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I.C.R.R.: 1942
... with this shot. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/16/2024 - 4:47pm -

November 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. Locomotives in the Illinois Central railyard." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Wowsers!A truly beautiful photograph: great subject, great composition, great light, great developing! Thank you, Shorpy - one of the finest photos you have published!
Where's my time machine?I would go back to that exact place and time for a few minutes, not only for the sight but the sounds. I'd even bring along my 1937 Ikoflex, the same make and model as one of the cameras that Delano used.
Was disappointed when they sold to Canadian NationalI lived most of my life right next to the Illinois Central track at the southern end in Louisiana.  Even in the swamp, where I was, the railroad was very well maintained.  I believe the sale to CN was in the '80s.  I was sad to see it go.  
Paducahbuilt2530 is a heavy freight 4-8-2 Mountain type locomotive assembled by the IC in its own shops in Paducah, Kentucky, just before or in the early years of WWII.  The large tender only has 2-axle trucks, but you can see that the top of the tender was modified to carry additional coal.  Perhaps the small car between it and the next locomotive is an auxiliary tender to carry additional water.  
Huffing and Puffing American PowerGetting ready to go.
Penny SmashersI'll never forget those Mountains southbound out of Louisville along US 31, thundering through Valley Station, Kentucky, headed to wherever our 12 year-old imaginations had them destined! 
Better Times on the HorizonThis is an extraordinarily powerful image.  A dreary November Chicago day and a bleak unknown future for our county all less than one year after Pearl Harbor.  But looking deep into this black and white photograph 80 years later, we can see the power and resiliency of our county with its manufacturing coming to life augmented by our massive railroad system.  Mr. Delano scored a winner with this shot.
(The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)

Engine of Change: 1942
... past and present. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/08/2024 - 7:29pm -

November 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. In the roundhouse at an Illinois Central Railroad yard. This former switching engine is being rebuilt for use on the road." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Kid peering over the topIs that one of those 'steam punks' I've heard about?
Dirty workYears ago I worked in the shop of a construction company that used a lot of heavy equipment. A big Caterpillar diesel engine had just been rebuilt and was ready to haul out to a jobsite to be reinstalled. The shop foreman suggested that the outside of the engine should be sprayed with oil and grease so that "the guys in the field will know what it is."
Keep to the codeThe two crouching guys up top look like they're trying to spell a word. I see a k and an e. 
Putting the old dog back into service"This former switching engine is being rebuilt for use on the road."
Getting any available rolling stock ready for railroad service because not many new locomotives would be getting built for use in domestic service due to wartime material constraints and shifting heavy production to war materials like tanks and artillery.
MachineThis photo should included with the definition of "machine". Look at all that has to happen to get this thing to move. Not to disrespect today's technology but a general explanation of a modern locomotive is a big diesel engine spinning a big generator that sends electricity to electric motors in the drive wheels.
Incredible technology past and present. 
(The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)

Chenoa Depot: 1905
... -- things are getting busy in Chenoa! So here are the two railroads mentioned earlier, resulting in the station being called a union ... a distant signal for the interlocking limits ahead. Two railroads went through town, the Chicago and Alton (C&A), and the Toledo ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 12:39pm -

Circa 1905. "Station & buildings at Chenoa, Illinois." Plus: circus posters! 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Changes in a few yearsHere's a post card found online, dated c. 1911, that shows the station from another side. It looks to be the wrong size at first glance, but refer back to the Shorpy photo and note how oversize the doors and windows are compared to the man checking out the postings by the door.
A row of trees have been planted. The express company building appears to be moved or removed by about 1911. 
Diamonds/crossings and new track are in place right by the station -- things are getting busy in Chenoa! So here are the two railroads mentioned earlier, resulting in the station being called a union depot in the post card inscription.
In the 1911 picture, I wonder how long that (electric?) line lasted hanging over the tracks? It had to have been blasted by stack exhaust from engines that passed under it.

Circus stars leave townI see the trunk escape artists are waiting on the platform.
WaitingFor the 5:25 from Joliet.
OS ChenoaTo bad Bobby Troup didn’t roll Chenoa into his famous tune, “Route 66.“ Looks like a train departing after dropping off freight for the United States Express Company to handle. Train order board is at stop, most likely for the occupied block the departing train is in. My guess is that the smaller semaphore is a distant signal for the interlocking limits ahead.  Two railroads went through town, the Chicago and Alton (C&A), and the Toledo Peoria and Western (TP&W). The TPW is still at it, owned by Rail America. I get a glimpse of their trains in Kentland, Indiana now and again while rambling on highway 41. The old C&A is now part of the Union Pacific. Can only wonder which main is pictured.    
Graffiti or signage?Look to the right at that smaller structure. I think I see a prancing horse painted on a panel. 
[That's a seal on one of the circus posters mentioned in the caption. - Dave]
When railroads interesctYou end up with beautiful little Midwest towns like this. Even today it's hard to find towns this small except in the middle of nowhere whose form and function derived from being on a rail line.  It's still a small beautiful town.
Passing ByThis past March, my wife and I drove past Chenoa on I-55.  We were returning to the Bull City from a Shorpy-inspired visit to Dwight. I guess next time we'll stop in Chenoa.
(The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)

The North Yard: 1942
... no. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Landscapes, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/11/2024 - 1:36pm -

November 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. General view of the north classification yard at an Illinois Central railyard." Acetate negative by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size.
All downhill from hereThis image shows the many power switches and retarders used to direct and control the speed of cars that have been shoved over the top of the hump and roll by gravity to their intended classification tracks.  The hump yardmaster (located behind the photographer) arranges the switches and retarder operators (in their small towers) slow the cars by squeezing their wheels so that they roll their intended distance before coupling up to cars already in the track.  Wind, different car weights and number of cars already in the track require a lot of judgment to prevent a car from "stalling" before reaching its intended destination or rolling too fast and slamming into a standing car.
I count 13 guysThe north classification yard is not as abandoned as first appears.  There are two men in the center foreground, huddled over working on something together.  Then, straight up from them and a little to the right, is a man walking the tracks.  Beyond him, where the railroad cars are, I count 10 men walking (I'm pretty sure they're all men).
I hoped to see one of the control (switch?) towers occupied, but no.
(The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Landscapes, Railroads)

Yardwork: 1942
... camera. - Dave] (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/09/2024 - 3:11pm -

November 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. Tender and switch engine at an Illinois Central railyard." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.
FuzzyAt first I couldn't figure out if it was my glasses needed changing or a part of the photo was out of focus.  Come to the conclusion probably both!
[It's in focus -- twice. Maybe something bumped the camera. - Dave]
(The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)

Oil Train: 1942
... oil supplies. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/09/2024 - 3:05pm -

November 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. An oil train from the Southwest leaves an Illinois Central railyard for the Pennsylvania Rail Road to be sent on to the East." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Oil trains are still (again?) a thingLengthy oil trains like this move through Chicago and Milwaukee today.
I have read that the boom in American & Canadian production from oil sands & fracking exceeds the pipeline capacity, so oil trains are rolling.
A big one passed as I was re-photographing a Shorpy scene, (Chicago: 1956) it took 10 or 15 minutes to go by.
Oh no! Not Algebra!"An oil train from the Southwest leaves an Illinois Central railyard for the Pennsylvania Rail Road to be sent on to the East."  At the same time a coal train leaves the destination in the East, bound for the Illinois Central railyard.
I can't go on ... anymore, I can't remember the difference between a coefficient and a variable.  The only constant was I wanted to take geometry.
Markham YardPresumably that is the north end of the yard in Homewood, IL.  One can see the electrified commuter tracks on the left (west) side.  Illinois Central was later acquired by CN who still maintains the large yard and a locomotive facility and administrative offices in the area.  Photographer Delano seems to have spent quite some time capturing images in the area.
Oil strategy WWIIOil played a major role in World War II strategy. The US had it; Germany and Japan didn't. Japan's early moves were dictated by the need to get at the oil of the Dutch East Indies. And it is said that a major reason for Hitler's worst blunder (to attack the USSR without neutralizing England) was the need to secure access to oil reserves in the Caucasus. Though it required rationing, the US provided 85% of Allied oil supplies.
(The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)

PneuTube: 1942
... tie. (Technology, The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads, The Office) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/05/2024 - 3:13pm -

November 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. A pneumatic tube system connects the main yard office with yardmaster offices throughout the Illinois Central railyard. Switch lists and other communications are quickly sent in this way." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Ol' Dan TuckerThe operator looks like he combed his hair with a wagon wheel.
But hold on!It also cuts hair!
A technology no long pneuMy local bank branch abandoned its drive-thru tube system within the past few years, but some remain, as do manufacturers of the equipment. Probably the main use today is in hospitals, providing safe and monitored transfer of laboratory and pharmacy materials.
The largest urban pneumatic mail system was in Paris, where 'pneus' could be sent from 1866 to 1984, with peak usage (30 million messages) in 1945. The last such system, in Prague, was wiped out by flooding in 2002.
Emails, 1942 styleI had once the privilege to work for a company that was using a pneumatic tube system well into the 1990s. Back then that was still the most efficient way to quickly share drawings and documents with colleagues who were working at the other end of a mile long facility. Back then that was the most economic way to provide prints and copies within such a company. Printers and plotters were much more expensive and needed to be utilized. Hence a central printing and copying offce. Which was located next to the microfiche archive. And also sported a microfiche printer and a cyanotype copier (as in "blueprints"). 
I must be getting old. 
BTW, the City of Prague (Czech Republic) may have been the last city to have had a municipal pneumatic mail system in operation. Alas, it got swamped during the Great 2002 European Floods, and that was that.
SENDSo it's essentially an early version of text messaging.
Department stores had them.I remember them c. 1958 in Cleveland, at Sterling-Lindner-Davis. There was a restaurant, too, with a child menu I was treated to a few times. And elevator operators.
Red light bulbsAt least I think they're red and not blacklights. Also they don't have any protection form being broken by a wayward cylinder. 
Most frequent pneumatic tube communicationU up
Smith's Department StoreAs a kid growing up in Windsor, Ontario in the 1950s a trip to Smith's with Mum was always a treat. When she made the purchase the cash was put into the cylinder and away it went to the cash room. The store employee wrapped up the purchase, and a short time later there would be an increasing volume of hissing air coming from the return tube and suddenly POP. The cylinder fell into a cushioned bin, and the employee would open the cylinder to give my mother her change and receipt. But the real treats were the trips to the massive Hudson's Department Store in Detroit where they had cash registers with eight drawers. In 1972 I flew to Chicago from Seattle and my cash was sent off in a pneumatic tube.
Central Cashier StationI remember several stores that had a secure (caged area) that served as a central cashier location that would receive customer payments from the floor sales clerks via the tube. They would process the bill and the included cash payment and send any change back to the clerk through the tube. This way only a few folks had access to the cash drawer.
Still in UseThe UK supermarket ASDA (still with a minority Walmart holding) still use pneumatic tubes to send cash paper money in pods from the checkouts to the cash office. I worked in one for a time and can still hear the vacuum motor winding up, a whoosh of air and then the rattle and clatter as they fell into a tub in a sealed safe. (I didn't tell you that OK?)
I know you are, but what am I?This looks like Pee Wee Herman working his first job! It must be really hot in that office since he has actually removed his jacket and bow tie.
(Technology, The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads, The Office)

