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Durward Nickerson: 1914
... Graham Weaver. Durward died in 1937 in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, at the age of 42. Patsy Weaver [Oh my. What happened? Did ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/26/2011 - 3:49pm -

"Durward Nickerson, Western Union messenger #55. Birmingham, Alabama. 18 years old. Lives in Bessemer, R.F.D. #1. Saturday night, Sept. 26, 1914, he took investigator through the old Red Light on Avenue A, pointed out the various resorts, told about the inmates he has known there. Only a half dozen of them were open now. Durward has put in two years in messenger work and shows the results of temptations open to him. He has recently returned from a hobo trip through 25 states. He was not inclined to tell much about the shady side of messenger work, but one could easily see that he has been through much that he might have avoided in a profitable kind of work." View full size. Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine. Lewis HineLewis Wickes Hine: Photographer, social reformer and busybody party-pooper extraordinaire. Shady workI had no idea messenger work could be so seedy. LisaHe looks old beyond his years. Great idea for a blog. I subscribed to your feed. Durward NickersonDurward M. Nickerson was the son of Otis Graham Nickerson & Hattie E. Shepard, great-grandparents of my husband, Jack Graham Weaver. Durward died in 1937 in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, at the age of 42. Patsy Weaver [Oh my. What happened? Did he leave a family? Thanks for the info. He seems like a dashing young man. - Dave] (The Gallery, Birmingham, Lewis Hine)
South by Southwest: 1943
March 1943. Melrose, New Mexico. Chicago to California trip. "Santa Fe R.R. train." View full ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 7:50pm -

March 1943. Melrose, New Mexico. Chicago to California trip. "Santa Fe R.R. train." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. Melrose v. McCurdyLove it when some obscure little place on the planet is featured on Shorpy that I've been to. Melrose was the high school team that in 1962 McCurdy HS beat for the NM state football championship. McCurdy was a small parochial school in Santa Cruz that had about 50 boys in the whole school. Not that Melrose was any metropolis. Luckily, we had a talented QB who pretty much carried us on his back, and who was also the biggest guy on the team. That, and we were a bunch of undersized, but quite ornery, animals on defense. I must have been the skinniest lineman to ever put on pads. I bet I wasn't over 145 lbs. Pure heaven it was for all of us getting to knock someone down and not get punished for it...rewarded, even. But we kept it on the field back in those days. Bunch of nice guys, actually. The Wayward WindMr. Delano captured the moment perfectly with this shot. Kinda reminds me of the Gogi Grant song "The Wayward Wind" In a lonely shack by a railroad track He spent his younger days And I guess the sound of the outward bound Made him a slave to his wand'rin ways. Keeping it on the FieldMost of us are still nice guys who keep it on the field. I just retired after 12 years of pro football. MOST ballplayers are nice guys who keep it on the field. Unfortunately we don't get a lot of press coverage. It goes to the handful of troublemakers that aren't nice guys. It's a shame really but please don't generalize all of us due to the sensationalism of today's news and the shenanigans of a few... (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Flapper's Up: 1920
... a seven-year convalescence at a tuberculosis sanatorium in New Mexico, while Marjorie was in Washington D.C. petitioning (unsuccessfully) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/07/2015 - 6:09pm -

