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Two Kinds of Cute: 1951
... this house that was covered with the things. (Seen here in 1955.) It's a Shame As mentioned in a post for another one of this ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 12:46pm -

"1951." The boy and his dog, along with a radioactive lawn ornament. From a box of 35mm Kodachrome slides found last month on eBay. View full size.
AsbestosI still have these on my house - they were installed in 1938.  They're perfectly harmless as long as you leave them alone.
CollectibleWhoopi Goldberg might pay good money for that thing; she's a notable collector of such items.
Hard to chooseThe three featured items in this slide have their own contest going in which one wins the "Awww" factor first prize but I think the puppy has it, hands down.  The boy is a photogenic "natural" and his joy holding his new, round-bellied puppy comes across clearly which is endearing while the African-American lawn ornament also presents itself as a nostalgic decoration that is just plain adorable.  If I were the "cuteness" judge though, I'd have to go with the puppy due to his irresistible demeanor.
["Inoffensive," unless you happen to be offended by it. - Dave] 
You are correct Dave, I apologize and have removed that word.
Missing poleMy grandparents had that same lawn statue so I know that the man is fishing. The fishing pole is supposed to mount in the center just behind his knees where there is a hole for it. Maybe the fish stole the hook, line, pole and sinker from this guy lol.
Mom's favorite colorI would guess it's Yellow!
"Radioactive" lawn ornament?Don't forget to mention the carcinogenous asbestos shingles. A dangerous world and we didn't know it.
Let sleeping fibers lieThe carcinogens in the old asbestos shingles are very immobile, and pretty much harmless, as long as you leave them be. The moment you cut or drill them, there's a problem. If you need to remove them, you're in luck as long as they are held in by smooth nails. You can probably just pry them off without liberating much dust. They have done their job for more than half a century, and can do it for a bit longer.
If I had asbestos shingles on the front of my house, I'd leave them there. They're a lot more harmless than the particular mentality that created the lawn ornament.
Asbestos shinglesI spent the first 34 years of my life in this house that was covered with the things. (Seen here in 1955.)
It's a ShameAs mentioned in a post for another one of this "blond-headed boy" series of slides, it's unfortunate that a family member does not have access to these great images. Unlike prints, it seems that multiple sets of slides were not common, since the film used became the slide to make dups required extra cost, and most people did not see the need to spend the money...just gather the family around the slide projector at the next party!
Asbestos shinglesDown here in Louisiana plenty of homes sported these shingles in the 30's and 40's.  Our family business was covered with white ones.  Light green was popular down here too.  Most carpenters of the day had the correct tools to work with the tiles.  Hole were punched not drilled using a special hole punch specifically for asbestos tiles.  Instead of sawing the tiles there was a huge iron "guillotine " type press that shortened the tile.  By the 80's it was impossible to get any more for repairs. 
(Dogs, Kids, Michigan Kodachromes)

Parlor Garden: 1937
... Minnesota. Yoopers are tough! Marie Perry died in 1955. She has a link on Findagrave . There's a link on there to her ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/15/2015 - 3:21pm -

May 1937. "Mrs. Herman Perry in her home at Mansfield, Michigan. She is the wife of an old-time iron miner who worked in the mines before they were abandoned." Photo by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.
Remembrance Card?I'm guessing that is a remembrance card under the baby photo on the wall.
Re: The same age?!I, too, was amazed to see that this old woman with the bun and thick ankles and granny shoes is the same age as my dear wife.  When I pointed this out to her, I was lucky to escape with just a mild chiding.
Patterns Galore!Patterns Galore!
Yet, we imagine these old photos depict a less complicated time.  
Interior DesignI think she would have gotten along very well with the Tuttles of Minnesota.
Yoopers are tough!Marie Perry died in 1955.  She has a link on Findagrave. There's a link on there to her husband, Herman, who lived to age 90.  
Tomato plants?Are those tomato plants in tin cans outside the curtains? And can identify a Christmas cactus, mother in law tongue and a poor ivy in the window?  There's a lily but I can't identify it...amaryllis ?
CurtainsWhat my cats would do to those curtains.
An excellent homemakerEverything neatly in place, and what a green thumb she has.
The same age?!This woman in the picture and I are roughly the same age now( but I would've' sworn she was in her mid-late sixties here) I have had the same bafflement in looking at old pictures of my grandmother in the same time era (late 30's) when she was even younger than me-and she also looked about 10 years older!  (those buns,frumpy dresses and odd shoes REALLY didn't help, sorry ladies)
Grannies Didn't Wear Spike HeelsMy long-departed grandmother wore such shoes for at least the 30 years I knew her.  Her preferred brand was Natural Bridge, which presumably afforded good arch support.
Standing 5'10" and weighing in at around 210 lbs., she was obviously not a candidate for platform wedgies.  Under today's relaxed standards, women of a certain age seem to favor something by Reebok or Nike with their mall-walker suits.  Certainly, even fashion doyennes among the over-60 crowd seem to abjure Jimmy Choos.
Such informality would not have done for Granny, however.  She belonged to the generation that donned gloves, hat, and furs to go out for the mail.
Home EntertainmentNearly hidden behind the potted plant is a brand new 1937 model year Zenith 5-S-127 radio.  These were about $40 new, but due to their attractive cabinets and big black dial, are considerably more valuable today.
Radio valueI was surprised to find that by Purchasing Power, or Standard of Living adjustment, $40 in 1937 would be worth $649 in 2014, while one like this recently sold on eBay for $650. Pretty well at par!
(The Gallery, Russell Lee)

West Side Story: 1959
... taken in the San Juan Hill neighborhood, bulldozed between 1955 and 1969 to make way for Lincoln Center. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/18/2021 - 11:37am -

September 15, 1959. "Photos show 14-year-old José Rivera, a Puerto Rican immigrant, his friends, family and neighborhood on New York City's Upper West Side; playing stickball on street; on streets during day and night; playing pool and basketball at a community center; making boxes in a pizza parlor; at church; with family in their apartment." 35mm negative by Paul Fusco for the Look magazine assignment "The Real West Side Story." View full size.
Well technically speakingPuerto Ricans aren't immigrants per se. They are United States citizens. They gained that right on March 2, 1917.
Freewheelin'I was immediately reminded of this iconic album from my youth. 
Take your placesI could not find this street so I asked someone knowledgeable. He responded: None of the buildings on that block look familiar. Given that this was an article about Puerto Ricans on the Upper West Side and the connection to "West Side Story," I would wager that this was taken in the San Juan Hill neighborhood, bulldozed between 1955 and 1969 to make way for Lincoln Center.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Kids, LOOK, NYC)

Allwite Morning: 1942
... along with the rest of the Third Avenue El in Manhattan in 1955. It wasn't needed anymore, as people soon would be able to ride a modern ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/28/2014 - 12:25pm -

September 1942. "New York. Third Avenue elevated railway station in the Seventies at 8:30 a.m." America's Favorite at the "Guess It" scales. Photo by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Same as it ever wasThere is still a hardware store at 1573 Third Avenue.
Wankel Hardware - since 1896.
Wankel's hardware"The same family since 1896" http://www.wankelshardware.com/
Next stopThe sign on the opposite platform suggests that this isn't in the 70s, but is instead the 89th St. station.
[More like 83rd. -tterrace]
It's a bit blurry & might look like "83rd," but I don't think that's right, for 2 reasons. First, 1573 Third Ave (Wankel's Hardware) is between 88th & 89th. Second, there wasn't an 83rd St stop, but there was one at 89th.
89th Street stationIt's the 89th Street station, looking south from the downtown platform.  If it weren't for the people on the platform blocking the view we'd be able to see the platforms of the 84th Street station a bit further down the line.  There aren't a lot of photos of 89th Street online, here are a few:
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/showpix?nsta=311146
No, the steam locomotive in the last photo is not a mistake; the Third Avenue El used steam traction for the first few decades after it opened in 1878.
89th Street closed along with the rest of the Third Avenue El in Manhattan in 1955.  It wasn't needed anymore, as people soon would be able to ride a modern subway a block away on Second Avenue, and ... oh wait.
BlackoutSince the United States had entered World War II by this date, I assume the lightbulbs in the overhead fixtures were special blackout bulbs that only allowed a small amount of light to be directed downward. There is a story here about these lightbulbs.
A Finer, Richer WhiteCleans and Makes All White Shoes WHITER!
I see others found the locationbut I think it deserves a current pic.  That hardware store is beautifully painted. 
View Larger Map
I should have been born earlierI admire how stylish women in the 40's were!
Shorpy brings me home!That is definitely the corner of Third Avenue and East 89th Street -- I lived about 50 yards west of that spot for several years.
I always marveled to imagine the long-gone elevated station and how different my corner used to look.
Wankel's Hardware is a neighborhood mainstay that maintains a wonderful commitment to hiring developmentally challenged people. In a city where many "hardware" stores really aren't, I always valued having it nearby. I'm glad to see the store getting a little moment in the long-ago sun on Shorpy.
1950sBefore I was born, in the 1950s, my dad owned a restaurant under the 3rd Ave El line, I believe it was the 76th Station on one of the corners. I saw a photo of the store front once among the large photo collection of my parents. I need to go through the photos one day soon to see whether the photograph is noteworthy enough to share.
(The Gallery, Marjory Collins, NYC, Railroads)

Dreamboat: 1949
... front-end treatment, I seem to see the influence of the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car. Looks swell. [The Futura influenced the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/30/2020 - 3:59pm -

