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Hanging Out: 1936
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Theodor Jung for the Farm Security Administration. Jeans Jeans were invented during the California ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/21/2007 - 10:00pm -

A Sunday afternoon street scene in Jackson, Ohio. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Theodor Jung for the Farm Security Administration. JeansJeans were invented during the California gold rush (1849). Funny how teenagers looked just as surly then as they do today A guy wearing jeans andA guy wearing jeans and sneakers in 1936? Jeans to be traded soon.He doesn't know it yet, but it's 1936 and in a few years he'll be wearing combat fatigues. I can't help but wonder if he survived to 1945. Jackson BoysYeah, in 1936 sneakers existed. Converse Chucks started somewhere around 1919. I grew up about 30 miles South of Jackson, Ohio and 21 years later. Denim History1873 is usually given as the starting date of denim being worn. This would have also been around the time the riveted pockets/stress points earned a patent. (The Gallery)
The Hill: 1938
... 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Woman in white heels I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/28/2020 - 8:21pm -

July 1938. "Houses on slum section 'The Hill.' Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Woman in white heelsI suppose one learns the best way to stand on a slope when one lives on a hill. This young lady has adopted a stance where she leans one shoulder against the wall, while angling her legs away from the wall, like a buttress. I imagine this allows her to avoid leaning backwards against the slope. What great co-operationto allow clotheslines across the street to benefit both sides, and are those kids choosing not to be photographed? Long GoneMy best guess is that we are in the area that was cleared for the new Civic Arena in the 1950s. The street (alley?) we're looking down runs south down the hill, toward downtown, and then bends slightly to our right and there were a few streets that bent slightly like this. The Civic Arena is gone now too and may be redeveloped into residential housing and retail spaces. Object in the upper leftDoes anyone have any idea what sort of device that collection of metal looking things is in the upper left? Antenna? [Bean vines. - Dave] One man's slum is another man's neighborhoodI have read that it was still a decent working-class neighborhood in the 1930s, but declined thereafter. In the summer of 1956, some 1,300 structures were razed, displacing 8,000 residents, most of them Black. The Civic Arena and acres of parking rose of the site, making possible a concert by the Beatles (1963) and hockey by Mario Lemieux (1984-2006). (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Pittsburgh)
Weed Hardware: 1938
... Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Main Street Vincennes ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/17/2016 - 5:23pm -

June 1938. "Stores on Sunday. Vincennes, Indiana." Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Main Street VincennesThough it has lost some of its charm, the block of buildings is still there. Thankfully, Some Things Don't ChangeWell, we can see the grocery now is an asphalt materials company, and it looks like a doctor has moved into the hardware store. However, the tavern is still a tavern! Mail Pouch Thermometer I can see now the damage to the top and bottom of every porcelain thermometer. Damaged it with the hammer blows putting it up. Very rare to find one in pristine condition. Value of signageWhen I look at these old photos, I think of today's value of typically mundane items back then. Recently, a similar double-sided porcelain DeVoe Paint sign sold for $1600 at an auction. I would bet that the thermometer sign on the same building, would fetch even more today. Since no one else did-I enlarged the photo to identify the car as a 1937 Ford Cabriolet rumble seat convertible. Very rare and desirable car today. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Turnip Salad: 1941
... Georgia." Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. My favorite flower I can't ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/13/2019 - 3:48pm -

June 1941. "Five-cent hot lunches at the Woodville public school. Greene County, Georgia." Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. My favorite flowerI can't get over the creamy, dewy, fresh-picked gardenias adorning that table, with fern greenery no less. That's a decidedly elegant stroke. The meal looks tasty too, served on those lovely plates. No sectioned melamine trays for those kids. Thought I'd add: Thirty-eight years after this picture was taken, on a June day in 1979, I'd carry fresh-picked gardenias as a bride on my wedding day in nearby DeKalb County, Georgia, a few miles to the west. On china plates for a nickelServing up school lunches on Blue Willow china plates. I recognize those. Churchill China in England has been making that same pattern since 1818. I still use mine daily -- about 75 years old and still going strong. Out of plumbI’ve got a wonky double-hung window like that in my old house. No amount of forcing will let you raise the bottom sash, unless you simply lift one side of it slightly to make it plumb, then up it goes real easy. To close this school window, all you need to do is lift slightly on the right side, then guide the whole thing down, nice and smooth. Flowers for ScholarsI love how there are flowers on the table for the students -- even a nickel meal tastes better when it’s presented in style! School lunchesEvery day we got a meatball alongside a hill of mashed potatoes topped by rivulets of gravy, two slices of Wonder Bread and a pint of milk. Always finished the whole thing! 40 yrs later, 1981Looks like German table manners. What does a set table look like today in an American public school? Integration succeeded! Forty years later, ''ketchup is a vegetable" is coming up a lot in discussions of President Reagan's recent demise. Ok, Henry John Heinz was a son of German immigrants. I also like fast food, but rarely consume it. (The Gallery, Education, Schools, Jack Delano, Kitchens etc.)
Harvest Time: 1939
... Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Not Exactly the Joads This ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/10/2019 - 3:54pm -

