pocket on an elevated track. This looks like a "larry car" which was filled with coal and dumped into a coke oven from the top. The oven was sealed shut and the coal was "baked" to create coke, which burns much hotter than coal, which is needed to make steel. I'd say Mr. Shorpy's coal was turned into coke right here in the steel plant. (A single larry car could run atop any number of ovens, which would be off camera here.) Note in the foreground the narrow gauge plant track on a turntable. This appears to allow the narrow plant track to cross over the wider track at a slight elevation. When the wide tracks are used, the narrow track is turned away as it is here. Worth a visitThis is now one of the most incredible national monuments in our country. The only one I know similar to it is Gas Works Park in Seattle, and you can't actually explore it. You can walk all over Sloss. Just another example of how much incredible potential Birmingham has. Mom and Dad and ShorpyAs I child, I lived about three miles from where Shorpy would've lived, Bessie Mines. I live in West Jefferson. Incredible place. My parents met working on Miller Steam Plant. Iron OnlyOlde Buck basically nailed it. The three ingredients are iron ore, fluxing stone (usually limestone) to draw off impurities, and coke, which adds carbon to the mixture and also burns to superheat the interior. But, blast furnaces only produce iron. As iron contains many impurities, it’s actually a much weaker metal and more susceptible to stress and fracturing. To make steel, the impurities have to be burned off in a separate facility, or "converter." In this era, it could be done in a bessemer converter by blowing air into the molten iron. This started a chemical reaction, igniting manganese, then silicon and finally carbon monoxide; took about 20 minutes to burn it all out. Also coming into their own at this time were open hearth furnaces, basically a regenerative furnace, where scrap and molten iron were mixed to create custom blends of steel. The items in the photo "Stacked" are iron pigs aka "pig iron" – "ingots" are gigantic blocks of partially cooled (just enough so they can be handled) steel that are fed into rolling mills and formed into various shapes such as beams and rail. Ghost AdventuresI watched an episode of Ghost Adventures where they visited Sloss Furnace. This place really caught my attention and some of the stories that went along with it were pretty crazy. The Magic CityI, too, grew up in Birmingham in the late '50s and all of the '60s. We heard about "Pittsburgh of the South" in school, of course. It was printed in them Yankee textbooks from up Nawth. But the C-of-C called Birmingham "The Magic City" while I was growing up. I remember Sloss very, very well, and fondly, too, in a retrospective kind of way. My father worked near Sloss (in a different career field) and we frequently passed Sloss as we travelled over The Viaduct, a raised portion of 1st Avenue North that went right beside Sloss. On some evenings when they would pour out the molten steel huge plumbs of steam would billow forth. These clouds would take on a glow the same bright red-orange color as the molten steel. Traffic would slow briefly along The Viaduct as we would all want to watch the spectacle. There was always an incredible aroma that billowed out along with the steam. It was deep, rich and earthy, somewhere between rotten eggs and burnt coal and wood. When the wind was right, you could smell this aroma even at my parents house in the Roebuck neighborhood, some 8-10 miles from Sloss. I had to move away from Birmingham in 1969 when My father took a new job. I was so glad to hear they have saved Sloss and turned it into a national monument-- and a performance arts center! I was eager to take the tour when I got back there for my first visit in years back in 2004. Attached is a photo I took then of Sloss today. For anyone wishing to explore Sloss online, may I suggest http://www.slossfurnaces.com/ Thanks, Shorpy, for letting me share some memories with you! -DJQ Old FurnacesLooking at the way things are laid out, and given the time frame visible here, these are the OLD Sloss Furnaces. This view of the furnaces changed in 1927 when the furnaces were totally rebuilt with modern equipment. At the time of this photo, these furnaces had only been in operation 1899. This picture was taken around the time the new boilers were installed. Muse of Fire: Shakespeare at Sloss I've enjoyed working with Muse of Fire for the past several spring seasons as we perform Shakespeare under that shed in the center of the Shorpy photo. In the fall we stage select Shakespeare scenes in various spots along the walking trail around the Sloss facilities. There's nothing like having trains running by 100 yards from the stage, blowing their whistles for all they're worth. Having rehearsed late into the night several times, I have to say that it's easy to believe that Sloss is as haunted a place as I've ever been (especially deep in the back near the old brick ovens). Thanks, Dave, for posting this great photo of a cherished landmark in my hometown. I think of Shorpy Higginbotham at every rehearsal and performance, and I wonder if he's watching us and enjoying the show. Sloss Fright FurnaceAround Halloween time, Sloss Furnace is converted into a "haunted house." As you are walked through the place, you are confronted by ghouls, ghosts of angry steel workers, zombies, and psychos. My brother & I went there this past October. (The Gallery, Birmingham, DPC, Factories, Railroads)
Pennsyluna: 1905
... of the 20th century. Gone to H Where did the h in Pittsburgh go? That car Circa 1905 Rambler Surrey. Adgie Castello ... 1897 -- "Adgie and Her Pets" Wat the ell Pittsburgh lost its H in 1890 when there was a nationwide movement to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 11:07am -

Circa 1905. "Entrance to Luna Park, Pittsburg." This week: "Adgie and Her Lions." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. 256,356 ... 256,357The most light bulbs in all the world. No trolley lines May have proved the demise of this great looking park, one of 44 worldwide built by Frederick Ingersoll. A trolley park opened up in 1909 close by, and Mr. Ingersoll decided to close this one in the face of that competition. Many parks were built at the end of trolley lines in the early part of the 20th century. Gone to HWhere did the h in Pittsburgh go? That carCirca 1905 Rambler Surrey. Adgie Castello The Lions Won the Day Omaha, Neb., March 29. -- Adgie the lion tamer, a beautiful Spanish girl, who has been exhibiting here with a cage of trained lions, has had trouble with her manager. He came to-day with officers to levy upon the animals, but Adgie put up a determined fight, attacking the manager personally and driving him from the field. The officers then attempted to levy, when the woman caught hold of the cage door and prepared to let out her pets, which were growling savagely. The officers fled, leaving her mistress of the situation. -- New York Times, March 30, 1897 -- "Adgie and Her Pets" Wat the ellPittsburgh lost its H in 1890 when there was a nationwide movement to standardize the names of cities, but regained it in 1911 after much protest. Our lost "H" is most fortuitous when dating photos and documents! "Lost Kennywood" in Pittsburgh's Kennywood Park has a rather faithful (albeit scaled down) replica of Luna's entrance, a classic chute-the-chutes, a replica of Luna's carousel building, and several almost exact copy facades. The "H" returns in PittsburghSix years later in 1911. Back by popular demand. Adgie and Her LionsVictoria, Prince, and Trilby. Here's a review from 1902 Washington Post. Also a brief item on her competition: "fat ladies' tug-of-war." Luna Park RevisitedDreams of youth, long past. http://historyguild.org/photos/frames/frame74.htm Thanks to all the Shorpyites who make this site possible. A tale of two LunasHere's an article in the Washington Post on how this photo was, ah, kinda borrowed many years ago. (The Gallery, DPC, Pittsburgh, Sports)
Here's Lucy: 1908
Pittsburgh circa 1908. "Carnegie Steel Company, 'Lucy' furnace." 8x10 inch dry ... Carnegie was wife of Thomas M. Carnegie. Where was Pittsburgh, anyhow? The Lucy Furnace was named in honor of Andrew Carnegie's ... to the Carnegie company, and the Isabella to a combine of Pittsburgh iron men. These furnaces were of equal size, and belonged to rival ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 2:42pm -

Pittsburgh circa 1908. "Carnegie Steel Company, 'Lucy' furnace." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Recycle 1908 styleThat is a very up-to-date string of coal cars in the background. All steel cars show Keystone Coal to be a very modern operation. In the foreground is several stretches of disconnected narrow gauge plant track, with a string of cars and wheelsets nearby. These plantracks would change location quickly, as needed. But what really interests me is that arch-roof former baggage car lettered American Bridge of NY. That car could easily be forty years old here.It likely was used by AB to carry rigging and supplies for their projects, although it may no longer be in use. To its right is a short ex reefer. [The hinged doors give away its former occupation. The windows cut into it indicate other uses by ABNY.] Its odd, double archbar trucks were popular on New York Central lines for a time. Broken WindowsWell, I guess bridges shouldn't have windows, anyway. The tradition at U.S. SteelThe tradition at U.S. Steel is to name furnaces after wives of the President/Chairman. Lucy Coleman Carnegie was wife of Thomas M. Carnegie. Where was Pittsburgh, anyhow?The Lucy Furnace was named in honor of Andrew Carnegie's sister-in-law, Lucy Carnegie. Located on the Allegheny River at 51st St, it was dismantled in 1937. The Romance of Steel, 1907. By Herbert N. Casson The Rise of Andrew Carnegie … In 1873 two new furnaces had been built, now famous in the iron world as the Lucy and the Isabella. The Lucy belonged to the Carnegie company, and the Isabella to a combine of Pittsburgh iron men. These furnaces were of equal size, and belonged to rival owners. They began at once to race in the production of iron, and their amazing achievements for the first time attracted the attention of all countries to Pittsburgh. The average output of a furnace was then fifty tons a day. There were wild hurrahs at the Carnegie company's works in 1874, when, for the first time in the history of ironmaking, the Lucy turned out a hundred tons of iron in one day. In England the news was received in silent incredulity. To believe that a single furnace could pour out twenty-two thousand dollars' worth of iron in a week was too much. Where was Pittsburgh, anyhow? And who was this Carnegie who made such preposterous claims? … A second Lucy furnace was built in 1877, and the Carnegie company operated both until the organisation of the Steel Trust. During that period of nearly thirty years they produced more than three million tons of iron—enough to give four pounds apiece to every man, woman, and child on the globe; enough to pave a road seventy feet wide with iron plates an inch thick from New York to St. Louis. … There is nothing idyllic about the Lucy furnaces. They have received no honours, no medals, no monuments. They have inspired neither artist nor poet. Yet for thirty-three years, for every hour of the day and night, they have been untiringly making the useless into the useful, magically transforming the ore into a ceaseless stream of that metal which is immeasurably more precious to civilisation than all the gold and silver and rubies and diamonds. (The Gallery, DPC, Factories, Pittsburgh, Railroads)
The Electric Faucet: 1908
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1908. "Wood Street, looking east." Showing a ... Current type. Some time later Tesla The Plumber changed Pittsburgh to Alternating Water Current. Pittsburgh slowly regenerating This picture was taken at Wood St and 3rd ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/19/2016 - 6:53pm -

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1908. "Wood Street, looking east." Showing a rare example of the Edison Spigot. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Lights!I sure would like some of those great light fixtures for sale in that store! This makes sense, in a strange wayI recall, in my youth, watching a Three Stooges short called "A Plumbing We Will Go". The boys take on a plumbing job at a house in a well-to-do neighborhood, and they start making a mess of it, when they discover wires inside the pipes. At first, I thought this was conduit, but later realised that the house had originally had gas lighting, and when the gas lighting was replaced by electric lights, the electrician had simply run the electric wiring through the old gas pipes. So, in fact, it makes sense that a plumber who did gas-fitting, would be the logical person to retrofit your gas-lit house with the new electric lighting. Saw Them at the Fillmore West in '68The Electric Spigot opened for the Grateful Dead in late November 1968. They played a some songs from their upcoming LP "The Edison Faucet Experiment." At least theat's what I remember. AWC - DWCAhh, these were the good old days for plumbing. The faucet is clearly the Edison Direct Water Current type. Some time later Tesla The Plumber changed Pittsburgh to Alternating Water Current. Pittsburgh slowly regeneratingThis picture was taken at Wood St and 3rd Ave. At present on the left from 3rd to 4th Ave is the YMCA bldg . At the corner of 4th and Wood the Arrott bldg on the left and the Bank Tower on the right are still there. Further down on the right is the Farmers Bank Building. The Arrott , Bank Tower and Farmers Bank were all built in 1901 and 1902. The Farmers Bank was demolished in 1997 and on that site now is the new PNC ( Pittsburgh National Corp )Tower.It was opened in 2015 and is one of the greenest buildings in the US. Farmers National Bank BuildingActually, the Farmers National Bank Building was torn down so that the new Lazarus Department Store Building, spanning the block between Oliver and Fifth, could be built. Lazarus was closed by Federated in 2004, and the building has since been converted to condos. The new PNC Building is in the block of Wood from Forbes to Fifth. +108Below is the same view from July of 2016. (The Gallery, DPC, Pittsburgh)
Farmers Bank: 1910
Pittsburgh circa 1910. "Wood Street and the Farmers Bank." At left, the domed ... negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Pittsburgh Heavyweight We're not talking Billy Conn here. Snuggled in on the ... 1997 The Farmers Bank Building stood at 500 Wood St in Pittsburgh from 1902 - 1997. This is now the site of the McCormick & ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/20/2013 - 12:14pm -

Pittsburgh circa 1910. "Wood Street and the Farmers Bank." At left, the domed Keenan Building. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Pittsburgh HeavyweightWe're not talking Billy Conn here. Snuggled in on the left side of the Farmer's Bank is the Westinghouse headquarters building. George Westinghouse, the founder of the company back in the 1880s, was a developer of alternating current, the competition to Tom Edison's DC. It was cheaper, easier to deliver and required fewer distribution points.He also invented the air brake, which provided railroad and later, truck safety. The year of this picture, 1910, was the year he retired; he died in 1914. His residual companies are still major tech players in solar, nuclear, electronics and broadcasting (think Group W and CBS). I just remembered this NY Times piece from a previous post: Submitted by Mr Mel on Tue, 04/21/2009 - 5:27pm. NY Times article on DC current in NYC: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/off-goes-the-power-current-... Forbes & WoodLooks like it's taken from the corner of Forbes & Wood, looking North towards Liberty Ave. The view of the Keenan is now blocked by the K&L Gates building. CylinderAnybody have any idea of the purpose of the cylinder on the roof of the building in the foreground? Looks like a stiff wind and its on the street. 1902 - 1997The Farmers Bank Building stood at 500 Wood St in Pittsburgh from 1902 - 1997. This is now the site of the McCormick & Schmick's restaurant. When it was completed in 1902, it was the talllest building in the city. (The Gallery, DPC, Pittsburgh, Streetcars)
Canyonland: 1908
Pittsburgh circa 1908. "Fifth Avenue looking north." On the left, Kaufmann's. ... Meet Me At The Clock The Kaufmann's Clock was Pittsburgh's equivalent of New York's Biltmore one, a widely-agreed-upon ... Wright never forgave him for. Hilliest city? Does Pittsburgh not give San Fran a run for their money as hilliest US city? This ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2013 - 11:36am -

