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Rochester: 1904
Circa 1904. "State Street, Rochester, New York." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing ... of them we might not get to visit in person. Read where Rochester is second only to NYC in size of economy even though it is third in ... must have been around the time that the bicyle craze hit Rochester. Sweet oblivion When I was a kid, my dentist had a sign in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/11/2013 - 8:52am -

Circa 1904. "State Street, Rochester, New York." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Web 1.0All the building to building wires.  Just amusing to see all the lines run at such heights and no street lamps.
Hustle and bustleLove to see pictures of the mid-size and smaller cities that you have been showing.  Especially, since many of them we might not get to visit in person. Read where Rochester is second only to NYC in size of economy even though it is third in population in the state. Busy looking street here in 1904.
My Hometown! I love how different my city is in the past than what it is today. This was taken about 90 years before I was born so it was pretty amazing. 
JaywalkingYou look at these old pictures and wonder when jaywalking became illegal. Maybe in the 1930s when there were more cars in the big cities.
Personal TransportationThis must have been around the time that the bicyle craze hit Rochester. 
Sweet oblivionWhen I was a kid, my dentist had a sign in the office that read "Painless Dentist Upstairs" - off-putting to say the least as there was no second floor in his establishment.
But in Rochester it seems to have been true - examine the windows in the building on the upper right, where Oxide Gas - I take that to be Nitrous - is on offer. 
Missing Street LampsWhile there do not appear to be any street lamps, there are poles that appear to be suited to support lamps - and they do not seem to have any other function.
[Look closer. Those are supports for the streetcar wires. - Dave]
Powers BuildingThe Fidelity Trust building is actually the Powers Building -- see full history and current pix here:
http://www.powersbuilding.com/index2.asp?page=history.asp
Colorized!Fellow Rochesterians, here it is colorized.
Rochester Street LampsTake a look on the left sidewalk next to the street clock: there is an elaborate black cast-iron street lamp with two clear globes suspended from a crossbar.
(The Gallery, DPC, Rochester, Streetcars)

Hotel Rochester: 1908
Rochester, New York, circa 1908. "Hotel Rochester, Main Street and Plymouth Avenue." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit ... Roof Bldg. The building with the odd curved roof is the Rochester Savings Bank, built in 1844 and described by one writer as a "fancy ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 11:42am -

Rochester, New York, circa 1908. "Hotel Rochester, Main Street and Plymouth Avenue." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Mostly GoneWhile the hotel is gone, the building mostly hidden behind it with the steep roof still stands.
View Larger Map
1907 - 1999"300 all outside rooms" that rented for $1.50 a night. Later it was turned into a dorm for RIT, but it was torn down in 1999.

Mostly goneAnd even the old building that still stands is in disrepair.
Curved RoofDoes anyone have any idea what the building at the next corner, to the left, was?  That roof area looks like glass panels, an enclosed garden room, perhaps.  It is gone, I think, the "slanty" roof building is still there, as noted, but I don't think they were connected. Interesting. 
Curved Roof Bldg.The building with the odd curved roof is the Rochester Savings Bank, built in 1844 and described by one writer as a "fancy wedding cake." It was at the SW corner of West Main & Fitzhugh Streets.  Just beyond it (almost at the left edge of the photo) on the SE corner of the same intersection is the Monroe County Building, completed around 1894 and still standing.  The building with the mansard roof, just barely visible to the left to the Hotel Rochester, is the Rochester Free Academy.  It still stands, but has long ceased to serve as an educational institution.  
The once grand Hotel Rochester building was imploded on the Saturday before Christmas, 1999; hundreds of onlookers witnessed the event.
ThanksThe beauty of Shorpy!  Thanks, Chip.  Still curious about that upper floor where the glass is [or appears to be].
National TheatreDoes anyone know anything about the National Theatre next door? I can't find any references to it.
(The Gallery, DPC, Rochester)

Rochester: 1904
"Powers Building, Rochester, N.Y., 1904." Detroit Publishing. View full size. One for the ... by them regularly. Suffragist Susan B. Anthony was a Rochester resident for most of her life, coming to the area with her family as ... stop the car and use a track bar. (The Gallery, DPC, Rochester, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/06/2012 - 6:03pm -

"Powers Building, Rochester, N.Y., 1904." Detroit Publishing. View full size.
One for the PreservationistsA nice tour of Western New York the past few days, Dave.
This one's still there:
View Larger Map
Powers CloseupClick to enlarge.

Not Just OneBoth of those large buildings still exist. The left one has had some remodeling to the facade and the roof line has been altered.
StoneworkAbout that construction site: it looks like there is a lot of stonework being done at this phase. I'm going to guess that the picket-like debris is crating for precut stones, possibly Greek style columns that are built up from many smaller stone disks.
5 to 3The men on the bottom left intrigue me for some unknown reason. I wonder what they're doing in the late afternoon amongst all that junk.
[That's a construction site full of building materials. - Dave]
Hustle and BustleThe ghostly elongated motions of people and transportation devices adds further artistic complexity to this fantastic image. You sense the dynamics.
Shorpy Construction Co.Don't think we don't notice how the Shorpy watermark is angled to look like it's painted on the construction site fence!
That Great-Grandpa Shorpy sure knew how to put up a building.
Modernizing It's good to see that this building with its magnificent ornamentation has largely escaped modernization -- but they still managed to muck up the ground floor. I'm trying to figure out where the basement with the hot & cold showers went. 
Some Like it ColdAs always, it is the incredible detail that makes these photos and site come to life. Notice competing insurance companies upstairs from the main entrance of Fidelity Trust: You have Phoenix Mutual Life, and a little higher up, Ashley & Loewenguth. On the ground floor you have a One Price Hatters and Furriers. (Doesn't say it is a low price. Could be a high price. Just says it is one price).
But the best sign in this picture has to be down in the basement. It reads Hot, Cold Shower Baths 25 cents.
I know that many hotel/apartment buildings of the era had a single bathroom down the hall, for all the residents of a floor. But does that really mean that people were excited to go take a cold shower in 1904? Brrrrr.

[And let's not forget "Pony Moore" next door. - Dave]
Super PowersThanks for posting this! The Powers Building is my favorite building in town. So cool to see such an old photo of it in high resolution!
Elevation changeNotice the huge elevation change...there used to be many steps leading up to the front door, now it's at grade.
I guess that's where the underground baths went, further underground!
Grand Union IntersectionThis is the first photo I've ever seen of a "grand union" track junction -- where two two-track railway lines meet, usually at a street intersection, and railroad switches allow any streetcar coming from any direction to turn either left or right onto the intersecting line.
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Grand-union
A girl named SueI'm so very late to the party on this one, but this is the corner of West Main (running left-right) and State/Exchange.  Many of the buildings on State Street (the far right) are still standing today, and I walk by them regularly.
Suffragist Susan B. Anthony was a Rochester resident for most of her life, coming to the area with her family as a young child on a packet boat on the Erie Canal.  One of my favorite stories to tell when I volunteered at her home as a docent was what transpired when she was arrested in 1872 for voting.  The deputy planned to make her pay for her trolley ride to the police station, but she refused, stating that she was traveling at the expense of "this fine gentleman here, and he will pay my fare."  She would have traveled down Main Street that day on these very tracks to the police station.
Thank you for presenting this photo!
How do streetcars turn?Geezer's spotting of the Grand Union Junction gives me incentive to ask something I've long wondered -- when a street car approaches a junction (switch point) how does the operator make the car go in the desired direction? It seems unlikely that he stops and gets out, or that someone is standing by to throw a switch externally. And what ensures that both trucks make the same turn?
Directionality>> how does the operator make the car go in the desired direction
In most cases there is no question of "desired direction." The car follows the tracks, which have already been switched. To change the switch points, the operator would have to stop the car and use a track bar.
(The Gallery, DPC, Rochester, Streetcars)

Tank: 1942
... photo was taken in April of 1942 in what I'm guessing is Rochester N.Y. The back of the photo has printed on the back: Chas. J. Ewing 402 Temple Bidg. Stone 2482 Rochester N.Y. April 6th, 1942 View full size Rochester for sure! ... 
 
Posted by Tony W. - 09/17/2011 - 8:11pm -

I'm not sure who exactly took this photo but it could have been my great grandfather who fought in WWII. The photo was taken in April of 1942 in what I'm guessing is Rochester N.Y. The back of the photo has printed on the back: Chas. J. Ewing 402 Temple Bidg. Stone 2482 Rochester N.Y. April 6th, 1942 View full size
Rochester for sure!The big building behind the trees is the old Naval Armory, which now houses the Geva Theatre. Great picture!
Tank NotI'm not totally sure what this tracked vehicle is, but I'm betting it's not a tank of 1942 vintage. The width is way wrong for a tank.
Tank So!It's a tank all right, just not a very big one. This is an M3 Light Tank (known as "Stuart" or "Honey" in British service.) It weighed a bit over 14 tons and was about 8 feet wide. 
Bumper NumberI think the 35th Armor Regiment was at Pine Camp, New York at this time. They were part of the 4th Armored Division.
Temple BuildingThe Temple Building is an office building in downtown Rochester, built in 1925. (http://www.templebuilding.com/lifestyle/history)  I suspect Charles Ewing had an office there, suite 402. "Stone 2482", in that case, would probably be Ewing's office phone number, though it normally would have been written "STone"; at the time, six-digit numbers were still used in many places.
Charles EwingI should have checked before submitting my previous comment. The 1942 Rochester City Directory lists Chas. J. Ewing as a photographer with an office at 14 Franklin (the address of the Temple Building), room 402. The directory doesn't list phone numbers, but I still think that's what ST-2482 was.
(ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Tonypix)

Over the River: 1904
Rochester, New York, circa 1904. "Where Main Street crosses the Genesee." 8x10 ... Trolls living under the bridge? I've lived in Rochester for over 20 years and didn't realize there formerly were buildings on ... chutes. +106 Here's the same view circa Fall 2010. Rochester Riverside Convention Center is on the right and, if I'm not mistaken, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 6:12pm -

Rochester, New York, circa 1904. "Where Main Street crosses the Genesee." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Ponte vecchioEat your heart out, Florence!
Trolls living under the bridge?I've lived in Rochester for over 20 years and didn't realize there formerly were buildings on that bridge!
But take a look at the construction *under* the arches themselves... Maybe it was just for storage, but with a fair number of windows it looks like living space... pretty tight living space, no doubt.
Chamberpot chutesI believe most of the large pipes that exit to the river are "pot chutes." You may notice that at each landing there is a "wye" to access the pipe much like the more common garbage chutes.
+106Here's the same view circa Fall 2010. Rochester Riverside Convention Center is on the right and, if I'm not mistaken, the old Rochester Subway passed underneath the bridge I was standing on when I took the picture.
A ship's inventionThe concept of a privy built over open flowing water is an extremely ancient one, certainly dating from the Medieval period. Garderobes were built in the same fashion as these privies. They were closets or cupboards, that stuck out from the main walls, over a moat or river. (Often closets for clothing , or "wardrobes" would be built near them. The ammonia was thought to kill lice and moths. 
The ship's "head" is the same design. It's a closet with an open seat, built at the head of the ship near the base of the bowsprit, where splashing water served to naturally clean the toilet area.
The most unfortunate feature of these garderobes was the long smears of human waste that would be left down the sides of the buildings. It can't have been a pleasant sight for the passengers on river vessels. 
Main Street Bridge BuildingsThe buildings on the Main Street Bridge were there until the later 1960s. Today it is simply a bridge - no longer an Upstate New York Ponte Vecchio!
Thank goodness for Shorpy viewers, I was all set to submit a witty comment that a copy of the same bridge was the Rialto in Venice, right country but wrong city. (great follow ups)
Good FishingBack in the day, the Genesee River in Rochester was known as the Brown Trout capital of the East.
Manufacturing plant architectureFor reasons unclear to me, most plants built during the 19th and early 20th century were multi-story. By WWII, the shift to one-floor layouts was predominant -- with the resulting ease of moving material about.
The slaughterhouses used gravity to move the carcasses from the top floor to the bottom - with processing along the way (disassembly line), but few industries had such process integration.
You won't find six-story plants today.
Don't know whyBut I love these ugly buildings.
ETA: I've figured out why.  If they were in colors, the buildings would look like a creation of Dr. Seuss.
The modern view works for me, too.
RochesterYes, Mr. Benny.
Sorry, I could not resist.
+95Below is the same view from May of 1999.
Breezy PerchThere's also what appears to be another privy perched at the top floor of the third building from the left. I can't imagine going out into something like that and placing your bum over a hole in a bench.
Look below and you'll see two people in the windows. At first glance, there didn't seem to be much going on in this scene, but the more I look...
BridgeVery European. I'm assuming this is long gone?
Factory OutletIf you look below the "L" in the Rochester Dental sign, you will see a vertical arrangement of "privies" with the effluent going directly into the river. There is another six-level collection of privies attached to a building on the left side of the photo. Sewage treatment provided free by Mother Nature.
Andrei sul Ponte Vecchio....ma per buttarme in Arno...
Tterrace's comment brought back distant memories from my last leading role in my short, but sweet, opera career!
Vertical integrationMost of the buildings along the river were erected as flour mills or breweries (a hydro power plant was added later).  Both used multiple floors to move through the stages of processing, with grain hoppers at the top (reach by elevators) with grinding below, followed by cleaning/separating, grinding, possibly regrinding, purifying, and sacking for flour (in addition to dust collecting) and, in the case of brewing, by mashing, boiling, cooling, adding hops, fermentation and aging.  Breweries typically had cellars for fermentation, aging and storage. While they had pumps, it was easier to use gravity for the bulk of movement. 
(The Gallery, DPC, Rochester)

Retail Rochester: 1904
Rochester, New York, circa 1904. "East Main Street at South Avenue and St. Paul ... on February 26, 1904, along with the rest of the block in Rochester's worst fire to that time: ... http://www.gendisasters.com/new-york/7988/rochester-ny-fire-sweeps-downt... Sales kiosks? What are the tall ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/07/2018 - 7:35pm -

Rochester, New York, circa 1904. "East Main Street at South Avenue and St. Paul Boulevard." A sartorial crossroads anchored by Garson's Clothiers. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size.
Granite is no guaranteeagainst conflagrations, as the so named building on the far right, which housed the Sibley, Lindsay & Curr Company department store was gutted on February 26, 1904, along with the rest of the block in Rochester's worst fire to that time:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibley_fire
http://www.gendisasters.com/new-york/7988/rochester-ny-fire-sweeps-downt...
Sales kiosks?What are the tall round things in front of Garsons?  They look like clothes dryers for newspapers.
[Display cases for Garson's wares, in this case, dickeys, collars and ties. -tterrace]
+115Below is the same view from September of 2019.
(The Gallery, DPC, Rochester, Streetcars)

Rochester Panorama: 1905
Rochester, New York, ca. 1905. Panorama of three 8x10 plates. View full size. ... demolition) one Sunday morning to make way for the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. More about Holy Redeemer As part ... the Genesee River. (Panoramas, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Rochester) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/06/2012 - 10:23pm -