San Francisco circa 1920. "Studebaker touring car and biplane at airfield." With the fur possibly about to fly. 6½ x 8½ inch glass negative. View full size. What't the extra hardware on the plane?The plane is certainly a Curtis JN4 "Jenny," but what is the extra hardware bolted on the side? There are 4 long rectangular boxes, two on each side, that aren't the normal JN4 hardware. Radical radsLooks to be a typical Curtiss JN-4 -- but what's with those crazy radiators? Perhaps the plane was just too fast (like that flapper?) and they felt that some more parasitic drag was in order? Looking at this again, I think that Jenny may have an odd engine in it as well. I think it's an in-line unit, perhaps a Mercedes DI? moTthediesel is rightDefinitely an oddball engine installation for a Jenny. The radiators are similar to those Glenn L. Martin used on his "T8" of similar vintage. I'm guessingBy the size of the tubes below those are water radiators but they could also be oil coolers. Now Marina GreenThis photo was taken at the extreme east end of present-day Marina Green in San Francisco. Visible through the biplane's rigging are the buildings of the coal gas refinery that gave name to today's Gas House Cove. Beginning in 1920, this stretch of filled shoreline (created for the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition) served as an embryonic municipal airport as well as a U.S. Air Mail Service airfield. Known as Marina Airfield or Montgomery Airfield, it was very short-lived. Blustery winds blowing in through the Golden Gate and San Francisco's notorious fogs led to the little field's quick demise. By 1930, both the Air Mail Service and municipal airport had moved to sunnier climates. Very interesting photoThe JN-4 appears to have a Curtiss C-6 engine in place of the usual OX-5. This would be an advantage because the C-6 produced 160 horsepower versus about 90 for the OX-5, with only a 30 lb. weight gain. The usual four bladed propeller has also been replaced with a two blade prop. There is another JN-4 in the background and it has the standard OX-5 engine. There don't appear to be any markings on any of the aircraft, which makes me wonder if these were mail planes owned by one company. The woman in the car bears a resemblance to famous Aviatrix Katherine Stinson, who had her own JN-4 and flew a customized single seat JN-4 as a mail plane. This would be worth sending to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum to see if any of their experts could verify the details, and also archive a copy as I think it has more significance than we might think. Good Eye webster55According to the September 26, 1920 article below from page 16 of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Jenny was fitted with a Curtiss K-6 (from which the C-6 was developed). It was first flown on September 23 by Dan Davison, the demonstrating pilot for the Earl P. Cooper Airplane & Motor Company (Curtiss Airplanes and H.C.S. Motor Cars) on Oak Street in San Francisco. According to the November 8, 1920 issue of Aviation and Aircraft Journal (now Aviation Week and Space Technology), Davison "pronounced the trial trip an unqualified success, and was enthusiastic in his praise of the ship's responsiveness." However, if the photo was taken around the time of the first flight, the lady cannot be either one of the Stinson sisters. At that time Katherine was just starting a seven-year convalescence at a tuberculosis sanatorium in New Mexico, while Marjorie was in Washington D.C. petitioning (unsuccessfully) to be allowed to take the entrance exam to become an officer in the "aviation corps of the regular army." Personally I think the lady looks like Trixie Friganza, the vaudevillian who was a frequent attraction at the Orpheum in San Francisco, but she was appearing in Indianapolis that week. Tobacconist, Thanks for the comment and for the article, yes I should have remembered that Katherine Stinson was stricken with TB. I think you're right about that being Trixie. So it's a K-6? The K-6/C-6 as well as the K-12 were quite advanced, four valves per cylinder and an overhead camshaft. Quite an improvement over the OX-5 and the Liberty engines. (The Gallery, Aviation, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
Squat-N-Gobble: 1940
September 1940. "Men of the community of Pie Town, New Mexico, eating at the barbeque." Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2011 - 5:16pm -

September 1940. "Men of the community of Pie Town, New Mexico, eating at the barbeque." Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee. View full size. Hats and tiesMan, that Pie Town is one class joint! The Cowboy WayIf left to your imagination - "Squat & Gobble" opens the door to some interesting alternatives. There is a restaurant inThere is a restaurant in Bluffton, SC called Squat & Gobble. The have sign that kind of looks like this picture. (The Gallery, Pie Town, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Little Oklahoma: 1939
... station run by former resident of Oklahoma in Questa, New Mexico. Oklahoma newspapers as well as other Oklahoma products are for sale ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/15/2018 - 12:55pm -

September 1939. "Service station run by former resident of Oklahoma in Questa, New Mexico. Oklahoma newspapers as well as other Oklahoma products are for sale here." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Admin. View full size. You can trust your carTo the man who wears the star. The big bright Texaco star! At every Texaco StationI remember the cool Texaco commercials, and some Conoco ones too! That was a GREAT time to be a kid in this country. https://youtu.be/b1zxOTDHIBQ SignageLots of interesting fonts here. Love your stateI do not know whether to think "nice marketing angle" or "learn to love the state you are in." But then again, I live near the WA/OR border and see plenty of cars with Oregon plates living in my neighborhood--and I have a few "get a Washington license" words in my head. Ex-TexacoWhen John Collier visits in 1943, the station has converted to Conoco. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsa.8d45032/
Color Field: 1943
... March 1943. "A Southern Pacific freight passing Vaughn, New Mexico. The Santa Fe R.R. crosses the Southern Pacific R.R. at Vaughn." 4x3 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/14/2017 - 10:14pm -

March 1943. "A Southern Pacific freight passing Vaughn, New Mexico. The Santa Fe R.R. crosses the Southern Pacific R.R. at Vaughn." 4x3 inch Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Wow!Awesome big country. Large format heaven!Kodachrome in 35mm format was awesome enough. I can only imagine shooting it in a large format like 4 x 3 inch. Quarter-MilerI counted 34 boxcars. Average boxcar length in 1940 was 40 feet. So adding the caboose and locomotive, this train would have been about 1440 feet long. And yet so hard to see unless you zoom in. How flat is it?It's so flat that on a clear day you can see the back of your own head. I know, I know --and you can see your dog run away for three days. Come winterThere's nothing between you and the North Pole but three rows of barbed wire. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Landscapes, Railroads)
Snappy Lunch: 1940
June 1940. "Main street of Mogollon, New Mexico. Second largest gold section in the state." Photo by Russell Lee for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2018 - 1:38pm -

