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THINK: 1956
... 1956. "IBM Manufacturing and Administrative Center, Rochester, Minn. Eero Saarinen, architect." Kodachrome by Balthazar Korab. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/09/2013 - 11:50am -

1956. "IBM Manufacturing and Administrative Center, Rochester, Minn. Eero Saarinen, architect." Kodachrome by Balthazar Korab. View full size. OrangeA true interior color from the 1950s and 1960s. I am waiting for its return! Somewhere in those cubicles...is a man running amok, clad only in yellow post-it notes. THINK v2.0An illustration in an issue of Astounding Science Fiction circa 1958 had exactly that sign on the wall of an alien's office, except that it read "NERB". Alternate nameWe refer to ours as "Dilbertville" THINKor THWIM. [Or thmoke. - Dave] Human ResourcesIt looks like they have a two-pack-a-day receptionist. I always thought it wasTHIMK Trite but trueAs his work has been copied everywhere, it is hard to remember that Saarinen was once considered to have something new and desirable to contribute to architecture, particularly with respect to interiors. These could be the offices of almost any government or private-sector "people warehouse" thrown up in the last 40 years. Indeed, if Henry Miller were writing today, I suspect that this is how he would envision the Cosmodemonic Telegraph Company. Frank Lloyd Wright did "open" offices much earlier and much better. Could this beDon Draper's office? Cubicle CityAlso known as a "Gopher Farm". Every time something happens all the gophers pop their heads above the partitions to see what's going on. Love those reflectionsLook beyond the Think sign and orange seats straight into the cubicle glass partition and I am almost sure that, that is a reflection of the photographer using a tripod. Unexpected reflections can be fun! Remove the pens & ashtraysPut a monitor and keyboard on the desk, and it's 2013. ReflectionsLooks like the photographer captured his own image (along with his tripod); it appears in the glass partition in the center of the photo. He may have been standing with his back to the window as I also see the images of some cars in the parking lot reflected with him. He may have taken this early (the clock shows "7") in the morning before everyone showed up for work. 57 years later, here in 2013, we still use (in my workplace, anyway) markings on the columns (aisles and rows) to make it easy to locate someone's cubicle in a large-scale Data Center environment. THIMK firstMy brother seems to have been an early adopter of the ironic THINK/THIMK gag, going by this 1955 shot I posted five years back. I Remember It WellI worked for RCA in Camden, NJ and the layout for IT was virtually identical. Probably all gray Steelcase furniture in the cubes. No carpet on the floor for the masses. Carpet was reserved for the executive offices. We called that area "rug row". This was not quite the "gopher farm" of today; at least these walls had some height to them. Take away the glass panels and you have today's cubes. Remember this wellI worked for a telco in Australia in the '70s and '80s and this office scheme would fit right in. With the one exception of the vinyl floor, ours had the industrial-grade carpet tiles. Even the filing cabinets in the last days before computerisation. I feel so old. Pru, tooThe Prudential Insurance Company's headquarters building in Newark, NJ was designed the same year as this IBM building; and when I worked there in 1978, the furnishings, partitions and overall layout were absolutely identical to this photo. Policyholders should have appreciated that uber-frugality. TH(INK)Those are Morris Fountain Pen sets. These were the later successors of the Morriset Pen-Ink-Unit dip pen sets which were so very common during the 40's. These were made by the Bert M. Morris Co. in Los Angeles. They were very common in government offices. I have one of the earlier Morriset Pen-Ink-Units with the US House of Representatives seal on the top in dark green. Here's one like the black ones in the picture, but in red. (The Gallery, Balthazar Korab, The Office)
Rust Belt Riviera: 1941
January 1941. "A section of Rochester, Pennsylvania, on the Ohio River. Photographs show Ohio River town in ... as a bowling alley, and a Goggle street view spin around Rochester shows it has survived in the Rust Belt better than many places. ... This view is looking east toward Pittsburgh from Rochester and likely was taken from the bridge crossing the tracks and then the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/06/2019 - 1:36pm -

January 1941. "A section of Rochester, Pennsylvania, on the Ohio River. Photographs show Ohio River town in western Pennsylvania -- bridges, houseboats, coal barges, railroad yards. Abandoned stove and glass works. Automobile graveyard. Cemetery and gravedigger. Substandard housing occupied by Negroes." Photo by Jack Delano for the FSA. View full size. High WaterIn 1937 there was a devastating flood. So my guess is that there is not a whole lot close to the river. I live in Leavenworth, Indiana. A town that was moved uphill after that flooding. Prime Real EstateOther than that gaggle of railroad tracks that property right next to the river should have been prime real estate. So why was it a slum area? Did it flood often? What is it now? Inquiring minds want to know. Beaver Valley BowlingThe tall building has been repurposed as a bowling alley, and a Goggle street view spin around Rochester shows it has survived in the Rust Belt better than many places. Mostly Highway NowIt's difficult to approximate exactly where the original photo was taken. The area now has a divided highway and a jumble of access ramps running though much of it, but my guess is that the photographer was standing somewhere along Pleasant Street at the top of the bluff. The large building in the center of the photo still (mostly) stands, and appears to now house a bowling alley and pool hall. It's available!https://www.timesonline.com/news/20181211/beaver-valley-bowl-building-fa... Hollywood beckonedThe large brick building was the Beaver Valley Brewery, and is now home to the Beaver Valley Bowl. The bowling alley appeared in two movies: Wonder Boys and Kingpin. You can see the exterior and interior in this clip: https://youtu.be/gO0VwzCuuBM Update: Beaver Valley Bowl also appears in the Netflix series: I'm Not OK With This. Looks uninvitingA short distance behind the photographer is the Beaver River, where it joins the Ohio. Across the Beaver River is the town of Beaver, where my grandfather died 5 years to the month from when this was taken. There's little wonder why my grandmother packed up dad and his brother and moved back to the Philly area where she had family. Still StandingThe large building in the upper center of the frame and the smaller buildings farther away from the camera are still there as are all four mainline tracks. The Pennsylvania Railroad signal bridge has been replaced by another one a a few hundred yards west of this location. This view is looking east toward Pittsburgh from Rochester and likely was taken from the bridge crossing the tracks and then the Ohio River. Small Town, Big Railroad"The Standard Railroad of the World" - The Pennsylvania Railroad (Now part of Norfolk Southern) looms large in the town. Tony Dorsett (Footbal) and Christina Aguilera (Singer) hail from here. (The Gallery, Industry & Public Works, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Cooley Airship: 1910
Rochester, N.Y., ca 1910. "Cooley Airship. The aviator sits in the front to ... A Gigantic Aeroplane. "In construction at Rochester, N.Y., where since early spring John Cooley and a force of seven ... the least daring of these plans, and a direct flight from Rochester to New York is first on the program. A crew of four men, with Mr. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/01/2012 - 12:08am -

Rochester, N.Y., ca 1910. "Cooley Airship. The aviator sits in the front to manage the wheel and the engineer sits six feet behind to control the engines." John Cooley's giant kitelike aircraft, of a design dating to the 1890s, was something of an aeronautical dead end. More here as well as here. Bain News Service print of a glass plate now in the Albert R. Stone Negative Collection. View full size. Aerial YachtWhat dreamers … Farm Equipment Dealer, January, 1911. A Gigantic Aeroplane. "In construction at Rochester, N.Y., where since early spring John Cooley and a force of seven mechanics and draftsmen have spent ten, and sometimes twelve, hours a day in hurried but careful labor," says a correspondent in Fly, "is a craft which is confidently expected to revolutionize the navigation of the air, and to relegate existing types into the obscurity of mere playthings for ennui-afflicted men of wealth seeking diversion in its most exciting form. This is the Cooley model, a gigantic aeroplane, nearly 100 feet long. In late September, 1909, the plan of building a monster aeroplane for use as a commercial transportation medium was conceived by Inventor Cooley, who has spent twenty-eight years in the study of aerial navigation, and the backing of several New York capitalists was secured, among them that of Richard Parr, the customs official, who was awarded $100,000 by the United States Government for his services in exposing the sugar frauds. … The greatest difficulty that confronted the builders was the utter lack of existing types from which to draw comparisons and gain ideas. Every detail must be worked out in the brain of the inventor, with no regard for fundamental principles connected with the operation of other types of air-navigating craft, since the Cooley model differs essentially from every known make. To describe it adequately in a limited space is impossible. The general shape of the ship suggests a large yacht, with keel and tailboard, and even a bowsprit, with the similarity ceasing when a front view is obtained. Not an inch of resistance is opposed to the passage of the big man-made bird through the air. All is gradually sloping lines and inclined surfaces, with the plane surface so placed that the passage of air beneath has a tendency to push upward so long as even the slightest velocity is continued. One hundred feet from tip to tip, and less than 15 feet wide across the center, the plane will sustain a weight of 1400 pounds—one pound to every square foot of soaring surface—thus giving a margin of safety of over 500 pounds. Two wide planes extend from the center like the upper planes of an ordinary biplane, with one big plane extending downward like the fin of a fish, and various small planes, or sails, are rigged on the 15-foot pole extending out in front of the main body. A framework of cloth and strengthened ribs encloses a space similar to the hold of a ship, in the sides of which are cut numerous portholes for use of the pilot in guiding the immense machine through the air. All mechanism is controlled from a seat in front of the center line, wires running to every part of the craft and a signalling system connecting the pilot with his engineer, or engineers, as no limit is placed upon the size of the crew carried. Two 40-60-horsepower engines are installed working independently, both engines occupying a space amidships, just behind the engineer's quarters. On each side a driving shaft runs through a hollow wooden conduit to the propellers, which are placed approximately five feet from the ground, without taking into consideration the elevation of the machine when the wheels are installed. A tail tapers gradually from the center body fifteen feet to the rear, and is graduated from the top of the framework, twenty-five feet from the ground, to a sharp point. No detached steering plane is used, the control of the plane depending upon the working of the many small sails which take the place of the usual ailerons. Strengthened bamboo is used throughout, with a special brand of Naiad rubber-covered silk, and the wheels are extra wide because of the immense strain placed upon them. One of the chief features of the "Flower City," as the big craft will be called, is a device for lessening this strain, consisting of a spring just above each axle, with a give of one foot. To say that the model will be a success would be to make an unsupported prediction, but inventors and aviators who have looked over the machine have expressed the hope and belief that it will prove to be the sensation of the aviation world. Models constructed upon the same plans and driven by small motors have flown successfully, and have shown the most important feature—absolute stability in the air. The plans of the promoters sound like a romance of the middle ages, and are quite as hard to realize, calling, as they do, for a complete world tour in the ship, with stops at all the principal cities of the United States and Europe. The crossing of the Atlantic is but one of the least daring of these plans, and a direct flight from Rochester to New York is first on the program. A crew of four men, with Mr. Cooley and supplies to last for a three days' journey, will be placed in the plane on the trial trip, so that, should the idea prove a success, no time need be lost in demonstrating the practicability of the machine to the world. Another "Life Imitiates Art"?I Wonder whether Mr. Cooley had got his idea from reading H. G. Wells' "The War In The Air" (published 1908)? Kite shaped aircraft take a major role in the plot of that novel, and as fixed-wing heavier-than-air aircraft they best lighter-than-air airships. Which was something the experts of the time could not quite bring themselves to agree with. Not yet anyway. After all, the airships did fly somewhat longer and further than those mousetraps. Not even the horrendous losses of the German war airships drove that point home. It took at least one horribly failed airship project for each major power to do that trick. But did it fly?I can't tell from either of the links if this contraption ever got off the ground. Given that Mr. Cooley disappeared towards the end of the project, I can't decide if he was either a visionary or a conman. Either way, it is clear that those days really a great age of invention where daring ideas could be tried. An ungainly beast!I would have loved to see this contraption fly. "The magnificent airship of Rochester and its hangar are said to have been destroyed by a windstorm." http://rocwiki.org/Cooley_Airship Mr. Cooley's Air Ship Sailed Away But the men at the ropes could not manage the vessel. This I would have loved to have seen. The giant airship swooped up in the air while men were unsuccessful in holding her down as she soared to 500 feet and then landed on top of four oaks. A viral You Tube moment. NY Times Article Re: Cooley's AirshipThe NYT article which EvenSteven links to is from 1895 - 15 years before this photo. It refers to a different aircraft - probably either a massive kite or a lighter-than-air balloon. (The Gallery, Aviation, G.G. Bain)
Cottage for Sale: 1921
... Five-Digit Phone Numbers In my home town of Rochester, Indiana we dialed 5 digit numbers right up through the 1970's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2012 - 4:00pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "1804 Kearney Street N.E." If only these walls could talk. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Yard SpaceWhile not huge per se, it's a heck of a lot more than the current homes in gated developments are given in SW Florida these days. Literally, reach out and touch your neighbor. Thank GOD for my acreage! Good NewsThe owner had gotten a big raise and was moving into a larger, more comfortable house. 1804 in 2009Probably the house. View Larger Map If these walls could talk...They'd be hard to understand. I'd worry more about them falling down -- they're all plastered! Asa B. MustainAttorney at Law Born December 3, 1879 Died March 6, 1962 What else do we know about his long life? Err...1804 in 2009Although the Google Streetview addresses are not always reliable, it seems that this dwelling is more apt to match the historical photo. Counting from the corner it is the third building (1800, 1802, 1804) and despite the lack of front porch, all the windows match. Plus, note the roof-line of the dwelling to the right. (Map of Shorpy architecture in Washington, D.C.) View Larger Map 1804 ! 1804 is the white house with no porch. Go to Street View of 1800/1802 and pan over the side yard to 1804. You can see the dormer behind the chimney. DC Real Estate records: Building Type Single Building Style 1.5 Story Fin Living Area 1,488 Year Built 1921 Bed Rooms 4 Bath Rooms 2 1/2 Bath Rooms 0 Total Rooms 10 Wall Stucco Floor Hardwood Heat Hot Water Rad Air Conditioning None Fireplace(s) 1 StuccoStucco was the aluminum siding of the 1910s and '20s. Many old houses that needed paint and repairs had the stucco job done right over the existing siding and shingles, many times multiple layers. And most of these jobs are still holding up today, 90 to 100 years later. A big thanksA big thanks from me, to whomever is maintaining the Map of Shorpy Architecture on Google Maps. Very cool. (Is it you, Dave?) [Who is Keeper of the Maps? "Stanton Square is Keeper of the Maps!" - Dave] FOR SALEOdd that the sign has no phone number. I guess the salesman knew "if you get 'em in the door, the sale is half done." [Pop quiz: Who can tell us what the phone number is? - Dave] And the phone number isMain 1790 That number againThat would be MAin 1790, or 62-1790 It was only about 25 years ago when I last used a 4-digit phone number -- in a small town where everyone had the same first three digits. [Or would that be six-digit number? - Dave] And the telephone number is...Main 1790. Permit #1791804 was built on the same permit as the entire row of 1800-1814 Kearney Street NE. Permit #179, Sept. 9, 1919. Quantity: 8 dwellings 26 feet wide 32 feet deep Front material: stucco (so the stucco is original to the house, probably over metal or wood lath rather than over wood siding) Heat: Hot water Estimated cost: $48,000 (so $6,000 each) Foundation: hollow tile (see Shorpy's photo of the Rhode Island Avenue police station from a few weeks back) Roof material: composite shingle (yes, asphalt shingles have been around for almost 100 years) Sarah, get me Yoda.My parents got their first telephone in 1947 in a very small town in Connecticut and had a three digit number, that was it, no area code, prefix or exchange. I also lived in a very tiny village in Ohio that had its own operators (one on each shift), and only party lines were available. The operator could tell you anything you wanted to know about anyone in the village, even where they were at that particular moment. One person looking for me was told by the operator that I had been seen walking to the grocery store and would probably be home within an hour. Ah, the good old days. ThreadsOne of the joys of reading the various comments is how they can meander around. This string has ventured into old phone number systems, all based on the incidental phone number on that real estate sign. Wonderful. You have to revisit photos and see where things have led. I live in a small area where everyone has the same area and exchange numbers; you tell folks your number by just giving the last four digits. Makes it all seem smaller and more intimate. And neighborly. Five-Digit Phone NumbersIn my home town of Rochester, Indiana we dialed 5 digit numbers right up through the 1970's because the exchange was the same for everybody in town. Instead of 223-xxxx you could just dial 3-xxxx. Sarah, get me 3I used to work with someone, from an old and prominent Boston family, who told me his great-grandfather's phone number way back when was 3. I wonder if it was unlisted? Did Mr. Bell do the installation? SevenMany years ago I met a man who was so old, his Social Security number was 7. Telephone Exchange NamesI know this discussion happened almost 2 years ago, but in case anyone else comes upon this thread. This is a great article that explains the exchange name system to the uninitiated. And this is a huge database of the actual exchange names and number systems in use for locations all over the U.S. - possibly international as well. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Charlie's Checkup: 1950
... like the Knight-Ritter dental equipment that was made in Rochester NY from back when I was a kid (a few years after this photo was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/23/2015 - 3:07pm -