Rochester, New York, ca. 1905. Panorama of three 8x10 plates. View full size.
Distinctive ChurchThe distinctive church with two onion-shaped spires in the distance, left of the center of the photo, still stands.  It's on the northeast corner of Hudson Ave. & Clifford Ave.  I believe it's now vacant and its unique architecture is in danger of being lost.
[Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, restored in 1988 and now the Northside Church of Christ. Not vacant. - Dave]
Sign paintersYou'd think a sign company would care enough to make better-looking lettering on their biggest ad in the city!  (The two S's in "SIGNS" don't even look the same!  Not to mention that I first read it as "Roghester Sign Company.")
Cox Building at 36 St Paul StreetNever realized the building had a more extensive frontage on St Paul Street at one time. The right hand portion of the Romanesque Revival building that appears to be only a facade in the panorama was eventually torn down and replaced with something more modern.
Fuel for HayburnersNote the large load of hay going across the bridge at left, brought in from outside Suburbia to supply the livery stables of the metropolis.
The automobiles on the major thoroughfare at right will make such a delivery obsolete within a few years, but for now, the "horseless carriages" are content to share the road with the buggies, wagons, carriages and draycarts that make up the city's traffic.
Great viewThanks, Dave, for the correction on the status of the former Holy Redeemer Church.
This view was likely photographed from atop the Powers Bldg., (seen here:  https://www.shorpy.com/node/5492) which still stands at the NW corner of Main & State. At the time of the photo, the Powers Bldg. was the city's tallest. View is looking east. East Main Street is clearly visible below, with its streetcars and tracks. Notice that East Main's bridge crossing the Genesee River is lined on both sides by buildings (seen here:  https://www.shorpy.com/node/11122) - restoring the view of the river was one good thing accomplished by 1960's urban renewal. The tall building on the left side of East Main is the Granite Bldg., which survived a major fire the year before and still stands on the NE corner of East Main & St. Paul Streets. The tall building on the right side of East Main is the Commerce Bldg., which survived until 1980, when it was imploded (controlled demolition) one Sunday morning to make way for the Rochester Riverside Convention Center.
More about Holy RedeemerAs part of its effort to unburden itself of urban church buildings, the Roman Catholic Diocese tried to demolish this gorgeous building in the late 1980s, but the Landmark Society worked successfully to prevent that. At the time, a poor person in the neighborhood said, "It's the only beautiful thing we have to look at around here. Don't take it away from us." The Diocese then had to sell the building.
Buildings on the bridgeIn this 1905 view, we get to see buildings line the East Main Street bridge. This was one of the unusual features of this city, since this was normally not the case. As part of Urban Renewal efforts, the bridges came down around 1965, providing motorists and pedestrians a view of the Genesee River.
(Panoramas, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Rochester)

Rochester to L.A.: 1921
... and hopped on a train for a nice comfy trip back to Rochester. By the look on Mom's face, I'd say that's exactly what they did. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/24/2020 - 10:30am -

The place: Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco, with St. Mary's Cathedral at far left. The year: 1921. The subject: Three Easterners who've motored west in a battered Cadillac touring car.  6½ x 8½ inch glass negative, originally from the Wyland Stanley collection. View full size.
A different viewHere are the same two buildings seen in a view looking southeast to go with the Shorpy view to the northeast:
http://opensfhistory.org/search/index.php?q=St.+Mary%27s+Cathedral&_ds=1...
St. Mary's burned in 1962 and was replaced with a television studio.
The driver as welllooks a bit "battered", but I suppose we all would be feeling it after close to 3,000 miles in that car on the roads of the day!
Good for themThat must have been a hell of an adventure in that car in 1921. And taken quite a while.
Headlight much?I guess they didn't do much driving at night.  Or maybe there's a really good reason I can't come up with that kept them from strapping that spare onto the back.
[The spares are on the side. In back is the trunk. -Dave]
How long was the trip?In 1919, it took a young Army officer by the name of Eisenhower, leading a convoy of Army vehicles, 62 days to travel from the East to West coast.
And another viewfrom that same year of 1921.
RE: Headlight much?OK but what's that spare tire-shaped thing obscuring the headlights?
[It's a third spare. Which is where it is because the spare holder on the side of the car is full. - Dave]
They Visited YellowstoneThe octagonal decal on the left side of the windshield is an admission sticker from Yellowstone National Park depicting a bison. Decals for the National Parks were given out with payment of admission.  Apparently some windshields got so cluttered that the practice was eventually abandoned. For more info: http://npshistory.com/newsletters/courier/arrowhead/v8n2.pdf
I'm sure that the parks could raise some needed funding if they offered them again.
[Also seen here. - Dave] 
My mother's family did this!Seeing this picture reminds me of a story about my mother.  Her family traveled by car west from Indiana to California when she was a child.  This was a few years later than the picture above - probably in the mid 1920s.
Years later, when I was a teenager (late '60s) we took a trip to California with our travel trailer on the Interstate highways.  My mother pointed out a small gravel/dirt road off to the side of the highway and remarked that ALL the roads they traveled on were like that!
Van Ness Ave has changed, oh wow Sad to report that nothing remains of this view. The former site of St. Mary's Cathedral is now a TV station; an assisted living facility occupies the corner where the marvelously bay-windowed apartment house was located; and a towering Sutter Health medical facility has risen in the distance.
Did they get lost?It's not exactly the most direct route to L.A. to go via San Francisco.  I suspect that they decided to do that to avoid traveling through the desert southwest.  If they did this in summer that was probably a good idea.
[Or maybe they already got to L.A. - Dave]
Lucky to be alive and merely terminally dustyThe car is about a 1912 model so it wasn't new when they started out on their adventure. It was pre-battered from age and usage before they set out on the dirt roads of the day! The hood line into the cowl is the giveaway as to age. By 1914, Cadillac had faired in the hood line to cowl, instead of coming up abruptly to it. This one has an intermediate look with a bit of a rounded piece between the hood and cowl, although I cannot find its exact counterpart in a search. The top arrangement and windshield are also pre-war.
You kind of get the idea that this was a well-fed office gentleman, who lassoed his wife and daughter to come along for an adventure trip without having a clue what he was getting into. His rope knotting/lashing skills are, shall we say, basic. Cadillacs rarely had a trunk in those days; it was an optional extra, so the square attachment at the back, if they had any sense, was an auxiliary fuel tank. Gas stations out in the sticks were about non-existent and most of their trip was in the sticks. You can read stories of drivers running out of gas and telegraphing for more from a train-halt hamlet - it would then come by train freight to the stranded motorist.
People drove local due to the paucity of roads for fast travel to other places. Train was king for medium and long distance. When you read about the wondrous Lincoln Highway, you'd think things were finished by 1928, but that was when they really got serious about building it after years of glorious proclamations and not much action except here and there.
Considering its age and recent history, I think the car is in great shape. A bent-up piece of trim by the front running board and the torn rear top at the (non-existent) C-pillar are the only damage visible in this very hi-res image. It just needs a darn good wash, then wax and lube. You wonder if they sold it in California and hopped on a train for a nice comfy trip back to Rochester. By the look on Mom's face, I'd say that's exactly what they did.
I see a blowout in their futureThe surface of that front driver's-side tire looks a bit sketchy.  Good thing they have those spares.
[The closest side is the passenger side. - Dave]
52 years laterMy family made almost the same journey, moving from Ann Arbor to LA, in April of 1973. 
We also took the long route through Texas to visit relatives. We had an Oldsmobile Cutlass of indeterminate age ( indeterminate because I was too young to know it ). My father went before us to start his new job. I can't remember how long it took. More than a week but less than 2?  With a 6 and 2 year old in tow, I don't think Mom could drive for long stretches. I remember looking for motels that had SWIMMING POOLS. Very important to us snow birds. 
In this digital age, the idea of just hoping to find a motel with vacancy seems hopelessly quaint. (Is that what those "No Vacancy" signs are for??)
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)

Eastman Kodak: 1905
... "Eastman Kodak Co., State Street factory and main office. Rochester, New York." Future home of the late lamented Kodachrome. 8x10 inch ... is alive and well A year ago I went out to Kodak in Rochester for training on their computer to plate and workflow systems. I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 11:55am -

Circa 1905. "Eastman Kodak Co., State Street factory and main office. Rochester, New York." Future home of the late lamented Kodachrome. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Love OrnateSomeone please tell mt that the wonderful little building next door (that housed the moving company) is still standing. If you look closely, you can see a person going into the store. Also, the street cleaner bucket on wheels looks just like the one in the old Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.
Notice the bicyclesNo locks!  I reiterate, NO LOCKS!
Kodak is alive and wellA year ago I went out to Kodak in Rochester for training on their computer to plate and workflow systems. I assure you there is still a huge number of Kodak employees in Rochester. The George Eastman house was an experience of a lifetime. I want to go back and experience the world's largest collection of photographic images.
In the wagon:Barrels of Dektol and D-76.
Good Ole FredHe'll take anything you have and move it or store it for you. I'm guessing he has a bigger building elsewhere!
Human ResourcesThis past summer I struck up a conversation with another diner in a restaurant. He was from Rochester, so the conversation drifted to Eastman Kodak. He asked me to guess how many employees Kodak had that were still in Rochester, I said 100. His answer, six. I thought about it later and couldn't figure out what those 6 people were doing. Licensing the Kodak name? Administering the pension system? Anybody know?
[Eastman Kodak has over 20,000 employees and annual revenues of around $8 billion. Its headquarters are still in Rochester, so I'd bet that more than six people work there! - Dave]
I think you're right Dave, I just went on their Website and they appear to have about 20 Job openings in Rochester. 
A Kodak momentThis picture wipes me out. The plainness of the buildings is their beauty. A few modes of transportation going on, except for a car. A trolley, bicycle, horse and wagon/carriage. I wonder if people named their horses back then. Notice the man looking out the window, 4th floor, right building. I wonder what he was thinking about. 
DetailsI like the human details in these photos. The fellow leaning out the window. The bikes left at the curb. 
RIP KodachromeI assume that Shorpy readers will have heard the news that Dwayne's Photos, the sole remaining Kodachrome processor, used up the last batch of chemicals produced by Kodak just before Dec 31, 2010 to process all remaining submissions of Kodachrome. Now I'll never know what's on the half-roll of Super-8 stuck in my camera when the motor jammed 35 years ago. 
All of it goneI checked google street view, and I don't see any of the buildings from this picture. Is it fair to assume all of it is lost? 
Love the picture though!
Kodak in Rochester todayI've lived in Rochester my entire life and remember Kodak in when it was the largest employer in the city. According to an article in the Rochester Business Journal Kodak now employs about 7400 people in the area.
Sadly these buildings are long gone and the location is now a parking lot for Kodak Tower which was built around 1913. This photo is looking south down State Street at Platt Street.
View Larger Map
kodak is a disgracewhat you fail to realize is that kodak used to employe over 60,000 people in rochester, now they employe less than 4000, most of which are in management positions. my father was a 3rd generation kodak worker who was recently laid off after 35 years of faithful service. that company was his life and they hung him out to dry. those 20,000 are mostly in mexico, since kodak china went belly up, and those job openings are all temp. jobs. kodak wants to keep downsizing until they can sell the kodak name to someone like fuji, who is the biggest film and imaging business. george eastman would be ashamed of what his empire has become.
[What nonsense. George Eastman was intelligent man and a believer in scientific progress, so he'd hardly be surprised (much less "ashamed") that his business would encounter difficulties once its main product became obsolete. Corporations don't last forever; most are lucky to number their years in decades.  This one has lasted a more than a century -- a long and distinguished history. - Dave]
Kodak momentWonderful photo. I work at Kodak's State Street facility as a contractor. I'm very interested in local history and specifically the history of Kodak and its buildings. In my job I get to access parts of the Kodak facility which most people don't see and although a lot of the historic aspects are gone, details still remain and to an amateur historian it's wonderful to be able to walk the halls where history was made. To clear up the employment question, there are currently around 7600 direct hire employees at Kodak in the Rochester facilities plus many hundreds more contract workers. This photo shows the State Street frontage prior to the construction of the iconic Tower in 1912, which would be seen in more recent photos rising behind the far left side of the six story building in the foreground. All have now been replaced by more modern structures (the last constructed around 1948). It's sad to see the buildings which have been lost to time, but Kodak had to be progressive and modern and as buildings became outdated and even structurally unsound, they had no choice but to rebuild. 
(The Gallery, DPC, Rochester)

Merchants Despatch: 1904
... invented the air brake in 1869. - Dave] Rochester's great industrial suburb Despatch is now called East Rochester. Merchants Despatch Transportation Company churned out thousands of ... 1929 + as an ice inspector for them. He worked out of Rochester, then to Bellefontaine, Ohio where I was born, then on to the yards ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 11:37am -

Despatch, New York, circa 1904. "New cars, Merchants Despatch Transportation Co." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
PreloadedIt's interesting that in this shot you can see that the cars, when new and empty, rose up in the middle so the floors were flat once they were loaded.
Brand new Those cars still look brand new and are coupled together in order of their registration numbers, so it seems they come directly from the manufacturer. The date of the photograph was probably not too far from the date of their commissioning painted onto the cars (5-12-1904). 
Newfangled brakesThe freight cars are touting their air brake system, which was pretty modern for that time. The brake hose hanging off the back of the rear car is referred to as a "Glad hand" and is identical to those we use today.
[George Westinghouse invented the air brake in 1869. - Dave]
Rochester's great industrial suburbDespatch is now called East Rochester. Merchants Despatch Transportation Company churned out thousands of refrigerated rail cars (among other types) for over a century in this spot. The car shops closed in 1970.
I wonderif they have that new-boxcar smell?
DrainageIce was used so the floors were raised in the middle to allow the melted ice to run off. They stayed raised even after loading.
MDT infoJust as an addition to all of the above info, My dad worked for the MDT somewhere around 1929 + as an ice inspector for them.  He worked out of Rochester, then to Bellefontaine, Ohio where I was born, then on to the yards at Toledo Ohio.  I used to accompany him to the ice house where he made sure that the correct amount of ice and salt were added to the end part of the car before it took off to other stops along the way to its final destination.  Many memories are with me to this day.
(The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, Rochester)

Arnold Park: 1905
Circa 1905. "Arnold Park -- Rochester, New York." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing ... curbside mounting blocks and hitching posts. - Dave] Rochester Memories I didn't live in Rochester very long but I do remember it having more trees and railroad tracks ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 1:42pm -

Circa 1905. "Arnold Park -- Rochester, New York." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
This looks like the spotFirst pass through from the end, and the stonework entrance is still there.
View Larger Map
DrivewaysIt took me a while to realize there are no driveways on this street, only narrow curb cuts that must be for bicycles or wagons or pushcarts or something. My 21st Century mind kept telling me those were driveways until I looked closer. No cars? No driveways yet.
[Actually the words "driveway" and "driving" are products of the carriage-and-buggy era. Some of these homes may have had carriage houses with driveways to the street. Also note the curbside mounting blocks and hitching posts. - Dave]
Rochester MemoriesI didn't live in Rochester very long but I do remember it having more trees and railroad tracks than any city of its size.
There's one in every neighborhoodThe neighbor who piles up trash in his front yard.  In Arnold Park, he lives in the house on the far left.
Champagne Anyone
Beautiful American Elm trees.  Not may left in our cities any more due to dutch elm disease.  What a shame!
Trees are mapleThose aren't Elm. Look at the leaves....those are all Sugar Maple.
(The Gallery, Rochester)

Washington Cadillac: 1926
... Step on it, Rochester To the Kit Kat Klub! They're Still Like That Cadillac ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 6:47pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1926. "Washington Cadillac Co." A fancy touring car doing its best to keep us from finding out about the "101 Ranch Real Wild West" show. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
Last of the horsesI like the juxtaposition of that shiny new car and the street cleaner who is soon to lose his main job -- cleaning up horse manure.  Now, it's cigaret butts and any other kind of detritus people wish to dispose of.
Gritty by today's standards ...Washington Cadillac Co. was at 1138 Connecticut Ave. NW.
The site's now occupied by looming, sterile office building:
http://smithcommercialrealty.com/properties/washington_dc/1140_connectic...

