Framed or unframed, desk size to sofa size, printed by us in Arizona and Alabama since 2007. Explore now.
Shorpy is funded by you. Patreon contributors get an ad-free experience.
Learn more.
Vintage photos of:
Our holdings include hundreds of glass and film negatives/transparencies that we've scanned ourselves; in addition, many other photos on this site were extracted from reference images (high-resolution tiffs) in the Library of Congress research archive. (To query the database click here.) They are adjusted, restored and reworked by your webmaster in accordance with his aesthetic sensibilities before being downsized and turned into the jpegs you see here. All of these images (including "derivative works") are protected by copyright laws of the United States and other jurisdictions and may not be sold, reproduced or otherwise used for commercial purposes without permission.
[REV 25-NOV-2014]
Miami, Florida, circa 1910. "Peninsular & Occidental steamer Miami off for Nassau, W.I." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Lake Erie circa 1910. "Excursion steamer Eastland -- Cleveland, Ohio." On July 24, 1915, 844 passengers and crew were drowned when the Eastland, which had a history of listing problems, rolled onto its side while docked in the Chicago River. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
UPDATE: The aviation experts among us aver that the photo shows the USS Los Angeles, not the Akron. In which case the date would be November 2, 1931, when both airships overflew the capital.
August 19, 1932. The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. "The Navy airship Akron appeared in the morning and after circling the city released several of her small fighting airplanes over Hoover Field. These were later drawn into the hangar constructed on the interior of the airship." 4x5 inch nitrate negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size.
Mobile, Alabama, circa 1910. "Unloading bananas." Tropical Refrigerator Express reefers at the ready. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
August 1962. Newport, Rhode Island. "Two of Newport's beauties, Minnie Cushing and Topsy Taylor, go water-skiing out near Gooseberry Island. In tow behind their boat is weekend visitor Dick Cowell, a former water-ski champion." 35mm Kodachrome by Toni Frissell for the Life magazine assignment "The Stately World of Newport." View full size.
September 1955. Lloyd's Neck, Long Island, New York. "Arden field trials for spaniels." 35mm Kodachrome by Toni Frissell for the Sports Illustrated assignment "Sporting Look: Field Trip at Marshall Field's Long Island Estate near Cold Spring Harbor." View full size.
San Francisco circa 1930. "William Taylor Hotel, McAllister and Leavenworth streets." This 28-story agglomeration of Gothic Revival, Art Deco and Art Moderne styles housed a "superchurch" -- Temple Methodist Episcopal, and was named in honor of the street preacher who formed the city's first Methodist congregation. Gelatin silver print. View full size.
Detroit circa 1910. "Automobile on Jefferson Avenue at East Grand Boulevard." Backdropped by Moesta's Tavern, the city's "most famous east side saloon." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
St. Louis, Missouri, circa 1930. "Southwestern Bell Telephone Building, Pine Street." Gelatin silver print by American Commercial Photographers. View full size.
July 1942. "Hayti, Missouri. Family of Glen Eaker (seated), superintendent of the local Rural Electrification Administration (REA) cooperative." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the U.S. Foreign Information Service. View full size.
July 1942. "Hayti, Missouri. Rural Electrification Administration lineman inspecting a meter at a substation." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the U.S. Foreign Information Service. View full size.
July 1942. "Middle River, Baltimore County, Maryland. Housing development for workers at the Glenn L. Martin aircraft plant. Living room and dining alcove." Porch Lady is back, pouring a nice glass of air in her Cemesto bungalow. Acetate negative by Marjory Collins. View full size.
July 1942. "Middle River, Maryland. Stansbury Estates, housing development for workers at the Glenn L. Martin aircraft plant. Some houses have porches at the back. They are all alike, have four rooms, are made of Cemesto Board." Acetate negative by Marjory Collins. View full size.
July 1942. "Decatur, Alabama. Ingalls Shipbuilding Company. A crane operator." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.
July 1942. "Florence, Alabama (vicinity). Boys in swimming class at Boy Scout camp." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the U.S. Foreign Information Service. View full size.