"1949 Mercury Eight convertible coupe." A golden Forty-Niner if there ever was one. Color transparency from the Ford Motor Co. photographic archives. View full size.
Bermuda CreamIs the actual paint name for this golden oldie.
If I had a dollar; tell you what I'd do!Go downtown; buy a Mercury or two!!!
She's crazy 'bout a Mercury!"Well my baby went out, she didn't stay long.
Bought herself a mercury, come a cruisin' home.
Hey now mama you look so fine, ridin' round in your mercury 49.
She's crazy 'bout a mercury".....
*Thank you Alan Jackson
If it ain't broke --For my taste, the '49 has an elegant simplicity that looks good even 70 years later. It's interesting to watch how the design changed year by year. By 1956, a similar Mercury was a very different car: loud and busy to my eye, but you may think otherwise.
Ah, something new has been added!Dave, what can you tell us about this collection?  Is it a collection that's available online, for public view?  I ran a Google search on "Ford Motor Co. photographic archives", but all I found are things like a Facebook page of mostly old Ford of England pictures, and the collections of The Henry Ford Museum.  So, not anything that looks like this collection.
[Click here. - Dave]
Oh, *that* site.  I didn't realize it was the Ford media site.  I've visited there before, but it was years ago (maybe ten or more years).  I'll have to go poke around there.  Thanks Dave.
Second half of the 1940sA time of extreme class and sophistication in the US.
Wonderful series!Thanks, Dave, for these old Ford photos. I'm enjoying this series so much! 
I'm guessing these were medium-format Kodachromes?
[Or Ektachromes. - Dave]
Thanks, also, to Sewickley for posting this photo of the '56 Merc. I love this car. Especially in the front-end treatment, I seem to see the influence of the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car. Looks swell.
[The Futura influenced the 1956-57 Lincolns. - Dave]
JellybeanEither that or a land slug.  But still very beautiful.
Pearls are optionalThe 1949 Mercury Eight convertible coupe was the first and last American automobile that featured a steering wheel mounted on the inside of the passenger door.
In Reply to KapAnd I bet you will find models like this still in drive-able condition in Cuba!
(Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Pretty Girls)

Rob & Laura & Millie & Jerry: 1963
... or in character were dirigeur. Jerry Paris In the 1955 Film "Marty", Jerry Paris played Tommy, Marty's cousin, a key character ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/02/2013 - 10:30am -

Continuing the Rob & Laurathon: Dick Van Dyke, Ann Morgan Guilbert, Mary Tyler Moore and poor Jerry Paris, who had only two names, on the set of The Dick Van Dyke Show sometime in 1963. From a series of photos by Earl Theisen that were used to illustrate the article "America's Favorite TV Wife" in the April 21, 1964, issue of Look magazine. View full size.
AshtraysI don't remember anyone actually smoking but they had the ashtrays if needed.
(Was there smoking ever shown?)
[Quite a lot, early on. - Dave]
UncreditedIsn't that Carl Reiner at center frame, wearing the cardigan?
[Jerry Paris. -tterrace]
Re: SmokingLaura smoked a cigarette in at least one episode.   Rob smoked more frequently,  though still rarely in the episode.   Some of the guests smoked during the frequent parties,  and in at least one episode a guest lit up at the table signifying the end of the meal. 
What you don't see are the interstitial ads where cast members smoked as a commercial.   Remember,  the show was originally partly sponsored,  by a cigarette maker.   Ads showing the stars smoking either between takes or in character were dirigeur. 
Jerry Paris In the 1955 Film "Marty",  Jerry Paris played Tommy, Marty's cousin, a key character in the story. The Film won 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Screenplay. It was originally written as a 1953 TV Drama by Paddy Chayefsky and shown on the Philco-Goodyear TV Playhouse. 
Dates asideWhichever dates are correct, the episode really is "My Part Time Wife". Laura is typing recipes to impress Rob, in hopes he will hire her as a temporary typist.
TapeNote the small bits of tape on the floor which helped the actors to know where to stop during a scene that required movement.   Interesting shot.
Got a light?Ash trays on the coffee table, in a family sitcom.  In 50 years a lot of things change.
Additional informationThis and the previous Dick Van Dyke Show photograph depict scenes being shot for the episode "My Part-Time Wife." The filming date was January 14, 1964. The episode's air date was February 26, 1964.
[The Library of Congress says these images were added to Look's photo library on December 2, 1963. Dave]
Cigarette adsRGMBill is right about the cigarette ads featuring DVD cast members.  I was born in 1963, so I only remember watching the show in syndication, which never showed these ads, but a quick search of Youtube brings up a plethora of Kent commercials featuring most of the cast members lighting up.  
While shocking to modern sensibilities, even Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble puffed away for their sponsor, Winston.
(LOOK, TV)

New York World: 1905
... Gone The New York World Building was demolished in 1955 for the expanded car ramp entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. The newspaper ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 5:47pm -

Circa 1905. "City Hall and New York World building." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
World Building in early movie SpeedyI used this photo of the World Building, and another great Library of Congress view of the New York skyline, to identify all of the New York skyscrapers appearing in this opening shot from Harold Lloyd’s final silent comedy Speedy, filmed on location in New York during the summer of 1927.  Here’s how the World Building appears in my book Silent Visions, and how it appears (marked with an oval) in the movie.  
You can see more vintage New York settings from the movie at my blog http://SilentLocations.WordPress.com
GoneThe New York World Building was demolished in 1955 for the expanded car ramp entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. The newspaper folded in 1931 after being sold by the heirs of Joseph Pulitzer.
Weird Coincidence!I was just checking out John Bengtson's Silent Locations web site yesterday, connected via Leonard Maltin's recommendation. Well worth checking out by all the Shorpy fans, and no, I received nothing for this endorsement!
HA!Excellent!
George B. PostThe New York World Building was one of the finest efforts of George B. Post, sometimes known as the father of the New York skyscraper. This building was built using a conservative variant of skeleton frame construction known as "cage construction." In this technique, the exterior  facade walls are self-supporting, but the floors and the interior structure are carried on an iron framework built right next to the exterior masonry walls. The World Building made a rather questionable claim for the title of the world's tallest building, topping out at 309 feet, but that number was valid only when measured from the back door down the hill on Frankfort Street (a full story lower than the front door facing Park Row) to the top of the flagpole. The Masonic Temple in Chicago -- seen here last year on Shorpy -- had a much better claim at 302 feet. As for the critical reception of the World Building in the architectural press, the less said the better.
Classical The New York World building is incredible.  It stretches the limits of "classical" to its virtual breaking point; imagine if it had been as tall as the Empire State building.  The mind reels at the implications.  Please tell us that it is still there.
Magnificent AtlantesThose are the male supporting figures near the top of the building. They are also called telemones. Both new words to me. The female version btw is caryatids.
The World in colorThe photo below was taken by Charles W. Cushman in June 1941: The entire Cushman collection of Kodachromes from all over the world over 32 years (from 1938 to 1969) can be seen on the Indiana University Archives site.
(The Gallery, DPC, NYC)

Black Belt Barber: 1941
... "permanent". I did this up to about age 16 (that would be 1955). Stocking Cap... Black men wore (and still do) wear tight elastic ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 2:16pm -

April 1941. South Side Chicago. "Barber shop in the Black Belt." View full size. 35mm safety negative by Edwin Rosskam for the Farm Security Administration.
"Specailize"?Hair "cuting"?  Ouch.  I hope they didn't pay that sign painter too much!
[Long hair? So not cute. "Hey barber. Cute my 'do." - Dave]
SpellingThey also missed with "straightner."
Stocking CapAppears that the barber is wearing a stocking cap. These were made from a woman's stocking, usually worn overnight for the purpose of setting a day-long "permanent". I did this up to about age 16 (that would be 1955).
Stocking Cap...Black men wore (and still do) wear tight elastic caps to set tight, close waves in their hair.  "Conking," or perming the hair straight and then keeping it together for a night out, was done with a "do-rag," which is a bit different.  
In his autobiography, Malcolm X talks about the pain of those crude perming chemicals burning his scalp, and what can go wrong when you start the process only to find your pipes frozen and no water flowing to wash that stuff out!
And yeah, I wore a stocking cap too until I was about 20... Great photo.
Do RagsWas there a name for the knit do rags that were open on top? There is no information whatsoever about these on the web, or not that I have found.
[That's a stocking cap. - Dave]
(The Gallery, Chicago, Edwin Rosskam, Stores & Markets)

Traffic Division: 1956
... headlights molded into the fenders appeared only in the 1955 model; 1954 and prior had separate headlights. In 1956 the MGA was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/02/2016 - 2:22pm -

Oakland, Calif., circa 1956. "Traffic Division first aid." This holiday weekend, let's be careful out there! 4x5 negative from the News Photo Archive. View full size.
Rack & Pinion SteeringSomething that wouldn't appear on American cars for several more decades.
MG TF Midget.The car is a pre-mid-1954 MG-TF. From mid-1954, the MG TF had a 1500 cc engine, which was denoted by a cream background enamel nameplate on both sides of the bonnet, placed just to the rear of the forward bonnet-release buttons. The plate is missing here and there are no holes from it having dropped off, as parts on British cars of this era tend to do. Trust me, I own one.
Ouch, indeedMy dad had a 1951 MG TD and a 1954 MG TF at one time when I was a kid. Nice rides and sure wish I had them back now.
Saw one of those get wrecked in 1977I was cruising Speedway Boulevard in Tucson with some hot-rod friends in 1977 when we saw a 1952 MG TD that had just gotten crunched in a hot-rod accident. The owner was unhurt, but very sad. 
Don't see many of them on the road these days. Too scarce to risk it. 
We got his arms, you grab his leg.If that poor soul survived the crash, he will never survive the extrication. 
The car on the leftIs a Crestliner fordor sedan, revealed by the hash marks at the bottom of the door, Ford's highest trim line in '54, which included the Sunliner convertible, Skyliner and Victoria hardtops and Country Squire wagon.
So Sue MeTo be removed from your wrecked car by someone trained to do so, like an EMT, you will need to wait about twenty years.
Ouch, that hit close to home.Here I am in 1956 in Germany with a 1954 MG TF that my father, brother and I owned (well for me a 'little bit' owned). Long stories on how we found the MG in Germany and even more when we shipped it to Houston and drove up to Northern Virginia.  The TF was introduced in Oct 1953 and the TF was basically a face lifted TD with the most notable appearance change being the molding in of the headlights into the fenders.

