MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
Home

Search Shorpy

SEARCH TIP: Click the tags above a photo to find more of same:
Mandatory field.

Search results -- 30 results per page

Old Reliable: 1942
... Fort Knox, Kentucky. "Infantryman with halftrack. A young soldier sights his Garand rifle like an old-timer. He likes the piece for its ... Helmet Transition I have photos of my father in the Army in 1941 and 1942. In the early photos, in training in Alabama, he ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/15/2019 - 3:55pm -

June 1942. Fort Knox, Kentucky. "Infantryman with halftrack. A young soldier sights his Garand rifle like an old-timer. He likes the piece for its fine firing qualities and its rugged, dependable mechanism." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. View full size. Garand RifleInteresting photo. Latest rifle, the Garand and a World War I type helmet. Looking at the markings on the vehicle, it doesn't seem to be US ARMY. Could it be US MARINE CORPS? [U.S.A.W. - Dave] HelmetIf I remember correctly, the US used those WWI/British style helmets until early 1942, when it switched to the more familiar "wrap around" helmet used through the rest of the war. I suppose the old helmets could still be used for training. Helmet TransitionI have photos of my father in the Army in 1941 and 1942. In the early photos, in training in Alabama, he is wearing one of the doughboy style helmets. After the war started, there are photos of him in Hawaii in 1942 with the newer, more familiar GI style helmet. Tire's on backwardThe directional tread on that tire's going the wrong way, so either the tire was put on the rim wrong or the right and left wheels were switched. The factory shots have them mounted correctly. [I bet they knew what they were doing. See above. - Dave] Tires on backwardIf it was a drive wheel it is definitly on backwards. A drive tire put on this way would not be self cleaning. It would fill up with mud and lose traction. Put on correctly the tire will be self cleaning and retain traction. With non-drive tires the direction of the tread is irrevelant. ["Irrevelant"? See above. - Dave] The tire is on backwardFarm kids pick this stuff up early, with chevron-type tread like that on a powered wheel the bars won't self clean and the tire is effectively bald in mud or snow. This is the recommended mounting for a non-powered wheel, unfortunately it's on a driven axle. The government was in the process of changing to the more familiar NDT (Non Directional Tread) right about the time this picture was taken, it simplified maintainance and eliminated possible future issues like this halftrack might experience. [If only you'd been there to tell them. And them and them and them. - Dave] Leave it to ShorpyLeave it to Shorpy commentors to start a tire tread direction thread. Surprised me to realize I've never thought about it before, and I'm an old guy. It would seem having the tread chevron point first as it contact a dry surface would provide a modicum of extra grabbing force. Although, as the below people noted, it would be gunked up immediately in mud and snow. It's hard to imagine they'd stop and turn their treads every time the weather changed. Just choose one and live with it. So, it's easy to see where mult-directional treads would take care of having to make a call on the old treads and their direction. Solving problems, one of man's more useful abilities. Can't believe I just wrote three short paragraphs on tire tread direction on large vehicles of long past decades. Maybe that's why I love this site. Brings out some unique discussions and responses at times. Tire Treads"This is the recommended mounting for a non-powered wheel, unfortunately it's on a driven axle." I was not aware that the front axle on a half-track was a driven axle. In fact I don't think it was - the front wheels were for steering while the tracks provided power. You will observe on the photo of the truck (the middle of the three that Dave posted) the front tires was chevrons forward and the rear tires were chevrons back. [As we can see from the axles and differential cases in the photos already posted, the front wheels are driven. - Dave] Stuck in the MudWhile I shouldn't try to second guess the military thinking of the day regarding which way to mount their front tires, I can report why we would occasionally run farm tires "backward". The idea in mounting R-1 (chevron) tires backward was that you had better traction going in reverse than forward. Thus, with superior traction in reverse, you could (almost) always count on being able to back out after you got stuck. Yes, it also meant you were more likely to get stuck in the first place but the chances you'd have to call for a tow in that event were supposedly less likely. While you wouldn't likely see this done on a tractor, it was fairly common to see it on combines. Especially in areas known for a wet harvest like Oklahoma wheat harvest or soybean harvest in Mississippi. The other possibility for running their front tires backward might have had something do with wear issues. Chevron tires wear out quickly on pavement when run the "right" way. As I recall, the leading edge of the outside tread bar will wear away fast. By running the tires backwards, they may have found the tire treads wore down more evenly and lasted longer. Well, just a thought anyway. [Note that the WW2 tire and the R-1 tractor tread (below) are totally different designs. In the R-1 the tread is made of separate ridges. Which is what gives you traction and self-cleaning at the