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Fountain of Youth: 1939
... in Grundy Center, Iowa." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Fountain is gone but some ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/20/2018 - 12:10am -

September 1939. "Public drinking fountain in Grundy Center, Iowa." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Fountain is gonebut some of the buildings remain. [There's something under wraps there. And still no U-turn. In 2008 at any rate. -tterrace] Re: Fountain is goneNow that tterrace has pointed out a mystery object under wraps where the fountain used to be, I am more intrigued by that block of concrete beside the fountain in the original photograph. Is it there simply to provide a step up for little kids? [That was my thought. Or possibly leprechauns. -tterrace] Not under wrapsThat is a fountain made of aggregate stone or concrete, not something under wraps. Look at it from this street view angle: Comfort or cool?Those handlebars seem to be at a ridiculous angle for riding. Maybe that was the "cool" way to have them. He's A High RiderHandlebars in that position was definitely for the cool factor, Alan_Flor, but safety wise it was so square since higher the handle bar less the steering response. One had the look of a Harley rider looking for something to rebel against and girls to impress which always overcame stupid safety issues when you are so young and indestructible. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Small Towns)
Army Goods: 1940
... format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Barksdale Field Barksdale ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2019 - 12:22pm -

December 1940. Rapides Parish, Louisiana. "Corner building in center of Alexandria showing signs advertising Army and military wearing apparel and goods." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Barksdale FieldBarksdale Field (now Barksdale AFB) is located near Alexandria, and back in the day, officers would be responsible for buying their own uniforms from tailor shops. [The principal military outpost here was Camp Livingston, the Army base formerly known as Camp Tioga. - Dave] Corner of 3rd & Desoto Ginsberg; Weiss & GoldringThe store formerly known as "B. Ginsberg" (later taken over by Caplan's) still sells uniforms, as demonstrated by the items on display in the front windows on the Google Street View. The name "Weiss & Goldring" remains above the door of the department store building to the right, but according to page 7 this wonderful City of Alexandria downtown talking tour guide, the business moved with its old neon sign after new locations opened in and around the local shopping mall 25 years ago. https://www.cityofalexandriala.com/sites/default/files/ahpc/docs/walking... [Do not put brackets around URLs. - Dave] Camp ClaiborneI was born at Baptist Hospital in Alexandria while my father was stationed at Camp Claiborne, which was just outside Alexandria during WWII. He was shipped to Europe from there and then to Normandy, France. Camp Claiborne no longer exists. Barksdale AFB is actually located adjacent to Shreveport, quite a way northwest of Alexandria. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, M.P. Wolcott, Stores & Markets, WW2)
A Solo Stroll: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Anytown USA Sadly, a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/20/2020 - 5:03pm -

August 1941. "Ewen, Michigan. Former lumber town in Ontonagon County." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Anytown USASadly, a similar scene is playing out across the nation and for good reason. Keep your distance and please stay safe all. Thanks to Shorpy for reminding us and keeping us entertained in time of need. Not too much left Masonic light globeMaybe they held their meetings upstairs above the print shop. Everyman in AnytownIt's nice to see that places like this still exist. These days Anytown USA is made from a cookie cutter, with the same shops, and the same restaurants. And way fewer phone linesJudging from the telephone poles the solo stroller is just coming up on what is now Ewen Gas Mart, a British Petroleum station, where they carry only regular and diesel. He's nicely dressed. I wonder where he was going? (The Gallery, John Vachon, Small Towns)
Watering Hole: 1940
... County, Nevada." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Signs of the Times It looks ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/03/2018 - 12:48pm -

March 1940. "Saloon. Silver Peak, Esmeralda County, Nevada." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Signs of the TimesIt looks to me like times were a lot simpler back in Silver Peak in 1940. If you're thirsty and want a cold one you go to the building with the sign that says Saloon. If you're hungry you go to the building with the sign that says Eat. Pretty self-explanatory. Food, Beer and a PipeIs the guy on the right heading out in a hurry to smoke a bowl/pipe? It looks like a pipe in his hand that he is emptying for a re-fill. If not, It must be a shadow? It certainly does not look like a pipe of the time period. Drink up!if zzyzx is correct, drinking must be a lot more popular than eating in Silver Peak. That "Saloon" SignI was in a lot of saloons in a lot of strange countries as a teen Marine and in more saloons stateside as a young man. Now at the age of 70 I'll admit that I'd have a tough time passing a sign like that without stopping in for a cold one. Silver Peak UpdateI have spent some time in Silver Peak as both of my brothers lived there until recently. The old saloon, along with much of the town, was destroyed by a fire in 1948. Silver Peak today is essentially a company town since nearly all of the residents work at the lithium mine. There is one other business in town, the bar and grill. Everything else has to be purchased in Tonapah, 60 miles away (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Eateries & Bars, Small Towns)
Pool Photo: 1939
... format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The Water's Fine ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/03/2019 - 12:05pm -