Pittsburgh circa 1908. "Fifth Avenue looking north." On the left, Kaufmann's. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Window shoppingHow I would love to have a little time for window shopping on this street. Meet Me At The ClockThe Kaufmann's Clock was Pittsburgh's equivalent of New York's Biltmore one, a widely-agreed-upon meeting place in the center of the metropolis. Kaufmann's itself was an institution, the store that prided itself on having everything-- even a suit big enough to fit our heftiest president, William Howard Taft, in town for a visit. His picture hung in the lobby for many years as an unauthorized endorsement. Control of the store passed from the founding brothers to Edgar "E.J." Kaufmann, who commissioned (and expertly promoted) two of the 20th Century's greatest modernist buildings, Wright's Fallingwater in Bear Run, and Neutra's Desert House in Palm Springs-- the latter of which, it would seem, Wright never forgave him for. Hilliest city?Does Pittsburgh not give San Fran a run for their money as hilliest US city? This town has got some serious grades. Imagine traversing up these sidewalks on a icy January morning? +103Below is the same view from July of 2011. FallingwaterThe owner of Kaufmann's, Edgar J. Kaufmann, hired Frank Lloyd Wright to build a country home, the now famous house known as Fallingwater, in the Laurel Highlands about 90 miles from Pittsburgh. Brings back memoriesKaufmanns department store was but one of the many places we planned on going to - had to catch the bus in Bridgeville, PA and until the parkway was finished the trip was long in time but well worth the time and distance. Especially during Christmas holidays as Kaufmanns always had wonderful animated windows full of Christmas scenes. Let's go shopping!Butterick Patterns were my favorite back when I could see well enough to sew. Their fashions were just a "cut above" the other pattern companies. And those purses in the store window on the left can still be seen at Coach or Macy's Site of Pittsburgh's annual Christmas ParadeMacy's (successor to Kaufmann's)sponsors the annual Christmas parade on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The grandstand is always set up across from the store in front of the low-slung building with the red banner. It's a great holiday tradition. (The Gallery, DPC, Pittsburgh, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Pittsburgh Panorama (Colorized): 1941
Colorized version of this Shorpy old photo . View full size. (Colorized Photos) ... 
 
Posted by SLK - 07/09/2020 - 3:07pm -

Colorized version of this Shorpy old photo. View full size. (Colorized Photos)
A Fan in Every Room: 1938
... along Monongahela River and Boulevard of the Allies. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Photo by Arthur Rothstein. View full size. ... "Air Conditioned" -- ready for that August heat wave. Pittsburgh's Roosevelt The Roosevelt Hotel (named for Teddy, not ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/14/2018 - 7:18pm -

July 1938. "Houses along Monongahela River and Boulevard of the Allies. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Photo by Arthur Rothstein. View full size. Forget the Steel workLooks like there's a lot of money to be made in Tuckpointing. Double Dutch"A Fan In Every Room" and "Air Conditioned" -- ready for that August heat wave. Pittsburgh's RooseveltThe Roosevelt Hotel (named for Teddy, not Franklin) opened in 1927 and closed in 1972. It had 600 rooms (and thus over 600 fans) at the corner of Sixth Street and Penn Avenue. For a time before the completion of Three Rivers Stadium, Art Rooney ran his NFL football team from the hotel. It still stands today as a mixed-use building with 109 apartments and commercial space. Trouble Sleeping?Looking straight ahead in the middle of the picture it looks like someone threw out a bed frame and a head board onto the roof of that building in the next block over. Maybe a mattress on the floor was more comfy. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Pittsburgh)
Orthodox Onions: 1938
July 1938. "Russian Orthodox Church. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the ... 1934 DeSoto. Still in good shape It's Pittsburgh, so there’s a RR in there Between the onions a couple of open ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2019 - 8:16pm -

July 1938. "Russian Orthodox Church. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. I spy an Airflow!Most likely a 1934 DeSoto. Still in good shape It's Pittsburgh, so there’s a RR in thereBetween the onions a couple of open hoppers enter the frame. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Factories, Pittsburgh)
Throck and the Kats: 1921
... myself were kidding around years ago in a restaurant in Pittsburgh and I said anyone with an common sense could paint," he explained. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 4:49pm -

July 15, 1921. Cleon Throckmorton at the easel on the terrace of the Krazy Kat, an establishment described by the Washington Post two years earlier as "something like a Greenwich Village coffeehouse." Scroll down to the comments for more on "Throck," an engineering graduate who made his name designing sets for Eugene O'Neill's plays, and was the first art director for CBS in the early days of television. View full size. National Photo Company Collection. Krazy Kat Raided! Washington Post / Saturday, February 22, 1919 ROW IN KRAZY KAT LANDS 14 IN JAIL Carefree Bohemians Start Rough-House and Cop Raids Rendezvous. Fourteen would-be Bohemians yesterday appeared in police court and demanded a jury trial on various charges preferred against them by Policeman Roberts, who, with the assistance of two night watchmen, raided the Krazy Kat, which is something like a Greenwich Village coffee house, in an alley near Thomas Circle. Roberts, under orders to watch the rendezvous of the Bohemians, heard a shot fired in the Krazy Kat shortly after 1 o'clock yesterday morning. The watchmen were quickly pressed into service and a raiding party was organized. When Roberts climbed the narrow stairway leading from a garage to the scene of trouble, he found himself in the dining room of the Krazy Kat, confronted with gaudy pictures evolved by futurists and impressionists and what appeared to the policeman to be a free-for-all fight. At the Second Precinct police station 25 prisoners, including three women — self-styled artists, poets and actors, and some who worked for the government by day and masqueraded as Bohemians by night — were examined. Those against whom charges were placed gave the following names: John Don Allen, Cleon Throckmorton and John Stiffen, charged with keeping a disorderly house; Charles Flynn, drinking in public; J. Albion Blake, disorderly conduct; Walter Thomas, assault and disorderly conduct; Harry Rockelly, drinking in public; George Miltry, disorderly conduct; Mitchell McMahon, drinking in public; Joseph Ryon, disorderly; Anthony Hanley, drinking in public; Frank Moran, disorderly conduct, Leo Cohen, drinking in public and disorderly conduct, and Raymond Coombs, disorderly conduct. ---------------------------- February 17, 1957 ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — A $50 bet, an engineering diploma and a hobby turned Cleon Throckmorton from the world of structural design to a lucrative career in art. A native of nearby Absecon, Throckmorton, now in semi-retirement, has designed settings for over 300 plays all because a friend bet him $50 he couldn't earn a living from art. "A few of my artist friends and myself were kidding around years ago in a restaurant in Pittsburgh and I said anyone with an common sense could paint," he explained. Art was his hobby and the bet was collected after two of his works were accepted by the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., for its semi-annual exhibit. "That made me really serious about art," he says. Although he had just earned an engineering degree from Carnegie Tech, "Throck" started on a career in theatrical setting design and is still going strong here as a designer and painter of party backdrops for a beachfront hotel. Unlike the conventional artist, "Throck" uses gallon jugs of paint and does his work on the floor with a brush attached to a long bamboo pole. Throckmorton, now 59, spends about six months each year at his Atlantic City work with the raimainder of his time scattered at spot jobs in Hollywood and New York. ------------------------- October 25, 1965 ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) Cleon Throckmorton, 68, who gained prominence as a set designer for playwright Eugene O'Neill, died Saturday in hospital after a brief illness. Throckmorton joined O'Neill at the Provincetown Playhouse in Massachusetts and prepared the sets for O'Neill's Emperor Jones, The Hairy Ape, and Beyond the Fringe, which were later produced at the Theatre Guild in New York. During the pioneering days of television, Throckmorton became the Columbia Broadcasting System's first art director. He is survived by his wife. Krazy ManThis is becoming quite the detective story! I cannot wait for the continuing adventures of Throckmorton & his crew. Given that the bust happened two years before these pictures, it seems that Cleon kept his establishment running for a while. Thomas Circle looks, unfortunately, fairly well re-developed as of the last time Google snapped a picture. I will be in DC in May (I grew up not far from Glen Echo Park, actually). I may take a little visit down to Thomas Circle to see if there are echoes of the Krazy Kat in some alley there... [Throck was enrolled at GWU. Still to come: Photos of the alley. Which, coincidentally, is just a couple blocks from my day job of the past 13 years. - Dave] Mrs. ThrockmortonJust a quick search of the 'Cleon Throckmorton' name dug up something kind of fun -- an archived letter to Time magazine from 1947. Pages two and three have Mrs. Throckmorton's sister disputing TIME's claim that it was Mrs. Throckmorton photographed puffing a cigar at opera. If I'm chasing the right trail, Throckmorton married Juliet St. John Brenon. Her father was a (highly respected it would seem) NYC music critic, Algernon St. John Brenon. It would be cool to know if one of those girls was Juliet, wouldn't it? ThrockI wonder if there is any chance the young lady he is painting became Mrs. Throckmorton. ThrockGoogle this guy. He was a major player in the theatre world. Very interesting. Gaudy pictures evolved by futuristsWhat a great line, in a fascinating story. These women look dangerous to me; not just flappers, but vamps! Alley KatsIs the alley in question Green Court, off 14th near Thomas Circle? I worked in one of the buildings on 14th and could look out on the alley which then, the '90s, housed the Green Lantern, a gay club. I think it became the Tool Shed. Ahh, yes, looks like my hunch was correct... From "Gay Life Remembered" by Bob Roehr in Independent Gay Forum... Krazy Kat in 1920 was a "Bohemian joint in an old stable up near Thomas Circle ... (where) artists, musicians, atheists, professors" gathered. Miraculously the structure still stands, five blocks from the White House, as a gay bar called the Green Lantern. I really do empathize...with "Throck." My wife is always charging me with "keeping a disorderly house." I keep trying to tell her she just doesn't understand my absurdist aesthetic. It's not easy being a visionary, I guess. No Connection!(Washington Post / Saturday, February 22, 1919 ROW IN KRAZY KAT LANDS 14 IN JAIL Carefree Bohemians Start Rough-House and Cop Raids Rendezvous.) ........................................... There is no connection ..... but the date of this Post article was the same day my father (bless his soul) was born. This is good stuff Dave. Thank You. My new hero(ine)... is the woman who is having her portrait done. Not only is she beautiful, but as evidenced in the other photos, she seemed to have a bit of a rebellious streak for daring to show so much skin (someone earlier referenced that she seemed to be wearing - *gasp!* - a miniskirt, in 1921.) That rules, in my book! Plus, she has such a coy look about her. It's fun to think that maybe she's a gypsy who has found the fountain of youth, and she's still roaming around and haunting places like Soho artists' lofts and tiny Parisian cafes, looking exactly the same now as she did then, smoking cigarettes and taking everything in through those dark eyes.... A sword? Looks like the lady on the table might have some future swashbuckling planned. Heart Stopping , Sucking In Air GreatThis photo is so good on so many levels it hard to take it all in. Whew About that Cigar & Mrs ThrockmortonThe 1920 Washington Census shows Cleon's father, Ernest U. Throckmorton, as proprietor of a cigar shop. Could be it's true she was smoking a stogie? Other info on this sheet has the parents at 55 yrs old. Mother's name is Roberta, born in Indiana. Cleon was 22. Home address is 1536 Kingman Place (something) NW. [According to his N.Y. Times obituary in 1965, Mom & Dad's full names were Ernest Upton and Roberta Cowing Throckmorton; Cleon was born October 18, 1897; his wife was the former Juliet St. John Brenon. - Dave] Green LanternBy coincidence, after reading about the Green Lantern here yesterday, I was watching a 1918 Charlie Chaplin comedy called "A Dog's Life", and noticed that the saloon in that film is called "Green Lantern". It made me wonder if that phrase has some particular "folk meaning" or significance, or relevance to saloons or drinking, but I can't find anything on google but the comic book hero by that name. Throckmorton Place $895K in '04!Shucks...you missed your chance to buy the Throckmorton home. From some 2004 Washington Blade (another gay connection!) classifieds... LOGAN CIRCLE New listing! Fabulous renovated TH. 1.5 blks from Logan Circle, Whole Foods & more! 3 story TH w/ separate bsmt apt and 2 story owner’s unit w/ beautiful gar- dens and deck. Live in 2 BR, 2.5 BA unit w/ hdwd flrs, lots of light,& lrg bathrooms. Rental 1 BR w/ private entrance. Great condo alternative. Must see! $895,000 OPEN SAT 5/15 & SUN 5/16 (1 - 4 pm) 1536 Kingman Place. (202) 332-3228 Jeff Shewey, COLDWELL BANKER / PARDOE. CleonWhile looking online for his paintings I found this: Throckmorton, Cleon (1897–1965), designer. Born in Atlantic City, he studied at Carnegie Tech and at George Washington University before embarking on a career as a landscape and figure painter. After a few years he turned to the theatre, assisted on the designs for The Emperor Jones (1920), and later created the sets for All God's Chillun Got Wings (1924), S.S. Glencairn (1924), In Abraham's Bosom (1926), Burlesque (1927), Porgy (1927), Another Language (1932), Alien Corn (1933), and others. By his retirement in the early 1950s he had designed sets for over 150 plays. Throckmorton also drew up architectural plans for such summer theatres as the Cape Playhouse in Dennis, Massachusetts, and the Westport (Connecticut) Country Playhouse. Cleon & JulietCleon's wife, Juliet St. John Brenon, according to her IMDB bio, was born in 1885, making her 37-ish during the time these photos were taken. Her uncle Herbert Brenon was a well-known silent film director who worked frequently with Cleon. Apparently they had some connections to Society: Baron Franz von Papen, three postcard autograph messages signed in the mid-1930s to American friend Mrs. Juliet Throckmorton in New York. [Her November 1979 obituary in the New York Times gives her age at death as 82, which would mean she was born around 1897. Of course actresses (and actors) have been known to fudge their age. - Dave] Throck of AgesFor what it's worth...the SSDI lists her as follows: JULIET THROCKMORTON 01 Sep 1895 Nov 1979 It would appear that IMDB is quite mistaken, Hollywood fudging notwithstanding. Juliet's ObitNovember 22, 1979 (NYT) JULIET B. THROCKMORTON Juliet Brenon Throckmorton, a stage and screen actress in the 1920s, and widow of Cleon Throckmorton, a noted stage designer who worked closely with Eugene O'Neill, died Sunday at Cabrini Medical Center. She was 82 years old and lived in Manhattan. Mrs. Throckmorton had in recent years been a contributor to Yankeee magazine, writing, among other subjects, about Eugene O'Neill, E.E. Cummings and other well-known people who had frequented her husband's Greenwich Village studio. Juliet BrenonAre we sure Juliet is the one pictured? Juliet & Throck were not engaged until 1927 in NYC. Here's the announcement:
Exposition Hall: 1902
Pittsburgh circa 1902. "Exposition Hall." Probably during its reconstruction ... inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Pittsburgh PA 1902 The Exposition Hall burned down on Saint Patrick's Day ... bit by bit between 1941 and 1951. (The Gallery, DPC, Pittsburgh) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/09/2018 - 3:27pm -