From circa 1950 in Anytown, USA, we present: "Dental office." Medium format negative, photographer unknown. The first in a series. View full size. Close Shave"Wait a second, I came in for a hot shave -- what are you doing?!" This will only hurt a lot!I remember that drill well, it's the stuff of nightmares. But I also remember the soothing noise of the water running in that little spit-sink. Oh, The HumanitySlow drill, no novacaine (he had it, just didn't believe in it). I remember it well. The chair of my Saturday tortures. Kids today don't know how good they have it! As the Dentist Said While Fishing"Open wide. This might hurt a little. Now bite down!" Those of us of a certain age will recognize the cable-driven drill and what looks like a flame sterilizer located on the hinge supporting the round appliance tray. The young man’s arm seems fairly relaxed suggesting the dentist is gentle. [Or that they're just posing for a commercial photo. The dentist lie I most remember always preceded a series of eye-watering grinds: "OK, just one more." -tterrace] My view is funnyThis is Grandpa's office where I never needed any work. I visited often since it was only a block away from my home. This same equipment was installed when my Grandpa set up practice in 1927 and he retired in 1974. He did invest in a turbine drill early on and today I have his "tool chest" with many of the tools that are great for model building. You're NextThat setup was the same as the one I had to endure. Worse than that, my brother was first, and with the sun behind him I could see all the pieces of tooth chipping out as the dreaded drill did its deed. Not just any townbut someplace wet and probably cold. I base that on the Galoshes the kid is wearing. Anti-NostalgiaThis will cure anybody who longs for those simpler times. Old-time dentistry was a scream. Low Speed Drill Builds America's YouthThe water-cooled high speed drill started the decline of the national character in this country. If you learned young with the ancient low-speed dry drill, you can stand anything today. [What I learned was to start asking for novocaine once I had any say in the matter. -tterrace] The Cuspidor... is back in my periodontist's newly outfitted office. I like the wording of "little spit-sink" by Lord-Velveeta better, though. As I kid I had a strong interest in things mechanical, and watching the old pulley system powering the drills helped lessen the anguish of a trip to the dentist. Admiring the qualityof the design work and the craftsmanship of the dental chair; pin-stripping nonetheless. Very nice work. Wonderful detailing. Perhaps the Dentist's handiwork was just as elegant. Where's the drill?As a young boy, I went to an old dentist who was about to retire. Naturally, he didn't update his tools, and I had the misfortune of hearing my older sister scream when he used the foot-operated drill, whose years of pedal-pumping took their toll on his arthritic knees. The drill would speed up and slow down as the pain in the knees ebbed and flowed. Fortunately I didn't have any cavities and the thought of "THE DRILL" made me think before chewing on that Mary Jane or Jujube candy. Items of noteThe pictures of nasty teeth. The gloss on the porcelain and enamel objects. The buckles on the lad's galoshes. The dentist's lovely hair. And he filled the hole with mercuryIn fact it was an amalgam of mercury and other stuff but if I was a good patient, the reward would often be a stoppered test tube with a small amount of mercury to play with. [Me too! -tterrace] I can't say for surebut that equipment looks a lot like the Knight-Ritter dental equipment that was made in Rochester NY from back when I was a kid (a few years after this photo was taken). And Vintagetvs was right, looking through the window, there appears to be a layer of snow on everything. Old equipmentYes, exactly the gear I endured in the 50's and early 60's! Like Angus J, I was fascinated by things mechanical and medical, and learned a lot from old Doctor Holbrook. He was even gracious when, while waiting for the Novocaine to take over, I once used the air blow-gun to clean out the dust in that black, horizontal slot in the drill's base. Unfortunately, that was where the speed control tapped switch is, and the resulting arc blew a hole in the tool tip! Getting Cold FeetLet us divert a moment from the horrors of old time dentistry to recall the misery of those rubber boots: the way snow always got in them and left me with cold wet feet, the infuriating little clips that got frozen with slush, the holes that inevitably occurred with wear and let in MORE moisture, the clanking sound they made, the way they impeded effective walking, their weight, the difficulty of extracting wet-sock and shoe clad feet (leaving the socks behind), the way they incubated wet feet into a fragrant miasma of stinkiness. Do not want. Along with "Getting Cold Feet"......among our crowd those black galoshes were a mark of utmost shame; no one would be caught dead with them on. We would all stash them in the woods on the way to school. One day a neighbor saw me and ratted me out to my mother. Mom would never tell me who, which is probably just as well because I dreamed of revenge for years. ;-) Bread BagsThe proper way to get shoe-clad feet into and out of galoshes is to place bread bags over your shoes, increasing the embarrassment of wearing the darn things exponentially. Dental BursBurs are steel rotary tools with many forms used to drill and grind teeth. At age 14 in 1948 I owned a hobby grinder called Handee Moto Tool. My dentist would save his used burs for me to use with my grinder. The Dremel of today will accept the same burs. (The Gallery, Kids, Medicine)
The Walls Have Eyes: 1908
... There is one of those at the George Eastman house in Rochester. One per room is more than plenty, actually. Hmmm... I was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 8:36pm -

New York, 1908. "J.R. Bradley's animal trophies." Here's a look that would liven up any family room. 8x10 glass negative, George Grantham Bain. View full size. House HunterWhen we were shopping for houses we came across one like this, except it had two things this one lacks: a stuffed crow, and some tables with deer legs. On the WallIf Mr.Bradley enjoyed the company of his victims' heads so much, he could have had his own mounted over the fireplace as well. That said, I would like to revive my joke of September 27 about Old Baldy, General Meade's horse, who was stuffed and displayed His head being mounted on the wall reminds me of the story about the man who graduated as a Veterinarian and then went to Taxidermy school. His office shingle read Veterinarian/Taxidermist -"Either Way- You Get Your Pet Back" Best. Piano. Cover. Ever. Topped only barely by the flattened sea turtle corpse throw rug. Or is that a walrus or sea lion? Hide ParkSheesh, the piano thingy. Does it turn around and roar in your face if you make a mistake whilst practicing!? There also appear to be FOUR rhino (or something?) feet on that table... and two additional ones beneath the lamp. At least they're using them all... Can you imagine dusting in there!? It must have smelled so funky in there. Watch Your Back!Notice how the room seems to follow you around the room. The throw rug in the foreground appears to be a leopard seal, although it could be a rare Biting Quesadilla. [So your rooms follow you around too? Make them stop! Make them stop! - Dave] Creepy indeed!You took the words right out of my fingers. This is definitely not "responsible hunting." Not only would my daughter have nightmares after being in this room--I would, too! What was this guy thinking? Foot Ashtrays? The half-dozen rhino (elephant? hippo?) foot ashtrays on the table are especially nasty. There is one of those at the George Eastman house in Rochester. One per room is more than plenty, actually. Hmmm... I was thinking they were ashtrays... Each seems to be filled with something sticking out the top, though. Any ideas what is in them and if they aren't ashtrays, then what? [They are being used as pedestals to display what look like bones and teeth. - Dave] AghastTimes have really changed. I am the least PC person around but this chamber of horrors is frightening. CreepyI don't have anything against responsible hunting, but this sure looks creepy. My kids would have nightmares. Days Long Gone I HopeWhen I was growing up, a family acquaintance had a room much like this, only much bigger in both size and trophies. It was quite an attraction, but nobody dared to tell him, even then, that it was creepy. To a youngster it seemed the ultimate in conspicuous consumption, with emphasis on conspicuous. Hunting conservationistsI don't know if it applies to this guy, but many big-game hunters were actually among the founders of the conservation movement, viz. Teddy Roosevelt. They were the ones "on the front lines," as it were, seeing firsthand the depredations of poaching and the inroads advancing modern life were making into native habitat. Sigmund, what say you?Freud would've had a field day analyzing JR Bradley's psyche. An Impressive CollectionBut no Wabbit! Dee-lighted!When you tour T.R.'s home at Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay, one of the stories they tell you is that Edith Roosevelt switched places with Teddy in the dining room because she was disconcerted by the moose head staring at her while she was eating. Her husband was more than happy to be reminded of his trophy. The only room in the house without a single trophy head is Mrs. Roosevelt's sitting room. Teddy did manage to sneak in a polar bear rug, however. PETA nightmareSeriously? A baby seal! It almost adds a surreal, comic element to the photo. It's not a rug, or furniture, or a wall decoration - it's just sitting in the middle of the floor. It's like J.R.'s final little touch to the room to make absolutely sure he horrified every single (future) PETA member! If I didn't know better, I'd say Dave photoshopped the seal in there just for kicks! That said, the taxidermist did a good job hiding all the club marks... 1950's, ProvidenceWhen I was growing up, my pediatrician was on Waterman Street, near Brown University, on the East side of Providence, Rhode Island. His offices were in a converted Victorian house and his waiting room was a long, dark hallway with a very high ceiling. Moose and deer heads were stuck way up high above the chairs we'd sit on and, to this day, I can clearly see the film of dust that had settled on their eyes. The room in this photo brings me right back there. Very creepy - but also very discomfiting in that it makes me think about getting a booster shot or something potentially painful. Dave's rhino feetThey are not being used as pedestals, those are the handles to the lids. It is not really that creepy. It is taxidermy and a bunch of shoulder-mounts, full-mounts, F/M as rugs. It depends on the big game hunter and the time period. Early periods did have folks who indiscriminately eliminated game. The other post was correct in citing the last century of hunters as the original conservationists and proponents of game management (although I am sure the indigenous peoples thought the same). They were as often photographing as hunting. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC)
Wye Plantation: 1936
... do a quick change). Jane Eyre Looks like where Mrs. Rochester might have been kept. WITW What in the world is this space. It ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 11:01am -

