From around 1940 comes this snapshot of a young man in a truck with West Virginia plates -- one of thousands of 35mm negatives in the FSA/OWI archive at the Library of Congress with no caption or photographer information. Why so glum, chum? View full size.

  AND THE ANSWER IS: Mission Boulevard in the Bay Area burg of Hayward, California.

Circa 1960, this random selection from the News Photo Archive shows a busy street in Anytown, USA. Where exactly are we? 4x5 inch acetate negative. View full size.

Columbus, Georgia, circa 1955. "Accident on 12th Street." Sandwiched between the post office and Collins Snack Bar. 4x5 acetate negative from the News Photo Archive. View full size.

Alabama, 1936. "Antebellum residence converted into Tuscaloosa Wrecking Co. & Auto Parts." 8x10 nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

July 1942. "Detroit, Michigan (vicinity). Standard Oil truck used during a rubber scrap drive." 4x5 inch acetate negative by Arthur Siegel for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

July 1942. "Detroit, Michigan. View from Fisher Building of traffic at 5:30 on Second Avenue at Grand Boulevard." Acetate negative by Arthur Siegel, Office of War Information. View full size.

Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "Auto fire, Young & Simon." The cremains of an Alco motor truck insured by Young & Simon. 8x6 inch glass negative, National Photo Company. View full size.

Detroit circa 1910. "Campus Martius -- Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Elks Monument and Wayne County Building." Far right, the Hotel Pontchartrain. 8x10 glass negative. View full size.

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1908. "Wayne County Building facing Cadillac Square." Complete with cannon. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

Here we are back on Schwinn Street, which turns out to be in ... New York. With a teensy tyke on yet another tiny trike. 35mm Kodachrome slide found on eBay. View full size.

Today in the Shorpy Showcase of Random Kodachromes, a slide dated NOV 73. New Jersey Cadillac, South Florida house. Hurry up, Harry, or we'll be late for the Early Bird! View full size.

February 1936. "Mexican quarter of Los Angeles, California. Houses condemned to make space for the new Union Station. Average rental eight dollars. Some houses have plumbing." 4x5 nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.

Bustling Jacksonville, Florida, circa 1910. "Forsyth Street looking east from Hogan." As in the previous view, the Post Office is at left, Hotel Seminole on the right. Note the city-issued JACKSONVILLE license plates. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.

Jacksonville, Florida, circa 1910. "Forsyth Street looking east from Hogan." The post office, Atlantic National Bank and Bisbee Building lined up along the city's Bankers' Row, with the Hotel Seminole at right. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

June 1942. Bridgeton, New Jersey. "Seabrook Farms, several thousand acres, where Birdseye Foods are produced. Loading beans onto the delivery platform of the packing plant." 4x5 inch acetate negative by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.