same time. You could put it on either way and get dig-in, either from the middle or from the edges. On the WW2 tire the ridges are all connected at the middle. The only dig-in is from the edges. - Dave] RotationYou guys are amazing. Good point about not trying to second-guess military thinking on these matters--no doubt they did have their reasons. One might simply have been that the front wheels on halftracks run on paved roads would certainly wear unevenly, and with no back wheels to add to the mix the only way to rotate them is to run them with the treads going the other way for a while. Perhaps they were more likely to do this in conditions where dig-in was less of an issue, or when the front wheels were being used unpowered (though I don't know whether that was an option, as it was on my old Power Wagon). At least in training or other less time-critical situations, they could still switch them back before conditions were likely to get muddy. I'll bet there was a manual on this at one time. This is speculation, but I'm wondering if the central tread ridge connection on the WW2 tires was perhaps designed to improve wear on pavement, since it puts a more or less continuous band of rubber on the part of the tire with the most road contact. I would think it might also help the tire retain its shape as it compresses on contact, which could also improve wear on pavement. Related question: I've often wondered whether the powerful rear tracks on halftracks could sometimes overpower the steering capabilities of the front wheels in certain particularly loose conditions, especially since I understand most of the load is over those tracks. Thus the wisdom of driven front wheels--but I'm wondering if there was also an option to brake a rear track individually, as with a tank. I would think steering like that from both the front and rear would be the ultimate combination. Historical tiresLow pressure, pneumatic farm tires first appeared only 10 years before this photo was taken. Not long before the war, new tractor production had finally just made the switch over to majority rubber tires in place of steel wheels. The first farm tires evolved from knobby aircraft tires into the 45 degree barred tires still common today. Many of the early barred farm tires had a tread connector strip down the center of the tire similar to the tires on your halftrack. I don't know when the tread codes (R, F, I) first appeared but my guess is not until the 50s or 60s. Your halftrack tires are probably closer to what is today an R-4 tread rather than an R-1. The R-4 is directional and similar to the R-1 but has less open area. At low speeds (under 12mph), the barred tire self-cleaning action comes as mud is forced from the center of the tire to the outside. Squished. Trust me, if you reverse a directional barred tire, this self-cleaning mechanism disappears quickly. The tires ball up with mud and won't self-clean run backwards until you get enough speed up (25mph+) to "throw" the mud off. "Reid Gray" may have hit on your answer though. The tires may have also been run backwards to keep them clean and maintain front traction for steering. That makes more sense than anything I mentioned. Keep up the good work. Thanks. M1 Garand RifleThe soldier in both the photo taken in June 1942 by A Palmer of the OWI, and this one, are members of the US Army. Both are wearing the M1937 helmet and their M1 Garands are the very early "gas trap" model. This system was was discontinued in July 1940 in favor of the "gas port" model which continued in use until production was finally discontinued in 1957 in favor of the M14 Rifle. Both soldiers are wearing the obsolete helmet and using the obsolete rifle because they are probably participating in training field exercises. I suspect both photos were taken by Mr. Palmer, probably on the same day in June 1942 as it appears that the markings on the bumper indicate that it is the same half track. M1 GarandThe Garand shown is in color photo is a Gas Port design and not the earlier Gas Trap design. http://www.fulton-armory.com/GasTrapGallery.htm It's a gas port all rightAgree, that's a gas port rifle. Gas trap rifles were in use as well, although they were to be refitted with the newer design parts when they were sent back for depot maintenance or overhaul. Note the early sight knob without the lock bar. Only the Army had M1 Garands at this point. The Marines stuck to their trusty 1903 Springfield rifles until first-hand experience alongside the Army at Guadalcanal convinced them that the new design was preferable. Note the mix of WW1 gear (belt, canteen and other gear), interwar helmet (WW1 metal, 1934-era liner) and new rifle and herringbone twill uniform. This was common then, and I admired the movie "The Thin Red Line" for getting that right. Bumper #The "D-R" stands for demonstration Regiment. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Cars, Trucks, Buses, WW2)
Qwerty Wagon: 1919