Queen Anne County, Maryland. circa 1936. "Wye Plantation." Watch your step, and your head. Acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Wow!Love this photo -- the sun and shadows, the cobwebs, the stairs leading to ????? through the odd shaped door. It's a little sinister looking (Like where Norman Bates might do a quick change). Jane EyreLooks like where Mrs. Rochester might have been kept. WITWWhat in the world is this space. It would seem purposefully constructed, but for what? And what is on the other side of the space? Necessity Breeds WeirdnessDoors don't need to be rectangular to fit into a space, but they should at least be symmetrical. Looks like my condoIf you can advertise a "loft" in a condo, you have a good selling point. Jane Eyre's employercould have stashed his mad wife in this attic. UnevenIf you're going to go to all the trouble to angle the second side of the door and door frame, wouldn't you at least make sure they're the same angle? Or just angle the side that needs it? Perplexed. Now I know where he got his inspirationThis must be where Escher was born. Beautiful photoIt has extremes of light, shade, texture and every angle imaginable. Apart from the stories it tells. IncredibleThe shadow and light work here is phenomenal. What a fun picture to stare at and make a story out of. WowI'm coming to appreciate Ms. Johnston's work more and more with her encore performances here on Shorpy; such an eye for lights and tones. And to think she's in her 70s when doing the work we're seeing here. Gnomes be here?The odd shaped door, such as this one here, were often the result of some other feature. There is some roof line or obstruction on the other side of the opening which limits a larger shape. But when it came to the servants, comfort was not a real concern. I see it nowWe will be clicking on "Farked" soon for this pic. Very AngularA lot of interesting lines and angles in this photo. EscherishThis might be what M.C. Escher would have produced if asked to design a stairway. Odd angle of doorI think "Gnomes" is correct. I'm willing to bet the odd angle on the hinge side of that door is born of necessity, likely because of a cross brace in the timber frame. Wye House is a right fine 1780s-90s neoclassical house, Palladian in its layout with central pavilon and flanking wings. Here are the HABS survey photographs from the 1930s. [You're confusing the subject of our photo -- Wye Plantation in Queen Anne County -- with Wye House in Talbot County. The Wye Plantation mansion was demolished in the 1960s and replaced by a replica that's part of the Marriott Aspen Wye River conference center. Wye House still stands. - Dave] (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
Scooby-Doo: 1967
All five kids plus Tippy the wonder dog in Rochester, Indiana. Kodachrome slide. View full size. Scooby Doo I ... 
 
Posted by delworthio - 09/22/2011 - 6:16pm -

All five kids plus Tippy the wonder dog in Rochester, Indiana. Kodachrome slide. View full size. Scooby DooI see that the two youngest kids, even the baby still in diapers, are packing heat. It is what "dates" the photo since today it is difficult to find toy guns for boys, even though my kids had dozens, and not one out of four grew up to be outlaws. I bet none of these kids did, either. All the kids in my day had them, none became criminals or murderers. Who remembers WHEN and WHY it became forbidden to sell toy guns? ["Forbidden"? Guns are still big sellers at toy stores. - Dave] Coloured photosColoured photos are really awful and they spoil this site. Wonderful shotThe boy with the finger dangerously close to nose-picking territory makes it an excellent, unposed shot where everyone is clearly having a great time. I like color shotsA lot of us grew up with Kodachrome and those brilliant, very-saturated images are very nostalgic. Fan of "coloured photos"I totally disagree. I have been enjoying these family Kodachromes; I believe there's a place here for both black & white and color. In fact, it was a link to the Kodachrome-Pie Town series by Russell Lee that got me hooked on Shorpy. Line and sinker were quick to follow. ~mrs.djs Great MixYou have a great mix of color and B/W photos on this site. Don't change a thing! A third vote for colorBecause the past WAS in color, even when the photographs aren't. From my 10 year old"What's the difference between broccoli and a booger? Kids won't eat broccoli!" I love the mix of the colored and older pictures. This site is one of my daily musts! Seems like just yesterdayI'm becoming quite fond of these children- I would have been 5 when this photo was taken and the outfits look familiar to the ones seen when I was growing up. My mother commented that when raising kids back then, their clothes were clean but if they were "play clothes," fashion wasn't the priority. I like the dainty watches on the girls- with their hairstyles and the eyeglasses, I feel they look like they will zoom from girls to responsible moms without any stops in between. I bet they were busy watching those little brothers. More pictures of the family, please. I'd love to know more about them- much as we all got the opportunity to meet the young military couple and their baby boy. Woof!!That's such a great picture~ Even the dog is in on the joke and has a big smile!! LOVE IT!! 60s and 70s photosAt first I was a bit surprised to see photos from the 60s and 70s but I think they're pretty cool. I guess it depends on what you think of as old. I was born in '68 so the early 70s photos are like fragments from my earliest memories. I appreciate seeing a time that I sort of remember. I still do love the 20s through 40s but I have really enjoyed seeing these 60s and 70s family photos. Now I'm not too sure how I'd feel about seeing "nostalgic" photos from the 80s and early 90s... Love the colorI love all the pictures on this site. The Kodachrome pictures bring back memories ... especially this one with the Forsythia bush. My Mom had lots of them in the yard. That Belt ThingamabobWhat's that belt ornament on the far left? Looks like a 30-06 cartridge or shell or ? Pretty impressive. NOBODY's gonna mess with this family! NeighborsCan I go back in time and move next door to you guys? Neighbors? Sure! Hey, Hold On!Just bring your record collection and camera. Waaaait a minute. It took me awhile, tterrace, but I think I know what this is all about. You have eyes for my sister, don't you? The delworthio crowdTaking nothing away from the obvious charms of your sisters, my thought was actually that yours looked like a fun bunch in general to live next door to. I probably would have kidnapped Tippy, though. Into the lightRemember the good ol' days when we had to face the sun while having our pictures taken. I have several photos of me and my brothers, squinty eyes and all. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Dogs, Kids)
Through the Looking-Glass
... it is some version of a Korona Cycle Camera by Gundlach of Rochester, N.Y. Wallpaper Gorgeous! I love it. Some things should come ... 
 
Posted by D_Chadwick - 01/12/2009 - 5:40pm -

Self-portrait circa 1910. The only thing out of focus is the photographer. Does anyone know what kind of camera he's using? Scanned from the original 5x4 inch glass negative. View full size. Shocking.The arm of that chair is scandalously unembellished. Not sure about the camera...... but that shutter is a "double-dashpot," considered to be a high-quality unit. There were several manufacturers including Kodak and Bausch & Lomb. Click.Kodak Folding or Promette c. 1907 with a ball-bearing shutter. What's With the Chandelier?I didn't know people upholstered their ceiling fixtures! What's up with that? Look at how crisp the doily is - and how sharp and new the wallpaper is! I'll presume that all the decorations are his wife's. These days, just about the only "self-portraits" around are of the nude/porno-ish variety. Just like this gentleman, the new guys (and gals) are holding their little black shutter-thing between their fingers, too. Some things never change, do they? FocusIs he out of focus? Or is it a long exposure, and he's blurred because he moved? I suspect the latter. [Either way, he's out of focus. - Dave] Profile PicThe first MySpace photo! Fly Speck Shield?The fabric wrapping on the chain and arms of the chandelier looks very ad-hoc, not very well fitted and coarsely stitched. This could be a holdover from the 19th Century practice of covering gilded metal with gauze or other fabric during the summer months to prevent fly specks (an 1876 housekeeping manual I found suggests painting gilded picture frames with onion juice for the same reason). The mass-produced oak pier mirror and its gewgaws mostly date from the 1880s, while the bit of the chair seen at left is more like 1895-1905. The photographer also appears in the framed engagement or wedding photo on the wall behind him. He hasn't aged much from that portrait to the mirror image shot. The fixtureChildren, the light fixture is wrapped in muslin, from the chain down to the shades, because it's new, or the household is redecorating. Once everything was up and you were done painting and papering, you'd unwind the entire business. Nowadays it would of course be plastic. -- Great-Great Grandma The CameraThe knob at the top of the lens standard (below left in the photo, above and right in real life) suggests it is some version of a Korona Cycle Camera by Gundlach of Rochester, N.Y. WallpaperGorgeous! I love it. Some things should come back in style. Christmastime?I wonder if this was around Christmas, since there appears to be a reindeer in snow in the glass bell. "Double Exposure!"What an interesting composition - the picture on the wall directly behind the man's head seems to be another picture of the same man! It's like he's looking in the mirror at his older self, and showing us what he sees. Thinks she can have it all, does she?Well, the last laugh's on her. I'll take a photographic catalogue of everything in this house, by gum, when that judge says to split things right down the middle you can bet it'll be done with surgical precision! She gets the damned rococo wallpaper, I get the reindeer sno-globe! Fern from nowhereWhere is that fern sprouting from ? It appears to be right on the buffet/sideboard/dresser but I don't see a vase and there is nothing in the glass globes hanging from the cherub thing. It is bugging me now. [If the fern were on that table, the fronds wouldn't stop at the edge of the mirror. - Dave] In SeasonAt least here in New Orleans, such fabric covers for the downrods of metal light fixtures used to be fairly common. (I imagine there used to be a term for such devices but I don't know it. Lighting fixture stocking?) In the days before air-conditioning, the fashion was to redecorate the house twice a year for winter and summer style among the well-to-do and middle class who wished to emulate them. Different summer and winter carpets on the floor, etc. Much was clearly intended to lessen the southern summer heat, but some details seem obscure now. In summer you'd dress up the lighting poles and other shiny metal objects with fabric. Someone told me it was to keep away the bugs which would be attracted by the shine. For the majority of people who had bass fixtures (as opposed to the very rich who'd have them gilded) it would have the practical advantage of allowing you not to have to polish them for the whole summer. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Portraits)
Christmas 1964
Christmas 1964 in Rochester, Indiana. Kodachrome slide. View full size. [It's Christmas in ... 
 
Posted by delworthio - 06/26/2008 - 12:01am -

Christmas 1964 in Rochester, Indiana. Kodachrome slide. View full size. [It's Christmas in June (for me, especially) with an exceptional selection of member-submitted color slides. There are even more here. Thanks, Santa! - Dave] Xmas 1964 1962On the right, Mom and me, Christmas 1962 in Miami. Eerie, isn't it. Hey, that's mine!I had that Barbie case! And I want it back! Nuh-Uh!I still have that Barbie case and you can't have it. Nyeeaaa! ChristmasMy former wife put all our home movies from the late 40s & early 50s on tape and gave one to each of our children. Their mates loved seeing their mates as children. No, No, NoPlease tell me he dind't get the little lady an ironing board for Christmas! A blast from the past!I have a picture of my mother and I about the same year that looks just like this~musta been the 'in' pose for the early 60's! And that Barbie Case! Wish I'd kept mine! I think I remember my brothers drawing a mustache and beard on Barbie.... Topless BarbieI remember, during my childhood, that every kid's toybox contained at least one, sometimes several, nude Barbies, minus their heads. Were the heinous decapitations carried out by us brothers? Personally, I don't recall ever doing such a thing...I suspect it was Ken. Never did trust the guy. Coulda Been My HouseThe sparsely decorated tree and braided oval rug -- very familiar. Attack of the headless BarbiesLance, headless Barbies were my weapon of choice against my little brothers. They were terrified of them! Bwaa haa haa! Attack of the Headless Barbies IIMattie, I have often been on the receiving end of those dreaded headless Barbie assaults (although not lately, I must confess). The missing heads may have been soft, but those bodies, made of rock hard vinyl, made great blackjacks. They were especially lethal if the famous pointed Barbie breasts were on the leading edge at impact. Tired momsMom here looks a bit tired! She was probably up half the night for weeks, baking cookies, wrapping presents and finishing those she was making. When she finally got into bed, after midnight, each night, she was lucky if she got an hour or two before she had to get up with the baby. Christmas Eve, she probably polished silver, ironed tablecloths and napkins, baked pies for the next day, and cooked a special meal for that night. Then, it was washing and setting the girls' hair, last minute preparations, and getting up with the baby. She probably no sooner got the baby back down, before the older kids started getting up wanting to open presents. After getting everyone dressed and hair combed, she had to get the turkey in the oven, the rolls started, and the side-dishes going. She probably didn't sit down for more than five minutes at a time during dinner, serving everyone, getting up to grab the hot rolls out of the oven (this was before microwaves and you had to stagger batches in the oven to keep hot ones available), and wiping up the milk the two-year-old spilled. After dinner, she got right up and busy on the dishes, while Dad most likely settled in front of the TV with a beer to watch football. I would bet on these things, because I remember my mother doing them all, and doing them all myself. As tired as it makes me just to think of it all, I wouldn't have traded it for the world! (Well, actually, I would have had more help with dishes.) (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Christmas)
R.R. Control Tower: 1940
... point for the Baltimore & Ohio (ex-Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh), with a roundhouse, engine repair shop capable of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/18/2018 - 12:48pm -