June 1940. "Main street of Mogollon, New Mexico. Second largest gold section in the state." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Admin. View full size. Feeling hungry?My favorite Spaghetti Western, "My Name Is Nobody," filmed several scenes in Mogollon. One side story of the film was an abandoned gold mine that sprang back to life (albeit with stolen gold). One final point made by Henry Fonda's character: "When you're up to your nose in s**t, keep your mouth shut!" Mogollon TodayThe general store has been rebuilt, and the Snappy Lunch building is still there. Holland's General StoreIt seems Mogollon counted more than one General Store: Saturday nightsHiggins & Higgins looks as though it had more than its share of Saturday night bar fights. Nothing exceptionalJust regular meals. What, you think you're somebody special? An American Pastime: Target PracticeI wonder if that is brand new Texaco sign leaning against the railing, set to replace the bullet-riddled one currently in play. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Gas Stations, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Red Ryder: 1940
... Christi, Texas. "Small boy, son of carpenter from Hobbs, New Mexico, reading funny papers in corner of room in tourist court. Lack of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/19/2018 - 12:31pm -

December 1940. Corpus Christi, Texas. "Small boy, son of carpenter from Hobbs, New Mexico, reading funny papers in corner of room in tourist court. Lack of adequate closet space is evident." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Same old Christmas Story"No, Ralphie. You'll shoot your eye out." Like Christmas StoryHe'll shoot his eye out! Red Ryder Cowboy Carbine As Seen in "A Christmas Story"You'll shoot your eye out, kid. Shooting your eye outI have a sad shoot-your-eye-out story. The son of a guy I know shot his eye out with a BB gun and, as though that wasn’t bad enough, he received an insurance settlement which his parents gave to him, which made him rich in the short term, but messed up his ability to know the value of work and money, so really set him back in terms of being an employable adult. Fake NewsI still have my Red Ryder Carbine and haven't put my eye out yet. (The Gallery, Kids, Russell Lee)
Mystery 50s photo
... I'm pretty sure the Packard's license plate is not from New Mexico or Utah. It has an early 1950s California look to it. The color ... 
 
Posted by Lady Ashmire - 08/17/2012 - 8:14pm -

Judging from the other photos in the box with this, these people are either relatives or childhood/family friends of my mother, which would mean the pic was most likely taken in Salt Lake City or possibly Albuquerque, those being the two cities where she grew up. Unfortunately, those who would know for sure are no longer alive to tell me. I just found it an interesting pic, as you don't seem to see photos of less-prosperous-looking people in this time period very often, also I thought some Shorpyites might have fun trying to identify the various vehicles in the background. View full size. PackardThe most obvious car is a 1941 Packard. Given the two-tone paint, perhaps a taxi. The setting looks more like Albuquerque than Salt Lake City to me. Railroad crossing/street trackageWhat appears to be a flag on the building in the background (white or silver "X" on a black background) is actually a railroad crossing sign suspended on a wire over the street, indicating a track running in the cross street at that location. These signs were common in California cities where street trackage existed, and the buildings look like southern California to me, too. There was also a lot of street trackage in Salt Lake City, much less if any in Albuquerque to my knowledge. Not a TaxiYes, it is a 1941 Packard and it is a model 110 with a 6 cylinder 110 HP motor. You can tell because it has the smaller decorative trim in the center of the front bumper as opposed to the model 120 (8 cylinder - 120 HP)with a larger trim piece. The 160 and 180 models both had same front bumper and it was larger and distinctly different. Two-tone colors were popular with Packards back in 1941 and the offered six, different combinations that year. And I don't see any taxi trim. I own two 1941 Packards, one a 120 and the other a 160. License plate and locationI'm pretty sure the Packard's license plate is not from New Mexico or Utah. It has an early 1950s California look to it. The color (light on dark, probably yellow on black) fits 1950s California, but the number looks more like CA's 1940s pattern, except that in the 1940s the word "California" was above the numbers and on this plate it looks like the writing is below the numbers. To me, the setting looks more like southern California than either Albuquerque or Salt Lake City. Also, from the way they're dressed and the open car door, I'd guess that the girl is going somewhere but the woman isn't. [You're right, the design is that of the 1951 California plate, used through 1955 with a metal year tab attached at the lower right for renewals. There doesn't seem to be one here, so that would indicate a 1951-2 date for the photo. - tterrace] LocationI live in Albuquerque and can tell you the vegetation typically does not look like that here. The housing typology in the background is not characteristic in Albuquerque as far as I know, but it is a familiar typology of Oakland, CA. Sidewalks and power lines also look more like California to me. I found it!I was idly searching the "Oakland" tag here, and thanks to Estar108 mentioning "Oakland typology" I found this photo. I made an account to tell you that this is indeed North Oakland, Ruby Street at 40th Street. I used to walk by those apartment buildings across the street on my way home from work. Key System trains used to run down 40th Street. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Pie Town Garden: 1940
... and dugout home of Jack Whinery, homesteader at Pie Town, New Mexico. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency: Russell Lee. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 12:01pm -