MG TF-1500My dad had one of these and I learned to drive in it. It was yellow with a red leather interior. I believe the headlights molded into the fenders appeared only in the 1955 model; 1954 and prior had separate headlights. In 1956 the MGA was introduced, which had a completely new body style with no running boards. Of course, my memory may be haywire as this was a long time ago.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, News Photo Archive, Signal 30)

Little Red MG: 1953
... MGTF 1953-55. The redesigned curved body MGA followed in 1955 and production of this beauty ran until 1962. The MGB followed the MGA ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/21/2021 - 11:32pm -

From 1953 comes this 35mm Kodachrome of hot-rodder and finer-things-appreciator Don Cox in a Tabasco-red MG at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. Wanna race? View full size.
KookieGiven the apparent lifestyle and cars, the Dude was obviously the inspiration for Kookie on 77 Sunset Strip, a few years later.
A Gilded Age WonderThe Del Coronado was opened in 1888 as the then largest hotel in the world. Incredibly, it never burned down (the fate of so many of its contemporaries) and remains the largest surviving example of the Gilded Age wooden beach hotels so popular with the well heeled of the late Victorian era. The Del is still in business and has a list of famous guests longer than my arm including a slew of US presidents, starting with Benjamin Harrison. 
Ya gotta love an MG TD...I certainly do.  I have one just like it! 
The MG TD was the car that started the entire British sports car craze in America. Many returning GI's brought these inexpensive cars home and began racing them, and an entire industry grew up around them, supplying parts and accessories. Even the legendary Carroll Shelby had an MG TD - it was the first car he ever took racing. 
The UK needed to improve their balance of payments after the war, so to encourage even more auto production to go overseas they charged "home market" buyers in Britain an exorbitant tax on car purchases, as much as 66%. The combination of these high home market taxes and eager American buyers made for a huge post-war boost to the UK economy. 
Other UK manufacturers followed MG's path, and soon America became the UK's largest market for their sports cars, with Triumph, Austin, Austin-Healey and Jaguar becoming among the most popular brands in addition to MG.
 
MGTD 1950-53What a beautiful auto. MG started export production in January of 1950 and lasted until 1953 (actually late 1949 but they only made 98 cars that were right hand drive). It was fitted with a 1250cc 4 cylinder engine and total production totaled 29664 cars.
It was preceded by the MGTC and followed with the MGTF 1953-55. The redesigned curved body MGA followed in 1955 and production of this beauty ran until 1962. The MGB followed the MGA until British Leyland ceased production in 1980. 
My first MGThe first one I ever saw had my Uncle Albert in it.
If tterrace's uncle was wearing red socks ...  then we have a pretty cool pairing of photos (ignoring the Cadillac).
The Hotel Del CoronadoMentioned below, in 1973 was used as the setting of a campy horror-thriller film called Wicked, Wicked using a gimmicky technique called "Duo/Vision" or split screen.  On the left side of the screen you'd see someone opening the door of a room while on the right screen you'd see the darkened interior of the room as the door quietly opened to sheer horror.  The attic contained the still barely alive female victims of the mad floor-show camera operator who had a mommy complex strung up in grisly fashion.  It was a gimmick that didn't last long because it added nothing to the movie.  By the way, gorgeous MG TD, hope it is in the collection of some proud collector today.
Well, nobody's perfectThe Hotel Del is perhaps best known as the setting (ostensibly in Florida, not Coronado) for much of the movie Some Like It Hot. 
Long Drive in a Small CarDon Cox is a pretty interesting guy and worth an internet search.  Among other things he raced cars on the salt flats and co-authored the 2003 book "The Birth of the Hot Rod."  At some point he lived in Oceanside, which suggests he may have just completed a 45-mile trip down to Coronado Island.  His little MG TD might get up to 70 mph in places but San Diego traffic would have taken care of any speed records.
1953 MG TDMy parents bought this one in 1958 in St. Louis, Missouri. Photo is in Dunedin, Florida around 1961.
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Don Cox)

You Want That?
... on the previous photo of these guys (Drinking Buddies: 1955) took them to be many years apart in age: the one on the right here in his ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/01/2015 - 10:24pm -

From the mid-1950s somewhere around Columbus, Georgia, it's these guys again -- Larry Lunchbox and Bob Brownbag, continuing their break from whatever it is they're supposed to be doing. 4x5 acetate negative. View full size.
Same age?A couple of commenters on the previous photo of these guys (Drinking Buddies: 1955) took them to be many years apart in age: the one on the right here in his 40s, the other in his 20s, maybe father and son.  In this shot, they really look to be a lot more in the same age range.  The lunchbag dude seems much younger here than earlier, perhaps partly due to the pleasant and soft smile of anticipation as he digs in to reveal whatever is so appealing to lunchbox dude.
Bronze workforce There is something very statuesque about this pose, just as if the ancient heroes of Greece and Rome suddenly became working people in the 1950s!
C'mon, dig deeper --I saw your wife put clean shirts in that bag this morning!
Argyle socks!Early prepster?!
Hungry ManBob Brownbag must have made a Dagwood judging by the size of that bag.
How 'boutI'll trade you my Twinkies for your Necco Wafers?
Really got to watch what I eat BobMy body fat is nearly at 2%.
Levi'sHey Bob, why can't we ever get bluejeans in the proper lengths?
Aladdin thermosMade in Nashville.  In Tom Corbett Space Cadet and Hopalong Cassidy.
Construction WorkersBy the concrete mixer, I imagine they are construction workers. 
(The Gallery, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive)

Convertible Bear: 1958
"Circus parade, 1958." Mr. Bear in a 1955 Oldsmobile Starfire, probably in Baltimore. From the Kermy & Janet ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/11/2013 - 3:12pm -

"Circus parade, 1958." Mr. Bear in a 1955 Oldsmobile Starfire, probably in Baltimore. From the Kermy & Janet collection of Kodachromes. View full size.
Charles at East 31st StreetUsing the parade route posted by stanton_square I "drove" the route looking for the building they are standing in front of and came up with this possibility.
It's not a perfect match, but the architecture is similar and I think I see one of those concrete balls behind the guy in the black shirt.
There have probably been a few changes in the last 54 years also.
View Larger Map
View Larger Map
Circus March


Baltimore Sun, June 18, 1958.

Parade Seen by 150,000


Circus March is City's First in 3 Decades


Baltimore turned out for Barnum in a big way last night. … Tonight the circus, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, begins a five-day open-sky stand at Memorial Stadium with seven performances scheduled.  … 

The thousands who fought some big traffic tie-ups to hurry to the curb with their kids last night were able to see: Eight good-sized tigers, pacing in or scowling from small cages, Twenty elephants, A little steam calliope on the back end of a pickup truck, A very leggy blonde performer in black mesh hose plus several other circus ladies of interest, riding in convertibles. … 

The parade started at Exeter Hall avenue and Loch Raven road, moved to Twenty-fifth street, then to Charles, up Charles to Thirty-third and wound up at the stadium.

A most amazing photo"Convertible Bear: 1958" is truly the most incredible photo I've ever seen on Shorpy, and that's quite a statement. It's so unassuming but so terrific. 
The up-to-date modern sharpness of the wonderful convertible, with those wide, wide whitewalls, the cool casualness of the lady driver, who's apparently done this before, the nonchalant bear tamer and of course . . . what else is in the back seat, with no restraints, guards, guns or other safety measures?? Oh yes, it's a live bear.
Have you seen that in a recent parade? Nope. And what are most folks in the crowd thinking? Ho-hum, interesting. Now, wonder what the next float will be?
See what I mean? An absolutely incredible photo.
RestrainedThe Bear does seem to have a muzzle on and there appears to be a chain running down from his neck.
My Brother Had One of TheseHe bought it from the widow of an executive living near us in New Jersey and used it to travel between home in Chatham and Lafayette, Indiana where he attended Purdue University. He told me he recorded 120 MPH on the Ohio Turnpike one time returning for Thanksgiving. I was 6 years younger and thought this car was the greatest thing I had ever seen.
[Darn, I thought you meant the bear. - tterrace]
RE: A most amazing photoThere were a few in the crowd that didn't seem to have a "ho-hum" attitude.  Check out the kids in the front row, just above where the car's hood ornament is located; they seem a bit nervous being that close to a real bear.
One WondersGiven the fancy chauffeured ride, one wonders what type of bed that bear slept in ? 
Parade LocationExcellent detective 'footwork' by Vintagetvs to determine the location of the photo.  Not much of the building is viewable in the original photo, but what can be seen matches quite well with the building on the SE corner of Charles and East 31st Street.  The location also helps explain at least part of what makes this such an exceptional photo.  The parade occurred on the evening of June 17th, 1958, and given the viewpoint, the setting sun would have been behind the photographer, bathing the street in warm glowing colors.  
(The Gallery, Animals, Baltimore, Kermy Kodachromes)

Doggie Dinner: 1963
... memory. More Missie My favorite Missie pic, in a 1955 Kodachrome by my brother. My rear end in back. She's still reasonably ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 11/27/2017 - 1:28pm -

Bacon-flavored dog food! You sure can't say we didn't pamper our Missie. Here Mother appears to be supplementing it with some strips of leftover steak. Missie had been a foundling, rescued as a months-old pup by a friend's family as she scrounged for food on a beach along the Russian River. She never lost that knack, each day making her regular rounds of the neighbors who always had some treat waiting for her. She developed quite a gut. Nevertheless, she was a born tracker, and delighted in romping through the woods after deer for hours when we'd go on hikes, then following our scent to wherever we'd gotten to in the meantime. We were astonished one day early on when for the first time she actually pointed at some lurking critter. That hunting instinct didn't always end well; she tangled with a skunk once, and one day came home with a small gash in her side, we assumed from an encounter with a raccoon. Her orphan days didn't sour her on the Russian River, because she loved frolicking on the sand and in the water at the beach near our Guernewood summer place. She was with us for just another year after I took this 35mm Tri-X negative in the Salmon Kitchen of our Larkspur, California home. View full size.
Missie is a beauty!She has such a soulful expression! I enjoy seeing dogs play in the water; some really love it yet others want nothing to do with it.
Canine Commentstterrace you have a wonderfully natural writing style.  If you haven't written books, you should.  In just that short piece, it felt like a James Herriot (Alf Wight) story.  As for Missie, it seems she had a little of Disney's Tramp in her as she went from place to place for a handout.  Thanks for the shared memory.
More MissieMy favorite Missie pic, in a 1955 Kodachrome by my brother. My rear end in back. She's still reasonably svelte, and you can just make out the scar from her raccoon adventure on her... um, waist.
Tough Time TodayI remember the dogs in my neighborhood doing the same thing when I was a kid back in the 50s.
Missie would have a tough time plying her trade in today's world since there are now mandatory leash and fence laws (actual fence or the invisible electric versions).
Dog (And Cat) Photos!"I would rather see the portrait of a dog that I know, than all the allegorical paintings they can show me in the world."
-Samuel Johnson
(1709-1784)
In her second, color, portrait, Missie shows really solid posture. A sturdy, well-built and intelligent-looking dog with beautiful markings.
Cats wouldn't eat that!I see that the can says the food is for "pets" not just dogs.  I'm reasonably certain that every cat I've ever had would have turned up his/her nose and given me a look like "What do you think I am, a DOG?".
Missy was darling and what lovely memories these picture are!
Re: Dog (And Cat) Photos!And I for one would rather see MANY more of these than all of those creepy posed kitty and puppy pictures from 1914, etc. Thanks for sharing Missie with us.
Bacon pet foodWith steak supplements.  Neighborhood treats.  It's a dog's world!  Woof!
MemoriesThe comments about roaming the neighborhood for treats reminded me of a dog a fellow in my Mom's office had: He was known to walk over to the Safeway near Chevy Chase Circle and go to the pet food section and take a can of food home with him.  He lived over on Western Avenue, a couple of blocks away.  Back in the 1950s, no one thought it strange, but the Safeway folks thought it was amusing. His 'master' always paid for the food later, BTW.
SkunksAh hound dogs and skunks. We had a beagle, Penelope Boden-Brown (okay, we called her Penny)who every summer would tangle with a skunk 3 or 4 times. Scratch scratch at the door. "Somebody let Penny in." "I'll do it....WHOOF!! OUT PENNY! OUT!! GO OUT! PENNY! GET OUT!!!" Etc etc. Them were the days.
More MissieI like both Missie photos-- the composition of the first is nice, and the second photo (in the comments section) looks like it was taken yesterday.
(ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)