Step on it, RochesterTo the Kit Kat Klub!
They're Still Like ThatCadillac owners have always parked wherever they please.
Indians, or Serbian spies?Wikipedia has some interesting stuff on the Johnny J. Jones Exposition and the 101 Ranch Wild West Show. 101 experienced a great mystery while touring Europe that could be a project for someone with better research skills than mine. 
Lucky for him it is a one-horse townre: Anonymous's comment about the shifting focus of the street cleaner's task: by 1926 the horse manure problem was but a fraction of what it had once been, and twenty-five years later was just a memory, but a persistent enough one to fuel the culminating punch line of the running gag in the 1951 Warner Bros. cartoon "Drip-Along Daffy." The shelf-life of obsolete cultural references is a lot briefer these day, I feel.
Some Expository Writing...Interesting to see posters for the Johnny J. Jones Exposition.  
This was a very famous circus and traveling fair where Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, better known as Elvis' Colonel Tom Parker, got his first job out of the army running "the fat-man competition."
I'm hoping there weren't swimsuits involved.
101 Cadillac RanchLooks to be a Series 314 dual-cowl Sport Phaeton from 1926 or 1927. An impressive machine.
[What looks like the second cowl is the windshield of another car. Or else there's a steering wheel in the back seat! - Dave]
Another juxtapositionis between the Caddy and the nice shiny Model T to the right. How many Fords could you buy for the price of the Cadillac ? 
That's One HUGE Car !!!The wheelbase was about 150 inches.   No power steering.  No power brakes.  Compared to a Model T at just over 100 inches.  (Thanks, Dave, for this website.  I'm not sure why you do it, but I'm sure glad you do.  I look at it every day and I've recommended the site to more than one young teacher.  This is such an amazing window into who we were, and by extension, into who we are.)  
Price DifferentialWithout getting too technical, you could buy maybe 10 new Fords for the price of that Cadillac.  
101 RanchIt sounded familiar and then I remembered that it was recently involved in a segment of "History Detectives" on PBS. A bit of the story here.
By Thunder What a Whopper!The Attentive Viewer will note all the latest accessories - extra wide Goodyear Balloon tires for skwooshing small animals, four wheel brakes, more road-holding weight - even comes with "automatic driver" and intruder warning system. Surely the radiator mascot is not really "mooning" the owner however!
The Old MathMy '31 Cadillac also cost new about 10 times as much as a basic Ford or Chevrolet. By some quirk of the numbers, I was able to buy it 75 years later for only about 5 times what a Ford or Chevy in like condition would have been. It's still ten times the automobile, though.
101 RanchMy great-uncle was in that show. Charlie Mulhall eventually followed his best friend, Tom Mix, to Hollywood to be his stunt double in silent westerns. He also performed with his his sister, Lucille Mulhall, in his father's own wild west show -- Zach Mulhall's Congress of Rough Riders and Ropers  in Ponca City and Mulhall, Oklahoma.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Dogs, Natl Photo)

Gamers: 1910
February 1910. "A crap game in the paper alley. Rochester, New York." Newsies gotta have some fun, right? Photograph by Lewis ... much of anything. Old Newsboys When I was a boy in Rochester some 45 years ago I recall there was a yearly fund drive called ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 11:44am -

February 1910. "A crap game in the paper alley. Rochester, New York." Newsies gotta have some fun, right? Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size.
A PrayerCome seven,
Come eleven;
O our Father
Who art in heaven.
Playing to the cameraThey are not at all put off by the cameraman. Makes you wonder if it was always this much fun, or if it sometimes got scrappy and ended with a few black eyes and bloody noses. I'm betting it did!
Headline NewsSo, what about those "Vanderbilt secrets"?
Good SportPerhaps I'm in the minority, but I happen to think low-stakes gambling is a fine pastime for our youth.  Notice that none of these youngsters are shooting each other, or wearing pants that hang off their butt, or selling drugs, or defacing buildings with graffiti.  I think today's urban youth could take a few pointers.
Making a contribution, too!They may not have had the opportunity for much of an education (and the conditions at home may not have valued it anyway); they may have frittered away some of the pittance they earned, but, by golly, they were out there making their way the best they knew how - and they understood the realities of the labor world they lived in: no one was giving them much of anything.
Old NewsboysWhen I was a boy in Rochester some 45 years ago I recall there was a yearly fund drive called something like "Old-time Newsboys" when businessmen in their 50s and 60s sold papers downtown to benefit some local charity. By then there were only two papers in town, both owned by Gannett, which probably sponsored the event.
Maybe they had crap games too.
Did other cities have similar charity drives?
Four papers into twoOnce a prosperous city, Rochester was not a big one. (I was a paperboy for the evening TU, btw.) But at one time it had at least the Democrat, the Chronicle, the Times and the Union. I do believe the Hearst chain had an Examiner there too, at least until the Great Depression.
"Vanderbilt Secrets"Likely refers to the troubles of Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt.  In 1908, his wife filed for divorce, and in 1909, his alleged mistress committed suicide.
He died in 1915 when the Lusitania was sunk.
Ah, Rochester NewspapersI remember the Democrat & Chronicle and the now defunct Times Union...the evening paper if I recall correctly. I had a few buddies that were paperboys.  When we had sleepovers I hated waking up at like 4 a.m. to help them with their routes.
Old newsboys' low-stakes gamblingDetroit had the old newsboys. In the 1930s they brought me a book, underwear and a toy. My sister, who died three months ago at age 98, got her businessman husband to start the Old Newsboys in Spartanburg, S.C. This was written up in her obituary.
Low stakes. My older brother played poker in the 1930s with matchsticks, 10 for a penny.
Future movie star?Do wonder what there future was. The young man looking at the camera who seems to be holding the dice was handsome enough for a movie or stage career.
(The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Rochester)

Let George Do It: 1942
... few would get that reference. Timeline Thanks to Rochester for researching George Camplair's history. It really adds weight ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/28/2023 - 2:48pm -

September 1942. Fort Belvoir, Virginia. "Army Sgt. George Camplair on kitchen police duty." Last seen here, 10 years ago. Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size.
Door Color ConventionsWould they have painted the area around the handle which also extends to the trim for avoiding dirty handprints, or is there another reason for doing that?  Low light contrast for the 0300 KP arrivals, maybe? 
For crying out loudA sergeant peeling onions? Must have been as rare then as it has been during my time in another army. 
Well, at least now I know what "kitchen police duty" means. 
The Life of GeorgeFrom www.findagrave.com
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71018696/george-hans-camplair
George Hans Camplair
BIRTH
27 Jun 1919
Berlin, Germany
DEATH
2 Dec 1999 (aged 80)
McMinnville, Yamhill County, Oregon, USA
News-Register, McMinnville, Oregon, December 4, 1999
A memorial service for George Hans Camplair of McMinnville will be held at 11 a.m. Monday in Trinity Lutheran Church, McMinnville.
Mr. Camplair died Dec. 2, 1999, in Willamette Valley Medical Center, McMinnville. He was 80.
He was born June 27, 1919, in Berlin, Germany.
He and Mary Jane McNutt were married in 1946.
He worked with the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II in Africa and Hawaii. He continued as a cartographer with the Corps in Washington, D.C., from 1945 to 1979, when he retired.
He moved from Virginia to Portland in 1993 and had lived in McMinnville since 1994.
Mr. Camplair was named Volunteer of the Year in 1998 by the Oregon Alliance of Senior and Health Services. He had worked as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, Loaves and Fishes and the McMinnville chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
He was a master gardener and worked many hours on landscaping projects as a member of the garden committee at Hillside Manor, McMinnville. He was a hike leader for McMinnville Senior Center. He belonged to Trinity Lutheran Church.
Survivors include two sons, Christopher Camplair of Portland and George M. Camplair of Nashville, Tenn.; a daughter, Nancy Phelps of Portland; and eight grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife in 1981; and a brother, Peter Camplair, in 1971.
Memorial contributions may be made to Habitat for Humanity, McMinnville Chapter, 342 N.E. Third St., McMinnville, OR 97128.
Arrangements are under the direction of Heritage Memorial, Portland.
Who wore the apron in this family ?Sgt. Camplair (1919-1999) eventually made it out of the kitchen and got married in 1946:

On a side note, it can be pointed out that as the family had actually emigrated from Germany - George was born in Berlin - fate might well have found him in another kitchen, peeling Zwiebeln for the Wehrmacht.
SurpriseI do wonder that an NCO gets this kind of KP duty.  Are there no privates?  
Peeling potatoesWhy bother doing it at all?  I grew up in a household that peeled potatoes and carrots, but now I peel neither.  I just wash them first, then move on to the rest of the prep without peeling.  Even for mashed potatoes.  There are nutrients and roughage in those skins – why waste time and food removing and tossing them?
[Those are onions in the photo! - Dave]
More on doorsI suspect Eventerguy is correct; I've seen similar black-painted areas on doors in other military structures, like these doors at Camp Reynolds on Angel Island. Makes me wonder if this was a standard military practice for high-traffic doors, or if each army post came up with the idea on their own.
KP duty? I was this many years old when I learned KP duty was "kitchen police" and not "kitchen patrol" duty! 
Let George do it?Doesn't look like Bob Bailey to me. Probably very few would get that reference.
TimelineThanks to Rochester for researching George Camplair's history. 
It really adds weight to an image to know a little more about the people in it.
Interesting he was born in Berlin but was ultimately in the US Army. Not that was necessarily unusual, but worthy to note.
Thanks also to Notcom for the 1946 news story on George's wedding to Mary McNutt. Probably the girl shown in the 'Sarge At Large' photo 10/20/23 (1942)
(The Gallery, Jack Delano, Kitchens etc., WW2)

Main Street: 1908
Rochester, New York, circa 1908. "Main Street and Hotel Rochester ." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. ... Not in the 1970's. The last streetcar service in Rochester ran on March 31, 1941. By some accounts, most of the rails in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/24/2013 - 4:38pm -

Rochester, New York, circa 1908. "Main Street and Hotel Rochester." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
Streetcar tracksNot in the 1970's.  The last streetcar service in Rochester ran on March 31, 1941.  By some accounts, most of the rails in the streets were collected for WW II scrap drives; other accounts attribute their loss to post-war street maintenance.  I've lived here since the fifties and have only seen a few spots where rails remained, revealed by a large pothole or an excavation.
There's always one."I see you're digging a hole there."
How things changeI'm pretty sure this view is looking east from Plymouth Ave, the cross street.  If that is the Hotel Rochester on the right, that building eventually was the home of Rochester Institute of Technology before they built their Henrietta campus.
Fast crowdI wonder which was taken first, this or the "Hotel Rochester" photo. The roadster parked in front of the hotel is in both, as are the two men standing in front of the theater and the hole digger.  Meanwhile, the coach behind the roadster has either taken on or disgorged the group of six, and the white roadster parked by the pool hall has left, or not arrived.  Fascinating stuff. You guys run an outstanding site.
Unusual Flagpole?I noticed the sectional flagpole on the building with the domed roof and wonder if anyone can enlighten me about it. Perhaps it was a retractable?
One-man CrewIf that fellow dug that hole all by himself, I want him on my team. A separate thought:  I wonder if those barrels were orange?
Note All The Trolley TracksBack in the 70's Rochester seemed to have the national record for the highest number of railroad and trolley tracks on city streets - since removed according to current residents.
Implosionkurmujjin is right about the location - West Main Street, looking east from Plymouth Avenue.  The former Hotel Rochester on the right spent its last years as a nursing care facility known as "Mariner House".  It met its end in a spectacular building implosion on the morning of Saturday, December 18, 1999.  The event drew a large crowd, as such implosions often do.  We took our younger kids, aged 10 & 11, to watch.  They thought it was super-cool. 
Fire PlugYou don't see that too often...a 5 sided fireplug!
I'm surprisedthat no one has commented on those two sporty little motor vehicles, one parked in front of the hotel and one farther down in front of the pool hall.  They appear similar in design, but what stands out is that neither one seems to have a roof.  Anyone have an idea what they are?
[Runabouts. - tterrace]
Dual CarriagewayI'm sure I've seen this sort of roadway before here (such as the Hotel Rochester image), but what's up with the different appearance between the car lanes and the streetcar lane? It looks like snow, but that can't be; sand maybe?
That "unusual flagpole"is very reminiscent of a sailing ship's mast.  Would have had ratlines leading to the platform from the deck below.
At least 1 still standing.A familiar facade, from Google streetview: http://goo.gl/maps/S9XVo
Fire hydrant A lot of high value properties equal high numbers of engines connecting to hydrant. Before gated wye's were common each engine needed its own connection to the water supply.
(The Gallery, DPC, Rochester, Streetcars)

The New Hotel: 1908
        ROCHESTER, Sept. 13 — Rochester’s new hotel, the Seneca, will be opened tomorrow in time for the ... in inclement weather. -- New York Times Rochester, New York, circa 1908. "Hotel Seneca, Clinton Avenue at Cortland ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/17/2017 - 6:25pm -

        ROCHESTER, Sept. 13 — Rochester’s new hotel, the Seneca, will be opened tomorrow in time for the State Democratic Convention, which meets here Tuesday. The hostelry in size will compare with the Hotel Astor in New York. Its architecture is in a general way French Renaissance. It is constructed of brick of brownish hue, trimmed with gray terra-cotta.
        The hotel has a frontage of 130 feet on Clinton Avenue, and is only a couple of blocks from the city’s Convention Hall. It runs back 200 feet to Cortland Street, and along the side has the advantage of a private roadway 30 feet wide.
        The main entrance to the lobby of the hotel is from this private street. This provides a porte cochere, which affords protection to those alighting from carriages in inclement weather.
-- New York Times

Rochester, New York, circa 1908. "Hotel Seneca, Clinton Avenue at Cortland Street." Last glimpsed here, the hotel (interior view here) was razed in 1969. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Cunningham CarriagePossibly an English-Quarter Five-Glass Landau, which were made in Rochester: http://carriagemuseumlibrary.org/home/library-archives/carriage-manufact...
(The Gallery, Rochester)

Shadow-Catcher: 1839
... Cornelius could also easily be a younger version of Edward Rochester, and I feel that both Charlotte and Emily Bronte would agree! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2018 - 5:44pm -