November 1939. "Farmers looking at their checks outside tobacco warehouse after auction sales. Durham, North Carolina." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Not Exactly the JoadsThis is the second instance we've seen in the last couple of days of late-Depression farmers (first potato, then tobacco) running around in new Buicks. Surely John Steinbeck would have been surprised. Explosive proximityThis photo was taken about five blocks from where the fatal gas explosion occurred in Durham yesterday. Shorpy Vehicle Identification Imperative1939 Buick 4 door sedan Taint necessarily so Standing next to a car does not mean that it is yours. A pickup would be more appropriate for the farmers seen here. Pinstriped wheelsNotice the triple stripes on the wheels. Done by hand for sure! [Incorrect. - Dave] Buyer's car, perhaps?The chrome window trim identifies that '39 Buick as a Century Series 60. I would bet the car belongs to one of the tobacco buyers rather than one of the farmer/sellers. The carThe car is a Century I reckon - it has the fatter 7.00 x 15" tyres whereas the similar looking Special was on skinnier 6.50 x 16s. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Cars, Trucks, Buses, M.P. Wolcott)
Earth Rover: 1939
... format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Thought I saw Hydraulics ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/22/2021 - 10:18am -

April 1939. "A whirling plough used by United States Sugar Corporation in soft powdery muck to prepare soil for planting sugarcane. Near Pahokee, Florida." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Thought I saw HydraulicsBefore I enlarged the photo the springs that keep down force on the tool in the ground looked like hydraulic cylinders. Thinking it was early to see them. Further inspection shows the plough is moved by chains coming from the front of the machine. Possibly not even a diesel yet too. A friend of mine had a road grader on his property in Maine to service the miles long dirt road into his property. The machine was from about 1930 or so. A full size grader pretty much like you see today. It was powered by a four cylinder engine from a Model T. Back then it wasn't all brute power but more engineering and gearing. So much for the golf club carrying 600HP half ton pickups today. [Here's a side view of this Caterpillar tractor. - Dave] He has styleIf we could transport the driver to today, he could attend a steampunk party and fit right in. Unique tractor The wide low ground pressure treads with a special grouser profile on the trackpads make this machine suitable to work the type of ground described. I would like to see the PTO arrangement on the front that powers those chains to lift that heavy booger of an implement. In reply to Mark P, it is a Cat RD6 diesel. Three cylinders with pistons the size of small coffee cans and eight inches of stroke. It was governed at about 800 RPM but did its best work down about 600 with the throttle wide open. It had enough raw grunt to affect the rotation of the earth if you had it pulling in the right direction. The only thing using gasoline was the two cylinder pony motor used to start the main engine. For many years around many mining and construction sites the morning quiet was shattered by the sharp cracking exhaust of unmuffled Caterpillar pony motors. It’s a dieselI took some time to look around and unfortunately can’t figure out which model this is but diesels in Cat products were very common back then. This one is definitely diesel since it has an injection pump and a 3 cyl engine as there are three injector lines. Cat made some gas stuff but by the middle of the '30s they made half of all the diesel power in the US. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Florida, M.P. Wolcott)
Anytown, USA: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Shiny That house is so ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/20/2020 - 5:07pm -

August 1941. "House in Elgin, Illinois." The residence at 282 Anystreet. Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. ShinyThat house is so bright and clean, the neighbors must've felt like their own house needed a new paint job. The grubbier house looks cozier, though. Ward!!!Call Wally and the Beaver -- it's dinnertime. Boys!! Radial Wave ShadeBy night this house would have been illuminated by a clear incandescent light bulb, likely 200 watts back then. This light fixture is supported by a span wire, and it appears that it could be lowered for servicing by a cable/pulley system from a nearby pole. This was common in the days of carbon arc streetlights, which needed frequent servicing. The wavy deflector was known as a radial wave shade. AnglesWas this once a church? IdyllicAlmost perfect. A beautiful home with a beautiful yard on a beautiful street. It's so ... American. Carpenter GothicIt just needs the people from Grant Wood's painting. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Small Towns)
Future Farmer: 1939
... seen here yesterday. Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. No Comments Yet? Don't tell ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/24/2017 - 10:43am -

September 1939. "Bud Kimberley, a future farmer of America, driving a tractor. Jasper County, Iowa." The brother of Margaret, seen here yesterday. Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. No Comments Yet?Don't tell me I'm the first to comment about a young Paul Newman driving that tractor? Keeping up with the KimberleysMargaret Lou's two brothers, James and Howard, outlasted World War II. Generations of the extended Kimberley family included owners of at least six farmsteads in northwestern Jasper County and southeastern Story County, small-town bankers, county and state agricultural agents, and many others. According to a 2016 Des Moines Register story, Kimberley Farms Co. now owns or rents over 4,000 acres in Jasper, Story and Polk Counties. One of its farms has been visited twice by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who announced plans to use it as the model for a demonstration farm in Hebei province. James Bud Kimberley 1922-1993December 25, 1922 to Feb. 3, 1993. James Bud Kimberley of Collins, Iowa, died age 70 of a heart attack at his home in rural Collins. He was born to John B. and Carrie (Dunlap) Kimberley at Collins. He was a lifelong resident in the Collins area, graduating from Collins High School and attending Iowa State University for one year. He married Alta Harris on Nov. 21, 1942, at the Little Brown Church at Nashua. He was a self-employed as a farmer. He was a member of the Collins United Methodist Church and was a Mason. Survivors include his wife, Alta, of Collins: his three daughters, Nancy Smith and Jean Nielsen, both of Chicago, and Kerry Funke of Norwalk; five grandchildren; and two sisters, Margaret Fisher of Twin Lakes and Blanche Bodie of Knoxville. A-C WCThere isn't much shown of the tractor Bud is driving - so I had to do some digging. It appears to be an Allis Chalmers WC series tractor. The stamped end of the fuel tank makes this an earlier model; later versions of the tractor had rounded tanks. [Below, more of Bud and his tractor. - Dave] (The Gallery, Agriculture, Arthur Rothstein)
Sole Proprietor: 1938
... Medium format acetate negative by Sheldon Dick for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Fewer and fewer I reached ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2019 - 10:55am -