June 1939. "Community swimming pool at Greenbelt, Maryland." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The Water's FineHappily, the Greenbelt community pool and center appear to be going fine, 80 years down the line. And the apartments seen above and behind are still there as well, with their distinctive, modern look for 1939, and a bunch of other stuff filling in the space between. Last one in is a rotten egg. SymmetryMPW sure did line herself up well to have the slide smack in the middle of the change-room building. The clock is just a wee bit off center in relation to the upper railing of the slide. Even in black and whiteThat water looks good. Downhill From HereNot as crowed as the other pool pic, but look at that tall slide. Community pools became a legal nightmare when I was growing up. People just became too sue happy. There are very few community pools left. Most communities covered them up and turned the land into parks. All the community pools in my old home town have been gone for a long time. And that slide is a civil suit waiting to happen. PoolioA place to get polio, according to lore. (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Swimming)
A Sign: 1941
... sign." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The stuff that dreams are made ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/15/2011 - 7:48am -

October 1941. Chillicothe, Ohio. "Jewelers sign." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The stuff that dreams are made ofJust the thing Spade or Marlowe would see from his office window. Mis-spelling?Null points for spelling - both you and the sign maker - Jeweller surely? [In American English, "jeweler" has but one L. - Dave] Little light bulbsIt must have been a major job keeping signs illuminated in the pre-neon days. Now even neon is passe -- being replaced by LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). [Neon -- replaced ages ago by fluorescent backlight signage -- is actually quite chic these days. - Dave] Yes, I never liked fluorescent back-lit signs, they are bland, boring. Neon was more colorful and can be animated. LEDs are more colorful and animateable yet- and can create infinite designs and even pictures. Cool sign, cool photoI think John Vachon took by far the most interesting photographs of anyone from the FSA. De-signsSome of these signs were pretty cleverly designed. The garage sign below is one of my favorites. It sold for $34,500 at auction last year. (The Gallery, John Vachon)
Ouray Bakery: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Better than new Now ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/30/2018 - 3:29pm -

September 1940. "Store buildings at Ouray, Colorado." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Better than newNow Duckett's Market: StudebakeryJudging by the dented fenders and broken taillight, it looks like this 1938 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup has led a rough life in the few years it's been on the road. Hip, Hip, Ouray!I'm sure that was the town's motto. Mesker Store FrontsWaymarking reports: Hammond & Waring Grocery/Schwend & Mostyn Produce built this store in 1900 on the main street of Ouray, Colorado. It is still a family-owned grocery store with hours of 8 am to 6 pm, Monday thru Saturday, year round. This structure is a Mesker Building. Mesker Brothers of St. Louis were a primary supplier of anything from building parts to complete structures around the 1900s. Building could come on the railroad trains cars and be quickly assembled. This is the time of great industrial development in America. We often think of the mass production of automobiles, but the same occurred in buildings - both commercial and residential. (The Gallery, Russell Lee, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Stranded: 1937
... size. 4x5 nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. love there is a part of me that loves him and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 1:36pm -

July 1937. "Man who worked in Fullerton, Louisiana, lumber mill for 15 years. He is now left stranded in the cut-over area." View full size. 4x5 nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. lovethere is a part of me that loves him and feels for him and feels this (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Mining, Rural America)
This Is the Life: 1939
... format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Bed gear See that rip in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/29/2021 - 2:47pm -

January 1939. "Migrant packinghouse workers. Belle Glade, Florida." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Bed gearSee that rip in the comforter on the line? I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s related to the metal bed frame leaning against the wall. When we made the beds at the cottage, despite our mother’s persistent warnings, rips to the sheets from all the pointy metal stuff underneath were unavoidable. Home Brewer?That large glass vessel on the left (called a carboy) is exactly what I use to ferment my homebrew in. Wonder if our worker made a little hooch on the side. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dogs, Florida, M.P. Wolcott)
Hip, Hip Ouray: 1939
... without the skiing. Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Room for Rent? I would ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/11/2018 - 5:27pm -

