February 1943. "Mrs. Mary Betchner measuring 105mm howitzers at the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, plant of the Chain Belt Company. Her son is in the Army; her husband and daughter are in war work." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information.

December 1943. "Hugh and Lynn Massman sightseeing on their first day in Washington. Their baby is being taken care of in the nursery at the United Nations service center." Photo: Esther Bubley, Office of War Information. View full size

1923. Assistant Postmaster General John Bartlett's car in Washington after an accident. Bartlett, a former governor of New Hampshire, survived. Details of the wreck, unfortunately, did not. View full size. National Photo Co. Collection.

May 1915. Sacramento, California. "Freddie Kafer, a very immature little newsie selling Saturday Evening Posts and newspapers at the entrance to the State Capitol. He did not know his age, nor much of anything else. He was said to be 5 or 6 years old. Nearby I found Jack, who said he was 8 years old, and who was carrying a bag full of Saturday Evening Posts, which weighed nearly half of his own weight. The bag weighed 24 pounds, and he weighed only 55. He carried this bag for several blocks to the [street]car. Said he was taking them home." Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size.

Broadway actress Olga Cook, leading woman of the popular operetta "Blossom Time," in Washington in 1923. View full size. National Photo Company.

1923. "Children of the famous snow baby. Edward Stafford Jr. and Peary Stafford, ages 4 and 2, grandchildren of the late Admiral Peary, discoverer of the North Pole. Their mother, Mrs. Edward Stafford, Peary's daughter, was born in the Arctic." View full size. National Photo Company Collection.

1923 in Washington, D.C. "Start of a 440." View full size. National Photo Co.

"Auto Wreck, 1923." Another Washington, D.C., vehicular mishap, this time at the Library of Congress. View full size. National Photo Company Collection.

July 30, 1923. Washington, D.C. A closeup from this morning's post of a wrecked car in the water. View full size. National Photo Co. glass negative.

November 1910. Birmingham, Alabama. "John Tidwell, doffer in Avondale Mills." A closeup of the boy seen earlier today, this image was extracted from a scan of the original 5x7 glass negative, as opposed to the print used for the group shot. View full size. From a photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine.

November 1910. "Birmingham, Alabama. Workers in the Avondale Mills in Jefferson County. (The Avondale Mills in St. Clair County burned today in Pell City.) Smallest boy is John Tidwell." Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size.

October 1942. "Riveting team working on the cockpit shell of a C-47 transport at Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, Calif. The versatile C-47 performs many important tasks for the Army. It ferries men and cargo across the oceans and mountains, tows gliders and brings paratroopers and their equipment to scenes of action." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. Happy Valentine's Day from Shorpy!

Shorpy is a year old today! Thanks to the many thousands of visitors and commenters and contributors who have helped make this Web site the remarkable place that it is. And of course we wouldn't be here without the efforts of the photographers whose pictures appear here, and the conservators and archivists who have preserved their work and made it available online through the Library of Congress. This might also be a good time to reflect on the life of our namesake, Shorpy Higginbotham, whose likeness animates these pages and spirit inhabits them. And now on with the show. Only a zillion more pictures to go   .  .  .

May 1943. Bensenville, Illinois. Section crew of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad taking up track. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information.

January 1943. "Indiana Harbor Belt R.R. switchman demonstrating signal with a fusee, used at twilight and dawn when visibility is poor. This signal means stop." Calumet City, Ill. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. View full size.