Kids, Pontiacs, Kodachrome: 1953
... driving age in NYC at the time), I bought my uncle's 1955 Pontiac sedan. Big old 4-door, two-tone blue if my memory serves. ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 06/24/2015 - 3:10pm -

My best friend and his sister with a 1953 Pontiac on a late afternoon in front of their home in Larkspur, California. Since their own family car was the 1941 Pontiac in the background, I'm assuming this shot was taken by the owner of the new one. The dealer, Bianco, was a long-time car dealership in Marin County up through the 2000s. At the time David and I were in the first grade together at Larkspur-Corte Madera School, just three blocks away. Earlier this year you saw us both at his sixth birthday party in this photo. He's no longer with us, but his sister has loaned me her family photos to peruse and has given me permission to post this scan I made of this particularly Kodachromalicious slide. View full size.
Faulty equipmentLooks like the (then) mandatory "curb feelers" must have been broken that day! 
[Narrow streets; that was the standard way to park in that neighborhood. -tterrace]
Real ColorsThe rich-looking color on that '53 was called "Stardust Blue."  In those days, auto buyers had not only their choice of an array of vibrant colors (instead of the limited, ubiquitous, and ho-hum metallics we're stuck with today), but there was also a little romance in the color names.  How times do change!
Cars were Cars and Kids were Kids.Can you even sit on a front car fender these days? Chrome and colors and all the room one could desire in an automobile. There's nothing like these old cars and never will be, great picture thanks for sharing.
RIP DavidSorry you had to leave so soon. Good shot, Tterrace, nice you have it. 
We showed up for the new car shot, too. Dad would show it around saying "new car and the kids, growing like weeds". As my aunt grew in age and size she would pose movie star-type glamour sitting on the fender. Today's vehicles are too flimsy to sit even a small dog without worry of a dent. I haven't seen curb feelers since the 50s when city neighborhood streets were too small to park, and others to drive simultaneously. To this day if I hit the curb I remember dad admonishing me "you're going to have to clean those whitewalls!!" , which I haven't had in decades. 
PontiacsMy family had a 1952 2-door straight 8 sedan.  It wasn't nearly as neat a color as this '53, being kind of a pea soup green.  Until I was about 9, my parents always bought 2-door cars, the assumption being that the kids in the back seat would not fall out in an accident.  I notice that the little girl's shoes have been removed to protect the new car finish.
American PrideWhat a great picture!! The spanking new Pontiac, resplendent in its elegant blue gray and deep, shiny, hexavalent chrome plating. Its 12-year-old big brother was a loved and pampered possession, as well, looking as new as the '53. I like to think that at least one of them survived.
Laurel GreenAs I recall the 1953 Pontiac Catalina two-door hardtop (my first car) was only available in various combinations of that horrible "Laurel Green" and "Milano Ivory".  
Narrow Streets IndeedThis photo reminds me, fondly, of my senior year at San Rafael High School.  I had a friend who lived "up the hill" from the Corte Madera School and several of us used that then undeveloped area as our favorite area for watching the Marin County Submarine Races.  To say the streets were narrow does not adequately describe them and I often wonder how we managed to climb and descend those cow paths without toppling over the edge.  
Mine was a '55In 1963, as soon as I turned 18 (earliest driving age in NYC at the time), I bought my uncle's 1955 Pontiac sedan.  Big old 4-door, two-tone blue if my memory serves.  Automatic transmission, but no power steering or power brakes.  Car lasted about a year.
My Dad's was a '54 (I think)And I suspect it started out the same Stardust Blue as the one in tterrace's slide, but years of southern sun had bleached it. The other car under the carport was--I believe--a '59 Olds.
In this slide, my dad, who was a commercial pilot, had his flight bag sitting on the fender with, as always, a thermos of coffee. Taken in Houma, Louisiana.
My dad loved that old car.
I'll bet that new car got a lot of attention from neighborsIn the olden times, when a neighbor got a new car, it would attract considerable attention. I recall our neighbor in Walnut, California bought a 1965 Pontiac GTO. I think it was yellow. We kids ooohed and awed, and the other Dads muttered approving comments. I got to sit in it!
(ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)

Park Transfer: 1925
... division of the Norfolk & Western some time between 1955 and 1957, when the division was dieselized completely. Locomotives ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2013 - 5:06pm -

Washington, D.C., 1925. Something for the railfans, something for the truckfans. "O.D. Boyle" is all it says here. National Photo glass negative. View full size.
ToadsCarmen, inspectors who walked incoming trains before they were switched out (called "Toads" in railroad slang) carried a 1" diameter stick of chalk on their walks.  If they found anything that needed minor attention (such as a loose bolt or cotter pin, brake shoes needing replacement, or worn air hose) they would chalk a symbol on the corner of the car to tell other repairmen.  These symbols were not universal, and varied from yard to yard.
If they found a major defect (such as a brake defect, safety violation, or worn bearings) they stapled a postcard size card onto the side of the car, reading "Bad Order" and what the defect was.  When the switchman broke up the train a Bad Order tag superceded any other instructions for the cars routing and it was placed in the "Rip", or repair yard.
Timeless boxcarsSome things change, some don't. Cars and trucks have changed tremendously in 88 years but a 1925 boxcar looks very much like a 2013 boxcar.
GMCThat's a GMC truck, probably about 1915. First GMCs were built in 1912. Already pretty old at the time of the picture.
As I See ItVisible marked rail cars, from left to right, hail from the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O), Nickel Plate (N.K.P.) and Louisville & Nashville (L&N), respectively.  As for the truck, I'm thinking it's post-equine drayage.  (Wikipedia helps here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drayage.)
Team TrackThis would be a Team Track, where rail customers without spurs to them could receive goods.  A series of parallel tracks, separated by a roadway where a team of horses with a wagon, and later motor trucks, could pull up alongside the railcars and transload goods from, or destined to, local customers.
As I (also) See ItThe reporting mark on that middle car (N.K.P) is more accurately defined as: NKP - NEW YORK, CHICAGO & ST. LOUIS RR (NICKEL PLATE ROAD) now, of course, the NORFOLK SOUTHERN RWY. CO.[*].  The name's origin is interesting as told here: Origin of the Name Nickel Plate Road.
Centrifugal Dirt CollectorThe things you learn at Shorpy. A few Googles and I was at pp. 88-89 of the December 1909 issue of "Air Brake Magazine". The subject collector is placed in the air line upstream of the triple valve. The shape of the chamber swirls the dirt around until gravity takes it to the bottom, where it stays. 
This is the "B" endTo report mechanical issues, or describe anything concerning a railroad car, you need to be able to differentiate one end from the other.  The "B" end of any car is the end where the hand brake is located.  The opposite end is the "A" end.  This practice is still followed today.
Boxcars then & nowThere is a world of difference between boxcars of a century ago and those of today, although these do look more modern than the solid-tired GMC truck. These boxcars have corrugated steel endwalls, but the sides of the one to the right are all wood. So you can imagine the steel-rod-and-turnbuckle structure on the bottom, the kind hobos are seen riding in the cartoons, and which needed constant adjustment. The knuckle couplers on these boxcars do not have the horizontal slot intended to receive a link during the transition from link-and-pin couplers of two decades earlier. It remains for better railfans than myself to say how quickly these were upgraded to solid knuckles.
Modern boxcars do not have a roofwalk, and the ladders do not reach the roof. Besides the work-related injuries of having brakemen climb up on the roof, there was the ever-present liability of unauthorized persons getting up there. 
Since the '60s, boxcars, and all revenue rolling stock, have been getting larger. They have steadily been lengthened, and bridges have been raised to accommodate increased height.
Finally, journal boxes have given way to Timken roller bearings. I suspect the word "journal" refers to the fact that these bearings once required daily attention. The top-hinged doors on the boxes would seem to attest to this. A major reason cabooses (or cabeese) had cupolas on top was so the crew could watch out for overheating bearings.
My dad says that solid bricks of lubricant were available to dump into a problem journal box, as a stop-gap until the train could be brought into the yard. A large portion of his career at Texaco involved the development of an ideal lubricant for roller bearings, which since the '70s have completely replaced journal boxes.
Chalk MarkLower right side of closest car, just above the "pole socket": anyone know what it means?
O.D. BoyleO.D. Boyle was a yard brakeman for the B&O, working in Washington DC, in 1918.  The connection to this photo is beyond me, though. See Page 22 here.
Pole SocketsPole sockets were the receptacles for push poles.  Sometimes it was necessary (or at least convenient) for various reasons to move a car on an adjacent track that you could not couple your engine to.  To accomplish that you used a push pole held in place by a crew member.  The inherent danger of such a maneuver caused the practice to be outlawed relatively early on Class I railroads, but on backwoods short lines where operations were not so constricted by rules, it continued much later.  And, railroads being railroads, no one really wanted to go to the trouble of changing any blueprints, and pole sockets continued to appear on equipment long after no current employee could remember seeing them used.  Here's a photo of a push pole mounted under the tender of a Mississippi Central steam engine, probably from the 1930s. 
Polin' the carsmichaeljy says the practice of poling cars was abandoned relatively early by Class I roads, but maybe not so ... in Winston Link's masterful history "The Last Steam Railroad in America," he includes two pictures (pages 100 and 101) of a brakeman poling a gondola on the Abingdon division of the Norfolk & Western some time between 1955 and 1957, when the division was dieselized completely.
Locomotives continued to be made with pole sockets right up until the end of steam.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads)

