MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
Home

Search Shorpy

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

Search results -- 30 results per page

Sofa So Good: 1942
... is a county commissioner." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The Farm Security Administration ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/16/2022 - 1:23pm -

July 1942. "Ola, Idaho. FSA Ola self-help cooperative, adjacent timber stand, sawmill and farms. A member of the cooperative and his family at home. This man is a county commissioner." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The Farm Security Administration cooperative farms created in the late 1930s and early '40s under FDR's New Deal would surely be denounced today as "socialism" by many in Idaho, perhaps even by the descendants of this family. https://livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/water_15.html I'd love to know the family dynamics of this groupThe three adults on the left look related. I'd guess sister, brother, mom. And the unhappy looking woman at the end is perhaps the wife who is dealing with having to share quarters with her husband's family. Her little boy looks like he's a handful, too. [Or do you mean on the right? This is the commissioner, his wife and their three kids. - Dave] The roughest thing in this photographAre dad's hands. Those hands have seen some seriously hard work. But he's married to a good-looking woman and has two remarkably lovely daughters. The view out his windows is so idealistic it looks like an old movie or TV backdrop. And he's a county commissioner (someone should be able to identify him). I hope he feels his hard work has been worth it. BooksThe books on the shelf are interesting. I can't make out all the titles but at least two of them are "Common Legal Principles." I'd guess that he was a humble man who took his work as a county commissioner seriously. The Farmer's DaughterThat young lady on the left looks to be a real troublemaker. Meet the CarlocksIf my research worked this is Charles Henry Carlock (1902-66), his wife Esther, and children Shirley, Pat and Marilyn . Commissioner from 1940-46, and owner of the sawmill in Ola, he died - ironically - as the result of a forest fire. Marilyn 5 years previously (hey: if we can have a G-rated "Hoes before bros" we can have a SFW 'Beaver shot'!) I wish I'd met Marilyn (the oldest daughter)She operated a cat, helped to run the timber mill, marched for civil rights, pushed for equal pay for women within a huge federal agency, and wrote bodice-rippers (many still available for purchase on Amazon), and ultimately returned to Idaho to be close to her family. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65541061/marilyn-june-cunningham The Other DaughterThe young lady on the right looks liable to slap that smile right off your face as to look at you. No wonder Dad looks careworn and weary; it's not the job, it's the daughters. I Spya glass eye, owned by Dad. Window ArtworkI love the scrub foothills scenery through the windows. It almost looks like paintings. The sistersThe two sisters remind me of the sisters from "A League Of Their Own." Totally different personalities, but close in age. Full of vinegarI love both of these sassy, beautiful daughters - so clearly full of life. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Russell Lee)
Jolly Rancher: 1941
... of the cooperative association on Scottsbluff Farmsteads, Farm Security Administration project. He has been here since 1937. He came from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/19/2015 - 10:35am -

September 1941. "Frank E. Hagemeister, treasurer of the cooperative association on Scottsbluff Farmsteads, Farm Security Administration project. He has been here since 1937. He came from around Crawford, Nebraska, an extremely dry section with no irrigation." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size. What's in a name? Before the Jolly Rancher, there was "The Happy Farmer" by Robert Schumann, which is an uplifting little ditty that is taught to beginning musical students in piano, violin, etc. I must have listened to it 'til I was blue in the face when my kids were taking piano lessons. This man is the personification of the happy farmer with the sweet disposition I imagined. Frank E. HagemeisterFrank was born in Syracuse NE on November 14 1896, the son of German-born Carl 1866-1927 and Illinois born Rachel Rambat 1872-1929. He married Georgia Frances Fuller on December 7th 1917. The appear to have been childless; Georgia died on her wedding anniversary in 1970 and Frank lived until September 1979. The couple are buried in Crawford Cemetery: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=68070282 Facts about Scottsbluff farmsteadsA small publication Facts about Scottsbluff farmsteads learns that: Scottsbluff Farmsteads was initiated by the F.E.R.A. in March, 1935, in conjunction with the Nebraska Rural Rehabilitation Corporation. The latter agency assumed control until October 1, 1935 when the management of the project was transferred to the Resettlement Administration and is now under the jurisdiction of the Farm Security Administration. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) was active from 1933 till 1935, the Resettlement Administration (RA) was formed in 1935 and reformed to the Farm Security Administration (FSA). The FSA is famous for its small but highly influential photography program, 1935–44, that portrayed the challenges of rural poverty. (The Gallery, Agriculture, M.P. Wolcott)
Hard Times: 1935
... is the application and condition of the wallpaper. Farm Security Administration This picture is on the FSA website. Many other ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 6:06pm -

July 1935. "Interior of unemployed man's house. Morgantown, West Virginia." Large-format nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the FSA. View full size. Interesting recent NYT article: "On the Path of Walker Evans." What is itThe item stuffed behind the mirror? Is is the same thing as what is on the dresser on the right? It looks to me like a kleenex box - but I don't know if they had those back in 1935. Also I thought the carpet was all one piece, but it looks like multiple carpets "tetris-sized." [That's a thermometer behind the mirror. - Dave] TimelessOne of the more interesting studies we've been treated to yet. Wonderful. Meeting of artist and subjectThis photo is typical of the dignity that Evans captured in the lives and surroundings of ordinary people. I can also say, as the descendant of unemployed Appalachian people of the 30s, that there was dignity there to be captured. DignityThese people may be poor and struggling, but everything is clean and orderly. They may be short on money but not pride. No Job, But Not UnappreciatedGreat photo. The man who lives in these modest digs has won the attention of some woman. Either that or he's unusually gifted at laundering and starching doilies! It Just So Happens.......that CBS's excellent television show "Sunday Morning" had a segment on Walker Evans, his postcard collection, his photography and post card history in general. It was aired this morning. New slogan for Dave: "Everything's up to date on Shorpy." Interesting scene, butWhat stands out when I look at this image is the application and condition of the wallpaper. Farm Security AdministrationThis picture is on the FSA website. Many other pictures by Walker Evans. Very interesting site. http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/fsa/welcome.html Modest but niceThey may have been of modest means, but the house looks nice, as evidenced by the trim, and the banister on the staircase (most houses were well-made then), and the furniture appears to be of good quality as well. No Sneaking Around That HouseThose floor boards creak with every step. Picture-in-PictureI like the picture above the mirror. Perhaps that is where this unemployed gentleman grew up. Horses and no cars would seem to indicate an earlier date than 1935. Looks like a lovely place. WowThis pic is what great photography is all about. Bygone craftsmanshipBetter construction & better furniture indeed. Compare this to the trash-out foreclosures of today, where dumpsters full of imported crap must be hauled off to the landfill before the owners can start replacing floors, windows, cabinets, and basically everything including the kitchen sink. On the other hand, we've already cut down all the nice trees they made this stuff out of. Pictures of homeIs that the old homestead pictured over the mirror? Maybe our guy had to move to the big metropolis of Morgantown when the old place was obliterated by a coal mine. The many rugs reminds me ofThe many rugs reminds me of my Granddad's house, where you'd hardly ever see the wood floors. The idea was that every 6 months, all of the rugs would be taken out and beaten. Even into the 1990's when he was in his 90's he did that. Morgantown EmploymentStanton_Square has been greatly moved by this photograph and has experienced considerable ruminations on how to respond. The typographic servant of Stanton_Square has deep connections to Morgantown, having spent many formative years there. I am very curious as to where this photo was taken. The most likely location is the nearby mining community at Scotts Run where Walker Evans spent several months. Other Morgantown industrial regions of the time include the glass factories along the Monongahela River or the Sabraton neighborhood. Several decades ago I frequented the (still operating) Seneca Glass Factory and a few old houses nearby and felt a similar aura of proud, tidy modesty. The Library of Congress has a handful of Walker Evans panoramas of houses in the region Morgantown but I am at a loss to confidently identify their location. Ironic to this photo, Morgantown was recently recognized as having the nation's lowest unemployment rate (Dec 2008). (The Gallery, Rural America, Walker Evans)
Dear John: 1942
... Medium-format nitrate negative by Arthur Siegel for the Farm Security Administration. The words Say, can we please see the card and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 11:04am -

August 1942. "National music camp at Interlochen, Michigan, where 300 or more young musicians study symphonic music for eight weeks each summer. Writing to the boyfriend back home." View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Arthur Siegel for the Farm Security Administration. The wordsSay, can we please see the card and letter up close? Thanks! [Hm. Should we really be reading this girl's mail (66 years after the fact)? Something about thanks for your letter and going on a canoe trip. - Dave] Lefty writing positionsLefties often turn the page the "wrong" way, as this young lady is doing, to keep the writing hand from smearing what has just been written. As a child, my teachers made me turn the page the correct way, and I would finish the day with the side of my hand black with graphite, and all of my writing smudged. Once I got to the age where teachers weren't enforcing penmanship rules anymore, I rotated the page as shown above. And I still write that way. Of course. the correct way for a lefty to write is to rotate the top of the page to the right, parallel to the left forearm, and to hold the hand below the line of writing, but I have only seen three lefties who could do that: My mother, a former secretary of mine, and Bill Clinton. Heart LocketShe probably has her boyfriend's picture in that gold heart locket she is wearing. Perhaps the locket itself was a gift from her beau. InterlochenWhat a sexy outfit! Though I can't blame her, Interlochen is all about adolescent band lust. To anyone who has ever commented that "it's a shame nobody acts like this anymore" should visit Interlochen in the middle of the summer. It very closely resembles itself 60 years ago. Mostly. Right-to-leftWhat about languages that flow right-to-left? Presumably the populations who write Arabic and Hebrew are mostly right-handed like everywhere else. It would appear that the majority of the population has to make this kind of accommodation to avoid smearing. LeftyI am a lefty too, and lots of people told me when they went to school lefties were forced to write with their right hand (don't know how they managed to get a readable writing). Back in my first years at school, I managed to write with a fountain pen and my left hand by hanging it in the air so I saved the paper from being smudged. In high school I finally changed the fountain pen for a ballpoint and started to write with my hand over the paper, a problem in college when I had to draw with pencil (studied arts). NosykinsWell, I'd still like to read her letter and postcard ('cause I'm nosy and it would be interesting to see if she's still about). Is she sunning atop a roof? The surface appears kind of asphalty and manufactured. [Seems to be the roof of a lakeside bathhouse. - Dave] Jelly?Thanks for the jelly? ["Thanks for the letter." - Dave] Farm Security Administration, huh?You know, I'm a lifelong Democrat and a great admirer of FDR, but I'm starting to understand why the Republicans used to complain about New Deal "make-work" projects. I mean, drawing a federal paycheck to go around the country taking pictures of teenage girls sunbathing? (And it's not just this one--there are a bunch of FSA-funded swimsuit shots from Idaho posted here too.) The government just doesn't make pork like it used to... Re: FSA, Huh?Arthur Siegel was one of America's most important photographers. He did a lot of freelance work for the Farm Security Administration and the Office of War Information. He took photos that were typical of those assignments: war-era industry, the efforts of citizens to support the war effort, and scenes of life at that time. The thousands of his photos that appear in the Library of Congress collection, which were published in numerous magazines and newspapers, were an invaluable record of the patriotism and sacrifice that Americans made at that time, and served to give hope and inspiration to everyday people during a very stressful time. The photo of the girl above was one of dozens of photos he took of boys and girls at the Interlochen Music Camp in Michigan, still one of America's greatest music camps and schools. The boys and girls are shown swimming, practicing music, and other typical activities. This girl in the bathing suit might have been writing to her father or older brother who was serving in Europe - we don't know - but in the context of the other photos here, it was hardly the bathing suit that inspired the photo. I am glad the government produced these photos, and they should have a program like this now for young photographers. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Performing Arts, Pretty Girls)
535-07-5248 and Wife
... worker goes with his wife to the bean harvest. Note Social Security number tattooed on his arm." (And now a bit of Shorpy scholarship / ... wife was a woman named Vivian, who was a fruit picker on a farm. I believe Vivian is the lady in the photograph. But that was it, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2020 - 3:52pm -