... It looks like the owner of the store must have had a son in the military during WW I. There's a photo of a soldier in the window, with a "Welcome Home" banner just above it. Since the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2012 - 5:37pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1919. "Underwood Typewriter Co., 1413 New York Avenue N.W." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. PerfectWhat a wonderful Ford truck! Beautifully done, lovely proportions. All it needs is a 428! Welcome HomeIt looks like the owner of the store must have had a son in the military during WW I. There's a photo of a soldier in the window, with a "Welcome Home" banner just above it. Since the photo is dated 1919, the timing would be right for a soldier returning from Europe. [The "Welcome Home" is directed to potential customers. - Dave] U Turn"Positively No Parking Here" -- unless you're posing for a picture Lambie Hardware Washington Post, Feb 17, 1956 Hardware Store to Close Doors The James B. Lambie Co., Inc., at 1415 New York ave, nw., one of Washington's oldest hardware stores, will soon close its doors. Henry F. Broadbent, 75, president of the company, said the 75-year-old store will close "as soon as I finish cleaning out," which he expects will be in a couple weeks. He said, "Business hasn't been so good and we just decided to quit, that's all." Nice detailThere's some attractive masonwork in the pillar in the right hand side of the photo. No fancy moulded brick, just something that could be done with a brick hammer and chisel. I wonder if it was part of the architect's design or a flight of fancy for the brick mason. Carriage ReturnThe truck looks a bit like an old Underwood typewriter. That same dark metal. You can just hear the keys clicking, the carriage sliding along its bed, until it hits the bell and "ding!" I miss that sound. I keep meaning to dust off my old Underwood and get back to real writing! [Also note that someone misspelled "typewriter" on the truck. - Dave] Typewriter SongRemember the great "Typewriter Song"? There is a great free version of it on the internet by "The Boston Pops". Every time I hear a typewriter or think of the word, it reminds me of that song. It's the early 20th C version of the Apple StoreWhat's the typeface used for the store sign? SprocketsCan some antique car enthusist explain the sprocket arrangement on the passenger side front wheel. Early 4WD maybe? That sprocketThe "sprocket" is actually a gear used to drive the speedometer cable. These were used on many different cars and trucks of the era. Bricks and mortarYou can almost hear the bricklayers pissing & moaning about all the extra work to make a teardrop shape that nobody will even notice. True craftsmanship, though. Citroen 2CV 1955in the early 60's I drove a Citroen 2CV 1955 that had some nice features. First there was a speedometer driven by cable. The screen wipers were driven by the same cable, which meant that the speedometer needle would start to shake whenever the wipers were put on. But it had also a very special fuel meter: it had a long (about 3 ft) fiber gauging rod, hanging down from the fuel tank entrance. If you wanted to know the fuel level you simply swung the rod a few times around in the air, to get it dry, and then dipped it in your tank, the fuel level could be read from the rod by means of an imprinted scale on it. By the way: it was a pefect camper for me and my friend, you just took out the seats, and you had a flat surface to put your air-beds on (how modern). You even could drive, sitting on the floor, to the village water pump to wash you face the next morning! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
The Rat Patrol: 1973
... lived four or five houses down the block. It was taken in 1973 on the driveway in front of our house in Huntington Beach, California. ... and "Rat Patrol" with the stuff we found. Getting to play soldier in a sho'nuff Asian jungle ... MAN I loved being a kid. Avocado see ... 
 
Posted by AmericanJarhead - 09/12/2011 - 5:55pm -

This is my brother Paul (right) with a friend, Danny Bergman, who lived four or five houses down the block. It was taken in 1973 on the driveway in front of our house in Huntington Beach, California. I built the "machine gun" for them from spare pieces of PVC, wood and assorted hardware that were lying around in the garage. Next, I nailed a belt of machine gun ammunition to the block of wood and voila, a "machine gun" ... I used to go hiking with my father up in the dusty hills of Camp Pendleton where I collected spent rounds and belt links from the range. (At the time, I had no clue that I would end up hiking those hills again in 1979 and 1980 as a Marine myself! Or did I?) When I got home, I would reassemble the brass casings with the belt links and make lengthy ammunition belts. In the late sixties and early seventies I always had an ammo can with ten or so feet of belted machine gun rounds. My friends and I played "Army" a lot back in the sixties. Anyway, my brother and his friend would go around playing "Rat Patrol" and blow away all sorts of imaginary suburban enemies. In the garage is my parents 1972 Fiat 124. I never got to drive that thing but it was a dog of a car from what I remember. They ended up replacing the Fiat with a light blue 1975 Volkswagen Rabbit. I learned to drive in the 4-speed manual Rabbit while I had my learning permit. I got my license on the day of my sixteenth birthday and drove the Rabbit until 1976 when it was sold after being involved in an accident. I was not driving it at the time! Scanned from the original 110 negative. View full size. What goes aroundFantastically good scan from 110 negative! Thanks for sharing, and thank you for your service to this great country. NiceWouldn't that be Rug Rat Patrol? That's insanely cool, especially with the ammo belt made up from the real thing. The Fiat might've been a dog, but that's a great color for that car. (Yeah, I asked if you strapped that thing on, but it got edited out. Grr.) [Part of your comment did not show up because it contained invalid characters. - Dave] Shocked. Shocked!No helmets? And children allowed to play with toy guns? How times have changed. Accident