New York, 1938. "Shoe repair establishment on East 63rd Street." Medium format acetate negative by Sheldon Dick for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Fewer and fewerI reached my maximum foot size a good five years before attaining my adult height, so my shoes could be repaired by the time I was 12 without fear that I would outgrow them in a month or two. Replacement heels, half soles, and other cobbler's measures kept the sturdy products of Endicott and Johnson City in service until the uppers themselves disintegrated and forced my mother and me back to a shoe store. (And yes, to the X-ray machine that permitted victim, victim's mother, and salesman to ensure that there was plenty of room to wiggle one's toes; aside from feet that still glow in the dark, no ill effects). Now, even three figure shoes seem to be made of paper-thin hides and few are cost-effective to repair, even if one can find a repair shop handy to one's residence or work. In many places, it's easier to find replacement wicks for kerosene lamps than a craftsman who can put new soles on Junior's brogans. Now, I think I'll go outside and yell at a cloud! A photographic memoryAlthough it was many decades ago, for me this photo recalls the mixture of leather, glue and polish scents and the sounds of grinding and buffing I remember from Eckstein's Shoe Repair on Main Street in my home town. They are still in business and at the same address, too! Wings on his heelsI wonder if there's a canary or a budgie in the birdcage; I can't really tell. If so, I'll wager it was permanently high from the fumes even though it never flew out of that tiny cage. Maybe the open door helped with ventilation in clement weather. As others have commented, I can smell that place from eighty-plus years away. We have a tiny cobbler shop in our town. The proprietor is a curmudgeon but works wonders with leather; recently he fixed the zipper on my beloved leather cross-body bag and made it better than new. Kudos to cobblers. Catching New HeelsWhen I was a lad and hadn't outgrown my shoes a trip to the cobbler was made when the heels ran down. Mom always made sure I got some new Cat's Paw brand heels. The cobbler was a master craftsman long ago. Kudos to cobblers!and tailors, and computer repair-persons. And everybody who keeps things functioning and not going to the dump. (The Gallery, NYC, Sheldon Dick, Stores & Markets)
The Farmer's Daughter: 1938
... near Mechanicsburg, Ohio." Photo by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A familiar look Reminds me ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/13/2014 - 9:09pm -

Summer 1938. "Daughter of Virgil Thaxton, farmer, near Mechanicsburg, Ohio." Photo by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A familiar lookReminds me of the "Girl With a Pearl Earring" painting by Vermeer. But it's doubtful these ears are pierced. Calling LeonardoThis lovely young lady bears a striking resemblance to the subjects of any of a number of Renaissance portraits, one that the headband heightens remarkably. Photography was a sidelinefor Ben Shahn, who was best known for his painting and lithography, most of it in the social realist style and dealing with left-leaning issues such as the labour movement and immigration. This poster of his will be familiar to many readers. With benefit of the '40 CensusThat is most likely Kathleen Thaxton, who would have been about nine in the summer of '38. One sister (Juanita) would have been about 13, and mother Cora would have been about 48. According to a very recent obituary of her youngest sister Helen, Kathleen became Kathleen Dipple. Mother Cora died in 1949 and Father Virgil in 1957, but Helen's obit states that Juanita still lives in Ohio. [This girl is the older daughter, Juanita. - Dave] WowWhat a stunning, beautifully composed photograph. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Kids)
Wife Preserver: 1939
... Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Maters Maters, taters, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/01/2018 - 11:45am -

October 1939. "Mrs. H.H. Poland, wife of FSA rehabilitation client, with preserved food. Mesa County, Colorado." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. MatersMaters, taters, beans and corn! Along with an assortment of pickles, peaches, beets and I think eggs at the top. Yes they canned eggs for the winter when the hens stopped laying. [Those are not eggs. - Dave] A knockoutHer smile is captivating. What a beauty! WORK!She appears (rightly so) proud of all the work she's done. Not eggs?Then what?? Re: Not eggsMy guess is pears. Well done Dave!Your title is finely crafted. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Kitchens etc.)
Rolling in Dough: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by Edwin Rosskam for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Still there: Solid as a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/16/2019 - 10:20pm -