Henrietta: 1943
... Depot today View Larger Map Naming Railroads Atchison, Topeka (and the) Santa Fe sounds great. It's also the ... have the same ring to it. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/04/2009 - 11:10am -

March 1943. "Henrietta, Missouri. Going through the town on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad between Marceline, Missouri, and Argentine, Kansas. The operator has just handed up a message." Medium-format nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Someone had to say itDo you hear that whistle down the line?
I figure that it's engine number forty-nine,
She's the only one that'll sound that way.
On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.
Santa FeThe railroad was just the Atchison & Topeka at first; Santa Fe was added as a goal.  In fact the main line went to Lamy, not Santa Fe, with a minor branch to SF added later.  Can't write a song about Lamy. 
But the rhyme in the song didn't work for the many folks who pronounced it Santa Fee.  Before the popular song came along, the railroad tried to correct this by spreading the slogan "All the way with Santa Fe!"  The slogan caught on, but it didn't help.  Dismayed station agents would hear customers saying things like "Yep, I like that slogan.  All the way with Santa Fee!"
This ties several photos togetherHere is the operator having delivered train orders to the engine and train crews walking back to his office after inspecting the train and waving "all OK" to the brakeman or flagman at the rear car.  In the distance you can see the water column between the two main tracks for steam locomotives.  Beyond that is a cantelevered bridge supporting a semaphore signal with its blade having already descended to the horizontal position for "stop."  Before the train arrived at this location, the semaphore would have been vertical to indicate "proceed." Soon when the train is clear of the next signal ahead (perhaps a mile or more down the track), this semaphore will rise to a 45-degree angle indicating "approach," meaning slow to 30 mph and be prepared to stop at the next signal.
Today this route is owned and operated by the BNSF Railway and hosts 75 or more freight trains each day plus two Amtrak Southwest Chiefs that operate between Chicago and Los Angeles.
Henrietta Depot todayView Larger Map
Naming RailroadsAtchison, Topeka (and the) Santa Fe sounds great.  It's also the route of the railroad from east to west.  It all worked out for the best.
PoetryWho was the inspired wordsmith who named the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe? Its founder Cyrus K. Holliday, apparently, and as far as I can see the poetry of its name was a happy coincidence of the significant placenames. Maybe their rhythmic ordering was an artistic decision: even "Topeka, Atchison & Sante Fe" wouldn't have the same ring to it. 
(The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)

Copper Hopper: 1942
... going on. Third - Still scary. (The Gallery, Mining, Railroads, Russell Lee) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/30/2023 - 2:29pm -

September 1942. Deer Lodge County, Montana. "Anaconda smelter, Anaconda Copper Mining Company. Cars containing 50 tons of copper ore are dumped by an unloading mechanism into a 200-ton hopper." Acetate negative by Russell Lee, Office of War Information. View full size.
Waste notI've never seen such sight. What happened to the cart that rolled into that chamber on those tracks? Did it just roll off the tracks down into oblivion along with its load of copper? And look at the flimsy housing they built around such a powerful impressive machine. Strange.
[That "cart" is a fifty-ton railcar. It goes back on the train tracks after being emptied. - Dave]
NOW I see the railcar still in there. I didn't realize I was looking at the back of the railcar. I thought it was just the back of the chamber. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
STAND BACK!That is one nasty pinch-point.
The car on the tracksis actually still on the rails. The mechanism which rolls the car over clamps the car and the tracks together, and as soon as the car is empty, it rolls on over so that the car can be rolled out of that area. This is same way that coal cars are emptied at electric power plants. In most cases the cars have couplers which can swivel so that a car still in a train can also be emptied, one car at a time.
Impressions ProgressFirst - What are we looking at?
Second - Ok, now we get what's going on.
Third - Still scary.
(The Gallery, Mining, Railroads, Russell Lee)

Copper Country: 1942
... (The Gallery, Factories, Industry & Public Works, Mining, Railroads, Russell Lee) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/29/2023 - 3:08pm -

September 1942. Deer Lodge County, Montana. "Anaconda smelter. Ore cars and smokestack." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Copious copperIt's indeed a beautiful picture. And look at all the copper! It takes a lot of electricity to run an operation to mine the metal.
Sootpunk chicI'm not sure which bowl game -- if any -- Utah would compete against Montana, but they're definitely facing off in the most photogenic mining infrastructure contest. Carr Fork Canyon, also -- and probably not coincidentally -- 1942, won my heart first,  but this shot tests my loyalty,
Answer: Right there at Anaconda, MontanaQuestion: Where were the bricks made to build the smokestack?
I can't find a modern reference to support this September 1905 trade journal article.  But it seems in Deer Lodge County, Montana, "There is no clay in the world that produces such durable and heat-resisting bricks as those that are turned out at the Anaconda yards.  The silica brick made here surpasses the celebrated Swansea brick ..." Swansea brick is made in Wales.
Click to embiggen:

Butte, Anaconda and Pacific RailwayThis photo from the Butte - Silver Bow Public Archives shows the electric locomotives that brought the ore cars from Butte to the smelter in Anaconda. Electric power for the railway came from Great Falls, Montana. The power was converted from AC to 2,400 volts Direct Current at several substations along the line. 
How GreenAn absolutely amazing photograph.
I'm getting a 'How Green Was My Valley' (John Ford 1941) impression.
(The Gallery, Factories, Industry & Public Works, Mining, Railroads, Russell Lee)

Yard Cop: 1942
... for Mr. Vachon's camera. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/04/2023 - 11:27am -

October 1942. "Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mid-Continent Petroleum Corp. refinery, Tulsa station of the Great Lakes pipeline. Armed railroad guard inspecting an oil tank car in the yards." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size.
The trusty WinchesterI've seen pictures of the yard cop with a night stick. Winchester is the baseball bat. I guess for the war effort and saboteurs?
Changing job focusA few years earlier the railroad yard cop would have been after hobos; movies of the 1930s have many such scenes. By 1942, war and economic activity had largely solved the hobo 'problem'. Now the concerns were sabotage, theft of raw materials, and security in general.
The Case of the Missing Journal LidSomeone obviously pilfered it! The oil-filled journal box should have a snug-fitting cover, as seen on the one at far left, to keep rain water and road dust out of the bearing area. The journal box closest to the gun-toting lawman seems to have taken its leave?
Black and White HeatA rifle ... next to an oil tank(er)???  Guess he didn't see the movie (But he had a good excuse: it wouldn't be released until seven years later)
Vintage graffiti?I hadn't thought about graffiti in 1942. But then why not. Much less ugly than spray paint!
[Those are yard-crew markings. - Dave]
How StylishIn a three-piece suit & tie complete with handkerchief, this fellow seems quite overdressed. Railyards (especially in the days of steam locomotives) were very dirty places. Bib overalls would have been more appropriate.  Maybe he spends time in an office or just wanted to look good for Mr. Vachon's camera.  
(The Gallery, John Vachon, Railroads)

Big Mack: 1942
... Cars, Trucks, Buses, Industry & Public Works, John Vachon, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/05/2023 - 12:31pm -

October 1942. "Tulsa, Oklahoma. Trucks being loaded with motor oil at the Mid-Continent refinery." Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Factory FreshThat Mack looks brand new.  It is not sporting a dented fender or well-worn steer tires.  The same cannot be said of the International.
Small rearview mirrorsMack does have two , don't see a passenger side mirror on the International . Good picture ! Thanks !
Five Bucks MoreOr thereabouts, for a second windshield wiper.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Industry & Public Works, John Vachon, Railroads)

Mineral Electric: 1942
... Information. View full size. (The Gallery, Mining, Railroads, Russell Lee) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/30/2023 - 2:18pm -

September 1942. Deer Lodge County, Montana. "Anaconda smelter, Anaconda Copper Mining Company. Individual ore cars are pushed to the ore dump by an electric locomotive." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Office of War Information. View full size.
(The Gallery, Mining, Railroads, Russell Lee)

Office Cubicle: 1911
... (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Cleveland, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/13/2023 - 2:36pm -

Cleveland, Ohio, circa 1911. "Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Bldg., St. Clair Avenue and Ontario Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
The whole building?B of LE Building ... does that mean the brotherhood used the whole building?
[They owned the whole building. - Dave]
Full frontalSo we get the glamour shot of what we only had a tantalizing glimpse of a half-year ago. Still around, and still durned impressive ... or incredibly monotonous, depending on your preferences.
[Er, no. That "tantalizing glimpse" was of a different building. - Dave]
We can take comfort in being wrong together: you're pointing to the building across the street - which wasn't built until a decade after this picture,  and I was mistaken that this is extant ... sadly
StaredownIs that a Studebaker electric facing off with that horse?
No Safety BarriersThe unfinished streetcar tracks catch my eye and how it is not surrounded by any sort of safety barriers - another reminder of how it was a different time back then.  Also, wonder what the BoLE Auditorium looked like.  Probably not as ornate as what would be created in another 10-15 years.
Safety lastA torn up street and no barricades or traffic cones. Must have been before personal injury lawsuits were invented. 
At home in ChicagoThis style is from the Chicago School of architecture, which emphasizes the building's structural grid, uses relatively little ornamentation, and has large plate-glass window areas.  I think it's a good look, especially considering that buildings would eventually be clad in only glass curtain walls.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Cleveland, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars)

NA-TI-ON-AL LIFE: 1905
... BUT Implosion!!! they gather in the hundreds. Railroads, coal and money Wonder about the dominant businesses of the day? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/18/2013 - 4:21pm -

Circa 1905. "Williamson Building, Cleveland." Bonus points to the first person to transcribe all those windows. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size.
I'm impressed by how clear these old photos are.Can anyone tell me the type of camera that would have taken this photo? The edge to edge clarity is pretty remarkable for something 100+ years ago.
[This photo was taken with a view camera on a photographic glass plate that measured 8 x 10 inches. -tterrace]
Boom!Imploded in 1982 to make way for the Sohio (later BP) skyscraper.  It served as the headquarters for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland from 1914 to 1923.
Final MinuteMy son and I watched and photographed the final moments of the Williamson Building but, as the huge dust cloud rolled across Public Square we, and hundreds of others, became quite alarmed. There was a telephone booth nearby so we ducked into it and continued to shoot photos of the bewildered spectators.  Scan of prints from 35 mm color negs.
ImagineSignage such as this on a 'modern' skyscraper.  I can just imagine the dentist's office on the 25th floor with a nice, hand painted tooth in his window, touting his painless services.
Euclid AvenueThis photo overlaps this recent one.
Euclid Avenue exits to the right in the current photo. The big arch on the Williamson Building is at the extreme left edge of the previous photo. The "Otis" building was home to the Painless Dentist and Weiss Credit, as can be seen by matching up the upper Moorish windows. The streetcar switch on the upper (westbound) track at the far right of this photo would be the one controlled by the trolley wire contactor in the previous photo.
Come & Go awayFew people gather to admire the beauty in the construction of old buildings. BUT Implosion!!! they gather in the hundreds.
Railroads, coal and moneyWonder about the dominant businesses of the day? More railroad offices than I've ever seen in one place; bankers, brokers,insurance; and so much coal. (And some ice.) This was clearly commerce central.
Rail officesThe cluster of rail offices are offline freight agents.  I have no idea what they actually did or how one went about determining how to route freight shipments but almost all cities had dozens of freight agents representing various lines.  Baltimore & Ohio apparently has the largest offices and they served Cleveland through a branch line but had multiple routes through Ohio and neighboring states.
Great photo!
Because I have no lifeI transcribed all the windows in the Corner Building -- as much as was readable. The pdf is here.
(The Gallery, Cleveland, DPC, Streetcars)