September 1940. "Mr. T.J. Long, president of the Tri-County Farmers Co-op Market in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, at his work in a railroad tower near Du Bois." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Re: Everything Old is New AgainI'm imagining that the pouch is divided; new fuses go in the left compartment, and old ones in the right. Question then is why don't the old ones just go in the trash? New and Old; and MoreOnce upon a time, fuses could be repaired. The case could be opened and the internal element (sometimes a thin wire, sometimes a stamped piece of metal) could be replaced. Thus, you would have to save the 'old' fuses. Interesting that there are two interlocking machines here. The obvious one in the foreground is a mechanical interlocking machine, where the switches and signals were mechanically connected to the levers. The power to operate the equipment was provided by the towerman's arms - hence the colloquial term "armstrong machine". The five levers leaning out (to the right) are lock levers, painted blue, which lock switches. Before throwing the switch, the lock lever has to be returned to the "normal" position, in line with the other levers. The other interlocking machine is just visible at the left, in the large wooden box. It is a General Railway Signal power machine, where the switches and signals are operated by electric motors (in this case). The levers are still mechanically locked between each other, but the use of external power made the levers much easier to operate. In a few instances, electric and mechanical machines were mechanically interconnected, but not in this case. Those Locked BoxesThose are electrical switches, actuated by the huge levers, used to control signals or other devices, but not the track switches. The levers to the right are used by the Operator (that's his job title) to set up or take down routes of trains though the Junction. One lever controls one track switch or signal. A system of sliding bars and levers under the floor interconnects these levers and prevents the operator from setting up conflicting routes through the junction, and only after setting up a clear route could the levers which controlled the signals for that route be actuated. A system of rods an levers, up to a mile long, connected to each track switch to one of the levers at the operators disposal. These required great force to be moved - more than available from the battery powered electric motors of the time. Signals didn't require so much power to operate, and could be battery powered, thus the locked boxes on the "locking frame" to control signals. The locks were removed only by maintainers, not by the operator. His Last SeptemberMr. Thomas Jackson Long, as of the 1940 census, was a 56-year-old railroad telegraph operator living in Sandy Township with his wife and two adult children. Sadly, he died three months after this photo was taken, shot in a hunting accident. Dust and Old PaintI'm old enough to remember workplaces like this when I was a kid and tagged along with my dad. Those windows in Winter let in cold air like you would not believe, but couldn't have shades as that obstructed the view. The tower I remember was on stilts to facilitate looking way up and down the tracks, and seeing the color of the track signals. Wind whistled around its uninsulated walls. There was a pot-bellied stove that burned coal. The place was swept sometimes but still had decades of accumulated dust. Paint was a yellow-brown color made browner by dirt. In other offices the paint was battleship grey. The fellow who sat in the observation office most often was peculiar and I wasn't supposed to be left alone with him. When I was told that it terrified me and I avoided looking at him. Maybe that's why I remember it so well. New Fuses for old circuitsThe old fuses were to fit the old fuseholders, which are the porcelain blocks just to the right of the "New Old Fuses" container. The fuses are the long slender porcelain tubes, two of which are clipped into each block. I remember seeing these on old telephone lightning arrestors. Conspicuous by their absence are the spares; there are none in the box. Everything Old is New AgainThe pouch on the wall labeled "New Old Fuses" is intriguing. One wonders if there is a similar one out of frame labeled "Old New Fuses". B&O facilitiesDuBois was a significant maintenance point for the Baltimore & Ohio (ex-Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh), with a roundhouse, engine repair shop capable of heavy overhauls, and car repair shop. The town also served as a division point, as well as a connection to the New York Central & Hudson River. Quiet PleaseKeep it down out there! Our Block Operator may be copying an important message from up or down the line. By the look of things with six telegraph sounders at his desk, a phone and "patch" panels and one lone telegraph key, at times Mr. Long can be a busy man. Renewable FusesNot all fuses are one use only. Some are cylinders that can be opened, and a new fusible link or wire installed, inside the original unit. I would suggest that is a possible explanation for the "new and old" fuse container. There were probably a few blown fuses in the old section ready for renewing. You can read about it here. If you remember the Beatles song "When I'm Sixty-four", one of the lyrics is: "I could be handy mending a fuse when your lights have gone." England and Australia used renewable porcelain fuses in older homes, and they could be "mended" by threading the correct amperage fuse wire through them. New Old FusesThe fusible links in some barrel type fuses can be replaced by unscrewing the end caps, removing the blown parts, putting in a new link, and replacing the end caps. This may be the situation here. Old fuses could be new again.The cartridge fuses like those to the left of the clock were not disposable. The end caps where removable to facilitate replacing the fusible link inside. I've seen really big ones that would take two hands to pick up. LocksWonder why those boxes on the left are locked? Does he have to unlock them to switch the switches each time? Some things old can be renewedThose "old" fuses may have renewable links. I remember seeing some of those years ago. Restoration & RepurposingIt's nice to see some effort to preserve railroad towers. I'll have to swing by North Judson to see if their efforts were realized. http://www.grassellitower.com/towers.htm Then, if I ever get back to Milwaukee, I'd like to take a look at this sturdy "tiny house" conversion: https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2017/08/24/house-confidential-tiny-railroad-t... Locked BoxesThe boxes on the left house electric locks. They mechanically lock the levers depending on electrical circuits, such as track circuits used to detect the presence of a train. These locks are safety critical, and so must be kept secure from unauthorized access -- hence the locks. Only signal maintainers would have a key; the towerman would not be able to release the locks and cause an unsafe condition. Restricted AccessThe padlocks on the the switch machine ensure that only authorized switch and signal maintainers have access to the internal mechanism for maintenance purposes. Note that there also "car seals" applied in addition to the padlocks. This is an additional "tamper-evident" security measure. Yes, this compartmentalization is something on a par with ballistic missile systems. These switch control mechanisms are that important. Lightning arrester Surge protectors were also referred to as lightning arresters. That's what I see under the two bells behind him. I also think the two glass covers in the left of the photo are some sort of protection as well. I picked several porcelain GE ones while insulator hunting in Kansas several years ago. (Technology, The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Uncle Don: 1973
... (last seen here 10 years before) in our backyard in Rochester, Indiana. My brother is wearing one of those groovy new smiley face ... 
 
Posted by delworthio - 09/12/2011 - 5:49pm -

It's Uncle Don (last seen here 10 years before) in our backyard in Rochester, Indiana. My brother is wearing one of those groovy new smiley face T-shirts. Behind us is "the field" we got to play in and make trails and bike ramps and forts. In the extreme left near the horizon line is a corn field. Next to that is a barn full of tractors and antique cars. As I recall there were some foreign sports cars, too. Kodachrome slide with a date stamp of June 1973. View full size. InterestingVery interesting. I actually like this pic. It reminds me a simple lifestyle that I sometimes yearn for. The little girl on the far left in the long red dress reminds me of the way how the Amish dress their children. And the Oscar goes to...OK, the truth finally comes out. You lived your life in an MGM musical directed by Vincente Minnelli, designed by Cecil Beaton and photographed in Technicolor, right? Heretics!No, Dave, my parents were Orthodox Agfachrome. For some reason...This reminds me of "The Sound of Music." I'm not sure why -- maybe it's the girls who are dancing in the foreground. The World Is a Carousel of Color..."Wonderful, wonderful color!" I don't know, I was around in 1973 (and about the same age as these kids), and I don't remember any photographs looking this color-saturated. Maybe the color got "bumped up" somehow, when it was scanned? It's still charming, nonetheless. [Evidently your parents didn't believe in Kodachrome. - Dave] Okay You Got MeYour suspicions will be confirmed when you see the next slide, tterrace. Year of the maxiThe little girl on the left is very fashionably dressed for 1973. Maxi dresses were the rage for a brief moment. They were banned at my middle school because girls were tripping on their hems and tumbling down the stairs. Finally, someone younger than me!This is the first of the old photos that actually has folks younger than me (well, maybe just two of them; I'd have been in that play group, at 7 years old. And I'd have been wearing clothes just like the kid in the middle in the game of keep-away.... he even looks a bit like me at that age!) Reminds me of some of the family reunions we had when I was a child. Good times with family! Thanks Del! Time warpHey, wait a minute. This site is for old photos. 1973 was only a couple of years ago, right? Rules, Rules, Rules"Hey, wait a minute. This site is for old photos. 1973 was only a couple of years ago, right?" I guess this person missed the "Always Something Interesting" part of the webpage. Interesting how some people think that there ought to be strictures to a photo website, can't they just enjoy something new and interesting? Nope, it's all rules and regs to them. I'll let someone else remind them that 1973 was actually 36 years ago, which is older than a lot of people online out there. Younger people (gasp) might have an interest of a slice-of-life from before they were born, whether its 1873 or 1973. Imagine that! [Well you know, that comment saying 1973 was just a few years ago -- that's what you call tongue-in-cheek. - Dave] Another piece of AmericanaI'm surprised that nobody has commented on the piece of Americana that has virtually disappeared from modern society -- the "trash burner" at the edge of the lot. Those were immensely popular back in the late 50s - early 70s as a way to dispose of combustible household waste. Sears sold a model similar to the one shown through their catalog. It had a cone-shaped top with a heavy wire mesh to contain burning embers, and there were holes down near the bottom to promote upward airflow to provide efficient combustion. The "barrel" unhooked from the bottom to allow removal of the ashes. Awareness of environmental considerations in the 70s soon made these fixtures of suburban American life a thing of the past and today most incorporated areas ban any kind of burning of trash. Those few who insist on burning their trash use 55 gallon oil drums with the top cut out, much to the consternation of their neighbors. Surreal compositionAlmost takes of the dynamics of a Georges Seurat painting in composition. Everyone is engaged in some manner and positioning is very nicely balanced. Really a beautiful photograph. [Plus the subjects are kind of pointillated. - Dave] Tongue In CheekYes, 1973 yeah I showed my humorless edge there, sorry sorry sorry...I will try not to do that again....!!! Sorry! Hairdo Hand Grenade My eye went directly to the trash burner when i saw this photo. I couldn’t help it. It made me remember how satisfying it was to ignite a big bag of trash and after a good blazing conflagration was achieved throw my mother’s empty cans of aerosol hair spray down the nosecone and wait for them to explode. Ahhh, the joys of childhood. YarnNotice the little girl has a yarn hair tie. I had forgotten how popular those were -- we bought bundles of them at the drugstore in different colors. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids)
Evening Amusements: 1900
... of that time. Under three names (New York, Saratoga, and Rochester) she served in the Spanish-American War (seeing action as flagship at ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/03/2012 - 6:39am -

Circa 1900. "U.S.S. New York -- evening amusements." Quite a bit of cutting up here, in one instance almost literally. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by Edward Hart, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. USS New York LPD-21Fast forwarding to November 7, 2009, I attended the Commissioning Ceremony for the USS New York where I shot this Panoramic photograph. This is the 7th US Warship to acquire this name and was Commissioned at the Hudson River Pier adjacent to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. It is partially made of steel salvaged from the destroyed World Trade Center. 5-string guitarThe sailor just right of center evidently broke a string on his guitar (the remnant is visible at the headstock). Maybe it happened just before this photo was taken. His painted fingernails don't look long enough to have caused it. What am I doing here?The guy in the back under the hanging alarm clock seems to be pondering. "Should I get a haircut and a shave or should I just grab a tamborine and join these wild and crazy guys?" Knife LanyardThe knife lanyard was issued to all sailors (except chief petty officers, officers' messmen, and bandsmen) per the 1897 uniform regulations found here. They state: Of bleached white cotton. To be flat sennit, one-half (1/2) to nine-sixteenths (9/16) of an inch wide, tightly laid up; to have a turk's head slide; and to be long enough, when around the neck, to allow the knife to be used with arm extended. Re: Painted FingernailsActually, it's not that uncommon for guitar players to paint their fingernails; the acrylic helped strengthen the nails, although in the long run it's not good for them. I know of several friends who do this now, although I wasn't aware of how far back the tradition went. There is even a clear acrylic solution that music stores sell, specifically for the purpose. TriviaIn the lower right we can see an anchor chain and a coil of rope (two sizes, at least) carelessly lying on top of it. (The sailor playing the banjo is sitting on the coils). These details suggest we are looking at a location forward and well above the waterline, perhaps on the second deck (maybe called something else in that period). One detail I've wondered about in many of these turn of the century Navy interior shots: some of the men are wearing a white lanyard-like thing around their necks, with its business end tucked into their front pockets. Could this be a bo's'n's whistle? How many sailors at that time would be equipped with those? If not, what could it be? The USS New York in the photo (there have been several of the same name both before and after) is an armored cruiser, one of the Navy's biggest and most potent ships of that time. Under three names (New York, Saratoga, and Rochester) she served in the Spanish-American War (seeing action as flagship at the Battle of Santiago) and World War I (being obsolete, she saw little action). Decommissioned in 1933 in the Philippines, she was scuttled in 1941 to prevent capture by the Japanese at the outbreak of World War II. Painted Fingernails or --possibly a sign of illness. Blue nails "May be indicative of pulmonary obstruction, emphysema or lung disease" Physicals probably weren't as thorough back then. Interesting MixDefinitely an interesting mix of activities in this photo. We have of course the impromptu band with guitars, drums, banjo and mandolins. Then there's the Tonsorial Parlor - three chairs, no waiting. And finally there's the Marine (based on his cap) with the cigarette apparently about to slit the throat of one of the sailors. Keeping timeI just love this photo - it reminds me of a Brueghel painting. Maybe the things on the white lanyards were pocket watches? Above waterAs Cap'n Jack mentioned, this is well above the water line, as we can see outside reflected in the mirror on the back wall. Son of a gunI suspect that the mechanical-looking object at extreme left is actually a deck gun. Or rather, part of one. If you look closely you can see a circular object (to the left of the tambourinist), which is probably a trunnion for the gun barrel. The rest of the gun is visible as a horizontal black shiny object partly obscured by said tambourinist and his horn-playing mate. Update: Very helpful enlargement, Dave! The designation "No 6" indicates this was the sixth gun of its caliber aboard the New York. Since the ship had twelve 4-inch caliber guns (six on each side), it's logical that this was the last gun on one side -- probably the starboard side -- meaning the perspective of the group portrait is looking aft, towards the warship's stern. Blue FingernailsCoal Passer or Engineering Division Snipe. Those who worked closely with coal frequently had stained fingernails. 5-string guitarMy guess is it's an intentional 5-string. It looks like the bottom string, normally the thinnest, is strung with a heavy string. This setup would let him tune that single string down low to play bass notes with while strumming rhythm chords with the other four strings above. Bass player and rhythm guitar combined. Blue NailsI was looking at the blue nails (which look more like bruised than the "blue" described below) imagining the amount of pain of smashing all your fingers not just one like I have experienced in the past... OUCH! (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, E.H. Hart, Music)
Mexican Mustang: 1905
... enough film in it for 100 photos. Then you sent it off to Rochester for processing, with another dollar or two, and they sent back your ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/21/2013 - 12:05am -