Oregon, August 1939. "Unemployed lumber worker goes with his wife to the bean harvest. Note Social Security number tattooed on his arm." (And now a bit of Shorpy scholarship / detective work. A public records search shows that 535-07-5248 belonged to one Thomas Cave, born July 1912, died in 1980 in Portland. Which would make him 27 years old when this picture was taken.) Medium format safety negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size. Wow, and is she hot.Wow. She's kind of hot too. Well, I am not showing proper respect for history either. Wow. He's kind of hot.Wow. He's kind of hot. I am really not showing the proper respect for history. She'sno slouch either as long as you're on the subject. I'm loving this series of Dust Bowl era pics. I have known a few people who back then had their number on their arm upside down so they could read it. Relative?He's my brother's namesake, which makes me wonder if we're related. Can you get more information from Social Security numbers, other than name and d.o.b./d.o.d.? I'm Australian, so I don't know anything about the system. [The dates and place of death (Portland, Oregon) are the only information given. - Dave] Hey- Even grandpas were sexyHey- Even grandpas were sexy in their day! SSDIYou can search the Social Security Death Index (available at Ancestry.com, among other places) and it will tell you dob/dod plus last residence. You can also generate the form to send to the Social Security office to request (purchase) a copy of the original application which will give a little more information. I'm impressed with how well groomed they both are. Sure he's got stains on his trousers, but his hair is combed and (except for the mustache) he is clean-shaven. In the background, his wife is wearing what looks like a fairly stylish dress and her pose looks like it could have come out of a fashion magazine. They certainly do not look like the tired and downtrodden people we've seen in other pictures. Makes me wonder what he did before and how long they've been following the harvest. [He was, as the caption says, a lumber worker. - Dave] Pierce Brosnan?He bears an uncanny resemblance to Pierce Brosnan when he as in The Matador. Or, I guess I should say, Pierce Brosnan bears an uncanny resemblance to him. See for yourself: http://tinyurl.com/2gga3j They managedThey managed to keep clean and she looked pretty good They're both veryThey're both very attractive! The Depression was tough, even for the good-lookin'.. :) Hubba!What a babe! :) There are just so manyThere are just so many awesome things about this photo. The elegant beauty of the woman. The handsome man with pipe. The tattoo on the arm with his Social Security number of all things. Then to be able to search them out by using his social and modern technology. It's just a treat! Thomas CaveTHOMAS CAVE born: 02 Jul 1912 death: Jun 1980 last residence: Portland, Multnomah, OR 535-07-5248 Oregon Death Index Name: Thomas Urs Cave Spouse: Annie Birth: 1912 Death: dd mm 1980 - Multnomah U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 Name: Thomas U Cave Birth: 1912 Military: 29 Oct 1942 - Portland, Oregon Residence: Oregon, Multnomah, Oregon U.S. Veterans Gravesites Name: Cave, Thomas U Thomas U Cave Birth: 2 Jul 1912 Death: 4 Jun 1980 Military: 12 Nov 1942 Military: 4 Feb 1946 Pierce Brosnan?I think he looks more like a younger Treat Williams. www.movievillains.com/images/xanderdrax.jpg Well now, he's obviously aWell now, he's obviously a Dapper Dan man! A treat, indeed! Wish weA treat, indeed! Wish we could interview this couple now and ask them about those times. I'll bet they'd say it wasn't such a bad time of their lives. They had each other... Perhaps we people have forgotten what's really important in life. SmokeIt was a inexpensive pleasure back then Harder TimesTimes were harder back then, and arguably so were the people. I'm struck by how much older than I he looks as we are both the same age. Makes me wonder if he had a great head start on life experiences at 27, and I'm lazily slow-poking my way through life. Maybe I should just count myself blessed to live in such times of relative ease and prosperity. Actually, it probably has more to do with the fact that he could actually grow facial hair at this point in his life...but I think I'm going to stick with the "harder times" thesis : ) Or more smoke?Maybe it was all the smoking those people did that aged them? Imagine being flat broke, having to live under a tarp, and still spending money on tobacco! Social Security Number? PricelessNot thrilled that so much is revealed with a SSN search. Somebody is probably getting a credit card in his name right about now. Re: Harder TimesI think that it was a product of responsibility. People back then were given greater responsibility at a much younger age and had a lot more expectations back then. SSNI asked the Library of Congress to upload the .tiff file so we could read his SSN. It could be a 9, not a 4. The LOC librarian took out the original negative but could not be sure either. I agree, Thomas Cave makes more sense because the other option, Clarence Horn, was born in 1917. That man does not look 22. But, often writing history comes down to this kind of reasoning and, hopefully, corroboration. Unfortunately, Thomas Cave's 1942 enlistment document lists him as "divorced, with dependents." That might not be accurate for a whole host of reasons, especially he does not show up on the 1930 Federal Census. I'd like to believe she was the "Annie" listed as his spouse on his death certificate. History doesn't kill romance; it just makes sure it's true. Tobacco was a standard ration in the Depression. Do note the date of death, however. He died at 67. That said, there is no dress rehearsal for life. Times were tough, in a way we can only begin to imagine today. Scurvy: can you give me lists of those tatooed numbers or maybe let me interview you about the people you knew? If anyone wants to know more about the conditions in which this man and woman lived during the Depression, please do not hesitate to ask. I am teaching the photo tomorrow and am introducing my students to the kind of enterprising research and insight I've seen reflected in this list. Bravo. (And yes, he's hot--my students agree). Dr. Kate Sampsell-Willmann Assistant Professor of American History and Photographic Historian Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar ksw29@georgetown.edu Re: SSNThe TIFF is already on the LOC site for anyone to download. Here's the number in question. 535-07-5248. Maybe you are not using the highest resolution file available. (There are two.) LookalikesUnfortunately I don't have a picture to prove it, but he looks like my brother in law at that age. Rich is Greek and Irish. I wonder what nationality Thomas Cave was. [His nationality was American. Ethnicity? - Dave] SSN numberHi Dave: As a professor of history, the LOC uploaded the highest res photo on my request. The LOC librarian examined the neg with a magnifying glass and could get no greater detail. Unfortunately, writing a 9 with an exaggerated bottom hook was common handwriting practice in the '30s (as it in in Western Europe today). Also, the tattoo was not doen with a gun. A 4 with an open top would have been easier to do than a curved 9. If it is indeed a 4, the tattooist made the job harder on himself by closing the top of the 4. If you notice, the straight lines in the 3 and 7 are more distinct than the curved lines. Quite honestly, it looks like my Dad's handwriting (1924-1991, US Army 1942-1946). In some ways, we cannot believe our eyes when looking at old pictures. We have to see them in their historical context. Also, the the letters are SSA not SSN. They stand for Social Security Administration. SSN did not become a common acronym until after World War II. The first SSNs were issued in 1935, a year before this picture. The New Deal agencies were referred to back then as "the alphabet agencies" and then "alphabet soup." For example, Lange, a photographer working for the RA, had previously worked for FERA (forerunner of today's FEMA) and later the FSA, took the picture under the auspices of the USDA. Before the New Deal, government was much smaller, and, saving the USDA, these "alphabetics" (as they were also called) did not exist. There were dozens. For a great read on the Depression (that assumes no prior knowledge of the era), I recommend Robert McElvaine, _The Great Depression: America, 1929-1941_. We have to take all the facts, inside and outside the image, before making sound historical conclusions. But, engaging in ths kind of dialogue is the best way to learn more of our history. I hope that looking at these amazing artifacts of our national past sparks a greater interest in the history, one that is not dependent on memorization of dates and names (which I hate too). History is about feelings and motivations and all manner of human endeavor. Thanks for the opportunity to discuss this picture with you. BTW, if anyone thinks he is an ancestor (his middle name was Urs), is the names "Urs" a common name in your family? I think it might be German. Giving a mother's maiden name as a middle name, or the first name of a parent or grandparent, was common practice in the early 20th c. Because "Urs" is textspeak for "yours," I can't do too much with a quick Google search. Best, Kate Dangling modifiersTouché. I wish my students picked up such things. Kate [Imagine a fact-checking school of piranhas and you basically have our readership. (Kidding!) - Dave] The Trap of the Dangling Modifier>> As a professor of history, the LOC uploaded the highest res photo The LOC is a professor of history? Hmm. UrsThe name “Urs” is common in Switzerland, but not in Austria or Germany. Only the female equivalent, Ursula, is quite common here. SmokingMy father once told me that he started smoking during the Depression because it killed his appetite. You know how some folks worry that if they quit smoking they'll gain weight. He smoked so there would be more food for his brothers and sisters. Unfortunately he like his father and several of his uncles, brothers and sister fell victim to emphysema re: Lookalikes-DaveThanks Dave, that's what I was trying to say. Mind goes blank ever so often and I use the first word I can think of. Old age and drugs are he-- on a mind. Urs, smoking, and identityI think Urs is also an old Celtic name. I still don't get why he doesn't show up in the 1930 census. Anyone on the list in Multnomah, Oregon? He's buried at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland: Col-2, Row 382, Site B. Maybe they have a next of kin on record to whom the picture can be shown? His 1980 death cert. lists an Annie as spouse, but his enlistment record lists him as divorced with dependents. Don't know if the woman is Annie (before they got married) or the former Mrs. Cave. Every generation thinks it invented premarital sex and cohabitation. In the 1920s and 1930s, it was pretty common in all strata of society. Sometimes in the Depression, the especially hard-hit would not bother to get a formal divorce; people would just leave. He also might have been a Wobbly. 1935 is kind of late, but they were always strongest in the West: mining and timber. Another thing bothers me about his "identity": Thomas Cave's enlistment record has him at 5'6" and 156 pounds. I know there are ways to judge height of sitting people with software, but that's beyond me at the moment. My father used to cup his cigarettes in his hand until he quit in the 1980s, "so the snipers couldn't get a fix." That's why it's "unlucky" to light 3 cigarettes with one flame, so says my Vietnam Vet husband. Remember the old WWII movies, "smoke-em if you got-em, boys." I think I also remember my Dad saying something about the tobacco killing hunger in the Depression. Dad was a tenant farmer 'til he went off to war. Pregnant women were encouraged to smoke to stop morning sickness. Tobacco use was ubiquitous. The Red Cross even handed out cigarettes in the 1931 drought. Best, Kate re: to Kate Urs, smoking, and identityThanks for the info Kate. Maybe he and the woman in the picture weren't really married. Interesting, and I agree about the "premarital sex and cohabitation". I couldn't believe my ears when I finally was told the stories about my family ;o) My dad used to do that with his cigarettes too. He never said why however, but now I know :) TattooYou mention that you don't think the tattoo was put on with a machine. As a tattooer for 17 years I can pretty much assure you that it was. That kind of serif style and the continuity of size would be impossible for a novice to achieve using a hand-poke method. Thomas CaveThomas Cave, 1912-1980. Kind of WeirdThis is one of my favorite pictures I've seen here on Shorpy. For some reason, these two make me think of Rooster and Lily from "Annie." Looking Back to NowThere are some historic photographs -- and they are rare indeed -- that somehow manage to look as if they were shot in the present, just yesterday. This is one such. I'm not speaking of the people exactly but the manner in which they enter the camera. Not all of Dorothea Lange's (or other commercial photographers of any era) manage to convey such "magic" but this one does. It took my breath away when I first saw it (elsewhere) last month. A handsome rakeNot sure if this fits the bill, but I'd nominate this pic for the Handsome Rakes gallery. I'll bet people walked up to him and told him he looked like Errol Flynn. His girl is on the pretty side as well, though I think we have pictures aplenty in the pretty girls gallery! Movie star looksHe reminds me of Errol Flynn. Maybe it's the mustache? Two more photos of Thomas CaveTwo more of Lange's photos of Thomas Cave (neither quite so interesting visually as the one here) came up via the LOC's "Neighboring Call Numbers" browser: LC-USF34-020536-E and LC-USF34-020538-E. In the second of these, Cave appears to be deliberately displaying his Social Security number tattoo. Perhaps he was a true believer in the promises that it represented. Other photos from this group of 30 identify the bean harvest locale as "Oregon, Marion County, near West Stayton." "Cute Boys"?We have "Bathing Girls!" and "Pretty Girls" categories; when, oh when, will "Cute Boys!" be created? Along with Mr. Cave, "Powerhouse Mechanic and Steam Pump" should be included! Yowza is it getting warm in here? [Look at the tags above the photo. The category you're describing already exists. - Dave] Bean Pickers, Marion County, OregonMy father's family left Oklahoma in 1934 headed for California, and by 1939 would have been permanently settled in Marion County, still picking other people's crops and working odd jobs. None of my family from my father's generation, or the one before his, is still alive, but it does make me wonder if they might have encountered this handsome couple back then. First Generation LifelockMr Cave's efforts to protect himself against identity theft were, perhaps, not so well thought out. PragmaticI think he is a pragmatic man, his circumstances make it quite possible that he will be found dead at the side of the road or in a ditch. The number on his arm makes identification possible. Mofred InfoHere he is, with three wives, on FamilySearch: Tillman Thomas Ursel Cave 2 July 1912 – 4 June 1980 https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GQL8-S8Z A little bit more about Thomas U. CaveAll this information was found via the newspaper archive at genealogybank.com. (I would have just posted links to save space, but it is a paid site.) In the June 4, 1949 issue of The Oregonian, there is a birth announcement that Mr. and Mrs. Thomas U. Cave gave birth to a daughter on May 28. Then, on Sept. 22, 1950, another announcement that another daughter (Juanita L.) was born on Sept. 13. An address is included in both announcements. Then, a tragic story from the May 4, 1952 issue: "Kelso Grid Star Dies in Collision". It reads: KELSO, Wash. May 3 (AP) - Richard "Rip" Raappana, 24, well-known southwest Washington athlete, was killed early Saturday. His automobile swerved into a Consolidated Freightways truck and trailer a mile north of here on the Pacific Highway, the state patrol reported. Louise N. Robinson, 21, Longview, a passenger in his car, was injured critically. The state patrol said the truck driver was Thomas U. Cave, 39, of Portland. Raappana was an all-round athlete at Kelso high. He played college football for Eastern Washington college at Cheney and last fall was with the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. No Golds Gym HereWhat impresses me most is that his nice body is most likely due to heavy labor, not lifting weights in a gym. LooksHe looks like David Gandy, one of the top male models of the last 10 years We know him as 535-07-5248But his wife just called him "5". I think she's got kind of the Dorothy Lamour vibe: Who knew History could be so HandsomeI love checking out Shorpy everyday, and it's a double pleasure when such a handsome picture pops up. Service DetailsThe grave marker said he was a Sgt during WWII. One of the lucky ones to have made it to the end after enlisting in 1942. Does anyone have the ability to look up his service record? Would love to know what he did and where he was during WWII. Reminds me of Freddie MercuryBritish musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Queen. Late to the game, but --I have a little more information about this man, if anyone is interested. Anyone looking on a genealogy/records site might have some trouble finding him under the name Thomas Urs Cave, because it looks like his real name was Tillman Thomas Urs Cave. I initially found a census record for a Thomas U Cave in 1940. At the time he was renting a house in Shasta, Oregon, and stated that he was a truck driver who had an eighth grade education. He was also married - but not to Annie (Ann Kathryn per the grave marker?). His wife was a woman named Vivian, who was a fruit picker on a farm. I believe Vivian is the lady in the photograph. But that was it, beyond the service records/SSA death record already posted about. But a census record for 1920 caught my eye because the young boy, Tilman T Cave, had a sister called Juanita - the same name Thomas gave his daughter in 1949 per the newspaper announcement. In 1920 Tilman and Juanita lived with their parents, Tilman B and Sarah N Cave, on a farm in Buckham, Oregon. A possible match, but not 100% guaranteed. Searches for the name Tilman Cave, though, found three good records: - a 1918 WWI draft registration for a Tillman Benjamin Cave, wife Sadie, both living in Buckham, Oregon - a 1930 census record for Benjamin T and Sadie N Cave in Los Angeles, California - a 1940 census record for Benjamin T and Sadie N Cave in Portland, Oregon I realize the names change during this time. I've known plenty of people who go by their middle name, which would account for Tillman Benjamin becoming Benjamin T, and it's possible that Sadie is a pet name for Sarah given the shared middle initial of 'N'. As for the sudden jump from Oregon to LA and back, I'm guessing a lot of people migrated for possible work. The clincher record: a 1934 marriage record of a Tillman T.U. Cave to a Vivian Couture (both residents of Multnomah County, Oregon) in Washington State. The witnesses' signatures are Benjamin Cave and Saddie [sic] Cave. Unfortunately I still can't find Tillman or Thomas Cave in the 1930 census, but we're at the mercy of both the census-takers and transcribers here. I've found faults from both before (a prime example: the census of 1940 says Vivian worked as a picker on a Fruit Farm, but it has been transcribed in the index as a Kunt Farm. I don't even want to imagine what one of those would be.) He's probably out there somewhere. All of this isn't 100% proof, but that's hard to get without a chain of vital records. If any of the previous posters are still reading this, or new readers comes across this, I hope you find this information of interest! Relationship dynamicsHer place on the photo, uncomfortable body language and wary eyes as if the photographer was an attractive woman. My Great-GrandmaI loved reading all the comments. Yes, this is a picture of my great-grandma Vivian. My grandmother recounted the story to me. A photographer came into camp and because of this, no one was allowed to go work while the photographer went tent to tent taking pictures. Hence the death stare she was giving. They lost out on an entire day’s wages because this guy wanted to take their picture. And yes, my grandma remembers it as a man who came even though it is credited to Dorothea Lange. I know very little of the man in the picture. I do however know that my grandma is not resting in peace next to him. What I remember of Grandma Vivian is how her house was in the middle of the woods and she had a pet deer that would visit her daily and she would let it in the house. She had the most beautiful flowers around her property. And she always wore a head scarf. She died when I as around 3 years old. My Cooper cousinTillman Thomas Cave was my cousin, he was married at least twice. Vivian Couture (pictured), I have some photos of her and she worked for Kaiser Mills in Portland, Oregon. She had a photo ID indicating she was 5'9", Tillman was 5'6". She was a slender dark haired dark eyed girl and her half brother Melvin was lighter haired with very blue eyes. Tillman's full name is Tillman Thomas Ursel Cave, born July 2, 1912, died June 4, 1980. He married Vivian on July 3, 1934. They were together seven to nine years. He later married Ann Kathryn Bloom. His name Cave had been shortened from Cavendish at some point. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Handsome Rakes)
Raised on Radio: 1942
February 1942. "Burlington, Iowa. Sunnyside unit, Farm Security Administration trailer camp. In a trailer for workers at the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2021 - 5:50pm -