Joe's Clothes: 1942
... service. (The Gallery, Marjory Collins, Movies, NYC, Railroads, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/27/2023 - 5:27pm -

September 1942. "New York, New York. Under the Third Avenue elevated railway." Starring Joe's Clothes Shop and the Variety Theatre, which had a bit part in the movie "Taxi Driver." Acetate negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Cycle of the HoleNothing remains from this shot, except maybe - maybe - the block pavement (but if so it's buried under asphalt). The Variety went to that cutting room in the sky in 2005.
However, where the doughnut shop once stood, more-or-less, is now the "Bagel Belly".  A Bagel shop in NYC?  I'm guessing it's not the only one.
Sounds yummyI want to go to the Wheatland Doughnut Shop and Milk Bar.
Lawrence LoansBoy, would I love to browse that pawn shop on the right to check out all those stringed instruments showing in the window. 
The Variety TheatreI grew up around there in the '50s and '60s, and I remember the Variety.  It often featured live shows by old-school Jewish comedians who often performed in Yiddish.  (There was a fellow named Ben Bonus who played there frequently.)  That version of the Variety went away when the immigrant Jews in the neighborhood died off or retired away from Manhattan; their offspring weren't interested in that kind of entertainment.
The Variety booked some rock 'n' roll acts in the late '60s and early '70s, but the interior acoustics were terrible.  That was also when the inside of the theater started smelling less like a movie house and more like a public urinal.  It had become a dump.
[Also: Porn! - Dave]
Bagel Belly... is at 114 3rd Avenue, where Joe's and probably the doughnut shop was.

There is a film, c. 1983https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_(1983_film)
The story centers around a woman who worked in the ticket box. It was reviewed in the Village Voice by David Edelstein. I commented on the review and he wrote back a response.
Just a wild guess1937 Buick.
Films at the VarietyI'd like to add that the last legit film I remember playing at the Variety was the first Matt Helm movie, which cast Dean Martin as a James Bond-type spy.  It was The Silencers, released in 1966.
More VarietyThe Variety theatre also played a role in the 1983 independent feature Variety, directed by Bette Gordon and written by Kathy Acker - both of them leading counter-cultural figures at the time. Sandy McLeod, then Jonathan Demme's girlfriend, works in the box office of a porn cinema and becomes obsessed with a mysterious rich patron. The film is currently available on the Mubi streaming service.
(The Gallery, Marjory Collins, Movies, NYC, Railroads, Stores & Markets)

The Vanderbilt: 1907
... tracks. Syracuse was notorious for its street level railroads with supposedly up to 100 trains a day traveling down the middle of ... Washington Street tracks. And more about the early railroads of Syracuse . Trolley guards The tracks coming in from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/18/2015 - 7:59pm -

Syracuse, New York, 1907. "Vanderbilt House." With "Credit Parlors," billiards, a bowling alley and Trunks just around the corner. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Jamestown Exposition "Held in Norfolk, Virginia, from April 26 to November 30, 1907"
Perhaps that narrows the date down a little closer, or maybe they were selling tickets in advance, for $15.45?
[Oh! Good eye. - Dave]
The reason there are no streetcarson those tracks is because they are not streetcar tracks. Syracuse was notorious for its street level railroads with supposedly up to 100 trains a day traveling down the middle of Washington Street (which I believe is the line we see here) by the early 1930s.
There are some pictures in this article about some recently dug up Washington Street tracks.
And more about the early railroads of Syracuse.
Trolley guardsThe tracks coming in from lower right are apparently a steam railroad.  The trolley line crossing these tracks has the most common form of trolley guard, a woven metal cage running above the wire, which catches the trolley pole in case of a dewirement, and supplies power for the trolley to get across the crossing.  Note that the guards for the two tracks are staggered, so they can protect the pole located toward the rear of the cars.
The guards are probably overkill in this case, as the steam trains would have been moving down the street trackage at very slow speed.  However, dewirements were rather frequent, resulting in the conductor grabbing the retriever rope and "fishing" the pole back onto the wire.  I've seen it happen many times.
Looking at patent records and Google books turns up some alternative designs, which were apparently unsuccessful.
1907 Pawn Stars?Tried researching "credit parlors" to no avail. Were they turn-of-the-century Amscots? Or were they an early pawn shop? I'm assuming that there was a business relationship to the many nearby billiard "parlors".
[A credit parlor was a clothing store that offered time payments. - Dave]
 Come On DownI think what they were really trying to sell were the Railroad tickets.
FrankieLooks like a '05 Franklin, Model E parked at the curb 
(The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Syracuse)

TRX: 1910
... - Dave] (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Mobile, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/19/2023 - 3:58pm -

Mobile, Alabama, circa 1910. "Unloading bananas." Tropical Refrigerator Express reefers at the ready. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Open Air Ship's WheelThis is likely an emergency wheel located close to the steering mechanism. The regular-use wheel is forward, in the bridge of this steamship.
BananasThis was about a decade into the long march of the United Fruit Company through Latin America, leaving in its wake "banana republics", untold injustices, and the lasting model for multinational corporations.
Open door policyI'm guessing that the reefers are in "ventilated car" mode, since bananas, while temperature sensitive, don't require the level of cooling some products do (namely frozen ones). The hatches are in the up position to facilitate air flow,  rather than for icing.

Where's Harry?I don't see the tally man.
Norway?I can’t make out the name of the boat, and regardless it doesn’t appear that there’s a country listed, but the flag looks Norwegian to me. Does that even make sense?
Mr TallymanThe tallyman and his buddy are on post, they even arranged a bench to check the unloading in comfort.
The banana boat is NorwegianAs evidenced by the flag.  It's from Bergen and its name ends in "DØ" The beginning is obscured by the flag
Ship's WheelI don't remember seeing a ship's wheel quite so exposed to the elements outside of a pirate movie. 
Sidewheeler IDJas. A. Carney 1894 according to page 219 of the 1910 Annual List of Merchant Vessels of the United Stares 
WHAT Bananas?I see coal and not bananas!
"Yes, we have no bananas?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QqkrIDeTeA
or if you prefer originals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDd8shcLvHI
Where's the Day-O?
Yes, we have no ...I'm banana blind -- not one in sight.
Yes -- bananas!Look carefully at the conveyor just above the righthand white ventilator. The conveyor consists of a series of slings, each one lifting a bunch of bananas.

Hellø BodøHere we see the diminutive 181-foot Norwegian steamer Bodø, launched as the Xenia in 1894 at Bergen by Bergens Mekaniske Versteder for Bergh & Helland of that city.  At 666 gross and 398 net tons, it was powered by a triple expansion steam engine supplied by a Scotch boiler. It became the Bodø in 1899 and was chartered to the United Fruit Company to haul fruit, primarily bananas, between Jamaica and the the East Coast.  United Fruit chartered many Norwegian vessels around the turn-of-the-last century beginning in 1899.  Later named Plentingen, Polar, Samos and Ikaria, it was dismantled in Greece in late 1928.  It has appeared before on Shorpy (as has a similar comment of mine!)
Gaillard-Johnson Coal CompanyFrom the 1909 Mobile city directory. When cities had more than one telephone company. Coalyard located at foot of St. Anthony. Phone Bell 248 or Home 51.
[City directories go back to before people even had telephones. - Dave]
Walking the GangplankAs a free-range kid in Mobile, I have personally watched bananas being unloaded from a ship, circa 1950. It was nothing like this photo. There was a slanting gangplank between the ship and the dock, and a continuous line of men descending with stalks of bananas over their shoulders. I recall the gangplank being wooden, but am not sure of this.
Nor do I recall how the men got back on board, but obviously they did.
“Lighter”I’m interested in the boat off to the right of the ship. It’s actually a barge called a Lighter. These were, and in some cases still are, used to service ships in port. In this case the Lighter is providing coal to fuel the steam boilers.  It has never been clear to me where the term came from. Some have suggested it’s from the German “Lichter” as some barges were used to off load (lighten) small deliveries to shore from large ships. 
Another great photo. 
Source of photo?The source of this great photo is described as Detroit Publishing Co., Library of Congress, but I am unable to find this photo at the Library of Congress website. Could someone provide me with a link to the photo? I've tried every search term I can think of.
[This was one of a group of hundreds of damaged glass negatives added to the LOC archive in February. They have yet to be captioned, so will not show up in search results. - Dave]
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Mobile, Railroads)

Ice House: 1943
... PRR photo. The way it used to be For sure, the railroads used ice for their own purposes. Creameries also usually had their ... natural sources. In some sections of the country, the railroads ran solid trains of ice from the collection points to city ice ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2023 - 11:35am -

January 1943. Blue Island, Illinois. "Inside the ice storehouse of the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad near Chicago. It has a storage capacity of almost 15,000 tons." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Always wondered, now I know -- thanks ShorpyI've always wondered what it was like inside those giant cold storage ice warehouses you see in so many old warehouse districts in the USA. I assume all of this ice shown in the pic was sawn out of Lake Michigan.
Strong guyWonder what one of those slabs weighs -- 300 pounds? Or more?
Passengers, too!Some of the 'heavyweight' passenger cars of the era were cooled by recirculating the chilled ice water through coils in the air conditioning system. PRR photo.
The way it used to beFor sure, the railroads used ice for their own purposes. Creameries also usually had their own ice house attached for icing down the milk in season. In the days before mechanical refrigeration, private homes needed natural ice for their "ice boxes", and that ice came from natural sources.
In some sections of the country, the railroads ran solid trains of ice from the collection points to city ice houses. They used reefers and even boxcars for the service.
If an ice house burned to the ground (not such a rare event), the resulting mound of remaining ice that survived might take a full year to melt.
Big chillThe reason that a railroad needed "icing" facilities was that refrigerator cars - "reefers" (before those became something you smoked) used ice for cooling. That particular railroad connected to the Chicago stockyards and so probably shipped a lot of refrigerated loads.
Ice makersIt surprised me to see ice harvests this late, so i found an article here:
1. Until the invention of mechanical ice makers, ice was the second-largest export from the US (after cotton).
2. Ice harvesting continued on into the 1950s.
(The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)

8th Avenue Elevated: 1905
... IRT elevated line. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/21/2023 - 11:55am -

New York City circa 1905. "The Elevated, Eighth Avenue and W. 110th Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Old meets newI superimposed the Google Street View over the Shorpy image to see the changes around the building on the left.
Don't jump !!As they say, there's only one chance to make a first impression, and you don't want it to be in the pavement:  the (in)famous Suicide Curve.
Reckitt's BlueAn early manifestation of the consumer-goods conglomerate Reckitt Benckiser:

Spectacular PhotographWhat an impressive perspective and composition. 
The foreground cobblestones taking an important part of our attention.
The use of above ground rail is such a good conserve of space. The ground footprint of the support stanchions is very small in comparison to the benefit gained of mass transport without congestion.
This idea should be implemented more today to ease traffic chaos on choked arterial roads. A second level can carry vehicles and/or trams/trains via point to point destinations.
Much less intrusive than demolition of huge swathes of buildings to create more lanes.
Is this the same Elthat appeared in the thrilling car chase sequence in "The French Connection"?
[The car chase in that 1971 film was shot in Brooklyn; the Manhattan tracks seen here were gone by 1940. - Dave]
Why Here?After reading about the numerous suicides at this location, I found myself asking "Why here?" Wasn't the elevation of the entire El the same height as at this spot? Why did so many choose to jump only from this curve?
[This particular curve (actually two curves, shaped like an S) was the highest part of the  IRT elevated line. - Dave]
(The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads)

Great-Grandpa was a PA coal miner
... coal mines that had been worked heavily since the first railroads went through in the 1840s. mining accident My great ... 
 