Knoxville, Tennessee, circa 1905. "Gay Street looking north from Clinch Avenue." Featuring the Mayor of Gay Street, and sponsored by Mexican Mustang Liniment. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Avoiding the glare of His HonorHe certainly has the face of a 40 year old. Just think of the stories he could tell already at such a young age. Plus 106Present day view from a little farther up the block, highlighting one of the few buildings from that era still standing (mid-way up the block, on the left). Carefully compoundedI see that it's Hat Day once again. Smoke. Eat.Did you "Eat" first then "Smoke" or vice versa. The bank has a half million in Capital, not even enough to pay the CEO's bonus today. One Application Of Mexican Mustang Liniment and you'll be up and at 'um! I'll bet. And your Mustang would purr like new again. The wires on the left hide what looks like some interesting masonry over the realtors office. Neat photo. Use Mustang Linimentand you'll be all right in a day or two, and so will your horse. I can just hear the photographer"Don't move kid, I gotta take a picture. If ya move, you'll wreck it." CamerasAs a photographer, I would love to browse the interior of the Douglass (and Sons?) camera store and also have a look at the equipment in the Branson Studios. Early Kodaks -- you paid $1 and got a camera with enough film in it for 100 photos. Then you sent it off to Rochester for processing, with another dollar or two, and they sent back your photos and a new camera all ready to go! Photo taken 1906 earliestI came across this short article in "The Music Trade Review" Nov 17, 1906. +110Below is the same view from July of 2015. (The Gallery, DPC, Kids, Knoxville, Streetcars)
The Whiteboard Jungle: 1957
... Circa 1957. "IBM Manufacturing and Administrative Center, Rochester, Minnesota. Cafeteria. Eero Saarinen, architect." Medium format ... the "Gateway Arch" in St. Louis. The IBM campus in Rochester, MN shown here is a grid of many low buildings (at most two stories ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/03/2013 - 12:41pm -

Circa 1957. "IBM Manufacturing and Administrative Center, Rochester, Minnesota. Cafeteria. Eero Saarinen, architect." Medium format negative by Balthazar Korab. View full size. Fire ExtinguishersApparently, only tall people are supposed to fight fires. Where's Waldo?All white males. [Except for the women. -tterrace] A sea of white shirtsMy uncle worked for IBM in the early 60's in NYC. He had a wardrobe full of white shirts as that was all they were permitted to wear if they dealt with the public. I'm thinking the striped shirt and plaid shirt guys were visitors or only worked internally? Industrial ModFirst of all, I don't see anything that would burn in that cold, anuglar room. It's about as unwelcoming as a place could be what with its "I" beams everywhere, bland light fixtures and the plants, if they are real, don't even provide any relief. A perfect set right out of "The Organization Man" or "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" and I'm sure Atlas would have shrugged in this year of his birth. Smoke 'em if you got em.Ashtrays on every table, fire extinguisher on every pole. 37 years an IBM-erMy dad was a field engineer for IBM from 1952 to 1987. Into the 1970s, he would come home from work with grease on his white shirts from fixing computers and printers. I got to play "office lady" with discarded punch cards, and he still has a box of old paper from a daisy-wheel printer that he doesn't want to throw away! Sign of the timesThat picture reminds me so much of my high school cafeteria, which was built in 1956-57. If that building is still standing, I wonder how many of those windows remain. Most other buildings I've seen have replaced most of their windows with solid walls. CuttingsThe ubiquitous cut-leaf philodendron of the 1950s and early 1960s are rarely seen in homes or businesses. Then it was the most popular indoor plant. It was very attractive, practically kill-proof, didn't leave dead leaves all over and was relatively easy to trim or let go wild, depending on your taste. We had one from about 1958 until the mid-1970s that survived three moves and a fair bit if neglect and/or overwatering. It finally died after one of our cats took to "watering" it himself. Parsi engineersIt is likely that there are several men of colour in the photo. There were many Indian, especially Parsi, electrical and computer engineers working at IBM and other major companies. Students from India were studying engineering and in other technical fields at MIT as early as the late 1800s. Historian Ross Bassett of North Carolina State University has been documenting the history of Indian engineers who studied at MIT and the Indian Institute of Technology and who became engineers at IBM and other companies. He is working on a bio of my step-father, Soli Dubash, (amongst others) who studied engineering at MIT before and after WWII and went on to work on many prominent architectural projects across Canada, achieving the position of Chief Engineer at the Department of Public Works, here in Ottawa. http://history.ncsu.edu/faculty/view/ross_bassett http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qht2ReRubP0&list=PL7F39BE4A3867E47F&index... I've been working here for thirty yearsIn answer to previous comments... The floor to ceiling windows in this photo were just replaced this summer (2014) with a new set of energy efficient windows. Still floor to ceiling. Fire extinguishers are gone. "Best practice" now in case of fire is to exit the building and leaving the fire fighting to the pros. Ashtrays are gone. The site has been smoke free for many years now. People still dumb enough to smoke have to stand out by the parking lot in the 20-degree below zero winters. Mentioned in the photo caption, Eero Saarinen is now considered one of the masters of mid-20th century American architecture. He designed campuses for several large corporations. His most famous work was probably the "Gateway Arch" in St. Louis. The IBM campus in Rochester, MN shown here is a grid of many low buildings (at most two stories above ground level). It was IBM's first US facility built outside of the Northeast US. With more square footage than the Empire State Building and roughly half the size of the Pentagon, this facility has, for decades, been IBM's largest facility under one roof. (The Gallery, Balthazar Korab, Eateries & Bars, The Office)
8-Inch Guns: 1900
... later became the USS Saratoga (ACR-2) and then the USS Rochester (CA-2) as the older names were needed for newer ships. At some point, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/28/2012 - 10:16am -

Circa 1900. "U.S.S. New York, crew of forward 8-inch guns." 8x10 inch glass negative by Edward H. Hart, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Pretty snappy hatswhat is on the ends of those lanyards? a knife? a bosun's whistle? - - help. Messy looking uniformsIt looks as if some of the guys slept in their uniforms a couple of weeks before they wore them for duty. Shipboard SharpAs a former Army careerist, my characterization will be dismissed by some, but the Navy has never been overly impressed by starch and polish, at least on shipboard. These jolly tars probably did their own laundry, in salt water at that, and dried it on various portions of the standing rigging. You'll notice, too, that the "Dixie Cup" or "gob cap" (as opposed to what came to be know as the "Donald Duck" hat, now long gone) has the unique ability to accept the wearer's individual styling inputs and still look like something that came off a milk bottle. That lanyardEarlier, someone posted the military specification for the sailors' lanyard, which mentioned it had to be long enough for the knife to be held at arm's length. ex-Navy Being ex-USN (EW3 - was my rate/rating Electronics Warfare Technician / Petty Officer Third) I really enjoy your images of older ships. My interest is heightened by the fact my maternal Grandfather was career Navy, he was a Chief Boilerman (i.e. he ran the black gang) who would have served during this era. Never having met him, it kindles the imagination that one of these guys might be him (well not this group they are likely all gunnersmates) Shipboard sharpI was in the Navy 1963 to 1969 if anyone had shown up on the main deck in this condition you would have been written up and confined to the ship. I never saw any one wearing whites that were this dirty, ever! That said I HATED having to wear whites, they were starched and ironed and as soon as you sat down and then stood up they looked horrible. Give me the dress blue uniform any day. These are not "dixie cup" hats they came much later after the "flat hats".The larger ships had people that did the laundry, this is either a cruiser(New York city) or a battleship (New York state)this is most probably a cruiser because of the smaller guns, so would of had a ships laundry. USS New YorkThe ship is armored cruiser USS New York (ACR-2) (1891-1938). The kite-like triangular structure by the bridge in both photos seems to be the giveaway. What exactly is that structure? wind sails The kite-like triangular structure Big Mike is mentioning is a called (at least in civilian service) a wind sail and directs any stray breezes into stuffy spaces of which there were many in pre-A/C days. Most ships in that period were coal fired and the coal dust gets everywhere which may account for some of the less than spiffy whites. Wind sails were in use on tankers until not long ago to help gas free tanks. Air SupplyBig Mike: I'm pretty sure the kite-like structure on the bow is a canvas 'wind sail' that caught and directed breezes to below decks areas. Sailors needed all the help with ventilation they could get on those early steel warships. Saving one for laterLike a window straight into 1900. I count 3 wedding rings. As for shipshapeness or otherwise, the guilty-looking guy sitting center has a dog-end put away by his boot for later! Re: Solo - Shipboard SharpObviously Army, you've not been aboard many modern ships to see spit and polish. Agree with your observation on 1900's US Navy, but grooming and uniform standards have changed drastically since then as they have in the Army as well. Rebuke AcceptedI shall withdraw to my muddy foxhole and wash my filthy socks in my helmet. The Natty Fellow in the Center?Despite the impression given in the often posed photos of old, life back then was often a lot grittier than we're used to now in our modernistic obsession with cleanliness. What I'd like to know is who is the natty guy in the nice uniform? I'm not familiar with Navy uniforms of this era. Is he the gun officer? A petty officer? Another swabbie in his Sunday best just back from church when everyone was lining for the photo? Egalitarian experiment in the Navy?It's interesting that there's no rank insignia worn by any of these men, though several have what I believe are watch marks around their sleeves. The man in the jacket and billed hat is almost undoubtedly the chief petty officer in charge of the gun crew. At the time of the photograph, the ship had six 8"/35 caliber guns in fore and aft twin gun turrets, and midship port and starboard single gun turrets. A gun crew of eight or ten men could manage about two rounds per minute, possibly three if very well trained and motivated. The ship later became the USS Saratoga (ACR-2) and then the USS Rochester (CA-2) as the older names were needed for newer ships. At some point, the \8"/35s were replaced with 8"/45s, but seemingly only four of them, the midship turrets having been removed (the pictures on the web aren't the best). History of the Bell in the PictureI found this photograph fascinating because the text on the bell can be read. It says the Seventh Regiment presented the bell to the USS New York. I wrote the Seventh Regiment in New York (it still exists and it has a very active association) and asked if they know anything about it. They wrote back and sent an excerpt from the Seventh Regiment Gazette. The bell was given to the USS New York in 1893. A great bit of history. A BIG thank you to Chris at the Seventh Regiment for researching this. THANK YOU! (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, E.H. Hart)
Car Noir: 1977
... had one very much like this! 389 CID with four barrel Rochester carburetor, most likely a two speed Power-glide automatic ... 
 
Posted by rizzman1953 - 06/23/2012 - 5:45pm -

A very quiet night, after midnight in Medford, Massachusetts. Not sure of the make or year of the car. View full size. Car I.D.Pontiac, ca. mid-late '60s, possibly a Bonneville. I'm sure somebody out there will know all the specifics. "The wheels will fall off"1962 Pontiac Bonneville coupe. My dad kept buying Pontiacs after 1956, after a series of Jaguars and Studebakers. We had a '56 Chieftan, then a '59 Star Chief, then a '63 GTO, then a '64 Grand Prix, and finally a '65 Bonneville. And, yes, indeed, at some point or other, each and every one of those Pontiacs had a wheel fall off. By about the third one my dad brought home, my mom would look disdainfully at all that chrome and say, "The wheels will fall off". So we switched to Cadillacs in '65 (I still have that one) and back to Jaguars (and I still have all those). When I was three, my uncle let me drive his wife's pink '57 Star Chief up the old brick streets of Amarillo, Texas. I remember it like it was yesterday. My aunt, my parents, and my 4-year-old sister were in the back seat. I remember my aunt saying, "Do you think this is really a good idea?" and him replying, "Look, he's doing just fine". And I was. And I still have never hit anything nor been hit. And have great insurance rates to prove it. Maybe ya' gotta start 'em early. Truth is, I remember all those times on the side of the road with wheels off very clearly and quite fondly. It was good family time with mom singing to us kids while Dad traipsed off sullenly to the nearest town. 2 door PontiacLooks like a 1964 Pontiac Catalina. GuessingPontiac, Grand Prix, 1965 or so? I think it is......about a 1963 full sized Pontiac to me. It's a 64The fore and aft bumper profiles identify the year: they were unique to 1964. The wheels are 8 lug fins. CatalinaJD nailed it -- '64 Catalina 2+2 2-dr hardtop. Total production for this model just under 75,000 for the year. Always liked this roofline, shared with Chevy's Impala, Oldsmobile's Dynamic 88, and, possibly, Buick's Wildcat. 1964 Pontiac Bonneville two door hardtop My neighbor had one very much like this! 389 CID with four barrel Rochester carburetor, most likely a two speed Power-glide automatic transmission and gas was 28 cents a gallon! Although in 1977 it was more like 98 cents! My brother had a 1965 GTO where I had my first date in a car where he gave me the keys! Thanks for the memories! Another Pontiac MemorySome years back, I had a neighbor who was a storm-chaser and always off in the SUV hunting tornados. Always gone when I wanted to mow and always leaving his black vinyl over yellow '65 Catalina coupe well over the lawn I needed to mow. It didn't take me long to figure out the '65 Cadillac key worked in that car. So I always just got in and moved it. But I always turned it backwards from the way it had been. I never told him my keys fit. (That was the last time I drove a Pontiac. Probably not far enough for the wheels to fall off.) Without glareLet's make that 1964 Bonneville coupe: 64 CatalinaLooks like a '64 Catalina to me w/ 8 lugs. I can't tell if it's a 2+2 or not. Pontiac went from 4 speed hydramatics to 3 speed slim jims (~61 -62) to Turbo 400's ('65) and 375's (mid '70's?) in full size cars. No two speeds in full size cars. No powerglides I recall in any Pontiacs, two speeds were Super Turbine 300's in the intermediates and Firebirds. Clearly CatalinaThis is not a Bonneville as it is missing the side trim that is on the Catalina. The Bonneville also has heavy chrome trim along the fender bottoms and rocker panels. The Catalina name is on the front fender. The Bonneville has the model name on the back fender. A comparison of the Bonneville and Catalina is shown below. I flipped the Catalina photo horizontally to make the comparison easier so the Catalina script on the front fender is backwards if you look closely. Zoom, ZoomI think the Catalina crowd is right. If you zoom, it does look like it says Catalina in the script form unique to that line, and the point is correct that Bonneville's name was on the rear fender (in a serifed font) and Catalina always on the front. But chrome alone would be not so reliable, as I've found many Bonnevilles without the rocker chrome and many Catalinas with it. The name position IS the giveaway. I'm finally convincinced it's a '64 Catalina due for a wheel to fall off. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
The Late Show: 1969
January 1969 in Rochester, Indiana. If you can figure out what movie or TV show that is, I'll ... 
 
