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Crooked House: 1941

April 1941. "House and children in Negro section (South Side) of Chicago, Illinois." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

April 1941. "House and children in Negro section (South Side) of Chicago, Illinois." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

 

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If you tilt your head a little --

Actually, the "crooked house" is the one on the left. Its foundation has probably sunk on the side out of view of the camera. If you use the school building on the right for perspective, you'll notice that the subject house is not too bad. Part of the first floor does lean to the right (makes me wonder if the street is on a hill). But the second floor seems altogether straight up.

[Untilt your head! Straight lines in red. - Dave]

There's a lien on that house

Saith the process server.

A Sign Unto You

... in the window. It's a storefront church.

82 degrees

Sometime in April 1941, the temperature reached 82 degrees. I don't think it was this day, but there was obviously an unseasonably warm period during that month.

[It was chilly on the way to school. That afternoon, not so much. - Dave]

Service Satisfied

Is painted on the building across the street and reflected in the window. But it did not pertain to this house. That lean no doubt affected the plumbing, gas line, and probably electricity. It must have been a miserable house to be in during a Chicago winter.

I wonder what the temperature was on this April day. The woman in the second-floor apartment has her windows open as if it's warm while the woman on the sidewalk is wearing a long coat. Most of the kids are wearing coats but the girl carrying a book and the boys in shorts at center and far right are dressed as if more layers aren't needed.

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