Spring 1940. "Bank and flour mill elevators in Mount Airy, Maryland." Medium format acetate negative by Edwin Rosskam for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Still there:Solid as a rock. I wonder where the lady came from and where she is going.Maybe she is headed to that building. Maybe she is going around the corner. Maybe she just got out of one of those cars. Maybe she came from the bank. I love shots like these with people going about their daily lives. I can almost place myself on that street and hear the sounds, and smell the smells. I'm sure I'm not the first to look it up... but the building is still there, unused (at least as a bank) since 2001. More here: https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=98469 Nice Looking FordNice shiny 1939 Ford Deluxe on the left. Looks like it could be a Tudor with aftermarket bumper guards. It's interesting how often the '39 & '40 Fords show up in wartime and immediate postwar photos. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Edwin Rosskam, Gas Stations, Small Towns)
Laramie Yards: 1941
... format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Graffiti I notice not one ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/21/2019 - 8:39pm -

September 1941. "Freight trains in yards. Laramie, Wyoming." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. GraffitiI notice not one spot of graffiti on any of those freight cars. CoolMerchants Despatch - refrigerator cars. Linear thinkingThat's a lot of parallel lines. And now, class --we will investigate "perspective.'' Made tracksThe rail yard is still there, but many of the tracks are gone: 1949Spray paint wasn't invented until 1949 which was probably very frustrating to the would-be graffiti artists of 1941. However, according to Wikipedia, "The oldest known example of modern graffiti are the 'monikers' found on traincars created by hobos and railworkers since the late 1800s." So I'm sure it started to appear not long afterward. (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Railroads)
Cow Town: 1941
... Chicago." Medium format negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Long Gone When I was a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/27/2017 - 3:21pm -

July 1941. "Union Stockyards, Chicago." Medium format negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Long GoneWhen I was a South-Side Chicagoan in the 1950s & '60s, many a time when the wind was right, the stench of cattle and cattle waste would permeate the air of our neighborhood. Many more times I remember hearing the "moos" in the distance. The Union Stockyards closed in 1971. No. 2 CityChicago is a city of neighborhoods. One of the closest to the stockyards is called the "Back of the Yards". It's got to be better smelling now. Gone But Not ForgottenThe stockyards may have closed in 1971, but when this Nebraska boy moved to Chicago in 1977 on warm summer nights when the wind was just right, the distinctive smell of cow manure would still drift into Hyde Park dozens of blocks away. Stock Yards L Train LoopIn the upper right, just underneath and to the left of the "ARM" of the Armour Meat Packing Co. sign, is a one-car L train of the Stock Yards Branch. This branch line, which started and ended at the Indiana Avenue station of the South Side Elevated RR Co., made a loop around Chicago's Union Stock Yards, making stops at all the major meat-packing plants. The line was opened in 1908 and shut down in 1957. What A Load Of Bull HockeyOn my boot camp liberty from Great Lakes in 1959 I ate a steak diner at a restaurant near the stockyards and as Long Gone mentioned there was an air of domestic creatures but we enjoyed the meal nonetheless. After the meal we went to the Museum of Science and Industry. Not the most exciting liberty but then it was a more innocent time and we did get to chat with a few young ladies plus caught the train back to Great Lakes in time. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Chicago, John Vachon)
Rancho Geranium: 1936
... room. Mercer County, Illinois. Hired man lives in house on farm that was formerly residence of owner-operator." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. No wonder Dave and tterrace ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/24/2018 - 5:10pm -

November 1936. "Window of farmhouse living room. Mercer County, Illinois. Hired man lives in house on farm that was formerly residence of owner-operator." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. No wonder Dave and tterrace are tiredThe answer from tterrace to IllinoisBoy reminded me of something I've been meaning to mention. Not sure the average Shorpy.com viewer realizes how many photos the Shorpy crew must have to wade through to find their wonderful offerings. Over 30 years ago, I was working at an engineering firm outside D.C. and one of the suits there wanted to see every public-domain photo of hurricane damage. So I went to the Library of Congress, first to the old building, and then to the LoC Jefferson (I think) building across the street, to see what they had. They had about a million filing cabinets with sorted and labeled plates, prints and negs, and I, of course, when shown all that said, "To heck with it." Same with the Pentagon's photo collection. I used to go to their photo lab at Bolling AFB, and there were three or four Navy guys in civvies digitizing all their imagery using flatbed desk scanners. The director said they had over 5 million images to scan and classify. I said, "With those few guys scanning one by one, how long's that gonna take?!?!?" and the director said, "We figure about 250 years." Of course, fast and automated scanning came out and that stuff is probably all online already, but it's still a lot of imagery to wade through. So thanks to the Shorpy.com team!!! Further Information?I'm very curious if there is any further information regarding this photo or the collection? My great x3 grandfather homesteaded in Mercer County IL in the early 1850's. For several generations my family continued to farm just outside of New Windsor until the early 1980's. [It's part of this collection at the Library of Congress. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Agriculture, Russell Lee)
Elko Depot: 1940
... Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Airplanes The markings on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/20/2018 - 11:01am -

