MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
Home

Search Shorpy

SEARCH TIP: Click the tags above a photo to find more of same:
Mandatory field.

Search results -- 30 results per page

Santa Fe: 1943
March 1943. Vaughn, New Mexico. "Eastbound train about to leave the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe ... Vaughn was still a Crew Change In steam days Vaughn, New Mexico was a crew change point. Today's BNSF trains sail right thru between ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 7:08pm -

March 1943. Vaughn, New Mexico. "Eastbound train about to leave the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe yard on the return trip." Medium-format nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Polka Dots and Rail BeamsYeah I know bad pun, stretched too far. Anyway, what's with the polka-dotted hats? Was it for greater visibility of the yard workers from the engineer's compartment? Here's the story....In Kaukauna, Wisconsin, at the turn of the century, George Kromer, an engineer for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, decided that there was not available a single cap of quality materials and manufacture which suited the needs of railroad men. So he made one. Kromer drew up the design and specifications. His wife, Ida, did the cutting and sewing. The cap had to be one-hundred percent cloth with a soft flexible visor. It had to cling to the head despite strong gusts of wind that plagued rail hands everywhere. Ida Kromer added her own touches., a sweatband of absorbent cloth and an outside band which could be pulled down over the ears. The Kromer cap was born. Over 1000 readsand no one said it, so I will. Trains are so cool! Polka Dot CapMy dad worked for the B&O Railroad in Cumberland Maryland in the 1950's and he always wore those polka dot caps. His was dark blue with white dots. It's a Kromer Cap and you can still get them here. On the cabooseI'm guessing that thing is a semaphore for signaling the engineer. Why a polka dot cap?Same reason that covers most male garments of the polka dot variety. You are secure in knowing no one will ever steal it or mistake it for their own. Exception being jockey gear. No Thanks, Mr. KromerThe Kromer cap has nothing on the old denim octagon cap, which came in blue, white, black, or pinstripes. Truly the overwhelming favorite of America's railroaders. When Vaughn was still a Crew ChangeIn steam days Vaughn, New Mexico was a crew change point. Today's BNSF trains sail right thru between Clovis on the east and Belen to the west. The target-like devices on the caboose cupolas were raised up as markers during unscheduled stops, so as to protect the rear of the train. Re: Polka DotsI've never read about them being standard issue. Maybe the man was a welder? Modern day welding hats come in polka dots and other loud patterns. My guess is that they were originally made at home from scrap cloth by the workers' wives. Is there anything left of the Vaughn Railroad Yard? I was there in the mid-90's and saw some old rolling stock and what may have been dormitory cars for a work train. Went back in '04 and didn't see anything in the way of a yard, but didn't have much time to look around. CapsThe Kromer Cap! I never knew the name of those. Thanks Casey and Gazzie. Signal disks on caboose cupolasThe round disks on the cupola were used to signal the engineer. Here's the details: http://www.atsfrr.net/resources/Sandifer/WigWag/Index.htm That thing on the cabooseIn the days before radio-equipped trains, the Santa Fe used "wigwags" on its waycars (Santa Fe parlence for a caboose) to let the conductor signal a "highball" to the engine crew. A neat aspect about this photo is that it shows the early (left waycar) and the late (right waycar) wigwag designs. More about wigwags here. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Mogollon, N.M.: 1940
May 1940. "On the main street of Mogollon, New Mexico." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security ... the 400th anniversary of an expedition into modern New Mexico by the Spanish explorer of that name. The slogan was intended to ... NM call it "mogie-yawn." Named for the Spanish Governor of New Mexico in the early 18th century, the escarpment is cut with canyons and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2018 - 5:16am -

May 1940. "On the main street of Mogollon, New Mexico." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Coronado Cuarto Centennialis the slogan across the top of the 1940 NM license plate facing us, celebrating the 400th anniversary of an expedition into modern New Mexico by the Spanish explorer of that name. The slogan was intended to promote the many cultural and historical commemorative events held in that year. The tag, vivid yellow on red, features the Zuni sun symbol (the Zia) used on NM plates from 1927 to the present day. Combining all these attributes makes this license plate one of the most collectible of all. So ...According to Wikipedia, Mogollon "was founded in the 1880s at the bottom of Silver Creek Canyon to support the gold and silver mines in the surrounding mountains. A mine called Little Fannie became the most important source of employment for the town's populus. During the 1890s Mogollon had a transient population of between 3,000 and 6,000 miners and, because of its isolation, had a reputation as one of the wildest mining towns in the West." ["Populus" ?? - Dave] Watch your stepThere seems to be a rather deep hole at the end of the sidewalk. The two gents outside the cafe might at least put up a sign. This ain't Mount AiryUntil this moment, I thought that "Snappy Lunch" was exclusively a Mayberry thing! Mogie-yawnNever heard "Mogollon" pronounced by a native Spanish speaker, but the locals near the Mogollon Rim county in AZ and NM call it "mogie-yawn." Named for the Spanish Governor of New Mexico in the early 18th century, the escarpment is cut with canyons and crested with the largest ponderosa pine forest on this planet. A beautiful place and a favored recreation locale of mine, especially the area that straddles the AZ/NM state line. Little native Apache trout live in the streams, black bear and gray wolves in the forested areas and huge elk graze the open parks. Sublime. [See you at Big Lake. - Dave] Welcome to the Anachronical Cafe!Visually, this is on the border of the 19th Century Wild West and modern 20th Century. Texaco and Coca Cola signs above antique boardwalks, modern traffic on millennially old dust road, an automobile in a "garage" that looks like a shelter used centuries ago by nomads etc. In the middle of this anachronistic image, two men and cat, witnessing the passing of time. P.S. I saw the top left corner of the image and for a moment I said to myself: "look, they have a SHORPY sign on that slope of the mountain". Yes, it was not a landmark, but a watermark. More Recent Mogollon Two buildings on the left are still present, at least in 2008, but the Shorpy sign is gone. Someone's still sitting out on the road, this time guarding the Mogollon Museum! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Cats, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Black Tie: 1943
March 1943. Albuquerque, New Mexico. "At the Santa Fe R.R. tie plant. The ties made of pine and fir, are ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 4:46pm -

March 1943. Albuquerque, New Mexico. "At the Santa Fe R.R. tie plant. The ties made of pine and fir, are seasoned for eight months. The steaming black ties have just come from the retort, where they have been impregnated with creosote for eight hours." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. View full size. StinkytownMy wife grew up on Terre Haute, Indiana, where they had a creosote factory that made railroad ties. Some days we could smell Terre Haute seven miles east on I-70 before we got there. I can only imagine how nasty it would be to work with the chemical. If you believe Google MapsActo the address given in the various SuperFund papers this is in the vicinity of the current autorack terminal, but there s a lot of empty land there. Concrete ties are used in high-speed service and in some nasty places where wood ties don't last long, but for the most part creosote-treated ties are what get set under almost all freight rail in the USA. So if you want to know what creosote smells like, the trackside is the place to go. Unless you like sniffing telephone poles. My old jobI had a summer job unloading those creosote-infused railroad ties. That was a nasty, nasty job. The ties are very hot and creosote vapors burn, so you have to cover all exposed skin with calamine lotion. But it’s the middle of summer and it’s hot, so anywhere your sweat lands on you, it washes away the calamine, and you get a burn. Not a happy summer. Donkey EngineThe small shed in the center of the photo appears to house a steam "donkey", a steam-operated winch, used to pull the narrow-gauge tie cars in and out of the various sidings. The two men in the center seem to be wrangling the donkey cable, and the large round objects on the ground near them are probably large pulleys, used for changing the direction of travel of the cable. Black Tie, forsoothI know I've said it before, but I'll say it again: the only thing better than these excellent photos is the delicious titles you come up with for them. This level of cleverness is a sort of high-wire act and I constantly marvel at your surefootedness way up there ... Creosote steaming!I wouldn't like walking there in the clouds of creosote! Anyway, this is an interesting photo. Thanks for sharing it here! Railyard ParkIs this the area that's now Railyard Park? Definitely interesting to see what it looked like back in the day. If toothpicks were dollarsthis would just about cover the national debt. I lovethe smell of creosote in the morning! Not surprisinglyThis became a Superfund site. It's just south of the GE aircraft engine plant. Air QualityI'm trying to imagine how pungent those aromas would have been. Like Cookies from the OvenMmmm the smell of creosote. I used to buy it at the hardware for dippin' the bottom of fence posts. Not for sale to the general public anymore. The environmentalists took that simple pleasure away from us. Rotten. Save the trees!Now they make them out of concrete! Smells like ... Progress!There are still a few historic rail lines where you can immerse yourself in that old-time railroad smell. The Colorado narrow gauge lines, like Durango & Silverton, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic, and the Georgetown Loop come to mind. Ahhh, the heady perfume of coal smoke, hot grease, and of course, creosote. Train SmellAlways loved the smell of the old railways. Of course, the old telephone poles smelled the same on a hot summer day. The only place to really immerse yourself in the scent is a railway museum. The Museum of Science and Technology here has a big room filled with cars and engines. When I worked there, it was my job to dust these babies. The job was a pleasure only because of the smell of trains. Smells not unlike my car does, at the moment, because of a slipped brake pad. Where's Godzilla?You'll need him when those caterpillars hatch! Blue puddlesI work as a trackman for a Northeastern railroad. We still put in wooden ties all the time. Creosote is a real nasty little chemical that not only burns, but causes a slipping hazard as it will ooze out of the tie in high heat and will make the wood feel like a newly waxed floor. And if it rained the day before, look out for those nasty little blue puddles all over the place. Note the narrow gaugeThe creosote trains, center and right foreground and middleground, are running on narrow gauge track, while the flat cars on the left and the gondolas and crane (right background) are on standard gauge track. Hard to tell, but the narrow gauge could be 3 feet, possibly less (30 inches?). It doesn't look like there is any dual-gauge trackage in the photo, but this was not uncommon in industrial settings such as steel mills. The superb quality of the photograph (view full size!) is cause yet again to lament the demise of Kodachrome, the finest color transparency film ever produced, bar none. Although K-chrome in cut film sizes such as 4x5 had not been produced for many years, 35mm size was made right up to the end of production in 2009. It is missed by all serious film photographers. Kodachrome images, properly stored, will still be vivid and true a hundred years from now. I wouldn't bet a nickel on anything digital lasting one-tenth as long. [Nonsense. - Dave] (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
A Fork in the Railroad: 1943
... Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo, Texas, and Clovis, New Mexico, as it is ready to start again, after having waited in a siding." ... and unobstructed to the horizon as west Texas and eastern New Mexico. You can drive for hours and just not really see anything other ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/04/2013 - 3:05pm -