September 1940. Garden and dugout home of Jack Whinery, homesteader at Pie Town, New Mexico. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency: Russell Lee. Tobacco?Are those plants with the big leaves tobacco? Re: Tobacco?yes those big plants are tobacco, the rest look like flowers. No food in this garden! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Pie Town, Rural America, Russell Lee)
An O.K. Store: 194x
... the courthouse," so this is Fourth Street in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. Though this Kodachrome slide was undated, others in the set had ... 
 
Posted by Vintagetvs - 01/22/2017 - 2:58pm -

Evaristo Gallegos' O.K. Store was "opposite the courthouse," so this is Fourth Street in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. Though this Kodachrome slide was undated, others in the set had handwritten dates in the mid-1940s. View full size. Date UncertainThe two 'modern' cars are a 1941 GM product (Pontiac, I think) and a Ford that could be anything from a '41 to a '48. It's still therehttps://goo.gl/maps/j1pMNnvc2cD2 and still owned by the Gallegos family. http://www.manta.com/c/mmfx2p9/o-k-clothiers car ID Black car with cream wheels:1934/1935 Chevrolet standard coach. Red replacement wheelI surprised that even the "new cars" look old and scruffy. Obligatory Auto IDLeft to right: 1934/35 Chevrolet 2dr sedan, 1941 Pontiac coupe, 1936 Cadillac (or maybe LaSalle) 4dr sedan, 194? Ford sedan, 1939 Chevrolet 2dr sedan. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Get Busy: 1942
... boxcars at gunpoint, shipped out of town and dumped in the New Mexico desert. [Bisbee! Cafe Roka! Will you adopt me? - Dave] ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/16/2014 - 10:47am -

December 1942. "Armed guard at a copper smelter of the Phelps-Dodge Mining Company at Morenci, Arizona. This plant is supplying great quantities of the copper so vital in our war effort." Oh, and: Merry Christmas! Photo by Fritz Henle for the Office of War Information. View full size. CarbineNo awkwardly long barrel for this guy; he'll let 'em get in close, and then he'll let 'em have it. Armed Guard?I thought it was just another James Arness photo. When I Say No LoafingI mean it! I'd be willing to bet there aren't any copper thieves hanging around, either! The Power of MiningHaving researched the history of Bisbee, the Southern Arizona mining town where I live, this image comes as no surprise. Up until the late 1950s, companies like Phelps Dodge pretty much ran this territory and did not take kindly to any interlopers or troublemakers. One good example would be the 1917 Bisbee Deportation, where scores of socialist mine workers (unionists) were herded into boxcars at gunpoint, shipped out of town and dumped in the New Mexico desert. [Bisbee! Cafe Roka! Will you adopt me? - Dave] (The Gallery, Christmas, Fritz Henle, Mining, WW2)
Chapel in the Sky: 1943
... Spring 1943. Church at Cerros [Cerro], near Costilla, New Mexico. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by John Collier. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 1:31pm -

Spring 1943. Church at Cerros [Cerro], near Costilla, New Mexico. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by John Collier. bothThe stucture probably served both purposes....church and school. Schoolhouse?Looks more like a church to me, with a steeple topped by a cross at the far end. [You're absolutely correct. Thanks! I should have blown this one up. Anyone familiar with where this is? - Dave] Cerro, NMThe actual town name is Cerro, not Cerros. It's in Taos county just south of the Colorado border. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, John Collier, Landscapes)
South by Southwest: 1938
June 1938. "Railroad tracks in Southwestern New Mexico." 4x5 nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/04/2015 - 11:22am -

June 1938. "Railroad tracks in Southwestern New Mexico." 4x5 nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. To Quote Buzz Aldrin"Magnificent Desolation." What an amazing photo! I love it. What's Amazing isThat before the day is out, someone will have identified this stretch of track and have a Google shot from the same bridge this picture was taken from. Highway HypnosisWatch out for that sharp curve ahead! Pioneer dismayImagine cresting a hill in a covered wagon and seeing that view sans railroad. You've got to hand it to the people who settled the West. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Landscapes, Railroads)
Pie Town Barbecue: 1940
... Barbecue dinner at the Catron County Fair at Pie Town, New Mexico. View full size. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 5:29pm -