Philadelphia, November 1839. "Robert Cornelius, self-portrait facing front, arms crossed. Inscription on backing: The first light-picture ever taken. 1839." One of the first photographs made in the United States, this quarter-plate daguerreotype, taken in the yard of the Cornelius family's lamp-making business in Philadelphia, is said to be the earliest photographic portrait of a person. View full size.
Sitting time?How long would an exposure have been for that process back then?  This looks rather casual compared to other early portraits.
Love That BobDashing devil!  Love these old daguerreotypes.
- Katherine
How Handsome!I'd date him!  What a beautiful photograph.
Johnny?He looks like Johnny Depp's "Sweeney Todd" character.
Mr. CWow, Mr. Cornelius was kinda ... hot.  He has that Mr. Darcy look about him.  Well, *had* that look about him.
RobertI think the casual history of photography posits that there wasn't really any photography before the Civil War.  Of course this is untrue, but I enjoy seeing this "from the beginning" example!
And it's been mentioned before, but Mr. C is incredibly good looking.  Being a 23-year-old 169 years after this photo was taken, that seems a bit creepy, but I guess it's good to appreciate true beauty throughout the ages.  If only Mr. C had come along a little later, Colin Firth would have indeed been out of a job!
CastingWill Hugh Jackman be playing him in the movie?
Wild ManeAll those years of having my hair perfectly coiffed for school pictures, family portraits, team photos... and it was meant to be free from the beginning!
Quite handsome!He lived until 1893.  I wonder if he admired this portrait in his old age and thought, Heh, I was pretty good looking back in the day...
Wonder what the rest of his life was like.  Did he marry? 
Here's a link to an article about him from Godey's Lady's Book
http://www.daguerre.org/resource/texts/cornelius.html
Time MachineHe looks skeptical. Little does he know that the funny box he is staring into is connected to the Inter-Net!
Robert CorneliusThe New York Times, May 4, 1895:
Headline: Advance in Photograph
As set forth some time ago at the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia's claims for priority are ... Robert Cornelius of Philadelphia obtained the first picture of a human face by Daguerre's process in the world, November, 1839, in the yard of his residence, 176 Chestnut (710) Street ... in February, 1840, opened, at the northeast corner of Eighth Street and Lodge Alley, the first portrait studio in America, if not in the world.
Good lordHe is really good looking.  Jeez.  Now I need to think about how he probably wouldn't be very good date material nowadays (women can VOTE???).
Nicolas Huet. 1837Nicolas Huet. 1837... probably the first portrait ever made
[There are questions surrounding this claim, made 10 years ago on a French web site. - Dave]
How Gorgeous!!I'm in love.  Too bad he's dead and I'm 70.
It could have been something wonderful.
SideburnsYes, please!
Wowzers!Just another female chiming in about how gorgeous he is!  I bet he had all the beauties swooning over him back in the day!  I'd love to read more about him!
Robert Cornelius.He did take another one in 1843, covering his face though.

RobertThe 1870 Census shows a Robert Cornelius (60) in Philly married to Harriett (55), with four children living at home: John (30), Fannie (23), Helen (20) and Constance (16). I'm guessing this is our man from his age and listed occupation as "manuf. of gas fixture." The Census also seems to show that he was rather well off and that his son followed in the family business.
What a treasure, thanks as always Dave.
Mrs. DJS
Robert CorneliusThe quite handsome Cornelius bears a strong resemblance to Beethoven.  See 1820 portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler when Beethoven was 50.  Bed-head is not something new to this generation but it seems to suit both gentlemen.
Family TreeThis picture makes me want to do some genealogy work...my maiden name is Cornelius and there are many resemblances to my father and his father... huh. I don't know much as my grandfather died when my dad was little...
Interesting!
Heathcliff?My twin brother Carl recently showed me an edition of "Wuthering Heights" which has this daguerreotype as the front cover illustration, and we both realize...Robert Cornelius could be Mr. Heathcliff, exactly as he is described in the novel, with that handsome yet brooding countenance, including the military-style sideburns!  Mr. Cornelius could also easily be a younger version of Edward Rochester, and I feel that both Charlotte and Emily Bronte would agree!
Yorkshire, UKHe looks like a modern day Dr Who!
Gorgeous? yes!
BDIHIf anyone is wondering why this is currently No. 1 on Shorpy, it's because this Lewis Powell photo has been blogged on Jezebel.com, thanks to a post on Bangable Dudes in History.
[Super. I wonder how long it'll be before Jared Loughner attains bangability. - Dave]
Yup...I'd do him.
(The Gallery, Bizarre, Handsome Rakes, Portraits)

Death Avenue: 1910
... father's collection, of one of the Shays in service near Rochester, I believe. The spout on the left is not part of the locomotive but ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 4:16pm -

A detailed circa 1910 Manhattan streetscape of rail cars at West 26th Street and Eleventh Avenue, known as "Death Avenue" for the many pedestrians killed along the New York Central's freight line there. View full size. Removal of the street-level tracks commenced on December 31, 1929. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. Update: Click here for the largest version.
A Freight TrolleyI think this is one of my favorite photos ever.  There's so much going on here that is representative of the time that I could spend hours scrutinizing it.  I'd never even heard of there being freight trolleys that would rumble down city streets (I know, I need to do my homework).  All the activity and storefronts and normalcy of it all.  Simply incredible.
"How do I get to the Susquehanna Hat Company?"
Re: Freight TrolleyHere's a closeup of the engine. The coal seems to be in a bin on the front. Bain took several photos of this rail line and the freight cars. I'll post some more in the coming days. Any railfans out there who can tell us more about the 11th Avenue line?

What's she holding?Out of all the details in this picture, there is one that has drawn my attention.  On the left side of the street, about in line with the front of the train, there is a woman holding something white.  Can someone with a better monitor tell what that is?  I'm thinking large dog (though I think it's unlikely that a dog that large would be carried--unless maybe it was scared by the train?) or squirming child, or possibly a massive sack of flour (not that likely, I admit.)  
Anyone?
[Looks like a bundle of packages wrapped in paper. - Dave]
Freight Trolley?I don't think so, at least not by most definitions. A trolley draws power from overhead lines and I can't see any power lines above the tracks or the necessary connecting wires (and their poles) to keep it in place. I do see a steam engine [Coal-powered. See photo below. - Dave] of a fairly specialized type and in the distant background a line of freight cars crossing the street. Given the proximity of the location to the Hudson River (it's near what is now Chelsea Docks) it wouldn't surprise me if this wasn't a New York Central spur line to connect the docks to a main line, in the period before most of the rail traffic in New York City went underground. There is a street car in the shot, but I'm guessing that it's a horse car (pulled by at least one horse).
What I find really interesting is that there's not a motor vehicle in sight, just horses, and the sheer amount of what the horses left behind (to put it euphemistically).
"Freight Trolley"The engine, as noted below, is clearly not a trolley.  It appears to be a "steam dummy," a small locomotive, largely enclosed, often looking like a streetcar so as not to frighten the horses.  A conventional locomotive, even a small one, with large driving wheels and flashing connecting rods, would certainly frighten the animals.
Mounted FlagmanI guess the guy on the horse on the foreground is also a mounted flagman... he is preceding the steam train to protect pedestrians!
Remember... "2000 killed in ten years" on the Death Avenue (Eleventh avenue)!
-----------------------------------------
Funimag, the web magazine about Funiculars
 http://www.funimag.com
Funimag Blog
 http://www.funimag.com/photoblog/
Guy on the roofDid you see the guy on the top of the roof of the third wagon? I am wondering what he is doing! Maybe watching pedestrians!!!

Incontinent horse!Did you see the incontinent horse?!!! Gash...! What a big river!!! That picture is really fantastic!!
Re: Guy on the RoofThe man on the roof is a brakeman.  Riding a car roof is better than hanging on a ladder on the car side.
Horse-drawn tramJust to the right (our view) of the "train" is a horse drawn tram car being drawn along the track in the opposite direction.
BrakemanPlease note that there are no brake hoses on the locomotive. All handbrakes, so the brakeman rides on top because the staff brakes are on the car tops. to stop the train the engineer signals the brakeman and he starts ratcheting down the handbrakes
How fast?I'm wondering just how fast these trains were barreling through the street to hit so many people?  If they were being preceded by a guy on horseback they couldn't have been gong all that fast.  And yet people still did not notice them coming?  How does one not hear a steam locomotive?
Tank DummyPerhaps the locomotive is one of these (scroll down to
the bottom of the page):
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/steam22.html
The sheer amount of detail in this is incredible.E.g. the kids' chalk scrawls on the sidewalk.
I'd imagine that a lot of the deaths occurred at night or in bad weather.
My favorite partMy favorite part is the kid running down the sidewalk on the lower left.  Perhaps he's trying to outrun the train?  He reminds me of the drawings of Little Nemo.
[Lower left? Or right? - Dave]
The beer wagonIncredible photo!  The detail is fantastic.  I like the beer wagon (wishful thinking?) in front of the train.  I am just amazed....
CrutchesWhat about the guy on crutches on the right. I wonder what the story is behind that.
26th and 11thI went and looked up the intersection on Google maps, and the whole right side is a parking lot now.
Triangle Shirtwaist FireThe worst factory fire in the history of New York City occurred on March 25, 1911, in the Asch building, where the Triangle Shirtwaist Company occupied the top three of ten floors. Five hundred women, mostly Jewish immigrants between thirteen and twenty-three years old, were employed there. The owners had locked the doors leading to the exits to keep the women at their sewing machines. In less than fifteen minutes, 146 women died. The event galvanized support for increased safety in the workplace. It also garnered support for labor unions in the garment district, and in particular for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
Much material was provided by several websites, but two in particular I want to call attention to, the first for an overall exceptionally presented look back at this tragedy and a stunning presentation of the labor movement. Truly a brilliant multimedia presentation.
The Triangle Factory Fire – Presented by The Kheel Center, Catherwood Library, ILR School at Cornell University.
and National Public Radio ...
I can not recommend those two sites too highly. They are top-notch.
And on YouTube, The Cloth Inferno.
11th Avenue TrainBeneath the "dummy" shroud, it's actually a two-truck Shay locomotive, a type of geared power popular on many logging and industrial operations with sharp curves and steep grades.
High LineThis rail line was replaced with an elevated line that entered the warehouses of the west side on their upper floors.  It continued to be used into the early 1980s mostly for boxcars of produce.  The boxcars shown are refrigerated for perishable items. The roof hatches are for loading ice into bunkers at the ends of the cars.
The elevated rail line still exists but is now owned by the city which is rebuilding it into an elevated linear park in Manhattan's Chelsea district.
11th Ave trainIf you look at the largest version you can see that it says 11 on the front which would make this an 0-6-0, class B-11. The Shays also show the offset boiler. Great photo.
26th and 11thWest 26th & 11th is the location the fabulous old Starrett Lehigh Building, a block-long warehouse looking like a stylized ocean liner, with train tracks from the pier leading right into the building and up the freight elevators. Its time was past before it was even finished in 1931 as  the trucking industry eclipsed rail freight. Funky old place to wander around if you ever get the chance.  
26th & 11thThe right side of 11th Ave & 26th St will be the terminus of the 7 Train extension from Times Square.  (last station will be 11th Ave and 34th) . They are currently boring down to the bedrock.
NY Central dummy engine>> Beneath the "dummy" shroud, it's actually a two-truck Shay locomotive
It seems the NY Central Shays weren't built until 1923-- so looks like he's right about the engine being an 0-6-0 beneath the dummy housing.
N.Y. Central ShayA city ordinance required that a horseman precede the rail movement, and that the locomotive be covered to look like a trolley car so as not to frighten horses. When the line was elevated it was electrified, I believe with locomotives that could also run on batteries to access trackage that had no overheard wires. At that time the Shay locomotives were put to use elsewhere on the New York Central system. Here is a photo, from my father's collection, of one of the Shays in service near Rochester, I believe. The spout on the left is not part of the locomotive but is on a water stand behind it.
Not The Sound of Silence!Just try and imagine the sounds here! The shod horses clomping down the brick street. The wagons creaking along as the wheels roll on the bricks and dirt. The various bells (church, train, etc) pealing, the subtle sounds of conversations and pedestrian footsteps, the whisk of broom bristles as the street is cleaned! Much preferable to the honking, boom-boxing, brake-screeching, muffler-rapping scenarios we endure today!
10th AvenueAnother pic shows what 11th Avenue north from 26th St actually looked like; someone mislabelled this negative of 10th Ave.
Building Still ThereAccording to a post here, this is actually the intersection of 10th Ave and W 26th Street.  I looked up this intersection on Google Maps and it appears that one of the buildings in the old photo is still there.  It's way down the street..behind the train, the 3rd building from the end on the left side of the street. (The windows look like there is a white stripe connecting them).  I think that is the same building on the northwest corner of the intersection of 10th Ave and 27th Street. Just thought I'd throw that out there :)

29th StLooks like you're right, that bldg is still there, but it's on the NW corner of 29th St and 10th Ave. In the Google streetview it's about a twin of the bldg at 28th St.
At the left edge of the Shorpy pic you see 267 10th Ave, which means the engine is about to cross 26th St. The train moved from the yard onto 10th Ave at 30th St.
Pic of 11th Avenue https://www.shorpy.com/node/12859
(The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Horses, NYC, Railroads)

Bliss: 1901
... a big grin on his face. Eddie Anderson whose character of Rochester was, at the time, considered a major step forward in portrayal of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2011 - 2:59pm -

Circa 1901. The caption here is just like a watermelon, short and sweet: "Bliss." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
I've been a faithfulI've been a faithful follower of Shorpy for over a year, but the repeated selection of these images with anti-Black stereotypes is making me reconsider that decision.  I'm a trained archivist and researcher, and am fully aware of the history and meanings of such images. I'm also a Black American and each time I see one of these images on what used to be a favorite photo site, I feel slightly ill. Black people may have posed for these photographs and participated in the making of negative images, but there have always been people who opposed them (for example, organized protests in response to D. W. Griffiths' 'Birth of a Nation' and Oscar Micheaux' creation of a film in response). 
Censorship isn't what I'm advocating here, but I do wonder: what is the purpose? When such images are presented without context or additional historical information, the stereotypes are revived and the cycle starts all over again. 
It's hard not to feel a bit betrayed.  I've commented before on some of the more dignified images presented here, such as Black Americans participating in the war effort, or pictured in the daily life of towns and industries.  Even when the photos are painful to see (that image of French performer Polaire with her 'slave' servant, for example), we can learn from them.  However, these were/are vicious, persistent stereotypes: dice playing, watermelon. Surely the editors of Shorpy have seen the widely circulated Internet meme with an image depicting an 'Obama White House' with watermelons on the lawn? This type of racism isn't dead.
I used to recommend Shorpy to all sorts of people. I may take a break and just go straight to the LoC Prints & Photographs Division for my personal browsing instead of making my daily visit here -- at least there's a bit more context. 
I really would appreciate it if someone at Shorpy would address the question of why the dice and watermelon images were selected.  Yes, they are part of our history, but they are not at all benign.
[I thought they were interesting. This one in particular because we're having a heat wave. Below: More craps-shooting and watermelon-eating on Shorpy. - Dave]