March 1943. "Sumnerfield, Texas. Brakeman running back to his train on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo, Texas, and Clovis, New Mexico, as it is ready to start again, after having waited in a siding." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. FencesThere seems to be one too many fences, if they're to keep cows from straying. The same field fence ought to serve to protect the road and the tracks. Almost homeI'm a former Easterner, gone native to the desert Southwest thirty-some years ago. Driving I-40 from NC, one is choking with green. In west Texas things fully open up, and you finally see horizon all around. This was once the western edge of Dust Bowl country; to some it still looks desolate, but to me it looks like home is just up the road. Excellent clarificationsJack Delano's caption confused me, too, because of the switch being lined for the main track. The clarifications submitted by swaool and Larry Doyle paint a perfect picture of what is going on. Another thing that caught my eye is that the caboose is not yet clear of the fouling point, which explains in any case why the brakeman is running. I'm not a frequent commenter, but I do read what others say. There sure are a lot of knowledgeable people here at Shorpy! Same as it ever wasI've driven across a good deal of this country over the years, but never have I seen country as open and unobstructed to the horizon as west Texas and eastern New Mexico. You can drive for hours and just not really see anything other than fence posts for as far as the eye can see. I'm willing to bet that this view hasn't changed much in the past 70 years. Thanks to Delano and DoyleAnother great photo of the plains and trains by Delano and a wonderful explanation by LarryDoyle. The wait is just beginningMore likely that the brakeman (or flagman) has just lined the switch back after his train pulled into the siding. He's running to catch the caboose, as his train will pull down to the other end of the siding to wait for the opposing train, or to be run around by a faster train going the same direction. SummerfieldNot Sumnerfield. May be labeled Sumnerfield, but it's actually Summerfield, Castro County, Texas. Flat Pair Signals, againAnother exhibit of Santa Fe's Flat Pair signal system: Square blade semaphores with number plates, which every other railroad in North America considered an oxymoron. See post of 3/20/13, https://www.shorpy.com/node/14899. Also, note the frog (the point where the two rails intersect) at the bottom edge of the photo does not have flangeways, in either direction. This is a spring loaded frog - each wheel passing through pushes the interfering rail aside. The brakeman is running, not to get back to his train that has stopped, but rather to catch up to his train that is not going to stop, proceeding slowly away from him. The conductor is likely standing next to the photographer on the rear of the caboose, ready to "pull the air" and stop the train, but only if the brakeman stumbles. A rare picture of an everyday scene, repeated across the country thousands of times a day, every day, for over a century - Now, seen no more. Thanks, SHORPY, for posting this gem. The way it looks, nowGoogle now shows a six lane highway, a large Prairie Skyscraper just off to the right of the siding signals, and the overhead view shows a giant oval of track to service the grain elevator. View Larger Map A further bit of explanationOur train has "Train Orders" from the dispatcher (or, without specific orders we may just have the timetable showing where opposing scheduled trains are due) and must take this siding get out of the way for the opposing superior train. The engineer of our train and stops just short of the pictured switch o enter the siding. The front brakeman, also called the "headman", walks ahead of his engine, unlocks the switch ("turnout") to route the train into the siding, gives a hand signal to his engineer to "come ahead", and our train starts slowly ahead. He climbs aboard the engine as it passes by into the siding. The conductor in the caboose and the rear brakeman, also called "flagman", have copies of the same orders that the engine crew has. From this paperwork the flagman knows that there will be a meet with the opposing train, and that he must restore the switch for the main track to permit the other train to use the main track and proceed forward. The flagman and the conductor go out onto the rear platform of the caboose - the conductor stations himself at the "emergency brake valve" (in case the flagman stumbles) and the flagman stands on the bottom step of the caboose, on the OPPOSITE side of the track from the switchstand. Years of experience has taught him which side of the track every switchstand is located, and he knows that if gets off on the opposite side that he cannot inadvertantly throw the switch ahead of time and accidently derail his own caboose! The engineer knows exactly how long his train is. He has a list showing him the number of cars in the train and their lengths, and experience has taught him how far it is to every landmark, so he knows not only where his engine is, but also where his caboose is! He slows to a walking speed as the caboose approaches the switch. As soon as the caboose passes over the switch, the rear brakeman steps across the track, realigns the switch for the main route and locks it. He then runs ahead to catch up to his caboose, and at this moment Mr. Delano immortalized his image on film. When the engineer nears the other end of the siding, he stops and waits for the opposing train to pass. Then the proceedure is repeated and our train returns onto the main, and our rear brakeman makes another "dash" to catch up with his own caboose on the main track. (Note that on the Santa Fe with flat pair signals he need not realign the switch when it is marked with a letter "S", as in the photo, to indicate that it is a spring switch. The engineer may "run thru" the switch and it will re-align itself.) Amazing! All done safely without front end/rear end communication, nor communication with the opposing train. Hundreds or thousands of times every day across the continent. And, the dispatchers communication to our crew telling us all this was expected to happen was as simple as a Train Order stating, "EXA 567 WEST MEET EXA 2651 EAST AT MILBORN". From that simple statement, everyone else knew what his job was. -LD Switching switches and fencesThe letter "S" on the switch stand probably means "Spring", when a train exits that end of the siding, a Head (front end) Brakeman doesn't have to throw the switch, the train's wheel flanges do the job, and the spring pushes the points back in place. The extra fence on the left is probably to protect the railroad from wandering cattle on the side road, the field fence only protects from cattle out standing in their field. Another Delano grand slamAs already pointed out, the switch is definitely a ‘spring switch,’ so designated by the letter “S" on the stand. There are two ways to go through a switch: facing point and trailing point movement. The Delano train had approached the switch as a facing point move, so called because the train faces the switch points as it comes near. Even though the switch is spring loaded, that characteristic is of no benefit to the Delano crew as the switch springs keep the points lined for the main. Hence, the switch must be operated by hand for a route into the siding, and restored for the main by hand once clear. Were Delano headed in the opposite direction, from siding to main, the spring loaded benefit would come into play. Even though the switch is lined for the main, coming out of the siding the wheel flanges compress the point springs such that the switch provides a perfectly safe route to the main. In such a case, the movement constitutes a ‘trailing point’ move. Historically, main line switches were by rule required to be lined for the main once a train was clear of them. Today, in dark track warrant territory a crew can be granted permission to leave a switch ‘wrong’ by checking box 21 on their track warrant. Computer assisted train dispatching will force a line 19 on opposing authority for a different train, requiring it to stop short of the switch before hand operating it. Spring into actionFor those not lucky enough to get a locomotive ride and view a spring frog in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWIB2iF6ld4 Sorry about the shaky video...I only had a few seconds to get the camera up and running. This is video of switching done on the Oregon Pacific Railroad taking a loaded reefer car into the Helico spur in Milwaukie Oregon. I would have expected that the AT&SF spring frog would have had a larger gap for the main than what is shown to keep wear down. Spring frogs are one of the nicest things to operate over while on the main. My speeder on several runs have ran main-main over these at speed and they are just the smoothest thing. Such a pleasure compared to other regular frogs. Also, here is a photo from the L.A. area of an old Pacific Electric spring frog where the main line has the wide opening and the siding (to the left) has the closed side of the frog. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Santa Fe Flyer: 1943
March 1943. Albuquerque, New Mexico. "An engine being carried to another part of the Atchison, Topeka ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/16/2013 - 1:59pm -

March 1943. Albuquerque, New Mexico. "An engine being carried to another part of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad shops to be wheeled." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Helmet=Steam Dome CoverAs you can see on the 1823 the sand "dome" or more correctly sand box, is still attached to the boiler (it is seldom ever removed) the diagonal piping being the discharge lines for forward or reverse sanding. If you look at the steam dome, the projection which is the highest point at the middle of the boiler, you can see that the sheet metal cover is removed, and laying on the shop floor. Boilermakers had to enter the boiler through an opening at the top of the steam dome for checking flues, throttle linkage and the dry pipe. upside down helmet...Further on the upside down helmet: The sand dome would be larger with two cutouts for the sanders for both sides of the engine. The cutout seen on the left is more than likely to accomodate the pipe out to the whistle. Browsing the Denver Public Library online AT&SF images are a great way to see this feature on Santa Fe engines. The HelmetThe "helmet" is the cover off of a sand dome. The hole for the sander pipes can be seen in the rim of the cover there to the left. AsbestosThe man working on the steam induction pipe on engine 1696 appears to be insulating the pipe with asbestos putty. You can also see some of the Asbestos lagging around the front of the same engine. When old steam engines are renovated for museum pieces today Asbestos abatement is one of the first things done. Shopping BadThe buildings in this complex have been seen in several "Breaking Bad" episodes. 250 tonsOf lifting power. Very impressive. 1696 in actionThere's a good shot of engine 1696 running in 1948 on this site. The Army HelmetWhat is with the freakishly large army helmet on the floor? Marty and DocRailroad tracks? Where we're going, we don't need railroad tracks. The HelmetI'm usually one of the people supplying information regarding railroad photos, but now I have to beg a question: What is that object sitting on the floor that looks like a giant steel military helmet? I've seen this pic before in much smaller size, and this is a detail I never noticed. Any ideas? Steam locosIf you notice, each of these three locomotives is a different model. One of the problems with steam trains was that each railroad had just a few of any given design of engine, and so had to carry parts, blueprints, procedures, etc., for the maintenance of many different machines. The diesels that replaced them were not really any more energy efficient or powerful. In fact many steam locomotives actually gave more traction for energy expended than the diesels. The diesels' great advantage was standardization, and needing less maintenance. So while the steam locos were magnificent creations, their days were numbered, even as this picture was being taken. Where's Waldo?At first you don't notice them, and then -- I count at least twelve workers in this fascinating view. From left: Man on ladder; blurry man inside smokebox; the distant crane operator; face inside near vise jaw; blur walking toward front of 1823 by last driving wheel; man working on valve gear of 1823 (head & shoulders above vise); man standing on pilot behind open smoke box door of 1823; group of five, distant right. Did I miss anyone? GroundedI believe this is the same flying train, this time with wheels on and on the track. Steam dome cover.Sandboxes don't have covers. You can see on 1696, the nearest loco, that the sandbox is a substantial component made up of castings and rolled plate of at least 3/16th of an inch thickness. On more modern locos the entire unit was fabricated by welding. The "helmet" is in fact a steam dome cover - notice that on 1823 the cover is removed exposing the actual steam dome on the second course of the boiler. The hole in the side referred to by DBurden is where the whistle is mounted on an elbow that in turn is mounted to the steam dome - as can be seen on the suspended 3733. Air conditioning, againI wonder what it was like in that shop in the height of summer, and the low of winter. Albuquerque ....Yup, old shop buildings are still there in Albuquerque. Things are in slow-motion to turn them into the Wheels Museum with a home for the 2926 steam locomotive that is being restored right now ! GrandpaMy grandfather was working here at this time. Magnesia, not asbestosMEGGAHURTZ: The lagging on the steam pipe is made of "85% magnesia" blocks, not asbestos putty. The material was 85% carbonate of magnesia and 15% asbestos fibre as filler. Jazznocracy: Contrary to your claim, it was not unusual for US railroads to have hundreds of the same type of locos in a given class. Santa Fe had 352 2-10-2s alone. Moreover, their backshops were designed and equipped to build the parts needed to maintain these locos in-house. Drawings were either provided by the loco builders at the time of manufacture, or the railroad's own mechanical branch. Diesel parts, however, had to be bought in from the original manufacturer. The diesels running in 1943 were not particularly standardised, nor were they light on maintenance. Mountain and Prairie and Santa Fe1696 is a 2-10-2, built by Baldwin in 1912 or 1913. It is a "Santa Fe" type, so named because the railroad requested a modification to a 2-10-0 locomotive. This type was pretty popular; over 2200 were built for various railroads between 1903 and 1931. It was scrapped in 1954. 1823 is a 2-6-2 "Prairie" type, built by Baldwin in 1903. 1823 was scrapped in 1949. For the details on 3733, see this Shorpy photo. Mass employmentConsider this is just one shop of the Santa Fe, and there were many others. Each shop employed a thousand men (or more), and consider the hundreds of independent railroad companies in the wartime nation. Each railroad had steam locomotives specifically designed to the geography in which they operated, and they appeared in wheel arrangements from four wheeled switchers to massive, hinges chassis to snake around curves when the boilers were too long! That was railroading at its grandest period. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Planes, Trains: 1935
... would board the Santa Fe for an overnight trip to Clovis, New Mexico, where you would get on another plane to either L.A. or San ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/27/2014 - 10:03am -

June 12, 1935. "Newark passenger station, Pennsylvania Railroad. Waiting room, sunlight and passengers. McKim, Mead & White, client." Waiting for someone to explain the plane. Large format negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. McKim, Mead & WhiteThis question may merely be in consequence of my occasional transient befuddlement, but whose client is McKim, Mead & White? [The photographic firm of Samuel Gottscho and William Schleisner. -tterrace] History of transportation"The interior of the main waiting room has medallions illustrating the history of transportation, from wagons to steamships to cars and airplanes, the eventual doom of the railroad age." Train by night, plane by dayIn 1935, the Pennsylvania Railroad, along with the Santa Fe Railroad out west, had a partnership with TWA. In the early days of commercial air travel, night flying was not yet viewed to be safe, so for a time the railroads would partner with airlines, to offer fastest transcontinental services by taking the trains overnight, and flying during the day. You would leave New York in the evening, and take an overnight train to Columbus, Ohio where you would board a plane to Wichita, Kansas. At Wichita, you would board the Santa Fe for an overnight trip to Clovis, New Mexico, where you would get on another plane to either L.A. or San Francisco. As Newark Penn Station opened in 1935, I expect that's why there's a plane on the wall. What's your sign?In addition to the medallions symbolizing the history of transportation on the walls, the hanging lanterns are surrounded with ornamental bands depicting astrological signs; not sure how that ties into the history of transportation. Excitement not shownAs a kid visiting Newark Station long ago to pick up Grandmother from Cincinnati, it was unbelievably exciting. Huge rumbles from overhead trains coming in, and when you were old enough you got to visit various platforms to be near trains. Those were real trains, with GG-1 locomotives and pullman cars and full service dining cars. Unintelligible public address announcements. It started to go downhill around 1960. Memories of homeAs a former Newark resident I remember this waiting room quite well. I would pass through there on my way to catch the PATH (Port Authority Trans Hudson) Trains to NYC. Outside the windows on the left there was usually a queue of taxis lined up. Behind the doors below the airplane was an exit that led to loading platforms for buses that went to places like Seaside and Asbury Park. I left Newark in 1976 but I suspect that the waiting room looks the same today as it did back in 1935. Times ChangeWhile the structure of the room remains the same, the ambience is somewhat diminished. The benches are usually populated with vagrants. I frequently notice that, as a result, those who are seated are spread out, as no one chooses to sit within five feet or so of the "regulars". It's a depressing room these days; at least on the weekends, when I pass through. If the situation is better on weekdays, I'd be happy to hear of it. Still crazy busy, after all these yearsYes, it does look substantially the same today, thanks to an extensive restoration in the 1980's. Newark Penn features four levels of interconnections: Cabs and buses at street level; Tracks 1-5 above, including NJ Transit, Amtrak Regional and Acela service; PATH trains ("The Tubes") at roof level; and a basement-level terminal for multiple light rail lines. As late as the 80's, this last level ran 1940's PCC trolleys... ten cents intra-city in those days. A few abandoned cars were found in a walled-off siding under the street when that siding was returned to service for new light rail service around 2002. Some ChangesIn front of the windows, where the three lone travelers sit, is now a high-tech snack bar. Incongruous with the lovely deco surroundings. It's not unusual to find sparrows, pigeons, or other flighted friends walking or fluttering about. To their credit, Newark's Finest do their best to keep the waiting room and platforms clear of homeless and panhandlers. Taxis still line up outside, but passengers departing need to walk more than a block from their designated "drop-off" area since 9/11. Progress... Opening the windowsAnyone know how this was done? I see the hinge apparatus but wondering how opening the high windows was achieved? Some funky cable cable system? Long poles? [There's a fitting with what looks like a crank hole near the base of each window. - Dave] Trains vs. PlanesI don't know why, but I still have to see the airport building or photograph thereof which rings a bell with me anywhere near as much as well-designed well-built train station. On an airport, the planes are the show, if at all. Maybe it has to do with much greater accessibility and, say, democratic "feel" of a train station? Or with their general location (middle of town vs. outskirts to boonies)? re McKim Mead & WhiteWell, to quote Katnip, "that sounds logical". About that planeSince Newark constructed an airport in 1928, there is a better than average chance that the reference is there. You know, take the train to the station and a cab or bus to the plane. Still done today. Not many trains to planes, even now. "Airway Limited"Transcontinental Air Transport (New York to Los Angeles (Glendale) in less than 51 hours, train-plane-train-plane) started in summer 1929; one-way fare was $338 including a lower berth each night on the train. By 1935 it was all over-- T&WA DC-2s were scheduled Newark to Glendale? Burbank? in less than 18 hours and the fare was $160. Train Time!I'm totally amazed that no one has noticed that it's time for the Chattanooga Choo Choo to head South ('bout a quarter to four). Transportation medallionsIf I recall correctly, there are twelve medallions total. Penn Station Newark is still a place at which you can start a cross-country train journey, and while Amtrak is not as elegant as Pullman cars nor as attractive as GG-1s, it's still comfortable and good food served in the dining cars. Medallion of "Electric Locomotive"Here's a shot of one of the medallions at the other end of the building. Let there be light!The original lighting fixtures after being cleaned and refurbished. MedallionsHere is a more modern view of the interior. Notice the other medallions. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, Railroads)
Superior Street: 1909
... adopted in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Minnesota. 1915 The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 6:42pm -