September 1940. Barbecue dinner at the Catron County Fair at Pie Town, New Mexico. View full size. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee. Kodachrome...I still find it stunning to see a photo of this vintage with such incredible color. I don't know when Kodachrome was first introduced but it must have knocked people's socks off! No wonder Paul Simon wrote that song. [Circa 1935. Kodachrome is a transparency film (positive as opposed to negative - the image has to be projected or backlit for viewing), so was not used much for making photographic prints (snapshots), but was widely used for color separations in publishing. Before slide projectors got popular, the public's main exposure to Kodachrome was color pictures in magazines. One of the first to use it in a big way was National Geographic. - Dave] BBQAwesome image. Everyone is just going about their business and nobody notices they are being photographed. It's like the photographer was completely invisible. Kind of odd that there are no tables or chairs or benches anywhere. It looks very ad hoc. [How can we tell from just one photo that there are "no tables or chairs or benches anywhere"? They're here. And here. - Dave] (The Gallery, Pie Town, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Laguna Coaling Station: 1943
... Santa Fe R.R. train stopping for coal and water at Laguna, New Mexico. March 1943. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/02/2008 - 1:18pm -

Santa Fe R.R. train stopping for coal and water at Laguna, New Mexico. March 1943. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. Looks pretty like a HDRLooks pretty like a HDR image HDR?What great picture, with snow in the desert, what's HDR stand for? [HDR = High Dynamic Range imaging. - Dave] (Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Landscapes, Railroads)
War Camp: 1918
... when Oklahoma,(46th) was admitted to the union. Then New Mexico and Arizona, (47 & 48th) were admitted in 1912. Victrola ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2008 - 2:10am -

June 22, 1918. "War Camp Canteen." Sailors and Victrola, location unknown. View full size. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. bad sailorHowever, if this an EM club...maybe he is just his units answer to the rebel in us all........... the Chief ain't here, so I'm baaadd! 45 star flag?Odd that there is a 45 star flag on the wall if this is supposed to be 1918. That flag was valid up until Nov-1907 when Oklahoma,(46th) was admitted to the union. Then New Mexico and Arizona, (47 & 48th) were admitted in 1912. Victrola from 1915 or laterAccording to the Victor-Victrola page (http://www.victor-victrola.com/IX.htm) this model, VV-IX with feet, wasn't built until 1915. Are you serious?Tell ya what: back in the day, when I was a sailor sportin' the "cracker jack," that neckerchief knot had to be right at the V of the jumper; or else! :) The sailor on the right, in the dress blues, is a bit more squared away. Denny Gill Chugiak, Alaska (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, WWI)
Mixmistress Mutz: 1943
February 1943. Moreno Valley, Colfax County, New Mexico. "George Mutz's youngest daughter helping with the cooking." Not ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/12/2014 - 2:20pm -

February 1943. Moreno Valley, Colfax County, New Mexico. "George Mutz's youngest daughter helping with the cooking." Not quite the Miracle Kitchen, but it'll do. Photo by John Collier, Office of War Information. View full size. Peanut Butter CookiesI see flour and what might a be peanut butter jar. Could the young Muntz girl be making peanut butter cookies? I bet they'd be good. KitchensI'll choose Priceless over Miracle! RingletsTo get those ringlets, you'd sleep with curls tied with rags. TinaI believe her name is Tina and that she currently lives in Wisconsin. When the 1940 census was taken, George Mutz was working as a forest ranger in Arizona with his English wife Alice and their five children. However, after patriarch of the Mutz family and owner of the Mutz ranch (Herman Mutz) died that summer, it was not long before George returned home to Moreno Valley with his family. What is odd about John Collier's many photographs of the George Mutz family is that several (including this one https://www.shorpy.com/node/17127) identify a mature teenager as Mary, rather than as either of Tina's two older sisters, Virginia Fern (then 18) and Helen Rose (then 17). Virginia became one of Wisconsin's first female veterinarians and a civic leader in her state and community, and Helen became a public-health professional at Fresno State and Cal-Berkeley. I can find no record of a member of the extended Mutz family named Mary (aside from the captions on Collier's photos). (The Gallery, John Collier, Kids, Kitchens etc.)
Eastbound Freight: 1943
... on the Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo and Clovis, New Mexico." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/13/2015 - 11:21am -