October 1939. "Ouray, Colorado, center of a gold mining region and developing tourist center." Nowadays a sort of alt-Aspen without the skiing. Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Room for Rent?I would ALMOST be willing to bet that I rented a room in the house at lower left for a night while hitchhiking through. That was the 70s! Nothing available to rent in town, but I got the skinny on private people who rented. Nice lady allowed me to stay for a ridiculously low price. IceboxOne of my favorite towns on the continent! The little box canyon occupied by the town of Ouray is aligned north and south, thereby affording very few hours of direct sunlight - especially in winter. That fact, combined with the little burg's 7,800 ft altitude, makes Ouray a really frosty place! Ice climbing competitions are held annually (January 18-21, 2018 http://ourayicepark.com/ouray-ice-festival/). After an icy afternoon watching climbers scale frozen, piped-in waterfalls, celebrants can warm up in one of the county's several hot springs. The city just refurbished the municipal pool/hot spring and several hotels have private soakers. One establishment has a thermal spring in a grotto/cave blasted out of the rock foundation. The sulphur-scented trickle heats the "Vapor Cave" up to about 108 degrees. That'll thaw your frosty bits. Goober Pea Just been curious!Dave, I've been wondering, do you get ANY sleep of substance? Why, I ask! Because I see you staying up nights thinking of all the quirky, clever, "right-on" titles you're always using! Kudos! Wish I could think of a clever, quippy something to say here, but I am at a loss! [Kudos and coffee are what keep us going! - Dave] For Great SkiingOnly about 10 miles as the crow flies here to Telluride. But from my time living on the Western Slope? Trust me, in the winter it can be a two hour drive. Incidentally, in the photo the slight jog of the road down on the bottom to the left starts the heavily switchbacked trek up the Million Dollar Highway, one of the true engineering marvels of the West, and still in the right conditions one wild, white knuckle ride and without many guardrails. LocationUsing Google Maps and the shape of the mountains as a guide, my best guess is that this was taken from the Million Dollar highway or the hills to the south, looking north up Main Street. This is the best view I could get: https://tinyurl.com/yaumgcb2 (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Landscapes, Small Towns)
Shoofly Tobacco: 1939
... Medium format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Priming? Is this a reference to the picking of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/06/2008 - 10:32pm -

July 1939. Shoofly, North Carolina. "Tobacco field in early morning where white sharecropper and wage laborer are priming tobacco." View full size. Medium format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Priming? Is this a reference to the picking of the largest leaves and leaving the smaller ones to mature? We called it 'fanning' or 'topping', but I guess the terms were very regionally biased. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange, Horses)
Departures: 1940
... to Minneapolis." 35mm negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Wallpaper Every week I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/30/2008 - 1:53pm -

April 1940. East Dubuque, Illinois. "Waiting for the train to Minneapolis." 35mm negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. WallpaperEvery week I choose a Shorpy photo to be my wallpaper. This week, this will be. WaitingYou know, it'd be nice if this railroad still had passengers. It's only freight now. 1942Two years later, this stop would be packed with servicemen leaving for the great unknown, sobbing wives and girlfriends and staunch parents (Dad with his lip quivering, Mom dabbing her eyes with the hankie). Wow, so much changed in such a short time! (The Gallery, John Vachon, Railroads)
Baby Squash: 1939
October 1939. "Mrs. Calvin Brown, wife of Farm Security Administration borrower, with grandson in garden near Eaton, Colorado." It may ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/29/2013 - 9:29pm -

October 1939. "Mrs. Calvin Brown, wife of Farm Security Administration borrower, with grandson in garden near Eaton, Colorado." It may be time to revise the cabbage-leaf theory. Photo by Arthur Rothstein. View full size. The Baby Squash is bigger than the baby.I don't know if it was typical of farm wives at that time but she has a face which reflects strength but also the cares by which that strength was developed. I like the way the grandson is positioned so you can compare him to the squash. Grandmother in 1939I was born in early 1938 and lived with my Grandmother. She also had a big garden. I was about the age of that boy in 1939. This picture brings back a lot of pleasant memories. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Arthur Rothstein, Kids)
Our Treasures: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Vale Oregon The parade had ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/09/2020 - 1:58pm -