Posted by gmr2048 - 02/01/2008 - 1:18pm -

Miners from near Hazleton, PA. Exact year unknown (probably early 1900s). My great-grandfather is the bottom-left miner. View full size.
Great photo! Where isGreat photo! Where is Hazleton?? My Gr. Granpa and Granpa were from "Six Mile Run". Also miners. don't think they are in your photo, but really looked. Gayle
[The caption says Hazleton is in Pennsylvania (as opposed to Hazelton, in West Virginia). Google Maps shows it near Scranton. - Dave]
PA CoalminersMy great-grandfather (a Lithuanian immigrant) was also a coal miner in the Hazleton area right around dthis same time frame.  I'd love to know more about the people in the picture, or at least your great-grandfather.
PA CoalminersI just happened to stumble onto this site and boy, the memories are flooding!  My grandfather and greatgrandfather were both minors from Hazleton.  Both are long gone but I still travel from Connecticut to Hazleton on a regular basis to visit family there.  We have 5 generations going there.
PA CoalminersI too had a grandfather and greatgrandfather from Hazleton who were coalminers.  They came from Czechoslovakia around 1910.  I still make trips from CT to PA to visit family there.
PA Coal MinersMy grandfather came from Poland and also worked in the mines in Hazleton, PA.  I seem to remember the family saying it was the highest point in Pennsylvania.  I had relatives who lived both in Freeland and Highland not far from Hazleton. - Chris
PA coal minersHazleton, PA is in the "hard coal" or anthracite region of PA mining country. I grew up in Windber, in southwestern PA, in the "soft coal", or bituminous region. My uncle worked in the mine. I remember the "strike breakers" going to work, and more than that, I remember the BIG men with BIG guns who prevented anyone from interfering. I was about 5 or 6 yrs old. I still have a dear friend who lives there. (We are octogenarians). Has anyone else noticed the 3 or 4 very young men, boys really, in the picture?
My great grandfathers tooMy great-grandfathers both worked as coal miners in northeast PA, not sure if it was Hazleton or another town though. One was from Poland and the other was from Romania.
Pa. CoalminersMy great grandfather. grandfather, and great uncles were all coalminers in western Pa. One great uncle was killed in a cave in in 1927. Back then mining was done with picks and shovels and work was sporadic at best.
Mines in BelgiumI had too a grandfather and others in my great grandfamily who were miners here in  Frameries - Borinage - Belgium.
Some of them and many other coworkers and friends died in the many coal mines installed in Borinage in the 19th and half part of the 20th century.
They worked hard and live wasn't very pleasant everyday.
A link to the last mine in Borinage closed in 1961, now a museum.
http://www.pass.be/index.jsp
Other links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frameries
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borinage
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borinage
http://www.google.be/search?hl=fr&q=borinage+mines&btnG=Rechercher&meta=
PA CoalminersMy grandfather and great grandfather were coal miners in NE Pa (Plymouth, near Wilkes-Barre, which is of course near Hazleton).  They were of Irish descent, and lived very hard lives.  My great-grandfather lived in a home owned by the coal company, as did most of his time, and died in a mine collapse in 1895.  His son lived into his late forties, and succumbed to 'black lung'.  Fortunately, the family line continued and are all living much healthier and longer lives, some of them still in the NE Pa region.
coal dust in our veinsAlthough no one in my family was a miner, I am from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvcania and grew up with the consciousness of coal.  I recall vivdly being a very small girl in the early 50s and hearing every morning on the radio the announcements of which mines wouild be working, and which, idle.  Presumably, if the mine didn't work, you didn't get paid.  Mining was the only economy of the area, and when the mines finally closed, the Wyoming Valley -- probably never ever a real boomtown, certainly never for the miners--sank into depression from which it has never recovered.
Our house was heated with coal; the truck would come periodically and empty its load into the chute.  I would take the dark, hard crystals that had spilled in the driveway and try to draw on the sidewalk with them.  As the 60s and 70s wore on, obituaries in the paper were filled with notices of old, and not so old, men who had succombed to anthracosis--black lung--the miner's scourge.  
The men in the mines were taken ruthless adventage of by mine owners, who exploited them and offered them shacks to live in which, even into the 60s, had no indoor plumbing. I would like to recognize all of the souls who worked so hard for so little, many of whom met their deaths deep underground.  Benetah those smudged faces were proud and hardy men.
Plymouth PA CoalminersMy Mother was born and raised in Plymouth, moving away in 1936-37. Her Father, and other relatives were miners. I'd like to hear from others with similiar backgrounds from the area. I still drive thru Plymouth a couple times a year.        bb1300@aol.com
coal miner's granddaughterGreetings from another NE PA native.  My great-grandfather, great-uncles and grandfather all worked in the coal mines of northern Schuylkill County.  Other relatives worked in the factories, foundries and mills in the area.  This part of the country was also the birthplace of the American labor movement and I am proud to say I'm a union member.
Does Anyone Have?My mother told me that we had an ancestor who was killed at one of the Southwestern PA coal mines in the early 20th century.   Where might I find a list of those who lost their lives in the PA coal mines long ago?  Please contact me at pje6431@hotmail.com.  Thanks.
PA CoalminersMy step-grandfather was also a miner in Western PA in the period 1910-1920??  I don't know if it was Hazelton.  His name was Dominick Demark or Demarco.   He and my grandmother and my father came from Canada, but my father and grandmother were originally from Chaleroi, Belgium.    
Hazleton, PA CoalminersMy great-grandfather and great-uncle worked as coal miners in Hazleton, PA.  Both were born in Kohanovce, Slovakia.  Great-grandfather, George Remeta, immigrated around 1892.  How would I find which mine he might have worked in?  I keep thinking I might be looking at a picture of him and never know it!  Also, does anyone know if payroll records or employee records exist?
Mine near HazeltonThe Eckley Mining Village is located near Hazelton and Freeland PA.  It is an interesting village and informative as well.  Some of the homes are still lived in but when the occupants die the homes belong to the village.  Well worth a visit.  There are some names available and the museum and churches are very good.
Dot
Great-grandpa was a PA coal minerGreat photo...my grandfather was too a Lithuanian immigrant and worked in the mines in Scranton Pa. I cherish the stories my mom told me of her father during that time.  I once took a tour of the Lackawanna Mines..it was an experience I will never forget. My hats off to our forefathers!
grandpa worked in the mines.My grandfather worked in the mines in the Hazleton area also, he kept journals, the year 1946 he speaks about working in tunnel 26 and such....hard life.
HazletonHazleton is in east central PA, near Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, Wilkes Barre and Scranton.  Upstate, as my grandparents called it.  They were from Welsh coal miner stock and were born near/in Hazleton.  These are hard, anthracite coal mines that had been worked heavily since the first railroads went through in the 1840s.
mining accidentMy great grandfather was killed in a mining accident at Highland #2 colliery in Luzerne Co. PA on 2/13/1888.  Would anyone know how I could get a newspaper article/obit/any info available on this accident????
Anthracite mining recordsI don't think they are available online, but the Pennsylvania Archives has microfilm of old PA mine accident records  http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/Coal%20Resources.htm
I'm pretty sure the coal region county historical society libraries have them too.
Re: Mining accidentTry newspaperarchive.com. What was your great-grandfather's name?
anthracite mining recordsFound some online.  They even have 1888. Try here:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~paluzern/mines.htm
Throop Coal Mine Disaster of 1911I see you are from Scranton. I am from Pittston. I put together a booklet on the Throop (Pancoast) mine disaster. I included a few Scranton Mine accidents. If interested the booklet sells for $12. I will pay postage.
Jim Bussacco
1124 Main St.
Pittston Pa   email bing1124.1@netzero.com
Anthracite coal miningI always like logging onto your site. My father and three brothers were coal miners in the Pittston region. I worked as an outside laborer in the tipple of a mine. In 1943, I left the mine to go into the US Navy. When I returned after the war. I worked in strippings.
Pittston was the greatest town in anthracite mining and had plenty of accidents. The last being the Knox mine disaster in 1959. I wrote a book about coal mining in Pittston, including most of the major disasters. I also have a great collection of coal mine pictures, including the Knox Mine Disaster.
I hope more people with coal mine connections log in your site,
Thank you
Jim Bussacco   bing1124.1@netzero.com
PrepselsLooking for info on Prepsels, late 1800s early 1900's. My grandfather Raymond Prepsel (spelled Prepsal on some papers) came from Austria/Hungary to work the mines in the Hazelton area. On his certificate of competency issued by the Miners' Examining Board of the Fifth District of Luz. Co., Pa. dated July 16, 1898, his name is spelled Bribsel. He resided in Deringer in Luzerine [Luzerne?] County. My great-grandfather Paul was also living in the area and in Lost Creek, Pennsylvania. I'm doing my family tree and hope someone who reads this can help me. I only know that Elizabeth Prepsel (Raymond's sister ) married a Leo Witkowski and lived in Lost Creek. I'll keep checking back on this site.
This is the names of the people who signed his competency certificate are Anthony Reilly, Isaac Williams and William Dinko.
My Great Grandfather is in the photo too!John Yuhasz, the tall gent in the back row, fifth from the right (including the boy) is my great grandfather. He migrated from Hungary to work in the mines.  He built a home on Goodman Street in Throop by the ball field just before he was killed in the accident.   His wife never remarried, but his son, my grandfather Louis, worked in the mines until he was in his early 30's, then moved to Detroit, where he worked for Packard Motor Cars.  My mother has this photo too. Louis passed away in 1994 at the age of 87, but he still had his carbide lamp.
My Great-Grandfather was a Coal Miner too!He lived near the Hazleton area and actually died in a mine collapse in 1928.  I have tried to find records of this mine explosion, but all I can find is a list of mine explosions, and there was one where 10 men died in Parsons, Pa. There was no article attached. I'm thinking that might have been the one where he died.  According to family stories, he died during a rescue attempt. Anyway, on the upper right hand corner of this picture is a young man standing in the background who has a strong resemblance to some of the pictures I have of my Great-Grandfather.  I would love to be able to find out if that was him.
Looking for CoalAnyone know where I can order/buy a sample of anthracite?
Mine AccidentGo to www.nytimes.com, and do an archive search for the 1851 to 1980 archives. Put WILKES BARRE MINE in the search box, and confine your search to May 25, 1928 to May 31, 1928. You will come up with three articles about the Parsons mine disaster. However, you will only be able to see the headlines. If you can find a public or college library that has ProQuest, which gives you free online access to the NY Times, you can read and print these articles. Good luck! Joe Manning, Lewis Hine Project.
Johnny DeVeraMy dear father passed away one week ago. he and my mother are both from Pittston. PA.  while going through his things, we came upon a story about a coal miner who never wanted his 11 year old son to follow in his footsteps, but rather wanted him to find a new life.  Unfortunately, as the story goes, he found a new life, only to return to the old and meet  his death.  it is a two page story. beautifully written.  my grandfather was a great writer.  the story has no author.  we are trying to locate the author.  could be my father too. we wonder if this is a true story, regarding the outlaw, Johnny DeVera, the son of a coal miner in PA
Hazleton, PennsylvaniaHazleton is near where the Luzerne, Carbon, and Schuylkill County lines meet. It is about 28 miles South or Southeast of Wilkes-Barre.
PA Lithuanian Coal MinersMy grandfather was a Lithuanian miner sometime before 1960.  He lived in Pittston.  I'd like to find out more about the Lithuanian miners and their families.
Pancoast mine disasterMy grandfather (Joseph Urbanowich) and perhaps his father worked the Pancoast mine .. I was wondering if your information includes the names of the 72 people who perished in the disaster. My grandfather was only 12 at the time, and I cannot find any information about his father. My grandfather was Lithuanian, lived on Bellman Street in Throop (Dickson City) in 1917 .. and then a couple of other places in Dickson City. I vaguely remember him saying something about being born around Wyoming Pa as well .. In any case, I'm interested in your booklet .. do you take paypal ??
Belgian minersDoes anyone have information on Max Romaine or Alex Small from Primrose Pa.?  Alex was my grandfather and Max my great uncle. We are trying to build a family tree and don't have much information on the Romaine part of the family. I know for sure Alex worked in the mine for 50 years and helped get benefits for black lung.  I believe Max was also a miner.
Throop PAI was just reading your reply regarding your greatgrandfather being in the photo.  i was born and raised in Throop and both of my grandfathers worked at the pancoast mine and also my wifes grandfather.  Do you have any other names of people in the photo?  I hae a lot of info regading Throop and can be contacted at sandsroad1@hotmail.com.  thanks
Anthracite coalYou're asking about a chunk of anthracite coal. I can sell you a 5 or 6 pound piece for $5 plus postage. I live in Pittston.
Jim Bussacco
bing1124.1@netzero.com
River ferries & PA coal minesMy grandfather ran a river ferry at Frank, Pennsylvania, also called Scott Haven (name of the post office). The name of the coal mine was different and I have forgotten what it is. I would like to know if anyone knows where this place is today.  I have pictures of the ferry and the school.  Granddad moved the family in about 1920 to Crooksville, Ohio to a dairy farm.  The mine either closed or was a strike and he had a family to keep.  Any help is appreciated.
Judy
Langsford PAI am also interested in confirming a Lithuanian miner of No. 9 mine in Langsford, PA.  Any help would be appreciated.  Michael Lucas or Lukas or Lukasewicz.  Thanks!
Lance Lucas
Amherst, MA
Scott HavenScott Haven is on the Youghigheny River south of McKeesport.Coal mines in this area were Shaner,Guffy and Banning.Many other small independent mines.There is not much left in Scott Haven now.I'm not sure there is even a post office left.
Knox mine disasterMy grandfather was the last one pulled out. Next Jan 22 is there any talk of a get together? 