March 1943. "Parmerton, Texas. Passing an eastbound freight on the Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo and Clovis, New Mexico." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Safety firstThe train we are "riding" is on the siding, and most likely not moving here. The man down the track, and probably another on the other side, is watching the moving freight on the left for any signs of equipment dragging or hot bearing journals. When the train passes, and they get clear, they will return to the caboose and proceed. Boxcar cabooseLooks like one of the wartime emergency cabooses the Santa Fe converted from wooden boxcars. Here's a little closer look at one: Caboose bench seatsWhen or why would some need the bench seats on top of the caboose? Caboose benchesThe benches are on the roof of the caboose for the same reason that there are benches in the cupola of the caboose from which Mr. Delano snapped this picture. They are there to provide a place for the rear trainman to ride where he can see the train ahead to inspect for signs of problems: derailment, shifted loads, smoke, etc. Also, to pass signals to the engineer (remember, no radios at this time in RR service). Though most cabooses had a rooftop cupola, or side view bay windows, for protection from the elements, in the rush to press cars into service during the war some roads didn't bother to enclose the seats. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Two Tribes: 1925
... Miss Meleta Chavez. Office of Congressman John Morrow of New Mexico." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/21/2011 - 4:35pm -

November 12, 1925. Washington, D.C. "John Ayers, Chief of Weeminuche tribe of Ute, and Miss Meleta Chavez. Office of Congressman John Morrow of New Mexico." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. As my father used to say:Jeez, look at the canal boats on that one. A study in contrastNote the parallel contrast between the weathered, world-worn condition of their shoes and faces. Satin vs. leathery. Nice shot. PityI would love to have seen this in color. I'll bet his blanket (shawl, poncho, etc.) was fantastic! What is the white object in her hand?What is the white object in her hand? [The furry hide of Objectus albinus. - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Pie Town BBQ: 1940
... and his children eating barbeque at the Pie Town, New Mexico Fair." Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2011 - 5:17pm -

September 1940. "Homesteader and his children eating barbeque at the Pie Town, New Mexico Fair." Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee. View full size. ColeslawSweet photo. I think the little boy in the middle is saying to the man, "I'll take your coleslaw if you don't want it. I love coleslaw." eating on the groundyou can tell this was before the days of the FIRE ANT! jpf (The Gallery, Kids, Pie Town, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Broadcast: 1943
... from his parish house broadcasting station in Questa, New Mexico. Photograph by John Collier, 1943. View full size. re: Gear ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 09/08/2011 - 1:25pm -

Father Smith broadcasting a news release in Spanish from his parish house broadcasting station in Questa, New Mexico. Photograph by John Collier, 1943. View full size. re: GearI love the dog. I wish the photographer hadn't cut him in half. GearBesides the Zenith console and the turntable atop it, I also see a car radio (top shelf, with a side panel missing) and what might be a wire recorder to the padre's right. Car batteries under the table may have been a backup or may have powered a transmitter directly. And course the faithful dawg on the rug. PastorI wonder if he's still around today, & what he would think of our communication capabilities today. How could they cut off the DOG?My first response was WHAT'S THAT UNDER HIS CHAIR? Nowadays, the animal would be featured, and the person would be an afterthought! (The Gallery, John Collier)
Death's Door: 1940
July 1940. "Entrance to the cemetery at Penasco, New Mexico." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/28/2020 - 12:32pm -

July 1940. "Entrance to the cemetery at Penasco, New Mexico." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Knockin' on Heaven's DoorThis black-and-white, somewhat stark image reminds me of the type of photo you'd see from Ansel Adams. Rio Lucio CemeteryDoors are gone, so it's easier for everyone to, uh, get in. Not that farI don't know the area, but Google Maps says this photo was taken only 35 miles from Hernandez N.M., where Ansel made his most famous photo ("Moonrise"). Twilight zoneI keep expecting to see Rod Sterling stroll on camera. (The Gallery, Rural America, Russell Lee)
In-Boxes: 1940
April 1940. "Mailboxes in Catron County, New Mexico." View full size. Medium format safety negative by Russell Lee ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 4:13pm -

April 1940. "Mailboxes in Catron County, New Mexico." View full size. Medium format safety negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. MailboxesMaybe the Huttons kept a dog in the lower box to fetch the mail back to the farmhouse. Strange paradeWhat a strange parade of surreal mail boxes. And what a gorgeous photo. Just look at those clouds! (The Gallery, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Grunge Band: 1940
... "Farmer, his wife, and brother in close harmony. Pie Town, New Mexico." Nitty, Gritty and Pretty. Medium format negative by Russell Lee ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2018 - 11:26am -