July 4, 1941. Vale, Oregon. "One of the floats in the Fourth of July parade." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Vale OregonThe parade had arrived at North Main and "A" Street, looking north. Treasures indeedWhat a unique and creative idea for a Fourth of July float ... darling tykes spilling out of a treasure chest. Just weeks before Pearl Harbor and America's entrance into WWII. And the little guy with his back to the camera, holding the lid, seeming to embody every American virtue with his strength and watchfulness. This picture makes my chest hurt and I think I have something in my eye. C.M. CRANDALL ATTORNEY AT LAWBorn in Illinois in 1861, admitted to practice in 1896, and working 52 weeks a year in 1939 (according to the 1940 census), the lawyer responsible for the gold-leafed second-floor window shingle would have turned 80 in 1941. According to a 1916 news article in the local Malheur Enterprise, "Mr. Crandall is a gifted orator and is ever ready with a gilt edge impromptu speech on most any occasion." FlagCan anybody identify that flag? Onward Christian SoldiersThe flag is called the Christian Flag. See the Wikipedia entry for more information. (The Gallery, July 4, Kids, Patriotic, Russell Lee)
Michigan West: 1937
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Occasio Praeceps Dave -- ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/03/2019 - 6:48pm -

October 1937. "Main street in Michigan, North Dakota." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Occasio PraecepsDave -- Your update on "Ars est longa. . ." is a masterpiece as an example of the unregenerate punster's relentless eye for opportunities to create groans, giving the lie to "iudicium difficile." Still Going StrongThe "Johnson Store" is still alive and kicking. I came to town for three things1. Schmidt's. Check. 2. Peerless. Check. 3. Old Heidelberg. Check. Is Beer Worth Selling?From the looks of the main street in Michigan now I would venture to say beer only provided short term gains since the last business standing is the only one without a beer sign. [Johnson longa, fermenta brevis! - Dave] (The Gallery, Frontier Life, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Louise Dyson: 1940
... St. Mary's County, Maryland. "Mrs. Louise Dyson, wife of Farm Security Administration borrower. She is the mother of fifteen children." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/22/2011 - 7:34pm -

September 1940. St. Mary's County, Maryland. "Mrs. Louise Dyson, wife of Farm Security Administration borrower. She is the mother of fifteen children." Medium format safety negative by John Vachon for the FSA. View full size. St Mary'sWow, I've been living in St. Mary's County for 11 years now and it is great to see this snapshot of history. I wonder if there is any way to learn what became of Mrs. Dyson? The Belle of St. Mary'sI am from (and currently live in) St. Mary's! Very cool pic. Dyson is still a county name. I wonder where in the county this was taken? My grandfather would have been farming about that time, and I'm sure probably knew or knew of Mrs. Dyson and family. She has a beatific face...as befits a mother of 15 in a room with at least four portraits of her Saviour (and one of a man ... her husband? her father?) looking down upon her. You have to enlarge the photo to see it, but her facial expression is a marvel. I'd say "God Bless Her," but He seems to have seen to that already. I wonder how her children, and their children, have fared? AlmanackWhat else is on the cover? All I can read is 1940. Granddaddy told me that hole was for hanging in the outhouse. [J. Gruber's Hagerstown Town & Country Almanack. Of which there are several examples on eBay. - Dave] (The Gallery, John Vachon)
Ore of Yore: 1941
... to tourists." Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Postcards from the edge ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/22/2020 - 6:24pm -

August 1941. "Children of old Hibbing, Minnesota, the part of town which is gradually being torn down as mining operations expand, sell pieces of ore and iron range souvenirs to tourists." Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Postcards from the edgeLitigation arising from the City Council's decision to allow the mining company to devour a chunk of Hibbing brought about some interesting case law from the Minnesota Supreme Court. If they took your house, or the road in front of your house, you were constitutionally entitled to payment, but not if they only took the road to the road in front of your house. Entrepreneurs at the startIndustrious boys for sure. I wonder where their dreams took them. I'm pretty sureSomeone was trying to create the biased bowl haircut! Long term moveMoving this part of the town began in 1918 but wasn't finished until the mid 1950s. The photos of them moving really BIG buildings are amazing. https://www.mnopedia.org/event/relocation-hibbing-1919-1921 LousyFiled for bankruptcy. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Kids, Mining)
Main Street: 1938
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. OH 38 Note the special design that Ohio issued ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 9:41pm -