Spittin' happyYou know, there's not much that cools you down quicker on a hot day than eating watermelon. I wonder what those kids would think of today's seedless watermelons? 
Why a duck?Maybe the barrel was the duck's evening quarters.  When I was a kid we had neighbors who kept a chicken in a bushel basket at night.
And the little duck too. Stereotypical or not, these boys are enjoying themselves. One eating the melon; the other runnning up to see what the other (brother?) is doing? Perhaps it was staged. But there seems no exploitation. These kids are average looking kids of the American South, and are happy. It is refreshing to see. I also like the little duck waddling up, as if he too wants to get a slice of that juicy melon. 
Please People: It’s 1901.Those fellows are not "stereotypes," they are REAL! (and enjoying reality too)
WatermelonYecch, hated it as a kid and I never did develop a taste for it. The seeds are a pain in the neck too.
Summertime joyWhat a beautiful, natural smile on the face of the standing boy, he looks like a young and beaming Michael Jackson.  As for the lad engrossed in his snack sitting on the crate, he reminds me of the commercial saying "Don't bother me, I'm eating."   When I saw the title "Bliss" I thought it was going to be the now-famous Bill Bliss of Shorpy fame, but he was not around in 1901. This photo takes us all back, I'm lovin' it.
Just a guessThis photo "op" was set up by the photographer.
I'm StumpedI've been puzzling over what the one dozen cast iron items that were in the crate that one of the boys is sitting on, might have been.  They began with the letter F.
[Feeders. - Dave]
StereotypicalWe saw in another picture black kids playing dice for money, and now we see them eating watermelon.  What is next? Dancing a jig? These pictures seem to show the stereotypes of the age in which they were taken.
Same day (or week), different boysI was hoping this was going to be of the same boys as the one from the other day, but these little boys are cute, too.  They are certainly much more ragged than the other boys, but I am happy to be able to share in a happy moment in their lives.   
P.S.
I believe the old adage,"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Pictures like this are a reminder of how far we've come, and evidence that we can continue to make progress. Those four little boys were photographed doing things that, granted, could be construed as perpetuating stereotypes, but have been taken part in and enjoyed by Americans everywhere. I don't deny that the photographer may have brought the watermelon to the boys and set up the photo, but I agree with Caseyshebascott, that it doesn't look like they were being exploited. 
Because of their race, we know that their lives were going to be hard. One of the main things I love about photographs is that it is an opportunity to remember people who lived before us. Looking at pictures of moments in their lives is, I think, a tribute to them. I think the boys in this and the other picture would be thrilled to know that there are people remembering and caring about them, 110 years later! The intent of the photographer for the pictures does not change the fact that those pictures are a gift to us, now.  
One last thing; this is not the picture that I expected this kind of discussion from. This https://www.shorpy.com/node/10653 was. I cried over that one, to see that man, whose life we know, for sure, was very hard, treated like that, and for that reason! It reminded me of the horrible lynchings that used to take place, as recently as 50 years ago, and how thankful I am that my two black sons, and my biracial grandson, are not in danger of such a thing.
Raggedy clothesI know people have commented on some of the raggedy clothes in this picture and others. 
As the mother of an active boy about the same age, I just have to say healthy boys play rough. Even in this day where buying new clothes is easy and cheaper, my son will come home filthy and have ripped his clothes. 
When I know he is going to play rough, I ask him to wear old stuff to spare the relatively useful outfits. 
Come to think of it, I was pretty rough and tumbled as a little girl too!
ThxI will admit I cringed a little when I first saw this picture. Thanks for posting those white pics and putting things into perspective.
Lighten upThese are archival photos. I seriously doubt the photog at the time was wondering thru his viewfinder, "Geez, I bet this is will somehow be construed as a negative stereotypical image that I'm creating and in 100 years I will be lambasted for such by overly sensitive types in USA."
Like Sgt. Hulka once said, "Lighten up"
Heat index is 115 right nowI would be delighted if someone would offer me a nice slice of watermelon right now.  And that would be equally true whatever my skin color happened to be.  Some people are much too quick to seek offense where none is intended.
JeezThank God someone asked about the "cast iron feeders." At least some people aren't ticked off about black folks enjoying watermelon.
Acquired by artLooks to me that the watermelon belongs to the boy that's seated, eating, and that the other boy is helping himself.  Made me think of lines from Twain's autobiography:
I know how a prize watermelon looks when it is sunning its fat rotundity among pumpkin vines and "simblins"; I know how to tell when it is ripe without "plugging" it; I know how inviting it looks when it is cooling itself in a tub of water under the bed, waiting; I know how it looks when it lies on the table in the sheltered great floor space between house and kitchen, and the children gathered for the sacrifice and their mouths watering; I know the crackling sound it makes when the carving knife enters its end, and I can see the split fly along in front if the blade as the knife cleaves its way to the other end; I can see its halves fall apart and display the rich red meat and the black seeds, and the heart standing up, a luxury fit for the elect; I know how a boy looks behind a yard-long slice of that melon, and I know how he feels; for I have been there. I know the taste of the watermelon which has been honestly come by, and I know the taste of the watermelon which has been acquired by art. Both taste good, but the experienced know which tastes best.
I Disagree With GumbogirlYes the image is stereotypic but it is also interesting, and as historically significant as any other image on this site.  We understand the context and the times of the image.  Thanks and keep'em coming.
StereotypesI've also enjoyed this website for a long time, but presenting this picture as if it is just any other picture is not right.  A picture of black people with watermelons is never an innocent picture.  Along with numerous other racist images, from at least the mid-nineteenth century to the present day it's signified that African Americans are inherently lazy, child-like, improvident, and ultimately morally deficient in order to dehumanize them so that they can be denied political rights. That image isn't somehow balanced by showing pictures of raggedy white boys playing dice or white farm families enjoying watermelon because white people have never been denied political rights because of their race.  Pictures of white boys eating watermelon aren't equivalent to pictures of black boys eating watermelon.   It also doesn't matter if someone claims to see this image in a "positive" way because that history is always present and has meaning in society, whether or not any one individual chooses to recognize it.  Presenting this kind of image without somehow dealing with its history just ends up perpetuating the stereotype and shoring up its purposes.  This website isn't set up to be critical or analytical--it's a place where people can look at miscellaneous pictures of buildings and people and whatever from the past, make the pictures big and look for interesting details.  To put that picture in this setting without discussion or comment  is erasing its history, which is a bad idea considering how widespread this kind of stereotyping of African Americans and other groups still is in our society.
Tempest in a TeapotI've been looking at this blog with great interest and affection for quite some time, but never felt the need to comment until now.
What I love about this blog is that it is a look at the American Century: it is a view of our past.  To look at a 1901 image and declaim racism with 2011 eyes is not only ridiculous sophistry, but flummery as well.  These images are part of the American experience and, in that context, these children certainly look very happy.  Certainly happier than many inner-city children of today look.
As for slavery-guilt, I feel none.  I am English, so my ancestors were enslaved by the Romans, denied the same rights in the political process as American blacks were here at home.  However, I have somehow managed forgive Italians, and quite enjoy myself whenever visiting Rome.  
Grow up, people.
[There's a bit of a difference between 2,000 years ago and one great-grandma ago. - Dave]
Should have enlarged it firstI concede.  It's a duck, not a chicken.  
Hang in there, GumbogirlIt's so subtle, I would bet that the photographer was oblivious to the stereotype, as most white people are today. I would argue that it is even more subtle now, since so much racist art has been systematically destroyed. It bothered me too, a little, and I'm white, for whatever that's worth. 
Check here and here for some shots of an integrated 1890s US Navy, before Klan sympathizer Woodrow Wilson segregated all branches of the service. Those are just the shots that come to my mind at the moment.
Shorpy gives us history unfiltered. It's up to the community to provide the context.
Don't perpetuate the stereotypes!Don't form your opinions from 110 year old photos.  Instead, form your opinions based on the condition of most of America's inner-cities.
Aw nuts...Here I was enjoying the memory of how my brother used to somehow manage to snatch up half of all my treats (watermelon, candy, cupcakes) when we were youn'uns. Then I started reading the comments and remembered there's supposed to be something inherently evil and racsist about 2 black kids eating watermelon on a hot summer day. 
Welp... so much for nostalgia. Back to the real world.
WahI would give a lot to be as happy and content as these fellows look. I believe it to be genuine. This photo struck me as life in a less complicated time. Stereotype? Possibly, but so what. I guess crybabies gonna cry.
Right on, LectrogeekI like the comment about Shorpy giving us "history unfiltered." Trying to ignore the subject matter of a particular photo, regardless of whether it offends our 21st century sensibilities, isn't going to change what happened back in the day. Let's hope, however, that we can all learn from that history and therefore ensure that it doesn't repeat itself.
As far as this being a part of our history we'd rather forget, how about the photos of dead Civil War soldiers in the trenches around Petersburg (also to be found here on Shorpy)? Is a photo of a dead Confederate soldier, lying in the mud with half his head blown off, any less disturbing? Even as an avid Civil War buff, I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of Americans killing Americans, even if it did happen 150 years ago. But it's history, and we move on, and learn as we go. 
StereotypesTo not show photos such as this and have reasoned discussions about them would be "erasing the history."
When I worked at a certain children's museum and we were preparing for the opening, I was asked to put together a range of stereoscopic photos so that the children could view them. I carefully eliminated the obviously racist ones - like series of views "Mrs. Newlywed's new French Cook" where the wife catches her husband messing with the French cook and replaces her with

Amongst the ones I selected was a photo of a Japanese woman in her kimono looking at the devastation of the San Francisco earthquake. This was eliminated by the curator because of its "racist content". Firstly, I felt that it wasn't "racist" it showed someone who lived in San Francisco wearing, as many Japanese people in San Francisco of the day did, her normal clothes. Secondly, I felt that it revealed to children that there were people other than white people in San Francisco at that time.
As it happened, in order to "not present ethnic stereotypes" NONE of the images in the children's museum depicted any but white people...
The powers that be decided that in order to prevent any inadvertent "racist depictions", they would completely eliminate images of people of colour entirely.
If Dave starts eliminating historical photos which accurately depict attitudes, even what people in the day didn't overtly see as "racist" or "stereotypical" we'd have photos which exclusively present white males, buildings, and landscapes. The fact is that many of the images of women seen here, especially in the 1920s and 1930s depict stereotypical images of scantily-clad women which were taken basically to titillate men. I would no more, as a woman, expect that they be removed because they might be seen as raising an "uncomfortable" discussion.
As it happens, the great number of collectors of artifacts and ephemera with "stereotypical" depictions of African Americans from bygone days is African Americans. In collecting these items, they are making a concerted effort to ensure that the attitudes of the past, as offensive as they may be, are not whitewashed over.
--- Later...
I would like to add that I understand that there are varying viewpoints on whether the image posted by Dave is "offensive". The point I would like to make is that, as has been shown by some of the comments, many people are unaware that depictions of African Americans eating watermelon might have stereotypical connotations. Seeing such images and understanding that, however subtle, such imagery was the result of more overt and widespread racial attitudes.
I should also point out that the image I posted above was one of a number of "alternative endings" for the "Mrs. Newlywed's new French Cook". The last image was photographed with at least two other characters in place of the "lazy black cook" image - A fat "ethnic (possibly Italian) woman, for instance - to cater to the buyer's taste (or prejudice).
I am in no way suggesting that someone who finds the images offensive is wrong. My view is that people who come to Shorpy do so because we want to see the past through the eyes of our parents and grandparents, even when that view makes us uncomfortable.
Chill outI think there's a lot of misplaced guilt on parade here. Until I read all the remarks, the old stereotypes never even occurred to me. I just thought it looked like two kids having fun.
[Different people will have different perspectives. If your ancestors were brought to this country against their will as slaves, and their descendants objectified as "cute" (mammies and "pickaninnies" lumped in the same category as puppies and kittens, in a sort of racist kitsch that's become "collectible" on eBay), you might understandably have some opinions about pictures like this. - Dave]
Regardless of the eraYou never wear the cap with the bill straight ahead!
Aw GeezSome people here need to get a life.
Just Sayin'.
Great discussionThere is a great dialog here and a good illustration of why it's so important to study history and understand context.
Thanks, Dave, for posting all the pictures you do, but mostly for also posting the comments--pro and con--about the content on this excellent site.
What is so racist about watermelon?I can't say I've ever seen a black person eating one.
Dave?What makes you think my ancestors weren't bought and sold as slaves?
[Nothing does. - Dave]
I get such a laugh from allI get such a laugh from all of this. Especially from all of you self righteous people who feel that this is a derogatory photo. First of all, do you know where stereotypes come from? ….well, they’re formed from observations.  And as far as the political repression of minorities…do you really think that this photo has anything to do with that? I mean really…..where does that even come from? I think that you look at this photo and you are feeling something that doesn’t really exist. “You” are making this into some crazy statement….and no-one else.
Do you feel that we should get rid of any photo that may be offensive to someone? Or only the ones that “you” feel are negative? If you erase or deny the past, you will loose the link to how we got to where we are today. There were an awful lot of white people who risked everything that they had, including their lives, to make sure that blacks would get an even shake in this world, and now 150 years later there are still people standing up for you. Somewhere along the line this fact seems to be forgotten. Every chance that you get…you call foul. Just knock it off already, it’s a photo, not a political statement.
[It might be instructive to scroll down and read Gumbogirl's comment first, then this one, and weigh them separately on the Reasonableness Scale. I am not getting a reading up here. Tap tap tap. - Dave]
Thank youThank you to Dave for a charming photo and to Mudhooks for your eloquent comment. Revisionist history is a dangerous thing. 
White Washing HistoryI've been reading the comments on this issue, and I can see both sides. The image does have racist overtones. You can bet that the photographer knew exactly what he was shooting when he took this picture of two Black kids and the watermelon, and I have no doubt that he might have used terms a lot more offensive than Black, Negro or even "colored." And it's not something that went away easily. I have a National Geographic from the 1930s that shows a raggedly dressed African American youth sitting on a wagon load of watermelons having a slice and wearing a big grin on his face. Eddie Anderson whose character of Rochester was, at the time, considered a major step forward in portrayal of Blacks in the media was regularly portrayed as shooting dice, partying non-stop on Central Avenue (in Los Angeles), stealing chickens and wanting to grown nothing but watermelon.
But the fact is that photos like these are a documentation of their times and those times were a prejudiced period. And not just towards African-Americans. Native Americans, Mexicans, Asians (usually defined generically as Chinese) and whatever the current wave of immigrants might have been were also subjected to a prejudiced portrayal. Look at some of Hine's tenement photos and the descriptions he provides for them and you will not get a very negative view of new Italian immigrants. 
My view is that you can't set aside pictures like these to see only the "comfortable" vision of history that shows only positive images. You need to approach it "warts and all" and part of that is seeing the warts. Most importantly you have to talk about it and put it into context. That's the only way that things advance.
Surprisingly thought provokingAlthough Dave's intent to simply post a light-hearted summer scene was clear, at first I was slightly uncomfortable with the stereotypes portrayed in the staging of this photo.  Fortunately, the way commenters brought up and discussed the racial context reminded me what a educational resource this site is, thanks to the engaged community Dave has attracted.
Years ago, seeing the simple minded racism of blackface and mammy figures etc. with descriptions of their historical context forever changed my views on race in America.  As awful as the racist ideas and caricatures of our grandparents' time were, doesn't pretending they never existed make it harder for modern people to put current racial problems into proper perspective?  
The Mark Twain quote was a perfect fit with both the scene as well as the problem of presenting America's racial history honestly and sensitively, given the recent debates over the dialects and characters in some of his books.  Would we be better off today if we banned Huckleberry Finn because we cringe at its period language and imagery?
We know African Americans of this time were subject to incredibly stupid racist ideas and behaviors.  That shouldn't make us erase people like these kids from our national memory.  The children in this picture lived in an unjust time, but they deserve to be remembered today as much as any white kids on Shorpy. The alternative - banning another period picture because racism was so prevalent - doesn't serve history or modernity well.
I think Dave and the community here did well by these kids and the issues this photo raised.
Shorpy UnfilteredI'm new to Shorpy but I'm now hooked, even going backwards in the archive from the first post to catch up!
I enjoy the unfiltered view of the past that we get on this site. We get to see photos taken through contemporary eyes of the day, like we're stepping through a time machine. 
Of course, those eyes may have been accustomed to things being a way that they aren't necessarily anymore, or are now deemed unacceptable by many. If someone is overly sensitive to these things, which Gumbogirl or bmore may be, then a site full of old photos may not be for them. 
You can count me in to the group that never thought of any racial stereotyping when I saw this photo. I can see how some might, but again... even IF the photo was composed with racism in mind (which we will never know), the era the photo was taken in must be considered. Myself, all I see is two kids enjoying watermelon on a hot day.
Finally, I fully agree with Dave that each picture is interpreted differently by each person... and that's what makes them special and causes them to invoke discussion. I get disgusted by things like racist WWII propaganda posters but hey, it is what it is.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigarAnd sometimes, when you've typed the subject line, you discover there isn't much more to say.
One of the things I really love about Shorpyis that although there are clearly 2 different schools of thought on this picture all the comments are clearly thought out, reasonable and respectful. Maybe a couple little pokes here and there, but no personal attacks or hatred. That's exceedingly rare for anything on this topic on the web.
[That's partly because we don't publish those comments. - Dave]
Maybe it's 'cause I'm Canadianbut I completely missed the stereotype that is so upsetting to some.  I had no idea that associating black people with watermelon could be offensive.
When I looked at the picture of boys and their snack, it was a picture of joy.  When my eye first caught mudhooks' picture of "the new French cook" (before reading the captions) it was a picture of a woman playing a mandolin.
Like I say, maybe it's because I'm not American and our experience around slavery is different, or maybe it's because the world has changed and is closer to a time when people are just people, but I just don't get what the problem is.
As someone has said, if you're looking for trouble, look at how things are in the inner-cities today and do something about it.
re: "One of the things I really love about Shorpy"Then that's one of the things I really love about YOU, Dave. I guess it was naive of me to assume no one submits such comments here. Thank you for culling those out; that's mighty refreshing. One of the many, MANY reasons I make time to visit this site at LEAST once a day. You are appreciated.
Slice of LifeI love these old photographs, thanks Dave for sharing them with us. I can see how a boy eating watermelon could push someone's buttons, but honestly, how much poorer would we all be if we could not see this photo, this brief window of this era and these two kids?
ReliefI haven't visited for a while and pictures like this and the seaside pics help take away some of the opressive heat that's all around.  Boy, do love watermelon! 
No bad intentI doubt if there was any bad intent from posting this photo. It just is what it is. It is a part of the culture at the time. Being a historian, no one should try to squelch any part of history, bad or good. It all teaches us. On top of that, this a a nice photo! Two kids just enjoying summer's bounty! For anyone to read any more into it is racist in itself. 
Watermelon daysWell this calls for a story. When I was a child in the District, we still had watermelon carts with horses.  It would come down our street once maybe twice a week.  My grandmother usually couldn't afford one, but every now and again she would surprise us.  If we saw her at the watermelon truck we would wait patiently, until we saw the watermelon man hand her the goods.  Then we would jump up and down, sing with glee and dance.  There would be all kinds of carryins on. We would follow Grandma to the back of the house, our camp ground in the alley, "Grandma can I have a big piece" please? When we were done, we would play until dark.  Then we would go to bed with sweet dreams of that beautiful fruit.  Our hearts would swell because we knew Grandma loved us more that anything in the world.  Just a simple watermelon story for y'all!       
PostcardPostcard version:
(The Gallery, DPC, Kids)