Pittsburgh circa 1902. "Exposition Hall." Probably during its reconstruction after a fire the previous year. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Pittsburgh PA 1902The Exposition Hall burned down on Saint Patrick's Day 1901. On this 1902 Lithograph by Thaddeus Mortimer Fowler, the Exposition Hall at Duquesne Way can be seen, with its backside to the Allegheny River. Now Point State ParkExposition Hall came down bit by bit between 1941 and 1951. (The Gallery, DPC, Pittsburgh)
Rays Hill Tunnel: 1942
... myself creeping in traffic for several miles leading into Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill Tunnel, which is on I-376 not far from where it ... trip When I was a kid, we'd travel the PA Turnpike from Pittsburgh to suburban Philadelphia to visit my grandparents. The turnpike ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/09/2023 - 3:56pm -

July 1942. "Pennsylvania Turnpike, Pennsylvania. Rays Hill Tunnel." Abandoned in 1968. Acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Office of War Information. View full size. Stop for a warningA look at that narrow roadway occasions a shudder, imagining vehicles moving toward each other on two lanes, without center divider or shoulder and in bright artificial lighting. Any accident would be a nightmare to deal with, even if it didn't involve fire or a spill. Not long ago, I found myself creeping in traffic for several miles leading into Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill Tunnel, which is on I-376 not far from where it separates from the Turnpike. The reason? A single abandoned vehicle inside the tunnel, no police presence or assistance yet. And that is a two-bore tunnel with two lanes in each direction. Highlight of our tripWhen I was a kid, we'd travel the PA Turnpike from Pittsburgh to suburban Philadelphia to visit my grandparents. The turnpike tunnels were always the highlight of the trip, particularly the double-tunnel at Kittatinny and Blue Mountains. The tunnels were actually built for the never-completed "South Pennsylvania Railroad," intended by Cornelius Vanderbilt to be a competitor to the Pennsylvania Railroad's control of the line from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. JP Morgan negotiated a treaty between the NYC and PRR. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Pennsylvania_Railroad for the railroad history, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Turnpike for the turnpike history. The view from aboveThe view today from the ventilation room above the entrance, home to the Rays Hill sign. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Street Food: 1919
... golf courses, though not a player himself. He came from Pittsburgh originally (excerpt): "He came to Washington with $300. The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/15/2023 - 6:39pm -

Washington, D.C., 1919. "Lunch vendors, Treasury Annex." At left, Leoffler's Liberty Lunch for 20 cents. And yes, we have bananas. 4x5 glass negative, National Photo Co. View full size. Mr. LeofflerBack in 2008, in the linked post, Dave asks in response to a poster wondering about a menu in the box: "Looking for volunteers to go back in time and peek in the box. Anyone?" Wonder no more! According to the July 1, 1919 Business Digest and Investment Weekly, we have this item: — Lunch Boxes [S. G. Leoffler, System, Oct '19 p 644. 600 words. 1 illus] Mr. Leoffler is the inventor of the "Liberty Lunch," which came in neat pasteboard boxes labeled "The Noon Time Friend" and saved Washington war-workers from a nerve-racking fight at overcrowded restaurants. The lunch contained two sandwiches in waxed paper, a sweet of some kind, and fruit. There were chicken sandwiches, raisin and nut sandwiches, Spanish pickle sandwiches, olive sandwiches, all sorts of sandwiches. But there was a little element of surprise every day, something a little different. Sometimes Mary Ann found a quarter of an old fashioned mince pie that reminded her of Thanksgiving, sometimes a slab of brown gingerbread. The company now has 130 employees and sells 10,000 lunches every week day. Six big motor trucks are used to deliver the lunches. 10,000 box lunches every day? That's a lot of lunches. Double license platesPrior to 1924, motorists in the Washington region were obliged to register autos in all three jurisdictions (DC, Maryland and Virginia) prior to crossing the state lines. There were stiff fines and the law was always on the lookout for violators. Obviously it was difficult to display three plates on the same auto and the practice was discontinued. Dual registrationAt one time if you lived in one state and worked in another a registration plate for each state was required, as displayed on the above Ford. The oil lamp was original to the car, but an extra lamp was added to shine on the upper plate. This nonsense was stopped eventually. More about Mr. LeofflerSeverine G. Leoffler, 1887-1947. Obituary Interesting guy. He had a number of business, ending up owning or leasing a dozen golf courses, though not a player himself. He came from Pittsburgh originally (excerpt): "He came to Washington with $300. The first thing he was sell safety pins to school children, giving jack-knives as incentives. School authorities put a stop to that so he went into the ice cream business. He sold the first roller ice cream cone here. He sold that business for $20,000 and then sold box lunches - two sandwiches, a piece of fruit and freshly baked pastry, all for 10 cents. He sold that business for $100,000 and the guy who bought it went broke in six months." The resourceful Leoffler broadened his horizons. He went back into the box lunch business during World War I, selling "Leoffler's Liberty Lunches" to government workers for 20 cents. But sometimes he got too ambitious. He decided to come out with square doughnuts and spent a fortune on machinery. He went broke. The public preferred the round dough out. His son died in 2014, evidently keeping the golf course business going. Obituary On commission? From the want ads of the Washington Times, June 29, 1919: "BOYS over 16 years old, neat appearance to sell Loeffler's Liberty Lunch; salary and commission; hours, from 6:30 a. m. until 2. p. m. Apply at once, 544 Penna. ave. N. W." Can't get lunch for 20c todayIt's of note how much food prices have outpaced inflation. 20 cents is $3.52 today. You'd be hard pressed to get two sandwiches, a sweet, and fruit for $3.52 from a food truck these days. Kilkare InnThe Kilkare Inn was still there in 1924, and offering breakfast from 8 to 10:30 and lunch from noon to 2. Located at 813 Vermont Ave. NW, now the location of the Export - Import Bank of the US. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Natl Photo)
Steel City: 1938
July 1938. "View of city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." The Wabash Bridge over the Monongahela River. Medium ... Washington is now a high-occupancy vehicle route into Pittsburgh. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_and_West_Virginia_Railway Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/02/2020 - 4:26pm -

July 1938. "View of city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." The Wabash Bridge over the Monongahela River. Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein. View full size. Lee Kee car park It's easy to see how the vehicle parking was arranged on the Mon wharf. Drips and dribbles from countless crankcases, transmissions and differentials have left their mark. This is also seen on the concrete highways up to the present. When I started riding motorcycles in the early seventies my father warned me not to ride the middle of a lane when it first started to rain. Slippery as hell he said. He had been a motorcycle MP during WW2 and knew of what he spoke. Troubled Bridge Over WatersThe bridge was built from both banks, but the merger failed and the center of the bridge collapsed. Ten workers died. Construction was also plagued by smallpox, bad weather, and strikes. The bridge was completed in 1904, but its owner, the Wabash railway line, fell into receivership in 1908. By 1931, the bridge was used only for freight traffic through the downtown terminal. When the terminal burned in 1946, the bridge became useless. It was demolished in 1948. Rosenbaum's Department StoreI see so many interesting signs: The Kelly & Jones Co. (Pipes, Valves and Fittings), Champion Coal, Somers-Fitler & Todd Co. (Machinery & Supplies). But the one that really caught my eye was the biggest: Shop at Rosenbaum's. Corner of Liberty and Sixth, photo taken in 1937. The car parking looks very scary.The car parking looks very scary. It stands at big angle. Gone But Not ForgottenThe Wabash bridge and terminal just at the end of the bridge were part of Jay Gould’s Alphabet Route railway in the early 1900s. After two fires in the terminal in 1946, this line was abandoned and the bridge was torn down in 1948. The bridge piers still stand and the Wabash’s connecting tunnel under adjacent Mount Washington is now a high-occupancy vehicle route into Pittsburgh. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_and_West_Virginia_Railway Wabash Pittsburgh TerminalThe Wabash terminal is the long, dark bar like building to the left of the bridge -- that’s the trainshed, and the adjoining building with the cupola was the headhouse of the station. It was unusual (but not unique) for a station that size, in that the tracks were on the second story. Out of the picture to the left was a small elevated freight terminal, which some sources suggest was originally meant to carry the railroad across the city, to a never-built route to link George Gould’s projected transcontinental system with the New Jersey port cities. Some things never changeThe Pittsburgh waterfront changed significantly after the war with the addition of the feeder expressways (The Parkway East and West), as well as the removal of any industrial remnants during the "Renaissance". But at least one block of buildings on Fort Pitt Boulevard is almost completely intact. The building with the Champion Coal sign is gone and is now a surface lot. But the rest of the buildings in that block between Market and Wood are all still standing. And the fairly large building at the corner of Smithfield and Fort Pitt is still there (dark building at the extreme left). But the masonry has been completely cleaned and the architectural highlights are actually light stone. The Smoky City really did wreak havoc with the furnishings. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Boats & Bridges, Pittsburgh, Railroads)
Electric Light Baths: 1907
Pittsburgh circa 1907. "T.J. Keenan Building." Tenth Floor: "Electric Light ... near the top--which is a neighborhood on the north side of Pittsburgh, and which I guess, started out as a subdivision being promoted ... to be reading these? This was the tallest building in Pittsburgh! Antenna? Any idea what this curious structure is atop the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 7:13pm -