Duluth, Minnesota, circa 1909. "Superior Street." The newsboy's headline: JAP RIOT CRISIS. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Maybe he stepped on a hatTwo things on the right immediately caught my attention: 1. There is a bald man walking down the street; he appears to be the only man in downtown Duluth not wearing a hat. He must have met with some devastating hat disaster. That shiny pate REALLY sticks out! 2. The man in front of Fitger's Beer who is looking down at his feet or something on the ground. I'm pretty sure he was saying or thinking: "Aw man, what did I just step in?" Coming or going?This guy doesn't appear to be a window washer! The Lyceum TheatreSaid to be Duluth’s first “fire-proof” theatre. It was built for live theatre in 1892, but in 1921 it was converted to showing movies. Demolished in 1963. What did the Japanese do?To get that headline. Fitger's beerhttp://www.fitgers.com/subpage.php?page=History Hawaii RiotsThe newsboy's headline concerns an incident during a labor strike by 10,000 Japanese sugar plantation workers on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The wire service "riot" story was datelined "Honolulu - June 9" and ran in the New York Times on June 10, 1909. The wider story about this strike and its developments ran in many mainland newspapers throughout June and July, and concerned the efforts of Japanese sugar workers in Hawaii to achieve a wage increase from $18 per month to $22 per month. Much of the press coverage seems to have focused on "yellow peril" conspiracy fears, but a more nuanced report, "Who Will Develop the Wealth of Hawaii?" ran in the Times on June 27, detailing new efforts by white plantation owners to attract Filipino, Portuguese and Puerto Rican immigrants to replace the "restless and ambitious" Japanese. News of the day?Can we get a close-up of the newsie to read his tantalizing two-word headline? Any guesses? [Anyone read the caption under the photo? - Dave] Spot the signIt looks hot and dusty -- perfect venue for a Coca-Cola advertisement! Jap RiotThe headlines referred to riots in California due to a spate of new laws affecting the Japanese population. Below is an outline of the years before and after the riot. It clearly paints a picture for what happened during WWII. 1906 San Francisco School Board orders segregation of 93 Japanese American students. 1907 On orders from President Theodore Roosevelt, S.F. School Board rescinds segregation order, but strong feelings against Japanese persist. Anti-Japanese riots break out in San Francisco in May, again in October, much to the embarrassment of U.S. government. Congress passes immigration bill forbidding Japanese laborers from entering the U.S. via Hawaii, Mexico, or Canada. 1908 The Asiatic Exclusion League reports 231 organizations affiliated now, 195 of them labor unions. U.S. Secretary of State Elihu Root and Foreign Minister Hayashi of Japan formalize the Gentlemen's Agreement whereby Japan agrees not to issue visas to laborers wanting to emigrate to the U.S. 1909 Anti-Japanese riots in Berkeley. U.S. leaders alarmed at tone and intensity of anti-Japanese legislation introduced in California legislature. 1910 Twenty-seven anti-Japanese proposals intro-duced in the California legislature. White House urges Governor Hiram Johnson to seek moderation. 1913 Alien Land Law (Webb-Haney Act) passed, denying "all aliens ineligible for citizen-ship" (which includes all Asians except Filipinos, who are "subjects" of U.S.) the right to own land in California. Leasing land Iimited to 3 years. Similar laws eventually adopted in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Minnesota. 1915 The Hearst newspapers, historically hostile to Japanese, intensifies its "Yellow Peril" campaign with sensational headlines and editorials, fueling anti-Japanese feelings. Something's missingCan't find the United Cigar Store! Another Japanese connectionIn addition to the "JAP RIOTS" headline, a sign on the Great Northern Railway office announces steamship sailings from Seattle to Yokohoma and Kobe. On a completely separate note, while street crowds in most vintage cityscapes tend to be predominately male, this one is the most extreme, with almost no women visible. It looks almost like a modern street scene in the Middle East. I'll passon the Hot Beef Tea! Although 5 cents is a good price for lunch. Count 'emThere are THREE trolleys running up this street. If I missed one, no problem! I could just wait a minute and hop on the next one! Let's not forgetThe best 5 cent lunch in the city. Was it the Hot Beef Tea that they were advertising? Hot Beef TeaThat's what it looks like the sign says. Or maybe it's Hot Beet Tea, which sounds even worse. How to make it:http://www.thestrugglingcook.com/beef-tea.html Beef teaBeef tea is nothing more than what we now know as beef broth, beef bouillon, or beef consomme. One of my unfailing go-to beverages when I am feeling puny, or (unfortunately) on a liquid-only diet. Why it was a big deal in 1909 I have no idea. I am more concerned about the dude in the window, whether he is coming or going. My theory is that the husband came home unexpectedly. (The Gallery, DPC, Duluth, Streetcars)
Way Out West: 1943
... the Santa Fe R.R. across desert country near South Chaves, New Mexico." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War ... had hundreds of miles of "lefthand running" in Arizona and New Mexico, as explained here . The most impressive part of these ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 4:47pm -

March 1943. "Eastbound track of the Santa Fe R.R. across desert country near South Chaves, New Mexico." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Eastbound trackCan you scare up a shot of the Westbound track? [This photo was probably taken from the westbound track of Santa Fe's double-track line through the Southwest. - Dave] Modern view?Looks like almost the same place. http://www.panoramio.com/photo/20802392 Ford CountryThe kind of shot that John Ford would have used. Everything seems to go on forever. Fade to beigeThis image is pretty far along in the fading that bedevils color photography. The modern view hints at what it looked like originally. Beep Beep!Where are Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner? The Eastbound trackThe AT&SF had hundreds of miles of "lefthand running" in Arizona and New Mexico, as explained here. The most impressive part of these operations were the numerous signal bridges, which the linked site explains in great detail. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Landscapes, Railroads)
Market Street: 1916
... obsolete in 1912 with the admission of Arizona and New Mexico to the union. 200 Block of Market Street Surely there's a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 4:34pm -

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, circa 1916. "Market Street." A highlight of this relatively recent Detroit Publishing street scene is the horse drinking fountain shown with a thirsty customer. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Horsey GoodnessI live in Indianapolis, and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the middle of town still has working horse fountains, which get used by the police mounts and by the horses which draw the tourist carriages. There are four fountains around the Monument's perimeter, with the streams issuing forth from the mouths of beautiful cast-metal buffalo heads. "Certainly Not!"That's what Mom told me when I asked to get a drink from one of those "drinking fountains" as a little tyke. At the time, I didn't really understand. I must say I never really considered those drooling buffalo heads as beautiful. Interesting -- but not beautiful. Hemmed InThe second car from the left sure is jammed in. I guess it's interesting to see that common courtesy was no better at that time than it is today. Not Thirsty But CuriousLooks like a beautiful, brand new 1916 Cadillac at the curb (third from left) which would not need a drinking fountain. But what's with the two large U S flags flying behind and partially concealed by columns? They appear to be the 46 star configuration, created in 1908 and rendered obsolete in 1912 with the admission of Arizona and New Mexico to the union. 200 Block of Market StreetSurely there's a Harrisburg-area Shorpy fan who can tell us if any of these buildings has survived these 94 years. I know the Whitaker Center is at 222 Market now, but don't remember what else. Where'd the People Go?I live in Lancaster, PA, but I'm in Harrisburg several times a week. This looks more like NYC. I don't think there's been that many people on Market Street at the same time since, well, 1916. Horse power to horsepowerNotice in the 1906 street scenes horse and buggies seem dominant and just ten years later Detroit iron is king.Of course I'm sure the transition varied from city to city. You Can't Roller Skate In A Buffalo HeadHere's the head in question at the Indianapolis monument. My question is "Are those bears going to relieve themselves on the buffalo heads or are they just kicking back"? >>>I forgot to mention the source: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/ Then and NowI hope someone will post a photo of what this street scene looks like now. Pinch me,I'm in Europe! That is until I look past the two leftmost buildings in the composition. Local Merchants Boher. Drugs, Soda. C.R. Boas. Jeweler, Silversmith Clark's. Cut Rate Medicine Store. Rothert Company. The House of Quality. Cash or Credit. The Globe The Lenox The New Store of Wm Strouse Theatre Walk-Over Stars & stripesThat flag looks to have been hanging there a long time; not many stars on it. So much to see, so much to comment onOnly one horse visible in downtown Harrisburg in 1916. Note the scarcity of horse apples on the street. The three guys on the steps of what I assume is a bank, scoping out the chicks. The mother apparently correcting her small daughter. The right hand drive car parked so close to a fire plug. Thanks to delworthio for the picture of the Indianapolis Soldier and Sailors Memorial Monument Fountain Buffalos. I looked at Google Street View to see what they looked like, but the view was not anywhere near as good as his picture. No modern views look as good as the old photos. Thank you Shorpy for letting us view the old days in their true glory before progress ruined it. Fat Man's WheelThe third car in line on the lower left appears to have a fat man's steering wheel, which swings up out of the way for ease of entry and exit. The pic here looks like the same style. For Buffalo horsesI tried a "timeandagain" myself today, of the fountain picture that delworthio posted. Maybe I should have put something in the member gallery instead of committing a bit of thread hijacking here. Cherub ChariotMy mom had a wicker baby carriage like the one in the lower right. When she got a little older, she had a small-scale replica for her dolls. Not much remainsI live outside Harrisburg and was able to identify where this is. Unfortunately only a couple of the smaller of these buildings remain (the building that says "Clark's" and the small one next to it). The commenter who mentioned the Whitaker Center hit the nail right on the head. Basically everything from the building with the large columns to the building that says "Walk Over" are now the Whitaker Center, which is a beautiful building and facility (a museum,etc.) but is very modern and not at all in keeping with the buildings it replaced. Walk-over?Can't figure out what kind of business this would be. Still In BusinessWalk-Over is a brand name of shoes. The shoe company roots go back to 1758, but the brand name didn't come along until 1899. The company history is here. The manager of this store was Herbert Parthemore (1893 - 1960) who worked in the retail shoe industry for most of his life. The article and ad below are from the Harrisburg Telegraph of April 22, 1916, Page 2. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Horses, Streetcars)
Message Received: 1943
March 1943. "Dalies, New Mexico. Conductor C.W. Tevis picking up a message from a woman operator on ... Found in the 1940 census with wife Ferol? in Gallup New Mexico. Both born circa 1891. Listed as Railroad Conductor. Died 4 June ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/06/2015 - 1:10pm -