Waiting to Happen...As I look at the photo, I can't believe that the gun and my brother didn't fall off and hurt themselves. I don't know how they managed to keep upright! As for helmets, we rode bikes, skateboards and mini-bikes without helmets because nobody did. I don't remember when the helmet PSA's started appearing but is couldn’t have been too much later than this. I was surprised at the quality of the scan on this too. Some of the 110 negatives that my mom shot were terrible but this one and several others were most excellent. This was scanned with the Nikon Super Coolscan 5000ED. I will post some more soon. I have a technical issue which Dave (Shorpy's own) helped me resolve. Holy Cow!My brother and I used to play Rat Patrol on vacations at the beach back when it wasn't a federal offense to play on the dunes. If we'd had that dune buggy rather than our two spindly legs, we would have destroyed all the sea oats on Topsail Island, NC. For more Rat Patrol goodness, I give you: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060018/ Fiat GreenI had a Fiat 131 in the same shade, though I think this has printed out a little light. At least in the late 1970s it was closer to glossy olive drab. I had a Rabbit too, later on. The thing that resonates for me the most, though, is the tank top. That's such a '70s boy's shirt. Iron-on!Looks like Danny needs some iron-on knee patches. When I was 9 in 1973 I had "Tough-Skin" jeans in assorted colors -- when the knees started to give out my mom would iron on plastic color-matching patches. Which made my knees sweat. And I could never figure out why my jeans never faded like my older brother's. Oohrah!Yes we played with toy guns and enjoyed Rat Patrol and movies about war. When we weren't playing with toy guns, we were practicing with real ones. I got my first rifle for my 5th birthday. Didn't get a BB gun until I was 7, maybe 8. Fun. Italian. Auto. Transport.They started making the Fiat 124 in 1966. The Russian Lada factory is still making a version of it. Love the wheel chocks, and Yes, my kids have that wagon (in red). I remember being mocked when my cousin & I pedaled around his block in Cerritos wearing motorcycle helmets. Also, those are pretty odd shoes for 1970's SoCal, Danny. As I recall, it was pretty much just Converse, Vans, Adidas, Lightning Bolt flip-flips and anything from Sears. Rat Patrol. Great job of making that machine gun. Always fun to make something cool from a pile of junk. Kids with imagination and skills. Ever notice in the weekly beginning of "Rat Patrol," the guy absolutely destroys himself on the machine gun as they crest over the sand dune? Ouch. Also, the lead actor in the series eventually died from injuries incurred while filming the series years later. Rat PatrolPlaying "Rat Patrol" and "Combat"...Our dads had enough WWII souvenirs (ammo belts, helmets, etc) still lying around in basements and attics that we could kit ourselves out, but I admit we never had such a cool machine gun! (I always had to be the bad guy because I could speak German). Fix it again, TonyWe had a nearly identical Fiat, except in powder blue. It was a lemon, and then was squashed like a bug when my neighbor forgot to set his parking brake and his car rolled down the hill, across my lawn and right onto the Fiat. Not Just a Radio FlyerIt's the flashy Radio Flyer GT, with mag wheels and whitewalls! Fiat 124, film 110I nearly bought a 124 in 1981, but got another Rabbit instead, the right decision I think. Still cool to see it in the garage there. Nice job on the 110 scan. So far I've only scanned slides from 110, which are often not very well exposed; I'm hoping I can get better results, maybe comparable to yours, when I get into the negatives. Thanks for the memories...This picture made my week. I grew up in the 60s and 70s (turned 10 in 71). I spent most of my childhood on Okinawa, mostly living off base. My brother and I would comb the jungles for WWII surplus (tons of it! Oh how I wish I would have saved some of those treasures) then we'd play "Combat" and "Rat Patrol" with the stuff we found. Getting to play soldier in a sho'nuff Asian jungle ... MAN I loved being a kid. Avocado see youSome classic 1970s colors here. Wow. Dart WarsThat suction-cup dart on the ground, what was that from? I love that it's in that same pukey shade of green. Waffle Stompers!Our kids wore them in the late 60s early 70s when we started going camping and hiking in the summer. Good shoes to wear for all the rough stuff, including going out to the desert to shoot model rockets. (After the rocket landed much time was spent trudging through sand and rocks searching for it.) Practical too. Though they cost more than Vans, they didn't wear out as fast. Plus, they would be outgrown by the next summer, so might as well get use from them. -- Former SoCal Mom Field Marshal Rommel beware.Christopher George has nothing on these guys. Things ChangeGreat photo! It's interesting to compare this picture to "A Heavy Load: 1909," and meditate on just how much American childhood changed in less than 70 years. Star Wars Storm TrooperCheck out the shadow of the kid and gun. Great memory!I was at Camp Pendleton twice, two weeks in 1976 at Devil Pups and again in platoon 3001 MCRD SD 1979. Great memories of growing up in California! SameI had a similar toy a friend of my dad built for me in the fifties. He put a motor with a battery and playing card inside so that when I pressed the trigger, we could pretend the noise was the gun firing. Similar to the noise a playing card in bicycle spokes would make. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids)
