Looks like the ball already dropped. Boy, if they only knew what was on the horizon after the next New Year's Eve bash!

Anyone recognize the location? It looks like a hotel ballroom/meeting room. My guess is that it is at the Shoreham, but maybe it is the Mayflower.

Happy 2012 everybody, and especially Dave!

Thought I'd be the first to say, "Happy 2012." It was weird to see all the best wishes for 2009. Time flies.

I bet this picture was taken in the waning hours of 1939. Here's why. First, as Phil noticed, the only visible bottles are of Canada Dry. Second, December 31, 1939 was a Sunday. Third, the District of Columbia didn't allow Sunday sales of hard liquor in restaurants, bars, or hotels until August 1968. Thus, they had a special reason to want the clock to strike midnight.

[The evening of Dec. 31, 1939, District clubs served champagne and beer before midnight, and the harder stuff after. These kids are mostly high school students. - Dave]

Every year my Mom would get a fancy cocktail dress for New Year's Eve, and she and Dad would go out and dance til dawn. One year, so the story goes, Mom was on a crowded dance floor and a woman came in the door wearing the EXACT same dress (a fitted bodice/full skirt black taffeta with a swirling white ruffle, diagonal from hip to hem). When the other woman caught sight of Mom, she turned on her heel and left the party. Mom's comment was "She's got great taste."

I, too miss the elegant New Year's Eves of my youth. But it's only the styles that have changed, not the ages of the revelers. Drinking and dancing till the wee hours has always been a young person's game. Check the photo again and I think you'll agree everyone present seems to be under 30! Every year my mom had a new cocktail dress for the occasion, and Dad would shine his shoes until they fairly sparkled! They would dance till dawn then sleep till noon. Happy New Year.

I just watched "The Shining" the other night and that scene is fresh in my memory. One of my favorite movies.

-- Kathleen from Northern California

I miss those old-timers who have been replaced by rockstars and scantily clad teens I never heard of gyrating around in front of other casually dressed teens. I don't think I saw anyone over 40 in yesterday's New Year celebrations except Dick Clark. I think that Dick Clark should interview Kirk Douglas (something my son suggested), as I like them both. Guy Lombardo had a career from 1924 until his death in 1977 and HE was the one who made "Auld Lang Syne" a national standard for New Year's Eve. Older Americans will remember scenes like this from places like the Waldorf-Astoria for most of their growing-up years and it was stunning to lowly small-town kids to see how wealthy uptown people lived. May 2009 be kind to ALL the Shorpy creators, workers and readers, ya'll make my day EVERY day. May there be a chicken in every pot and a snazzy car in every garage.

Everyone looks so elegant & refined. It's nice to see in these days when shorts and T's are party gear. Just looking at them makes me smile.

A wonderful 2009 to our leader, Dave, and all my fellow Shorpyites!

There was a theory about formal wear for New Years Eve, that people tended to behave better if they dressed up. It may have had some merit. Happy New Year to all.

David Merlin: So how do you like her?

Louise King: Pretty good for a fill-in. I'd just as soon go stag.

Polly: You could, too, with those shoulders.

This looks like the New Year's party David Niven took Ginger Rogers to in Bachelor Mother.

"Good evening, Mr. Torrance."

Happy New Year fellow Shorpys (Shorpies?). And to our Fearless Leader Dave....thanks for all your wonderful work and keeping these great photos in circulation.

Looks like the guy on the right managed to paste one on.

Happy New Year, Shorpians!

Steve Miller
Someplace near the crossroads of America

There's nothing like bringing in the new year with a nice glass of Canada Dry Ginger Ale.

Happy 2009 everyone!

Happy Shorpy New Year, for those of you in the East.

We still have 55 minutes to wait until the new year reaches CST, but I'll wish it to "you" anyway.

2009. We can finally say goodbye to the old year and hello to the new. Here's a "toast" that 2009 will be a good one.