February 1942. "Burlington, Iowa. Sunnyside unit, Farm Security Administration trailer camp. In a trailer for workers at the Burlington ordnance plant." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. Radio IDThat would be a Crosley "Fiver", a moderately priced radio with decent performance. Farm Security + War InformationJohn Vachon continues his travels, mixing his original assignment (Farm Security Administration) with what it was morphing into (Office of War Information). The Burlington facility, officially the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, began production in 1941. It ceased production in 1945, started again in 1949, and is still operating. In 1990 it also became a Superfund site due to contamination by explosives and lead. As the photo below indicates, by 1944 women were leaving their trailers to manufacture ammo. Let's hope this lady and her son knew uncontaminated lives. She's found her stationJudging from the dial position, she is listening to KBUR on 1490 kc. That Burlington station came on the air in 1941. Lucky Tiger ShampooSeveral different style bottles, through the years, the bottle on the right, appears to be like this one. I too want to be a Lucky Tiger!If it's good enough for them it's good enough for me! And its still made today. By golly I am going to try it! Well-groomedI think this kid has just had some Lucky Tiger hair products applied. Judging by the dial positionit seems more likely she is tuning in KSO ("Keep Serving Others"), moved in March 1941 to 1460-kHz, then one of two Des Moines stations owned by the Des Moines News and Register and an NBC Blue affiliate. With 5-kw daytime, 1-kw nighttime, quite powerful for the era, the station could easily broadcast the 150 miles between the two cities, especially since the nearest station then on 1460-kHz was four hundred miles west running 1-kw. Lucky TigerAre you implying that the look on his face is a result of an unauthorized use of the shampoo? Note the alcohol content. Mommy, turn on the Lone Ranger!17 years later, I was a big fan of the Lone Ranger on the family Zenith. Alongside Highway 61 (again)FSA-sponsored Sunnyside trailer park, officially opened Nov. 1, 1941, was at corner of Sunnyside and Roosevelt Avenues in the City of Burlington. FSA had set up trailer park camps for agricultural workers, but according to the local newspaper (the Burlington Hawk-Eye) this was the first time it had set up one for defense plant workers. Roosevelt Avenue, at that spot, was better known as U.S. Highway 61 (later made famous by Bob Dylan, born May 24, 1941). This is only one of several John Vachon pics for the FSA taken near Highway 61, which generally runs in the west side of the Mississippi from Minnesota to New Orleans. In February 1942, there would have been little of interest to a child this age on KBUR. For its first year, that local station was not affiliated with any network, and most of its programming was homegrown. But starting later that year (in July 1942), it joined NBC's Blue network, thereby allowing shows like The Lone Ranger and Red Ryder to come through loud and clear in Burlington. What is it?I would like to know what the device is above the window? (Yes, bad English, but I think you know what I mean.) Base CanardI too was raised on radio and have always resented hearing younger folk say, "Back then listeners always stared at the radio." The youngster here is doing exactly as I remember - staring into space while enjoying the theater of the mind. Familiar GroundsMy husband's family is from Burlington and both his grandmother and great grandmother as well as aunts worked at the plant. There is a cemetery on the land owned by the Plant where the relatives of a close family friend is buried, unfortunately it is very difficult to get permission to visit. Shower and a shave!Don't forget your Woodbury aftershave lotion. Wall Sconce lampThat looks like a wall sconce lamp. Its output would be aimed downward against the wall and would light the room via reflection. Probably would give a nice indirect glow. Like the chrome styling too. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Kids, WW2)
Bless This Mess: 1939
October 1939. "Kitchen on FSA client farm home near Bradford, Vermont. Orange County." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. What's in the bucket?? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/18/2021 - 8:29am -