Infrastructure: 1905
... on Shorpy. We lived at 552 Riverside Drive from 1947 till 1955. Our building was right up the hill from this spot. This stop had great ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 10:48am -

New York City circa 1905. "Where the subway is an elevated." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Does anyone knowWhy and when was the brick head house torn down?
Date of photoI'm curious about the 1905 date, as the Belasco Theater, advertised here, was built in 1907. Perhaps this photo was a few years later?
[The 1905 date is correct. The original Belasco Theatre opened in 1902. Below: Ad from September 1902. - Dave]
125th and BroadwayI do believe this 125th and Broadway on the IRT line. Bedrock in North Manhattan was to dangerous and labor intensive to blast, so an extremely high elevated was the course of action. Spent many a day working there on the signaling during the 1980s. Impressive structure.  
Manhattan StreetThis is definitely the 125th street viaduct.  We're looking downtown along Broadway.  The cross street, Manhattan Street, is present-day 125th Street (the name changed in 1920).  There's now a McDonald's on the property where the Belasco Theatre sign is located. 
Found it!The building between the frame is gone, but 125th and Broadway seems to be the right spot indeed. The condition of the steel today looks rather bad, I must say.
View Larger Map
Why it's elevatedWest 125th Street actually follows a fault line.  It's at a lower elevation than the streets to its north or south, so keeping the subway underground as it crosses 125th would have required a massive amount of tunneling.  The result is the only elevated subway line in Manhattan, except for a short segment of the 1 Train in the very northern end of the island.
SinbadPartially obscured at the lower left of the photo is a theater poster for the show Sinbad. A quick look-up at Proquest reveals that the show opened March 13 for a week's engagement at the Windsor theater. This was after a run at the Murray Hill theater that ibdb.com says was 2/27/1905 - 3/4/1905. 
An amusing court case emerged from that run in which a chorus girl was said to have attacked a midget in the cast, after he pointed a stage cannon at her. He objected to being dandled by members of the chorus.
My old neighborhood!This is old home week for me, both my birthplace (Brooklyn Navy Yard) and childhood nabe show up on Shorpy.  We lived at 552 Riverside Drive from 1947 till 1955.  Our building was right up the hill from this spot.  This stop had great old wooden escalators in the early 50's, and big heavy wooden turnstiles that made a very satisfying KA CHUNK sound when you put your 15 cent token in and pushed through.  And it had a wonderful woody smell, as well. It's all efficient stainless steel and plastic now.
When I lived there there was a Daitch Shopwell supermarket where the McDonald's now stands.  And right under the escalator, on the corner of Broadway and Tieman Place, was Claremont Chemists, which I'm happy to say is still there (without its soda fountain).
And there were still trolleys on Broadway, and 125th St led down to the Ferry to New Jersey.  And there was a horse drawn vegetable wagon on Broadway as well.  Oh, my, the memories are pouring out!
ManhattanvilleThis is a terrific view looking north up Broadway as it crossed Manhattan Street, the signature street of Manhattanville, a once-vibrant town that is now a less distinct section of West Harlem. Except for the magnificent Manhattan Street Station seen in the photo (note the name on the wall of the masonry structure below the tracks), whose name changed in 1921, 17 years after opening.
The Belasco sign on the right is the NE corner of the cross streets. The apartment building under construction is still there, as are most of the surrounding 5- and 6-story apartment buildings that went up in 1905 and 1906 as part of the "Manhattanville Building Boom" (NY Herald) that was a direct result of the new rapid transit line.
The buildings beyond the "Sinbad" sign to the extreme left were at the juncture of West 129th Street and Manhattan Street (now called St. Clair Place and West 125th Street, respectively). Unfortunately, Columbia University just demolished them last year (2010) in the course of expanding its campus into Manhattanville.
This impressive subway structure was considered "worthy of Eiffel" when it opened in 1904. It, and the unseen Riverside Drive Viaduct, are centerpieces of the historic old New York neighborhood I discuss in my book "Manhattanville: Old Heart of West Harlem."
-- Eric K. Washington
(The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads, Streetcars)

Leviathan: 1905
... Mather (currently a floating museum ) was launched. 1955: Renamed H.L. Gobeille . 1965: Renamed Nicolet . 1996: Scrapped ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 12:37am -

Ecorse, Michigan, 1905. "S.S. William G. Mather, stern view before launch." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Size mattersWow. Difficult to even imagine standing beside something that huge. Must have been a little scary for the men who were dwarfed by this massive thing they'd helped to build ... or perhaps would help to crew.
Long gestationI believe the William G Mather was "born" in 1925.
http://wgmather.nhlink.net/wgmqf.shtml
[Not the same boat. - Dave]
Not the 1925 version?This appears to be a different "William G. Mather" than the one all over Google:
http://www.hnsa.org/ships/mather.htm
The one here and Google image results of the stern of the 1925-built one have some significant differences.  Yet both were built in Ecorse, Michigan, and I find no other reference to more than one "William G. Mather" in ship form.
Can anyone shed some light on this?
[Google and ye shall find. - Dave]
William G. MatherThis ship is still around and on display in Cleveland behind the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
http://www.greatscience.com/mather_museum.php
[Same name, but not the same ship. - Dave]
S.S. William G. Mather 1905-1996This bulk carrier had four names over the course of its long life.
Launched October 1905 as the William G. Mather. Named after the owner of the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company.
1925: Renamed J.H. Sheadle when the second William G. Mather (currently a floating museum) was launched.
1955: Renamed H.L. Gobeille.
1965: Renamed Nicolet.
1996: Scrapped in Port Maitland, Ontario.
PropsI wonder how they determined the exact number of poles needed to hold that beast up. They look a little spindly to my lubber eyes.
Lots of steel close byIn all my 40+ years of living in Detroit, I never knew that they ever built ships like this in Ecorse (downriver). I guess it helps explain why Great Lakes Steel and McLouth Steel were just a few miles away. I'd always thought their steel was primarily for the automotive industry, although it had always looked like the steel plants were much larger than they needed to be. Does anybody know just how long shipbuilding of this size continued in Ecorse?
[Great Lakes Engineering Works, also known as GLEW, was in business from 1902 to 1960. Photos here and here on Shorpy. - Dave]
Watch out for that first step!I'd close that hatch, but then again, I'm all about safety. 
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)

Bamananas: 1906
... 50 years later I saw the same scene in New Orleans in 1955. All fruit turning yellow was abandoned at the dock. Nice title and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 4:35pm -

Mobile, Alabama, circa 1906. "Unloading a banana steamer." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Big TintThe leaning tower of Sherwin-Williams! Wonder if you can get banana yellow.
Is that a Banana ...Oh wait, I already used that one.
(Fire) ants marchingMobile is where fire ants entered America, unfortunately. Riding in on some banana stalks, circa the time this picture was taken. Evil little devils. 
About 50 years laterI saw the same scene in New Orleans in 1955. All fruit turning yellow was abandoned at the dock.
Nice titleand by "nice" I mean "required several attempts before I got it, and then I laughed."
Day-oDay, me say day-ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day...
Daylight come and me wan' go home
A beautiful bunch a' ripe banana
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Hide the deadly black tarantula
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Hey Buddy!Me: You gotta banana in your ear! Hey Buddy!  HEY BUDDY!
You: I can't hear you. Can't you see I gotta banana in my ear?
Anyone know why the tower is built like that? Doesn't seem like an efficient way to load or off-load tall ships. Looks like a safety ladder on the right (front) side.
Banana ballisticsThere's something on the port-side bow that looks a lot like an old cannon. It's poking out under the railing and has an ornate carriage. What would that be for?  Signaling purposes or decoration, or were there banana pirates abounding in the seas? You can see the anchor lying on deck just behind the cannon.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Mobile)

Smokes-N-Cokes: 1939
... Library has fluted columns, and Carroll wasn't built until 1955. I am thinking it's a building that no longer exists. [It's the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/18/2019 - 11:56pm -

September 1939. "Students on steps of building between classes. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Orange County." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Injury UpdateTwo of our seated smokers appear to have injuries: one to the right hand, and the other to the left foot.
Battered and bruisedLooks like Chester's foot is messed up (and he's got crutches), and Skippy's finger is in a splint!  Okay, time to come up with a good story; after all, there's a girl here to impress!
A snazzier time.It's interesting to see students at college dressed a lot nicer than they dress nowadays. When I was in college in the early 00s, it was nothing to see someone roll into class, still in their pajamas. I never did that, but I'm guilty of having worn sweatpants/lounge pants more than jeans or something dressier. I certainly never saw any male student in a suit and tie. You were lucky to find a guy in a t-shirt that didn't have a food stain on it!
Accident Prone?One guy has a broken finger and another has his foot in a cast.  Also, everyone has a cigarette in their hand except for the guy sitting on the steps, but that is only because we can't see if he has one too.
Walking WoundedThis is a tuff school. One guy is on crutches with a cast on his left foot. The guy to his right has a broken finger. I wonder what's wrong with the rest of them?
Most of the guys I knewwould dress in jeans, a sport coat or cardigan sweater and a thin tie, popular then in the early '60s. We always dressed that way and no one that I can remember came to our Junior College looking like a slob or so casual that it bordered on disrespect for the college and classmates. If I were in college today I would still dress that way to show that I appreciate where I am and the education I was receiving. But that's just me.
[If you were in college today, you'd do what you did 55 years ago -- dress the way your friends do. - Dave]
Hope they quit that terrible addiction of smokingA friend of mine used to say the exact same thing. "Coke and a Smoke."
Had a massive coronary at 67. Smokes are finished. Still has a Coke now and then.
Tough classes in college Careful on those steps. Crutches, foot in cast, and finger in splint. Jeez!
The lost art of conversationToday, they'd all be texting.
I'm 40 years younger than these students and 40 years older than the students of today. I suspect that I would have more in common with the students of 1939. 
I'll be buried in 'emFlorsheim Kenmoor wingtips. You can still buy them and they last a lifetime. 
Classic CokeAhhh!!  Ice cold Coca-Cola in a glass bottle right out of the machine.  5 cents for 6 ounces at the gas station next to my house in the '50s and '60s.  Made with cane sugar, not corn syrup.  I can get still the "Real Thing" with sugar, made in Mexico, at my local supermarket.  Takes me back!
Banged UpI notice a broken finger on one guy and a cast on the left foot of the other. I wonder if we're looking at a couple of members of their football team, which was pretty good (8-1-1) that year.
My dad vividly remembers the old days of university attire, especially a guy who washed his dark gray slacks with his towels.  He joked that he had all semester to clean the lint off.  (Moms, teach your sons to do laundry!)
Jocks and Bobby SocksI also believe the injured guys are school athletes.  My father was of this generation and said back then boxing was the only sport in which smoking was discouraged.
Fast forward to the early 1970s when I played high school football: the coach issued a list of possible infractions for team members and the corresponding punishments (if caught).  I found the list a couple of years ago as I purged things I no longer need.  What stood out to me in these modern times is that the punishment for smoking was far less severe than the punishment for swearing.
Let the games begin.Big stairs with ledges beside them, smooth columns... the steps don't quite match Morehead Planetarium or Manning Hall, Gardner is missing the columns, Wilson Library has fluted columns, and Carroll wasn't built until 1955. 
I am thinking it's a building that no longer exists.
[It's the UNC South Building. Still very much there.  - Dave]