Posted by delworthio - 09/22/2011 - 8:20pm -

January 1969 in Rochester, Indiana. If you can figure out what movie or TV show that is, I'll give you a cookie. I'm stumped. From a Kodachrome slide. View full size. Petticoat Junction?Hmmm. January, 1969? Prime time network? Lassie? Mayberry RFD? The Beverly Hillbillies? Green Acres? Petticoat Junction? Hogan's Heroes? Walt Disney? Those are some shows on at the time that might fit the candlestick phone. Petticoat Junction is my choice. The actress is June Lockhart as Dr. Janet Craig. No, this is not off the top of my head. I had to go look it up ... honest. I take my cookies with milk. Game ShowIt appears to be a panel gameshow..."What's My Line" or something similar. The woman is writing and appears to have a microphone in front of her. [As pointed out in the previous comment, that's an old-fashioned candlestick telephone. Not a microphone. - Dave] 1969 TV GuideHere's the evening lineup for 1969: http://www.tvhistory.tv/1969_TV_Programs.JPG It looks like the boys have PJ's on - so I'm guessing either bedtime or morning. The cap pistol and holster seem to indicate an affinity for westerns - there were fewer to choose from in 1969 compared with just a few years earlier. Still, the boys could have been watching Bonanza (NBC SUN 9PM), Gunsmoke (CBS MON 7:30PM), The Virginian (NBC WED 7:30PM), Daniel Boone (NBC THU 7:30 PM), or The High Chaparral (NBC FRI 7:30PM) - though a stick phone was probably a more likely prop on Mayberry R.F.D. (CBS MON 9PM), Green Acres (CBS SAT 9PM), or as suggested previously by an annonymous tipster, Petticoat Junction (CBS SAT 9:30PM). Watch the opening credits here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-0YBr-6IxE "Here's Uncle Joe, he's moving kinda slow at the Junction...Petticoat Junction". By 1969 our 1st generation color Zenith was pooping out. I remember the color tube was washing out somehow and getting ghost images. The frames would "roll" until someone adjusted the little wheel mechanism on back of the big cabinet unit - which you couldn't do alone because you couldn't see the screen and fiddle with the adjustment wheel at the same time. Remember that, Shorpyites? (Shorpians? Shorpers? Shorponians? Shorpitarians?) "I must put a goat on." Winston Churchill (possibly misheard) Goober Pea The Late ShowMy first thought was Petticoat Junction. Now how can Anonymous be sure it was the episode with June Lockhart?? But I'll bet they're right!! ["The" episode? June Lockhart replaced Bea Benaderet in the series after she died. She was in almost every episode of the last two seasons. - Dave] TV LandThese pics are so nostalgic for me. We have nearly an identical picture of my brother and cousins taken a few years later. PJ's and all... Thanks for sharing! The Late Show: 1968Here's a screen cap from Petticoat Junction episode 'The Feminine Mistake' from 12/28/1968 Apparently they did finally string a telephone line out to the old Shady Rest after all. Very cool!In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am thankful to be living in an age where screen grabs of a long-gone TV show can be posted to answer the trivia questions of today (or three years ago). A trivia bug such as myself, and probably most of you too, can really appreciate the resources of TV, DVD and the Internet. So many riches from our past are back to entertain again. And satisfy all those uncertain trivia questions! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids)
Erie Canal: 1910
... was simply widened, but in cities like Utica, Syracuse and Rochester a new canal was built. In Utica, the new canal was about a half-mile ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/29/2012 - 10:20am -

Utica, New York, circa 1910. "Erie Canal at Utica." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Possible location..The George W.Head Flour, Grain, Feed (on the right in the photo) is listed on a 1906 billhead as being at the corner of Broad and John streets. I can't seem to find any buildings today that appear in the photo minus the possible spire of the St. Johns Catholic church which sits 2 to the 3 blocks south on John st. Great photo. George M. Cohans The Honeymooners.It was a 1907 Play so the sign is a few years old. Starring George, Jerry and Nellie Cohan, it ran for 72 Performances. Source: Musicals101.com LocationThe trolley is crossing the John St. bridge, so the spire is Grace Episcopal a bit south of the canal. St. John's, which has twin spires, would be out of the photo at left, since, it too is on John St., south of where it intersects with Broad. The route of the old Erie through Utica was filled in and is now Oriskany St. That's pretty coolDoes any of that survive? Did the canal go through the heart of Utica? I live outside Boston and you can still see the remnants of the old Middlesex Canal. Sad though, as the suburbs fill up more and more of it has been lost to history. Could that be...the remains of the Squire Whipple designed Utica weigh lock on the left, which hadn't been used since tolls were abolished on the canal in 1882, after the construction bonds/loans had been paid off? Those were the days! weighlockThe building on the left is a weighlock. I don't think it still exists in Utica (or at least I didn't see it the last time I was there). But the one in Syracuse is still standing, and has been turned into the Erie Canal Museum. Picture from the museum's website below. What about now?I would love for some Utica NY Shorpy expert to figure out what this shot looks like now,if it even exists. The Erie canal was the most financially successful canal venture ever built in this country. First proposed over 100 years before it actually opened, and taking nearly 20 years to build at a staggering cost both financially and politically for those that opposed and supported it. The Erie canal forever changed the makeup of this nation in terms of east to west migration and allowed the "middle" to reach the east coast and ultimately Europe with both agricultural and manufactured goods and also allowed the vast manufacturing of the East to move West, cheaply. Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and many other states went from wilderness frontiers to viable economies because of this canal. The Railroads rendered almost every canal in the nation useless overnight. The Erie, while greatly diminished in tonnage after 1850 remained very important to New York, and the Eastern Great Lakes Region almost into the 20th century. Oriskany StreetAbout the time this photo was taken the New York State Barge Canal was being built to handle larger barges. In some places the Erie Canal was simply widened, but in cities like Utica, Syracuse and Rochester a new canal was built. In Utica, the new canal was about a half-mile north of the Erie Canal. This map shows the Weigh Lock. It is where Oriskany St. turns into the East-West Arterial Highway at the intersection of Broad St. None of the buildings in the photo are still there. Mr. Rogers Was HereLooks like an open-sided trolley or street car is on the cusp of crossing the bridge from left to right (gauging by the angle of the trolley pole), while a couple of men-folk are crossing on the bridge's pedestrian walkway. A bucolic urban scene for yesteryear. Lovely shot. Thanks for posting it. Singing "Erie Canal"I was in the 4th grade in 1950 in Cincinnati and our music teacher always had us sing "Erie Canal". I still know the words as that song always stuck with me: I got a mule her name is Sal, Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal, She's a good old worker and a good old pal, Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal. We've hauled some barges in our day, full of lumber, coal and hay, and we know every inch of the way, 15 miles on the Erie Canal..... Low bridge, everybody down; Low bridge 'cause we're comin' to a town. And you'll always know your neighbor, You'll always know your pal; if you ever navigated on the Erie Canal. SUCH SWEET MEMORIES! LocationTo set the record straight, the street in the background is Genesee Street. The vantage point appears to be from the John St. bridge. The canal is now Oriskany St. By the time this photo was taken, the State had stopped collecting canal tolls, so the building had no use aside from office space. You can see by the broken windows that this building appears to be empty. There were once five of these weighlocks, the only one left is in Syracuse. The State DOT, which had control of the canals up to the 1990's used the Syracuse building as office space until the late 1950's or early 1960's. It was then purchased by the city of Syracuse and turned into a museum. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Utica)
Kewpee Hamburgs: 1930s
... from my July, 2010 visit. Hamburgs The area around Rochester, NY is (or was when I lived there) another in which hamburg prevails ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/10/2014 - 5:43pm -

Circa 1930s. "Kewpee Hotels hamburger stand." This early fast-food chain ("Hamburg / Pickle on top / Makes your heart / Go flippity-flop") got its start in Michigan in the 1920s. Location and photographer unknown. View full size. A Clean, Well-Lighted PlaceThe old short story by Hemingway is the first thing that popped into my head when I saw the photo, though I can't imagine the name "Kewpee" is one he would have approved of. Hard to findIt might be hard to nail down the location. There were 400 Kewpee franchises by 1940. Some locations shut down during WWII because of meat rationing; others closed in the 60's when the new owners demanded stricter franchise agreements and a cut of profits. There are still five locations, including three in Lima, Ohio -- they must love their olive burgers in Lima. Dave Thomas ate Kewpee burgers as a child. When he founded Wendy's, he replicated their square burger. He didn't offer Kewpee's olive topping. Moon BurgersMy father and uncle started an ill-fated hamburger chain in the late 1960's. Moon Burger was their attempt to cash in on the public fascination with the Apollo "moon-shot" program (that's what Pops always called it). The restaurants were tiny - built to resemble Apollo lunar landing modules. They were primarily drive-up joints, but had a few cramped stools inside. You placed your order with a Robbie-the-robot looking device a few yards away from the building. I think they tried some type of radio gizmo in the order-taking machine - never really worked that well. Folks just jabbed at the buttons for a while and then drove up to the window. This was East Texas folks, hot as two rats in a wool sock. The metal-clad structures were tiny and not well ventilated - think Airstream trailer on it's end. I'm going to try to find photos - know they're somewhere. The kicker was the Moon Burgers themselves. The cutting edge of interplanetary cuisine consisted of a 1/4 lb meatball encased in a moist doughy bun and deep-fried. After scooping it out of the fryer, green-tinted "cheese" was injected into the bun and it was wrapped in paper and served with fries and Coke. The damn things were so hot! That melted "cheese" and deep-fried beefball adhered to the roof of your mouth and sizzled. It was impossible to vent the "cheese" because once it started oozing out it stained everything it came in contact with. Never knew what they used to tint the "cheese". I remember at some of the "grand openings" they gave away little slide-wheel calculators that revealed your "weight on the moon" when you rotated the device to your Earth-weight. Wish I still had one. Moon Burgers never quite caught on. Though they didn't really become the hoped-for official fast food of the Age of Aquarius, one can still see some of the lunar landing modules posing as concession stands at the Louisiana State Fair. As I enter my 7th year as a member of the Shorpy community I offer many, many thanks to Dave, tterrace, and all who make this site possible. I'll plug Juniper Gallery - their prints make great gifts and office adornment. When I need a little perspective I amble on over to Shorpy to look back in time for a while. Can't say there are any profound answers lurking in these images and comments - but there sure are a lot of great questions. Wish me a happy Shorpy anniversary! Goober Pea PickleAs Mr Kitzel would say, "the pickle in the middle with the mustard on top", although that was for hot dogs. At Last, the Answer!I was born in Lima, Ohio, and lived there until I was almost four years old, my father being at the time engaged in an all-expense tour of places like Bougainville and the Philippines. I have always had a vestigial memory of a strange building I saw on walks with my mother or grandmother, but neither of those worthies in later years seemed to know what I was talking about. When I saw this photo, it was as if the intervening 67 years had never happened and, thanks to archfan's comment, I now know that what I dimly remembered was a Kewpee Hotels Hamburger stand. Thanks, Dave! Thanks, archfan! Thanks, Shorpy! HamburgsIn my experience, "Hamburgs" pegs the chain to Michigan or northwest Ohio, even without reading the caption. I know of nowhere else that America's favorite sandwich is a two-syllable word. A Racine VestigeAccording to the information here, the Racine, Wisconsin Kewpee is one of five remaining restaurants in the chain. I have eaten at this location and can say that the food is good and that there is always a line of people waiting to get seats. Attached is a photo from my July, 2010 visit. HamburgsThe area around Rochester, NY is (or was when I lived there) another in which hamburg prevails over hamburger. And hot dogs are simply "hots," and come in red and white. "Hotels"Any reason "hotels" was used in name? [The Kewpee Hotel in Flint, Michigan, is where the restaurant is said to have gotten its start. - Dave] Kewpee dolled up with a HaloThe Kewpee chain started in Flint, Michigan, and evolved in to what is now known as Halo Burger. Under recent new ownership, the chain is starting to expand in southeast Michigan. I was introduced to it by a girlfriend who liked the olive burger. Every so often I need a Halo Burger fix and I used to have drive over an hour to get one. Now I only have to drive about 30 minutes. Kewpees There was one in Grand Rapids. Grandma took us there a few times when I was a kid. It's where I developed my love for olive burgers! There was also a Wimpy's nearby; sadly they both closed before I was old enough to go there on my own. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars)
The Summer of '40
... in a mailer postmarked 8/12/40; rate was 1½ cents from Rochester, NY (developed by Kodak) to Paul Smiths, NY. The rest of the set is ... 
 