March 1943. "Dalies, New Mexico. Conductor C.W. Tevis picking up a message from a woman operator on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe between Belen and Gallup." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Clarence W TevisFound in the 1940 census with wife Ferol? in Gallup New Mexico. Both born circa 1891. Listed as Railroad Conductor. Died 4 June 1971 in San Diego CA. RIP PanacheExtraordinary photo, certainly shoots way up immediately in my Delano favorites. Here's a man, not at all young, with strong and hardened hands, performing a physical task nimbly and efficiently -- while smoking! -- with a cigarette holder!! I look forward to the comments on the details of this message device. (The woman: a blurred statue beside the dynamic conductor, caught crisply at precisely the right moment.) Re: Cigarette Holder.In those days, a lot of men rolled their own smokes as it was far cheaper than buying premade. Usually, this led to loose tobacco getting into your mouth, on your face or clothes (been there, done that). As a result, many chose to use a cigarette holder to crimp the smoke and keep the tobacco where it belonged. It wasn't just the fashion statement as in the case of FDR! The message device is called a Train Order Hoop even though it is Y-shaped. The name comes from the shape of an earlier device that was used for the same purpose, to deliver messages to non-stop trains as they passed a station. The paper containing the message was tied to a loop of string that in turn was held by the 'hoop'. The man on the train would stick his arm through the loop and snag the string with the attached message. This was a improvement over the older system where the entire hoop was snagged. After the message was removed the hoop was thrown from the train for the person on the ground to retrieve, sometimes quite a distance down the track. (It wasn't a great feat to get a crisp picture of the conductor, he was traveling at the same speed as the camera.) The practice continued This practice continued on Class ones until the advent of cab signals. Here is a Conrail train picking up orders at a temporary block station in November, 1978 On message hoops..There were variations - we at the CPR used a steamed wood hoop design, made in Angus shops. These worked well, unless you were the station junior clerk who had to gather them up from down the line after they were dropped by the train crew..in the pic, notice the flimsy dates from the Multimark era (the Multimark was in use from 1968 until 1987 or so) A. V. O.The "flimsies," so called because of the lightweight paper used, contained dispatching orders for the train. For example, that they should proceed to siding xxxx, clear the main line, and wait until train number YY passed before proceeding. This was part of an elaborate system of decentralized traffic control, documented in a book called "Rights of Trains," revised by Peter Josserand, head dispatcher of the Western Pacific railroad and a friend of my father. Flimsies and other forms used by the WP typically carried the letters "A. V. O." at the top, which stood for "Avoid Verbal Orders." Misunderstandings could be fatal. Why "Flimsies"Some of the other commenters have mentioned that the old-time train orders were nicknamed "flimsies" because they were on lightweight paper. The thin paper allows light to come THROUGH the paper. This allows the order to be read by the light of a dim kerosene lantern or even the light of an open steam locomotive firebox door. This practice of using translucent paper continued far into the diesel locomotive era. Bright interior lighting is not wanted in any locomotive cab - it cuts the crew's night vision. TimingDoes anyone know how fast this train would have been moving? I know nothing of railroads, but quite a bit about photography, and I'll say that even with great skill, the perfect timing of this exposure involves at least a little bit of luck for the photographer. And the faster the train was moving, the greater the luck/skill ratio required. Until a definitive answer arrives, I'll give an educated guess based on the relatively limited motion artifact that the train was not going very fast at all. More about "Flimsies"In addition to what SouthBendModel34 said, the paper used was thin to make it easier for the agent or operator to write multiple copies "in Manifold". Double sided carbon paper was used and placed behind the first page of a manifold, and behind each of the other odd numbered pages. If handwritten, a stylus was used as a writing instrument - not a pen or pencil. If typewritten, typewriters without ribbon were used. The first page and all subsequent odd pages had the message on the backside of the paper, and were read through the paper. Even numbered pages had the message on the front. As many as 10 pages could be prepared simultaneously, whereas if single sided carbon paper was used only half that number could be prepared at once. Another feature of the "flimsies" paper is that is was fairly waterproof, and that messages from the carbon paper did not smear. Here's a 60 year old example of such a flimsie as might be handed up to a crew as shown in the original photo. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Big Guns: 1917
... center to be a 14"/50 destined for the recently launched "New Mexico" class battleships. (New Mexico, Mississippi, or Idaho) The other (presumably smaller) guns might be ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 11:35am -

1917. "U.S. Navy Yard, Washington. Sight shop, big gun section." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size. The GunsThe gun at the center of this photo seems larger than the ones lined up in front, although from the perspective I can't be sure. Either way, I believe that gun in the center to be a 14"/50 destined for the recently launched "New Mexico" class battleships. (New Mexico, Mississippi, or Idaho) The other (presumably smaller) guns might be 5"/51's for the casemate armament. Fluorescent lights?Wow. Unless the date give is off by a decade or so, those must be some of the early Moore-style fluorescent lights. Interesting that the general layout, shape and shade/reflector are virtually unchanged almost a hundred years later. [Those would be mercury-discharge lamps similar to the one in the 1908 ad below (also here in 1912). One difference from modern lamps is the big "can" above the reflector. - Dave] FactoriesI have nothing technical to contribute. My overall feeling is, "What a place for a serious accident to happen." I worked in a factory for a few months after I got out of the service and before I hitched up to a job matched more to my abilities. My grandfather and father both worked in the same factory, Westinghouse, and seemed to love it. I appreciate Shorpy for the opportunity to not only time-travel, but to get some feeling of place and time as only photography can give. I work two buildings over from here!Until the early 1990s, it was a vacant warehouse. Then it was cut up into office and storage space. It's out of frame, but there's a HUGE crane that stretches between the girders on the left and right. It was for lifting the guns. Flat belt, line drivenThat's a LOT of machinery, and almost all (or maybe all) are running from an overhead shaft. You can see the drive belts hanging from the overhead. It's amazing how well they were able to work. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, WWI)
This Won’t Hurt a Bit: 1942
... in shoe stores. My family spent the summer in Los Alamos, New Mexico in 1955 and my mother used to tell how the local shoe stores had ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 09/08/2011 - 8:20pm -

A baby is restrained for an X-ray at Provident Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Photo by Jack Delano, March, 1942. View full size. The childWhat amazes me is the child is so calm. Most children are screaming their heads off by now ;o) Health Care WorkersIn those "early" days of x-ray, it's easy to see why the life span of such health care workers was probably shorter than those not working with x-rays. X-rayyeah i'm thinking ... are they just posing for the photoshoot or is that how they remain during the radiation release? ! ! X-raysA generation or two ago, cancer in the forefinger was common in dentists, from holding the film in the patient's mouth while taking X-rays. My source: a 75-year-old friend whose father was a dentist who developed cancer in his finger. The kid looks calm, but not at all trusting. Fluoroscope?Is this an X-ray machine or a fluoroscope? Any radiologists out there? X-raysOur family dentist in the 50's and early 60's first lost a thumb, then later his life to cancer caused by X-rays in the early use of that in dentistry. And I can remember seeing my foot bones in the fluoroscopes they used to have in shoe stores. My family spent the summer in Los Alamos, New Mexico in 1955 and my mother used to tell how the local shoe stores had been told by scientists at Los Alamos Labs to pull the plug on those fluoroscopes! yikesI forget sometimes how dangerous early X-Ray technology was, before we knew to protect patients and doctors from the radiation. My great uncle was one of the early pioneers of the technology, and as a consequence, never was able to have children and died rather young. Eesh. This is a fascinating picture, though. found, with no linkbackbut lots of interesting comments... http://fantasygoat.livejournal.com/94832.html X-RaysMy kid had to have a chest x-ray a few months ago and it didn't look much different than this! X ray safetyMy folks have always wondered if the time my brother spent at my grandma's place of work (a shoe store) playing with the fluoroscope to see his foot bones contributed to his death from leukemia in his childhood. Great nurseThe kid's expression is great, but the nurse's is priceless. She's obviously an expert at keeping kids calm in this sort of situation. It Could Be WorseMy husband's mother (and therefore my husband) was X-rayed every two to three weeks during her pregnancy. If that weren't enough, she was a two-pack-a-day smoker during her entire term. Now elderly, but otherwise in good health, she is amazed anyone survived those days. And my husband... Come to think of it, this could explain a lot. Just kidding, hun! Shoe store X-RayI too, played around a shoe store looking at our bones. We stuck everything in the opening to see what we looked like under the skin. All except our heads. I'm 75 now, and have good blood. Although there are isolated cases. Clyde CrashcupMy first impression was that I was seeing Clyde Crashcup inserting a baby into some contraption, and I was horrified to think of what might come out the other end! The next impression was utter astonishment that the baby was not screaming his/her little head off! To refresh my memory, I searched Youtube for Clyde Crashcup and, oddly enough, the very first video featured CC with a BABY; what were the odds of THAT? (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Medicine)
Dramatic Entrance: 1940
... May 1940. "Front of abandoned residence in Georgetown, New Mexico. Ghost gold mining town." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the ... Google maps doesn't even show a place called Georgetown, New Mexico now; just Georgetown road leading to Georgetown cemetery. I'm ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/03/2020 - 9:40pm -

May 1940. "Front of abandoned residence in Georgetown, New Mexico. Ghost gold mining town." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The short way outIf you think the entrance is dramatic then stay to watch the exits. Not to be found nowGoogle maps doesn't even show a place called Georgetown, New Mexico now; just Georgetown road leading to Georgetown cemetery. I'm sure this porch was intended to project prosperity and was frequently used as an outdoor sitting room during hot summers. My mother's family ranched (& still ranches) about 60 miles north of Georgetown. The front porch on the old house there is larger than this one, but not as ornate. During the summer my grandfather rolled his roll-top desk onto the front porch and conducted his business there. At least the walls are well insulatedAdobe bricks are good for that. SmallpoxThis site has some background on the place, other pics by Russell Lee and a shot of the only surviving relic, the cemetery. It mentions some reasons for the town's demise, a fire and a smallpox outbreak in 1892. Not long after that the Panic of 1893 finished it off. Cord and shadowI see a cord or wire or line of some kind running horizontally along the base of the house, on the left, about a foot off the ground, and it appears to continue along the underside of the porch, past the stairs, and on to the right underside of the porch where it disappears. To complicate matters, I also see the shadow of a line running diagonally across the wall on the left, above the wire, and also cutting across the porch. Does anyone know what I am looking at? [A barbed-wire fence. - Dave] Oh, now I get it! No wonder the wire is out of focus – it's in the foreground. Thanks, Dave. Just off screenBoris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Going, going, goneIt's interesting to compare topo maps from 1999, 1948, and 1909 (top to bottom.) Location of the Georgetown CemeteryApparently the only thing left of this town: https://goo.gl/maps/BeJ28rWeqV6JMrDP9 Interestingly, the apparent foundations of several buildings can be seen nearby when you switch to Satellite view. (The Gallery, Mining, Russell Lee)
Walked Eight Miles: 1940
June 1940. Pie Town, New Mexico. Wife of a homesteader with her WPA (Work Projects Administration) ... just to bring a little civilization to the wilds of New Mexico. What is astounding is just how much things have changed in a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 4:55pm -

June 1940. Pie Town, New Mexico. Wife of a homesteader with her WPA (Work Projects Administration) music class. These children walk eight miles for their music lessons. View full size. Medium-format safety negative by Russell Lee. OuchAll with bare feet? That's definitely dedication. Pie TownIt appears that the windows are above ground, no dugout here. Seems unfairIf you walk eight miles to play music, you deserve something better than an accordion. Pie Town KidsThis image (like so many here) is enormously evocative. The timer, the foot rest and evidence of recent toil on the clothes and bodies of the boys are among a few after just a few seconds viewing. Can we relate? That is why we look here. I have been a loyal Plan59 (EphemeraNow) Shorpy.com visitor/customer for the better part of 10 years. The stunning restoration of some of these scans takes a moment years ago and makes it immediate, right now. I feel like I am the first person to view a newly developed slide the day it was captured. Important work to be sure. Foy All that effort on the partAll that effort on the part of all parties just to bring a little civilization to the wilds of New Mexico. What is astounding is just how much things have changed in a single generation. The experiences of these people pictured are so removed from our own, I wonder how many of us can even pretend to relate. But if you had to carry itIf you walk eight miles to play music, you deserve something better than an accordion. But if you had to carry it for eight miles I wouldn't want anything bigger than an accordion. [I wonder whose turn it was to carry the piano. - Dave] Walking 8 milesI can't get my grandsons to walk 8 feet! Kudos all around While I commend the dedication of these future music greats, remember, it is the home environment and the perseverance of the extended family that ultimately motivated these youngsters to sacrifice for their art. How many of our modern youth would walk several miles for anything? I'm sure there are many, but, overall, we have inherited a way of life that, thankfully, no longer requires that kind of exhausting dedication. (The Gallery, Kids, Music, Pie Town, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Pencils-n-Pipes: 1954
... "Do Not Fold, Spindle, or Mutilate" Still printed on New Mexico emissions test reports, even though they haven't been punch cards ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/18/2015 - 11:12am -