Road House: 1956
1956. "Segregation in South Carolina. Separate and unequal recreation facilities." I've looked at ... with earbud technology from the 50's. Interesting tank top shape under his shirt, at least to modern eyes. Earphone The ... I worked with a guy who in the '50s was an Airborne soldier stationed in SC. He said all the white bars played only country music. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/25/2008 - 12:51am -

1956. "Segregation in South Carolina. Separate and unequal recreation facilities." I've looked at hundreds of photos from this assignment and would have to agree -- the white folks in general seem to be having a lot less fun in their hopelessly boring bars, uptight country clubs and over-chlorinated swimming pools. Eventually they got wise. Color transparency by Margaret Bourke-White. View full size. What's on the Jukebox?I'd love to hear what they're dancing to! Who said what?I am assuming that:"Segregation in South Carolina. Separate and unequal recreation facilities." is from Bourke-White. Who is the author of the rest of the statement? Trent Lott, maybe? Hopefully it is not Shorpy. Although the statement, "I've looked at hundreds of photos..." might be read as a simple statement about the levity shown in them, it also carries the bigoted message, "The darkies so much enjoy their place!" [Oh brother. - Dave] AskanceThe woman in the upper left is looking askance at the photographer. I wonder what she's thinking Bourke-White will do with the photo. Reminds me of "Hairspray"All I can think of is the scene in Hairspray (the original one, if you please!) where the kids are dancing in Motormouth Maybelle's record shop. Cool shot! Family MattersThe guy in the skimmer looks like Steve Urkel Looks like funLooks like a fun place to hang out! Is the man on the right wearing a hearing aid? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with earbud technology from the 50's. Interesting tank top shape under his shirt, at least to modern eyes. EarphoneThe first Japanese transistor radios didn't arrive here until 1957. The fellow on the right, with the earpiece, may be listening to a Zenith AM receiver priced at about $75., a sizable sum then. Perhaps he was wearing a hearing aid, but I doubt it. It wasn't until the early 1960s that the popularly priced Asian radios first hit the market, priced under $30. The first Panasonic transistor radio, circa 1959, marketed under the brand "National" was a fairly large piece, that worked on 4 C cells. It sold for $59. The competition was a Sylvania slightly larger and much heavier. It was powered by 2 batteries an "A" and a "B" battery. If I remember correctly the batteries sold for around $40, the radio around $79. We had a lot of sales resistance because of the Japanese manufacturer. A lot of people still objected to the Japanese products even though the war had ended 15 years before. When Mitsubishi marketed their first TV's in this country, the brand was MGA, the spector of the Mitsubishi Zero fighter airplane and their heavy bombers were fresh in the memories of Americans. However, their lower pricing and acceptable quality gave them the foothold they needed and their lower production costs was the beginning of the end of American electronics production. Early iPodLove the earbud on the man in the straw hat. Since there is music playing on the jukebox, do you suppose he is listening to the ball game on his transistor radio? What song is playing?No one knows, but my guess is Little Richard's Rip It Up. I'm also guessing from the poster on the wall that the photo was taken somewhere in Greenville. I dance quite a lotI dance quite a lot, so this photo really grabs me. The kid in the middle is leading with his right hand which probably means he's got a few moves in his bag. Plus, he's just using his fingertips. Sign of a good lead. I can kinda sorta imagine how these people are moving just by their body positions, but I'd really love to know what kind of music they're dancing to. Looks like some variant of your typical rock and roll jitterbug that has a myriad of styles. Love to see what's on the jukebox list. I don't see any ads for liquor, just food. So I suppose this could have been a roadhouse, but without any drinks on the bar there, it just might been a little cafe on a weekend night with a well stocked jukebox. Someone from South Carolina might weigh in on whether they had dry counties. Hearing AidWhy couldn't it be a hearing aid? The guy looks to be of an age that could suggest he is a WW2 vet where in a number of circumstances he could have lost his hearing. The picture is a wonderful slice of life. Oooh, check out suave dudeOooh, check out the shoes of the suave dude with the boater. Those look like spats! I love that the men are hatted, indoors, and the women are not. These are definitely Hats of Coolness, not everyday headgear. [He's wearing two-tone wingtips. And yes, they are tres cool. - Dave] HUH?!?Bobby from New Orleans...What the He!! are you talking about??? I am just saying, I am a black man - I am assuming you are as well - and I don't see a bigoted statement in the description of this picture. It actually is a statement to the rigidity of the "established" recreation facilities. Basically from what I can tell whoever the author was was saying that the "darkies" had more fun. As my godfather once said: "people with hate in their hearts see hate wherever they look". I think maybe you should look at your heart, what you find there may surprise you... "Freedom to