June 1940. "Farmer, his wife, and brother in close harmony. Pie Town, New Mexico." Nitty, Gritty and Pretty. Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. This land is your land --Woody Guthrie would so enjoy this photo. I wish we could hear it. Music makingI really love the old photos of people making their own music at home. I kind of wish that was a more common thing in today's world! This land is your land --I can see Woody Guthrie sitting down and singing along. Pie TownShorpy has taken us here before. I see there's still no laundromat. [These people didn't have indoor plumbing or electricity, either. - Dave] (The Gallery, Music, Pie Town, Russell Lee)
Long Train Going: 1943
... Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo, Texas, and Clovis, New Mexico." One of hundreds of photos documenting Jack Delano's trip from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/20/2013 - 1:46pm -

March 1943. "Canyon, Texas. Approaching the town on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad between Amarillo, Texas, and Clovis, New Mexico." One of hundreds of photos documenting Jack Delano's trip from Chicago to California on a Santa Fe freight for the Office of War Information. View full size. A Cold DayThe the length and contrast of the plume produced by the steam locomotive up ahead indicates it's a cold day in Texas. The picture appears to have been taken hanging out the window of the caboose cupola. I'll bet the crew was happy when he closed that window upstairs, letting all the heat out! I would love to have made this trip. That so much wood is in sight ahead is interesting for many unfamiliar with railroads of the era. We often think of metal and railroads, but even in the mid-1940s, wood was still used extensively for boxcar sheathing. Reefer cars (note upward protruding latch for the ice hatch) like the one just in front of the caboose the photographer is riding in were still almost exclusively wood-sheathed to help reduce heat transmission. The war had a lot to do with what could be seen along the nation's railroad lines, too, in terms of construction materials. Some "war emergency" cars were produced, framed with steel as before, but using wood sheathing for the sides instead of steel, which went to the war effort. Virtually every car the could be pressed into service was repaired and operated. Thus many older cars continued in service when they otherwise would have been scrapped and replace by new. The effects of the Great Depression also contributed, since many railroad held off ordering new equipment, then found themselves handling greatly expanded war traffic while the equipment order they might have placed just before the war was set-aside until victory. It was a good thing, but FDR's relatively limited attempts at economic recovery never really lifted economic activity enough to escape the Great Depression. It was the war itself, with its huge economic stimulus, that finally ended the Great Depression. A lesson about holding off on economic stimulus and austerity budgets that should needs to be emphasized as we struggle into the 6th year of the Great Recession. That's also why there's still a lot of wood in sight along the iron road. Still hauling freight.This curve appears to be about 3 miles north of the center of Canyon, TX and about a mile south of present day Interstate 27. After Canyon the track turns southwest toward Clovis, NM and continues westward toward Albuquerque and Los Angeles. Since the early 20th century this track has been part of the Santa Fe Railroad's(now BNSF)Southern Transcon route between Chicago and Los Angeles. These days you'll see a lot of inter-modal(container) trains on high-priority schedules with transit time from Chicago to Los Angeles in the neighborhood of 55 hours. Are those passenger cars?It looks like there might be a block of about 8 passenger cars deadheading in the freight train, just to the left of the signal. Not unheard of, but I would think unusual in view of the shortage of passenger equipment during the war. Or maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me, which would not be unheard of either. Yeah, they might be passenger carsHard to tell but they sure don't look like freight cars. Could be a repositioning move of troop cars from one base to another. Clovis had some WWII bases near it as I'm sure other towns down the line did. What I'd like to know is what kind of locomotive was pulling them. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Kirk Douglas: 1916-2020
... chair, on set during the filming of Ace in the Hole, New Mexico." 35mm color transparency by Charles and Ray Eames. View full ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/05/2020 - 8:17pm -

        Kirk Douglas, one of the last surviving movie stars from Hollywood’s golden age, whose rugged good looks and muscular intensity made him a commanding presence in celebrated films like “Lust for Life,” “Spartacus” and “Paths of Glory,” died on Wednesday at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 103. — New York Times 1950. "Actor Kirk Douglas, half-length portrait, seated in chair, on set during the filming of Ace in the Hole, New Mexico." 35mm color transparency by Charles and Ray Eames. View full size. Ace in the HoleAn interesting and offbeat movie, one of the best starring Kirk Douglas. RIP Cynical newspaper hackIn a pleasant coincidence, there is an article in The Guardian today by Vanessa Thorpe arguing that the finest role by Kirk Douglas was as the “cynical newspaper hack” in this movie. She writes: “Ace in the Hole, directed by the masterful Billy Wilder, creator of Sunset Boulevard and Double Indemnity, swiftly becomes a blistering portrayal of the dynamics of what we now call ‘a media circus’. Inspired by the real-life press feeding frenzy that sprang up in 1925 when a man called Floyd Collins was trapped in a Kentucky cave, the plot has Tatum (Chuck Tatum, “the restless and unprincipled reporter played by Kirk Douglas in the 1951 Hollywood classic”) taking control of the scene of a mining disaster and working it to his own ends. Quickly establishing himself inside the filling station run by a trapped man’s wife, the newshound twists the facts to suit his tale and shows no visible pangs of guilt. ‘I’ve met a lotta hard-boiled eggs in my life, but you, you’re 20 minutes,’ the wife tells Tatum in grudging awe.” They happen in threesWe also just lost Orson Bean (2/7/20) and Robert Conrad (2/8/20). Classic tv and movies will never be the same again. (Kodachromes, Charles & Ray Eames, Movies)
Forbes Field: 1910
... of the U.S. In 1912, with the admission of Arizona and New Mexico, it was time to upgrade to a new 48-star flag. Flag at half ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/10/2018 - 10:00am -