        UPDATE: Our man in Chicago is Sun-Times copy editor Dave Karno, photographed by Mike Rito. Read more in the comments. From August 4, 1954, we bring you what seems to be an editor in the tobacco-friendly newsroom of the Chicago Sun-Times. Awaiting his ID from any fellow ink-stained wretches out there. 4x5 acetate negative. View full size. By any other nameI always called the item being referred to as a spike a spindle. Is there a difference? Hanging heavyIs the box suspended by the truly heavy-duty pipes in the background a teletype monitor? It is 1954, after all. [It's a TV set. The "teletype monitor" would have been a roll of paper in the wire room. -Dave] Newspaper technologyThe first paper I worked for in 1972 after getting out of J-school was put out using the same technology as you see above: manual typewriters, clunky Western Electric phones, paper galleys for stories, editors using old editing symbols to butcher your copy, hot type in the composing room, clacking-ringing teletype machines going non-stop, and lots of smoke. I quit smoking in 1971 and I was the only non-smoker in my newsroom. Funny, but I don't remember it bothering me, certainly not like it would today. Oh, and that spike. We had spikes all over our newsroom. I had one on my desk for phone calls and notes to myself. My goal was to have an empty spike at day's end. We had three spikes for stories, one for the original, and two for carbons. I used a spike on my desk for the next 10 years. Had no idea I was going against OSHA. Weaponized editingI can still see the photo editor of our college newspaper falling backwards onto my desk one day in the mid-70s, and the spike on the desk missed going into the back of his skull by about two inches. And we were still using criss-cross directories at the wire service I worked at, well into the 80s at least. Incredibly useful for getting eyewitness accounts of a fire, or a hostage situation, or whatever mayhem was happening in the neighborhood at the moment. Spike = SpindleAs in, "Do Not Fold, Spindle, or Mutilate" Still printed on New Mexico emissions test reports, even though they haven't been punch cards for decades. Gum eraserOn the desktop, near the roll of Life Savers. I remember them as very crumbly, almost greasy. A Roll of ...There are what look like mints on the desk. If he's trying to quit tobacco, they're not working. Or, maybe, he used to be a four pipe man. Significant HeadlineThis headline marks the moment Dwight Eisenhower threw Senator Joe McCarthy under the bus (to use a metaphor not common at the time). The progressive Sun-Times would have played that to hilt. As a sickly kid who was bedridden that summer, I saw the Army-McCarthy hearings live, including Joseph Welch's "have you no sense of decency sir?" remark, something I will never forget. That December the Senate voted to censure and two and a half years after that McCarthy was dead, probably from drink. A Roll of ...Lifesavers. Two-Pipe TechniqueOne for tobacco, one for blowing soap bubbles. Practitioners are cautioned always to remember which one to draw in with and which to blow out through, although medical opinion differs as to whether an Ivory solution or Prince Albert is more hazardous for the lungs. The disappearing spikeThe pointed wire spike at the front of his desk was used to hold edited copy. In the early 70s OSHA declared them to be dangerous and caused the tops to be bent into a candy cane shape which rendered them completely useless. Judging from the look of the copy on his desk, I would guess he was the wire editor. And most of those pencils would loaded with red "lead". Drinking problemWatch you don't put an eye out. But maybe he does the Sunday cartoons too and smears wet colors on them from his arsenal. "Do Not Remove Criss-Cross Book."Indeed an indispensable item for the 1950s newspaper reporter, the Criss-Cross book was a listing of names and telephone numbers organized by address rather than surname. To quote Sherlock HolmesIt appears to be a three pipe problem. Editor and photographer namesAs a 15-year-old high school student I worked at the old Sun-Times Building as an editorial assistant during the summer from 1956 until the paper moved to its new headquarters, since replaced by Trump Tower, in 1958. When I first came across the picture I knew the face was familiar, but his name was lost somewhere in my brain and then it finally surfaced. I believe his name is Dave Karno or (Carno) and was most likely an assistant city editor or possibly a news editor. I am pretty sure I am right, as there would be no way I would have remembered that name without the picture being the trigger. Based on the initials (MR) that each photographer put in every one of their film holders, so as to make it easier to know who took a picture, the person who took this one was most likely Mickey Rito. Probably taken as an in-house gag shot, which was quite common of the time. I tried a short search of the web in an attempt to find Mr. Karno, but no luck. Maybe someone else an can verify if I am correct in my identification. [Excellent work! What can you tell us about the switchboard on his desk? - Dave] David Israel Karno and Michael Anthony RitoI found David Karno in the 1940 Census living at the "Kenmore Hall Hotel" as a lodger, his job being "Editorial Work" with the industry being what appears "Investigation Government". He was born in 1906 and died in November 1969. I found a "Mike Rito" in the 1940 Census, occupation "Photographer, Newspaper," born around 1912. Based on his parents ("Dan and Kate") I was able to find him in the Social Security records (his parents were Donaldo and Catherine - he also had nine brothers and four sisters!). He died in Miami in October 1990. Dave Karno is Correcthttp://store.historicimages.com/products/rsb65495 Desktop PBXThose switches on the desk are "100" type key boxes. The larger one is a six-line double-sided key box. The 100 key equipment provides for multiple appearances of central office, PBX, or automatic ringdown lines. These telephone lines are terminated in key boxes to permit one or more persons, each having his own telephone set, to answer, originate, or hold calls. By the time I went to work for AT&T, these were being phased out and replaced by the six-button key set (a desk phone with five lines and a hold button). One midnight shift, I opened up my boss's 6-button key set. A multitude of small springs erupted. I spent the rest of the shift praying that I found them all and replaced them in the proper slots. DONE. But only just before the boss came in. David Karno rememberedBy the mid-1960s Mr. Karno had become wire editor at the ST. He was also an adjunct Reporting II teacher at NU's Medill School of Journ. He was very demanding and very generous w/his time & lessons. Each week he would tote home in a grocery bag one entire day's spiked (rejected) stories (see photo foreground). On Sunday afternoons I would go over to his house. We'd sit on the couch and go thru the spiked stories. He'd tell me why he rejected each one--no age included, inconsistent name spelling, fishy details, unsourced quotes. Profound tutorials. I sucked it all up like a sponge, which he seemed to like, and I used those lessons and attempted alertness every day throughout my 49 year career (so far). I've also tried to be generous w/time & advice for eager young writers. Though nothing as profound as his. Thank you again, Mr. Karno. I'm his great nieceHi - I'm Lauren, David Karno's great niece, and I was delighted to read some of the comments here. AndrewM, my mom would love to thank you for your kind words. She is curious about your comments, and if you would be willing to email with her, please let me know. (The Gallery, Chicago, News Photo Archive, The Office)
Pie Town: The Musical
... dirty feet! Pie Town: The Musical Pie Town is in New Mexico. Where are the Hispanic kids. I guess they didn't attend school? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2011 - 3:58pm -

Pie Town schoolchildren singing. October 1940. View full size. 35mm Kodachrome by Russell Lee. Second boy from the right is "Pops" McKee, interviewed by Paul Hendrickson in the Smithsonian article on Pie Town. Pie Town: The MusicalThose poor kids. Look at how dirty most of them are. And no shoes! Never Happier.They had all they needed. Long live ShorpyLook at the full-sized version and notice the boy in the front row (bib overalls, to the left of the girl in the brown and white dress). Looks like he came directly out of a Norman Rockwell painting. BTW, great stuff Shorpy!! They had all they needed......except for those who went to bed hungry five nights out of seven, or got pneumonia because they didn't have warm clothes in the winter, or had to leave school to work at the age of 11 to support their family. There's a reason "the Depression" is capitalized. These photos are absolutely stunning. Not a "chunky" one in theNot a "chunky" one in the group, all so skinny. No shoes and dirty feet! Pie Town: The MusicalPie Town is in New Mexico. Where are the Hispanic kids. I guess they didn't attend school? Hispanic kids?The Pie Towners were all homesteaders from Oklahoma and Texas. Just Do ITI think you could probably fulfill your own dream, just sell everything purchase a piece of land someplace that is cheap and get going. I love this photo. 36 years old......this brings back so many memories of my grandfather's house where I spent most of my summers until the age of 16. Man, I loved that place. On his farm the only time we had to wear shoes was on Sunday morning for church. Yeah, we got dirty, had so much fun doing it and then let the late summer afternoon rain wash most of it away. God, how carefree, how happy. I fear too many of us have forgotten or simply never felt or lived those simple pleasures. I'd gladly trade all this crap we surround ourselves with to return that type of childlike innocence to our culture. ShoesDon't think my family would find joy in soil stained soles. Can't even convince them to try barefootin' it IN the house. Heh. Woe to the soul who tries to part them from their fuzzy house shoes. Pie Town: The MusicalThose poor kids. Look at how dirty most of them are. And no shoes! I grew up in a time where the lack of shoes did not hinder happiness. It was more free and fun to run barefoot where-ever and when-ever you could! These aren't "poor kids"The boy closest to the songleader, who was also his aunt, is my father. He didn't speak of those times as having anything to do with being poor. Three of the girls are his sisters. There is a wonderful book registered with the Library of Congress called "Bound for Glory" with wonderful color photos of the families who homesteaded in Pie Town, NM. - Vicky Palmerton WonderfulI too remember days of carefree FUN. Nowadays you cannot get most kids to play outside for 5 minutes much less for hours. My own kids included. On having what they needMy mother was born in 1929, which would have put her at about the average age of these kids. She remembers the Depression as a great time to be a child. Everyone was in the same boat, as far as not having much. They appreciated everything they had, and any new gift was a thrill! Now, there were certainly children who didn't even have the basics, had to go hungry, and didn't even have a roof over their heads. That was tragic. But there were also many children who had what they needed and were happy, during that time. I wish there was a way to recapture some of that for our children now. My two teenagers, for example, give away clothing they have only worn a couple times (because I won't let them just throw them away) and think they are horribly picked on if they can't have new, $150-200 cell phones twice a year. (The Gallery, Kids, Music, Pie Town, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Country Store: 1940
... the Farm Bureau, in front of the general store. Pie Town, New Mexico." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. ... in this series. Las Vagas? That's 281 miles to New Mexico's Las Vegas. Nevada's is 500 miles. But neither is spelled "Vagas," ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/15/2020 - 3:26pm -

June 1940. "Mr. Keele, merchant and president of the Farm Bureau, in front of the general store. Pie Town, New Mexico." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Where the sidewalk endsIn a more litigious time, the boards constituting a walkway outside the store would be an ambulance chaser's dream. Have a nice trip! See you next fall. Now lawyer up. Amarrilla by morningup from Pie Town. I hope somewhere in the world there are places still this simple and quaint. TobaccoThis sure makes me glad I stopped smoking. Lowering the Boom"Dammit Jenkins, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times: keep that boom mic OUT of the frame!" While this is probably just a furtive finial, it's important to keep Jenkins on his toes! [Or could it be a light bulb? - Dave] Going to Fish CreekThere are some misspellings on the sign showing locations in Arizona. McNarry should be McNary, and Miama should be Miami, a copper mining town near Globe. The most interesting is Fish Creek, along Arizona Route 88 (called the Apache Trail) from Apache Junction to the Roosevelt Dam. It's mostly known for the white knuckle drive on a precipitously narrow dirt road down Fish Creek Hill. When I moved to the area 40 years ago, driving down Fish Creek Hill was considered a rite of passage for greenhorns! Here's a nice picture of the road in the area of Fish Creek: Daniel Fahrenheit's InventionMercury reads around 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Long pants and long sleeves optional. Hat required. Open 24 hours?Where is the door?? [The doors are open. - Dave] Country Store colorizedClick here to watch Jordan J. Lloyd colorize the photograph taken a few moments earlier (?), from start to finish. In the past I did some colorizing of Shorpy pictures myself, e.g. this or this, but having seen this pro at work, I think I better quit, or learn it myself of course, I would like to, I admit. Pie Town is still a great placeIt's well worth the drive off I-25 in Socorro, past the VLA telescopes, thru Datil (great general store/restaurant), to the Pie-O-Neer cafe, which opens at 11:30 am. Fabulous pie, terrific people! A few old buildings are still standing; don't know if any of them have been shown in this series. Las Vagas?That's 281 miles to New Mexico's Las Vegas. Nevada's is 500 miles. But neither is spelled "Vagas," and the longer the drive, the more numb one's vagus. Seventeen ads for tobacco productsBut only two are for “tailor mades.” Folks round those parts chaw plug or leaf, puff a pipe, or roll their own. (The Gallery, Pie Town, Russell Lee, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Pie Town Picnic: 1940
... September 1940. "Serving up the barbeque at the Pie Town, New Mexico, Fair." Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee. View full size. ... dress... They're really warmly dressed for September in New Mexico! Is this a higher elevation or something? Pie Town elevation ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2011 - 5:18pm -

September 1940. "Serving up the barbeque at the Pie Town, New Mexico, Fair." Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee. View full size. Warm dress...They're really warmly dressed for September in New Mexico! Is this a higher elevation or something? Pie Town elevationYes, Pie Town is way up at around 8,000 feet. Brrr. pie town summer dressActually, Pie Town is at about 6700 feet ( http://www.pietown.com/_wsn/page2.html ), but that's high enough to be cooler than most places in the summer. BUT, many of the folks in the photo are in short sleeve summer wear, rather than the light coats of those in the foreground. The ones dressed in the coats appear to be older folks. Maybe not that cold, after all? Dave McNeely Pie Town? Where's the smiles?You'd think they'd look happier, living in a place called Pie Town. Re: "Pie Town? Where's the smiles?"Why are there no smiles? Well did you see that plate of food in the lower left hand corner of the picture? But they're smiling more in this shot with all the pies and other desserts. https://www.shorpy.com/node/90 (The Gallery, Pie Town, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Ninety-Nine: 1943
January 1943. Trampas, New Mexico. "Grandfather Romero, a member of the family of Juan Lopez, the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/31/2009 - 5:02pm -