Edit: I figured it was one of the older ones, but couldn't make it downtown to confirm on a weekend. Thanks!
(The Gallery, Education, Schools, M.P. Wolcott)

Dear Sirs: 1902
... (The above was an old shorthand teacher's joke in 1955 as it is easier to write in shorthand than it is to read it back. I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/25/2012 - 4:22am -

Circa 1902. "Richmond & Backus Co. office, Detroit." Our sixth glimpse behind the scenes at this printing, binding and office supply business. View full size.
Nice Corner Office"Miss Jones. Take a letter. And after that, freshen up my spittoon."
Snip!This is a potpourri of office nostalgia.
My eyes spotted that pair of banker's shears hanging on a hook under the window sill.  They were originally used by tellers to cut local currency from large sheets for customers.  I used them in the news business to cut columns out of newspapers with just one, maybe two, snips.
They're not found today in big box office supply stores. 
Take a Letter"Take a letter, Maria.  Address it to my wife ... "
Yours trulyBoss:  "Miss Jones, Please read that back to me."
Miss Jones:  "How can I read it back?  It's in shorthand."
(The above was an old shorthand teacher's joke in 1955 as it is easier to write in shorthand than it is to read it back.  I learned the Gregg method, not the Pitman).
Nice officeI bet they didn't have casual Fridays.  There is so much to look at in this photo.  Mind-boggling how offices have changed.
1903?Does that calendar on the window say 1903? No one spotted that? You guys are slipping...lol
[A common full-year calendar format of the time also printed the first six months of the following year; that's what's below the 1903...roflmao. -tterrace]
(The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, The Office)

General Hospital: 1954
... It must have been in the fall of 1954, when the new 1955 cars came out. The light-colored car in front of the hospital site is a 1955 Buick. [Or, as the caption says, December 17, 1954. - tterrace] ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/14/2013 - 10:39pm -

December 17, 1954. "Martland General Hospital, Newark, New Jersey. View II. Benson & Mantella, client." Gottscho-Schleisner photo. View full size.
A bit of historyMartland evolved into the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ, and on July 1, 2013 will merge with Rutgers University, and become the Rutgers School of Biomedical and Health Sciences.
Not a hybrid among themQuite a varied selection of Detroit big iron on display.  Average mpg = 10.2, but who cared?
University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey65 Bergen St:
View Larger Map
It was late in '54It must have been in the fall of 1954, when the new 1955 cars came out.  The light-colored car in front of the hospital site is a 1955 Buick.
[Or, as the caption says, December 17, 1954. - tterrace]
Dr. MartlandHarrison Stanford Martland (for whom the hospital was named) served as the Newark City Hospital Pathologist for 45 years and the Essex County Medical Examiner for 25 years until he retired in November 1953. He died on May 1st 1954 at the age of 71. A description of his papers on deposit at UMDNJ Archives is here.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gottscho-Schleisner)

Born to Run: 1928
... be my brother and I standing in front of our brand new 1955 Monarch, or kids standing in front of a new 1964 Pontiac or a red 2008 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 9:45pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1928. "Boys standing next to automobile." A Ford with congressional plates. View full size. National Photo Company glass negative.
More than anything...I LOVE their socks! Absolutely. 
KnickersI think that 1928 was a waning time for knickerbockers....most teenage boys wanted to graduate to long pants as soon as they could, and my father told me that at anywhere from 14 to 16 boys would put on long pants as a rite of passage to adulthood.
Two TonedIt looks like the fenders of the car are black but the rest of the body is a color. Would this have been an after-market treatment, or was Ford offering factory colors at this point? What year is the car?
[The first Model A's were offered in four colors, but not black. So says Wikipedia. This is a 1928-ish Ford. - Dave]
Model AThat is a 1928 Model A Ford, by the looks of the headlights. The flutes all the way up and down tell me it was one of the first ones. All model A's had black fenders and running board aprons regardless of the color of the body (which could have been black also). There was never a time when black was only Ford color, it was just that Henry developed a black paint that dried real fast so there tended to be more black cars than colored. (Love this site Dave!!)
Those SocksAre the bee's knees, the elephant's elbows, the antelope's ankles. They look like something out of Dr. Seuss. Wow.
And on and on.......Doesn't much matter what year, or what country, it's "Our New Car." This could be my brother and I standing in front of our brand new 1955 Monarch, or kids standing in front of a new 1964 Pontiac or a red 2008 Ford Escort. Happened every year over the decades in front of numerous homes!
Model AThis is a 1928 Ford Model A Sport Coupe, the top
was fabric covered like a convertible, but was stationary
and not foldable.  The visor on the front is the giveaway, a cabriolet (convertible) won't have one.
Born to DriveCould this be just a really sharp used car?  Is the Ford really new?
I wonder if the boy on the left has just been given this car by his Congressman father since he would be taller than the car if he stood straight up.  He also looks old enough to drive (and we have certainly seen younger drivers here on Shorpy).
The tires on the left side of the Ford, despite adequate tread, do not look new.  The sides of the tires look worn and scuffed.  The rim on the front left has quite a few marks on it and there is at least one mark near the top of the left rear rim.  Additionally, the area under the fender of the left front tire appears to have a lot of scuffs, stone chips, and paint loss.
I agree that the Ford shown is either a 1928 or 1929 Model A (the shorter radiator on an early Model A is the most obvious clue).
This could easily be a year other than 1928 since District of Columbia license plates from 1928, 1930, 1932, and 1934 are virtually the same except for the year.  In '28, '30, '32 the license plates were black lettering on a deep yellow background.  In '34 the plate was black on an yellow-orange background.  Unfortunately, the horn is hiding the year on the license plate.
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)

Where the Sun Never Shines: 1908
... mines at about this same era as a boy, from around 1910 to 1955. (The Gallery, Horses, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 7:46pm -

October 1908. "Drivers in a West Virginia Coal Mine. Plenty boys driving and on tipple." Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. 
candlesThose are candles on their heads?   Send the expendable ones down first!
[Gasoline or oil headlamps with open flames. More here. - Dave]
OopsAbout to be immortalized on film, and the one on the left shuts his eyes. It looks like he led a bit of a miserable life; shame he couldn't even get the photo. 
Poor horse, too, of course.
[Both his eyes are open -- and closed -- in this time exposure. - Dave]

YikesI think this photo will give me nightmares. Just creeps me out. 
The lucky onesThese lads and their pony are being photographed near the bottom of the shaft - they have room to stand up! The guys who cut the coal (hewers) would work on their knees or lying on their hips, swinging pickaxes for hour after hour, and breathing in all sorts of dust. Don't ever let anyone romanticise coalmining. I come from near Newcastle, and I know that the earth under my feet contains the bones of centuries of colliers. Horrible! 
Son of a MinerThose are oil lamps on their heads, not candles.   They also used carbide lamps.  Don't feel too badly for the horses (usually mules), my dad said they typically worked shorter shifts.  He worked in the mines at about this same era as a boy, from around 1910 to 1955.
(The Gallery, Horses, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining)

Clean Plate Club: 1943
... Pearlington is west of Gulfport, my childhood home. In 1955 a 2nd grade classmate was the son of a local policeman. I remember looking ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/01/2017 - 5:49pm -

March 1943. "Pearlington, Mississippi. Truck drivers at a coffee stop on U.S. Highway 90." Photo by John Vachon, Office of War Information. View full size.
Nickel betsDon't know about the meal, but I'd love to have any one of those old, mechanical, one-arm bandits!  They may have been crooked, but they were pretty pieces of machinery.
Reminds me of Paul NewmanThe fellow with the fork to his mouth looks a lot like Paul Newman in Hud or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Or maybe it's just the hat.
RE: REAL coffee creamer!Indeed noelani, perhaps some of them would have been appalled, but then again I remember having seen more than a few articles, newsreels, cartoons, and such from this time period touting the postwar world of the future where people would no longer have to toil at menial tasks like harvesting grain and milking cows (or brewing coffee for yourself), and that science and technology would rid us of the need to bother ourselves with food preparation, or concern ourselves with things like crop pests and drought.  So in fact, I think might be equally likely that time travelers from this period to ours would be more dumbfounded at our modern obsessions such as “sustainable organic” and “farm to table”!
Police protection neededPearlington is west of Gulfport, my childhood home. In 1955 a 2nd grade classmate was the son of a local policeman. I remember looking through the window of their garage and seeing a row of slot machines much like the ones in this photo, though they were 25 cent slots. I had never seen so many shiny quarters. I guess my friend's dad was keeping them out of the hands of malefactors.
The little decantersI agree that some of the little bottles were cream, but what about the ones that looked full of powder?  Sugar?
Highway 90: The jobs are gone . . .Highway 90 ran from Jacksonville, Florida, to West Texas.
Can't hear the name now without thinking of Nanci Griffith's "Gulf Coast Highway," a song worth a listen.
Hand me my salts!The glass salt shakers with the bumpy cross-hatching have been around forever. My mother and grandmother each had one, and the shaker I bought in college sits on my kitchen table now. The design is at least 75 years old, and still in production!
Look out behind you!One armed bandits!
Slot MachinesI just wish I owned one of those slot machines in the background. Today they're worth a small fortune!
REAL coffee creamer!It doesn't look like those men drank their coffee black!  Look at those little cream bottles!  Maybe it was half and half, and not heavy cream, but you can bet that it actually came from a cow, unlike what we get, these days!  I think if people from WWII era and before could see what we eat, now, they would be appalled at all of the non-food that we eat.  I think they'd also be appalled by the way that coffee has become something many people don't make for themselves, but spend $8 a day to have made for them (with more artificial ingredients added).  
Post-script to KINES:
You may be correct about a certain section of society, but not everybody.  My grandfather, who was in his 30s when the picture was taken, was a dairy farmer, at the time.  I'm sure he probably dreamed of something less demanding than milk a bunch of cows, by hand, every morning and evening. However, he was still around in the 90s, and he WAS appalled at some of what was passing for food!  I think he, and many others, would have appreciated some of the new technology that would have shortened his work day, considerably, but he would still have wanted to have REAL food, for his labors.  The only people I can imagine who would not also want that would be those born too late to have a chance to get to know what food was for millennia before they were born.
(The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon)