October 1939. "Kitchen on FSA client farm home near Bradford, Vermont. Orange County." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. What's in the bucket??it's Vermont, probably maple syrup. Doesn't MatchPosition of Legs and Feet on the floor do not match the position of the person standing. There's somebody else hiding back there. [Um, no. - Dave] Disturbing MessOut of all the kitchen photos that have been on Shorpy over the years, I think this one is the most disturbing. I've eaten meals in some pretty "interesting" places, but I'd have to pass on an offer to eat there. All of the FliesMy goodness, just look at that flypaper at top center of the image. Two TimerSo, is it 12:17 or 12:38? SingerBehind and to the left of our "homemaker" is a Singer sewing machine. I still have one identical to this that my Great grandfather bought for my great-grandma in 1913. It runs with a foot treadle and leather drive belt. I can still see Grandma using it as it ran at a blur. At the end of her life, Grandma lived with us. One day she handed me a soft rubber grommet and told me to take it to the Singer store to buy another. The lady at Singer opened a drawer that was full of said grommets and handed me one. The leather drive belt needs replacement and that rubber grommet is likely shot as well; but that old Singer looks pretty good after 108 summers! Some nice antiques thereGood chance it's a Griswold #8 cast iron pan to the right of the sugar bowl and depression glass salt shaker. Wonder what's finger lickin good in that bucket?? Time to clean houseMy parents used to tell me that during those years, people couldn't help being poor, but didn't have to live like pigs. I guess this backs that up. Singer DropheadThis is a drophead Singer treadle sewing machine from around the 1930s. Sewing machines such as this could be hidden making it appear like a fancy hall table. Cinco de MesaThat table apparently has five legs, all on casters. Singer stitchesMy maternal grandmother had a Singer that looked exactly like the one in a previous comment. As tiny kids, we were always curious about what she kept in those darned drawers. Mom told us to stay away from it as we would get stitches sewn into our hands if we weren't careful. Looks Okay to MeIf you're not ever inviting guests over, why waste time deciding what to keep and what to throw away, so long as you don't run out of space. If they have a dog, he doesn't care either. The messy live longer, after adding in the time saved not cleaning up. Rich messy people have more expensive clutter, is all. What clean meansI'm sorry but there's no excuse for living in squalor, no matter what the financial circumstances. Furthermore, filthy cannot be healthy. We were poor by most standards for a significant portion of my childhood, but my mother would not abide anything less than an immaculate house. Mama worked as a waitress, so from an early age my big sister and I were tasked with every chore there was: cleaning, doing laundry (wringer washer and clothesline), cooking, and child care (of the two littles). Our grades had better be up to snuff too, or else. Soap is cheap and elbow grease is free. Character is priceless. I don't say we were better than our slovenly counterparts, but we certainly were luckier. Depressing . . . It's possible that a parent has died or is critically ill, leaving the child to fend for him/herself most of the time. The filthy windows and dead or dying plants and flowers; the Singer treadle machine piled high with papers; plates and skillets full of congealed grease; spilled food on the table; the well-populated flypaper — all would seem to indicate that the the mother of this family is missing in action. A profoundly depressing photo. [Mama is alive and well and very busy. - Dave] Farm Security Administration PhotosIt must be remembered that the whole purpose of the FSA photography project was to influence the policy makers and get them on board with the numerous New Deal schemes of FDR. If this kitchen was clean and well-kept, Russell Lee would never have photographed it. [Not so. He photographed plenty of tidy kitchens. - Dave] Messy KitchenAnybody who did not live during the Great Depression will never understand how bad it was. (The Gallery, Kitchens etc., Russell Lee)
Old Folks at Home: 1935
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Theodor Jung for the Farm Security Administration. Resettlement? Can someone decode what the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/05/2009 - 2:04am -

October 1935. Brown County, Indiana. Prospective Resettlement Administration clients whose property has been optioned by the government. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Theodor Jung for the Farm Security Administration. Resettlement?Can someone decode what the caption means? Resettlement clients? Property optioned? It sounds like their farm dustbowled up and the Roosevelt government is buying them out, but I'd like the official word... Thanks! [Wikipedia article on the Resettlement Administration. - Dave] Brown County INBrown County has the largest Indiana state park and part of the Hoosier National Forest. Brown County has by far the highest concentration of forested land of any of Indiana's 92 counties with nearly 90% coverage and almost no large farms at all. I think these people we relocated to help create these great parks. http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/hoosier/docs/history/history.htm Resettlement AdministrationThe resettlement of tens of thousands of people occurred through government action in the 1930s. In some cases it was for projects like the Tennessee Valley Authority where vast areas of bottom lands were flooded and the owners of the land, many of them having families that dated to the Revolutionary War period, were "resettled". In other cases, people lived on what the government determined to be submarginal lands and they were bought out and given the option of settling in a "homestead project" such as the ones developed by the FSA and, earlier, the Resettlement Administration. I don't know the particular history of Brown County, Indiana, where clients were "optioned", but it appears to fit that pattern. However, in Louisiana at Transylvania Plantation just south of Lake Providence, blacks who had lived on the plantation since the Civil War were evicted by the FSA and white farmers were brought onto the land. The only evidence of this is determined by the photographs made by Russell Lee. There is no reliable history, at this point, that tells us exactly what took place and why (except for the photographic evidence). The result of the removal of hundreds of black tenants, their houses turned over to the new arrivals as well as their churches and community center, was an embittered and angry black population. They formed the nucleus of a particularly militant civil rights group based in Lake Providence. It appears that throughout the south the projects set up by the FSA had very long lasting implications. The government had determined that FSA projects would be segregated, at the instigation of politicians, which was a profoundly different pattern for sharecroppers in particular who lived in racially mixed arrangements on the land. the result, time and again of this "resettlement" in the south was that whites and blacks were separated and concentrated in isolated communities. the black communities were often the font of civil rights work in their region. The white communities such as the Dyess Project in Arkansas were the centers of the Ku Klux Klan. Here is a website that outlines some of our research: http://www.siu.edu/%7ejadams/fsa/ (The Gallery, Great Depression, Rural America, Theodor Jung)
Carrier Mills: 1939
... Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Hard times That ole boy ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/04/2024 - 8:43pm -

January 1939. "Carrier Mills, Southern Illinois. Small towns and rural areas of a once prosperous mining region, suffering from the Depression." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Hard times That ole boy with his hands in his pockets standing between the café and the drug store seems to be either challenging the fella walking by or asking for a quarter. Even the railroad tracks are goneThis is my best guess as to where the 1939 photo was taken. The railroad tracks ran diagonally against the town's grid layout and this is where they came closest in what appears to have been a business district. The 1939 two story brick building on the corner is curious. On the right side, in the shade, is a grand entrance to the First National Bank. But the Clover Farm Stores seems to run up against the back of the bank and the window with the ruffled curtains appears to be a door to stairs to the second floor (surely -- don't call me Shirley, it can't be a side door to the bank!). All that would make the First National Bank interior pretty small for such a grand entrance. My heart goes out to men, then and now who stand on corners hoping a paying work opportunity comes along. Doug's got itI'm pretty sure Doug is right. The brickwork on Hillside Taxidermy matches the building on the left in 1939 perfectly. Not much left of Carrier Mills these days. Hey! I grew up near thereI'm from Harrisburg, one town over. My mom graduated from Carrier Mills High School. When I was a kid in the late '70s and early '80s, my dad used to get my winter rubber boots from (IIRC) the store right behind the building on that corner (Main and Oak streets). Less than half of what used to be downtown Carrier Mills is still standing. Nailed ItI believe Doug Floor Plan nailed the location. The taxidermy shop brick work in the current photo matches the building next to the drug store exactly, although the top line of windows have been covered up. The stance of the gentleman standing on the far right reminds me of a gangster in an old film noir picture. Only One Building LeftHere is the location of the picture. The only building left is the one on the far left in the original picture. https://goo.gl/maps/743Edvn3d7y6L9KY6 The high altitude USDA photos of Illinois taken in the late 30's and early 40's are available online. This is a blow up of downtown Carrier Mills taken in June, 1938. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Railroads, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Elm Grove: 1936
... Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The girl can also be seen here ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2014 - 8:47am -

August 1936. "People living in miserable poverty. Elm Grove, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma." Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The girl can also be seen here. Not so CreepyShe reminds me of "Scout" in To Kill A Mockingbird. Man, those eyes!The girl is even more creepy in this photo than in the other one. And the poverty! This family has really reached rock bottom. Haunting. Elm GroveI have in-laws who live almost at this level today -- in Borneo. Elm GroveFor the cost of your internet connection, your in-laws in Borneo could live like royalty. 1930's Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas were tough places to scratch out a living during the double-whammy of the dust bowl and depression - my family included. I see two fairly healthy-looking kids in the picture - seems Mom was doing a pretty good job considering the circumstances. Damaged ChildI absolutely adore Dorothea Lange's work! Damaged Child--the picture of the girl--is one of my favorites, I'm so delighted to find another picture of her! She reminds me of Sofie (but as a child) in Carnivale, the HBO show I dearly love--and the reason why I got interested in the 1930s and so much more. In fact, all of Dorothea Lange's marvelous work reminds me of Carnivale. Wonderful website by the way! The pictures and graphic design are absolutely stupendous! Civil WarI believe all the poverty/hardship seen in these pictures of the South...can be directly traced to the slash/burn policy of Shermans. THe South espically the slave states.. The war ended in 1865...those born in that year..would have been 40 years old..they in turn had children who carried the burden placed on them...it goes on to present day. however THE SOUTH DID RISE AGAin.. My comments do not reflect the right or wrong of slavery. That topic is still being discuss dailey.. [Check your math. And spelling. - Dave] Ukrainian Security ServiceIt's funny but now SBU (Ukrainian Security Service) tried to prove starvation in Ukraine with Shorpy photos. http://varjag-2007.livejournal.com/687279.html Waiting for new collage. Boot camp luxuryI would say this boy was about 11 when this was taken. The war was a little over five years away. I would bet that, by 1942, he had enlisted in some branch of the service. I would also bet that he did not take part in the widespread complaining about the cooking and accommodations on stateside bases. "SOS" and a bunk in a barracks, complete with indoor plumbing, would have been luxury compared to what we see in this picture. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Kids)
Anomie Farm: 1941
... The Sampsons are moving out of their small unproductive farm in the Pine Camp expansion area to a 240-acre dairy farm in South Rutland, ... New York." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Hobbies: none That's one ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/13/2019 - 2:39pm -