Hazleton MinesMy great grandparents Stephen and Mary Dusick came to this country in 1888 from Spisska Nova Ves in Slovakia. They knew the place as Iglo Spisska Austria. They had a one year old son also named Stephen. My great grandfather and my grandfather worked in the mines. On the 1900 census I learned that my father, a 13 year old boy, was working as a slate picker.
Perhaps George Remeta or his children knew my family. :)My grandfathers 1917 draft registration gives the name of the mine but I find it hard to read. Looks like Pzeda Bros. & Co Lattisonee Mines PA. I know I'm not close but maybe someone will recognize a few letters.
correction: Lattimer Mines is place where my grandfather workedAfter doing more research I now know the place was Lattimer Mines but I still cannot read _____ Bros. & Co ____
Lattimer Mines and Mine RecordsPardee Brothers and Co.  Ario (Ariovistus) Pardee was patriach of one of the three prominent families (Markle and Coxe Families are the others)who first developed the mines in the Hazleton Area also known as The Eastern Middle Anthracite Field.  Pardee operated the Lattimer Mines where my great grandfather worked and where my grandmother was born.  
For those looking for mining records, look for the Annual Report of the Inspector of Mines.  These reports cover PA's anthracite and bituminous mining districts from 1870 to present.  The reports from 1870 to 1920 or so are particularly detailed.  If you had an ancestor who was killed or injured in an accident, his name, age, and a description of the incident will be included.  You can find some years for some districts online at rootsweb.  Otherwise if you know the area where they worked, the local library may have copies.  If not the State Library and PA Geologic Survey Library in Harrisburg have the complete set.  
Lansford PAIt's Lansford, not Langsford. The No. 9 mine is now a tourist attraction. It also has a museum which has lots of history and photos.
WOW!Wow! I haven't been back to Shorpy for a while now, and it's cool to see that this photo has sparked such a discussion!
I'll take a look at my original scan when I get home tonight and see if there is any other info on the back of the image. I scanned both front and back. (The original photois in the possession of my Uncle). As I remember it, tho, the only person identified is my great-great grandfather. I'll post back if I find anything else interesting.
Your grandfather John YuhaszDo you know the names of the other miners in the photo?  I'm still looking for information on my great grandfather, George Remetta and his son, also George, who were coal miners in Hazleton or Freeland during that time.  Also, what was the name of the mine?
Stephen and Mary DusickIf you could let us know the exact name of the mine it would help! Not sure if my great grandfather, George Remetta, knew your relatives.  If there were Slovak Lutherans, there is a great chance they knew each other.  My great grandparents attended Sts. Peter and Paul Slovak Lutheran church in Freeland.  Church records are available through LDS Family centers and are complete although they are written in Slovak!  Let me know...I'll be checking back with this site from time to time!
Deb Remetta
DusickThe 1900 census just says that my great grandfather worked in a local mine. Doesn't help. They were Roman Catholic as far as I know. My grandfather's 1917 draft registration form gives more clues. He worked in the Lattimer mines and lived on 992 Peace Street Hazleton.
When my great grandfather was 60 in the 1920 census he said he worked with a timber gang. Does anyone know what that was? My grandfather worked as a slate picker when he was 13. Those poor young boys. 
John McGarveyMy grandfather died in a cave-in in 1887, before my father was born in late November 1887. Name John McGarvey. wmcgarvey@tampabay.rr.com
Great-GranddadMy  great-grandfather John Davies was a coal miner from Milnesville. I believe he's in this photo, bottom right hand corner, second from the right. He came to the U.S. from Wales between 1880 & 1895.
Hello from WindberHello from Windber, Pa.  I am writing stories at the present for our new quarterly historical newsletter for the Windber Area Musuem, it is being mailed out to museum members as a thank you for their support, membership is only $5 per yr, if interested in receiving it.  Your story of remembering the guns, etc. is one of the few I have heard from someone who actually still remembers that period of time in Windber's coal strikes., etc.  If you have any photos, or a story of interest, small or big, memories, etc. that I could put in our newsletter I would be happy to receive it.  Also if you happen to have served in the military service we are planning to honor the men and woman from this area by having their photos and service records displayed during the month of July in the museum. thank you for your interest in our endeavor.  Patricia M. Shaffer,  dstubbles5@aol.com
No. 9 MineMike Lukas was my grandfather from Lansford, Pa., and worked in the No. 9 mine until it closed in 1972.
- Mike Futchko
badkarmahunter@yahoo.com
No 6 mine LansfordI am looking for any info on # 6 mine in Lansford.  My grandfather was a miner there and suffered a massive stroke in the mine. PLEASE if you have any info or pictures of this mine, PLEASE contact me papasgirl@verizon.net. Thank you very much.
Lithuanian Miner George NeceskasMy grandfather George Neceskas was a miner in Scranton PA at the Marvin Mine. (His Army discharge papers list his name as George Netetsky).  Some of his relatives still live in Scranton, although I am not personally acquainted with any of them.  None of us ever went down in the mines after he did. He had 4 children.  3 of those 4 had a total of 6 children (including my brother and I) and those 6 children had a total of 8 children. 2 of those 8 children have 2 children each.  None of those 4 bear his last name anymore, although there are still some Neceskases living in New England now. Only his children spoke Lithuanian.  None of his other descendants were taught the language.
Pa. MinersHi! My family (from Plymouth) were all coal miners. They were McCues, Burnses and Keefes, from Carver Street and Vine Street and Shawnee Avenue. My Uncle Fritz (Francis Keefe) was blown up in a mining accident in the 1950's, and nearly killed, but left with a green freckled face on the left side.
   The early relatives were Hugh McCue and Peter Burns from Ireland. County Cork and County Downs. Do you know anything of that? My mother's father, Patrick McCue, born in the 1870's, worked as a breaker boy starting when he was 9. He was orphaned that year.
Please respond to Turkeyfether@aol.com
Thanks, Kathy  
My great great grandfather My great great grandfather worked in the PA coal mines.   He died in 1906 in Scranton when he failed to heed his helper's warnings to not go back and relight the fuse.  He was 46. I have his obituary and death certificate. He suffered a crushed hand, fractured skull and a fractured radius and died from shock. There were reports that his eyeball fell out but I'm not sure. His wife had a ride to the hospital but did not have a ride back so she had to walk 15 miles back home to tell my great grandfather and his siblings that their dad had died. So, my great grandfather and his younger brother started working in the mines when they were 11 and 10, respectively.  He was born in Switzerland and only spoke German at home. He's buried in Forest Home Cemetery in Taylor.  I think my great grandfather started working Pyne Breaker in Taylor and my aunts at the Economy Silk mill in Taylor. 
Coal miners in the 1920 CensusI'm researching family in VA and WV.  I found in a 1920 census in column 13 (normally for year of immigration) the letters BWF and sometimes MH and these men were coal miners.  Can anyone tell me what the initials stand for?  I'm aware of the UMWA, a union.  Could they be the initials of the company name of the mine?  Also the birth state has USW above the state name.  Am I on the right track?  Thanks for any help.
Carol    Caf1b2h@cox.net 
[Googling those initials gives this answer: The census abbreviation BwF means boy living with father; MH means a miner is the head of the household. - Dave]
Two Lithuanian GGF's were Coal MinersOne was naturalized in 1892.   He lived in Scranton, Nanticoke or Sheatown at various times.  
I suspect he was brought over as "Contract Labor".   That was the story from Grandfather, supposedly it was a German firm.   Anyone know the names of the companies that did this sort of thing, in those days?
Does anyone understand what the immigration process was at that time?  I'm trying to work backwards from the Naturalization to establish the year he came over.
His last name was Lastauskas (which morphed into Lastowski).
Underwood CollieryI am looking for pictures, information, families that have relatives that lived in Underwood Village near Scranton that are interested in sharing photos, etc. My grandfather was a mine superintendent there until they tore the village down. Thanks.
[How are people supposed to get in touch with you? - Dave]
Underwood Connection?I recently found a photo of breaker boys on a site called "100 Photographs that Changed the World" by LIFE. My grandfather and G. Grandfather worked in the mines in PA and W.V. The 4th boy from the left, in the front row I believe is my grandfather. If you took my nephew, put him in those clothes, and smeared coal dust on his face, you would not be able to tell them apart. Even the way he stands to the look on his face (we call that the Underwood scowl, my dad had it, my son has it, and my granddaughter has it.
In researching the picture, it was breaker boys from South Pittson, PA. If any one has any information on Clyde or Fred Underwood, I would be excited to hear from you at: kenginlaz@comcast.net.
Thanks!
Mining disaster 1911I live in the uk and have two family members with a date of death/ burial 13/5/1911. Can you tell me where I could find a list of miners killed in Throop disaster in 1911. My email is caroleh1@hotmail.com
Mining disaster infoI would recommend contacting the following for starters:
http://www.pioneertunnel.com/home.shtml
After that, try the Pennsylvania Archives at:
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=2887&&leve...
One other area is the Luzerne County website.
http://www.luzernecounty.org/living/history_of_luzerne_county
These people are an excellent resource at the Osterhout Library:
http://www.osterhout.lib.pa.us/
Last but not least.  Go here first:
http://www.luzernecounty.com/links2.htm
I do not think you will be too successful in your quest. I hope I have been somewhat helpful to you and not  caused too much confusion.
Good luck.
Williams Coal MinerMy great-grandfather and great-uncle both died in a coal mining explosion near Scranton.  I am not sure where though. My dad says it was before he was born, prior to 1928. He thinks it was in Taylor, PA. Anyone have any info on Williams? rcanfield4@yahoo.com
Davis miners of Schuylkill Co. PAMy David ancestors were all coal miners from Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the late 1800s and early 1900s. John Davis, my great-great-great grandfather, came from Wales as a small child. He married Ann Hanna and died in 1902. One of their sons, David David Davis [??] (my great-great grandfather), and Charles Garfield Davis (great grandfather) were miners. I don't know if at any point they spelled or changed their name from Davies to Davis. But there were so many Davis and Davies miners during that time. This was such a huge family with so many children from each generation and I know there were other John Davis'/Davies in the family. Do you have any further info about the family I could research and maybe help? Please email me, froggy3538@msn.com
Lithuanians in the PA minesMy great grandfather and great-grandmother worked in the Scranton mines during the early 1990s [1890s? - Dave]. My grandmother was born in Scranton in 1915.I am interested in finding more info especially documentation of their existence. Their names were August and Anna Palukis. Have you found any similar info?
My email address in barthra@utrc.utc.com
Thanks
Bob Barth from CT.
Taylor Borough Mine Disaster 1907I now have more information regarding when and where my Great GF and Great Uncle were killed.  It was the Holden Mine in Taylor Borough, PA.  Any information would be great!
rcanfield4@yahoo.com
dot2lee@yahoo.com
Hazelton MinesMy mother's father, Conrad Sandrock, worked the mines around Hazelton most of his life. They lived in a small town just out side of Hazelton called Hollywood. There were strip mines across the road when I was young (1950s and '60s). I always love looking at the pictures on this site and wondering if my grandfather worked with any of these men. I know I have never worked a day in my life that would compare to one day in these mines. I take my hat off to all the men who fed their families do this kind of work. Would love to see the average kid nowadays try that.
G-Grandfather Lithuanian coal miner in Hazleton.Apparently my Lithuanian G-Grandfather was a coal miner in Hazleton, PA around 1900-1915. Haven't been able to find out much more information than that. Anyone know where I can find census records, by chance?
Information pleaseMy great-grandfather immigrated from Hungary to work the coal mines at Derringer and Tomhicken circa 1887. I welcome any information you may have about how they were recruited, how they were transported from the port of entry to Tomhicken.
The Pennsylvania Historical society record of Lucerne County said miners paid for a plot of land to bury their loved ones. My great-grandparents lost three of their children and I would like to locate where they are buried.  Also I am interested in knowing if their deaths were recorded by the State of Pennsylvania or some other agency (Town, County) that existed at the time.
Finally, I want to know of any stories that were written about the life that they and their families endured during this time.
Please contact me at mtkotsay@gmail.com
Thank you very much.
[Your great-grandparents -- what were their names? - Dave]
Taylor, PA, Coal Miner RelativesMy mother's family is from Taylor where her father, George Zigmont was a coal miner. They lived in a neighborhood called "The Patch." The houses were built on top of the mineshafts while they were digging the coal out underneath. Years later the abandoned shafts started caving in and the houses became unstable.  The entire community was condemned and the homeowners forced to move.  
My grandfather, his daughter, my great-aunt (who owned Rudy's Bar at the top of 4th Street) and her daughter were among those who had to give up their homes and got virtually nothing for their property or houses. I believe this was in the 1960s or possibly early '70s. 
George's father, Anthony Zigmont, immigrated from Austria/Poland in 1893 and settled in Taylor.  How did these immigrants wind up in Taylor from Ellis Island?  Did someone direct them there?  Did they already have relatives in the area?  Was there a group who immigrated from the motherland and settled together in Taylor? If so, does anyone know where in Austria/Poland they came from?
Slovakia, miners fromOne looks like my grandfather. Second row down on left in white shirt and tie.  Mikula is last name.  He came to PA mines after death of his father in mine accident. Also Mikula. GF left mines to work in auto plant in Detroit.
Greenwood Colliery & drifts behind Birney Plaza, Pa.Information received.
Immigrant coal minersMy grandfather immigrated from Slovakia and worked the coal mines in Coaldale, Pennsylvania. Does anyone know what year this might have been?
My great-grandfatherMy great-grandfather was also a coal miner for Moffat Mines. His place of employment was near Taylor in Lackawanna County. I recently retraced his steps and wrote about it here. What a challenging life they led.
(ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Mining)

