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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]
October 1908. Muncie, Indiana. "Noon hour. Muncie Wheel & Jobbing Co. Most of the boys were gone home to dinner." Photo by Lewis Hine. View full size.
Toledo, Ohio, ca. 1905. "The Farm." Which may be reached by streetcar, horse or one of the newer self-propelled conveyances. Detroit Publishing. View full size.
Toledo, Ohio, circa 1909. "Summit Street." Our second glimpse along this bustling retail corridor, home to the Taft Dental Parlors, Baltimore Lunch, Kugler's, Stein's and Mockett's. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
New York, 1921. "Victor record display, New York Band Instrument Co. window." Over two dozen Nippers here by my count, as well as some handsome Victrolas in the kind of place that was the Apple Store of its day. View full size.
Detroit circa 1915. "Woodward Avenue and Campus Martius." Among the Motown landmarks in this panorama of two 8x10 glass negatives are the Hotel Pontchartrain, Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument, Ford Building, Detroit City Hall and Dime Savings Bank. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Washington, D.C., 1914. "Boy Scouts -- field sports." Our second look at these kids. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.
February 1942. "Midday nap at FSA camp nursery school in Harlingen, Texas." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Jordan Piano Co. window." National Photo usually shot its window displays at night to avoid the kind of glare seen here; close study will reveal a number of spectral reflections inhabiting the scene, as well as a row of employees behind the latticework. Plus, Nipper center stage. View full size.
"The Hindenburg over Boston Common, 1936." Sunday marked the 75th anniversary of the German airship's explosion at Lakehurst, New Jersey. Medium format acetate negative by Leslie Jones. Boston Public Library. View full size.
New York circa 1900. "Operating room in Brooklyn Navy Yard Hospital." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
New York circa 1905. "Piers at foot of Wall Street. Steamship Curityba and sidewheeler Nantasket." Not to mention that fine-looking Colgate wagon. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
March 1940. "Ironing room at FSA migratory labor camp at Sinton, Texas." 35mm negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
New York City circa 1900. "Shipping at East River docks." More maritime Manhattan. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
New York circa 1912. "West Street north from the Battery." An amazing view of the Hudson River piers from the foot of Manhattan centered by the West Street Building, which sustained grave damage a decade ago when the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed; to east is the massive Hudson Terminal, and faintly visible through the haze is the Metropolitan Life tower. Note the ant-like profusion of horse wagons along West Street. This 8x10 glass negative was exposed from the Whitehall Building annex just south of today's Battery Park City and World Financial Center. The view up West Street and 11th Avenue is continued here at the Chelsea Piers. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
May 1864. "North Anna River, Virginia. Pontoon bridge across North Anna below railroad bridge where a portion of the 2nd Corps under Gen. Hancock crossed, May 23d." Wet plate glass negative by Timothy H. O'Sullivan. View full size.