be your best means nothing unless you're willing to do your best." (Colin Powell) Booze by the DrinkI grew up in North Carolina about this time, and made frequent trips to Ocean Drive, SC (known as OD to the intiated), which is now called North Myrtle Beach. Liquor was not available by the drink in the Carolinas except at private clubs, and most of that probably wasn't legal. There were a number of "beer bars" and dance halls like The Pad in OD that sold beer to those 18 and over. Underage guys would find an empty beer can, take it back to the bar and ask for another. Worked for me! But many of the people in this shot look well under 18 and they spent good money too. So there were a lot of places, known as family places, that sold just soft drinks. We don't have to drink to have a good time. And this is an example of seeing a market and catering to it. Smart! ShagdanceThere were "shag dance" places in both NC and SC where the races danced together. This particular dance seemed to bring all together and still does. The AB pack and earbudThe A/B battery pack was only used in tube radios, where the high voltage was the plate voltage and the lower voltage was for the filament. Transistors have no filament, and operate at much lower voltages. Regency was the first transistor radio on the market. They came with a warning to "never under any circumstances use a meter with more than 1.5 V on the probes in this radio" that gave service people fits. Some Regency owners would not even let a serviceman check the battery voltage! Like the Regency, most of the original transistor portable radios used a NEDA 216 9V battery, although a few used two to four AA cells. $79 to $99 for a name brand 4 tube battery portable is about right. Most of the Burgess and Eveready 90/7.5 V packs for Zenith portables cost $10.00 or so and lasted 15 to 20 hours of intermittent use. The 90/1.5V "farm packs" were the same price, but lasted a bit longer. Western Auto had farm packs in a tin can for $10.95, and had the reputation of lasting much longer. That earbud is a puzzler. That style was fairly common with hearing aids, which were usually carried in a shirt pocket, but not at all common with any sort of radio. In fact, many radios had no earphone jack. While that may be a pack of smokes in the man's pocket, I don't think so. And it's too short and too narrow for any of the popular transistor radios of the era. I think it's an early one tube hearing aid with a 22.5/1.5V battery pack, since I have seen them in cases that size. Knotty PineThe paneling tongue-and-groove knotty pine. Definitely from the past. The fellow with the ear bud is wearing a hearing aid. There was a kid in junior high with me in the 50's that wore one. He had a special pocket inside his shirt to hold the power pack. If he carried it in his shirt pocket, he had to keep it buttoned to keep the power pack from falling out. I have to wear hearing aids now, and thankfully, they have come a long way. Southern NightsI worked with a guy who in the '50s was an Airborne soldier stationed in SC. He said all the white bars played only country music. If Jazz or R&B was desired you had to go to a colored establishment. Since he is white this would have caused unpleasantness. If he wore his uniform there was never any trouble. He is a Northerner. I don't know if this would have worked for a white Southerner. Each one teach one While in the service in the south, Florida, to be exact, I had, as a white northerner, no inhibitions about where I partied. Many bottle shops, liquor out front, juke joint in back, had separate facilities for the two races. The white side was mostly angry drunks looking for a fight, while the 'colored' facilities had the best music, dancing and good times. Eventually, some of the rednecks would cautiously slip inside for the good vibe. But stay away from the gals, their boyfriends wouldn't hesitate to let you know the score. (Eateries & Bars, LIFE, Margaret Bourke-White)
American Pineapple: 1942
... to digest, is ready to leave the hand of an infantryman in training at Fort Belvoir, Va." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome ... like it would help Photoshoppers today in copying the soldier with ease. Could that have been part of the original reason for the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 6:37pm -

November 1942. "An American pineapple, of the kind the Axis finds hard to digest, is ready to leave the hand of an infantryman in training at Fort Belvoir, Va." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. Cut & PasteThis image looks tailor-made for masking. The blue background looks like it would help Photoshoppers today in copying the soldier with ease. Could that have been part of the original reason for the framing, so the image could be used in different compositions? Re: Cut & PasteThe 4x5 Kodachromes were used as studies for painted illustrations and bond drive posters. In 1942 Alfred Palmer traveled to Fort Benning, Fort Knox and Fort Belvoir, often shooting from near ground level with a floodlight, aiming up at his subjects with a background of clouds and sky. The results for the twilight shots were often a bit underexposed, as was the case here. DaveDave is it possible to see a larger size on the tank that you see the 3 soldiers? Ron [Those are all elsewhere on the site. Click where it says "Alfred Palmer" to see all of his pics. - Dave] Tanks er I mean ThanksTanks er I mean Thanks Dave Ron InfantrymanI think I had this little green toy soldier pose along with the spread eagle shooters and the "on-one-knee" Walkie Talkee Guys. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Patriotic, WW2)