August 1941. "The family of Mr. Dan Sampson, father of 11 children. The Sampsons are moving out of their small unproductive farm in the Pine Camp expansion area to a 240-acre dairy farm in South Rutland, N.Y., obtained through the New York Defense Relocation Corporation. Near Sterlingville, New York." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Hobbies: noneThat's one thing television eventually did--it gave the grown folks something to do besides making more viewers. Curlers in your hairWith regard to the young lady in curlers underneath the deer-head-with-bicycle-handlebars, I recall my dad, when he would see a woman with curlers interviewed on national TV, speculating on what event could be more important than appearing on national TV, that she would keep her curlers in her hair. In like manner, I wonder why this young lady does not take out her curlers and do something to her hair (like her older sister on the right), with the photographer in their house and all. And doesn’t she know she’ll be appearing on Shorpy in 78 years? Sampsons' ElevenWell, the farm may not have been productive, but Mr. and Mrs. Sampson sure were. Not smilingThe family doesn't seem to be welcoming the camera very much. It reminds me of something my grandmother told me about some distant relatives I thought I might like to get to know; "they are poor, but proud". She was warning me that I'd get the bum's rush very quickly if I gave the slightest "air of superiority", and I wonder if this family really doesn't appreciate being known as the recipient of charity in this regard. Where's #11?I count ten. Either one's under the table or mom's expecting again. Deer HeadThe absolute saddest example of taxidermy ever. Conceptual ArtThe deer seems to have tangled with a Picasso bull. Grapes of WhateverThere's an entire Steinbeck novel written in the face of that little girl in the foreground. This lad is not in on the fixYep, I like the boy in the foreground who seems unimpressed by Delano's stage directions. The girl in front doesn't seem to be fully on board either. We might call this picture "fake news" now. Father of 11Maybe #11 left home. 1940 CensusIn the 1940 Census for Wilna, Jefferson County, New York: Dan Sampson age 47, Lila 36, William 16, Warren 15, Mabel 14, Dorothy 12, Frank 11, Don 10, Charles 8, Charlotte 7, Clara 6, Edward 5, and Lila Jr. 2. Those black dots on the wallare flies. Moved out because of Fort DrumThe Pine Camp mentioned is now Fort Drum, one of the largest Army bases in New York. The military installation was set up as part of the massive military build up prior to the USA entering WWII. South Rutland is now called Tylerville, and the other place mentioned, Sterlingville, was also devoured by the new base. They may not have been so happy having the family farm taken away from them despite the optimistic commentary from the photographer, who, as a government employee, felt obligated to put a positive spin on things -- well, at least in the commentary. "Pine Camp expansion area"Now known as Fort Drum. My National Guard unit used to go there in early May for annual training (and wake up the residents by firing artillery at 2 AM.) In one week in the field we saw snow, rain, sun, dust, mosquitoes and mud. The commander said, "This is good training!" Our response cannot be printed here (and was probably anatomically impossible). That thing in the deer's antlersI'm thinking less "bicycle handlebars" and more "bow for a bow saw, missing the blade" That deer's seen better days. Well DocumentedPerhaps the Sampsons had had enough of being photographed. They were visited in 1937 by photographer Arthur Rothstein. Then were visited by Jack Delano twice in 1941, first in August, and after they'd moved to their new farm in October. Dan and his wife Lila would ultimately have 13 children. The couple both died in 1960. Different genreI'm thinking more Stephen King than Steinbeck. Gifts of ShorpySorry, but I have to "pipe-in" here. Having always liked Shorpy from first discovery, never considering why, I just realized an important ingredient (yes, slow learner). I don't know if Dave planned it this way from the beginning or if it was just good luck, however, while enjoying comments on this photo (and others) it became apparent that each comment gives us an added perspective to think about or learn. Each comment tells a short story. Dave could have started a site with just old photos that he found intetesting. But no, some (hidden?) genius decided to allow viewer participation through the ability to enhance the photos with comments. Well done Mr. Dave! (and any others behind the scenes). Anomie Farm?I had to google "anomie". Isn't that just a bit unkind? [The title of this post is a literary pun. - Dave] OK. Looks more like the Clover side of things than the Napoleon side, though. We have a winnerMrs Sampson is indeed pregnant. Alonzo S Sampson will be born Nov 30, 1941. She's not thereCount again. Mrs. Sampson is not in the picture, only "The family of Mr. Dan Sampson" which likely only includes his 11 children pictured. [Mrs. Sampson is the tired-looking lady in the doorway. - Dave] Grapes Of Some ...Eiger, yours is the comment of the day. I noticed that too, but throwing Steinbeck in there is so fitting! Could anyone maintain an appetite while that mounted deer was in the room?! It's rotting on the wall. Very odd energy in the room, with the lack of eye contact. What do they all know but aren't saying? Sad storyThe family grew to 15 children, seven of whom succumbed to lung cancer. Eldest daughter Mabel believed the cancer was caused by bug spray applied by the military to the area prior to the family's removal. The last living child is in her 70s. No, the family did not want their photo taken. They were not in curlers or a housedress because they were "trashy" as some have joked, but because it was early in the morning. They objected to being photographed but the three men talked them into it. Information from the chapter "Heartache on the Homefront" from Dave Shampine’s book “Remembering the North Country: Tales of Time Gone By.” Stone Cold GangstaBoy in the foreground seems to be doing something boys his age have been known to do; photobombing this event with a finger gesture (making the "Anomie" title even more apropos). His older brother in onto him. Something is Not Rotten in New YorkNot so sure the deer head is rotting. There is something hanging from the deer's right-side antler that makes it look like the right ear is rotting. But it seems the "rot" is really what's hanging. Could be a bottle brush (after all, it is/was a dairy farm). And flies in August on an upstate NY dairy farm isn't too surprising, especially in a farmhouse without air conditioning. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Jack Delano, Kids)
Apolitical Animal: 1942
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. That would be a yea Yes, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/07/2024 - 12:12pm -

February 1942. "Bismarck, North Dakota. State capitol." Yea or neigh? Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. That would be a yeaYes, that is the state capitol in Bismarck. Below is from another angle, as seen by me in December 1989. In both photos, it was freezing. I did not encounter a friendly horse on my visit. Instead, I found myself in the mean-ass stare of a buffalo, made of rebar. On the capitol grounds is also a memorial to veterans of all wars. There is a hole in the roof, placed so that at 11am on November 11th, a ray of sun shines upon the bronze globe. And, very similar to the Vietnam Wall in D. C., the names of those who gave their lives, right up next to you, grouped together in way too many conflicts. Very thoughtful and impressive. "The ayes have it".According to my heads-up count. Deco SchmeckoThat ugly building is supposedly Art Deco in style but it looks like Brutalism to me. Wish I could unsee it. Tom SwiftyShelby Foote introduces politics in General Lee calling for his horse Traveller to be brought: "Orderly! Orderly!" he called hoarsely, not seeing Tucker close by with Traveller, whose bit had been slipped to let him graze. [I had a pony named Hoarsely. - Dave] Human affairsI think the horse’s opinion on human politics can be found behind his left rear leg. At Twenty One StoriesThe capitol building was completed in 1935, and still is the tallest occupied building in the state. Is this circa 1963 Bulgaria?All that's missing is the typical giant mosaic of Lenin leading the way for the apparatchiks and peasants. Still on the fence?I like this post! (The Gallery, Horses, John Vachon, Landscapes, Politics)
So Fresh: 1941
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. I wonder what she was thinking This woman seems ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 11:45am -

June 1941. Produce market in San Diego, California. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. I wonder what she was thinkingThis woman seems so intent on choosing the right vegetable that I wonder if she even knew the picture was being taken. Or maybe it was taken for security? I have no idea. I wonder what she was thinking and where she is now, sixty seven years later. I love the beautiful simplicity of this scene: an everyday thing that people rarely stop to admire these days. ShoenivoreWhat is eating her shoes? This type of scene is so mundane, it is a wonder people thought to take the pictures, but I am SO GLAD THEY DID! securityI can assure you, they didn't take the photo out of a need for security. check out those shoes! She takes her squash--andShe takes her squash--and her shoes!--seriously! 1940s Hair StyleI'm not knowledgeable about women's hair styles, but I like the way her hair is braided. It looks complicated and perhaps something she could not have done herself. Hmmm....Look at those unique shoes! The Eggplant .....Well, I love supermarket and store photos and this one is great. I am wondering, however, why , in one place in the store, the Eggplant is 5 cents and in another part of the store it costs 10 cents.The two do not look different in size. The hair style is French braid, I believe and many people do it themselves.The shoes are quite unusual, though. (The Gallery, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
Farmville: 1938
May 1938. "Farm family, Scioto Farms, Ohio." 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. UPDATE: This is Earl Armentrout and his ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 10:40pm -