D.C. Transit: 1961
... (The Gallery, D.C., Railroads, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2023 - 4:48pm -

March 12, 1961. "D.C. Transit trolley in front of the U.S. Capitol." 8x10 inch gelatin silver print by railroad historian Ara Mesrobian. View full size.
Pulling the PlowA great photo of a classic streetcar, but what really sets it apart is the unusually clear view of the plow (behind the front truck) which drew electric power through the conduit slot between the two running rails.  Washington DC and Manhattan were the only two significant installations of conduit traction in North America. It was costly to build but spared the street the clutter of overhead wires.
The car does carry a trolley pole, but this was for use in suburban areas where conventional overhead was used. 
Car 766 was already an antique when this photo was taken, used only for charters and special trips.  It's preserved at the National Capital Trolley Museum, mentioned in a recent Shorpy post.
Must Have Been a Special OccasionThe pre-PCC 1918 vintage 766 was an older car relegated to excursion only use at the time of this snap. It's currently being restored at the National Capital Trolley Museum: http://www.dctrolley.org/dccollection/27
(The Gallery, D.C., Railroads, Streetcars)

Silver Sightseer: 1961
... it was burned in 1970, by arson. (The Gallery, D.C., Railroads, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2023 - 12:39pm -

August 22, 1961. Washington, D.C. "Silver Sightseer, D.C. Transit air-conditioned trolley, in tunnel under the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing building." 8x10 inch gelatin silver print by railroad historian Ara Mesrobian (1924-2019). View full size.
The real thingThis appears to be a genuine PCC car.  That ungainly thing onetwo pics back, lurking outside the amusement park, was one of 20 lookalikes -- though I guess not too alike -- delivered before the design had been finalized.
Sightseeing underground?One wonders what sights they see.
Chartered? And empty. Interesting.
I have never heard of a trolley with "air conditioning" before.
And if I may digress, why don't they call it cooling, like heating? The term "air conditioning" must've originated with a corporate source to sound more appealing.
[The "conditioning" encompasses cooling, filtering and dehumidification. - Dave]
Still rolling -- sort ofThe DC Trolley Museum offers rides on some of the historic cars that served the area in times gone by. Sounds like fun. 
Not Just SightseersWhen FDR traveled by train during WWII, he often boarded the presidential car in the railroad tunnel under the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.  There was a now-abandoned spur connecting the building to the main line tracks between Union Station and the "Long Bridge" railroad bridge across the Potomac.  He left from there on his last trip to Warm Springs, Georgia shortly before his death in April 1945.
The Late Great Silver SightseerThe Silver Sightseer started life as a standard PCC-type streetcar (fleet number 1512) that was fancied-up in the late 1950s with air conditioning, plush seats and other refinements to ferry tourists around D.C. It was also said that it was a demonstration of how the fleet could be upgraded, at a time when the transit company, still privately owned, was involved in franchise controversies with the government.
After the D.C. streetcar system was closed in 1962, the car went to the new National Capital Trolley Museum, where it was set on fire by vandals several years later and completely destroyed.  Fortunately the museum has other PCC streamliners in its collection, but the Silver Sightseer was one of a kind.
Saved for a whileThis particular trolley car was saved by the afore mentioned National Capital Trolley Museum, but like many hotels shown on Shorpy, it was burned in 1970, by arson.
(The Gallery, D.C., Railroads, Streetcars)

Goliath & Goliath: 1942
... noted by Steamin. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2023 - 2:39pm -

December 1942. "Locomotives in the Chicago and North Western departure yard about to leave for Clinton, Iowa." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Switching dutiesEngine 2519, on left, listed as a road engine, wheel arrangement 2-8-2, C&NW J-A class, builder: Schenectady Locomotive works.
Engine 2637, on right, listed as switching type, wheel arrangement 0-8-0, C&NW M-4 class, number two in the (2636 was first). builder: Richmond Locomotive works.  Maybe it was pressed into road service at this time.  In addition to the wheel arrangement, this engine gives a clue to its switching role as you see the footboard on the front bumper of the engine, (instead of the 'cowcatcher' seen on #2519) where a switchman would stand as the engine moved around the yard and assembled the train cars from the yard into a train for a road engine to haul away. 
MassiveIf you've never been in the presence of mighty locomotives such as these, you don't realize how massive they are.  I went to see the Norfolk & Western 1218 arrive in Salisbury, North Carolina in 1989.  I stood at the edge of the ballast of the track along with many other people and had to look almost straight up to see how tall she was.  I've ridden behind the 1218 and the Southern 4501 in passenger cars with the windows down and boy did my face get dirty.  Good times.
Flags and markersNote the flags and marker lamps on the 2519.  The flags are dirty, but don't appear to be white which would denote an "extra" train (not shown in the timetable).  They are likely green, indicating that another section of this train will be following.  The lack of flags or markers on the 2637 suggest that it will not be leaving the yard, and is in fact engaged in switching duties, as noted by Steamin.
(The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)