A Sign Unto You: 1922
... D.C., where he would remain until he retired in 1955. Rev. Harris became the Chaplain to the U.S. Senate on October 10, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 8:24pm -

New York, May 1922. "Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, West 104th Street." Gutted by a five-alarm fire in 1983. Bain News Service. View full size.
Isham JonesLeading one of the most popular bands of the 1920s and 30s, Isham Jones would have a million selling record in 1921, Wabash Blues. He retired in 1936 and Woody Herman took charge of the band.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmkxc-FA5wg
A musical churchAs a Methodist and a musician, I appreciate that this is apparently a musically enlightened church.  The Isham Jones orchestra was one of the most prominent of its day, rivaling that of Paul Whiteman.  Also, notice the sermon topic:  From Five Flats to Two Sharps.  (D-Flat Major to D Major)  It would be interesting to know how he made a sermon of that material.
Not exactly an "Open Door" church.I hope nobody was trapped inside when the fire broke out with those gates in place!
Must have been a pretty hip churchto have had Isham Jones and his orchestra playing! It would have been my church for sure!
Original verbageNever have seen these words "this may be your church" on a church sign before. Kind of interesting and also the open window at one of the stained glass panels.
I suppose the large signis more effective than placing a classified ad reading" "Found. One church. If yours please call 555-1212 with a description."
My neighborhood churchWell, one of them. It is located between Columbus and  Amsterdam Avenues. I walk past it at least 3 times a week, and remember that fire very well. It is now a neighborhood center-cum-church with an attached apartment building. Interesting that Isham Jones' orchestra played there. That might have gotten me to church!
A joyful noiseIt was very unusual for a dance orchestra to play in a church in those days. There was a lot of bombast against dancing and so-called jazz music. 
Jones' situation was probably helped by the fact that he himself had played music in his Methodist church as a boy in Saginaw, Michigan, and that his mother was the church's organist. 
Can't quite read the whole signSpecifically the lighter print between "Orchestra Of Chicago" and "HEAR THEM"? I've enlarged the photo, but despite the high resolution, that part of the sign is difficult to read. Can anyone tell me what it says? Just curious!
["One of the finest Musical Organizations in the Country, costing Brunswick Co. thousands of dollars each day they spend in N.Y. making records." - Dave]
Senate ChaplainThe Saturday New York Times of May 6, 1922 had an advertisement for the service (shown below). Presumably then  the Isham Jones Orchestra played at the church on Sunday May 7. 
Rev. Dr. Frederick Brown Harris was born on April 10, 1883 in Worcestershire, England, and came to the United States as a child. He was ordained a Methodist minister in 1909. After two other pastorates, he came to this church in 1918. In 1924 he became the pastor of the Foundry United Methodist Church, in Washington, D.C., where he would remain until he retired in 1955. 
Rev. Harris became the Chaplain to the U.S. Senate on October 10, 1942. This lasted until January 4, 1947. After the sudden death of his successor, Rev. Peter Marshall in January 1949, Harris was again appointed U.S. Senate Chaplain. This tenure lasted from February 3, 1949 to January 9, 1969. During his life Harris conducted the funeral services for President Herbert Hoover, Senator Robert A. Taft, and General Douglas MacArthur. He died on August 18, 1970. He remains the longest serving Senate Chaplain (24 years total). 
(The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC)

Noble Riggers: 1905
... The Kodachrome photo was taken by my father in 1955, and shows residents swimming in the river, with Belle Isle on the far ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/02/2018 - 2:25pm -

Detroit circa 1905. "Belle Isle ferry dock." A good place to pick up a yacht sail. The steamer Garland, seen earlier here. 8x10 glass negative. View full size.
Stove burnedThe giant Garland stove you remember was made of carved oak. It was moved from near Belle Isle to the state fairgrounds off 8 Mile in 1965. In 1974 it was disassembled and stored, but then was refurbished and returned to the fairgrounds in 1998. 
In Aug. 2011, it was struck by lightning and burned.
Belle Isle from CanadaI grew up in Riverside (now Windsor) Ontario in the 1950s, and we lived on Esdras Place, just one block from the Detroit River. At the foot of Esdras there is a private park owned by the residents, and it looks directly across the river to Belle Isle. There were many kids on the block then, and that is where we learned to swim. There were picnics and parties held there though the summer. 
The Kodachrome photo was taken by my father in 1955, and shows residents swimming in the river, with Belle Isle on the far side. The freighter steaming past is the Ralph Budd, which had an interesting history. 
A sign in the 1906 photo indicates service to Bois Blanc, on June 7. It was also known as Bob-lo Island, downstream from Detroit. You can read more here.
"Naming rights"existed even in 1880, when the Garland was built, reportedly the first electrically-lit vessel on the lakes.  She was named for the most popular model manufactured by Detroit's Michigan Stove Company;  in return, the vessel's owner, Captain John Horn, had his new craft festooned in nickle-plated decoration, courtesy of the stove manufacturer.  Indeed, the odd-looking mass ahead of the funnel is an example of that handiwork, a garland with the letter "G" inside.  When I was a kid a gigantic Garland stove, at least two stories tall, dominated the approach to Belle Isle at Detroit, built for Chicago's Columbian Exposition. For all I know, it's still there.
The Garland endured quite awhile.  Horner lost the vessel after the tragic accident involving mostly altar boys, referred to in the comments to Shorpy's original view of the ferry, when her builder, the Detroit Dry Dock Company, repossessed it.  She continued in the Detroit-Sarnia service, renamed City of Sarnia in 1923, until removed from service in the early 1940s.  She sank at the dock in 1945, and was dismantled in situ 1946-47. 
Giggle, Giggle!One can almost hear the gleeful titters of the little girls in their summer frocks and straw hats, about to embark on an exciting voyage to exotic and storied foreign climes.  Well, maybe those lands are still in the US and just across the river, but when you're five or ten, opportunities like this take on exciting aspects out of all proportion to the way adults reckon these things.
This is a view of the ferry dock at the foot of Woodward AvenueSure, you could travel a few miles down Jefferson Avenue and cross to the Island over a bridge, but for a dime you could cruise there in style on the Garland or its sister vessel, which began ferry service when Belle Isle opened in 1882.  
In their 1957 book Made in Detroit, Norman Beasley and George W. Stark describe the allure of the steamers: “All day long until late at night, the Belle Isle ferries traveled up and down the river. … The fare was ten cents, and if the passenger so chose he could ride all day long for his original dime. … In the dusk of evening, the ride back to the city was exhilarating. The lights in the scattered high towers gave dimensions to Detroit; the growing skyline gave a sense of growing importance.”  
Sadly, the last boat sailed in 1957.
Does your mother still dress you?Can anyone fill me in on why that one boy seems to be wearing a doily on his shoulders? This is not something that I have seen before, and I am wondering if it is a common article of clothing. It occurs to me that his mother might have thrown that over his shoulders as a sort of shawl anticipating cooler temperatures out on the water. Can anyone shed any light on this for me?
[Appears to be a kind of Fauntleroy suit. - tterrace]
June 7, 1906?Possibly circa on or shortly before June 7, according to the displayed timetable. Can't make out what the two words to the left of "June 7" are. "Best Blues"?
Bois BlancThe sign actually says "Bois Blanc" referring to another island in the Detroit River also known as Boblo Island.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC)

Panama Canal: 1915
... be handled in Balboa. The first time I went through was in 1955 and we took the train that paralleled the Canal back to the Caribbean ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 12:19am -

Circa 1915. "North approach, Pedro Miguel Lock, Panama Canal." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
ShipshapeLooking at the steamer on the left versus the one on the right I think the crew needs to be doing some major work to that deck below them! That mess would give a Navy Chief an apoplectic fit!
Cargo ship experienceA navy Chief rarely works on cargo ships. What is probably happening is the ship is loading or offloading cargo. You can see the canvas hatch cover stuffed aft of the rear hatch. While you are moving cargo, bits of packing material and small bits of bulk cargo end up on the deck. Blame the 60 stevedores for that. Then when they get a little rain, all that junk gets washed aft to just forward of the deckhouse, where you see it in the picture. There is a scupper outboard there, but it quickly gets clogged. You see where someone has laid boards down to keep their feet dry. I am sure the deck will get swept after cargo ops. At least someone has cleared the scupper to get the water off the deck. 
2 locks, plenty of waiting.The caption reads "North Approach", and the mule tracks begin here, so I think this really is the line of ships waiting to be towed into the locks.
Computer glitchSomeone's cursor is caught in the picture!
LockedThe ships are in a lock. Cargo is not moved on or off a ship there. I have been through the Canal five times and there are no cargo facilities there. A few docks for the tourists, but cargo would most likely be handled in Balboa. The first time I went through was in 1955 and we took the train that paralleled the Canal back to the Caribbean side. The passenger cars were wooden with lanterns for lighting. It looked like a movie set from some '30 film.
1910?I thought the Canal wasn't completed until 1914.
Sleeping on deckmust have been nice option as to down below in the humid tropics, the ship on the right has a canvas between two lifeboats and a couple of mattresses on the deck.
Locking Through Together?All of the ships in the photo seem to be moored to the bollards on the concrete. 
With the smaller size of the ships during this era it might be possible for more than one ship to fit in a lock chamber. Could it be that all of these ships are within their respective locks and in the process of completing the locking operation in the direction of the arrow, that is "up".
There are tracks for the mechanical mules to pull them through, but there isn't one in sight. I suspect that when the lock chambers fill completely the mules will pull each ship out of the lock chamber in sequence.
Ship and Tow Vessel?Notice the four-masted, square rigged sailing vessel (bark?) astern of the foreground steamer on the right. The lowest yards on each mast are tilted to clear the lock accoutrements. The bowsprit appears very near, perhaps over, the stern of the steamer. Could the steamer, which seems to be pretty small, be the larger vessel's tow boat? Not sure what (if anything) that would say about conditions on the steamer's decks.
Cargo/passenger ship on leftDoes anyone know the name of this ship? It would make a wonderful model of a cargo ship that also carried passengers.  Somewhat typical of the banana boats of the period. Thanks.
Jay Beckham
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)