Family Style: 1942
September 1942. Rochester, New York. "The Babcocks at the dinner table." Continuing the saga of ... right-handed. Hot house Short sleeves in March in Rochester? Must have been warmer than today there--28. And those tomatoes ... with my china cabinet. (The Gallery, Ralph Amdursky, Rochester) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/28/2017 - 11:59pm -

September 1942. Rochester, New York. "The Babcocks at the dinner table." Continuing the saga of war worker Howard Babcock and his family. Large-format negative by Ralph Amdursky for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Envy?Either way, most Europeans of that time and age would have been downright envious. Short of being major farmers with friends in the food production oversight and collection administration to look the other way, few could have put up a table like that, even on a Sunday. 
Room for one more?It looks like they can squeeze in another place setting to Sis's right.  I'm a vegetarian so I hope Mom's not offended if I don't take a slice of pot roast, but I'll make it up to her by having seconds of everything else on the table.  Does anybody else want the last roll before I take it?
A slice of the past.This picture certainly reflects the way meals used to be eaten, when I was a kid; the whole family gathered at the dinner table.  Times long gone.  I suppose meatloaf comes as close as anything to describe the main course, but what's on that table doesn't resemble any meatloaf I've ever eaten.  And everyone seems to be avoiding their vegetables - perhaps just  saving them for later. (Mom made sure I ate all the veggies on my plate - or else!)
Jewel TeaSomeone mentioned Jewel Tea.  My grandma often talked about the Jewel Tea man coming around when living in Superior, Nebraska in the 60s and 70s.  The photo looks like it could have been painted by Norman Rockwell.
The Unfairness of It All"Just drink your milk, boys. Your sister can have coffee because she's older than you."
Elegant diningIf this is a regular week night supper with no company coming, then Mrs. Babcock certainly worked hard at laying out a beautiful table with an immaculate damask table cloth, real china and many very appetizing home-made food choices.  Also it is being served in the dining room,  (not the kitchen) and everybody is clean, dressed and using nice manners.  I believe today that family suppers are more common being eaten out of a microwave tray or a pizza box, running out the door or standing over the sink.  It does bring back the feeling of the 40's and 50's family meals where we sat down together and had a civilized bit of togetherness while enjoying Mom's good cooking. 
What's for dinner?Meatloaf w/ gravy
Boiled Potatoes
Peas & Carrots
Sliced Tomatoes
Celery Sticks
Green Olives (queen sized)
Sliced Bread and Yeast Rolls
Coffee for the adults
Milk for the kids 
At first, I thought they might be having a small pot roast, until I saw the fat drippings in the serving dish.  And where's the ketchup for the meatloaf?  :-)
BladesI love the collection of pocketknives on the chest behind Mr. Babcock. Is that some sort of succulent plant on the left windowsill?
Love the carpet patternIt would be great to know the colors. Since people back then had no problem mixing colors and patterns I'm imagining strong colors to match the bold design.
And it looks like it's a meatloaf night at the Babcock's. I'm not surprised that the sliced bread is going begging. I'd choose a roll, too!
Precious CoffeeWith rationing limiting families to only one pound every five weeks, coffee was a precious commodity.  My wife and I easily go through triple that and we're not huge coffee drinkers.  Perhaps the Babcocks had acquired a taste for Postum.
Jewel Tea CompanyThat's the source of the bowl in the center of the table that looks as if it may contain what likely was oleomargarine in 1943.  Jewel was an Illinois-based door-to-door grocer that provided among other things free dishes manufactured by the Hall China Company of East Liverpool, Ohio, as sales premiums.  This was their Autumn Leaf pattern.  Jewel sold and gave away more than 43 million pieces between 1933 and 1976.
South PawsLooking at the positions of everyone's forks, I'm 'left' to wonder if both of the boys are left-handed, while the parents and sister are right-handed.  
Hot houseShort sleeves in March in Rochester?  Must have been warmer than today there--28.  And those tomatoes look pretty good.  Were winter tomatoes better then?  The dinner looks classic though.  Pot roast? gravy, boiled potatoes, peas and carrots and hot buttered rolls.  
Northpaws?From the positions of the knife handles it looks as if it would take the right hand to wield the knife.  Dad is spreading his butter right-handed.
So homeyWhat a comforting picture!!!  It's sad to admit, but one of my first thoughts was the daunting task of washing and IRONING that tablecloth!  But it reminds me of growing up in the 50s and I did the same family sit down dinners for my family in the 70s.  Now my husband and I sit in front of the TV.  Sigh..
The Babcocks' Dining Room ChandelierWe took off the little dangling metal tassels from our similar ones too because tall people kept bumping into them and being annoyed. It did however make them look somewhat incomplete, as did theirs.
Doubling Down?Geez, it looks like a regular dinner (meat and potatoes) in front of everyone and the making of big time sandwiches (bread, sliced tomato, etc).
Sunday DinnerSince this is during the war, I would bet that this was a Sunday. Besides the fact that they all seem to be quite dressed up, they have meat as a main course.  Unless Mr. Babcock was a farmer who raised his own meat, most meals would have contained only a small amount of animal protein.
SideboardMy grandmother had the same sideboard in her living room.  I can fondly remember the revolving (Lazy Susan) candy jars that sat out of my reach!
RightiesWatches on the left wrist for righthanders, on the right for lefties.
On top of the sideboardIt looks like a row of pocketknives lined up for easy access. Probably even more important now to carry at least a small folder, what with plastic packaging that is practically bullet-proof.
Interesting difference.The table manners observed by H.i.Fla @ Piyer to us Aussies and the rest of the Commonwealth. We cut our food with our right and eat with our left.
Righties use fork in left handAs a full-time restaurant owner and part-time people watcher, I can attest that a huge number of the 90% of right-handers in the US of A use their knives in that hand for cutting food, and wield their forks lefty-style to shovel it into their mouths.
Left-handers represent only 10% of the population, but you never see that based on how folks hold their utensils.
Right, Left, Front, BackWe have friends/extended family from Wales, who visit here in California most years. I was amazed the first time I saw most of them, all right-handed, eating. NOT because they, as I often do, conveniently keep the fork in the left hand, but at the way they would use the knife to pile food on the BACK of the fork for the trip to the mouth. I'm told it's a fairly widespread Commonwealth trait.
Lefties and rightiesLefties who use the knife in the right hand and the fork in the left, and wear our watches on our left wrist because the watches are awkward to use on the right. Lefties tend to be a bit more ambidexterous than righties because we live in such a right centric world.  Heck,  I even leave my computer mouse button placement as a right handed mouse,  although I make sure it's on the left side of the keyboard. 
ShorpchronicityI'd never heard of Jewel Tea Company china until I read Larc's comment, but there it was yesterday - that very bowl - staring at me in the thrift store.  I was sorely tempted to buy it just for the Shorpy connection, but it was chipped, scratched and overpriced.  I did snap a photo of the mark on the bottom, though.  Tested and approved by Mary Dunbar of the Jewel Homemakers' Institute!
Nice sideboardI could use a nice oak Empire Revival sideboard!  Would go with my china cabinet.
(The Gallery, Ralph Amdursky, Rochester)

Drudge Report: 1942
September 1942. "Rochester, N.Y. Mrs. Babcock doing the family laundry with an electric washing ... it to go to the trouble of replacing it. If that house in Rochester still stands, I'd bet money that thing is still there and still in ... Mary E. Babcock (age 38) lived at 239 Selye Terrace in Rochester, with their children, daughter Shirley L. (18), son Howard A. Jr. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/28/2017 - 11:58pm -