January 1943. Trampas, New Mexico. "Grandfather Romero, a member of the family of Juan Lopez, the majordomo, is ninety-nine years old." Medium-format nitrate negative by John Collier, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Personal ShrineIt appears that Sr. Romero or a family member assembled his favorite photos on and around the wall bracket decorated with a cut-magazine paper valance. The photo at top center of a young man in uniform looks quite like him, except that it appears to date from the Spanish American War, and he would have been 54 in 1898. Perhaps it is his son. That photo covers the glass face of an 1870s bracket clock, which is thereby converted to a fancy picture frame for the portrait that has the place of honor in the group. Recycled Clock GlassOn closer inspection, the glass from the bracket clock was removed and cut down to protect the family album photos in the small frame hanging beneath the clock bracket. The gilded lines on the clock glass overlay most of the photos in the frame, except the postcard photo at left of a cowboy on horseback tending cattle, which is tucked into the frame over the glass. The Clock, Cont'dIf you look closely at the photo in the clock, you can see the decorative scrollwork that would have framed the clock face and run down into the pendulum area. Perhaps a different clock glass was used for the photo frame beneath the shelf. [I think you're right. - Dave] Ansonia clockLooks like an Ansonia of New York clock. We have one hanging in our kitchen that has almost the same scrollwork and glass decoration. It was a wedding gift to my husband's grandparents around 1914 in Cuba. http://www.antiqueansoniaclocks.com/Ansonia-Clock-Model-Names.php TonicWhat's the box in front of the clock? Looks like a patent medicine carton. Clock bits!That frame under the clock with photos is the whole door of an old kitchen clock! The hinges look like they're still on it, and the glass is in it too! That top clock is closer to 1890 from the looks of it. Shelf PaperIt appears to be a newspaper page that someone has folded and cut to make a sort of decorative border. Almost looks like a paper doily. [They're pages from a magazine that look like they've been trimmed with pinking shears. Color ads for Mohawk carpets (on the left) and a mattress ad with busty babe. - Dave] ContrastsThe bare room, the torn newspaper (probably reminding the gentleman of past adventures), that gorgeous pillow cover. Together they tell a story of the art of living and of loving what you have. Wonderful composition. [That's no torn newspaper. It's some pre-Martha Stewart craftiness. - Dave] Another military manAmong the photos in the recycled kitchen clock door turned picture frame is one of a young man also in US military uniform. He posing in front of the US flag. The photo appears to be circa WWII. Of Clock Glasses, etc.I'm still going with the glass in the picture frame having come from the clock. Its ornament is typical for Ansonia and Waterbury mantel clocks of the 1870s. And, although the scrollwork behind the soldier does resemble the sort of gilded linework that one might see on a clock glass, the photograph is opaque, and does not allow one to see anything of the clock face or pendulum behind it, and there is definitely no glass in front of the photo as seen. [Three things I will note from the detail below. First, the painted design is obviously not part of the photo of the soldier. Second, it fits exactly over the clock face. Third, the glass down below wouldn't fit the clock, as you can see where I've superimposed it. - Dave] Beautiful Photograph !That is beautifully composed picture......wonderful art. Good job, Dave!The additional enlargement of the soldier enabled me to see that the scrollwork on the glass does indeed extend down over his body, which I had not been able to discern before, and that the photo must be behind the glass of the clock after all. My bad, and so much for my wicker chair theory, but they do turn up in such photos regularly. Do you ever get the feeling that you're sitting in a lifeguard's chair by the side of the plunge, wondering when the next confused soul is going to get in too deep and need rescuing? Thanks for your patience and good humor. Religious homeTo the left below the picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a crucifix with a skull and crossbones. You don't see this very much except on very old crucifixes. From the Catholic Bulletin comes this explanation for the skull and crossbones: Pious legend held that Adam was buried at Mount Calvary and so the skull-and-crossbones symbolizes Adam. The skull-and-crossbones also symbolizes death and so putting one at the base of a crucifix symbolizes Christ's triumph over death through death. To the right over the bed is a picture of Santo Niño de Atocha. Growing up as children in El Paso Texas we usually had a crucifix, picture or statue of our patron saint above our beds to watch over us as we slept. The rosary around the frame is at arm's length from the bed where Mr Romero probably prayed just before he went to sleep. My familiarity with the way the photos are arranged in this cluster was generally to pay homage to people that had died. Other photos would usually be elsewhere on display in other parts of the room. I might assume that the man in the frame was a relative that was killed in war. There is a sense of humble modesty in older generations that keep them from putting pictures of themselves in such a prominent place. I'm 44 but I recall when I was a kid that a particular aunt of mine would keep a picture of my uncle (her brother who was killed in WWII) in a frame along with small pictures of Our lady of Guadalupe, Santo Niño, several relatives that had passed, funeral cards, , palm fronds, from Palm Sunday, folded into small crosses, a candle and, yes, a picture of John F Kennedy. This is also where she kept her rosary. The soldier isn't WWIIIt is hard to make out exactly, but that soldier is WWI, or possibly Spanish-American. The hat has the Montana peak, which was standardized after the Spanish-American War to prevent water from pooling atop the hat. [You're looking at the wrong photo. - Dave] 100?Did he make it to 100? Inquiring minds still want to know. (The Gallery, John Collier, Portraits)
Rainy Day People: 1943
... Georgia O'Keefe, who by 1943 spent most of her time in New Mexico. Wow! This picture is so vibrant. It has the power to make ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/21/2014 - 6:35pm -

March 1943. "New York, New York. Times Square on a rainy day." Photo by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. Signs ReadI think that the bottom line below the Air Raid arrow is "SEEK COVER IN BUILDINGS". The Quiet sign may continue "SCHOOL ZONE DAILY" (I'm not so sure about the last word.) Who saysyou can't take great pictures in the pouring rain? Marvellous stuff, the atmosphere is superb. The gentleman under the umbrellaon the right bears a strong resemblance to photographer Alfred Steiglitz, then in the last years of his life. If so, the lady conversing with him would most likely be his devotee and gallery manager Dorothy Norman. Probably not his lover and muse Georgia O'Keefe, who by 1943 spent most of her time in New Mexico. Wow!This picture is so vibrant. It has the power to make one feel a part of it. Signs Of The TimeI saw these 2 almost immediately. The one reading "In Event Of Air Raid Signal" the arrow is pointing to an Air Raid Shelter more than likely in the basement of a nearby commercial building. Those shelters were still around in the 1960s in anticipation of any Soviet attacks. The sign above it, I think, may have been a joke. The same scene 13 years laterAlmost the exact same scene was photographed in 1956 for "The Magnificent Thad Jones" LP on Blue Note Records. +67Below is the same view (sans rain) from November of 2010. Checker & OldsHard to date the Checker cab, but that is a 1941 Oldsmobile under the umbrella. So dynamic!I can practically hear, feel, and smell the rain, cabs, people splashing, etc. This is really lively photo. Go north one block and turn southAnother Shorpy picture. It apparently is from the same day, given the Disney movie Saludos, Amigos is showing at the Globe in both photos, and it is raining and it is 1943. As a 1970s denizen of a very different Times Square, I love these old photos which predate my denizenship by some 30 years. I can feel the rainThis picture captures the true essence of a rainy day in the big city, so much so that the viewer can feel the chill in the air, smell the 5 cent coffee aroma wafting out of the H & H Automat and is assured that New Yorkers are not deterred from going about their business by bad weather or wet feet. I remember all these advertising signs from my youth as though it was yesterday (when I was young) and I remember the theaters, those great Taxis, movie stars and films shown and even the air raid drills. "Saludad Amigos" was a Disney animation released in the U.S. in Feb. 1943. Ida Lupino, born in England, was an actress first and later became a director. Jane Wyman was married to Ronald Reagan from 1940 to '49, so he would have been her husband at that time. Ray Milland and Dennis Morgan were top-rated actors for decades. Ruppert Beer was a big seller and the Strand was a first run theater chain. I lived in a small factory town in Ct. and had relatives in N.Y. but always looked forward to our frequent family trips there to visit them since the vibrancy, excitement and stimulating heartbeat of N.Y.C., to me, explained the meaning of "really living" and the activity never stops. Quiet - School ZoneOld, usually weather-beaten "Quiet" signs can still be spotted near schools here and there in New York. They're no longer on the municipal Department of Transportation's sign list and I would doubt if any have been installed in many years or even decades. The school to which this sign referred was a former elementary school on West 46th Street, built in 1894 but vacated sometime prior to the photo's date. In 1948 it became home to the High School for Performing Arts and housed that well-known institution until the early 1980's. After another period of disuse the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School for International Business opened in the building, and remains there today. I'd rather have the rainI'd rather have the rain with 1943 Times Square, at least the area had character back then. In 2014 it's just a Disneyfied tourist destination. The locals avoid Times Square unless absolutely necessary. Billboards availableSeveral billboard structures are awaiting their next signage. Are we between uses or has advertising decreased during this period because of the war? In any event, their empty wooden supports just add to the many textures and details of this shot. What a wonderful picture! So closeI had just turned one year old, and lived a few miles away in Queens. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Movies, NYC)
Faro's Place: 1940
... Caudill with Mount Allegro in the background. Pie Town, New Mexico. The Caudills at dinner. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by Russell ... I was in Socorro, which is on I-25, centered east-west in New Mexico. Pie Town is about 100 miles west of there on I-60. The dugout ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 5:22pm -

October 1940. Dugout house of homesteaders Faro and Doris Caudill with Mount Allegro in the background. Pie Town, New Mexico. The Caudills at dinner. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee. View full size. LifestyleDon't know if I could live this way...but it would be interesting to try. Living in the greatly overpopulated Northeast is hell; think of how peaceful living like this must have been. Not very comfortable by modern standards, but the stress level was certainly lower. I'd give it a tryThough I'd like to have at least a minimal internet connection as some sort link to the outside world. Make it a year long experiment and record it. Could be fun. Like Something Out Of Monty PythonThis looks like a still from one of Terry Gilliam's animated sight gags, involving Abraham Lincoln and quicksand. scenerythe scenery in this picture looks great to me...the house in front of the mountains the way it is looks classic and very early 1900's ...Jonny... I wonderwhat that same spot looks like today. I'll bet it's full of upscale homes with swimming pools. Maybe room for a golf course, even. Upscale? Not quiteI lived two hours from Pie Town for six years and went to the Pie Festival (in September, which is pretty good!) a few times. It actually looks about the same. The houses are a little nicer, but it's not upscale by any means. There's probably not a golf course for 10 miles in any direction. I was in Socorro, which is on I-25, centered east-west in New Mexico. Pie Town is about 100 miles west of there on I-60. The dugout homes in this seriesDoes anything remain of them in Pie Town today? (The Gallery, Pie Town, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Royal Street: 1906
... View full size. 45 star flag! In 1906, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska, and Hawaii weren't states yet. Commercial ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:34pm -

New Orleans circa 1906. "Royal Street from Canal Street." Where the ice man goeth. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. 45 star flag!In 1906, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska, and Hawaii weren't states yet. Commercial HotelIt became the Hotel Monteleone in 1908 after being bought by Antonio Monteleone, an Italian shoemaker who came to America to make his fortune. The hotel has been patronized by a who's who of Southern writers, and is haunted by the ghost of a three-year-old boy. The inevitable present -day viewView Larger Map Piece of CakeAh, I spot another lady wearing a cake on her head! I had been previously intrigued by what appeared to be a very fancy cake on top of a lady in this class photo of 1910: https://www.shorpy.com/node/6314. It looks like the woman in this photo is wearing a basic chocolate cake. Fabacher’sFabacher's Restaurant, Oyster House and Hotel -- 137 Royal Street, of noted restaurateur Lawrence Fabacher. His obituary read that his restaurant "meant New Orleans wherever gourmets and epicures gathered." He also founded Jackson (Jax) Brewery. Jax beer was, for us college students, easily affordable, and the inside of the bottle cap featured a rebus. GoneEverything within view on the right-hand side, in the first block, is no longer standing. The newer buildings that are there now don't even compare. The Hotel Monteleone, directly under the flag in the 200 block, is still going strong. The Monteleone!I'll be there in late July. Delightful!How tedious would the job be for the man who replaced the light bulbs that illuminated the street at night? They look like they are placed every foot or so. What a temptation for a lad with a slingshot! Monteleone and FabacherI immediately recognized the Commercial Hotel as the Monteleone simply by its architecture. What a great place! I've been there for a couple of conventions and can't wait to go again. jnc, thanks for the post regarding Lawrence Fabacher; that clears up something that confused me as a kid. We had Jax beer commercials in Houston, and their spokesman was a faux Andrew Jackson who, on occasion, tried to change his name to Andrew Fabacher in honor of a spinoff brand they called Fabacher Brau. I had no idea until now that the name was a nod to their founder. Lawrence FabacherLawrence Fabacher was my great grandfather and sold the restaurant to his brother Peter after he went into the brewing business. I have one of the original beer mugs from the restaurant which I treasure along with some Jax memorabilia. Nice to see the photo as I never was sure where the restaurant was on Royal. Glue chipped and beveledPictured here is a R&E glass advertising sign just above the boy's ICE wagon. These were the very ornate sign of a well to do business! These were not cheap, being composed of a border of chipped and mirrored bevels. The major background as well, with the letters being 24K gold leafed and having faceted glass jewels that would glow after dusk with the help of electric or gas lamps inside the sign. The chipped glass effect was accomplished by applying hot animal hide glue to the glass which then dried and would chip off taking bits of the glass with it. These are very collectible today. Great to see one in its original location. (The Gallery, DPC, New Orleans, Stores & Markets)
Pie Town Rodeo: 1940
Sept. 1940. Pie Town, New Mexico. "Tying a ribbon on a calf's tail was one of the feature attractions ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 10:11pm -