Metropolis: 1933
... View full size. One more train-related sight In the upper left you can see the long viaduct that leads up to the Hell's Gate ... the next comment up) - Dave] e.e. A reference to soldier's death from a bullet made from the Sixth Avenue El is in e.e. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:28pm -

January 19, 1933. "New York City views. New York Hospital and Queens from 515 Madison Avenue." Fifty-Ninth Street over the East River on the Queensboro Bridge. Medium-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. One more train-related sightIn the upper left you can see the long viaduct that leads up to the Hell's Gate rail bridge. The bridge itself, not yet 20 years old when the picture was taken, is out of sight to the left. The viaduct and bridge are still there today, used by Amtrak and freights. Vanished trainsJust to the right of center there's a nice view of the 57th Street station of the Second Avenue El. It was demolished in 1940,* so when this picture was taken in 1933 plans for its removal probably were underway**. Two stretches of the Third Avenue El can be seen closer to the foreground, one at 55th Street and the other at 57th. It lasted until 1955, so I wouldn't imagine that it was under any sort of death sentence in 1933 unlike its Second Avenue counterpart. There also were train lines going over the Queensboro Bridge, they lasted until the late 1950's, but they don't appear to be visible in this picture. * = an urban legend says that the steel from the demolished el was sold to Japan, and within a couple years turned into weapons used against America ** = the Second Avenue El was to be replaced by a subway under Second Avenue, which had been in the planning stages since the 1920's. Care to guess what has never been built? Second Avenue ElI seem to recall a short bit of poetry from e.e. cummings about a sailor killed by a Japanese shell made from a bit of the 2nd Avenue El. It's been a long time since I read the poem and I can't find my books from that course or I'd quote it. Follow the smokestackIf you follow the smokestack at the hospital complex straight down you will find another El station -- Third Avenue. There is a water tower just to the right of it. I love this photo! Just like a train platformMy first-ever Shorpy comment. I love this blog and this particular photo: it reminds me of a train layout with model houses, and it's inspiring! In case anyone wants a look, I just completed a model of another American/New York City landmark, Penn Station. It's online in 3D (made on Google SketchUp). East 54th StreetI believe that the building on whose sign the Hahn Brothers is on the north side of East 54th, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Almost 40 years ago, I lived in a studio apartment on the north side of East 54th, one block east of the range of this photo. The fancy El Morocco nightclub had just relocated to this block about then, with entries on both the street and avenue sides. In subsequent years, the club was never able to regain its charisma from its days near Fifth Avenue in the East Fifties. Mystery Obelisk and CylinderSlightly to the left an below the "Storage and Warehouse" sign there is a Obelisk which appears to be a large slab, about 8 stories high, held up by triangular columns with a nearby wide cylindrical structure. I have lived for over 50 years in this neighborhood and for the life of me can't figure out what this is. Does anyone know? [I think you mean "Storage Fireproof." What you're describing seems to be the rooftop sign (facing away from the camera) and water tank shown below.(Update: See the next comment up) - Dave] e.e.A reference to soldier's death from a bullet made from the Sixth Avenue El is in e.e. cummings' "Plato told," written in 1944. Urban legend or not, the idea that the Sixth Avenue El (or, in some places, the Ninth Avenue El) had gone as scrap to Japan was reported as fact by columnist Arthur Baer in March 1941 and INS reporter Jim Young in 1943. Tracing any particular pile to one particular country seems difficult, but Japan was the USA's top customer for scrap iron in the late 1930's, getting over 10 million tons of it between 1934 and 1939 (according to pre-war business pages). In any event, scrap from the Second Avenue El, demolished starting in 1942, was specifically earmarked for the U.S. war effort. Re: Just like a train platformLoved the 3D model. I use Sketchup for work - sometimes on buildings this size, but compared to yours, my models are agricultural. Thanks for thisI used to live in this neighborhood. I could see the building that says "Storage Fireproof" from my roof. I was a block away. Nice to see NYC without all the expensive highrises. If this photo had a soundtrackit would be Rhapsody in Blue. Obelisk FoundThe "obelisk" is the facade of Trinity Baptist Church at 250 East 61st Street. The cylinder is a "lantern" -- a raised skylight with openings on the sides. View Larger Map Rapid Transit over the Queensboro BridgeThe two rail lines that ran over the Queensboro bridge are visible as they curve to merge with the Second Avenue El. There was much opposition to the removal of El by the residents of Queens as it gave users of the Flushing line one seat service to lower Manhattan, something they still lack seventy years on from the death of the el. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Shove It: 1942