September 1942. "Rochester, N.Y. Mrs. Babcock doing the family laundry with an electric washing machine and a wringer." All the modern conveniences -- the wringer is motorized. Photo by Ralph Amdursky for the OWI. View full size.
Mrs. BabcockMrs. Babcock appears to be happier while doing the laundry than she is sitting with her family.
Tub of AgesThey were still making those concrete laundry tubs in the early 1960s when my house was built, and you can still get a new one if you really desperately think you need one, though they don't stock them at Lowe's these days. As csteinmayer says, disposing of one is major project
Concrete washtubI haven't seen one of those things in years.  My childhood home (built 1949) had one.  The next house had enameled steel.  Now all you see is plastic. Every change I'm sure makes them easier to install!
[This one seems to be zinc, or zinc-lined. - Dave]
WashtubMy mother's laundry had an identical tub in the 1950's. It has a zinc molding over the top edge, but the inside surface of the tub is concrete. They are hard to keep clean, but nearly indestructible. Mrs. Babcock's washer looks like my grandmother's Maytag. The uninsulated hot water heater in the background must've kept this corner of the basement nice and warm.
Light socketIt appears that Mrs. Babcock's washing machine is plugged into the overhead light socket adapter. Hope it didn't cause problems. I agree with the person who noticed she looks happier than she does in the family pictures.
What's in front of the window?What is the piece of equipment in front of the window?  The top part with the knob looks like it is made out of white PVC plastic, but that doesn't seem likely in 1943.
[Porcelain. - tterrace]
Gravity FurnaceLooks like an asbestos-wrapped cold air return from an old gravity furnace behind her.  Coal fired I'm assuming?  Those old furnaces needed wider diameter ducts than their modern day forced air counterparts.  I'm guessing its a cold air duct as its situated on an exterior wall; modern day systems use the opposite configuration where cold air returns are on interior walls.
GrossWhy is she putting clean, squeezed clothes in that filthy sink?
[Stains, mineral and hardened soap deposits, not filth. The cement surface was relatively porous; you couldn't get that stuff off without taking a grinder to it. - tterrace]
The washtub's twinis in my basement.  The house dates to 1884 and I'm sure it has never had another since some long gone owner put a machine in.  As mentioned, it's heavy, impervious to wear--you would really have to hate it to go to the trouble of replacing it.  If that house in Rochester still stands, I'd bet money that thing is still there and still in service.
Legacy SystemDisplayed vertically, behind the step ladder, is half of the system that predated the washing machine and utility sink: a galvanized laundry tub.  Presumably its complement, a washboard, is still in the basement somewhere.
SoapstoneI vote the sink is soapstone. I grew up in a 1920's house with one. They can get really grungy looking but can be renewed with cleaning and sanding. An application of mineral oil will make it shine. Our washing machine was similar to this one and also plugged into the light socket. Ten years ago, I had a soapstone kitchen counter installed in my house. It's indestructible and totally heat resistant. It will scratch, but sandpaper and oil renews it. This sink could weigh 400 pounds or so.
The Mangler         I grew up hearing horror stories of the women and sometimes children who were maimed by motorized wringers back in the days before safety devices and tort lawsuits.
MangledWe had a similar washer (and sinks) in our basement in the 60's, and I heard the horror stories, too. Of course I had to play with it.
I sneaked down to the basement and turned on the wringer, and managed to get my hand between the wringers. My arm was in past my elbow before I managed to turn a switch to release the tension on the rollers, which let me pull my arm free.
I turned it off, made sure my arm still worked, sneaked upstairs, and never touched the dang thing again.
Ah the old concrete wash tub. My house in Oak Park Mi built in 1954 had one. Used a sledge hammer to remove it. It was concrete with a zinc liner on the top edge, resting on a steel frame. Looked exactly like the one in the picture. I wonder if the photographer removed the light bulb from the socket above? 
Re: The ManglerThese wringers were tough on buttons.  I recall that it was standard procedure for my Mother to get out the sewing kit after the washing was dried as there always seemed to be at least one broken button to replace.
I'm Not Moving It!I have the same concrete laundry tub in my 1939 built basement and it's staying.  One of the basins has a zinc washboard built in to the sloped front.
The building is still there, anywayAt the time the 1940 U.S. Census was taken, Howard A. Babcock (age 40) and his wife Mary E. Babcock (age 38) lived at 239 Selye Terrace in Rochester, with their children, daughter Shirley L. (18), son Howard A. Jr. (10), and son Earl E. (4).  They rented a room for $35 a month (the two story apartment building still stands at the corner of Selye Terrace and Dewey Avenue, according to Google Maps).  They also had a lodger, a widower named Alex N. Alexander, age 47, an auto parts inspector who was born in the Irish Free State.  The Babcocks were all born in the US.
Mr. Babcock was a machinist in the gun industry, while Mrs. Babcock was a homemaker.  Shirley was working part time in sales for a department store (she had worked six hours in the prior week).
If they were living in an apartment building, could the basement laundry have been a communal one shared with the other renters?
TankWe had a tank just like that in our bathroom right up until 1968 when we put in a new furance and a water heater. Mom or Dad had to light it in the morning to get any semblance of hot water, most of the time we washed our faces with cold water before school. The thermostat was old-school; you felt on the outside of the tank to see how far up the hot water was, and how hot it was! You could get burned brushing against it and with it right inside the bathroom door you really had to watch. A few times the tank was forgotten and split the seams. Ah, the good old days.
Concrete washtubThe drain in my circa 1953 tub rusted out and I replaced it with a plastic sink.  Getting the old tub out involved a sledge hammer and elbow grease.  I hauled the pieces out by the bucketload.  There's one more piece to go.
My BasementThese concrete laundry tubs were installed in the basement of my house when it was built in the Dunbar neighbourhood of Vancouver in 1928. Only recently did I have to replace the original galvanised drain pipe. Things were built to last in those days! The wringer washer is a 1944 Beatty from the apartment building I once lived in, and it still sees occasional use. I usually use the 1967 Speed Queen washer to the right, and the dryer is a 1958  speed Queen.
The rocket behind herThis brings the memories back.  Our neighbor across the street  was out in his back yard looking at the water heater laying in the grass.  Earlier it had launched itself from the basement through his boys bedroom and out through the roof, where it landed in the yard.  As a kid I was told they were dangerous and after that incident I believed it.  There wasn't a  pressure relief and the tank looked as if the the seams were riveted.
She was petiteThe identical washing machine/wringer are sitting in front of the local Cracker Barrel.  Give its height, I'm guessing Mrs. Babcock was about 5 feet tall or a bit under.
Oh What A Relief It IsMrs. Babcock in dress and apron brings back memories of my Mom. The ladies of that time would put in a full day's work in that outfit but just before hubby was due home off came the apron, a dab of perfume was put on, a fast brush through the hair and of course fresh lipstick made her ready to give her man a welcome home kiss at 4:45 pm. At least that was the way it was at my house.
It seems to be on the hot water line (going by cold-right/hot-left on top of tank). That card might be instructions about the purpose of the valve. At least I hope it is for if that old seamless tank went it would go trough the roof and land a block away. 
(The Gallery, Ralph Amdursky, Rochester)

Peas Train: 1942
... volunteers in the food-for-victory drive left by bus for Rochester and 250 will go Tuesday, accompanied by their families, on a special ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/01/2023 - 4:45pm -

Sept. 1942. "Special train carrying agricultural workers to upper New York state to work in the harvest." Our second look at the high schoolers recruited by the Farm Security Administration amid a wartime labor shortage to travel from Richwood, West Virginia, to Batavia, New York, to help bring in the fruit crop. Acetate negative  by John Collier. View full size.
DeKalb DetasselersI remember back in the '70s there was a ready job every summer for high school and college students detasseling corn in the fields around DeKalb, Illinois. The kids would go to DeKalb Ag HQ before dawn and board buses to be hauled to the next field needing detasseling. They often didn't get back until after dark.
Mountaineer Farmers


New York Times, September 5, 1942.

West Virginians Help Harvest Here


Mountaineers Are Being Moved by FSA to
Five Counties in Western New York


RICHWOOD, W. Va., Sept. 4 — A migration of mountaineer farmers to help harvest the tomato and peach and other crops of upper New York State began today. The first thirty-three of almost 300 volunteers in the food-for-victory drive left by bus for Rochester and 250 will go Tuesday, accompanied by their families, on a special train chartered by the Farm Security Administration.

Recruited from the farms and gardens of Nicholas and Clay Counties, the force includes men, women, girls and boys.

Leslie Atkins, representative of the migratory labor division of the FSA employment service, had certified the Nicholas-Clay County area of the Central West Virginia mountains as one in which the residents were in need of employment.

The workers will be sent to FSA camps or to certified dwellings in a five-county area in New York and will remain there through the harvest season for tomatoes, peaches, apples, carrots, onions and other crops.

The FSA will bring them back home, Mr. Atkins said, or they may go on to Florida to help with the Winter crops if they wish. Other contingents will move from areas in Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee.

While away from the mountains the farm helpers will have guarantee of three-fourths employment and will receive rations when they are not employed.
This Score Just InSeptember 14, 2013: The Beckley Registger-Herald reports that the Fayetteville Pirates "carved up" the Richwood Lumberjacks 61-0.
"Walk-over" SeatsThose seat backs were not very soft, nearly vertical, and weren't adjustable, they didn't recline.  But they were hinged in such a way that they could easily be reversed. The base of the seat never moved, only the back.  This made it easy to set up forward seating no matter how the car was pointed.  And it was easy to set up two seats anywhere for face-to-face seating of four people, as has been done with some in this photo.
There was little improvement in coach seating for a long time, probably at least 50 years.  The railroads weren't overly concerned about it, since uncomfortable coaches encouraged passengers to upgrade to first class.  When new seats that resemble what we're accustomed to today came along, they were such a vast improvement that passengers made travel plans based on avoiding the old style seats.  That's why, in timetables right up to the Amtrak era, you will almost always see "Reclining Seat Coaches" prominently printed in the schedules.
While passengers loved the new seats, they were an operational headache for the railroads, far beyond their initial high cost.  They were much more complicated to maintain, and it was no longer quick or easy to reverse seats at endpoints.  Like dining cars and sleepers, it was usually easier to turn the entire car around than it was to individually turn reclining seats.  Many passengers on long trips cannot--or will not--ride backwards.
And the new seats were so much more expensive to maintain, bulletins were frequently issued asking train personnel to watch for, and prohibit, the use of seats as footrests, as is being done in the foreground of this picture.
Times have changedThese young workers must have checked their baggage, since all likely had suitcases as they'd be staying through the harvest. There is almost no overhead stuff stored here.
Today, travelers would have two or more pieces jammed in the overhead area, and all would be concentrating on hand-held devices instead of looking out the windows -- and certainly not reading as a few riders are doing here.
RRCould be a coach from the DL&W.
(The Gallery, John Collier, Railroads)

The Bricks of St. Mary's: 1952
... , Helen, Albert, Leslie and Morris at St. Mary's, Rochester." The latest installment of Minnesota Kodachromes . View full ... the Mayo Clinic (St. Mary's is one of their facilities in Rochester, NY)? The lady in pink seems to be in pajamas, not street clothes, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/27/2019 - 12:00pm -

"July 13, 1952. Maurine, Grace, Helen, Albert, Leslie and Morris at St. Mary's, Rochester." The latest installment of Minnesota Kodachromes. View full size.
It Looked Like a Happy Gathering at First --Then you see the tiredness on their faces, the guy in the background in a wheelchair, then realize St. Mary's is probably St. Mary's Hospital, which is today a part of the Mayo Clinic.
I hope everything worked out fine for them for whatever reason it was they were there.
Mayo ClinicSo much to decipher here. Who were they visiting at the Mayo Clinic (St. Mary's is one of their facilities in Rochester, NY)? The lady in pink seems to be in pajamas, not street clothes, would it have been her? 
(Also, the guy in the blue shirt has amazing taste in both shoes and socks!)
[The Mayo Clinic is in Rochester, Minnesota, not New York. - Dave]
Went to see if I could find anyone from this photo.Since we knew to (maybe) work off of the Nashville, Minnesota, area, I punched Leslie into Ancestry's search field, and the very first hit was for a Leslie Boler in the 1940 Census, son of a Claude Boler. Leslie would have been around 31 or so in this photo.
Some peoplejust don't like having their picture taken, or maybe, it just wasn't quite the right moment.
Group Photos in the Old DaysI've seen a number of these dated group shots recently, and one thing seems to be almost always true.  One guy invariably is looking at the camera.  The iconic early 30s photo of the iron workers sitting on the I-beam at great altitude over NYC comes to mind.  The guy on the right was the only one looking at the camera in that shot as well.  I imagine, if a professional photographer was taking the pic, he probably instructed everyone to be about their business to make the photo look more natural, but there's frequently that one guy who just can't help himself! 
Out BackThis picture was taken on the rear or south side of Saint Mary's.  The rear of the hospital in the 1950's faced a park-like setting.  It was where patients could sit if they were ambulatory enough to leave the building.  I grew up a block away from this hospital.
Found in a newspaperFrom the Algona (Iowa) Advance, dated July 3, 1952...
(Minnesota Kodachromes)

Cook Opera House: 1906
Circa 1906. "South Avenue -- Rochester, New York." Home to trusses, vaudeville and streetcars, and probably ... it once was. Which is probably for the best-- downtown rochester is a ghost town after 6PM. Somehow gutting your city center to make ... and this is still a fairly busy part of 21st century Rochester, with comparable amounts of daytime foot traffic. +113 Below ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/02/2014 - 4:30pm -

Circa 1906. "South Avenue -- Rochester, New York." Home to trusses, vaudeville and streetcars, and probably a Painless Dental Parlor or two concealed from view. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Upstairs at Rutz'sA young Minnesota Fats is flipping a coin for the break.
That's the Granite Building in the backgoundView Larger Map
The theatre is long gone, of course.  There's a convention center where it once was.  Which is probably for the best-- downtown rochester is a ghost town after 6PM.  Somehow gutting your city center to make parking lots and a noose-like expressway loop doesn't keep the city vital.
Colleague of mineGeo. R. Fuller - Mfrs. of Trusses, Artificial Limbs - he's a collegue of mine. Would be interesing to visit this workshop. Remember: The Civil War was at that time just 41 years past. There was surely a market for artificial limbs!
Long gone,the Cook Opera House site is now occupied by a large, featureless convention center. The tall Granite Building at center right remains, as does the ironfront Warner Building just behind it, plus the distant block of buildings in the background where the street veers to the right. These surviving 19th century buildings have been extensively restored and this is still a fairly busy part of 21st century Rochester, with comparable amounts of daytime foot traffic.
+113Below is the same view from September of 2019.
(The Gallery, DPC, Rochester, Streetcars)

Flour City: 1904
Rochester, New York, circa 1904. "Driving Park Avenue bridge and falls on Genesee River." And one of the flour mills that gave Rochester its nickname. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing ... later. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Factories, Rochester) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 12:55pm -

Rochester, New York, circa 1904. "Driving Park Avenue bridge and falls on Genesee River." And one of the flour mills that gave Rochester its nickname. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
But, I just gotsa know.What is that steep incline for?
Whats on it? Where does it go?
Stairs to the right of me, stairs to the left of me!Imagine the climbing somebody who worked on a lower floor of the complex at left would have to do at the end of an exhausting workday. It might be less bother just to move in and live there.
"Flour City", or "Wire City"?Now *that* is a lot of overhead wiring!
Watch your step !Right center of the photo. What are those people doing wading in the river just before the drop off?
[Extreme Wading, an early example of that particular sports genre. - tterrace]
Bridge workersNote the guys working on the bridge, top slightly-right-of-center.  Assembling a new bridge, or painting it after it's in place?  This bridge doesn't look very old.
ColorizedColorized, for the postcard. 
Grinding electrons, not wheatI'm pretty sure that the building on the left is a utility power plant and not a mill. BTW modern shots of the same spot show buildings in the same locations, but probably successors to those shown here, and the structures on the right bank are now just ruins.
The bridge was dynamitedThe bridge was dynamited into the gorge in 1986, and replaced with a similar arch bridge.
http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=f52f966e-c3ea-4fbb...
In ^^^this^^^ view, you're looking down the river toward Lake Ontario (5-6 miles...squint really hard...). The large building on the right (east) bank is Eastman Kodak's Hawkeye Plant, at the corner of Driving Park Ave and St. Paul Blvd. Kodak had optical system manufacturing, along with camera manufacturing there.  Supposedly did some bombsight optical work there in the 40's & 50's.
My CityIt's so fun to see what my City looked like 108 years ago. My school bus used to pass through this bridge on the way to home in Henrietta from the deaf school, which is not far off. I always liked to stretch my neck to see the bottom of this valley.
Driving Park Avenue BridgeThe bridge was designed by noted bridge architect Leffert L. Buck (chiefly remembered for his Williamsburg Bridge spanning the East River).  It was completed in 1890 and lasted until 1985.  It was unceremoniously dynamited to make way for its successor, which opened two years later.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Factories, Rochester)

The Palms of Pompeii: 1908
Rochester, New York, circa 1908. "Pompeiian Room -- Hotel Seneca." ... estate sale, antique store, and consignment shop here in Rochester if there was any hope of them surfacing a century later... (The Gallery, DPC, Eateries & Bars, Rochester) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 10:26pm -

Rochester, New York, circa 1908. "Pompeiian Room -- Hotel Seneca." (Catchphrase: "In the Pompeiian Room, everyone smokes!") 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
The "ashes" of PompeiiInteresting that the catchphrase would say "In the Pompeiian Room, everyone smokes!" as I don't see an ashtray in sight; unless those water pitchers were actually used as ashtrays, in which case I would say that definitely everyone smoked in that room.
Breathtaking!This is just incredible!  I sure hope it is still there! I've seen floors like that in Trier, Germany, that dated back to when it was a Roman town. 
I hate to think of it being filled with smoke, though, getting all discolored and nasty, but I guess it was all washable!
It's brand newAccording to this site the Seneca opened in 1908 and was demolished in 1969.
Somehow I don't think we'll see floors like that in Germany again anytime soon.
Everyone Smokes in Pompeii ! I mean, just...think.
Decor envyI love looking at photos of fin de siècle interiors.  I absoltely covet those dining chairs and the gorgeous scalloped shutters on the upper windows.  I'd be tirelessly prowling every estate sale, antique store, and consignment shop here in Rochester if there was any hope of them surfacing a century later...
(The Gallery, DPC, Eateries & Bars, Rochester)

An American Family: 1942
September 1942. Rochester, New York. "The Babcocks, an American family, tuning in for war news. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/28/2017 - 11:55pm -

September 1942. Rochester, New York. "The Babcocks, an American family, tuning in for war news. Mr. and Mrs. Babcock with children Shirley, Howard and Earl, the youngest." Photo by Ralph Amdursky, Office of War Information. View full size.
Warm GlowI, too, recall the golden glow from the tuner of our upright radio.  Especially after an air raid warden thumped on our door during a blackout drill and told my mother that he could see it from the street.
Fast-forward to 1949Just think how delighted these people will be when television comes along.
Wake me after the commercialsThese kids certainly favor both parents.  Looks like Dad's having a catnap.  Love love love Shirley's lace collar, and that embossed planter thing.
Love the radioMy father bought a similar radio for my mother sometime in the forties.  I think it was a Motorola. It worked flawlessly for decades.  As a child I listened to many "scare" programs on it late at night.  My dad kept it in the living room of his house well into the seventies, as a conversation piece.  On one of my trips back home to South Carolina I was determined to find a way to bring it back to ND where I live. I planned to stash it under the bed in our motor home.  When we got there, the radio was missing.  Dad, not knowing I wanted it, had hauled it out to the dumps a few weeks before.  He felt pretty bad, but it was my fault I guess.
Alternate takeFather is speaking! Click to enlarge.