Little Green Men: 1924
... to the identification division in 1951 and retired in 1955. He then went to work at the Horseman's Benevolent And Protective ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 7:10pm -

"Capt. Hottel, guard, George Washington U., Class of 1924." Guy Hottel, captain of the Hatchetites. National Photo Co. glass negative. View full size. In 1950, Guy, a special agent in charge of the FBI's Washington field office, sent J. Edgar Hoover a memo regarding UFOs ("flying saucers, information concerning").
LGMStrange how in the report it is mentioned that there were LGM inside. Things that make you go hhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
It Must Be TrueGuy Hottel's memo about an informant reporting the three aliens in the flying saucer must be true.  After all, he did play football while wearing a helmet.
Of course, it was a leather helmet...much like the one worn by President Gerald Ford at Michigan.
OK - false alarm.
UFOThat was a really cool memo - very fun.
Guy HottelAccording to the Social Security Death Index, Guy Hottel, whose social security number was issued in the District of Columbia, was born March 12, 1902, and died June 6, 1990.  Apparently playing football in a leather helmet didn't do too much damage.  
Guy L. Hottel, 1902-1990Obituary, June 9, 1990
GUY L. HOTTEL, FBI Agent
Guy Llewellyn Hottel, 88, a retired executive secretary of the Horsemen's Benevolent And Protective Association and a former FBI agent, died of a heart ailment June 6 at a nursing home in Lewes, Del.
Mr. Hottel, who had lived in Rehoboth Beach since 1977, was a native of New Market, Va. He graduated from George Washington University.
In 1934, he joined the FBI as a special agent in Washington. He became chief of the agency's Washington field office in World War II, transferred to the identification division in 1951 and retired in 1955.
He then went to work at the Horseman's Benevolent And Protective Association, an organization representing owners and trainers of thoroughbred horses. He received its outstanding achievement award in 1973 and retired in 1974.
Mr. Hottel was a member of the Columbia Country Club.
His marriages to Adele Brossard Hottel and Aileen Hottel ended in divorce.
Survivors include his wife, Edna DiShong Hottel of Rehoboth Beach; a son from his first marriage, Chandler V. Hottel of Washington; a son from his second marriage, William G. Hottel of Tempe, Ariz.; and a grandchild.
Back to the gridironI'm a senior at GW and I had never heard the word "Hatchetite" before in my life.  Some searching turned up this article.
I have some time to kill on campus tonight so I'll pull the 1926 microfilm where they advise on the name change to Colonials.
And about the UFO memo, the closing seems a bit odd:
"No further evaluation was attempted by SA [special agent] [name excised] concerning the above."
[That might be what passed as humor at the FBI back then. - Dave]
Size MattersA guard today could easily tip the scales at over 300 pounds. This man probably weighed all of 150 soaking wet.
(The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)

Milwaukee Modern: 1963
... the motto for the Milwaukee War Memorial. My eighth grade (1955) civics teacher would rant almost daily about the hypocrisy of spending so ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/04/2014 - 2:54pm -

Circa 1963. "Milwaukee Art Museum (War Memorial Center), Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1952-57. Eero Saarinen, architect." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Balthazar Korab. View full size.
EeeewwwwwAnother damn Brutalist Saarinen building.  May all the gods (and especially Hestia) save us from more Brutalism.
[Saarinen is not associated with the Brutalist school, and this building is not considered to be an example of that architectural style. - Dave]
Influence for Pixar?I instantly thought of this wonderful shot from The Incredibles. I would not be surprised if the Pixar guys had this photo as a reference, this film is *very* precise about its details.
1957Saarinen's father, Eliel, was commissioned to design the building after WWII. When he died in 1950, his son took over the project. The War Memorial Center was dedicated in 1957 “To Honor the Dead by Serving the Living.”
Saarinen does not deserve the attacks he gets hereI honestly do not understand the vilification that is poured out on this site every time a photograph of Eero Saarinen's work is posted. Saarinen was quite possibly the least doctrinaire Modernist architect who ever lived, and the work he produced in his short life (he died at age 51, very young for an architect) continually presents delights and surprises. Those architects whom I've met who had the chance to work with him remember him as immensely inspirational and seemingly little lower than the angels. The architect Mies van der Rohe reportedly said, "I do not create a new architecture every Monday morning;" Eero Saarinen came close to doing just that. We should honor him for his ceaseless creativity, and Balthazar Korab's photographs of his work, such as this one, offer stunning proof of that.
To Honor the Dead by Serving the LivingSo goes the motto for the Milwaukee War Memorial. My eighth grade (1955) civics teacher would rant almost daily about the hypocrisy of spending so much to build an art museum that would only be used by the rich. He thought it better that the money be distributed amongst living vets, thereby improving their lot (serving the living) in a more meaningful way. Whatever merit his argument may or may not have had, Mr. Z has since passed into history and the Saarinen building still stands. Have spent many enjoyable hours walking through the various galleries of the museum over the years, my last visit being 2004/2005 (?) for a look at the wonderful Brooks Stevens exhibit.   
In 1958 I received a 35mm rangefinder camera for Christmas, and shot many a roll of both print and slide film on the building. The memory of the 1957 World Champion Milwaukee Braves had pretty much faded by 58, and local civic leaders never missed a chance to promote the “War Memorial.”      
I'm No Expert....on either art nor architecture. I look at something and either like it or not.
I like this building!
B.P.O.E. #46The brown brick building partially visible in the far background at the extreme right is  the Milwaukee Elks Club.   It was a stately building with large formal  lobby, large dining room with dance floor, swimming pool and  small apartment rooms for members who wished to live there .  The building has since been demolished. 
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Balthazar Korab, Milwaukee)

Father, Back in the Day: 1973
... , and I can spot three holdovers from the 1950s: Mother's 1955 O'Keefe & Merritt range, mostly behind the paper, the pink enamel and ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/29/2011 - 6:30pm -

How fitting that we allow my father to indulge in one of his favorite activities on Father's Day? This conceivably might even be the day itself in 1973, but no guarantees. I'm pretty sure that's the Sunday paper he's reading. This was the period during which San Francisco's two remaining dailies had a joint operating agreement: weekdays the Chronicle had the AM, the Examiner the PM. Sundays were a combo effort: the hard news section and a roto magazine were from the Examiner, and all the features, including the Datebook (aka pink section), This World, their roster of columnists - in other words, all the interesting stuff - came from the Chronicle. This edition was often referred to as "The Exonicle" or "The Cronaminer."
This was taken in the ever-popular Salmon Kitchen, and I can spot three holdovers from the 1950s: Mother's 1955 O'Keefe & Merritt range, mostly behind the paper, the pink enamel and chrome rolling cart, and atop it our bright shiny chrome toaster. The rest of the cart housed mainly individual newspaper sections, magazines, dictionaries and World Almanacs my mother used for crossword puzzle references, and on the bottom shelf, a weighty accumulation of Montgomery Ward and J.C. Penney catalogs.
My father was 71 when I, a mere stripling of 27, shot this Kodachrome slide.
Dad and newspapersMy dad, as far back as I can remember and before he retired, has worked for different newspapers. So we've always had a daily paper in the house and him reading them. I remember fondly the smell of the ink. 
Wonderful, just wonderful!Thanks AGAIN for sharing the warm memories we all relate to!
MemoriesGreat picture, brings back memories of our house on Danvers Street in San Francisco. How things have changed.
Happy Father's DayA great photo!
Thanks you for sharing it with us.
Patrick 
The Post Intelligencer and Seattle Timeshad a similar relationship at one time as well. I believe it was during the 1970s. 
It has been said before and is worth saying again, you are quite the photographer. My father is now 72 and doesn't have similar features as your father, but oh, the pose - reading the paper at the kitchen table with the sun streaming over the shoulders is MY dad! Thank you for sharing your excellent photography of family life.
OMGEVERY FATHER READS THE SAME NEWSPAPER
Fathers and NewspapersMy father, who was born in 1909, did not get a lot of formal education because he was the oldest of five children and after his father died when he was l4, he was forced to quit school and help support his illiterate mother and his four siblings.  However, he had been a very bright student and soaked up knowledge like a sponge, had a memory like a computer and wanted so much to know and understand things that he read voraciously in his rare spare time and was particularly partial to newspapers.   Basically, if he wasn't working or engaged in family activities, he was readying a newspaper.  Sundays were the best because there was a huge, multi-section paper and (after church) all of us spent hours  reading.  Any time he went to another town or city, his first priority was to seek out their local paper.  All four of his kids followed this custom and in turn, all of their kids.  In high school, our English teacher, Mr Sam Gorton, a graduate of Bates College, told us many times that we could consider ourselves well-educated if we would read a daily newspaper every day.  I have noticed in my lifetime that those who do that are among the most intelligent, capable and interesting people I have known.  Happy Fathers Day to all our wonderful fathers who too often go not only "unsung" but even ridiculed as big oafs in popular entertainment.  Good fathers make us what we are.  Thanks Shorpy and tterrace for stirring our memories to remind us of our beloved dads.  
Fathers and newspapersMy father worked 12 hour days at his pharmacy. He worked from 9 am to 1 pm on Sundays, even! But he always brought home all the Sunday papers. When you lived in NJ, that meant the New York Times, the Daily News, the Star-Ledger, the Newark News (until 1972), and the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Sunday was a newspaper festival in our house! I would wait eagerly all week for the Sunday sections - the Arts and Leisure or Books sections that made me feel connected to the greater world of ideas and culture that swirled in the metropolis far from our population-600 village.
Here's to all the fathers that imbue us with a lifelong fascination with current events and learning, with seeking insight into the world beyond our backyards. I love them and revere them all.
I will web-surf in remembrance of your love of the news, dear dad! How much you would have loved having the world at your fingertips. I wish you could be here still.
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