Circa 1910. "Forbes Field, Pittsburgh." A continuation of this image. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Childhood memory We lived in Pittsburgh in the late '50s to 1961 and my dad took me to one game around 1960. We were middle deck, closer to home plate than first base. I remember tossing peanut shells over the rail. Almost 60 years later I sometimes think about that experience. WowI dare say that's prettier than even Wrigley Field. Sure, getting rid of those support posts will make the view better, but that's just beautiful. Love the gallery on top! Gonna need a new flagThat's a 46-star American flag, which lasted only four years as the official flag of the U.S. In 1912, with the admission of Arizona and New Mexico, it was time to upgrade to a new 48-star flag. Flag at half staffAny ideas regarding the reason the flag is at half staff? Memorial Day perhaps? I attended many games here in the 60s. We rode a streetcar to Oakland and sat in the right field stands to get a view of Roberto Clemente. When the home team ran out at the start of an inning, we would yell, "Hey, Clemente!" He would look up and every kid was sure he was looking right at them. Part of Forbes Field still stands, a section of the outfield wall where Bill Mazeroski's "walk-off" homerun left the stadium in 1960. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/forbes-field-wall (The Gallery, DPC, Pittsburgh, Sports)
Westbound Freight: 1943
... Fe R.R. westbound freight stopping for water at Melrose, New Mexico. View full size. Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. This is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 9:30am -

Santa Fe R.R. westbound freight stopping for water at Melrose, New Mexico. View full size. Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. This is one of about a thousand pictures Jack took for the Office of War Information in March 1943, riding a freight from Chicago to California. Most of them were in black-and-white. He used a Graflex Speed Graphic press camera that took 4x5 inch film. Jack DelanoI hope we can see all of Jack's pictures he took from Chicago to LA (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Troop Train: 1943
March 1943. "Grants, New Mexico. Passing a troop train stopping for coal and water on the Atchison, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/17/2014 - 6:55am -

March 1943. "Grants, New Mexico. Passing a troop train stopping for coal and water on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe between Belen and Gallup." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Long & grubby!I tried to count the number of cars, but I got to about 20 and gave up. That's a lot of train! I can't tell, but these might be mostly "heavy-weight" cars with 6 wheel trucks. I wonder, if they were double headed with 2 steam locomotives on the head end? These passenger cars were kept busy. There would have been a lot troops going in both directions; east to the European Theater and west to the Pacific Theater. I would imagine the cars arrived, were quickly cleaned and turned around with another load of military personnel in the other direction. Just about all troops and materiel moved by rail in WWII. Thanks to Jack Delano for another great railroad photo! Hell on WheelsBy all historical accounts, Troop Trains were hell on wheels for the soldiers inside them. The trains were typically packed to the gills with soldiers, and more often than not lacked air conditioning. Railroads pressed their older heavy-weight and light-weight stock into service for the soldiers, while the more modern streamlined rolling stock was used for passengers. To add insult to injury, so to speak, soldiers were flat out forbidden from leaving the trains until they reached their final destination. One account comes to mind, when FDR's son (while en route to a troop transport) and his train came to a stop outside Toccoa Georgia, while on the Central of Georgia Railway. The train needed to stop for a crew change, as well as to refill the water tank on the tender, and take on coal. What's more, the train had to wait for a following passenger train to overtake it. (Troop trains were considered "second class" trains, with passengers being "first class.") Toccoa's history museum recounts testimony from citizens that the train sat in the sweltering Georgia heat for close to three hours while the locomotive was serviced, and the passenger train overtook it. During that time, armed guards at the doors prevented anyone from leaving, or getting aboard. The soldiers themselves traded what little money they had to passengers out the windows, for sundry items like coca-colas, and water. This however was discouraged, with guards often shooing away the civilians. The civilians proved smarter than the guards might have expected, with groups taking up positions on either side of the train, so while one group might be run off, the second group continued on business as usual. Eventually, the guards themselves simply gave up, and allowed the trading to continue. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads, WW2)
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