Pittsburgh circa 1907. "T.J. Keenan Building." Tenth Floor: "Electric Light Baths." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The McCutchan Battle Creek MethodTHE BATTLE CREEK SANITARIUM SYSTEM The application of this system in a scientific and efficient manner requires a large corps of nurses and assistants who are trained in the technique of hydrotherapy, massage, manual and mechanical Swedish movements, graduated exercises, medical gymnastics, electricity in its varied forms, thermo therapy, mechanotherapy, phototherapy, rational dietetics, the out-of-door method, and various other physical and physiologic agencies, in addition to the methods of ordinary hospital practice. It is only by this concentrated fire from a well-trained therapeutic battery that those Gibraltars of disease commonly called incurable maladies can be made to capitulate. Re: The SignageA businessman who really planned ahead no doubt -- about 104 years ahead. Brighton HeightsI just noticed the window sign for "Brighton Heights" up near the top--which is a neighborhood on the north side of Pittsburgh, and which I guess, started out as a subdivision being promoted here. But seriously--who was supposed to be reading these? This was the tallest building in Pittsburgh! Antenna?Any idea what this curious structure is atop the Empire Building? 1907 would be too early for a radio antenna (which is what it certainly looks like). [It is a wireless mast, and it's not too early. - Dave] Battle Creek Methods explained A quiet health home for invalids and sufferers from chronic ailments. Located on an elevation, surrounded by spacious, shady lawns. Fully equipped for the successful treatment of diseases of the stomach, liver, kidneys, blood and nerves, by other methods than drugs. The famous Battle Creek Methods -- water, in the form of baths of all kinds, sprays, douches, packs, etc., electricity, massage, Swedish movements, dieting, etc., are used under the direction of a physician of fifteen years' experience in these procedures and a graduate of the Battle Creek Sanitarium. Surgical and obstetrical cases received in special wards. Lady physician gives especial attention to diseases of women and children. Rates, $10 per week and upwards. For further information address THE ROCK CITY SANITARIUM Nashville, Tenn. Telephone Walnut 87 VISITORS ALWAYS WELCOME Useful signageSo who is the target audience for the business name printed on the window on the tenth floor? Battle Creek MethodsAnd just what "methods" did they have planned for me? Another greater mystery is, could you possibly read those window signs from the street, and did you wander down the avenue, look up, and realise you needed dental supplies? Rotunda spaceAny ideas of what was up on the top floors? I see a tilt/turn window propped open there. Product PlacementWindow advertising on the 16th floor of a building doesn't usually attract crowds of clients. Still mostly here!Happy to say the Keenan is still mostly here, despite a somewhat unsympathetic '60s rehab. Is currently subsidized housing, of all things. Supposedly the dome was once the apartment of the builder, who published the Pittsburgh Press. Thanks for posting thisThanks for posting this terrific image of Pittsburgh's coolest building. The Keenan Building is, in my opinion, the most "honest" skyscraper in America. Rich men construct these buildings as symbols of their power and potency; Mr. Keenan put a rounded cap on his white monolith and removed all pretense; "Yeah, that's my junk." The story here in Pittsburgh is that the obviousness of the architecture, combined with the hedonistic lifestyle Keenan lived in his penthouse apartment under the dome, compelled scandalized women to cross the street rather than walk along Liberty Ave. under the building's shadow... Pittsburgh architecture: always a good story. The rehabAtleast they appear to have left the decorated columns alone. It could have been worse. I'd love to see what's within the dome now; wonder if he had a private elevator? Kellogg's of Battle CreekThe "Battle Creek Methods" and Light Baths on the 10th Floor refer to practices developed at the Battle Creek Sanitarium. The facility followed the health principles of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and it was closely associated with John H. Kellogg after he became administrator in 1876. Lots of the Sanitarium's practices would be considered unusual by today's standards. T.C. Boyle's "The Road to Wellville" takes a sardonic look at the facility and its leaders. Copper Eagle Carpentry and Building, October, 1907. Pittsburgh's Dome Office Building. One of the unique features of current architecture in the city of Pittsburgh is the new Keenan Building now in course of erection at the corner of Liberty avenue and Seventh street, and which when occupied will be 18 stories in hight. It will embrace in its architectural treatment some rather novel features of ornamentation and among other things it will be the home of the Chamber of Commerce. While being the second tallest office building in the city it will be the first and, outside of the City Hall, the only structure of its hight that will have a dome. The latter will be of tile construction with copper ribs and will be surmounted by a copper eagle which will appear with outspread wings measuring from tip to tip a distance of 12 ft. The facades of the structure will be of marble with enameled terra cotta trimmings for the first five stories and the balance will be of enameled brick. The main entrance, and the halls from the twelfth floor up will be lined with marble. … According to Thomas Hannah, the architect, the structure will cost in the neighborhood of half a million dollars, and it will rise to a hight of about 305 ft. above the street level. The first 12 floors of the structure will be devoted to store room purposes, and those above to offices. It is expected to have the building ready for occupancy about the first of May next year. The Brickbuilder, 1907. The American Enameled Brick and Tile Company report the following new contracts: — 100,000 mottled brick for the Keenan Building, Pittsburg, PA., Thomas Hanna, architect. … Ornamental Iron & Bronze Executed by the Winslow Bros. Company, Chicago, 1910. Partial list of buildings in which we have installed ornamental iron and bronze: … Pittsburgh, Pa., Keenan Building, Thos. Hannah. Buy AmericanWhy, I can remember a time when all our snees were made right here in the U.S. of A. I wrongly assumedthat the "Battle Creek Method" somehow involved Corn Flakes or Pop-Tarts or the like! From above.I was just in Pitts this summer, had I known of this building, I would have tried to get a look around the top floor. Next time! (The Gallery, DPC, Pittsburgh)
Florida Ice: 1943
... for the Office of War Information. View full size. Pittsburgh The poster in the background on the right. In a different poster ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/24/2016 - 1:54pm -

February 1943. "Jacksonville, Florida. Street scene in the Negro section." Photo by Gordon Parks for the Office of War Information. View full size. PittsburghThe poster in the background on the right. In a different poster for the same movie, one finds the blockbuster prose: “Men of Steel! Women of Fire! … They forged a nation’s power!” Nice pre-war iceMy mother grew up in central Florida before and during WWII and lived not far from an ice plant. They used to go over and scrounge shavings and other leftover pieces. All of which prepared her for years of "When I was your age we lived in Florida without air conditioning so quit complaining" stories that we heard as kids in the '60s when the A/C in the house went out. 749 West AshleyThis is Nellie Gross' store. Alas, urban destruction has removed all traces. A similar building shell stands one block east. The city directory confirms both name and race of proprietress. The building was about 40 years old having been rebuilt after the 1901 Jacksonville Fire. The fire began in a Spanish Moss drying facility 2 blocks north and 3 blocks west. (The Gallery, Florida, Gordon Parks, Jacksonville, Stores & Markets)
Throwing Shade: 1942
... -- the same Ohio River that flowed past my house near Pittsburgh. But it's true. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/22/2023 - 6:29pm -

July 1942. "Decatur, Alabama. Ingalls Shipbuilding Company. Construction of ocean-going barges for the U.S. Army. Welder's helper shading his eyes from the welder's torch." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Git-r-done!Like so many during those war years -- he looks like a kid but is suddenly in a seriously responsible situation. He's got a great look of determination. A long way to the ocean.These ocean-going barges constructed in Alabama must be floated down the Tennessee River to the Ohio River, near Paducah, Kentucky; thence down the Ohio to the Mississippi; thence down the Mississippi to the Gulf. Long-distance solutions like this are some of the necessities of wartime. I learned some geography todayIt seems impossible that a ship constructed in Alabama would move downstream to the Ohio River -- the same Ohio River that flowed past my house near Pittsburgh. But it's true. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, WW2)
Ford Motor Company: 1910
... streetcars." Ford assembly plant in Shadyside, Pittsburgh Following up on Jeffrey Jackucyk's comment, here is a drawing of ... Ford assembly plant and showroom in Shadyside, Pittsburgh. The present-day structure was not in the best state of repair and ... level of historical preservation) by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. I didn't know how to embed the Google Maps street ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 10:05pm -

Circa 1910. "Ford Motor Co., Detroit, Michigan. Highland Park plant." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Something's missingGrassy area, no parking lot. And not one car.How can this be? I feel so let down. Albert Kahn's Old ShopThis is Albert Kahn's Old Shop of 1908-1909, the first of his many factory designs for Ford. It is perhaps the largest multi-story "daylight" factory ever built, and it employs Kahn's patented technique for reinforced concrete construction (the Kahn System). Kahn developed this system together with his engineer brother Julius; it was first employed in Building No. 10 for the Packard plant in Detroit in 1903. The immensely long Old Shop (800+ feet - we can see only about 1/3 of it here) would soon be joined by Kahn's design for Ford's "New Shop," which was built perpendicular to this building along the street at the right (Manchester Parkway) and is still standing today. Most of the Old Shop was demolished in the 1950s. Thank you, Dave, for this beautiful picture! The Clouded Crystal BallSon, a hundred years from now. Mr. Ford's factory over yonder will be a-making thousands of flying Model A's for your great grandbabies to drive. They'll be going to the old country on weekends the way we go to Saugatuck nowadays. I Can See Clearly NowSo that's what a factory looks like before the windows get dirty, painted over, broken, and boarded up. Wow! Kaaaaaahn!Albert Kahn designed many of Ford's early facilities, not only in Detroit but around the country. There's still one of his Model T assembly plant here in Cincinnati, opened in 1915 and recently placed on the National Register of Historic Places and restored as an office building. The design is quite a bit more sumptuous than the one pictured above, though being only a fraction of the size it was certainly easier to afford more embellishment. I wonder if the Highland Park factory used similarly dark red brick. I've noticed that many of these glass plate negatives dramatically underrepresent the darkness of red brick buildings. View Larger Map No Parking?I suspect that this is the "before" photo. The employees ride to work on the electric trolley car tracks out front. Then they make the automobiles to drive tomorrow, so that they will need a parking lot. One story is that Henry Ford thought that he had to pay his employees enough to buy his cars that he sold at a price low enough that they could afford. Otherwise, his mass production methods would just build up unsold inventory! Properly AttiredMens dress etiquette of the period was that you did not wear just a shirt sleeve in public, unless doing physical labor. Either you were in a jacket, with or without vest, or just a vest. Hats were optional, but the style of the day. Both are properly dressed. Dirt!So unusual to see the great Woodward Avenue as a dirt road! Woodward has the distinction of having the first mile of concrete paved road, completed in 1909 for the princely sum of $13,537, starting 6 blocks north of here at McNichols Road (6 Mile road) and running to 7 Mile Road. Had to have something to drive those new Fords on! Newly built ComplexThe Albert Kahn designed complex at the corner of Woodward and Manchester didn't start pumping out autos until the late summer/early fall of 1910 and it wasn't until 1913 that the automated assembly line shifted into gear. I'd bet that this photo was taken in june/july of 1910. Bonded RailsAt the extreme right side of the photo you can see the cables that provide a good electrical connection between two pieces of rail. The electricity to power a streetcar is typically 600 volts Direct Current, and the positive side is the trolley wire, with power collected through the trolley pole. The negative side is the track, and the power connection is made from the steel wheels to the rail. Where the two pieces of rail are bolted together, it is necessary to use a copper cable to ensure a good negative return to the substation. The last streetcar to run on Woodward Avenue was in April of 1956. The Ford River Rouge plant had thousands arrive and leave by streetcar at shift change - there was a special station with prepaid fares and multiple loading platforms. Here is an interesting fact from "River Rouge: Ford's industrial colossus", by Joseph Cabadas: "Filled with wanderlust, Henry went to Detroit in 1879 at age 16 and briefly worked at the Michigan Car Company, building streetcars." Ford assembly plant in Shadyside, PittsburghFollowing up on Jeffrey Jackucyk's comment, here is a drawing of an apparently Kahn-designed Ford assembly plant and showroom in Shadyside, Pittsburgh. The present-day structure was not in the best state of repair and has been most recently used as a party store selling paper and plastic items for birthday parties etc. The building is now being renovated (hopefully with some level of historical preservation) by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. I didn't know how to embed the Google Maps street view photo as Jeffrey Jackucyk accomplished, but typing in "Baum Blvd. and Morewood, Pittsburgh" in Google Maps will suffice. It is on the SE corner at 5000 Baum. The building was immediately adjacent to a railroad spur in a hollow/valley (~125 feet below the roof). From the rail siding, far below street level, an elevator lifted bins of parts to different floors. On the top floor, workers started by connecting the chassis and wheels. The assembly line then operated by gravity. Workers rolled the chassis down a ramp to the floor below, where other workers installed additional components and built out the car. On each floor, at each stage, workers added parts then rolled the car down another ramp. The finished car ended up in a parking area behind the building, at street level. There was even a well-appointed showroom on the first floor (which became the party store until recently), where customers came to kick the tires and buy the vehicles. My great-great-grandfatherMy great-great-grandfather did carpentry work in the construction of that Highland Park plant. Later, his son, his son, and his son (my dad) all worked for Ford's in various skilled trades. What is extremely cool is that I now live less than a mile from the building that was the Portland, Oregon Ford plant. I knew it was an Albert Kahn design the moment I laid eyes on it. And not one car? Not producing yet.Since this photo is dated 1910 it could be that no cars were in production there yet as that started in 1910. Although difficult to tell for sure it looks like the back end wasn't there. Although many may credit Albert Kahn for the building it was a cooperative effort, Kahn designing the 'shell' that went over the floor layouts directed by Edward Gray (check Wikipedia and other sources). My grandfather worked for him directly from their days together at Riverside Engine Company in Oil City, 1906 to 1909, when Ford hired Gray to be his Chief Engineer and Construction Engineer. Grandpa was his draftsman and stayed with Gray even after his days at Ford (Gray left Ford in 1914 to start his own construction work, developing 'Grayhaven' where Gar Wood eventually built is Detroit River mansion.) Reference, "My Forty Years With Ford" by Charles E. Sorensen, p 125-126 (Available to view on Google Books) Inside the addition c. 1913Maybe the only "family photo" of the interior, which Edward Gray, Ford's chief engineer, designed the inside of. Gray worked with Albert Kahn, doing much of the workflow design as Kahn designed the shell. Gray joined Ford Motor late 1909 and was key part of the design of the Highland Park Model T plant from that point to 1915, when he left Ford Motor. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC, Factories)
Duquesne Incline: 1900
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1900-1910. "Duquesne Incline Railway." Mount ... any more are the barren hillsides lining the shores of Pittsburgh's three rivers. I believe this is a direct result of the closure of ... The Tom Dodsworth was a 182', 500 ton steamer built in Pittsburgh in 1871. She was called the "Hoppin' Tom" after setting a record ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 4:15pm -