May 1938. "Farm family, Scioto Farms, Ohio." 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. UPDATE: This is Earl Armentrout and his family, government rehabilitation clients who were relocated by the Resettlement Administration to a new house in a cooperative farming project, a story repeated thousands of times for families who were forced off the land by crop failures during the Dust Bowl era. Goes to showWhat having no TV will get you. Farm FamThese guys look exceptionally healthy for a Depression era family - none of that terrible gauntness, not even in the mother who has borne so many children -- shiny hair, big smiles. And kittens! A very hopeful picture of a bad time in American history. GollyThis photo is mind blowing! Look at the faces on these folks, especially the children. No ADD, no prescription medications because there depressed. Pure Family happiness that a Park Avenue kid couldn't buy for a million bucks. Total respect for each other, animals (speaks volumes) and life. You made my day. Great FamilyWhat a great-looking, loving, happy family. Love the kittens. Must have been a great family to grow up in. Thank you!Such beautiful smiles and joy in this photo. It made my morning. Re: 1899-1967They say women survive their men, but men don't live long once their women are gone. Earl only lasted three months. So different This family is a contrast to the Dust Bowl poverty we see often at Shorpy. I love those cute kitties and the way the children love (ack! choke! gasp!) them. No Tea Party hereA government program that helped the American people that was not met with self-proclaimed ultra conservatives ranting about a socialist president leading America to damnation. God Bless America. [Actually, Franklin Roosevelt and his New Deal programs encountered exactly that kind of criticism. - Dave] Smiles!Only a few decades before, it was decidedly not done to get yourself photographed while smiling. It's so good to see that had changed by this time. Happy daysThey certainly are a cheerful bunch, compared to what we usually see in FSA photographs! Even the cat on the right is smiling. Wow!Now that is one good looking family. Aw, kittiesRelaxed, well fed, happy kitties! The AcornThe old man sure put his stamp on the oldest boy. Depression era?What a great family photo! I had to remind myself that this was taken during the Great Depression, for they seem so happy and healthy. It goes to show that not every family suffered all the time during the Great Depression. These kids are happy, clean, and appear healthy. I bet some are still around. A farmer's work is never done"Come sunup, got me some plowin' t'do! Come sundown, got me some plowin' t'do!" Loving CoupleThe headstone gives a clue as to how happy and loving Mr. and Mrs. Armentrout were. I don't know why she passed on, but the dates say he died of a broken heart. Any idea if the children know their family portrait is now on Time's 15th best blog of 2010? It would be very interesting to see these kids as adults and with their children, and their children's children. [If past experience is any guide, we will eventually be hearing from some Armentrouts. - Dave] Nice contrast to other Depression-era photosA farm family that looks happy, healthy, and reasonably prosperous. You see enough of those Dorothea Lange images, you begin to think there were NO viable, operating farms in America in the '30s. Which is impossible, of course. [As it turns out (see caption), these folks had been relocated from a failed Dust Bowl farm by the Resettlement Administration. - Dave] Brings To Mind"Our house is a very, very fine house With two cats in the yard Life used to be so hard Now everything is easy 'Cause of you" Genuinely HappyLooking at the picture, I don't get the feeling that any of the people are just smiling for the camera. There seems to be genuine happiness on every single face - not a single sourpuss. Makes you wonder if home life for this family was as upbeat and warm as the picture portrays. The Good Old DaysCompare this family to any of the "Real Houswives" of Orange County etc., or "John and Kate Plus Eight." Simple, honest, happy, children proud of the kittens they are holding. How far off track we are now! Nine Happy FacesIt is difficult to "fake" genuine serenity and joy but I sense that it was present in each of the family members pictured here just from the very sincere and natural smiles all around. I would bet that this was a tightknit supportive family, all for one, one for all. They really light up this photo in a good way. For all the young whippersnappers out there, it was not unusual for families in those days to have seven, eight, nine kids and more. Family farmers and ranchers often produced their own employees as appears to have happened here, yet nobody appears to be suffering. Bless 'em all. Ain't nobody's business but their own. It'll get youOne heck of a good looking family. It's a shame we don't know who they are, to find out how things turned out for them. 1899-1967Googled Earl Armentrout, and came up with this from Ohio. Is this the same man? [I checked the SSDI records for various Earl Armentrouts -- this would seem to be he. His wife was Lovie Mae. - Dave] They are all happyTo pose for the pic for the "Farm Family of the Year" in Ohio. Put on a happy faceWhile it sounds as corny as Kansas in August to say so, an amazing amount of happiness seems to be radiating from this family. I don't know when I've seen such genuine smiles. I love this pictureIn how many family photos of today would you see that many genuinely happy-looking faces? You can just see the pride in the father's eyes. Wish I could have lived there with them. Eating regularly really makes a difference.They seem so happy. I guess being a farm family they had enough to eat. Quite a difference from the photo of the slum children posted recently. American LifeA very nice photo of a proud American farm family. A slice of 1938 farm life. Yes, Virginia.There is a Walton's Mountain. WheeEven the baby is giving a thumbs up! I bet they are feeling some serious reliefI cannot imagine trying to raise seven children in the Depression on a farm that was yielding nothing. I bet the relocation in many ways felt like a blessed fresh start. Good on 'em. (And I love too that the baby is giving a thumbs up!) A Tolstoy familyAn example of Tolstoy's happy families ("Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way"). These people really are a happy family. A little thingBut I love that it's the dad that's holding the baby, not the mom. That feels unusual to me for this time (am I wrong?). The love and happiness on their faces is a real inspiration. An Only Child's DreamBy all appearances, what a fun family to be a member of! I can just imagine all the activity and the dinner conversations 'round the table with this gang. I so hope one or more the Armentrout clan navigates to this post and introduces him/herself. Resettlement ProgramsThere was a large resettlement program like the one refered to here in the area of Crossville TN where I am from. The families were selected from many who applied and they worked together to clear the land, building barns first to live in while the houses were built using wood cut from the property and stone quarried as well. It brought a group of very special families many who remained here. They had cooperative farming, a furniture factory, a lumber mill etc. and the farms were designed to be subsistence farms for the families to raise their own food. The photo above was probably taken on move in day and would esplain the very happy faces. ReactingI don't doubt the strength and overall happiness of this family, even in hard times, but it seems to me that most are reacting rather than posing. I suspect that they are reacting to something the photographer said, but the very fact that they are in an amiable mood says a lot. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Arthur Rothstein, Kids)
Outback: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Kitty! Poor cat, just ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/31/2020 - 12:21pm -

March 1941. "Overcrowded Navy towns. Housing in Newport News, Virginia." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Kitty!Poor cat, just trying to enjoy a little sun, and nosy old photographers keep coming 'round. Yard securityWatching the laundry dry. That A.B. must have been hot stuffWhile the watchcat says, "Mind your own business, you." (The Gallery, Cats, John Vachon)
Printer's Devil: 1942
... Nicholas Republican newspaper." Photo by John Collier, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Hey, little devil. "Just an ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/30/2022 - 10:36am -

September 1942. Richwood, West Virginia. "Lois Thompson, printer's devil on the Nicholas Republican newspaper." Photo by John Collier, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Hey, little devil."Just an angel in disguise," California Job CaseThe young lady is setting type from a lip front California Job Case, made by Hamilton. I first used one of these in about 1955. Still have several of them. Unfortunate nameThis is surely the printer's angel. Just waiting to be spotted!This is probably the last day this young woman wore a white blouse to work in a print shop. As for the job case, she better mind her p's and q's! TextingI hope she didn't get in trouble for using her iPhone while working! (The Gallery, John Collier, Small Towns)
Radish Warehouse: 1942
February 1942. "Robstown, Texas. Farm Security Administration migratory farm labor camp. Packing plant. Radishes." Acetate ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/25/2022 - 6:12pm -

February 1942. "Robstown, Texas. Farm Security Administration migratory farm labor camp. Packing plant. Radishes." Acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the FSA. View full size. Those radishes look greatThink of the garnish they'll make. That's plenty"Anyway, like I was sayin', the radish is the fruit of the soil. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. There's uh, radish-kabobs, radish creole, radish gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple radish, lemon radish, coconut radish, pepper radish, radish soup, radish stew, radish salad, radish and potatoes, radish burger, radish sandwich. That -- that's about it." Grandpa PeteThis is my grandpa Pedro "Pete" Martinez, born in 1920. He was oprhaned as a small child and left to fend for himself in Laredo. Not long after this photo was taken, he enlisted in the Army during WW2 and served his country. He was married for over 50 years to my grandmother and raised a daughter and five sons (who all served in the military). He was a strong, tough as nails, hardworking man, a jack of all trades, with a great sense of humor and indomitable spirit. They don't make people like him anymore. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Arthur Rothstein)
Indian Gas: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Recycled roofing Part of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/29/2018 - 3:58pm -

November 1940. "Main store in Tropic, Utah." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Recycled roofingPart of the roof seems to be made from an old Firestone tires sign. Methane too!After you get gas, you need to wear your Let 'er Rip overalls. Never RipFrom the Ogden Standard (Ogden City, Utah), June 2, 1913. Looking to the FutureBy 1940, John Scowcroft, founder of Scowcroft and Company of Ogden, Utah, maker of Scowcroft Never Rip Overalls, had been dead for 38 years, and his great grandson Brent was already 15. Brent Scowcroft (still alive at 93 years old), would go on to achieve the rank of Lieutenant General in the USAF and serve as National Security Advisor to two Presidents. See Chapter 1: Junction City of The Strategist: Brent Scowcroft and the Call of National Security. (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
Farm to Table: 1939
... 1939. Greeley, Colorado. "Mrs. Milton Robinson, wife of Farm Security Administration borrower, in the kitchen of her farm home." Medium ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/27/2017 - 10:44am -

October 1939. Greeley, Colorado. "Mrs. Milton Robinson, wife of Farm Security Administration borrower, in the kitchen of her farm home." Medium format nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the FSA. View full size. Looks familiarMy grandmother (mother's mother) had chickens, and my mom (born in 1919) used to tell me about the first time, as a child, she was sent out by Granny to kill a chicken. Her attempt to wring its neck failed, after which the prospective dinner chased her around the chicken yard. You know it's freshThis could be my immigrant grandmother. You got a live bird and would wring its neck, pluck it, take out the innards and into the pot it goes for dinner. This is real farm to table. Just like Grandma used to doThis takes me back to when I was 11 or 12 and "Nan", as we called her, would take the chicken she just killed from the coop at the back of the house and do this. You know I was fascinated with the dexterity and expertise that she used to wash, pluck and cook the bird. But I have to tell you , this lady looks just like her. Excuse while I wipe away a small wet space close to my eyes. Re-thinking McNuggetsSometimes I forget that my Chicken McNuggets start with an actual bird. Thanks for the reminder. HungryThis makes me hungry. You just know that Mrs. Robinson knew how to cook up a proper bird. Cluck cluckThis reminds me of the annual trip over to my grandparents to kill and butcher chickens on an industrial scale. My grandfather and grandmother would behead the bird; after it stopped flopping around, it was dipped in boiling water to loosen the feathers. Then it was out behind the shed with my grandfather to pluck the carcasses. Mounds of feathers blew around in the Kansas wind. Then the plucked birds went to the kitchen, where my grandmother and mother cut them up and wrapped them in paper. Finally, we went home and put our share in the freezer. Then we ate chicken until I was sick of it. Drumstick anybody?This lady looks like she knows her way around the chicken coop. feathersNothing will plug up a sink drain like a few handfuls of feathers. How cute, she's giving her pet chicken a bath!Oh wait - no she isn't. Those were the daysReminds me of when my sister and I would visit our grandparents on their big farm out in the flat lands of SW Oklahoma. The highlight of the trip would be to watch the macabre dance of the unfortunate headless hen that grandma had selected for our dinner. One time, there were so many guests for dinner that she beheaded two of them at the same time! What a mesmerizing sight to see them flopping around and even bouncing into each other in their finals throes. An unforgettable sight when you're 5 or 6 years old! Funny now to think back when I was a USDA poultry inspector in Arkansas for a couple of years. And where did we go for lunch more often than not? Why, KFC, of course! (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Kitchens etc.)
Truck Farm: 1938
November 1938. "Farm woman beside her barn door. Tulare County, California. No more ... nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Gold-plated That barn door would ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2009 - 2:47am -

November 1938. "Farm woman beside her barn door. Tulare County, California. No more horseshoes!" Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Gold-platedThat barn door would be worth some money today. I have seen old license plates on eBay as high as $200. Side of a barnLooks like she started by patching a hole and continued from there. My grandfather's old barn always had a few nailed down over holes. Well turned outHow many women today are as nicely dressed , as this farm wife is, posing by her barn? She's even wearing nice stockings! Quite the collectionThis is a fascinating photo for a license plate collector such as me. Notably, among the collection are early plates made of porcelain enamel. The white pair (#531623) with the star over CAL was issued in 1916 and used for 4 years. The stars are metal tabs that validated the plates for their final year of use in 1919. Two plates below the pair is a porcelain 1914 plate, which was white on bright red, and was California's first year of issue. The porcelain is broken where the 4 of 1914 should be. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dorothea Lange)
Farm Dad: 1939
... ages 12, 16 and 18, are needed at home to develop the farm and do not go to school. Malheur County, Oregon." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. With 7 you get eggroll Per ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/21/2020 - 12:18pm -

October 1939. "George Cleaver, new farmer on 177 acres, has five boys. The three older boys, ages 12, 16 and 18, are needed at home to develop the farm and do not go to school. Malheur County, Oregon." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. With 7 you get eggrollPer the 1940 Census, the family was a bit larger. There was also a first born daughter, Georgia Ruth Cleaver Elliot (born 1917), who evidently didn't move west with the family, remaining in Missouri. Large families were popular with the Cleavers. The eldest son, Lester (1918-1998), also farmed. As of 2016 when his widow Virginia died, there was a family left behind of 10 children, 38 grandchildren, 100 great grandchildren and 18 great great grandchildren. School DaysI never forget back when I was in grammer school back in the 50s students who lived on a farm were excused from school during the fall to help with the crops which were an all hand evolution before all the big mechanical harvesters. Don't try that now. ["Grammer" school! - Dave] Body language doesn't lieAnd theirs, along with their relaxed and happy facial expressions, bespeaks a close relationship. Maybe money was tight, but they were successful in ways that we could use more of today. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange, Kids)
Farm Shed (Colorized): 1936
Colorized from Shorpy's files. April 1936. "Farm boys. Jackson County, Ohio." 35mm nitrate negative by Theodor Jung for the Farm Security Administration. (Colorized Photos) ... 
 
