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VINTAGRAPH • WPA • WWII • YOU MEAN A WOMAN CAN OPEN IT?

Vegetable Kingdom: 1924

Washington, D.C., circa 1926. "Thos. R. Shipp Co. -- A.A. Anselmo stand, Center Market." Delectable produce from all points of the compass, fetchingly arrayed. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

Washington, D.C., circa 1926. "Thos. R. Shipp Co. -- A.A. Anselmo stand, Center Market." Delectable produce from all points of the compass, fetchingly arrayed. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

 

On Shorpy:
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Andrew A. Anselmo purveyor of fine produce

Thos. R. Shipp Co.
Center Market, Washington DC.

This is an on going coloration. Truly a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables, Eggplant, Romain Lettuce, Bananas, Oranges, Tangerines, Clementines, Grapefruit, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Persimmon, Lemons, Limes, Musk Melon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Figs and or Dates, Mangos, Pears, Plums, Peaches, Nectarines, Apples, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Pineapples, Mushrooms, oh and Cauliflower.

The guess work of Artistic license is needed to fill in the blanks of the original B&W image. Without color it's near impossible to know what various different types of fruits and Vegetables we're looking at. I sampled colors from dozens of them to best recreate the colors of what the produce might have looked like in the image.

Addressing the "White Elephant" in the center of the display, is that really a giant Eggplant or Watermelon? Watermelons have very bold pronounced dark green and pale green striations, but not all. I'm not convinced it's a giant Eggplant. So Watermelon it is...

Given the date, the crate packing material used was most likely Wood Excelsior. That innocent looking fruit wrapping tissue used to protect delicate, easily bruised and fragile fruits, especially Pears, came with a hidden secret a pesticide called ethoxyquin, as well as copper to inhibit mold growth.

Leaf Greens

I don't think the leafy greens are Romaine lettuce. They don't resemble Romaine, does anyone have an idea or suggestion as to what they might be?

Is that an eggplant?

In the center of the display? Holy Cow! It's big enough to make parmesian for a village. And even I looks forward to a colorization of this picture, if anyones has the time and patience.

[Looks like a watermelon. - tterrace]

So tempting!

I wonder who created the display. Everything about the stall is perfect in its conception--a real artist was at work here.

Andrew Anselmo

Anselmo was a cousin of Louis P. Gatti, whose fruit stand was previously seen on Shorpy (https://www.shorpy.com/node/5506).

Howling Dogs

Poor woman's feet are swelling right out of her shoes. She needs to sit down and take a load off.

I also get an uneasy feeling with beautiful displays like this. Seems as if you picked just the right veggie or fruit, avalanche. Key piece per say. I'd be afraid to yank one of those beauties.

A. A. Anselmo

I found the below info using Google.

Angela Gatti Anselmo
Birth: Nov. 11, 1885
Death: Mar. 3, 1935
Washington
District of Columbia
District Of Columbia, USA

Wife of Andrew A Anselmo

Mother of Michael P and Andrew A Anselmo Jr, Ursula and Louise Anselmo

Daughter of Mrs Michael Gatti
Sister of Joseph D Gatti, Mrs Louise P Gatti and Mrs Anthony Anselmo

Ran a wholesale business at Center Market for many years. More recently the store was located at 1325 Water st SW Washington Dc

Residence -- 4021 Alabama Ave SE Washington DC

String Ring Thing Redux

Possibly the rings are the means of turning the gas valve on and off to the long unused gas lamp fixture. The lamplighter used a pole with a hook to engage the rings and a taper to light the gas, similar to a gadget familiar to altar-boys.

The considerable grunge does not appear on the electric fixtures.

[I think you're right. Similar fixtures in quite a few other photos here. - Dave]

String ring things

On close inspection, they look like coiled up wiring, possibly a dis-used power drop from the lighting circuit.

And *really* dusty! The overhead dust collectors have the look of being in a greasy (like kitchen) environment. Probably wouldn't pass Health inspection today, even for an open market. DaveB

[What it is, as noted above, is an old gaslight fixture. - Dave]

This is one I'd love to see colorized!

I can only imagine all the colors in this photo, but I bet there is just about everything under the rainbow.

Good Lookin Veggies

I wonder how the vendor felt if someone messed with his presentation?

Also

inquiring minds want to know what the two string rings dangling from the light fixture over the patron's head is? Is it some form of fly catcher or possibly a drying rig for some of the peppers?

[Scroll up for the answer. - Dave]

Tempting both palate and pallette

Looks good enough to eat. Especially the bananas hanging on the right. This would be a great pic to colorize with all the different colors of the veggies such as the peaches in the lower right and the bananas, etc.

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