RadioFunny how we would sit and watch the radio like that.  I'm not sure what we expected it to do.  I guess multitasking hadn't been born yet.
I miss that.
Watching the radioI only have a couple snapshot memories of Radio Days; I was six when TV came to the house in 1952 and changed everything, relegating our c.1940 Zenith radio/phono to the upstairs not-quite attic cubbyhole off my sister's bedroom. There it saw additional service when she got a 45rpm turntable that could be hooked up to it. Later it helped expand my classical music appreciation with 78s I scrounged from family friends, and opened up the world to me a bit by means of its short-wave band. Later we transplanted the 3-speed turntable from our portable into it and it saw a few more years of life before ignominious banishment to the basement. Now it's an inert, but highly-retro decorative adornment in my living room. If I lost all reason and plugged it in, it would almost certainly immolate itself.
Those snapshot memories: The Whistler whistling his Whistler theme;   "Inner Sanctum's" creaking door; Tallulah Bankhead and company singing "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You" at the signoff of each Sunday's  "The Big Show." Also a hazy impression of sitting - or more likely, lying on the floor - staring at it while listening. So yes, some people did that.
All goneEarl Babcock died in 2011 at the age of 76, and the oldest girl, Shirley, in 1986 (I think), while middle-child Howard died just two weeks ago on January 16, 2013. 
http://www.pinesfunerals.com/new_view.php?id=67901
Anti-Dorian GrayWhen I saw the first one, I thought maybe it was just that particular picture, but now I'm convinced that that boy in the suit is the oldest-looking young kid I've ever seen.
It doesn't make sense,but staring at the radio's speaker somehow made it easier to listen. I was 12 when that photo was taken and I spent much time staring at a piece of cloth behind a wood cut-out.
I later spent many years as a broadcaster—in TV as well as radio—and I feel post-WWII kids missed out on a lot whenTV became the main medium. Radio fed the imagination like that tube never can. Of course we still have radio, but rarely is it used to conjure up images in our minds.
Sartorially SpeakingI will assume a girlfriend eventually told Howard that he shouldn't wear striped socks with plaid trousers, it's obvious his Mother didn't.
Love Old-Time Radio!Funny how on our gee-whiz auto satellite radios, 90% of what my wife and I listen to is the XM old-time radio channel hosted by Greg Bell.
In addition to the favorites mentioned by tterrace, we particularly enjoy Dragnet, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, the Jack Benny Show, Boston Blackie, Casey Crime Photographer and Phil Harris and Alice Faye's show. 
Other favorites I've found online and listened to for hours are Superman, I Love a Mystery and my all-time favorite, Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police, which featured Mayberry's Howard McNair.
Wonderful entertainment! I believe those old sets had some great speakers and/or circuitry, because they sound super to my ear compared to more modern units.
Staring at the RadioIt was only polite to look at someone who was speaking to you - it showed you were paying attention. That's basically what's going on here: good manners told us that facing the voice was part of paying attention to what it was saying.
Hair TonicI can't remember the name of the insidious boys' hair oil, sold in barber shops, that hardened the hair into whatever arrangement it was combed into.
I used it for years.
Even cow-licks were defeated for half the day.
Hair tonic could have doubled as shirt starchCould that long forgotten hair tonic be Odell Hair Trainer?
Hair Tonic NameI think "Vitalis" is the name you are thinking of. It came in a bottle and you poured some in your hands and then rubbed it into your hair.
Hair goopI was a Brilliantine kid, myself.
Age Range of KidsI'm fascinated by the apparent wide range of ages of the children. Big sister Shirley looks to be a good ten years older than middle-child Howard, and Earl another four or five years younger still. Was that typical of families before WWII? Or am I just bad at guessing ages?
RE: It doesn't make senseActually, it does.  When you stare directly at where the sound is coming from, you gain the benefit of both ears picking up the sounds simultaneously; it improves the quality of what you hear.  Today, people just pop on headphones, and it doesn't matter. 
Or maybe they're waiting to catch a glimpse of the little guy that lives in the radio and shouts out the news to everyone.  You know the guy; he's the brother of the little guy that lives in the refrigerator, and turns out the light when you shut the door. 
And with regards to the comment about range of ages; I'm the youngest of 9, and my oldest sister is 18 years older than me.  Her oldest (my nephew) is 3 years younger than me, and was more like a little brother than a nephew.
BrioleneBriolene was the name of the emerald green viscous hair goo that quickly hardened and held my perpetually unruly hair in place.  Great stuff, once available from barber shops only, it's been gone for years.
Come to think of it so too have a lot of barber shops, but my unruly hair still lingers on. 
War News Nothin'I'll bet they're listening to "Fibber McGee & Molly" or maybe "The Great Gildersleeve". Or if it is war news it's the ongoing war between Jack Benny and Fred Allen.
Ulysses Everett McGill Was RIght!Having fine and unruly hair, I've used Vitalis for years, though I have buy it online nowadays; most stores don't carry it anymore. It has a distinctive smell. The combination of Vitalis and Old Spice after-shave prompted one lovely young woman to tell me, "I look forward to being in the elevator with you because you smell just like my dad!" Well! As U.E. McGill said, "The pleasing aroma is half the point!"
Re: Hair TonicI used to use Wildroot Creme Oil, then discovered Brylcreem. Talk about the greasy kids' stuff. I guess I was a greasy kid.
Brief Notice of Howard's PassingClick on Howard's picture for a larger view.
Teddy Bears' PicnicI too grew up with radio. But my memories are of the kids shows. I used to wake up early on Saturday mornings, scramble to the living room and turn on the radio first thing. I loved the deep orange glow of the vacuum tubes and the faint static as it warmed up. No instant-on back then. And then came a morning of adventure and transport far beyond anywhere I'd ever been. 
Anybody remember Big John and Sparky? (and their theme song about teddy bears)? Sgt Preston of the Yukon and his faithful dog. The Green Hornet (with that great great buzzing theme song)? Any number of other kids shows were on post WWII and before TV gained any traction. 
All dressed upBy the way everyone is dressed up, you would think the President was speaking.
Came in pink and greenI somehow feel embarrassed confessing this, but my hair gloop was Dippity Do.  And, currently, so is my son’s.
So sadThat they are all gone.
Somehow when we're young we think of our families as forever and unchanging but it's not the case.
Umbrellas and AshtraysI love the substantial ashtrays on the table behind the family group.  We always had similar ones in our house growing up.  But what are those tiny, upside down umbrella shaped vessels on the radio?  Drinking glasses?  Candy dishes?  It's a mystery to me.
So many detailsI have a 1941 Zenith console radio, with 10 tubes, that I had restored a few years ago. I found a low power AM transmitter (called the SSTran AMT-3000, if anybody's interested), that I can plug into my computer, or a CD player, or whatever, and it sends an AM signal to my radio.  So I can listen to the old time music and radio programs that are now available on the Web.  I enjoy it a whole lot.  My radio, like so many of the era, is a beautiful object, full of Art Deco details, some real wood veneers, and some phoney wood surfacing as well.  I just enjoy looking at the radio and its big black Zenith dial when I listen.
This picture really shows what a great job the producers of A Christmas Story and Radio Days and a number of others did in capturing that era. Details I love: the lace doily on the radio, the "moderne" ottoman, what looks to be a bible on the radio, and first and foremost, dad's shoes! Snazzy spectators!
Toothpick holdersI know this is an older thread but I've been steadily working my way backwards through the posts.
As a child I remember my grandmother having some of those little umbrella toothpick holders.  She had some in silver and a few in translucent plastic, pink and blue - cute.
(The Gallery, Ralph Amdursky, WW2)

Meet the Babcocks: 1942
September 1942. Rochester, New York. "The Babcocks, a typical American war worker's family." ... still for the picture. (The Gallery, Ralph Amdursky, Rochester) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/28/2017 - 11:57pm -

September 1942. Rochester, New York. "The Babcocks, a typical American war worker's family." About whom we will learn so much in the coming days. Large format negative by Ralph Amdursky, Office of War Information. View full size.
Family spreadAs a younger mom I find the 6-7 year spread between each child to be quite a significant time gap. Was that normal for the time period? Could there have been child losses between kids that would account for it or is this just an unusual spread? 
Separated at Birth?Is that Dame Maggie Smith before she became an expat or is it her long lost twin?
Compare the familiesI could not help but notice the vast economic difference between this obviously well-off family and the family of dirt-poor white migrants from Edinburg, Texas just a couple of days ago.  We are told to "bloom where we are planted" but in this case it appears that a heavily industrialized area offers a much better quality of life.  There is only four years between these two photos.   Topic for discussion - rural vs city living.
The BoysI wonder if the boys ended up serving in the armed forces in later wars? The youngest would have been of draft age during the onset of the Vietnam war and the oldest during the Korean conflict.
Why Sam?I'll tactfully ignore the unfortunate pockets on Mrs. Babcock's dress and ask a question: Is that a uniform of some sort that Junior's wearing? It includes a Sam Browne belt complete with the shoulder strap.
I hope in the promised additional photos we get to see a better view of that ring that Mr. Babcock is wearing.
Could They Be?With the ages adjusted for the three year difference; Howard (43), Mary (41), Shirley (21), Howard, Jr. (13), and Earle (7) listed in the 1940 Federal Census? Howard the elder is listed as a machinist in the "Gun Industry" which sounds promising for a story about "a typical war worker's family."
That Belt Has To GoThe seated  young man, who in the Patriotism of the WW2 era, is dressed in what appears to be a military style outfit complete with the Sam Brown belt. Although we know better he could be mistaken for a then current member of the Hitler Youth.
I want to learn more.I am pretty much the same age as the little kid. I can really relate to those times.
Ditto MaggieI had the exact same reaction--that's Maggie Smith!
School Crossing Patrol BeltOtis, I wore one of those school safety-patrol belts as a first- and second-grader, but the one I wore was wider and made of yellow canvas, as I remember it. I was so proud of that.
Funny how those memories are brought back by these discussions! I hadn't thought of that in many years.
Fife's CompanyThe man reminds me of Barney from the Andy Griffith Show.
Little boy's beltWhen I loooked at the belt it reminded me of a school patrolboy's belt. When I was in elementary school, many years ago, schools had patrolboys to help ensure safety.  They wore a Sam Browne-style belt.
Ring and lapel pinDad is an Elk.
Clones?Mom and Dad look so much alike it's a little creepy. Funny how often you see this in married folk.
[What's interesting to me is how many couples from this era look like the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. -Dave]
Which one is Chester?He'll be the one in the Van Heusen shirt.
The FamilyYou know after looking at the family portrait they kind of look like the Babcocks.
Mirror-image mistakeJudging by how their ties are askew, I would bet Dad tied his son's tie, and made the same alignment error both times.
Another Safety-boy hereCan it really be over 50 years ago.
I still remember the times to report
8:30 - 11:40 - 12:35 and 3:10, unbelievable.
Crossing Patrol BeltOtis & Jim, We had the same belts as elementary school crossing guards as senior sixth graders.  The patrol staff had 3" wide white canvas shoulder belts and the patrol captain had a leather shoulder belt. And we all forgot to mention the snazzy tin badges that were on the shoulder straps of our belts. I guess we came from a more formal regimented time. It says much about the self restraint we possessed that we didn't let such power and authority early in life color our judgement in later years.
Paul, patrol captain, retired.
Squirming?Speaking as another youngest son, one who never passed up a chance to get in the picture, one with an often doting and indulgent mother, the pose tells me something entirely different. I can well imagine her introducing him as "And this is my baby, Earl," for the rest of her life.
Stop squirmingFrom the look on the young one's face, it's obvious he wants to be somewhere else. And from the way Mom has her arm entwined around his, she's making sure he sits still for the picture.
(The Gallery, Ralph Amdursky, Rochester)

Granite Building: 1905
Rochester, New York, circa 1905. "Granite Building, Main Street & St. ... View full size. It's still there today. Rochester, my home town, has lost dozens and dozens of beautiful buildings over ... graduated in June of '04. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Rochester, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/31/2015 - 12:15pm -

Rochester, New York, circa 1905. "Granite Building, Main Street & St. Paul." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
It's still there today.Rochester, my home town, has lost dozens and dozens of beautiful buildings over the years. Fortunately, this Beaux Arts style skyscraper is not among them. It still stands at the corner of East Main and St. Paul streets.
Love looking for people watching.Can you find both the man and the woman watching the camera from the building?
I used to work just across the streetMy office in the third floor of the hotel (used to be the holiday inn) faced the 3-4th floors of that building back toward the rear of the Granite Building.
The Berrys - Osteopaths7th floor, next to Equitable Insurance... According to my source (Mr G. Oogle) Drs Clinton D Berry and Gertrude Seeley Berry attended the American School of Osteopathy together in Kirksville, Mo.  Gertrude graduated in June of '04.
(The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Rochester, Stores & Markets)

New York Central: 1905
Circa 1905. "New York Central railroad station, Rochester." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. ... later In the 1910s this station would be replaced by Rochester's brand new New York Central station, about a block or two further ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/26/2015 - 11:49am -

Circa 1905. "New York Central railroad station, Rochester." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Replaced a few years laterIn the 1910s this station would be replaced by Rochester's brand new New York Central station, about a block or two further east on Central Avenue. The new station was considered by the NYCRR to be the second best station in their system; Grand Central of course being the first. The station also won recognition as one of the most beautiful American train stations to be demolished. It disappeared by pieces in the 60s and 70s, and was replaced by an Amshack.
Taj Mahal indeed!Being the primary mode of long distance travel at the turn of last century, the railroads were not shy in building - and overbuilding - homages to themselves in the form of stations.  I'm not being critical.  It was their way of advertising their role in society.  What better way to show your place in a city.  Amshack indeed!
(The Gallery, DPC, Horses, Railroads, Rochester)
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