March 1940. "Railroad station. Elko, Nevada." Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. AirplanesThe markings on the roof point to the airport (lefthand circle and line). Unpaved airstrips can be pretty difficult to spot. Railroad & station goneBut the Nevada Bank Building remains. The Commercial Hotel is now the Commercial Casino. "An Outpost of Hell, or Texas"In a railroad history book, possibly a work of Lucius Beebe, I read that an early rail traveler described Elko as "An outpost of Hell, or Texas." I'm sure that Elko did not really deserve that, nor did Texas. It had something to do with a non-air-conditioned train making a lengthy stop to change cars under the Nevada sun. There's no breeze coming in through the windows when the cars are stationary! Then again, if it was indeed a Lucius Beebe book, well, let's just say it was said of him that he never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Southern PacificOn the pole next to the station: Milepost 556 from San Francisco. Think the roof sign says 1 mile to the airport west of town. Childhood MemoriesIf you followed those train tracks to the right for a mile or so, you'd be able to look over our back fence. When the big 2-8-8-2s came by the whole house would shake. My father made a set of steps so I could look over the fence at the trains. I remember the hot dogs at the cafe at the Commercial Hotel, split, fried, and served on a hamburger bun. The drug store whose sign is partially obscured had a penny slot machine just inside the door, more fascinating for a little kid than any video game. Other than that my main memories of Elko are of dust, heat, freezing cold in winter, and drunks passed out on the sidewalk. And the smell of the stockyards. Passing throughAt one point, in the early 1950s, my Uncle Dick was a radio DJ in Elko. One of a number of unusual jobs he had trying to put his life back together after the war. He was a good guy. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Railroads, Small Towns)
Berrien Bunkhouse: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Not the Hilton But better ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/19/2020 - 9:34am -

July 1940. Berrien County, Michigan. "Old barn used as bunkhouse for migrant fruit pickers from the South. This grower employs only unmarried Negroes." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Not the HiltonBut better accommodations by far than those endured by the man with his sons and (I assume) his wife, living and sleeping in the back of a truck. But what is that black hairy-looking stuff on the walls? Soot WebsThose webs are actually caused by charged particles of debris floating in the air that are leftover from whatever they have been cooking on the stove. This is common to see in homes that have had a fire loss or you can find them in the homes of heavy smokers. They look creepy but it's just science doing its thing. Consider this a benefit of fire and mold remediation classes. The sad thing is, in a fire loss, clean-up companies and claims adjustors have to continually let distraught insureds know that it's not because they didn't keep their house clean, but because of the smoke that was present in the fire. Here's one of many resources put out by ServPro that explain this phenomenon: https://www.servproofnortheastwichita.com/blog/post/100600/fire-smoke-da... Tangled websI believe the "black hairy-looking stuff" JennyPennifer inquired about is an accumulation of soot-covered cobwebs. The major cause of the soot, of course, is visible at right. At least they'll stay warmYes, these are better accommodations than were provided for a lot of the migrant families we've seen on Shorpy. They even have a stove. So I wonder, was it easier for the unmarried migrant workers to get the best paying jobs with the better housing? Although the poor gentleman in the polka-dot socks is in desperate need of a new pair of shoes. [Wives and kids require extra housing. Hence the preference for bachelors. - Dave] Much we still don't knowI question Tamara's statement that these bachelors obtained the best paying jobs for this work. They were also selected because they were negroes. From what I know about 1940s America, a negro work crew would have been paid less than a white one … or charged more for lodging, food, etc. I understand migrant workers with families have less personal time to devote to themselves. Still, I am struck by how well groomed are these four men. Each one is clean shaved, except the one mustache, which is neatly trimmed. Their hair is neatly cut. Maybe they helped one another keep groomed? Well groomedThey work hard during the day but still have hopes of getting lucky at the nightly dances! They need to look nice. (The Gallery, Agriculture, John Vachon)
The Summer of ’41
... in Caldwell, Idaho. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Neat I live in Boise, Id so ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/30/2009 - 2:56pm -

July 1941. Sun bathers at the park swimming pool in Caldwell, Idaho. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size. NeatI live in Boise, Id so it was very interesting to come across a pic from 1941 in Caldwell, ID (bout 1/3 hour from Boise). Thanks Dave!! (The Gallery, Russell Lee, Small Towns, Sports)
The Cat in the Hat: 1939
... August 1939. Yakima Valley near Wapato, Washington. Farm Security Administration client Chris Adolph. "My father made me work. That was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/05/2009 - 2:41am -

August 1939. Yakima Valley near Wapato, Washington. Farm Security Administration client Chris Adolph. "My father made me work. That was his mistake, he made me work too hard. I learned about farming but nothing out of the books." View full size. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. Today, the first installment of another selection of photos by Dorothea Lange of Midwesterners en route from the drought-stricken farms of the 1930s Dust Bowl to California, Oregon, Washington and the South. The captions are hers. I love this picture. We haveI love this picture. We have a lot of pictures of my Grandpa and his brothers that look a lot like this. Always the hat... :) GutsRemarkable photo by Lange who witnessed the Great Depression. Her pictures are for the ages. I hope we never see an era like that again. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Portraits)
Step Children: 1941
... Vermont." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The kids Happy, warm, and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/10/2019 - 2:24pm -

