I recall my Irish grandma stringing rope everywhere when it rained. The whole apartment was humid and smelled of laundry. But we were kids, and that was just how Grandma's house smelled. I still have a 'foam fabric' jacket with the words 'Kalamazoo Stove' melted into it in reverse. I should have taken it off before backing up to the heat!

easily my favorite dog on Shorpy.

Maybe the boy on the right was a half-brother.

Either there are some serious flaws with the photo, or the boy with the dog was recently involved in some kind of accident or beating. His eyes appear badly swollen, and the left one appears ready to pop out of his head. Could this have been work related?

[It's photography-related. The "zombie-eyes" effect, frequently noted on these pages, in which the subjects' eyes are recorded both open and closed in unsynchronized magnesium-flash exposures. -Dave]

Looks like the dog was the only one who was able to keep his eyes open during the exposure. There must've been some delicious people food just out of the frame on the right.

They ALL blinked!

There are four males in the photograph and the only one the photographer did justice to has four legs. The three humans blinked and weren't centered in the image.

However, both the dog and the door came out great.

It looks as if both of those boys are sporting a shiner. You have to wonder if it was from the streets or at home.

Gives the family name as Paglia. Americo is about 14.

Were they dead when this was taken?