Jack & Mary: 1936
... 41 times! (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Movies, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/29/2023 - 1:45am -

March 13, 1936. Washington, D.C. "Man and woman disembarking from train." 4x5 inch glass negative, Harris & Ewing Collection. View full size. Washington Post, March 14, 1936:


Arriving for Week at Loew's Fox

        Arriving in the Capital early yesterday morning, Jack Benny and Mary Livingstone -- Mrs. Benny in private life -- were met and breakfasted by a group of Loew's executives and newspaper representatives. Mr. and Mrs. Benny are here for a week of personal appearances, in conjunction with an elaborate stage revue, at Loew's Fox Theater. Mr. Benny's Sunday night broadcast will be made from the auditorium of the National Press Club ...
Watch your step Jack.Just about missed the stepstool. Won't be any vaudeville dancing for a couple days.
Fabulous Fox, fabulous BennyThey're headed for a venue appropriate to Benny's stardom. Loew's Fox, opened in 1927, was the last theater designed by Cornelius Ward Rapp of the Rapp & Rapp architectural firm. The grandest of Washington's movie houses, it was renamed Loew's Capitol five months after this Shorpy photo was taken. Closed in 1963, it was demolished the following year--all but the elegant archway, which is now the entry to the National Press Club from which Benny made his March 15 broadcast. 
Benny: "Think of it, just one mile from the White House--it's closer than Al Smith ever got."
Watch your step JackIt would be awfully easy to miss that cheesy little step they put down. A PI lawyer
would be salivating at that these days. 
Forever 39And in this photo, Jack has just celebrated his 3rd 39th birthday the month prior.  He would pass away in 1974 having celebrated his 39th birthday 41 times!
(The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Movies, Railroads)

Union Station: 1906
... from May of 2023. (The Gallery, DPC, Indianapolis, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/25/2013 - 3:08pm -

Circa 1906. "Union Station, Indianapolis." If we step on it (but not in it) we just have time to make the 3:25 to Terre Haute. 8x10 glass negative. View full size.
Before it was elevatedAbout 10 years later, the tracks were elevated throughout the city so train traffic would not impede vehicular traffic.  
The station house and tower remain intact but the structure has seen considerable modifications to its exterior.  In addition, the area under the tracks and directly south of the station house was enclosed and docks put in place for use by freight companies.
You can see the Illinois Street tunnel heading south under the rails.  It was removed and the street returned to ground level. I think this was the only tunnel, all other crossings were at-grade.  It must have been tough getting to anywhere south or east of the tracks as they formed what was called the Belt Railway. As you can imagine, expansion of the city was primarily northward until this barrier was alleviated.
Why Union?Why are so many train stations named "Union?"
[Wikipedia says this. -tterrace]
Electric light gains a toeholdIn the foreground, an arc light is seen on a particularly tall pole... in 1906, they're fairly well established as the modern, whiz-bang way to bring noonday brightness to the public places in your city, like the plaza in front of Union Station. Edison's long-life, low current incandescents would eventually dominate, replacing the buzzing, sparking novelty fixtures. And just in case your fussy arc lights failed, we see several old-fashioned gas fixtures back by the station building.
Fringe On Top, Grade BelowIf this were Oklahoma, that surrey would have a fringe on top.
A deeper thought: I'm surprised at the steep grade change between street and rail tunnel. Wonder if it caused problems for the engineers/drivers.
and today --View Larger Map
+117Below is the same view from May of 2023.
(The Gallery, DPC, Indianapolis, Railroads)

South Water Street Terminal: 1943
... freight terminal, Chicago. The C & O and Nickel Plate Railroads lease part of this terminal." 4x5 inch Kodachrome transparency by ... it? (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/11/2023 - 2:44pm -

April 1943. "Illinois Central R.R. freight cars at the South Water Street freight terminal, Chicago. The C & O and Nickel Plate Railroads lease part of this terminal." 4x5 inch Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.
formatYou asked about the format.  It looks like 4x5. It's sheet film -- you can see the sheet film ID notches and and marks from the developing hangers, which are only used on sheet film.  It's proportioned like 4x5 or 8x10.  It looks like 4x5 because of the sizes of the notches and hanger marks relative to the size of the picture.
I think that back in the early days Kodachrome was made in sheet film sizes.  I can't read the ID on the edge of the image, but that should tell you.
FormatThanks for the info. Along the edge it says "EASTMAN -- SAFETY -- KODAK 62" (they all seem to be KODAK 62 or KODAK 3) and in two places is the number 679. Some of the others also have 679. Others have 678 or 640. The dimensions seem to be about 4.3 by 3.4 inches.
FormatIts 4x5 for sure. Thing I'd like to know is if it is indeed Kodachrome. I know 4x5 Kodachrome did exist in the 1950's. However I'm not sure about 1944. I tried looking up code notches on a Kodak web site but they didn't go back that far. I was able to confirm based on the notches that is at least on Safety Film and not a nitrate base.
Steve Crise
NumbersThe numbers indicate the batch number of a particular run of film. Photographer who shot may images over a short period of time always tried to buy film of the same batch number to try to insure some color consistancy from box to box of film.
Steve Crise
FilmThanks Steve! Here is one from 1943. I reversed it so the lettering isn't backward:
https://www.shorpy.com/images/photos/1a34708u.jpg
FormatIf the dimensions are indeed 4.3 by 3.4 inches, then this was most probably taken with a 3¼ X 4¼ Graflex, which was a popular professional camera of the time. Graflexes were big reflex cameras made from the 20s until after WW2. They lost their popularity to more modern equipment and today can be found only on eBay...
FormatThe outside (uncropped) dimensions are 4x5. Many of these were taken with Speed Graphic press cameras.
SkylineChicago certainly had a more elegant skyline back then, didn't it?
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)

The Rest Is History: 1914
... locomotive tracks. [It would have nothing to do with railroads or trains. The conveyor travels on a track behind the excavating ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/27/2022 - 1:10am -

"Man, possibly William B. Greene, with model for a machine that appears to be designed to scoop up material." Circa 1914-1918, an inventor and invention that scarcely need introducing to anyone born in the 20th century. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size.
It's either 
It's either inspired by monkeys at the zoo, or some form of travelling fan.  Such a fan might be used in orchards on cold nights, to stop a frost settling on the fruit.
But, I'm going with the monkey device.
Back to the drawing board"1914. George Ferris's famously unsuccessful first attempt at a carnival ride."
Salt Water TaffyI agree it's a taffy puller by Peter or a peter puller by Taffy.
I know what it is ...It's a waterway power generator.  An advanced form of the old-fashioned waterwheel.
Obviously.
Unless it's a power ice cream scoop.
ContraptionThe machine could never be an excavator since the buckets are located in line with the wheels.  Also, because of the chain arrangement, the buckets would never tilt over to dump anything.  A friend of mine who has a M. E. degree says it must have been some sort of windmill.  Be nice if someone could run down the patent application.  At the time of this photograph, it was not necessary to have a model of an invention with the exception of those for perpetual motion machines.   Maybe as has been suggested, it was intended for removing bats from mine tunnel roofs?
[No one said it was an excavator. We said it's the conveyor that follows the excavator. If the buckets were full and not in dump mode they'd be facing up, side by side.  - Dave]
Well of course.It's the prototype of the machine that would eventually add two scoops of raisins to Raisin Bran. This one could do two boxes at once.
How longare you going to keep us guessing?  It's slowly driving me crazy!
You can build this!My first thought was an early Erector Set.
Another way of looking at it
What it isObviously (or maybe not) this is some sort of mining conveyor designed to travel on a track in the tunnel behind the excavator. The buckets are shown here in the dump position. The electric motor would be for demonstration purposes.
[I think you're on the right track. So to speak. The archive caption for these is "unidentified machine model." - Dave]
Wensleydale ExcavatorQuite clearly a young Wallace. But where is Gromit?  He can explain everything.
Drive TrainI'm still not sure of this device's intended purpose, but based on the two images, I'm pretty sure this is how it operated.  Perhaps with this sketch, someone might be able to come up with the intended application.