Posted by Kenny - 12/19/2011 - 9:36am -

Colorized from Shorpy's files. April 1936. "Farm boys. Jackson County, Ohio." 35mm nitrate negative by Theodor Jung for the Farm Security Administration. (Colorized Photos)
Farm Depot: 1936
... store." 35mm nitrate negative by Carl Mydans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Lawnmowers I recognize the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/15/2012 - 10:34am -

March 1936. "Tennessee harness and hardware store." 35mm nitrate negative by Carl Mydans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. LawnmowersI recognize the tops of lawnmower handles. That was the "old" lawnmower we owned, which was all around impossible to push through grass. A newer one we got later was possible but no fun. Today's push mowers are very easy to push, but they cheat, geometrically rising over hard to cut grass and leaving a clump, instead of stopping and locking up the wheels there. I use a scythe today on my acre of lawn. (No kidding) Maybe there are old pics of the Palace of Versailles showing how it's done. That shop is ... rather tacky. Spiffy LookingThose vertical pin striped horse collars must have been the height of fashion in the equestrian world at that time. As a dedicated fan of vintage photos I do believe that is the first time I have ever seen "fashionable" collars and also the first time I've seen any collars in mint condition (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, Stores & Markets)
Farm Boy: 1940
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. Who are you? (The Gallery, Agriculture, John ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 4:53am -

Freckles on his face, mischief in his eye: Another shot of the cute kid with the calf from May 1940 in Granger Homesteads, Iowa. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. Who are you? (The Gallery, Agriculture, John Vachon, Kids)
Fountain Service: 1942
... N.W. at noon." Acetate negative by Marjory Collins for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Floor Slats My family owned ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/22/2022 - 2:40pm -

July 1942. Washington, D.C. "People's Drug store lunch counter on G Street N.W. at noon." Acetate negative by Marjory Collins for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Floor SlatsMy family owned and ran a restaurant (opened 1934) and I spent many hours traversing those type of boards you see behind the counter. Though rubber mats are the norm and the preferred nowadays, those slats nailed or screwed to 2x4's were really better...the wood gave and cushioned when walked on. Also, spillage and pieces of food that dropped to the floor beneath the slats (usually) kept the walkway from getting too slippery. Rubber mats can't do this. At the end of the night the boards are pulled up, scrubbed and the floor cleaned beneath them. A lot of bars, at least in the south, still use them today. Amazing!Most Shorpy pics of lunch counters and the like look staged - all clean and set up, ready to go. This is great to see a 1940s lunch counter in action! Dropped oranges, rags, dirty dishes and all! It FEELS real! Busy placeBut I would sure feel uncomfortable with a line a people at my back watching me eat, waiting for me to finish. Not All People's DrugstoreAfrican Americans made up 28% of the population of D.C. in the 1940 Census, but I don't see a Black face in the photograph. A quick search online turns up reports of sit-ins at segregated lunch counters in the city in the 1940s and 1950s. Bird's eye viewof the duckboards. What's leftWhen I moved to the Washington area in 1981, the People's Drug Store in my neighborhood had a lunch counter, not unlike this one though smaller and curved. The lunch counter vanished within a few years, and now the drug store is a CVS. Alexandria, Virginia, where the People's chain was based, has a place called The People's Drug (or The Peoples Drug, they can't seem to decide) for "fine food and cocktails." As far as I know, the only drugstore lunch counter in the District of Columbia today is in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. It's from the Woolworth's in Greensboro, North Carolina, which a six-month sit-in desegregated in 1960. Wow, This is a Wonderful Photo!Thanks for posting this one. The angle looking down onto the action is a real rarity for an indoor shot. There is so much visual information on offer here. And with the one exception of the young lady in the middle left of the frame (and possibly the young man down at the left edge of the frame), no one seems aware of the photographer at work above them. I look forward to lots of reporting from the detail-minded Shorpy community. You Gonna Eat That?An establishment still exists near the University Of Minnesota Minneapolis campus named Al's Breakfast. In business continually since 1950, the building is only 10 feet wide including cooking and eating areas. Due to the tiny space, guests must first stand in line along the building's back wall as they wait for others to finish their meals. It is common for diners to be instructed to move down the counter to allow newly seated customers to be seated together. Veterans of Al's are used to the instruction and diners may be re-seated several times during the course of a meal. Generations of poor U of M students have worked and been nourished there. Don't mind me. But hurry up!I agree with denverlev. I had exactly the same thought on first glance at this photo. What a bizarre setup, to pick a spot behind a diner and stand there while they eat. And my next thought was about the "grocery store line effect", where I always seem to pick the "wrong" line at the grocery store (although self-scan has largely eliminated this issue). How frustrating it would be to choose to stand behind the guy who takes forever to eat, then mulls over the dessert choices, then bickers over the bill, then takes forever to pay it, etc. etc., all while you watch the patrons in the seats next to you come and go and come and go. I couldn't do it. I'm so glad that at some point between July 1942 and today we came up with the concept of the hostess stand. One more thing. Is the floor behind the counter designed to maximize the effort required to keep it clean?! Geez. And I think the server at the top is fishing out a coin that she dropped. Clean Up On Aisle 1Is what the waitress at the top of the picture is doing. I guess being busy at a lunch counter will always mean a broken plate or two (or three, or four). The person with the plates behind the crouching waitress looks a little annoyed too. Not All People? In all fairness, keep in mind this is G Street N.W., nowhere near the predominantly Black neighborhoods of the time. I'm sure that local drugstores there were often frequented by a mixture of races. I didn't know... that Sean Penn was THAT old! Where to wait ?I guess from above it looks worse then from where you're enjoying your meal. I mean, you can't see the people waiting behind you, can you. Wonder if the lunch-time regulars used special tactics to decide behind which stool/patron to wait. That girl fourth from the bottom, near the Coca-Cola dispenser, is she going to eat all those buns (or cakes) ? YIKES ! !I never noticed the people waiting behind the seated customers, was this the busiest lunch counter in the world?? I just now noted the people waiting behind the seated customers, was this the busiest lunch counter in the world?? Dynamic photoGreat angle, almost lurid. And so much activity. I feel for that waitress at the far end who’s squatting down to pick up a mess. Can’t be easy on the greasy duckboards. And at first I wondered what was the suspended circular device in the upper left with the blur around it until – duh! – it occurred to me that it’s a ceiling fan, in motion. No smoking? Dont see any ash trays or cigarettes. Always was someone next to me smoking. Can almost hear the sound of dishs clanging around. Watcha gonna have, hun? Are you done yet?I appreciate the caption simply says lunch counter at noon, cause there is no break in this lunch break. There is likely more pressure at this lunch counter than at their jobs. I don't see many watches, but I'm sure everyone is keeping track of the time. Have a cookie, or a sandwich?Those little square cellophane wrapped items on the stand at the bottom of the picture, and the round ones nearby - are they stacks of cookies or pre-made sandwiches? Can't zoom in enough to tell or read the writing on them. There's another stack at the far end by the second Coke dispenser. [Nabisco "NAB" Raisin Fruit Biscuits, some LANCO fig bars, etc. - Dave] No SmokingDuring a time when everyone smoked, and it was allowed pretty much everywhere, I don't see any ashtrays or anyone smoking. Maybe there's no time to have a smoke after lunch with so many people waiting for your seat. All for oneIs that woman near the Coke fountain really going to eat all those cinnamon rolls by herself? I don't see them anywhere else on the counter, so I assume they must all be for her. That looks like a diabetic coma waiting to happen. Milk for lunchI'm a bit surprised at all the lunch patrons drinking milk with their meal. I suppose today most would be drinking sodas. And in 1942 there's not an obese person in sight at this counter. To me, mystery iswhere in the world photographer anchored himself to make this dramatic view and composition? [The mezzanine. - Dave] An ad, or your lying feet ??So who are you going to believe when it comes to deciding what's "excellent"? (That the ad lists as a perk the possiblity of moving on to better paying positions may give the answer) DC's "lost laws," later foundIn 1872 and 1873 the Legislative Assembly of the District of Columbia adopted ordinances providing that no restaurant keeper or proprietor could refuse to serve respectable and well-behaved persons, and prohibited refusals of service on the basis of race. color, or previous condition of servitude. But as Reconstruction gave way to a return to racist practices, those laws were largely forgotten - until the forties. In 1944, Ms. Pauli Murray, the top-ranked member of Howard University Law School's Class of 1944 (and the only woman in the class), rediscovered the laws and sparked a campaign to enforce them against segregated lunch counters within the District. Enforcement actions began in 1950, and convictions of the John R. Thompson Co. Inc. restaurant chain under the "lost laws" were upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1953. https://historicsites.dcpreservation.org/items/show/971 There's a site reposting your photosThis photo is #23 in their series. I think all the other photos are yours as well. https://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/30-fascinating-photos-collected-fro... [Welcome to the Internet! Just two of those (23, 28) are "our photos." Which are from the Library of Congress. - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Marjory Collins, PDS, Stores & Markets)
A Place for Everything: 1939
February 1939. Hidalgo County, Texas. "Kitchen of Farm Security Administration tenant purchase client." View full size. Medium ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 11:37pm -