Sept. 1940. Pie Town, New Mexico. "Tying a ribbon on a calf's tail was one of the feature attractions at the Pie Town Fair rodeo." 35mm Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Cowboy StyleThe cowboy hats, the boots, the shirts and jeans--all the same--whether this picture was taken yesterday or 70 years ago from yesterday. Very nice and comforting. Is it chemistry or is it digital magic?Having just gone through a set of color photos I took in 1970, now dim and beige, I am again impressed with how terrific early Kodachrome looks on Shorpy. Is this Dave's digital magic, or was the process actually more stable early on? Or maybe the government took extraordinary care in storing these treasures - though I doubt that. [Kodachromes are rather famous for color stability. Ektachromes and Anscochromes, on the other hand, are noted for reddish or purplish color shifts over time. Prints, as opposed to transparencies, will also likely change color over time. - Dave] Dah dum dah dumCue the music from the "Marlboro Man" commercials. KodachromeThe color here blows my mind. It looks like something taken yesterday. Its sometimes hard to realize history was as colorful as it is today. Like YesterdayThis photo could have easily been taken yesterday or 70 years ago. Shorpy, I can't quit you.Every day is another surprise! An unchange of clothesI think the combination of color and the fact that "cowboy" attire has changed little over the last 80 years makes this photo seem like it was taken recently. The cowboy on the leftis hot! Are you on vacation?I've been with you since the very beginning and this is the first time I have to question what you were thinking...I mean really....who cares? The calf? Just imagineIf that calf is still alive today it would only be a few months over 70 years old. Calm calfIf I tried to tie a ribbon around my dog's tail there'd be hell to pay. That calf must have resigned itself to the fact that humans are crazy. Who cares? Well...[xx]-Years-Ago-But-Could-Have-Been-Taken-Today is one of my favorite sub-genres of Shorpy photos, On Vacation individual. CowboysI like how this guy on the left seems so manly -- I like it really anytime someone from the past lives up to our crazy expectations that we probably got from movies. I'm lovin' itI love Russell Lee's photos and especially from Pie Town. I'd like to visit this town if I had possibility. I know he had a lot of pictures from that place, please publish them! [Click the "Pie Town" tag above the photo. - Dave] (The Gallery, Animals, Pie Town, Russell Lee)
Alex Chilton: 1911
... in the Santa Fe National Cemetery Section 3 Site 850 in New Mexico on 24 September 1985. There's also one for an Omira Baily ... I actually met him. My great uncle was a professor at New Mexico State University; by the time I went there from 1977-1980, he was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2008 - 4:41pm -

1911. "Lt. Alexander W. Chilton, 15th Cavalry." In or around Washington. National Photo Company glass negative. Library of Congress. View full size. Chilton, West Point Grad Washington Post, Jun 2, 1911 Army Orders Second Lieut. ALEXANDER W. CHILTON, Twentieth Infantry, will proceed to Fort Snelling, Minn., and report to the commanding officer of that post for duty. Portrait of Alexander W. Chilton, long-lived graduate of West Point. Alex > JohnWow, in that portrait link, he resembles John Cusack. Lt ChiltonNot exactly a GI haircut. Alex Chilton (Heh, heh!)"It is written in the stars He'll get his captain's bars, But he hasn't got enough box tops yet." -- Tom Lehrer Steve Miller Someplace near the crossroads of America Alexander Chilton and family(It's slow at the reference desk this afternoon.) The 1930 U.S. Census has Alexander Chilton, 43, an Army officer, living in Las Cruces, NM. Born in Minnesota about 1897, father from Canada, mother from New York. Wife's name Armitea, 38, son Alexander, 11. Also in the household is Jose Figueroa, 27, servant. There's a U.S. Veterans Gravesites record for Alexander Wheeler Chilton, a colonel in the U.S. Army in WWI and WWII, (28 Jun 1886 - 17 Sep 1985), service start 1 Aug 1903, buried in the Santa Fe National Cemetery Section 3 Site 850 in New Mexico on 24 September 1985. There's also one for an Omira Baily Chilton (26 Feb 1892 - 19 Jun 1979), wife of Alexander W. Chilton, buried in the Santa Fe National Cemetery Section 3 Site 850 on 27 Jun 1979. Chilton the AuthorIn 1917, as an assistant professor of history at West Point, Alexander W. Chilton co-authored "The History of Europe from 1862 to 1914," available on Google Books. The title's a little off; the book's final page mentions the U.S. declaration of war in April 1917 and the fourth anniversary of the start of the war. Two years later the same pair issued "A Brief History of Europe from 1789-1815," which is also available on Google Books. In 1923, the same pair wrote "English Analysis And Exposition." But lest you think he wrote only dry textbooks, he is also credited as the co-author of the story upon which the 1927 silent movie "Dress Parade," a romance set at West Point, was based. However, when the movie was released, a West Point student, Lieut. John Hopper, sued DeMille Pictures Corp. and Pathe Exchange for a million dollars, alleging that he had written the story first (the year before) and that it had been plagiarized. "West Pointer asks $1,000,000, Alleges Story Plagiarized," Syracuse Herald, May 4, 1928, at 23. I can't find an story on the outcome of the suit, but when the film was re-released in 1944, Chilton, not Hopper, was credited as the author. The Internet Movie Database does the same. Chilton's son, Alexander Jr., sat for the West Point entrance exams in 1936, but he appears to have ended up as a Marine; he's listed as a major in Headquarters Company of the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Marines in the Battle of Okinawa, and as a Lt. Colonel and the commanding officer for the 2nd battalion of the 9th Marines from 1957 to 1958. Chilton the SonBased on your info on Alexander Jr (and other great info) checked the USNA alumni database for the son since there was a chance that since he was a Marine officer he made into the Naval Academy (OK - no jokes about USNA taking him after not making it into USMA). No dice. He must have entered service and became an officer another way. In addition, about dad, the Summer 1944 U.S. Government Manual published by the Office of War Information's Division of Public Inquiries lists "Director, Army Specialized Training Division: Col. Alexander W. Chilton." Also a clipping titled "Sons of Bremerton Men Today Follow in Father's War steps" In the dictionary......illustrating "ramrod-straight posture." EquitationNeat that while he is indeed ramrod straight, he's riding with both a longer stirrup and much more forward leg position than you would normally see today. He also doesn't seem to be using any sort of saddle pad, which is interesting. I wonder if that was just because he was relaxed, was a mediocre rider, or if position has evolved. (Although you'd think not so much in the last 100 years, given all the emphasis on riding before!) My guess is that' he's just relaxing, given the loose reins and collapsed wrists. Yeah, I'm a geek. EquitationWhile I agree the stirrup is a little long, perhaps the lighter saddle is for jumping. Your body is out of the saddle anyways, and less weight is less weight and less material needed. It looks like ones I have used. Good heels though. Oldest living West PointerAlexander Wheeler Chilton, born June 28, 1886, graduated West Point in the Class of 1907, ranked 39 out of 111. After retiring in 1936 as a lieutenant colonel he entered active duty in 1940 and retired for the second time as a colonel due to disability in 1946. On August 4, 1984, he became the oldest living West point graduate. He died September 17, 1985, at the age of 99. I actually met him.My great uncle was a professor at New Mexico State University; by the time I went there from 1977-1980, he was gone. His daughter, my cousin, lived in his house and had soirees every weekend; I was always invited. Among the guests were eminences from the upper crust of Las Cruces (such as it was). I had dinner at various times with the University president, several local politicians, Clyde Tombaugh (the discoverer of Pluto), and Colonel Chilton. I do not remember a thing about him. (The Gallery, Horses, Natl Photo)
Fill In the Blanks: 1931
... acres of land in two sections (8 and 17) in Grant County, New Mexico, dated Jan. 21, 1931. The most exciting part was the hunt! I ... I couldn't make out much, but after recognizing the words "New Mexico Meridian" (23rd Meridian) and "six hundred forty acres", I was able ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/20/2013 - 9:03pm -

UPDATE: The photo now has a caption. Signs the president's name. Mrs. Leafie E. Dietz, recently appointed the "Secretary to Sign Land Patents," a position in the Government Land Office which, since its creation under President Arthur, has been held only by women. She signs "Herbert Hoover" to land patents and is the only person who has authority to sign the President's name. Washington circa 1930. The document at hand in this unlabeled Harris & Ewing negative is a form ready for the signature of Herbert Hoover. Perhaps someone versed in bureaucratic history will recognize this lady. View full size. CylindersCould they be for sending messages through a pneumatic tubing system? The Mysterious CylindersThe Land Office probably trafficked in large documents -- maps and such. The cylinders might have to do with storing, transmitting or duplicating them. They look too long to be dictation cylinders or radio batteries. Difficult JobCan you imagine how difficult it must have been for a woman in those days to be part of the White House staff? I love her glasses and her very direct, no nonsense look. There is a small star on her ring. I imagine someone will recognize its significance. I bet those flowers wiltedThe moment she sat next to them. Possible identificationI'm not sure, but I think that might be Ed Wynn. A woman before her time?It looks like she was married and had a successful career, too! Not an Ordinary Worker BeeWell dressed, with a fat engagement/wedding ring combo and what looks like an Order of the Eastern Star ring. Job DescriptionThe document is a form of the General Land Office, predecessor to the Bureau of Land Management; the lady is authorized to sign the President's name as described in a caption accompanying a 1937 Harris & Ewing photo of another lady in what may be the same room: Signs president's name. Washington, D.C., Sept. 8. Affixing the signature "Franklin D. Roosevelt" to land grants and patents, Jeanne [...], 20, is getting a great thrill out of her new [...]h the General Land Office. As "Secretary to the President [...]ning Land Grants and Patents," she is the only [...] authorized to sign the president's signature to documents. She is the youngest person ever appointed to the position. 9/8/37 Cylinders????What are the tall cylindrical objects against the wall? If we could identify them it might give us a clue as to what department she works in. The labels on them are far too out of focus to read. Soil samplesSince this is a land management office, the tubes might well be soil sample cores. Contemporary tubes are a similar size and shape. [The Land Office didn't have anything to do with dirt. - Dave] Pot MarigoldThe flowers appear to be the common calendula officianalis, or the more common name of pot marigold. A popular cut flower back in the day, it has the unusual characteristic of sleeping, or folding up at night time. Much used in present day lotions and fragrances. Re: Cylinders?My first thought, as well, but aren't they awfully long canisters? The required bend radius in the pneumatic lines would be huge! Her name is Leafie E. DietzAfter a fun little search these past couple of hours, I've discovered her identity. It is Leafie E. Dietz, designated by President Hoover in 1931 to sign land patents, by Executive Order 5529. This photograph shows the preparation of a land patent granted to Janie Furr, for 640 acres of land in two sections (8 and 17) in Grant County, New Mexico, dated Jan. 21, 1931. The most exciting part was the hunt! I work in land administration, so I immediately recognized the document as a patent or similar document. I rotated the image and messed with the contrast to try and read the document. I immediately recognized a chunk of the writing as a legal description. At first, I couldn't make out much, but after recognizing the words "New Mexico Meridian" (23rd Meridian) and "six hundred forty acres", I was able to discern the township and range: T16S R15W (or "Township sixteen south of Range fifteen west" as it is written on the patent). From there, I did a simple search of the BLM's land documents using the legal description, which pulled the original patent (fully filled out by that point!) image with matching description! (attached below, original accession # 1043289). Stupidly, I did not look down at the signature block, and attempted to locate the identity of this woman through a search of the congressional registry for 1931. After searching the GLO's employees, as well as the executive office's employees (thanks to the hint from Dave's comment), I was not able to find anything further...until... I took another look at the patent, and voila! How blind could I be?! There, under "Herbert Hoover"'s signature, is the notation "By Leafie E. Dietz, Secretary." It's her! A quick Google search turns up the executive order by Pres. Hoover designating her to sign land patents, and also some results regarding her involvement with the Order of the Eastern Star (in Colorado, apparently), as hinted by her ring. A search on Ancestry.com returns census records, indicating she was born in Iowa about 1878 (making her about 53 in this photo), and the 1920 and 1930 censuses show she lived in Washington, D.C. The 1920 census lists Joseph, Dorothy and John as children (22, 16 and 14 respectively). Interestingly, it also shows George working as a law clerk in the Land Office, but Leafie with no occupation. She must have started the position after the children were grown, perhaps hearing of the opening through her husband. Joseph is listed as a stenographer. Also see the image below of a snippet from the New York Sun, (Jan. 13, 1931, only days before the Shorpy photo above!) highlighting her new post. A fun way to pass a couple of hours! I love research/genealogy (and land records!). I'm glad I found this site!! Wow!Wow, jordannelson, that's an amazing piece of sleuthing. Good thing Mrs. Dietz has long departed this vale of tears, or Mr. Dietz might accuse you of stalking his wife. Petworth Lady Washington Post, May 25, 1954. Mrs. Dietz Dies; Worked at Interior Mrs. Leafie E. Dietz, 78, who put the signatures of two presidents to homestead land grants as part of her job at the Interior Department, died yesterday at the Washington Sanitarium. She lived at 8424 Queen Anne's dr., Silver Spring. After her husband, George C. Dietz, an Interior Department lawyer, died in 1929, Mrs. Dietz was appointed a clerk in the General Land Office of the Interior Department. There she was legally empowered to sign land patents for homesteaders with Presidential signatures. She served under Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Mrs. Dietz, who retired in 1944, moved to Washington in 1918. She was a native of Keokuk, Iowa, and was married in Silver Cliff, Colo., in 1895 during a silver rush there. Active in the the Order of the Eastern Star, she helped found the Joppa Lodge Chapter in Petworth. She was a member of the Petworth Women's Club and the Petworth Methodist church. Surviving are two sons, John E. Dietz of 9143 Sligo Creek parkway, Silver Spring, and Joseph M. Dietz, of Harrisonburg, Va.; one daughter, Mrs. Dorothy Trautman, of 8424 Queen Anne's dr., Silver Spring; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. … (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, The Office)
Pie Town Community Sing: 1940
June 1940. An all-day community sing in Pie Town, New Mexico. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the ... See how wide open those doors are? If you've ever been to New Mexico on a summer day, and had to stand around, without AC, you'd look ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/16/2008 - 6:27pm -