... helmets Rather than the pots that soldiers cooked in from WW2 until the advent of Kevlar in the late '80s, these guys appear to ... from the previous war. Keep Strapped, Boys! Many a soldier's neck was broken from exploding ordnance within their proximity during ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/06/2013 - 7:54pm -

March 1942. Virginia Beach, Va. "Fort Story coast defense. A tough job for soldiers is shoving the breech block of the giant howitzer into place. The screw threads help the block to withstand millions of foot-pounds of pressure caused by the exploding charge." Photo by Alfred Palmer, Office of War Information. View full size. Being a pedantic engineer.The term would be "pounds per square inch" of pressure. "Foot-pounds" is a unit of torque, not pressure. [Foot-pound can also be a unit of energy. - Dave] Doughboy helmetsRather than the pots that soldiers cooked in from WW2 until the advent of Kevlar in the late '80s, these guys appear to be wearing leftovers from the previous war. Keep Strapped, Boys!Many a soldier's neck was broken from exploding ordnance within their proximity during WWI, thanks to the chin strap. No wonder many doughboys refused to strap themselves in. Where?Is it just me, or does it have the look of being shoot in a studio or on a sound stage? [It resembles that look because Palmer aimed supplementary flash from the right to illuminate their faces, which otherwise would have been in shadow. -tterrace] All dressed up and nowhere to goExcept for the defense of Corregidor in 1942, a few engagements during the Civil War, and some salient actions during the War of 1812, the US Army's seacoast artillery never fired a shot in anger. Nevertheless, that arm was responsible for many innovations, particularly in fire direction techniques and gun design, that paid significant dividends when applied by the field artillery in both world wars, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf. As for the WW I-style helmets, they were retained in low-priority units (such as Stateside coast artillery batteries) well after we entered WW II because priority for the new "steel pot" helmet naturally went to units deployed or deploying into harm's way. Army and Marine units that left the States after Pearl Harbor did so with the new helmet, of course, but those troops fighting in the Philippines from December 1941 to April 1942 had to be content with the Doughboy's "tin hat," designed primarily to protect against overhead artillery bursts and virtually useless against anything else. Into the Breech!Here's what the view in the other direction looks like. Some of these 16" guns (this is a Navy model) were used for industrial purposes for super-high pressure powdered metal sintering. This particular one is still in use today! Doughboy Helmets part deuxMy father was drafted into the Army (7th Cavalry, no less) in mid-1940 and they were issued uniforms straight from WWI vintage complete with "salad bowl" helmets. While in the cavalry they wore wide brim "soft" hats instead of helmets. When the unit was converted to armor in 1944 they became an amphibious tank battalion and then wore standard tankers helmets. From a different angleThese soldiers are man-handling the breechblock of a 16-inch caliber howitzer, a massive weapon that fired a shell weighing over a ton. Here's a view of a similar breechblock on a 16-inch gun in the defenses of San Francisco that illustrates the scale of these artillery pieces. (The highly burnished steel shows the care that soldiers lavished on these huge -- and expensive -- weapons.) M1917A1 HelmetLectrogeek, the helmets worn in the photo are the Model 1917A1--the shell is the standard Model 1917 of World War I vintage, but with an improved liner and chin strap assembly. The modification was authorized in 1936 and the modified helmets began to be produced in 1940. The M1 helmet ["steel pot"] was adopted in the summer of 1941, but due to a delay in tooling up to produce the new helmet, the M1917A1's continued to be made through the end of 1941 and were widely used throughout 1942 until the supply of M1 helmets caught up with the demand. The older helmet was declared obsolete later that year and the M1 helmet would go on to serve through the mid 1980s. Coastal ArtilleryMany Coastal Artillery regiments were converted to anti-aircraft units around this time. The 200th Coastal Artillery Regiment was a New Mexico National Guard anti-aircraft coastal artillery regiment, converted from a cavalry regiment in 1940. They were sent to the Philippines, arriving in November of 1941. A great number of them died in Japanese captivity Finally a picture from here…I live at the beach, just blocks from Fort Story. It is a very small base and my friends and i would hang out there and skateboard down these hilly road that they built on the sand dunes. That was in the early 80's, but it is still the same now. We would sneak through the woods and "smoke" back there and find old bomb shells just laying the sand. 4ft long at least. They have a bunch of underground bunkers with doors that appear to go into a sand hill… Very odd looking with rusted old locks on the doors. There was a strip club on the base that we could also sneak into and drink at 16. I was never in the service, nor were my friends, but we certainly had a great time on that base. No one was ever around…? We never met a single military person. Still i have only met a few, and lived in Va. Beach for 44 years. Good Times. Thanks Shorpy. BreachThis type of breach lock is known as buttress thread. (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, WW2)
Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.