        Twins Wilfred and Alfred Franklin. Click here to read Joe Manning's interview with them. August 1941. "Two of the children of Warren Franklin, FSA client of Guilford, Vermont." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The kidsHappy, warm, and they look very well nourished. Obviously before the days of building inspectors. Nice Work on Those StairsThey look well used and do make great seating, but the extra time spent building these was kinda worth it. I think. Almost 80 years later and some random stranger notices the time spent putting a 45-degree cut on the risers and the stringers so they would have that nice edge. I can certainly appreciate that. He could have pre-drilled them to keep from splitting, but that would have certainly added more time for basement stairs and they probably looked great for awhile. With the new Sheetrock on the walls at the time, this house must have been decent enough. I'm thinking the building inspector would have been just fine with this. The wires were sealed and the stairs look to be within regulation of each other. You would need a little more fire blocking now, but overall, I still see houses on the market built around the same time frame and back to the turn of the century and they have much worse hazards to deal with. Mostly stuff redone by homeowners in the 50's and 60's and crappy kitchen installs from the 70's and 80's. I like this shot a lot. They look identical to me. Identically dirty and in need of a bath. TwinsChecked on Ancestry.com. Twins born in 1935. Both grew up and married. As of this writing, one has passed away. The other was widowed and then remarried. Their father was at one time a farmer. That is Sheetrock on that wall!Although it was invented over 20 years earlier, Sheetrock (drywall) did not gain great popularity until WWII. Initially it was considered a shoddy and cheap replacement to the labor intensive lath-and-plaster walls. Step Children: 1941This is Joe Manning. I contacted this family in 2008, visited three of the children, including both children in this photo, interviewed them, and wrote a detailed story about them. They were delightful people. You can see the story at this link: https://morningsonmaplestreet.com/2014/11/26/warren-franklin-family-page... Thank you... Mr. Manning. Your efforts are much appreciated. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Kids)
Well-Preserved: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Undoubtedly, to her ... ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2020 - 12:11pm -

August 1940. "Wife of Mormon farmer with canned goods. Snowville, Utah." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Undoubtedly, to her... that was like money in the bank! What goes aroundMany people don't know that there is a nationwide shortage of canning supplies here in 2020. Due to the unprecedented and bizarre state of our current society, combined with our food supply being pummeled on multiple fronts, people are once again turning to growing and preserving their own food. Another JARring photo. From the bad old times, when you didn't have in times of need if you didn't prepare in times of plenty. No credit on the banks of jars. For my parents gardening (dad) and preserving the surplus (mom) was something of a hobby. For my grandma it had been a lifelong habit grown from sheer necessity. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Kitchens etc., Rural America, Russell Lee)
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. If pianos could talk that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/02/2010 - 10:35am -

February 1940. Vernon, Oklahoma. "Song director conducting singing of spiritual at soil conservation meeting." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. If pianos could talkthat old beater could tell many stories I'm sure. Post "Dust Bowl" yearsMain topic of the meeting might have been "How to keep your soil from ending up in Arkansas and Missouri." Scatter-BrainWritten by Khan Keene, Carl Bean, Frankie Masters and Johnny Burke. The sheet music shows Frankie Masters. Covered by by Benny Goodman and Django Reinhardt, Guy Lombardo, Lawrence Welk, and many more. My favorite lyric: I know I'll end up apoplectic But there's nothing I can do It's just the same as being in a hurricane And though my life will be too hectic I'm so much in love with you Nothing else can matter You're my darling scatterbrain. Scatter BrainHere's a link to Guy Lombardo's rendition of Scatter Brain. It's one of those songs we've heard many times but can't name that tune. EarthySpirituals at a soil conservation meeting? Huh. What strikes me is that the landscape outside looks pretty darned barren -- probably need those spirituals. (The Gallery, Music, Russell Lee)
Ophir Station: 1940
... and takes out the ore." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. There's a whole book on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2018 - 1:16pm -

September 1940. "Railway station at Ophir, Colorado, a small gold mining town. A narrow-gauge railway runs into the town with supplies and takes out the ore." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. There's a whole book on resident station agentsSee "Living in the Depot". According to family history, my grandfather was born in the station where his father worked. That structure still exists (Wimmers station, now in Hamlin, Pennsylvania), but I'm not sure there were living quarters above the station. Iconic viewThis is -the iconic photo- of -the iconic Colorado Narrow Gauge railroad-, the Rio Grande Southern. Lots of people have produced models of this scene. That's actually a mining tipple behind the station, it's a separate building. A FirstAs a former B&B carpenter on the Milwaukee Railroad, this is a first for me -- seeing curtains on a depot. Upstairs apparently living quarters for the station agent, another first. Gold from Ophir wasn't good enough for BachIn the epiphany cantata number 65,"Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen" (They will all come from Sheba), the bass sings "Gold aus Ophir ist zu schlecht" (Gold from Ophir is too bad, away with such vain gifts). Of course, this Ophir isn't the subject, but the original Biblical location that was the source of much of Solomon's wealth. Bach's librettist seems to believe the king that brought gold to the manger came from there. -T h a t-Old RR Joke: Railroad crossing, look out for the cars. How do you spell that without any R's? (The Gallery, Railroads, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Portsmouth Parkers: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Economic Prozac Except for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/16/2021 - 8:29pm -