Posted by bronson - 09/20/2011 - 11:59pm -

From a set of Kodaslide transparencies found in a mailer postmarked 8/12/40; rate was 1½ cents from Rochester, NY (developed by Kodak) to Paul Smiths, NY. The rest of the set is here. View full size. War's EveFrance, Czechoslovakia, and Poland were gone. Germany had invaded the USSR. Japan was preparing to attack the US. Already sliding down the abyss and yet the summer light was beautiful. Girls and babies laughed and the elegant wooden yachts slid over the water. There is something immensely poignant and sad about this wonderful series. Thanks for posting them. I wish...I knew her name, and how her life turned out, the baby's too. I love these beautiful moments, frozen forever. The phrase that comes to mind...is "sunny disposition." Miss Kodachrome of 1940Whose name is on the mailer? Pre-WarYScuba has a good comment, but I'll make one minor correction... In the summer of 1940 the Germans and USSR were still BFFs (on paper anyhow), all in keeping with the Ribbentropp-Molotov Pact of 1939 (which also partitioned Poland between them). Whilst the Germans were running rampant over France, Norway, Denmark, and the BeNeLux countries, the Soviets took the opportunity to occupy and annex Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union didn't happen until June of 1941, about a year later. In 1940, they were still in the halcyon days of their relationship, or so the Soviets thought, anyhow. Me, minus 30 years to the dayThe photos are beautiful, but what jumped right out at me was that they were taken exactly 30 years to the day of my birthday. I should ask my folks if the weather was as sunny and bright as it was in these pics. Thanks for posting these. [That date is when the pictures were mailed, not when they were taken. - Dave] Yachts in the Flickr photosetI would bet a considerable amount of imaginary money that those wooden sailboats are the 1899-vintage Idem-class sloops of the St. Regis Yacht Club. All 12 original Idems, plus one launched in 2004, still race at St. Regis. Race 21, apparently the sloop in these photos, presently bears the name MAITA. You would win that bet.You would win that bet. On a side noteI have not been able to identify the young lady or the child. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Pretty Girls)
Ralph's Buick: 1955
... Set 3 of found 35mm Kodachromes, many taken around Rochester, New York. View full size. Detroit steel! Man! Nothing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/05/2008 - 5:12pm -

May 30, 1955. "Dan and Richie in Ralph's Buick." From Set 3 of found 35mm Kodachromes, many taken around Rochester, New York. View full size. Detroit steel!Man! Nothing like a ride in a Buick. 1954 BuickThough I can't see enough of it to tell if it is a Century (three front fender portholes, called "Ventiports") or a Roadmaster (four Ventiports). It is not a Skylark - the emblem (in the lower right corner of the photo) is too high. There were only 836 Skylarks - all ragtops - built in '54. What a great color combo - silver, with a black top and white "gut" (interior)! Ralph's BuickWhere's Ralph? [In the driver's seat. - Dave] 1955 Buick SpecialThe slanted A-pillar, along with the sheetmetal crease behind the door, tells you it's a Special or a Century. 1954 or 1955. The background of the trim ring at lower right being body color and not red tells you it's a 1955 model. Yanking the slide out of the paper mount shows the top part of the squared-off "S" of the Special logo (below). Roadmaster, Super and Century all had four Ventiports for 1955. The Special had three. Dave, I'm in awe...Of what you've done with Shorpy and of your automotive knowledge! Very nicely done on both counts! [I majored in Forensic Buickology. Thank you. - Dave] WhaleWow, I looked at that picture and thought there were only 2 guys in the front seat--but there are 3, with plenty of room. What a whale of a car! Buick scanOh David . . .this scan captures so much. I feel like I am standing right there. Foy Panoramic WindshieldI will never forget the ads for the 54 models of General Motors cars including the Buick that advertised the first wrap-around windshields. Chevrolet got their Panoramic Windshields on the 55 models. (Cars, Trucks, Buses, Kodachromes 3)
Shantytown Baby: 1936
... of our records are open free. Come have a look. 1 Ann Rochester, Why Farmers Are Poor, (NY: INternational Publishers, 1940) 2 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 6:52pm -

December 1936. "Mrs. Charles Benning and baby in their shack home at Shantytown. Spencer, Iowa." View full size. 35mm negative by Russell Lee. Poor in IowaIt is hard for me to think of Iowa and poor people. In talking to those that lived through the 1930s, as I did, the people who lived on farms would say how poor they were then add but we had food to eat. Famine in USA, 7 million died?Dear fellow Americans, One political party in Ukraine, strictly pro-Russian and anti-NATO and anti-American, is trying to prove that in the USA it had been terrible famine in 1932-33. They base their opinion on some non-correspondences in the statistics, and they calculated that by 1940 the country lost more than 7 million people. But, as thay say, this is strictly hidden by US Govt. Sorry, this article is in Russian, but link is: http://vitrenko.at.ua/load/8-1-0-294/ I came to this web-site by their link - they are trying to prove their opinion by photos from this site. My personal opinion - this version is absolutely bullshit, I can not believe it. Other Ukrainians just laugh upon it and don;'t believe too. What do you think about this? [The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl are no secret. But there was no mass starvation with millions dead. To think that such a calamity could be "strictly hidden" in a democracy with a free press is nonsense. What was "hidden" were the 20 million who died during Stalin's forced collectivization of Soviet agriculture in the 1930s. I suppose there are people in Ukraine who might think the same thing could have happened in America. Of course it upsets me that anyone would use the photos on this Web site as fodder for Big Lie propaganda. How do you say "The Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine is full of crap" in Russian? (Or, more seriously, that such claims are untrue.) If I can figure out how to do the Cyrillic alphabet I'll put it on the page they're linking to. Thanks very much for writing. - Dave] Famine in Ukraine 1932-33, Great Depression in the USADear Dave, Thank you very much for your response! I absolutely agree with you. >How do you say "The Progressive Socialist Party of >Ukraine is full of crap" in Russian? If to use Latin letters and Russian language, we can say "Progressivno-socialisticheskaya partiya Ukrainy- polnaya der'ma". Their leader, Natalya Vitrenko is commonly considered in Ukraine as the Witch of Konotop town, crazy ugly old wife and Kremlin-paid clown. My grandparents remember terrible 1930s, famine and collectivization and they survived only by miracle - all of them had been students in cities who received some little food and money. They told me much about the villages, circled with Red Army and OGPU forces, about all kinds of food taken off by commi-activists, about cannibalism among the people who got mad from hunger, at last. It's terrible, and for first time I heard about these things in 1988, when first publications got thorough communists propaganda cover. I just wonder that big depression looks very much like it was here in the USSR, but I don't thing some people ate another humans in USA, because government didn't take all food from people to punish them. Also I think that it is absolutely impossible to hide such things, as an example one can mention Monica-Clinton scandal. Dave, if I can help you with translation of some inscriptions into/from Russian-Ukrainian languages, feel free to write me at: [.....@...] I understand that my English is not very good and sometimes funny, but I can express my opinions and understand the others. Thanks again! Andriy [Well darn, I see that our website does not let people use Cyrillic characters. (Although one Cyrillic character, this Natalya person, is certainly using us.) Thanks again for writing. Your English is much better than my Ukrainian. Maybe my neighbor Ilya can help. I really was hoping to get involved in a good old-fashioned Cold War dustup this week. - Dave] The DepressionI think it is important to follow up Dave’s succinct riposte and answer Ukrainian from Odessa’s assertion with some demonstrable facts. There, indeed, were crop failures and economic devastation in 1933-1934, but let’s examine the depth and breadth of the damage along with the response by the United States government: In the mid-1930’s the US national median income was $1,500. Only 16% of farm families earned that much or more. More than half of all US farm families had annual incomes of less than $1,000. In 1934, per capita income of farm households was just $167. Only 10% had indoor toilets, 20% had electricity. More than 1,300 rural counties in the US had no general hospital and most lacked even a public health nurse. Illiteracy was twice as common in rural districts as in cities. Nearly 1 million rural children did not attend school at all. 1 Dismal picture, yes – but what was done about it? The federal government, led by Franklin Roosevelt and a progressive Congress, instituted a series of emergency measures and agencies – popularly known as the “New Deal”. These government responses included the Civil Works Administration and the Farm Security Administration, under whose auspices many of the photos here on Shorpy were made and cataloged. Without citing loads of economic data, suffice it to say that by 1938 enough progress had been made that most of the “alphabet soup” federal agencies had been de-funded and the economy had rebounded with help from sharply increased munitions production. 2 The message for our Ukrainian friend is that while there were many political and economic factors that could have led to U.S. famine and starvation in the 1930’s, they were largely avoided as the result of (sometimes painful) government actions. Nobody starved. Nobody allowed anyone to starve – much less engineered it. You can check this out yourself – all of our records are open free. Come have a look. 1 Ann Rochester, Why Farmers Are Poor, (NY: INternational Publishers, 1940) 2 David M. Kennedy, Freedom From Fear - The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945, (NY: Oxford University Press, 2005) "I must put a goat on." Winston Churchill (possibly misheard) Goober Pea Natalya and VladAlrighty. I've posted this at the top of the page that Natalya's website is linking to. Can anyone translate the comments on that webpage? This Great Depression will ["Realties" -- isn't that what got us into this mess in the first place? We'll be right back with Part 2 of this windy diatribe after a brief intermission. - Dave] (The Gallery, Great Depression, Kids, Russell Lee)
All the Trimmings: 1910
... wallpaper! Now Playing The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, NY, has a beautifully restored Schoenhut Piano on display. From what ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/25/2013 - 3:41pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1910. "Harris, Martha. Christmas tree." The home of Harris & Ewing co-founder George Harris and wife May, with presents for daughter Martha. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. MenagerieMartha has quite a menagerie of stuffed animals there, along with a tea set to feed them. The doll seems to be missing from the carriage though. Perhaps Martha is off playing with it. Or perhaps she and the doll have fled the wallpaper. I suspect those animals were stuffed with horsehair or maybe straw. LootLooks like little Martha cleaned up, this being back in the day when an orange and a copy of "Ragged Dick" was considered a good haul in many families. Clearly, the commercial photography business is good. One is relieved to see the absence of burning candles on this probably dessicated conifer. As for that wallpaper: basic human decency prohibits comment, except to say that it appears decidedly (and unfortunately) permanent as opposed being a holiday enhancement. Christmas CamoThe pictures on the walls are completely lost in the wallpaper. For that matter, the Christmas tree is nearly lost in the wallpaper. Maybe edit the captionMake it "Harris, Martha. Tree, Christmas." Get to workAll you colorists, better get started on this image now so it will be ready for viewing by Christmas 2014! Not to say LOUD, but --I wonder if that piano could be heard over the wallpaper! Now PlayingThe Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, NY, has a beautifully restored Schoenhut Piano on display. From what I can tell they're still making them and FAO Schwarz is still selling them. For those of us ambitious enough to try and restore one, they can be bought on eBay, with some priced as low as $10. Rubens Angel.The angel at the tree top is a copy from a Rubens painting. [From Raphael's Sistine Madonna, actually. -tterrace] Test patternOl' George could use that room to check alignment and focus on his cameras and lenses. The Harris FamilyAppears in the 1920 Census at 3703 Morrison Street in DC. George W., age 48, was a native of Wales. His wife May R., age 41, was originally from Missouri. Daughters Martha and Aileen, 12 and 5 respectively, were both born there in DC. They had two live-in African American housekeepers, Maggie Mays (20) and Clara Monte (25). So if the photo at top was from 1910, Martha would have been about 2 at the time. (The Gallery, Christmas, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Heeeeey, Batter Batter
"Santa Baby 1963" now in the early 1970's in Rochester, Indiana. Kodachrome. View full size. Little League I had ... the country was wearing and growing the same things or... Rochester, Indiana and Warren, Michigan are weird alternative worlds. ... 
 