June 1940. An all-day community sing in Pie Town, New Mexico. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. All-Day SingEverybody looks pretty bored. [But later ... delicious pie! - Dave] All Day Sing?All day? For real? They sang ALL DAY? Zoinks! They really had to work for that pie!! Singing StyleDo you think they are singing shaped note or "fa so la"? I think it's also called Sacred Harp singing. Used to be (still is?) very popular in rural churches: All Day Singing and Dinner on the Ground likely not shape-notelikely not shape-note or they'd be sitting around the room facing each other (hopefully close to a square). Bored or hot?I'm not sure they're bored. I think they are about to pass out from the heat. See how wide open those doors are? If you've ever been to New Mexico on a summer day, and had to stand around, without AC, you'd look that way too. [Pie Town is way up there. Elevation 6,700 feet. - Dave] (Music, Pie Town, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Dessert Oasis: 1940
June 1940. "Cafe. Pie Town, New Mexico." Sporting the biggest accent west of the Mississippi. Medium format ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/06/2020 - 6:20pm -

June 1940. "Cafe. Pie Town, New Mexico." Sporting the biggest accent west of the Mississippi. Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. 6-volt wind turbineThese were marketed by radio manufacturers for the sole purpose of selling farm-type radios, with the heater circuit powered by the wind turbine, and a dry cell for the B battery. They could also handle one or two light bulbs if the wind was blowing hard enough. They were typically mounted on rooftops, because the line losses were too high if mounted on a tower. Many users later upgraded to 32-volt machines. The Zenith turbines were made by Winco, and I'm not sure who made the RCA turbines. Edit: In response to bobstothfang's comment, all of the early wind turbines had some mechanical means of pulling the axis of the turbine out of parallel with the wind. You would want to do this during storms, or when you needed to shut down the system for maintenance. The early turbines also had centrifugally-activated mechanical governors, to prevent the turbine from exceeding its design speed during periods of high winds or low electrical demand. Modern turbines have dispensed with this, using electronic governors to divert excess power to a "dump load", which is an electric heater. SpotlessThe biggest accent, and the cleanest windows, too. Just closingI saw a comment on one of the RV blogs that this family-run pie shop is just about to close forever. 6 ounce CokeI remember the 5 cent ice-cold 6 oz. glass-bottled Cokes. Made with cane sugar. I can still get them at my local market (made in Mexico) but they're no longer 6 ounces, or 5 cents. DessertedThe Pie Town Cafe closed December of last year. The Pie-O-Neer closed June 15, but it's for sale if you want to own a pie shop in the middle of nowhere. This is Why They Have to Clean the WindowsI discovered Shorpy in 2009 so this older Pie Town post (https://www.shorpy.com/node/89) was a couple of years before that. I ran across the photo somewhere else and looked back to see if it had been on Shorpy -- and there it was. Things just look so different in Kodachrome color! The Wind Turbine is Not WorkingThe rope wrapped around the propeller and the weather vane arm will prevent the turbine from spinning. I'll take that pie to go, pleasePuddy1's comment about businesses shutting down caused me to search for a news story I thought I remembered about a series of unsolved murders in Pie Town, but those were in nearby Quemado. However, I also found a very good interview with the owner of the now for sale Pie-O-Neer, just three months before it closed. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Pie Town, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Pie Town P.O.: 1940
... in mail, freight, express and passengers to Pie Town, New Mexico." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/06/2020 - 6:24pm -

June 1940. "The stage which daily brings in mail, freight, express and passengers to Pie Town, New Mexico." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Pie Town Mail DramaTwo years ago the USPS said they were closing the town's PO building due to it being unsafe and beyond repair. The residents kicked up enough of a fuss, with some high-powered help, that the plan to relocate services to another town 20-ish miles away were scrapped. Pie Town is still on the (postal) map. ChicksLooks like someone is getting a bunch of chicks to raise in those boxes on the left. We used to get those in my long-ago boyhood and raise them in the “brooder”. The brooder was a feeder that had a light to keep the little ones warm until they got some feathers. First thing you knew, there were eggs to eat and nice fryers to have for Sunday dinner. Smoke 'Em If You Got 'EmIt's a gas station. What could go wrong? Straps GaloreThose are some beautiful suitcases strapped on there next to the baby chicks... I would love to own just one! Someone is traveling in style! The Red, White & Blue of BarnsdallThe globes, decked out in all their color! Well Carl,I still think we should have bought the truck. '38 Chrysler RoyalLooks like a 1938 Chrysler Royal sedan from what we can see of it. A very cool pic for sure. I will buy a print of this one. [The car is a 1937 Plymouth. - Dave] The Real McCoy!I see Amos McCoy (Walter Brennan) is in town to pick up his load of chicks for the farm. The Miracle of the Precariously-Piled PortmanteauxI can think of no other reason besides divine interdiction to explain how this Physics 101 nightmare-on-wheels made the 75+ miles from Springerville (or Socorro) to Pie Town, lurching and bouncing and wheezing over winding trails of washboard and ruts, without that precarious pile of portmanteaux bouncing off and scattering to the winds, somewhere outside of Quemado (or Magdalena). A close look shows a mere wisp of cord (and substantial prayer to the Gravity God) holding the top valise in place. If my father ever saw this load, once he recovered from the resulting angina attack, he would mutter "No! No! No!" and send me to fetch another 100+ft of rope. Mr. Lee, however, provides proof that the load survived at least half of its journey, and for that demonstration of divine providence and travelling mercies, can I get an AMEN?! I will submit an application to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, making the case that Santa Fe Trailways truly deserves the name "SANTA" Fe Trailways. [Still, I wonder how many of those chicks arrived scrambled. - Dave] Prince Albert in a can ...... Clabber Girl in a box. Royal Family"Well let him out!" ICC Lights and Reflectors Lots going on in the photo. Interesting to see a automobile fitted with Interstate Commence Commission lighting in addition to being rigged out like a stagecoach. Wonder how long these cars lasted in this type of road service. Like many chicks I have knownThey come with a lot of baggage. Both Sides MarkedSANTA FE TR___ Truck Lines? Trucking Co.? [Trailways. - Dave] Out in the weatherThey certainly seem to count on rain being infrequent in that part of the country. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Pie Town, Russell Lee)
State Police: 1940
July 1940. "New Mexico State Police at Fiesta parade." Our second look at the festivities ... outside Santa Fe. He is receiving a courtesy ride from a New Mexico State Police counterpart. [The guy reminded me of Broderick ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/05/2014 - 11:47am -

July 1940. "New Mexico State Police at Fiesta parade." Our second look at the festivities in Old Santa Fe. Photo by Russell Lee. View full size. Easy RiderDoes the cop really smell that bad? Oops!Looks like someone stuck his nose in where it didn't belong. What happened to that guy's schnozz?And why is he riding a state police motorcycle? OK, here's the storyDan Mathews (Broderick Crawford) pursued a suspect across state lines, but crashed Unit 21-50 on a sharp curve outside Santa Fe. He is receiving a courtesy ride from a New Mexico State Police counterpart. [The guy reminded me of Broderick Crawford too. Lately I've been watching a lot of "Highway Patrol" on DVD, which is surprisingly good. - Dave] Highway PatrolI too have been watching Highway Patrol on a retro channel our cable service recently added. Great old TV, California 50+ years ago never mind the cars. This photo could be a still from the show. They play Highway Patrol and then Sea Hunt, another great show. Leonard Nimoy has been in about eight episodes of these two shows playing everything from tough guys to wimps. (The Gallery, Motorcycles, Russell Lee)
No They're There: 1938
... a seasonal feel good but somewhat deadly treat. Here in New Mexico we became Latke aware via the exceptionally tasty green chile ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2013 - 10:35am -

August 1938. "Refreshment stand at county fair, central Ohio." Photo by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Geez, thanks a lot, Shorpy.Where am I going to find latkes in a Midwestern town at 7:30 on Monday evening? Try try againThere, their, They're! FinallyThe source of our confusion has been pinpointed. A County Fair in Ohio, eh; would have never guessed that in a million years. You Say PotatoeSome of the best latkes I've ever had were made by people whose English was not up to college standard: my Grandma, for example. Lotkiz ShmatkizThe good news is there is no correlation between literacy and cooking skill. It took a second or two before I realized the items for sale are more commonly known as latkes. Since the word is a transliteration from Yiddish, "lotkiz" may be a less conventional spelling in Roman letters but it's not wrong. You just won't find it in anyone's style book. SoooWas Dan Quayle right about the spelling of a certain vegetable after all? Lotkiz?At least they spelled the price right. "Uh oh""Grammar Police. Let me do the talking." Potato pancakes, yumHash browns and that patatoey thing that comes on the side with your Egg McMuffin are cousins of the Latke, which is the current preferred spelling. The true Latke may at least include some eggs, onions, and of course a goodly dose of oil. Compares favorably with Christmas cookies as a seasonal feel good but somewhat deadly treat. Here in New Mexico we became Latke aware via the exceptionally tasty green chile variety served at the local Hanukkah Festival sometime around late November through December. They are themI'm guessing they are (them) potato latkes served during Hanukkah in Jewish homes but almost all nationalities have a similar version, especially the Eastern Europeans, no matter what their religion. They are unbelievably delicious but somewhat labor intensive. When Catholic Fridays used to be meatless and if we had no fish, we always looked forward to these for dinner but it meant lots of work for Mom having to hand grate a ton of potatoes, drain them, chop onions, add eggs and flour (or matzo meal) and fry them in hot oil. The seven of us would eat them as fast as she could cook them. The Jewish latkes symbolize the miraculous single small container of oil that lasted 8 days. Their outstanding taste and texture is not quite like any other potato dish. By the way, that USED to be the archaic way "potatoe" was spelled in the olden days, even though Dan Quayle is still ridiculed mercilessly and forever when he added the 'e'. Great Sign!I find it interesting that, although the grammar and spelling leave a lot to be desired, someone did a great job painting that sign! I wish I could go into the picture, walk up and say hello, give them a nickel and be in Heaven for as long as I was eating it! Slice of life! Nobody does it better than 'Shorpy' for transforming us into another realistic time and place. 'Shorpy' is like stepping into a time-machine, whisking us away from the worries of the day. Provoking thoughts, memories and insight we seldom touch upon during our busy modern daily lives. Thank you! In Grandma's KitchenThis great photo was made by Ben Shahn caused possibly by a momentary flashback to a time gone by all too quickly. How about the fonts?I see three different fonts in one advertisement. We definitely need the Font Police to backup the Spelling Police! Whatta ya want for 5 cents!They are hot, they are good--there now, no contentious contractions. (And they are latkes; yummmmm.) I expect the small business kids were aided by older kids who will get better at graphic arts and spelling. All look to have a good start. Makes No Never MindFonts, spelling, grammar? None of it really matters all that much. What is important is that these young women actively participated in a (somewhat) large community event and communicated their participation perfectly. What a miserable language English would be were it not for misspellings, misunderstandings, dialects, derivations, deviations and perhaps most important it's its global use among all classes. Presently I shall take my colouring book and return to my house -- home -- hovel -- whatever, where I shall have a discussion with Mr. Johnson (Johnston, Jones, Johns, Jonson, Joynson ... whatever). Recipe for your considerationMy mom and dad used to make these, so I thought I'd share their recipe: Several potatoes, peeled and mashed Onion (green preferably, but not required) salt pepper to taste Two eggs half a cup of flour. Mix all together in a bowl, adding the eggs, onion and salt and pepper. Slowly fold in the two eggs, and then add just enough flour to make it have a batter like consistency. Fry in hot oil till golden brown on both sides. We served them with a good amount of salt and pepper on them, but they can be eaten just as they are. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn)
« first‹ prev1 [2]3…next ›last »
Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.