March 1941. "Houses near Navy yard. Portsmouth, Virginia." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Economic ProzacExcept for the DeSoto at the extreme left, the vehicles appearing here are predominantly recent or even current models. Clearly, for workers in the booming defense industry (as would soon be the case for all Americans), the Great Depression was a rapidly fading memory. "Houses near Navy yard"Houses? Cars! This is Shorpy, man. (Also, I can’t help noticing that paint can in the puddle.) Parking KingsAlthough I probably couldn't identify most of these old beauties, I'm quite amazed by how closely they are parallel parked to each other! You couldn't cram a piece of paper between some of them. How in the world did they get out? Instant Car ShowThough no one at the time gave any thought to the variety of automobiles here, to see them all again together would make for an enjoyable car show, I think. Thanks in advance to the Shorpy antique auto aficionado who can identify the nice sedan on the far left. 1930s, at least? (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, WW2)
Normal: 1940
... Louisiana." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Louisiana State Normal School ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/27/2019 - 12:13pm -

June 1940. "College boy trying to 'thumb' a ride home over the weekend near Natchitoches, Louisiana." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Louisiana State Normal SchoolNorthwestern State University in Natchitoches was Louisiana Normal College until 1944. "Normal" indicated teacher-training; it came from French for accepted rules (norms), which is what teachers were supposed to teach. Judging a bookHe looks to be obnoxious company for a long car ride. I would speed by. College boyNo need for the caption to specify which person it’s referring to. Your ChoiceTruman Capote, or a possible Serial Killer. Caring for MotherNorman, however, will not be attending the Normal College. Amazing photoAlthough the college boy seems to be the important figure - for me it is the weedy man in the back. Who is he? What is he doing there? This weird posture, his hands - is rolling a cigarette perhaps? This photo is very poignant and a bit creepy at the same time. Definitely worth more than one look. (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, On the Road, Small Towns)
Look Downward Angle: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Bombs Away! I feel like I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/05/2020 - 11:57am -

July 1941. No caption here, "here" being somewhere in Chicago at 9:37. Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Bombs Away!I feel like I should be holding a water balloon out of this window while deciding who my target will be. Punmeister-pieceAlthough the header here presents a pun-perfect literary allusion, best to be careful about crying Wolfe. Yipes!I suffer, like many, from an extreme fear of heights. Pictures like this in print and on TV literally cause my palms to sweat. Yes, I know it's not really a dangerous situation, but tell that to my phobia. Ice AwayMy mom used to tell a story about my uncle and her tossing ice cubes out a second story window while their parents were entertaining business clients in another room of their hotel suite. This all stopped when a policeman knocked on the door. Really irritated since he got hit with a bucket of ice cubes. It's the kind of picture I would takeI'm going to guess what prompted John Vachon to take this photograph: there are four sets of two men walking towards a mutual intersection point. Behind three of the pairs of men there is a single man. Vachon snapped this photo just before the man at the bottom disappeared under the building's ledge. It has more impact if you imagine it in motion. I would also bet there wasn't much other foot traffic, which made this near collision more noticeable. Nine. Thirty-seven.I'm loving the reference to Look Homeward, Angel -- a book that I (and most) consider Thomas Wolfe's greatest work. Incidentally (considering the time that JV took the photo), TW died on September 15, 1938, at age 37 (two-plus weeks shy of his 38th birthday). My own father (a pilot, not a writer) was born almost exactly 30 years after Thomas Wolfe, in October 1930. He died on September 13, 1968, at age 37 (a month before his 38th birthday). (The Gallery, Chicago, John Vachon)
Reading Circle: 1942
... came to Southington in late May, 1942, for the Farm Security Administration, to photograph life in a typical American town, which, other ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/15/2015 - 4:41pm -