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1900-1910. "Duquesne Incline Railway." Mount Washington and the Ohio River feature in this view, which includes the Point Bridge, a paint and varnish factory, a riverboat and the Graham Nut Company. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. View of downtown from the Duquesne InclineTaken just a week and a half ago. After posting the photo on my facebook page a friend referenced this post by Dave. Shorpy is one of my favorite sites!! InterestingI'm wondering what is the white material that was used for sheathing the upper floor of that industrial building on the left. Looks like fabric. Not there anymoreis the Lawrence paint building. It had stood abandoned for many years and was finally torn down 2 or 3 years ago. Also not there any more are the barren hillsides lining the shores of Pittsburgh's three rivers. I believe this is a direct result of the closure of all but a few steel mills and the pollution abatement efforts for those that remain. Hoppin' TomThe Tom Dodsworth was a 182', 500 ton steamer built in Pittsburgh in 1871. She was called the "Hoppin' Tom" after setting a record time for the round trip between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. On Dec 2 1900 she was involved in a collision with the steamer "Volunteer" near Swan Creek, Ohio resulting in the the sinking of 22 coal barges. Perhaps the photo was taken during repairs after the wreck. Dismantled circa 1924, her boilers were repurposed to construct road culverts in Pleasant County, W.Va. Reports of the Department of Commerce and Labor, 1909 March 24 (1907).—Steamer Tom Dodsworth, while ascending the Ohio River near Moundsville, W. Va., with an empty tow of coal boats and barges, broke her port wrist in crank, after cylinder head, bent piston rod close to piston head, and threw pitman crosshead and piston overboard. No other damage done, and no one hurt. Estimated damage, $500. Coal Age, Vol 7., 1915 The steamers "Thomas Dodsworth" and "F. M. Wallace," of the Monongahela River Consolidated Coal & Coke Co. cleared for Louisville Feb. 27 with tows of coal totaling about 1,200,000 bushels, also two freight barges each carrying 1400 tons of manufactured iron and steel. IronsidesI'm pretty sure that the white top floor is sheathed in sheet metal. Gone Green I'm amazed at the desert like conditions on the hillside. Maybe clear cutting to make it easier for development? Isn't this also referred to as a vernacular railway? Or is that part of someone's vernacular? [Maybe you're thinking of "funicular." - Dave] Car safetyWere these cars pretty safe as far as reliable brakes and/or safety brakes? Was there ever a incident of them failing, to anyone's knowledge? Lost opportunity I lived in Pittsburgh for nearly two years, and never made time to go up one of the inclines. And I was as close as that bridge. On weekends I'd unwind by driving around the city in my Civic, crossing back and forth on the bridges and checking out the odd little neighborhoods. Really cool picture, Kilroy. I'm pretty sure that those buildings up top weren't there in 1997. Especially that modern one at top right. I bet the great big empty expanses that lined the south shore of the Monongahela have been built up since then. Up the creek... without a paddlewheel. Maybe removed to replace the paddles. The antlers on the pilot house indicate that the Tom Dodsworth won a steamboat race. This is an Ohio River sternwheel tow boat, small towing knees can be seen on the bow. Probably used in the coal industry. Improvement!This is one of the few scenic photos on Shorpy where the view has markedly improved since it was taken. In fact, Pittsburgh is a much more beautiful city now, too. A lot of this is still thereIncluding the incline itself, and Lawrence paint & varnish. In fact I remember the lettering was readable the last time I paid any attention to it. The odd-shaped building (a grain elevator, maybe for the brewery?) is gone, but I think the Nuts building is still there, too. Of course this is one of the two inclines preserved in Pittsburgh, and it's a great trip. SafetyI don't know about incidents at the Pittsburgh inclines, but there were a few accidents on the ones in Cincinnati. Since the two cars counterbalanced each other, if the cables snapped then both cars would fall to the bottom. That happened on the Main Street Incline in Cincinnati, when one car reached the top the cable pulled out of the front of the car and it plummeted to the bottom, killing many patrons. Since the other car was already at the bottom it was mostly unscathed. That said, extra cables and other safety measure were installed, and they tended to operate very safely and quietly overall. The 19 inclinesHere are the locations of the 19 inclines of Pittsburgh. Click on them to see they names. Zoom to see the exact location of their tracks. Lawrence Paint BuildingThat beautiful building isn't there any longer? What a shame. Seems like it would be prime loft space nowadays with such a picturesque view. My first (and only) visit to the downtown area was in '95 and we took the incline. I was very impressed with all of Pittsburgh. +111Below is the same view from July of 2011. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Factories, Pittsburgh, Railroads)
Double Play: 1910
Circa 1910. "Pittsburgh waterfront, Allegheny River." Something for everyone here: Bridges, ... "No umpires!" Pittsburg These are great photos of Pittsburgh, but you should note that the photos taken before 1917 were of Pittsburg, not Pittsburgh. They changed the name during WWI to avoid being considered somehow ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 1:35pm -

Circa 1910. "Pittsburgh waterfront, Allegheny River." Something for everyone here: Bridges, riverboats, a rail yard and two baseball games. And a high-rise natatorium. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Same View in Google Earth TodayApproximately. Exposition ParkThe big ballfield would be Exposition Park, home of the Pirates from 1891 to 1909. The site is now between PNC Park and Heinz Field, pretty much where Three Rivers Stadium used to be. Baseball?The lines on the field at Exposition Park make it look like that isn't a baseball game going on. The Pirates had left the year before. Anyone have a rotary phone to try out the Penn Advertising Company number? [That's the foul line. The field was there until 1915. You wouldn't need a rotary phone -- of which there were hardly any when this picture was made -- to call 90 Grant. - Dave] Got no blues today"We had a great game today!" "How come?" "No umpires!" PittsburgThese are great photos of Pittsburgh, but you should note that the photos taken before 1917 were of Pittsburg, not Pittsburgh. They changed the name during WWI to avoid being considered somehow Germanic, and therefore supportive of the wrong side. [Pittsburgh's temporary loss of its "h" occurred long before World War I and had nothing to do with Germany. - Dave] Where was the pool?Wonder if the pool of the natatorium was in the basement or near the top of the building. There are architectural features that may support either location depending on the size of the pool, of course. "Natatorium"Funny how you see strange words or names somewhere and then you suddenly see them again a short time later! I was just at the University of Illinois at Chicago Physical Ed. building which has a huge painted wall that welcomes you to the Natatorium: The Olympic sized swimming/diving pool. Building near the BridgeThe building just to the left of the bridge is one of my favorites. The open arch in the front and the open center design really makes it unique. [The Fulton Building. - Dave] Are you sure this isn't Springfield?I see a Duff's sign off to the left. Love the bridgeI don't think I've ever seen the bridge that was in place before the current 6th Street span, the Roberto Clemente Bridge. The newer one (which dates from the 1920s) is a big improvement. PittsburgI love my town and it's always great to see old photos on this fine site. The etymology of the spelling indicates that the first recorded reference using the current spelling is found on a survey map made for the Penn family in 1769. In the city charter, granted on March 18, 1816, the Pittsburgh spelling is used on the original document, but due to an apparent printing error, the Pittsburg spelling is found on official copies of the document printed at the time. Even before the name of the city was temporarily changed to Pittsburg in 1897, that spelling variant was well-attested. Very interesting stuff at least to me anyway. Phipps Apartments / Art RooneyThe white building in the foreground is Phipps Apartments. The bell tower is atop Daniel Webster Grade School. The apartments had 6 hallways with 12 apartments in each hallway. No elevators. It had 2 flights of steps to each floor. You could hang your clothes on the roof. Football games were played on the field in front of the apartments. The Rooney Reds played home games there. Art Rooney played on the Reds and owned a bar near the apartments. Art Rooney later owned a football team called the Hope Harvey football team. The history of Art Rooney and old pictures of this North Side area are here. http://www.artrooneyjr.com/pictures1.php This site contains a photos of the Hope Harvey team with the Phipps apartments in the background. The one below is Art Rooney’s own Hope Harvey Football Team, circa 1923. Art is not in the picture but his brother Dan Rooney is 5th from the left, back row and brother Vince Rooney is the young ball boy in front. Photo courtesy of Vincent.T. Rooney family. StreetsThe street dividing the playground from Exposition Park was South Avenue. The cross street at the left was School Street. The railway yards were the Pittsburgh & Western Railroad. All that is gone, replaced most by parking between Heinz Field and PNC Park. And previous to that Three Rivers Stadium. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Pittsburgh, Railroads, Sports)
Precipittation: 1941
June 1941. "Rain. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for ... version of 610 Lockhart. https://www.redfin.com/PA/Pittsburgh/610-Lockhart-St-15212/home/74557715 (The Gallery, John Vachon, Kids, Pittsburgh) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/01/2020 - 6:10pm -

June 1941. "Rain. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Orthography alertI thought there were 4 T's in precipittation. PittiltClever shot. It appears that JV was in a building across the street, keeping his powder dry while angling for an interesting composition. The lady peeking through the pelting rain seems to be smiling her encouragement as a mini Pittsburgher expresses her curiosity from an upper window. As dark, gloomy,dull, blustery this photo is, there would be no significant difference if it was a colour photo, in fact, it may well be. Deutschtown downpourLongtime Shorpyites may recognize this downpour, and this neighborhood, from a previous post. Pittsburghers identified that spot as the corner of Madison and Lockhart in the Deutschtown neighborhood across the Allegheny north from downtown, currently occupied by the massive Interstate 279-579 interchange and accompanying ramps and exits. Thankfully, blocks of Deutschtown west of the interchange were designated as a historic district before too many dwellings were lost. Indeed, the brick building in this photograph bears some resemblance to a pre-restoration version of 610 Lockhart. https://www.redfin.com/PA/Pittsburgh/610-Lockhart-St-15212/home/74557715 (The Gallery, John Vachon, Kids, Pittsburgh)
Forbes Field: 1912
Pittsburgh circa 1912. "Entrance to Forbes Field." Grandstand admission 75 ... Reds at home with a 6-2 win. Fourth of July 1912, Pittsburgh played The Cincinnati Reds again at Forbes Field and won the game ... The site is currently part of The University of Pittsburgh campus, and home plate is still on the ground (covered in protective ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 6:48pm -

Pittsburgh circa 1912. "Entrance to Forbes Field." Grandstand admission 75 cents. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Watch behind you!It's sometimes amazing to look at these old photos and wonder about how safety standards 100 years ago were so different. There are folks sitting on the second tier, one guy on what looks like a crate -- with no support to prevent anyone sitting or standing at the rear from falling with just one simple mistake. Absolutely remarkable to see that. 1909?The flags make me think it's during a World Series, which would mean 1909 is more likely than 1912. [1909 flags wouldn't have 48 stars. - Dave] Child LaborI spot 3 young vendors in the crowd. This could have been a Lewis Hine shot. Flag Display DaysMay 31, 1912, Decoration Day, later known as Memorial Day, The Pirates played the Cincinnati Reds at home with a 6-2 win. Fourth of July 1912, Pittsburgh played The Cincinnati Reds again at Forbes Field and won the game 3-2. I tried to find Honus Wagner in the crowd but figured he was already on the field. Ancestrial SlobsOur Ancestors weren't too concerned with littering. Those gutters are filled with trash! 50 years ago this monthBill Mazeroski hit the only World Series Game Seven walk-off home run at Forbes Field to lead the Pirates to victory against the Yankees. 75 centsAdjusted for inflation, the same ticket would cost you around $17 today. Interestingly, current grandstand tickets for Pirate games now cost anywhere from $9 to $16. Never a No-NoThere was never a single no-hitter thrown in Forbes Field in the 61 seasons it existed. It was also the site of Babe Ruth's last 3 home runs (May 25, 1935), when he played for the Boston Braves. __field Motor Co.What is the name of the Motor Company in the background? [Bellefield Motor Co. - Dave] Dignified PatronsA refreshing scene, so different from modern sporting events. Note the complete absence of team-logo knockoff merchandise. There may be a heckler or two in the crowd, but the drunken, swearing fans of today would be tossed from that stadium tout de suite. FFFans just gathered at the site of the former Forbes last week to listen to a rebroadcast of Bill Mazeroski's series winning home run on its 50th anniversary. The site is currently part of The University of Pittsburgh campus, and home plate is still on the ground (covered in protective plexi) in the floor of the building that takes up most of the space. (When I attended a few years back, legend had it that they had to move it a few feet though, otherwise it would have been in a closet.) Finally, if you're ever in Pittsburgh, check out the Miniature Railroad and Village at Carnegie Science Center -- they made an exquisitely detailed to-scale replica of Forbes Field, and used dust from a donated original brick to make the infield! Boy with BundleBoy to the right has a bundle of sticklike things. Assume he is selling them, but what the heck are they? [Rattan balloon sticks or pennant canes. - Dave] Flags & Bunting & new constructionEvery June or July in the early years of Forbes Field, the Pittsburg Press hosted the Tri-State Track and Field Meet there. News accounts describe the stadium as "bedecked by flags and bunting" for the event. In 1912 there was considerable new construction. The entire playing field was relocated to move the foul line relative to the left-field bleachers. The first-tier seating was also revised, which entailed the pouring of concrete and installation of new railings. The first tier would be what looks like the second story from the outside of the stadium. [A few tricolor flags here. They look French or Italian. - Dave] Auto-palooza!I love the perspective of the long line of brass-era automobiles all lined up for us in this photo, and the contrast of the one lone horse and buggy. Also, there seems to be a teenager sitting in the car closest to us, but I can't tell if he's behind the wheel or not. He's probably as anxious to get his license as the teenaged boys of today - some things never change! One of my favorite photos on Shorpy. Thanks Dave! Precarious PerchesNote that there is a wall to keep you from falling. The crate sitters are on top of the wall. The Fine PrintEach of the the large shields has lists in each of the white columns. Are these "memorial," "ceremonial"? I could make several guesses. Any insight? More Flag MinutiaeSome tricolor flags may be Pittsburgh City flags. The flag on the top ledge above the man on the crate appears to be a City of Pittsburgh flag. Two flags above the glass archway to the far right bottom of the photo may be city flags also. Lots going on here!Such as the kid with the papers in the foreground...I can almost hear him saying to the other kid, "G'wan, get outta here ... I'm woikin' dis side of da street!" And, as for the trash in the gutters, no worse than you'd see in the parking lot of one of today's major stadiums after a big game. And speaking of parking lots, how about the one in this photo? A single row that stretches around the stadium. Shouldn't have any problem finding your car after the game. And the way the fans are dressed is great. No face painters or painted shirtless beer swillers either. Oh, and you guys up there on the beer crates ... be careful! Game Day AttireLast weekend, I went to a college football game. I wore tennis shoes, jeans, and a cute little t-shirt with my team's colors and was very comfortable. I'm just trying to wrap my head around what it would be like to attend a sporting event dressed like the woman in the lower left corner-- a voluminous, light-colored dress and that *enormous* hat. (I also love the hat the woman in between the archways is sporting!) Of course, they would have been used to wearing that amount of clothing wherever they went, but still-- you go, ladies. What a Ballpark!I'm a native here but alas never had the chance to see a game in this famous park. I have a friend though a little older than I who has an actual seat from Forbes Field. A collector of sorts, he's now set his sights on a seat from the now defunct Mellon Arena. Is This Forbes Field???Beyond Forbes Field's left field was the Carnegie Library Building which was built in 1895. Where is the library building? Because of a park and the Carnegie Library there were no houses beyond left field. What park is this??? re: Is this ForbesHere's another picture of Forbes Field. Sure looks the same to me. Grandstand seatsWhen I was a kid my dad took me to many Pirate games at Forbes Field. He started taking me in 1958 when Ted Kluszewski was first traded to the Pirates from Cincinnati. At that time good reserve seat tickets were $2.50 and bleacher seats were 50¢. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Pittsburgh, Sports)
Wabash Bridge: 1908
... Pennsylvania. Wabash Bridge, Monongahela River." Back when Pittsburgh was sans H. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. ... photos, on three: M.D. Wayman : built 1891 in Pittsburgh; 125 feet long; could be hired for $50/day as tender for dredging ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 4:13pm -