February 1939. Hidalgo County, Texas. "Kitchen of Farm Security Administration tenant purchase client." View full size. Medium format nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. Food FactoryWhat an awful example of utilitarian industrial design. Couldn't they at least have painted those handles and hinges white? Kitchen of ... The Caligari family, evidently. HingesI kinda like it, in that retro way. I looked in my kitchen just now and don't have even a third of the storage she does! I'm jealous. TelevisionThe window in the middle is just the right aspect ratio to look like a television. Honestly, I like the look with those hinges and handles. NakedThe light bulb hanging down from the ceiling is the real topper. I Know It's A WindowRemove that hanging light bulb, paint the cabinet hardware faux stainless steel, install a high arched faucet in the sink, tune the flat panel TV to the Food Channel and you have a Tribeca or SoHo loft kitchen. The space would be worth a fortune. In the KitchenThe black on white is a bit jarring, but creates an interesting pattern at the same time. In person, viewing at a normal eye-level and under normal lighting conditions, it might not be so unsettling. As you pointed out, the focus is on function, not form. What always gets me about kitchens from this era is the the naked light bulb hanging above the sink. Seeing as this is from an FSA tenant's home, and considering the time period, I bet she was very proud to have such a nice place. It is actually quite posh compared to what a lot of people were living in then. Kitchen DesignThat was considered very modern at the time - not ugly. What, No Granite?Note the sagging ceiling, and is it cold water only? One faucet! Kitchen CabinetsI would love to have that kitchen (minus the naked bulb)! -Sandy, MI The Bulb thingit would seem that back then having a room like lit up brighter than daylight would be quite the novelty, therefore what seems overbright and stark do be, begging for a shade of some kind, could well seem exciting and ultramodern for those accustomed to dim candles and lamps, as most of the poor folks were undoubtedly. Then again, the photographer may well have placed a 75W bulb in the socket, replacing the 25W bulb, to punch up the values in the photograph.... [The bulb is off. The light reflected in the window is for the camera. - Dave] I love this kitchenI want this kitchen and I live in a brand new house with loads and loads of cupboard space and all mod cons. You know the surfaces could be bright red or blue or green. It might not be the black and white it appears. Just love those hinges too! One light bulbMy WW2 buddy lived through this. He says the electric companies did not want to wire farm homes because they thought there would be just one light bulb in each. When the farmers started using electricity to pump water and other activities the electric company was pleasantly surprised. Sagging CeilingI don't think the ceiling is sagging. I think what we're seeing is pincushion distortion, which can happen with wide-angle lenses. This type of distortion makes lines near the edge of a photo curve toward the corners. [If it were lens distortion, the top edge of the upper cabinet doors would be curved too, paralleling the ceiling. But it's not. - Dave] I know it's hideous......but I *LOVE* it. I would buy candy-apple red appliances for the counters and wear a red apron when I worked in here (which, to be honest, would be pretty rare, since I seem to live off of salad and canned soup and squares of dark chocolate). OutletsThose appliances would have to be hand-operated or just for show -- I don't see any electrical outlets to plug them into. [The practice in such cases back then was to tap into the ceiling fixture with a screw-in adapter. - Dave] Farm KitchenOur house (on a farm) didn't have electricity until 1956. All of the light fixtures were like this except two 'fancy' ones. Before that, it was kerosene lanterns. We did have a battery-powered radio - with a windmill that charged the batteries! A simple life, but a good one. (The Gallery, Kitchens etc., Rural America, Russell Lee)
I Am the Egg Girl: 1940
August 1940. Little girl at the Reitz farm near Falls Creek, Pennsylvania, washing eggs to be sold at Tri-County ... full size. 3¼ inch safety negative by Jack Delano, Farm Security Administration. Watch? Another great Delano image -- his photos ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/16/2012 - 8:00pm -

August 1940. Little girl at the Reitz farm near Falls Creek, Pennsylvania, washing eggs to be sold at Tri-County Farmers Co-op Market at Du Bois. View full size. 3¼ inch safety negative by Jack Delano, Farm Security Administration. Watch?Another great Delano image -- his photos of people are as good as those of trains! Is the child wearing a watch on her left wrist? If so, how odd. The Work EthicWashing raw eggs is extremely tedious for anyone and especially such a young girl. But think what it taught her ... something I don't think our children are learning. Bobbed hair in 1940?Such a beautiful, clean crisp, - and moving - photo. Thank you. One thing I find interesting is her bobbed hair. I would have thought that style was completely over by 1940. an educated guess..While bobbed hair was no longer stylish by 1940, it is relatively low maintenance and inexpensive for kids. Okay,,,...I'll toss in an(other?) obligatory Beatles reference: "Koo koo ka-choo." :P Farm girlsOne of my first jobs on the farm was gathering eggs, the next one was washing them, a job that I detested. I was probably her age when I was assigned that job. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Kids, Rural America)
Iowa City: 1940
... size. 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. Iowa City I'm not sure, but this may be East ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/19/2007 - 1:07am -

February 1940: The main street in Iowa City, Iowa. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. Iowa CityI'm not sure, but this may be East Washington Street again, facing the opposite direction from the earlier photo that included the Englert Theater. The buildings in the background behind the trees are part of the U. Of Iowa campus at South Clinton Street. (There will be a quiz on Iowa City geography and landmarks tomorrow.) 300 block of Washington St.occnumber10: You could be right. My mental map of Iowa City has faded with time, and for the life of me I can't remember what's across Washington from Gabe's other than the old Press-Citizen Building that's just out of view to the right. If this is Washington at Gilbert, what are the big buildings behind the trees? Iowa CityI'm curious where this is as there is currently no Main Street in Iowa City. Perchance it is what is now College Street? [Could be. Maybe he was using the term generically. Actually he didn't capitalize the "street." I've changed the caption to reflect that. - Dave] WeatherRather narsty weather that day! 300 block of Washington StreetSome research suggests that this is the 300 block of East Washington Street--facing east with South Gilbert Street as the visible cross street. http://downtowniowacity.com/files/historic_downtown.pdf Boerner's seems to be where Gabe's/The Picador now sits. 3) Ridge Road?As a former/current part time cab driver, I'll start with number three. Ridge Road would make the most sense, as you can access it via the relative high ground of Whiting Avenue. Iowa City100 block of East Washington Street, facing west. I scoped this out downtown today, and scribe's first call seems to be right. The university building in the background would be Schaeffer Hall. Basically this shot is 180 degrees from the one posted earlier. I'm looking forward to the quiz on IC landmarks! Ridge RoadYep, Ridge and Whiting, plus a lot of zigging and zagging on streets I've forgotten. It felt like one had to go five miles to travel those four blocks, or half way to West Branch. Iowa, Illinois and Missouri got pummeled by Mother Nature that summer. It was quite impressive, to say the least. I remember seeing a contemporary satellite image showing ground saturation, and the entire state of Iowa was indistinguishable from a lake or ocean. Iowa City quizOw! I just got hurt patting myself on the back. ;) Just kidding on the landmarks and geography quiz, but what the heck: 1) Besides "Field of Dreams," Iowa City author W.P. Kinsella wrote a fantasy novel called " The Iowa Baseball Conspiracy." What famous landmark played outfield exceptionally well? 2) In 1927 and 1929 an Iowa graduate was the only black player in the NFL? A U of I building is named after him. Who was he? 3) It's 1993 and much of the town is under water because the Iowa River flooded for several months. N. Dubuque St. from Park Rd. to Mayflower Residence Hall was closed. How would one drive the four blocks from Park to the apartments at 1122 N. Dubuque (adjacent to Mayflower). Warning: this is nearly a "you can't get there from here" question. Have fun. Iowa City locationThis is Washington Street, camera facing west at the intersection with Clinton Street. The building behind the elm trees is Shaeffer Hall -- the SW corner of the University of Iowa's Pentacrest. Behind Shaeffer is McLean Hall. I've lived in Iowa City for 49 years, and I work at the University. Cheers [Thanks! You what would be great? A current photo taken from the same spot. - Dave] Current pic upcomingI'll do that Dave, Thursday morning! - Jeff [Thanks Jeff! - Dave] 67 years laterHere's a pic of the same location taken 12/20/07. [Wow. Amazing. Thanks so much! - Dave] +83Below is the same view from May of 2023. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Iowa City in the Snow: 1940
... No. 2. 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. Coolness I love the "Air Conditioned" sign on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:35pm -

February 1940. The main street in Iowa City during a snowstorm. View full size. Businesses in this view include Bremer's, the Capitol Cafe and Princess No. 2. 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. CoolnessI love the "Air Conditioned" sign on the front of the Capitol Cafe, I bet that drew customers in on a cold winter day in Iowa. Also, what's that hanging from the bike's handlebars? Some kind of tail ornament? Cool! Same block as the last one?This looks like the same block of E. Washington as the last Iowa City picture. Not my picture, and not quite the same angle, but it looks like the Capitol Cafe building is in the middle of this shot. Bicycles, white shirts and tiesCome to Utah, we have *plenty* of those. They'll come to your door and talk about Jesus! That said, I really liked this picture. Snow makes me happy! More IC winterThat photo is wonderful! The UI Libraries are featuring a digital collection of similar early 20th century winter scenes: http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/winter IC WinterThank you for posting these photos. I love looking at the past through photos. I'm not from Iowa, Newfoundland Canada actually. Also a car buff, and this picture has it all. When was the last time you saw a boy riding a bicycle in a snowstorm with a white shirt and necktie? Capitol Cafe, Iowa CityHere is a 1938 photo of the inside of the Capitol Cafe. Princess Sweet Shop?I'm guessing the Princess 2 is a sister shop to the Princess Cafe and Sweet Shop in Iowa Falls. It's an incredible piece of interior design on the main street in Iowa Falls. Didn't find any good pics of the current interior, but here is a short page about the Iowa Falls location. http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/hardin/pri.htm Capitol CafeHere is the corrected photo of the inside of the Capitol Cafe --> Click on the thumbnail for big image version. "This picture has it all"Yes, not to mention the clock that tells us what time it is, and a nice reflection of the bicycle on the side of that shiny sedan. Shorpy is a time travel machine. +83Below is the same view from May of 2023. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Morning Mail: 1938
... 1938. "Morning mail at the Mineral King cooperative farm, Farm Security Administration, Tulare County, California. Old ranch house, California ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2020 - 9:29am -

November 1938. "Morning mail at the Mineral King cooperative farm, Farm Security Administration, Tulare County, California. Old ranch house, California type, in the background. Buildings will be replaced by modern structures suitable to community farming." Medium format acetate negative by Dorothea Lange for the FSA. View full size. Replaced by FSA housingIt took a bit of digging, but it turns out that Mineral King Ranch is a different place from the named place in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. But here's a view of the surviving homes that took the place of this old farmstead: Should we hang around for another delivery?The caption implies that these boxes got more than one daily delivery, though the USPS website says that "as a rule, rural carriers have always delivered mail to their customers once a day, six days a week." When free home delivery in cities began in 1863, the guideline was "as frequently as the public convenience shall require." Multiple daily deliveries were common, though cutbacks reduced these, particularly during the Depression and World War II. Finally, on April 17, 1950, the Postmaster General ordered once per day home delivery, "in the interest of economy." [As the caption implies, the Farm Security Administration's cooperative farms got multiple daily deliveries. - Dave] DetritusI’m wondering about all the organic matter in the dirt road in the foreground. The trees appear to me to be plane and maybe palm – is all that stuff from the trees? Or some kind of farm byproduct? I see quite a few pods or beans. Never having been to California, I’m unfamiliar with these things. [One palm and multiple eucalypti. - Dave] F.G. HendersonI believe the F.G. Henderson mailbox belongs to a Frank Glenn Henderson. He would have been 40 years old in 1938. Amongst other corroborating evidence (including 1938-40 California voting rolls), I find Frank in the 1940 Census, which describes him and family living in Union Township, San Joaquin County. The Census confirms Mr. Henderson resided in Visalia (Tulare County) in 1935. His profession is listed as dairyman, working on a FSA dairy farm. Frank Glenn Henderson @ Find A Grave. [NB: The Census shows *him* living there. Not "he." - Dave] [I earlier edited from 'him' to 'he'. Pffft. I'm clearly overdue for a self-directed grammar refresher course. And yes, I appreciate correction(s) when committing an error. - d&v] Modern structures suitableWhat I don’t understand is how those tiny new sad bungalows (thank you, ContextSans) – the “modern structures suitable to community farming” – were considered superior to the “old ranch house, California type” which they replaced. The old house was bigger and so could hold more people, and was probably breezier, and generally roomier. Plus those replacement houses look awfully postwar to me. EucalyptusStill a very common sight in many parts of California. It was introduced from Australia in the late 19th century by the Southern Pacific Railroad, as a fast-growing source of cross ties. It proved too brittle for that purpose, but landowners continued to plant eucalyptus as windbreaks. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange, Kids)
[1]23…next ›last »
Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.