Posted by delworthio - 09/22/2011 - 6:36pm -

"Santa Baby 1963" now in the early 1970's in Rochester, Indiana. Kodachrome. View full size. Little LeagueI had forgotten about the art of putting two folds on the bill of a baseball cap. My teammates and I knew we were cool once we folded the bills of our caps. Alternate WorldsHello, It's me again, the woman who grew up in Warren, Michigan, wearing the same eyeglasses (two pairs!) as your sister and having the same Christmas reindeer (different color) as your brother. We had the exact same shrubs planted in the front and back of our house. They gave my mom a horrible rash whenever she tried to pull weeds near them. Either everyone in the country was wearing and growing the same things or... Rochester, Indiana and Warren, Michigan are weird alternative worlds. Looking forward to each new slide to see what else our families shared...my grandpa was the slide fan in our family btw. Mailbox RollFashion can be strange, many of my buddies back in the late-'70s and early-'80s went for a sharply-arched roll. Of course the rest of us mercilessly called it a 'mailbox roll' and jokingly implied that this was so they could leave their hat on when they were checking to see if the welfare check had arrived.... I rememberMy brother used wear his baseball caps the same way, he even had the same style glasses. Once again the subject is squinting in the sun. Braces and dimplesThose are some dynamite dimples! It looks like maybe he would have had braces some time in the 70s. I'll bet, after those came off, he was pretty popular with the girls, with that charming grin! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids)
Two of a Kind: 1915
"Dog Show. Miss Rochester, 1915." Harris & Ewing Collection. View full size. Could ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 1:19pm -

"Dog Show. Miss Rochester, 1915." Harris & Ewing Collection. View full size. Could it get any better?Man, if this doesn't take the Shorpy Adorable Picture of the Week (Month ...Year ...[insert favorite time period]) prize, my Cute-O-Meter is seriously out of whack. And her little dog, tooSuch a sweet little girl and her dog....I love this picture.. it is adorable! DoggoneI'll bet it wouldn't take much for that pup to slip out of his collar. Can you say Trouble?That is quite a mischevious smile on her face, I bet she got up to lots of shenanigans when her parents weren't looking. @Tut I believe that is some sort of harness the dog is in and not a collar. Cute kid, cute coatCoats very similar to that are fashionable again now. I have a lovely red one myself. I don't think I'm nearly that adorable in mine though. At any rate, it's nice to see a non-hideous fashion come back in! DoggerelIt's probably a Boston terrier (or Boston Bull, as they were known back then) or possibly a Pit Bull puppy. Pit Bulls were one of America's most popular breeds back in the first third of the 20th century. Both breeds had their ears routinely cropped, so that's why I am thinking a puppy. Whatever the breed, the picture is a classic! WoofAnyone familiar with the breed of dog here? Just a mixed terrier breed of some sort? It almost looks a bit Frenchie to me. PibbleLooks to me like a pit bull puppy, or pibble, as I call them. Too bad they fell from grace; they can be very sweet family dogs. (The Gallery, Dogs, Harris + Ewing, Kids)
Keith's Organ: 1928
... When George Eastman established his music school in Rochester, it was built attached to the Eastman Theater where silent films ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/10/2013 - 3:01pm -

Washington. D.C., 1928. "Miss Irene Juno interprets the action pictured on the screen at Keith's Theater on the new $30,000 Wurlitzer orchestral unit recently installed to give the films added potency." Up next: "I'm Looking Around (For a Mate)." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Ooh la laThat's a pretty daring hairstyle for 1928. Love this photo. Still a few out there.This reminded of a silent film revival I attended at the Los Angeles Orpheum theater about a decade ago. A magnificent edifice in its original 1920's movie palace splendor, and with its original organ still going strong. Quite an experience to see "The Sheik" so accompanied. A very satisfying experience, very poetic in both a visual and musical way. Quite unlike seeing a motion picture with a sound track, but no less enjoyable. Almost an entirely different art form than today's motion pictures with a certain live theater aspect no longer present. The organist had a lot of power to put an interpretation into the film, and I'm think audiences must have had very different experiences with different organists. A little Googling tells me the Orpheum is still a going concern, and that in fact there are quite a few theaters with organs scattered across the country where one can occasionally recapture some of that silent era elegance. ObsoleteWhat bad timing. This beautiful instrument was already quickly becoming obsolete the day it was installed. Seen around townYou might have seen it yourself, that bumper sticker that says "I don't have to be dead to donate my organ." Eastman School of MusicWhen George Eastman established his music school in Rochester, it was built attached to the Eastman Theater where silent films showed many times a day, and at the school there was a course in movie accompanying for theater organists with a studio/classroom where films were shown for practice. What a bunch of tech. fun!Man, the organ console is fantastic. We have one in a Minneapolis area theater but the vintage lighting and the microphone are really interesting. Great detail in this photo. Likewise, I was equally drawn to the organist's beautiful dress and sharp earrings and wristwatch. Like most Shorpy offerings, lots to take in. It started as a Vaudeville houseRKO Keith's Theatre in Washington originally opened at 619 15th St. NW as Chase's Polite Vaudeville Theatre on August 19, 1912. It was sold to B. F. Keith the following year and renamed B. F. Keith's Theatre. Keith's closed briefly in 1928 (presumably when the organ was installed) and reopened 3 weeks later with movies added to the bill. With renovations in 1954 and 1976, the theatre showed films until it was finally closed in 1978. The organ survived, at least for a while. It was sold to an individual in Burlington, NC, and was eventually installed in the gymnasium at Elon College (now University) until it was replaced by a larger Wurlitzer organ. The Keith organ was likely broken up for parts since its history seems to end at Elon. Nothing remains of Keith's Theatre now except the facade. View Larger Map Banjos tooI inherited a tenor banjo from my wife's great aunt, who played it in a jazz band in the 1920s. When I took the resonator off while cleaning it I was surprised to find that it was a Wurlitzer banjo. Have since found out they were made by Gretsch but marketed under the Wurlitzer name. Mighty WurLitzer?We have been honored to hear a silent era accompanist, and her grandson (following the family business) play for movies shown at local museums and theaters. When I heard them on the mighty WurLitzer, salvaged from a downtown movie palace, I recall that the brand name has a CAP L. I am SO picky. [Um . . . -tterrace] Broadcast Organist Washington Post, April 1, 1928. Irene Juno To Play New Keith Organ Miss Irene Juno, organist at Keith's Theater, is a student of Dr. J. Fowler Richardson, of New York and London. She is the head of the theater organ department of the Washington College of Music and has written many articles on general musical subjects for publication. She specializes on the Wurlitzer organ, the instrument she is now playing at Keith's Theater. In her own words, Miss Juno says: “This instrument is one of the largest and most complete in the city. It is priced at $30,000 and is equipped with complete orchestral effects. In addition there is a vox humana, or the human voice stops, a full set of cathedral chimes and a magnificent harp.” Miss Juno is chairman of the music group of the American Pen Women and also a member of the Soroptimist Club. She is also chairman of the music committee of this club. Every week she broadcasts from the theater organ studio of the Washington College of Music over WRC and WNFF. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Music)
Comedy of Motors: 1925
... aluminum steps, rather than running boards, of the Rochester New York made Cunninghams. Automotive Admiration As an old car ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/26/2014 - 3:03pm -

San Francisco circa 1925. "Cunningham auto and chorus girls." A little of everything going on here -- vaudeville, car trouble, assault! 6½ x 8½ inch glass negative, originally from the Wyland Stanley collection. View full size. Hub - uhHubba hubba, uh ... I suppose. I'm not convinced that this setup would have been entirely titillating even in 1925. Comedy cars must appeal to comedians.Jay Leno has a 1920 Cunningham https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv1-0O2RvQE His also has the period signature aluminum steps, rather than running boards, of the Rochester New York made Cunninghams. Automotive AdmirationAs an old car buff, I couldn't help but notice one especially, ah, sweet-looking chassis. That must be a Checker CabI assume Flatbush is admiring the fluffy one with a hammer. Personally, I prefer musical notation. Some Like It HotIs that Jack Lemmon changing the tire? Sponsored by Ralston Purina? PerplexedOutrageously Great image, however I am perplexed by what appears to be an unusual sign? between the arms of the gal on the upper right and even more so that the lower portion is showing thru her lower left arm which appears to be semi-transparent albeit not in motion allowing for the common spectral effect. My only logical guess is that it might be some type of associated prop that might be attached to the radiator cap that would be hidden behind her thigh ? and what is the rest of the word that shows only US ? So, who can shed light on any of these three mysteries? [There's some doubling in other areas as well, which suggests either subject movement or a partial double exposure. The sign is probably a graphic or ad for the troup, the "us" being part of "chorus". -tterrace] Costume ComedyWhere does one even begin with those "amazing" costumes? The hats! The one on the bottom left looks like a black goose is sitting on her head. The top right looks like the top of a wedding cake. The patterned stockings of the French maid are awesome, and I might want a pair of those today. The batwing fur coat on the top left... she looks like she's about to take off like a flying squirrel. I don't know what to say about that cage cape contraption on the bottom right. I'm sure it was the height of theatrical fashion of the twenties, but makes for some amusing speculation. All in all, one of my favorite Shorpy photos! PerplexedOutrageously Great Image, however I am perplexed by what appears to be an unusual sign? between the arms of the gal on the upper right and even more so that the lower portion is showing thru her lower left arm, which appears to be semi-transparent albeit not in motion, allowing for the common spectral effect. My only logical guess is that it might be some type of associated prop that might be attached the the radiator cap that would be hidden behind her thigh ? and what is the rest of the word that shows only US ? So who can shed some light on any of these three mysteries ? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Pretty Girls, W. Stanley)
Planespotting: 1942
... than one chilly weekend shift on a rooftop in downtown Rochester, NY, scanning the skies for any impending aerial onslaught by the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/19/2014 - 7:27pm -

        Flying saucer at 9 o'clock! July 1942. "Training high school boys to identify planes. There's no question about these young people's ability to recognize airplanes by their silhouettes. They're learning this and other essential facts of aviation at Weequahic High School, Newark, New Jersey, in a course designed to teach students the fundamentals of flying." Office of War Information photo. View full size. Volunteer Plane SpottersIn the early 1950s my mother was a volunteer plane spotter in suburban Syracuse, NY. I was less than 10 years old, but as I recall she spent one afternoon a week in a spotting tower somewhere in the area. Seems funny now, but it was taken seriously at the start of the cold war. Ooooh! Pick me!It's a B17! That kidOne of them has to be Jimmy Olsen. Ground Observer CorpsSome measures taken in response to perceived danger are more oriented toward improving morale and creating the impression that "something is being done" than they are intended to procure any substantive effect. Thus, this Boy Scout and a pair of Bausch and Lombs spent more than one chilly weekend shift on a rooftop in downtown Rochester, NY, scanning the skies for any impending aerial onslaught by the forces of Godless Communism. If, in fact, I had actually spotted a formation of Soviet bombers, correctly identified same, and managed to make it down several flights of stairs to a phone before being vaporized, it is highly doubtful it would have made any difference in the outcome. But, like the air passengers who eschewed carrying nail clippers post-9/11, I and my fellows were "making a difference." Fortunately, the completion of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line of radar installations in Northern Canada intervened to save an entire generation from having permanently dislocated necks, a deliverance for which those responsible for administering Medicare are probably grateful. 15 years later the skill became obsolete I've just been reading a thriller set in the UK, one of the central components of which was a Royal Observation Corps bunker. The ROC started as a volunteer plane spotter service, but but by the mid 50s the speed of planes, combined with the threat from nuclear missiles meant that they had lost their raison d'etre, so they moved underground and became nuclear attack monitors instead. And in FloridaThey built a series of plane spotting towers up and down the coast. Story goes that the US would capture a Nazi plane and fly it Dayton OH via N.Africa, Brazil, and ultimately up the Florida coast -- which would set off all kinds of panic in he towers. Last I checked, one of the towers still existed as a historical site in the Cape Canaveral area. Don't shoot !it's one of ours. Radar TellAs a 14 year old Sea Scout I did weekly tours (Sunday morning) at the Ground Observer Corps Filter Center in Oakland, California. The Filter Center maintained tracks on table maps that were directly derived from UK practice. My job was to call confirmed tracks into the installation call sign "Sunbonnet" which was the one radar on Mt. Tamalpias that covered (with many blind spots) the San Francisco Bay Area. Our call sign was "Sliphorn." Those were the days of the Air Defense Identification Zones, where incoming pilots were given a sealed envelope with a pattern they were to fly in order to be recognized. Every once in a while an airliner ("one multi high") would get it wrong and we'd see the interceptors ("few single jet low") go out of Hamilton AFB after them. We would also occasionally track squadrons of B36s headed out over the Pacific. Every six months or so we'd get a morale tour of Hamilton and they'd scramble a jet for our entertainment. Heady and scary stuff for a young kid. Eight years later I sweated out the Cuban Missile Crisis on a SAC base. At my fortieth birthday party someone asked me how it felt to be forty and I said "amazed." (The Gallery, Aviation, Education, Schools, WW2)
Culinary Arts: 1922
... a quick Google shows the Fearless Dishwasher Co. was in Rochester N.Y. What the? What the heck is that lady dealing with at the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 11:16pm -

Washington, D.C., 1922. "Social Hygiene exhibit. House of Detention -- Women's Bureau. All dishes are sterilized in order to guard against infection." Nameplate on the equipment: FEARLESS DISHWASHER. National Photo. View full size. I think that actuallyThis is the test kitchen for school cafeterias everywhere. At least the ones from my childhood. Salisbury steak, anyone? Skinned-over banana pudding? I'm not a cookWhat is it that the seated lady is making? Can anyone tellWhat is the woman preparing? Looks like pencil shavings. Yum. Yes, FearlessI was ready to chime in with "Certainly that's a Peerless Dishwasher" but No, a quick Google shows the Fearless Dishwasher Co. was in Rochester N.Y. What the?What the heck is that lady dealing with at the table? I don't recognize that at all. She has cut upone of the mops at lower left. (The Gallery, D.C., Kitchens etc., Natl Photo)
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