Circa 1908. "Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Wabash Bridge, Monongahela River." Back when Pittsburgh was sans H. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. SternwheelersIt's striking to me how low the river-level is compared to present times and construction of the modern lock-and-dam system. Of course, during flood, I'm sure the residents were appreciative of those tall banks. Of the pictured sternwheelers, I could find information, and additional photos, on three: M.D. Wayman: built 1891 in Pittsburgh; 125 feet long; could be hired for $50/day as tender for dredging operations in 1909. Isaac M. Mason: built in 1893 for the Mason Line; ran Belle Vernon-Morgantown on the Monongahela River; 122 feet long; burned Mar 4, 1913 Cooks Ferry, Ohio River. Keystone State: Built 1890; converted in 1913 to the excursion boat Majestic. Are you ready for some football?If that is the Monongahela in the foreground, then does that mean that in the background I see the Allegheny? If that is the case, then the Ohio river should be just to the left and this is the spot where they would someday build Three Rivers Stadium. I learned that from watching Monday Night Football. You see, you can learn something on TV! I see my apartment!Well, okay I see the area that was razed where my apartment building stands now, but still *sweeeet*! I'm working on finding a present view, but I stink at google-mapping. Hopefully someone can do it better than I, but I'll keep trying. Hausman & WimmerOh my gosh! My mother was just telling me that, before my great grandfather started W.F. Wimmer Company, he had another business with his cousin, whose name was Hausman. I'd never heard this story before two weeks ago and now here is a photograph of their building! How exciting! ----------------------------------------------------------- [Hausman to Wimmer: "Tarnation! Where in blazes are these confounded mice COMING from?" - Dave] Now You Knowwhere trolley poles come from. Three RiversIndeed that is the Allegheny in the background, and the warehouses and depots to the left where the cityscape starts to narrow is now what is Point State Park, where the Mon and the Allegheny join at the "Point" to create the Ohio. Three Rivers was almost directly across from the Point, between the Pirates PNC Park and the Steelers current home, Heinz Field. Only the supports left nowIt's interesting to get to see this bridge whole. I've never seen it. The supports are still left, and I always wondered about the bridge that used to be on them. Where's Heinz?Did this picture predate the dominant presence H J Heinz has had along the Allegheny River? Unless I have my bearings wrong, it would have appeared in the back right of the picture along the bend in the river. Boggs & BuhlThe Boggs & Buhl building on the far left was an upscale department store that catered to the wealthy and upper middle class who lived on the North Side or The City of Allegheny as it was known before it merged with Pittsburgh. A New WondermentThe need for such an elaborate lightning-rod installation on such a huge conductor? They sure are pretty though! Built in the U.S.A.What continues to amaze me about urban Shorpy shots is the enormous industrial activity one sees. You can almost feel the urban industrial power of the U.S. taking shape, at least in the North. By comparison, Canada was still a fairly quiet, predominantly agricultural country, except for Montreal and Toronto, which were still comparatively small urban centres. Of course WWI changed all that. Canadians went straight to the front in 1914, and supporting the war effort resulted in a huge wave of industrialization. Lightning rodsHave sharp points to 'bleed' off static charge in an effort to avoid attracting a strike. Drill, baby, drill!Also to be seen on the river bank just past the River Coal barge (right hand side of the pic) is the Oil Well Supply Company. Even though Pennsylvania oil production was already declining, business must have been pretty good. The name stretches across two buildings. Wabash BridgeThe railroad bridge is long gone but some of the stone piers remain at the bank. What's in a nameWhat strikes me is that the vast majority of business signs you see in these pictures are people's names, or the name of a recognizable location, often coupled with a real product - Boggs & Buhl, Glesenkamp's Carriages, Pittsburg Trolley Poles. Even the bank building is labeled in full "The Diamond National Bank", not "DNB" or (worse yet) "DiNat." Not a contraction or acronym to be seen. Thank you!I grew up in Pittsburgh. My grandparents would be born about five years after this was taken, so it's fantastic to look on the city as they knew it as children (and to realize that I recognize essentially *nothing* here.) The piers for the old Wabash are still there -- you can see them in Google maps, near Station Square (now a mall, but then a train depot connecting to the tracks in the picture) That would make the large street on the right side of the picture Market, most likely. So the center of the picture, right around the sign for "A.J. Logan & Co" would be the modern PPG Place, and the void that's behind and to the right of that building would be Market Square, which goes more or less back to the founding of the city itself. I wonder if the Buhl in "Buhl & Boggs" is the same Buhl in "Buhl Planetarium" that was around when I was a kid. And the Frick in "Frick & Lindsay" is probably the same Frick in "Frick Park" What a lovely photo. Extant ExamplesA number of the buildings shown here still exist. The Century building in the back, the Union Bank building, and many on the rightmost block along Fort Pitt still exist. The Conestoga building is the one cut in half. I would not be surprised if the twin stacks across the river belonged to the Heinz plant. Up the hill a bit on the North Side should be the old Allegheny Hospital. http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bo/?id=102614 Fort Pitt BoulevardMany of the row-buildings to the sides of the Trolley Pole Company are still standing on what is now Fort Pitt Boulevard. Including one of my favorite buildings in the city -- every day on my way home in traffic I marvel at the intricacy of the fire escape. It might be the one that is fourth over from the trolley pole factory. It's a shame downtown isn't really a "downtown" any more (the place shuts down at 5pm and all the action moves to the various outlying neighborhoods); it's such an underrated architectural gem. Pier TodayAlways love when Pittsburgh is on Shorpy! View Larger Map +103Below is the same view from July of 2011. Hausman & WimmerWhat a fantastic story!! I live in the suburbs and our library systems have been adding photos just like these to their website for everyone to enjoy. I have seen an inferior photo of this but nobody is alive to remember those type of details. Thanks!! Wabash Bridge PiersThe two piers that were left after the Wabash Bridge was demolished was purchased for a very fair price by a local politician who lived in Mt Lebanon by the name of Jim Corbett. Then later became part of the busway system that traveled from the Airport to downtown by entering the existing and renovated tunnel next to McArdle Roadway near the intersection of Route 51 (Saw Mill Run Blvd) that ran under Mt Washington and crossed the Mon River over the new bridge built using the same piers seen in the photo. I hope my memory is serving me well here. At 87 years young it can be a little unstable at times. I just found this site and really love it. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Pittsburgh, Railroads)
Central Lunch Room: 1908
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1908. "General market, Diamond Square." Back ... Market House at the corner of Federal and Ohio Streets on Pittsburgh's North Side. Here's another view of it: ... Diamond Market was a very different building in downtown Pittsburgh on what used to be Diamond Street, now Forbes Avenue. Here's some ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2021 - 11:14am -

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1908. "General market, Diamond Square." Back when baskets were big business. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Green and YellowBaskets. But where does one find tiskets and taskets, to go with? North Side Market HouseThis is not the Diamond Market. It's the North Side Market House at the corner of Federal and Ohio Streets on Pittsburgh's North Side. Here's another view of it: https://historicpittsburgh.org/islandora/object/pitt%3A715.148222.CP. The clock tower behind the market is part of the original North Side Carnegie Library building. The Diamond Market was a very different building in downtown Pittsburgh on what used to be Diamond Street, now Forbes Avenue. Here's some information about it: https://historicpittsburgh.org/islandora/object/pitt%3A1998.52.1/viewer. Federal Street is wide and Diamond/Forbes is narrow. The trolley tracks passed through the Diamond Market. Both buildings and the trolleys are long gone. Market Square occupies the space where the Diamond Market was located. I remember shopping in both of them with my mother when I was very young. Sawdust was liberally sprinkled on the floor of the North Side Market. [The street sign on the building says South Diamond Street East. - Dave] Is this Market Square?I have heard that Market Square has been spruced up since I left Pittsburgh about ten years ago. I hope that's true, as it had the potential to be a great public space. Was Allegheny till 1907There’s a renewed interest in resurrecting the city identity of Allegheny 100 so years after it was absorbed into Pittsburgh proper. www.alleghenycity.org MenuI'm amused at these early 20th Century photos that always feature "Oysters" on a food menu. You rarely see them on a menu today. Frankly, I think they're kind of, well, yucky, for want of a better word. Hey! I Got A New Basket In Today!From some guy named Prada. Right hand driveThe car on the far left has right hand drive. The changeover to left hand drive came in 1909. [It didn't come in any particular year. Cars of the era were a mix of right- and left-hand-drive. Even in 1920 there were still some American cars being built with RHD. - Dave] A ClassicPenny on the tracks! You call that a hat?!My attention is drawn to the two women at far right. They're both focused on something off camera and appear to be inspecting it closely. Whatever it is, it does not interest any of the men. I'm guessing they're disapproving some woman's hat which does not meet the lofty meringue standards of their own millinery creations. 4 of DiamondsWhile the street sign does indeed indicate "S DIAMOND ST E", the one that is now Forbes Avenue at Market Square wasn't the only Diamond Street in Pittsburgh. This 1920 map shows N, S, E and W Diamond Streets surrounding the intersection of Federal and Ohio in Allegheny Center. And that's definitely the Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny building in the background. The market would be located on the south side of the Carnegie building, now occupied by an apartment building called 3 Allegheny Center. Location location locationBased on old maps, street views, and other online photos, I'm pretty sure this market was located where the Three Allegheny Center is now, with what is now the restored 1890 Museum Lab of the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh in the background. https://www.post-gazette.com/news/science/2019/04/04/Museum-Lab-Children... South Diamond ran along the line of Allegheny Square East. Diamond SquareI should have been more careful. I forgot that when the North Side market was opened in 1863, it was in the city of Allegheny, which was annexed to Pittsburgh in 1907. The market was located on what was called Diamond Square. The caption is correct. (The Gallery, DPC, Eateries & Bars, Pittsburgh, Stores & Markets)
Gasoline Plant: 1915
... Chemical Plant I'm also curious as to where this is in Pittsburgh. The Aetna Chemical Company had a plant in Oakdale, 15 miles west of Pittsburgh but this appears more metropolitan than that. It is surprising how ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 9:54am -

1915. "Dr. Walter F. Rittman. Gasoline plant at Pittsburg." Bureau of Mines chemical engineer Walter Rittman developed the "Rittman process" used in petroleum refining. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Chicken CoopBetween, and above the fourth and fifth smokestack from left, there appears to be a gravity defying chicken coop. Collect those eggs, and then scram! GeolocationThat enormous ravine looks rather wide and deep to be an excavated railroad cut, so I am assuming it is a natural geological feature, yet I don't see any stream that would have caused it. There has been excavating to lay the upper tier of tracks to the far left, perhaps on the same level as the tracks that run next to the factory (also a rock cut apparent in the far right). If the high bridge is also for rail traffic, this is quite a complex. Housing has made use of every foot of available real estate as far as the eye can see. Safety firstYou think the catwalk between the buildings in the foreground is OSHA approved? Aetna Chemical PlantI'm also curious as to where this is in Pittsburgh. The Aetna Chemical Company had a plant in Oakdale, 15 miles west of Pittsburgh but this appears more metropolitan than that. It is surprising how closely the residential neighborhood is located to this industrial setting. As the Anonymous Tipster pointed out, I expected to see water in the bottom of the large ravine (perhaps the mighty Monongahela!) - maybe the large confluence of rail tracks is a sufficient clue for a native Pittsburghian (Pittsburgher?) to figure out where this is. Three Killed in Explosion 7 Others are Burned When Superintendent Experiments With Gasoline Piitsburgh, Pa., June 25. - Ten were burned, three fatally, late Friday by an explosion at the plant of the Aetna Chemical Company, where experiments are being made under government direction of a new process for the manufacture of gasoline. Among those who died was George Lobdell, superintendent of the plant. Local representatives of the company maintained secrecy regarding the cause of the explosion, but according to the police, it resulted from an experiment being made by Supt. Lobdell. Dr. Rittman, the government scientist whose processes are being experimented with, left the plant just before the explosion. Washington Post, Jun 27, 1915 Bang!I guess this plant was a rather dangerous place to work. There was another explosion there in 1918. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/s_568139.html http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pahsc/aetna.html [There seem to have been several Aetna facilities around Pittsburgh. A munitions plant and a refinery (our photo) are not the same thing. - Dave] Sole representativeThe lone car in the right foreground is the only harbinger of the internal combustion revolution that will largely supplant all other modes of ground transport, and the reason for the gasoline refining technology. Turtle Creek ValleyPretty sure it's the Turtle Creek Valley, East Pittsburgh. If so, the high bridge is on the current site of the George Westinghouse bridge, built 1932. View Larger Map George Westinghouse BridgeComparing with satellite, it appears the GW bridge was built right over the site of the gasoline plant, not where the high iron bridge was. Skunk HollowI believe this is in the "Skunk Hollow" section of Pittsburgh. That's the (old) Bloomfield Bridge. The tracks on the embankment to the left would be the Pennsylvania RR (Strip District ahead of us, Shadyside and East Liberty behind us). The tracks below, to the right, would be the B&O. Up on the hill to the right is Bloomfield. The George Washington Bridge over Turtle Creek was a new structure; it didn't replace anything at that location. Skunk HollowThe Anonymous Tipster before me is correct on all counts, regarding the location and landmarks in the picture. The site of the gas plant is now an intersection on the Martin Luther King Busway and North Neville Street. A careful inspection of the Bing bird's eye picture leads me to believe some of those houses on the hill are still there. The church peeking up from behind the Bloomfield Bridge is also still there, but no longer has its spire. I have no idea what the story is there. It is indeed a natural feature. This hollow is the ancient (really ancient) channel cut by the Monongahela River. The Forks of the Ohio were about 1.25 miles west of the site (which is the direction the low B&O tracks are turning towards), and that's about 2.5 miles from the current Point. If you look at a map of Pittsburgh, you can easy see where the Mon makes one final turn west before forming the Ohio. At this point, the river once flowed north to this place. A topographic map makes this very easy to see, as the old channel hides in regular aerial photos. The PJRR/B&O/CSX/AVR tracks (hey I dont know how old your map is!) are the quickest way to trace it. Incidentally, the University of Pittsburgh's historical photo archives has a picture of the Bloomfield Bridge facing the opposite direction down the hollow. The railroad overpass and accompanying signal bridge are visible, but this gasoline plant is obscured by another building. So who knows whether or not it survived until at least 1951, when that photo was taken. (The Gallery, Factories, Harris + Ewing, Pittsburgh)
Bananas to Baltimore: 1905
... Glory Tomato, yielding better than 20 tons per acre. Pittsburgh Pickle, raised by expert grower. Bolgiano Tomato. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2014 - 1:03pm -

Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1905. "Unloading banana steamer." A teeming scene that calls to mind the paintings of Brueghel, if Brueghel ever did bananas. Note the damage from the Great Fire of 1904. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Big MikeThese bananas are the variety known as Gros Michel or "Big Mike." They were a larger, heartier, tastier banana than the Cavendish variety that everyone eats today, and hardly any special shipping methods were needed. Just stack them and go. Unfortunately, since cultivated bananas are genetically identical to one another, by the 1950s essentially all Gros Michel bananas were wiped out by one Panamanian fungal disease. The Cavendish was a suitable replacement as it could grow in the same soils as the Gros Michel, but it requires more delicate handling during shipping. The Cavendish itself is steadily being wiped out by a similar fungus and we may need to look for another replacement in the not too distant future. Spiders, Oh My!Mackenzie, your family history is probably not far off. I had an ex who discovered a scary-looking spider in a shipment of bananas in the middle of Nebraska of all places about ten years ago. He thought it was dead and went to poke it, and to his surprise, it was alive! Fortunately for him, he was not bitten. I would imagine the threat of spiders and other creepy crawlies would be even greater before shipments passed through inspection. I don't blame your ancestors for being a little scared one bit! Always have a spare.I like the extra anchor lashed to the railing on the lower left of the frame.I wonder how much it weighs. NabiscoThe original NBC, the National Biscuit Company, makers of Uneeda Biscuits and more importantly, Mallomars. Hey, Mister Tally ManSomeone tell the two gents with ledgers (looks like) in the small screened shed to knock one banana off the day's tally, thanks to the one guy in the bunch eating the inventory, in the foreground looking at the camera. The William Heyser seen on one building was an oyster distributor still in business in 1929, as noted by an ad in my desktop copy of a 1929 Baltimore business publication marking the city's 200th anniversary: Heyser’s Oysters Baltimore’s Leading Brand The William Heyser Co. Raw Oysters 2201-09 Boston St, Baltimore, Md. This reminds me of a road projectThree or four guys doing the heavy lifting while a hundred guys watch. NabiscoFirst known as the National Biscuit Company, makers of fine hardtack biscuits. Bananas from a boatBy the time they shipped them to Baltimore, they must have been all brown and slimy. I think the evidence supports this. [As opposed to the way bananas get to America now? - Dave] Do they still ship them all the way to Baltimore? Is that a Banana in your handOr are you just... Oh, never mind, it IS a Banana. Quality ControlNice to see the gent here on the left foreground tasting the produce to make sure that indeed it is a banana. Don't dally you men, the talleys are correct and Harry Ketler's Express boys are in a hurry. re: BrueghelDave, I'm impressed! Your comparison to Brueghel is dead on. May I suggest a novel to you: Headlong, by Michael Frayn. http://www.themanbookerprize.com/prize/books/80 300 accidents waiting to happenI am speaking of all those bananas and peels on the deck. A slapstick comedian's dream. Looking SouthwestThis view is looking Southwest from a pier located on Pratt Street. My guess is that it is Pier 3 which is now the location of Baltimore's Aquarium. United Fruit Company (Chiquita Brand) would later build a large Banana handling plant on the Light St. side of the harbor. On a side note, Baltimore rebuilt itself after the fire. The mayor politely but firmly declining all offers of outside help. How they get here nowThey still arrive on boats, of course, but in a carefully controlled inert atmosphere (usually nitrogen-rich, always oxygen-poor). Banana ships today are among the more specialized transport vessels. [Plain old air could be considered "nitrogen rich and oxygen poor." - Dave] Well, there is a pretty faint difference between rich and poor, as regards oxygen. The troposphere is about 21% oxygen, on average. Meanwhile, OSHA defines air below 19.5% as oxygen-deficient. It's a razor edge that we breathe on, and seldom even think about. But we are talking a sledgehammer beyond that razor. The high parameter for oxygen in modern banana transport is about 4%. If you do not follow the proper ventilation protocol, you will literally suffocate seconds after entering the hold. And look at the guy... eating a banana while the other guys do all the work! The B.B.B.W.U. (Baltimore Brotherhood of Banana Workers Union) will hear about this! All star castIs that Corey Feldman and Eddie Murphy in the wagon?! Daylight comeand me wanna go home. WatchersI think the guys "watching" are buyers. Satisfaction GuaranteedBy our Quality Control Department and On-Site QC Manager! Testing the ShipmentMan in foreground: "Gotta make sure they're really ready to eat." Banana MythA good chunk of my genealogy includes generations of Eastern Shore watermen and Baltimore stevedores. The fear among all banana handlers was that tarantulas would be hiding in the bunches. I have no idea how real or factual this fear was, but it's still talked about at family reunions. Did anyone else think of this?They guy looking at the camera, snacking on a banana, lower left. 1 Timothy 5:18 For the scripture saith, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn." and "The laborer is worthy of his wages." Sampling the merchandiseGuy in the bottom left. You can always tell the accountants -- starched white shirts and ties by the gangplank, best dressed by far, and looking very pleased with themselves! James Bond?I had no idea that Pierce Brosnan (Lower Center) liked Bananas so much?! Banana "Myth"My brother-in-law, who was produce manager for many years in one of Canada's largest grocery chains, was often confronted with six- and eight-legged critters that accompanied fruit boxes, including many tropical spiders and roaches. Banana boxes produced some of the largest and scariest spiders because of the nooks and crannies that they can hide in. Many were deceased but some were not. One piece of advice from his long years of experience is NEVER, ever, EVER bring home vegetable boxes for moving or storage. You DO NOT want infestations of 4-inch flying roaches. Now & ThenI didn't know where to post this, so here it is: A neat page I found- taking old photographs from the Smithsonian's collection, and holding them so they fit into place for a current photograph. http://jasonepowell.com/ And he gives Shorpy credit for discovery of some of the photos! The BasinA back-to-front review: National Biscuit building in the distance lasted into the '70's as a rowdy saloon known as Elmer's. The ancient peak-roofed structures facing us, fronted on Light St., a major north south street. The two Bay steamers were laying over for their nearby terminals, which lined along Light Street. The mostly new-looking structures on the right, faced Pratt Street. The city has a strange, open quality about it, a result of the recent Baltimore Fire of 1904, which gutted the business district east of Light St. down to the waterfront. The brick foundation closest to the banana boat is likely remains of that conflagration. A famous Baltimore photographer, A. Aubery Bodine, took photos of banana boats being unloaded in the 1950's in nearly the same location as this, with no difference between them. A Baltimore and Ohio RR "Fruit Pier" was established in south Baltimore in the 50's, which largely replaced the practice shown here. The area in this photo was known to generations of Baltimoreans as the Basin; today it's the yuppified, allegedly upscale Inner Harbor. I can't even imagineHow that place could smell. HumorI would love to be in on the joke they're sharing. Bolgiano's Seed Store[stanton_square's contributions to Shorpy tend to be of the Joe Friday type: "All we want are the facts." On occasion this blogger stumbles across documents which have both 1) historically relevant facts and 2) overt racism or sexism. In such cases it is sometimes difficult to decide what is worth transcribing. The following 1903 Washington Post article contains such a passage. While I decided to transcribe this passage, I feel obligated to point out the back-handed anti-immigrant racism contained in the first paragraph. The second article, from the American Poultry Advocate, relates the disastrous business impact of the Baltimore fire of 1904 and contains an odd usage of the word 'wonderfully.'] J. Bolgiano & Son, founded 1818. Bolgiano's Seed Store was located at the corner of Pratt and Light. Several heirloom tomato varieties grown today are descended from Bolgiano stock including: Greater Baltimore, John Baer, and IXL Extremely Early. Washington Post, May 17 1903 English names are not the only ones that have been handed down from Revolutionary times, and often a name that seems to indicate foreign blood represents an old American family. This is illustrated in the firm name of F.W. Bolgiano & Co., of this city, an offspring of a firm of like name established in 1818 in Baltimore. It is Italian in origin, but no longer represents Italian stock more than English. The name is known throughout the country to purchasers of seeds, which the firm grows and sells in many parts of the United State and imports from Europe. … The firm grows seeds largely in Frederick County, Maryland, and supplies some of the largest seeds houses with certain varieties of seed. The firm now has business connections in more than a dozen States, and customers in nearly every State in the Union and Canada. American Poultry Advocate, 1904 It is more than probable that every reader of this paper has heard of the wonderfully disastrous fire which so recently burned the heart out of the city of Baltimore. Unless you just happened to know some one who was living or doing business in Baltimore, it is likely that you gave the fire hardly more than a passing thought. But what do you think it means to the people of Baltimore? What do you thing it means for instance, to J. Bolgiano & Sons, the seedsmen who have for eighty-seven years been doing business In the fated city? In all that long period they have never before suffered from fire. Indeed, they felt perfectly safe this time, for when the fire first started it was more than ten city squares away from them. Later, and when they thought they were endangered — though the fire was still six squares from them — they employed two hundred hands and fifty drays and began the removal of their large retail seed stock to one of their warehouses a long distance from the fire, and where they felt everything would be safe. It transpired, however, that by a shifting of the winds the fire ate relentlessly away until both retail stores, offices, packing rooms and warehouses were destroyed. Bolgianos made a brave fight to save the orders and seeds for their thousands of customers, but fate was against them. The orders already booked and the lists of names of multiplied thousands of customers all over the world were lost in the twinkle of an eye. With absolutely nothing to work with, nothing to aid them except their fair name and excellent reputation, the Bolgianos have set to work with firm hands and brave hearts to rebuild their business. They have already laid in a large stock of the very best farm and garden seeds, notwithstanding the short seed crop of the past season, and will be able to fill orders as usual. Since all their advance orders and names of customers are burned, they have very little to begin on. Will those of our readers who ordered from Bolgiano & Sons write a postal card at once, simply giving your name and postofflce address? Do this whether you are an old or new customer of theirs. Send them your name anyhow, so that they may send you their catalogue another season. Simply address the card to J. Bolgiano & Sons, Baltimore, Md. Market Growers Journal, 1915, Advertisement. Originator's stock — the world-famous Tomato "John Baer." The earliest and best Tomato on earth." Bolgiano's "Long Lost" Lettuce. Excels All Others: On the market, as a Shipper, as a Keeper, in Quality, in Sweetness, in Flavor, in Color, in Profits, in Reliability, in Hardiness. The Town, Women's Civic League, 1916, Advertisement. A rich deep velvety green lawn is assured by planting Bolgiano's Druid Hill Park Velvet Green Lawn Grass Seed Canning Age, Vol 1. 1920. Glory Tomato, yielding better than 20 tons per acre. Pittsburgh Pickle, raised by expert grower. Bolgiano Tomato. Washington Post, Oct 29, 1920. J. Bolgiano & Son Fail. Seed Firm Assents to Bankruptcy and Appointment of Receiver. J. Bolgiano & Son, wholesale and retail seed growers and distributers, today assented to proceedings in the United Sates court adjudging the firm bankrupt and placing it in the hands of receivers. The seed house was established more than 100 years ago by the great-grandfather of Charles J. Bolgiano, present head of the firm, and is engaged in marketing the seed products of more than 10,000 acres of land in Canada, as well as seeds from ten states of the American Union, Holland, France, England, the Canary Islands and other foreign countries. "Hawaii" and bananasI recall reading James Michener's "Hawaii", when the pregnant Jerusha Hale (played by Julie Andrews, in the film version) is aboard ship for the gruelling journey to Hawaii. In order to keep her strength up, she is forced to eat bananas which, by this time in the journey are nearly liquid in their black, greasy skins. She's so disgusted with them that she finally throws them overboard. When she arrives in Hawaii, she is offered bananas and doesn't realize that the yellow fruit is the same thing... Dock SmellIn response to Darnuad's comment: my childhood memories of the harbor involve the enveloping odor of SPICES. McCormick's was there, and it was the best-smelling place I've ever been. Anti-immigrant racismAs one whose name is reminiscent of English blood, I don't find the mere mention of my name as offensive, nor would I think Mr Bolgiano found anything backhanded or racist in his story. He was probably thrilled to get the free publicity. Ship NameDoes anyone know the name of this ship? Thanks james@thebeckhams.us (The Gallery, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
The Hill: 1938
July 1938. Houses on "The Hill" slum section of Pittsburgh. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for ... Administration. The Hill? Which one? Which hill? Pittsburgh is known to have multiple hills... There was 20 inclined cable ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/24/2011 - 10:46pm -