May 1942. "Southington, Conn. Class of young children." Reading David's Friends at School. Photo by Fenno Jacobs, Office of War Information. View full size. A Trip to the ParkLooking over the shoulder of the boy in the striped shirt, it appears that David and his friends are boarding a PCC streamlined streetcar for their field trip. My grade 2 reader in Windsor, Ontario in 1953 was "Friends and Neighbours", and there was a story about two boys who took the streetcar across town to visit an amusement park. Unaccompanied. And they ran out of money for their return trip. But they had a nickel left, and used that to telephone Jim's uncle to come and rescue them. Another life lesson in the 1950s. How Do You Look Today?Love the reflection of the reading boy in the mirror. Chairs and tablesThose chairs - as well as the tables and shelves - are just like the ones from my elementary school days more than ten years later. In fact, the room could almost be my first grade classroom. Things were made to last in those days. Even the clothing the kids are wearing wouldn't look out of place in the early 1950s. Let's read together!Clang, clang! Clang, clang! "Here comes the street car", said Tom David's Friends at SchoolPublished in 1936 by Paul Robert Hanna (1902-1988), a professor in education at Stanford, author of 16 books and over 80 educational essays. He lived in a house designed for him and his wife by Frank Lloyd Wright (Wright's first in the San Francisco region). The Reading Circle. Not Dead yetBelieve it our not, my wife (a teacher for 36 years, retiring nine years ago, and then going back to substitute teach), was still doing the reading circle before she retired and as a Substitute. She still had some of the best readers in the school. Pretty Up to DateConsidering the first PCC streetcars were being introduced the year this book was published - someone certainly cared. This reading groupdoesn't look much different from Miss Jacobs' first-grade class in 1960 in Southern California. We were working on the classic "Dick and Jane" series: "Jump, Jane. Jump up!" Fenno Jacobs: Keep him comin'!Fenno Jacobs, known as a major-magazine photographer, came to Southington in late May, 1942, for the Farm Security Administration, to photograph life in a typical American town, which, other than being more industrialized than most small towns, it was. Among the nearly 300 photos he took, there, are scenes of school children raising the flag, and giving the "Bellamy" salute, as seen here: https://www.shorpy.com/node/17278, which others photos in the set reveal to have been taken at the Milldale School, 1924-1990's, in the south-central part of town. Many interior schoolroom shots, like this one, can look very much like Milldale School did, but subtleties of brickwork, window spacing details, and outside-the-windows views, indicate that THIS picture was taken at the Holcomb School, near downtown, built 1926. There is another Jacobs picture of this exact scene, wherein the fellow reading, who seems to need his finger to help him follow the words, is standing proud and forthright, and delivering the message as if he had been born to preach. Southington was a truly great town to grow up in, in the 1950s and '60s, when there were yet some farms remaining, and much undeveloped land. Sprawl has won the war, however, it's just too central a location. (The Gallery, Education, Schools, Fenno Jacobs, Kids)
Cajun Girls' Night Out: 1938
... Raceland, Louisiana." 35mm negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Horses and Mules Love the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/10/2008 - 9:31pm -

October 1938. "Girls from the Cajun country at Raceland, Louisiana." 35mm negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Horses and MulesLove the calendar in the background. Horses and Mules ... "The usual guarantee." (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Russell Lee)
Blades, Combs, Laces: 1939
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. Razors Looks like he is selling a couple of Gem ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/05/2009 - 1:58am -

November 1939. "Street vendor's goods. Waco, Texas." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. RazorsLooks like he is selling a couple of Gem Razors. I can tell by zooming in a bit that the G-P Blades are single edge (for the Gem Razors he is selling) but he's also got several brands of double edge blades...the Fan blades, the Smith Blades...which would go in a Gillette Tech or Aristocrat (which he doesn't seem to stock in his little box). I'm a razor nerd...I wish I could run across some kid selling these on the street today. I'd buy him out. Josh PS- Those Gem razors are kind of hard to use these days. The blades you can get for them are not always the best quality. If you've ever seen Treet razor blades in the drugstore (you might have bought them to use as a scraper, or to put in a utility knife maybe or for a crafts project) that is what you can get today and that's about it. They tend to be a bit rough. Double edge blades are still easy to find though and high quality blades are relatively easy to source on the internet, allowing these great old razors to still perform today just like they did way back then. One of my favorite razors is a Gillette Tech from a little later than this (1940s) that shaves like a dream and looks brand new 60 years later. They don't make them like this anymore. [Click below to enlarge. - Dave] John RuskinWas the John Ruskin box from razors, or cigars (it looks a bit like a cigar box), or from something else entirely? How odd to contemplate an America in which John Ruskin's name could be used to sell anything! I imagine his name was associated with sophistication in an era before everything went lowbrow. [Cigar box. - Dave] SharpI'm a razor nerd also. Interesting picture. (The Gallery, Great Depression, Russell Lee)
Your Move: 1941
... format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Love these pictures of life! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/22/2019 - 1:11pm -

February 1941. Belle Glade, Florida. "Migratory laborers playing checkers in front of juke joint during slack season for vegetable pickers." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Love these pictures of life!Using bottle caps for the checker pieces! Bottle caps!It appears they are playing checkers with bottle caps! I haven't heard about that in many years. I did it myself as a kid, turning them over was a king thing. "You want RC or Orange?" Wonder if someone painted the board by hand... Electric meter IDIt's a General Electric I-14, converted to a socket type using a kit made by Westinghouse for the purpose. Prior to 1934, meters were either located indoors, high up under the eaves, or in a "doghouse". The socket type was and is weatherproof and much more convenient, and some utilities chose to retrofit all installations immediately. The I-14 is readily distinguished from the later I-16 and I-20 by its brake magnet, the silver thing that is shaped like a butterfly. I know of at least one I-14 which remained in revenue service until 2009, and I use a 1922 I-14 to track the energy consumption of the air conditioner in my utility room. Mystery HandAnyone notice the mystery hand sticking out from behind the black gentleman second from the right? Also, what does that little boy have tucked under hit right arm? Finally, bottle caps for checkers pieces! In a PinchI notice that instead of using regular red and black pieces to play checkers, also known as draughts, each player is using (beer?) bottle caps. The left side is with caps facing up, and the right with caps facing down. King MeYou know times are hard when your checker pieces are bottle caps. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Florida, Kids, M.P. Wolcott)
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