The sketch shows the chains and sprockets in bold and the electric motor at left.  The "buckets" on the end of each arm are kept synchronized in the shown position relative to the floor based on the evidence supplied by the second photo.  Only one of the two arms is shown in this sketch and the "phantom" arm is provided only to show the synchronized orientation of the "buckets" as the arm rotates.  The chain was intentionally disconnected in the first photo so that the arm could be manually rotated to show the construction details.  The second photo show both arm aligned parallel with each other.  The relationship of the buckets with respect to the floor could be varied depending on how both "bucket" sprockets were initially aligned with their sprockets on the drive shaft.  Based on the small number of teeth on the motor sprocket, this was a low-speed device (less than 100 RPM).  My guess is that this is a working model that was submitted along with the patent application.
Scoop?With the open sides of the buckets it doesn't seem that it would be a very efficient scooper of anything unless that which it was scooping was larger than the openings. I can't imagine what that would be. For that matter, I can't imagine what this is. 
Maybe we need to think larger scale. Perhaps this is a small scale model of what is intended to be a much larger contraption. If the sides of the buckets were closed it could scoop just about anything. I think the key here is the two sets of buckets on either side. Maybe this was for a farm for digging rows for planting. Maybe it was an early ditch witch for burying power lines - a hot and a neutral.
[I'd say our 3:36 commenter pretty much nailed it. - Dave]
I am the energizer bunny of waiting DaveI think Dave has gotten our expectations too high, and now he will not be able to deliver.
To say that anyone born in the 20th century will instantly go "oohhh...so that's who/what he/it is" may be a promise he can't keep.
Universal recognition of a piece of mining equipment, and by anyone born during anytime of a whole century?
No, sad to say, I think Dave realizes his mistake, and is delaying, hoping to wait and tire us out.
But I will be here Dave...waiting...waiting...waiting.
[Did we not read all the comments? The answer, such as it is, is down below. - Dave]
Dave cracks me upIts his witty comments that make the difference as we ply around in the dark trying to figure out some goofy photo. Its Dave who makes it such fun. What a goof!
Well of course.It's a taffy stretcher. Am I warm?
Car.It's simply an automobile that moves by pushing air.
The scoops are obviously less practical than propellers, but perhaps the idea of a propeller wasn't as obvious then as now. Or the inventor was just dumb.
That's Peabody, famous in West VirginiaExperimental model of a dragline or bucket conveyor.
SprocketsI've got no idea what this is, but it's never going to work as long as the crucial middle chain remains off the sprocket.
If the inventor spent less time looking fiercely proud, in his obviously used-to-ridicule way, and more time hanging all his chains, we'd have guessed what this is by now.
Not Scoops or ScrapersEach pair of hoppers is facing in the same direction at all times, as controlled by the chain drives when the central shaft rotates. So it can't be intended to operate as a set of scoops for wind or water, or scrapers, or conveyor buckets. This inconvenient arrangement shot down my pet theory that the device was intended to clear roosting bats from the ceilings of railroad tunnels.
Generator, tooI see it as a generator, too, but a hydro-electric one. Small scale, for use in a stream, or at a small waterfall. Wheels just for display purposes?
CannibalizationI dunno what it is, but Mrs. Inventor is going to be plenty ticked off when she finds out what's happened to their baby carriage, bicycle and coal scuttles.
SnowplowIt's a early electric snowplow. Not only did the electric cord do it in, but it didn't have anything attached to it to knock over roadside mailboxes or pile up snow at their driveway entrances.
A flying machineThe scoops take up air at a constant aspect angle as they rotate.
My guessA generator, perhaps wind-driven.
Obviously"Harry Reese's early attempt at making machinery for use in combining and cupping chocolate with peanut butter."
If it was intended for useIf it was intended for use in a mine, it wasn't well designed.  That motor would not last more than a day or two if that in the dust of a mine.  All those friction points would be dangerous in a gaseous mine environment.  And if it's a miniaturized model, full size it would be too big to operate in the tight confines of a mine.
Maybe it was a prototype that never went into production.
[As noted below, the motor would be for demonstration purposes. As for "friction points," just about any coal conveyor would have had zillions.- Dave]
You may laugh now......But just wait 'til you wake up to see an army of those things marching down your street!
Following in Grandpa's Footsteps...It's Eli Whitney the Fifth, and his Patented Gin Cottoner
Medical technology setback"This well-intentioned but ill-conceived invention thwarted doctors' attempts to encourage regular colonoscopies for almost fifty years."
Sound effectsIt's clearly a "clip-clop" sound effects machine for the movies. Unfortunately, the inventor failed to realize that talkies were still several years away.
Congressional Sanitation DevicePrototype device, designed to patrol the Congressinal aisles, scooping up massive amounts of government waste and depositing it in a trailing container for recycling. The practical Dual Scoop System permits it to work both sides of the aisle. A fleet of them were subsequently manufactured and work diligently to this day.
Road Apple CleanupThis is a nice Electric Rolling Pooper Scooper.
This inventor would have been a household name but for the phasing out of horse-drawn carriages.
WowNicest apple peeler I've ever seen.
Please, introduce us!Well, yeah, gee that thing sure does look familiar, I had one in my backyard growing up, but even then I wasn't sure if it was to rock the baby or pick the corn or thresh the wheat. I'm sure I'll slap my forehead and feel real dumb when you tell us, but what the heck is that, if not a ferris wheel with finger-removing gearwheels?
It's a KlugeAs the story goes, a Navy captain wanted to know every man aboard his ship and what they did. All went well until one sailor came before the Captain, gave his name, rank, and serial number followed by "Kluge maker, first class."  
After some discussion among the officers, the Captain said he would certainly like to see a kluge in action. The young swabbie said he would demonstrate the next day. And sure enough, at noon sharp the sailor wheeled an ungainly object to the rail, and threw it overboard. 
As it hit the surface it went "Kluge."  
Obviously this is a prototype kluge. 
Another Fine Acme ProductNew! Acme Little Giant Spilz-All (Pat. Pend). 
Despite the helpful drawing, I'm still mystified by the orientation of the hoppers, since the very simple gearing and chain drives appear to keep them rotating to preserve the same angle (i.e. dumping only, as shown) through the full rotation around the main horizontal shaft. UNLESS the gear on each hopper is actually rotating it 360 degrees as it circles the shaft. Even with a fixed rate of rotation there might be a point in the rotational cycle in which a hopper is on the horizontal to receive loose material from one source and then, as it rises and turns, dump it onto a receiving conveyor positioned at a higher level. The device might then function as a sort of elevator from one conveyor to the next. But this still seems pretty whack, since the usual way of doing this is by ramping pairs of conveyor belts one above the other. This device may be so mysterious because the inventor offered a solution to a non-existent problem, and it never got beyond the demonstration model stage.
Holy bucketsThe "buckets" can't be for holding anything because they are open at the sides. 
Maybe the "working" side of the bucket is the outside. Perhaps it's an automated skein for winding yarn or some other textile manufacturing process.
[The buckets in this coal or ore conveyor would be closed in a working example. The near end of the bottom left bucket shows how it would look. - Dave]
Maybe & Maybe NotSome seemed convinced that this is a coal or ore conveyor designed to ride behind a coal car, but I'm not convinced. If it was meant for that task, wouldn't the scooping buckets clear a wider path than just over the rails? This design would account for a lot of waste. If that is what it is, then perhaps that is why the design failed, but I don't think so. 
Since it is only scooping over the rails, perhaps it was designed to ride in front of the cars and was meant to clear debris off the rails to keep the cars from derailing. Perhaps it is (also) meant to run in front of a train to clear heavy snow off locomotive tracks.
[It would have nothing to do with railroads or trains. The conveyor travels on a track behind the excavating machine in an underground mine to get the coal or ore out of the tunnel, moving its cargo both horizontally and vertically. Or it might move along a track in an open-pit mine. Whatever it is, it looks mining-related. Designed for carrying and dumping. - Dave]
Ok I don't want to give up...Thank you for this one, it has been one of the most entertaining posts I have witnessed.  You need to do more mystery objects/people often.
Ok but...This will be my last comment because I'm obviously not understanding the explanation that you seem so sure of. 
There is a large gap between the 2 buckets. If this is the design then it would only scoop coal or ore off the two sides and leave a large gap in the center. Unless I'm missing something - which is always a possibility - that does not make sense.
[I think you are confusing the excavator (the machine that does the mining) with the conveyor. Which conveys -- i.e. it is designed for carrying and dumping. Not scooping. - Dave]
Ummm, no.You're grasping at straws.
[Below, an electrically powered excavator. The coal is carried to the left along the conveyor belt on top and dumped or dropped or shoveled into coal cars or buckets, which are on a track. - Dave]

Beating a dead horseNo, I'm not confusing anything about the terminology. This "conveyor" that you are imagining this thing to be, if it runs behind the excavator, as you claim, only conveys material that is sitting on top of the rails. There is a huge gap between the rails that is left untouched. Nothing is conveyed between the rails. This is the issue I have with the explanation being given.
[The excavator fills the buckets of the conveyor from above. The coal is not "sitting on top of the rails." - Dave]
Re: Ummm, no.Yikes. Nightmares!
Sing along now...It went "zip" when it moved
and "pop" when it stopped
and "whirrr" when is stood still
I never knew just what it was
and I guess I never will
What's the nameof the inventor?
[We don't know. At least not yet. - Dave]
The buckets always face the same waySo it must be a seed spreader. (A person pushes the device along and the seeds spill out of the openings in the side of the buckets as the buckets move gently up and down.)
Barber-GreeneIt's a bucket loader, invented by Harry H. Barber and William B. Greene. I don't know which of the two is the guy in the picture.
[I think you're onto something. Among Barber-Greene's early products were a coal conveyor and  a mobile bucket loader for use in cement plants. Who are you and how'd you figure this out? - Dave]
Founding Barber-Greene
Barber-Greene was founded in 1916 by Harry Barber and William Greene, co-workers at Stephens-Adamson, a conveyor company. Interested in embarking on a business venture of their own, the two became partners – Barber would handle product design, while Greene would be in charge of finance and business administration. The partners were interested in mechanizing small jobs "out of the shovel and wheelbarrow stage."
The First Conveyor Orders
Initially, Barber and Greene operated their new company from a makeshift office in a guest room at the Barbers’ residence. They subcontracted W.S. Frazier and Co. of Aurora, Ill., to manufacture the products Barber-Greene designed. In October 1916, the partners established credit with General Electric, and ordered the supplies they would need to make their first conveyor, the "No. 1," in the Frazier workshop. Before long, the company had received an order from Lilley Coal Co. With the profits made from this order, the partners began advertising in the Retail Coalman, a Chicago-based publication. As a result, the company began to receive multiple orders, and began to grow.


Harry H. Barber, William B. Greene
(The Gallery, Curiosities, Harris + Ewing)

Hello Up There: 1910
... (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cleveland, DPC, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/04/2023 - 12:24pm -

Cleveland circa 1910. "Lift Bridge (raised) and Superior Avenue Viaduct (swing bridge at left), Cuyahoga River." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Re: What's Up?Did he climb up or ride it up?
Single-leaf BasculeGrowing up in along the St. Johns River, I was fascinated by the Florida East Coast Railroad bridge, which (like the one in this Cleveland photo) raised its metal deck and superstructure on a single pivot with a heavy counterweight.
Now I know this is called a single-leaf bascule bridge. Below is an impressive modern example (albeit for pedestrians only) in Poland.
Large box kites?Or perhaps fishing nets on drying racks in front of the Monson Fish Company?

What's Up?

Treasure Island MishapFour Canadian women visiting Florida in 1973 got hung up for two hours in their 1962 Thunderbird when a drawbridge opened. The full story is here.
What's Up Too?Maybe that's Charlie Chaplin before he became famous?
They have better bridges and water nowThere is still a lift bridge in Cleveland; I'm not sure if it's this one or not.  But you can visit Jack Knife Bridge No. 464, a historical landmark.  Seen below from the Willow Avenue Bridge.
I remember when the Cuyahoga River was awarded Laugh-In's Flying Fickle Finger of Fate for catching fire in 1969 from all the chemicals in it.  But the river had already caught fire in 1868, 1883, 1887, 1912, 1922, 1936, 1941, 1948 and 1952.  However, in 1969 the times were a-changing, plus Cleveland manufacturing jobs were disappearing, so cleanup efforts began in earnest.

(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cleveland, DPC, Railroads)

City of Angles: 1915
... courthouse. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/14/2023 - 10:44am -

Circa 1915. "Mount Adams incline, Cincinnati, Ohio." One of five "Cincinnati incline" railway elevators serving that city's hillside suburbs. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size.
Sadly goneAll of Cincinnati's inclines are long gone. The Mount Adams was noteworthy in that it carried streetcars up the incline, and traces of the right-of-way can still be discerned today.  But any hopes of reconstructing it are but a dream, since the area at the foot of the incline is now a tangle of limited-access highways.
A second coming (and going)in HO scale: maybe only 1/87th the size, but definitely a lot more than 1/87th as exciting!


The view todayRookwood Pottery is still visible on the left on the mountain.

So InclinedThe Mount Adams Incline wasn't noteworthy for carrying streetcars, since four of Cincinnati's five inclines did that. The exception was Price Hill, which had a separate passenger-only plane and open platform freight plane.  Mount Adams was noteworthy, however, for being the only incline to carry city trolleybuses and motor buses in its waning years (Price Hill did occasionally carry private motor buses on its freight plane in the 1920s).
https://www.jjakucyk.com/transit/streetcarinfo.html 
Also at the bottom of the photo is a remnant of the Miami and Erie Canal.  Ten locks were required to descend the 3/4 mile distance to the Ohio River now occupied by Eggleston Avenue.  Since canal barges can't navigate the river, and the numerous locks made this a tedious section to traverse, it was abandoned in about 1863. After that time the canal terminated on higher ground near today's county courthouse.
(The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Railroads, Streetcars)
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