July 1938. Houses on "The Hill" slum section of Pittsburgh. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. The Hill? Which one?Which hill? Pittsburgh is known to have multiple hills... There was 20 inclined cable railways in Pittsburgh all around the hills of the city... now there are only two of them... Dave... did you find any great old photos of the Pittsburgh old inclined railways? I found some old picts at the Library of Congress... http://www.funimag.com/Funimag-Links-OldUSpictures.php ...but the quality is not so good compare to the picts you publish on your blog! If you can find old picts of the Pittsburgh inclines that would be great!! ----------------------------------------- Funimag, the web magazine about Funiculars http://www.funimag.com Funimag Photoblog http://www.funimag.com/photoblog/ Not the power poleBased on the sag, I'd say that the clothesline isn't attached to the power pole but rather to something on the building across the street. We're running into the old question of perspective in a two dimensional representation of a three dimensional situation. The sage problem is inherent in a laundry line - you don't want it too taut or the weight of the clothes could break the line or contraction during the winter. And in that sort of situation you really don't want to have to splice the line! ClotheslineI'm intrigued by the clothesline. Someone had to climb a power pole to rig that! I have one of these in my backyard in the midwest because it allows one end to be high and out of the way. Kids can run around in safety under it. Have not solved the sag problem though. Also known as the HillAlso known as the Hill District. History of the HillThe Hill district was long a place for immigrants. The Irene Kaufmann Settlement House helped people from Eastern Europe find baths and a decent life. There were a lot of different ethnic groups up there. Then, during World War I, more Southern Blacks came North for a better life. Others were brought in as strike breakers during the 1919 steel strike. The men were treated like cattle: they slept in box cars. When the strike ended, so did their wages. But the money helped build the so-called "Harlem Renaissance" of Black culture during the 1920's. Look for documentaries by Rick Sebak. He does a lot of stuff about Pittsburgh, and he's made one film about the Hill. He's good, if you don't mind corn. Wylie Avenue DaysI believe the Rick Sebak documentary you're thinking of is Wylie Avenue Days What the HillIn many cities and towns, an area known as "The Hill" is an affluent area. When I first visited Pittsburgh in 1974 to find a place to live prior to attending graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh, I was looking at a city map and saw "The Hill" listed as an area not far from the Pitt campus. Thinking it might be a nice area, I drove up there. Big surprise! It was "lock the doors and roll up the windows" time. Is it any better today? (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Pittsburgh)
Up Fifth: 1908
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1908. "Fifth Avenue, looking north." Detroit ... noise and could nail you east-to-west and north-to-south. Pittsburgh sidewalks are a hazard even today in the winter. Ice on polished ... same view from September of 2011. (The Gallery, DPC, Pittsburgh, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/29/2021 - 5:57pm -

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1908. "Fifth Avenue, looking north." Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. +113Plenty of changes on Fifth in the Steel City. Even the Kauffman's clock on the corner of Fifth and Smithfield has changed as the new one is attached to the corner of the building instead of freestanding. Butterick PatternsHow wonderful to see a sign for a favorite product! Had no idea they were in business that long - and are still going strong. I enjoyed sewing some of my clothes using their patterns back in the day. It brings back memories of pleasant days. Thanks again, Shorpy. Ah, Butterick PatternsMemories of my grandmother with Butterick patterns pinned to cloth laid out on her cutting table. Hit the bricksI imagine one would have to remain on high alert on foot. Though the streetcar is not traveling that fast, if you compare its blur to the pedestrian, the cars probably made little noise and could nail you east-to-west and north-to-south. Pittsburgh sidewalks are a hazard even today in the winter. Ice on polished brick, the incline and leather soled shoes might lower life expectancy as well. Lamp bracketsWould I ever like to have just one of the iron brackets supporting the lights on the building on the left. So many times during a remodel, hardware like this just was torn down and sent to the landfill. Another year of Metropolitan FashionsOne of our prized possessions is a stunningly vivid chromolithograph poster for Butterick patterns from 1885. +103Below is the same view from September of 2011. (The Gallery, DPC, Pittsburgh, Streetcars)
Miss Illegible: 1921
... (NJ) - Hazel Harris PHILADELPHIA (PA) - Nellie Orr PITTSBURGH (PA) - Thelma Matthews Miss Orr: 1921 Looks to the future and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/22/2022 - 12:25pm -

        UPDATE: This is the lovely Miss Nellie Orr! Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "Nellie [Illegible], Miss Philadelphia." Perhaps someone out there can put a last name to this winsome face. View full size. Like some kind of sea creatureWhat a fantastically weird hat. Nellie OrrI think it was Orr. http://www.misspa.org/past.htm Up in Here"Why are ya'all up in my grill?" Actually,she's the cutest beauty pageant contestant ever. Miss Nellie OrrMiss Nellie Orr, Miss Philly 1921 and one of only eight contestants in the first (1921) Miss America pageant in Atlantic City. http://www.pageantopolis.com/international/America_1920.htm Nellie looked "spunky". Miss Nellie OrrThe Coshocton Tribune (Ohio), 10 September 1921 (via NewspaperArchive.com): SHE'LL REPRESENT MISS PHILADELPHIA IN BEAUTY REVIEW Miss Nellie Orr of Philadelphia was chosen in the recent beauty contest to represent the Quaker City in the beauty review to be held in Atlantic City some time in September. Literally winsomeNellie didn't have much equipment even by the standards of that day (teeth didn't matter, shape did!) but something in her look tells me she would have been a formidable competitor in anything she chose. She certainly didn't get the scarred lip and broken tooth from tea parties or knitting. Miss Illegible: 1921The girl was Nellie Orr. See this link for list of Miss Philadelphia winners. http://www.misspa.org/past.htm Whoa NellieMISS AMERICA 1921 1921 September 7 8 entries Result 1 WASHINGTON DC - Margaret Gorman Remainder CAMDEN (NJ) - Kathryn M. Gearon HARRISBURG (PA) - Emma Pharo NEW YORK CITY (NY) - Virginia Lee NEWARK (NJ) - Margaret Bates OCEAN CITY (NJ) - Hazel Harris PHILADELPHIA (PA) - Nellie Orr PITTSBURGH (PA) - Thelma Matthews Miss Orr: 1921Looks to the future and tells herself: "I'm gonna be the best Miss Philadelphia ever and with my winnings I'm gonna buy another letter or two for my pathetically short last name!" Near Miss In 1921 Nellie Orr competed as Miss Philly in what would soon become known as the Miss America Pageant, where out of 500 contestants in the "bathers' review," she finished second. Something must have been stuffed -- either the ballot box, or ... Heeere she isIn the Racine Journal-News, same great hat Poor PhiladelphiaFlat as a pancake, foul teeth! My God! I wonder what her contenders looked like. Prosthodontically speakingMiss Orr seems to be sporting a none too artfully fashioned porcelain jacket crown. Or is it an inlay? Her nameYes it was Orr, and she was my great-grandmother on my mom's side. From what my grandfather has told me about her, she was very spunky and outspoken. He used to tell me I reminded him of her! Nellie OrrNellie was my mother's older sister. My mother is 82 and still lives in Haddon Heights, NJ. I hope Heaven is far awayOtherwise, she's still embarrassed every time someone looks at this picture. She's probably saying something on the order of, "Of all the photos taken of me, how did this get to be the one people are still looking at? Now that it is on Shorpy, I will never live it down!" Equipped Just FineMiss Nellie is actually built perfectly for the standards of the day. By 1921 the flapper era was in full swing, emphasizing an almost boyish look with bobbed hair, flattened breasts and few visible curves. It was a reaction to the Victorian style of very long hair and fairly extreme curves accentuated by a corset. It's no surprise she would finish second in the "bathers' revue." (Full disclosure: my grandmother was a flapper. Her hair had never been cut until 1919 at age 12, when she got a bob. She told me her father didn't speak to her for weeks!) What Happened to Miss Philadelphia 1921 Nellie Orr?Does anyone know what became of Nellie Orr? I am researching all eight of the 1921 Miss America Contestants from the first contest and located info on all except for Nellie. Looking for her parents names, Nellie’s married name and when she passed away. Many thanks! You can contact me at NRFB59@aol.com Nellie Orr at Miss America 1921Here she is in her black taffeta swimsuit. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
BASE BALL TO-DAY: 1909
... Names officially deleted the "h" from the end of Pittsburgh. The Board officially reinstated the "h" in 1911. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Name_of_Pittsburgh Busy Street and Baseball A lot to see in this picture. But ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2022 - 10:43pm -

Philadelphia circa 1909. "Chestnut Street and Post Office." Neighbor to the Philadelphia Record building and its "electric score board" of baseball results. (Set up to show runs and innings in Roman numerals?!) 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. 'Base Ball To-day' means it must be July 19, 1909This picture was taken around 9:40 AM on the morning of Monday July 19 1909. First of all, the time on the clock in the picture shows 9:40, which judging from the brightness of the sky would have to have been in the AM. Second, all of the final results for July 17 1909 are shown on the score board, meaning it would at least have to be the 18th. But the Phillies and Pirates had Sunday the 18th off, and did not play each other again until Monday the 19th. Finally, The sign on the front of the streetcar clearly states "Base Ball To-day," eliminating the 18th as a possibility, since they did not play on the 18th. Ipso facto it must be about 9:40 AM on July 19 1909. Game day! (Phils lost that one too by a 5-4 score) [At the very least, you seem to be off by five minutes. — Dave] Honus Wagner at shortThank you bwayne for the box score link. I thought that might be THE Wagner at SS for the Pirates, and it is. When they voted the first Hall of Fame inductees, he came in second, behind Cobb and ahead of Ruth. Went 0-4 on July 17 though. The game had 7 errors! Beaten to the Punchbwayne beat me to the answer of July 17, 1909, but here's the box score for that day: https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=190907170... Of all the players that played that day, only one, William Joseph "Jap" Barbeau, played for his team only in 1909; he was traded to the Cardinals in August. ELECTRIC SCORE BOARD.Who can figure out the exact date of the photo from these scores? (Our choice of 1909 as the year here is only a guess.) Click to embiggen. Nice dig into 1909!July 17, 1909. One second before the collision ...It would appear that the coatless young fellow running toward the camera near the lower left of the frame is on a collision course with the older fellow striding purposefully leftwards toward the corner of the shot. One wonders if his attorney ever saw a print of this probative photo ... Rounding IInd & headed IV IIIrdWhile in a full sprint wearing a necktie, this agile office boy is successfully weaving through straw hats and avoided the man on crutches who, apparently is screaming for everyone to keep away. No doubt this go-getting lad is wearing hard sole shoes, which may very well have given him a blister for his effort. When he returns to his employer's office, he will probably be asked what took him so long. PB & HWhat at first appears to be a spelling error ("Pittsburg") on the baseball scoreboard, in fact, is not. In 1891, the United States Board on Geographic Names officially deleted the "h" from the end of Pittsburgh. The Board officially reinstated the "h" in 1911. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Name_of_Pittsburgh Busy Street and BaseballA lot to see in this picture. But no automobiles. Almost everyone has a hat on. Boston had two baseball teams? I had to look it up. While the more famous American League Boston Red Sox have stayed steady, the National League Boston Doves at this time in 1909 had a history of much more name and location changes. Starting in 1876 to 1882 as the Boston Red Caps, then Beaneaters 1883 to 1906, then Doves 1907 to 1910, then Rustlers in 1911, then Braves 1912-1935, then the Bees 1936 to 1940, then Braves (again) from 1941 to 1952, the Milwaukee Braves 1953 to 1965, and finally the Atlanta Braves from 1966 to the present. Lost Record Buildinghttp://philaphilia.blogspot.com/2011/08/lost-building-of-week-august-3rd... Hold on to your hats, ladies!Looks like quite the blustery day, judging from the ladies at the lower right. Those Extra DigitsThe numbers to the left right of the team names reflect the final scores from the first game of the doubleheaders played that day between Brooklyn and the Cubs in the NL and the Athletics-Browns in the AL. The day in baseball The other teamPhiladelphia at the time, of course, had two teams, so one wonders who got possession of the Game Board; did they trade off based on who was home - or even away, as it looks like the Phillies were actually in Pittsburg - or was the "Record" a NL partisan (if so they got the demise they deserved!) Regardless, 1909 was a big year for baseball in Philly: The A's opened Shibe Park that year, the Major's first "modern" stadium. Scoreboard QuestionLooking at the scoreboard -- what are the numbers to the left of the first inning scores for the Athletics/St. Louis (0 & 2) and the Brooklyn/Chicago (1 & 0) games? They don't appear to be associated with close games that went into extra innings. I'm sure it must be something obvious but whatever it is I am missing it. Working from HomeAccording to that box score, the game was umpired single-handedly by Hall-of-Famer Bill Klem. If that's true, how long has it been since a Major League game was called by only one umpire? I've seen kids' league and high-school contests with one umpire, but not college or pro. In those, the ump positioned himself behind the pitcher's mound. But Wikipedia tells us that Klem worked exclusively behind home plate. If this is true, was he able to decide balls and strikes and all baserunning plays, plus all the business of running the game, from home plate? But base ball survives to this-dayvjmvjm's comment about the Lost Record Building made me wonder what this stretch of Chestnut Street looks like today. It looks very different. You're at the intersection of S 9th Street, looking west. Chestnut is, and maybe was, a one-way street coming towards you. Today, there are only two buildings on the north side of this block, a US courthouse and a Federal Reserve Bank. Nothing on either side of the street looks familiar until you get to the next intersection, S 10th. There, the white, Second Empire building with the rounded corner is the same as in the 1909 photograph. Read all about itThe sports page for July 20, 1909 ... https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1909-07-20/ed-1/seq-8... Jack ChesbroPer the sign, we can see that Jack Chesbro pitched for the New York Highlanders. Chesbro is still the record holder for the most wins in a season (41 in 1904), and the Highlanders -- who officially changed their name to the Yankees in 1913 -- are most famous for having the highest total of World Series victories of any team, at 27 (far ahead of second place St. Louis, who have 11). The Yanks and Cardinals may face each other this October. (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia, Sports, Streetcars)
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