Summer 1938. Saturday afternoon shopping in London, Ohio. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. OH 38Note the special design that Ohio issued for just that one year, 1938; in the center is an ox pulling a covered wagon; the two-line logo at left reads "150 ANNIV./ N.W. TERR."; and of course at right, in larger letters (one line) "OHIO 38." Plates were painted black on white and are highly sought after by plate collectors now. The white paint did not hold up well and became easily discolored or rusty. It just dawned on meWe live on this street. Right now, just a couple miles from this spot. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Second City: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. 1940 Pontiac Silver Streak ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/10/2020 - 3:53pm -

April 1941. "Old brownstone houses now occupied by Negroes in Chicago, Illinois." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. 1940 PontiacSilver Streak Sedan. Can't tell if it's a six or an eight cylinder. Still a pretty new car. Hat TricksNo matter where you look, in any photograph up to around 1960 or so, every man wore a hat. They not only 'completed the look', but signified the economic station. Here we see one billed ball-cap, one beret, but only one gent with none at all. Everyone else is wearing some version of a fedora. I think it was Jack Kennedy who killed the hat, so to speak. He often refused to wear one and the rest of the fashion-conscious followed suit. End of an era. Million-dollar homesCan't tell where exactly in Chicago this pic was taken, but if on the north side, and they still stand, those brownstones could easily be over a million dollars these days. My mom in law lives in a highrise at North and Clark, and the brownstones in the neighborhood are ungodly expensive. [This was the Southside Chicago district known today as Bronzeville. - Dave] Romancing the StoneMr. Lee may have been using 'brownstone' as a synonym of townhouse, but these were most likely Chicago Greystones. Greystones were made from Bedford limestone mined in nearby deposits in Indiana. (The Gallery, Chicago, Kids, Russell Lee)
Upper M.C.: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A Boy and His Dog The dog ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/08/2020 - 7:42pm -

August 1940. "Street in Upper Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A Boy and His DogThe dog looks to be a perfect companion for the young lad on the sidewalk. The car driving toward us is a 1940 Ford Deluxe 4 door Sedan. I guess it was true back thenI walked to school uphill both ways. Often wondered about this. What is that word?Can someone please tell me how to say that name!! It has been bugging me for a long time and you just keep posting these picture, lol! I cant find any kind of pronunciation after a long and boring, nay, fruitless search on the google. [Go to Google. Type this in the search box: Pronunciation of Mauch Chunk. - Dave] Today -- (The Gallery, Dogs, Jack Delano, Kids, Small Towns)
Ice Cycle: 1941
... in. Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. DANGER WILL ROBINSON! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/14/2020 - 3:15pm -

January 1941. "Harrisonburg, Virginia." Braking at the door till someone lets it in. Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. DANGER WILL ROBINSON!Imagine trying to ride that bicycle on those icy streets. Alternative explanationThey don't open the door for peddlers. Robert FrostDave’s line “Braking at the door till someone lets it in” puts me in mind (cadence + theme of ice and snow) of the title of Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Cold Steel BeautyLooks to be a late 1930's Wards Hawthorn bicycle with a New Departure two speed rear hub. Vachonesque!Before reading his name, i knew that picture was from John Vachon. What a talent! (The Gallery, Bicycles, John Vachon)
Sawdust Memories: 1939
... loan. Gem County, Idaho." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Minutia This site never ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/08/2015 - 6:27am -

October 1939. "One of 36 members of the Ola self-help sawmill cooperative. Sawmill started with an FSA loan. Gem County, Idaho." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. MinutiaThis site never ceases to amaze me with the amount of minutia about a subject that one can learn and the observation powers of the posters to enlighten us about them. Case in point, sky dog's "suspender button" comment below. [The word is "minutiae." - Dave] A sawmill saved the town of OlaBackground and many more pictures here. Board and battenWith a nail or hook to hang your jacket on. Plus sawdust on fedora and jeans. Vintage LevisOur subject appears to be wearing some pre-1937 Levis. There's a suspender button popping up from beneath his belt near where he has his hand on his hip. Levi Strauss & Co. phased out suspender buttons with their 1937 jeans as belts became the primary method of holding up one's pants. These would also have a waist cinch in the back and exposed rivets on the back pockets. The back pocket rivets would also be altered in '37 as people often complained that they tended to scratch anything the wearer sat on or leaned against. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange)
The Barber of Silverton: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Hare raising I didn't ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/30/2020 - 2:08pm -

September 1940. "Detail of front of building. Silverton, Colorado." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Hare raisingI didn't understand your headline at first, but I eventually figaroed it out. And Just UpstairsAre the Shorpy showrooms. Laundry by rail?The sign for the Montrose Laundry and Dry Cleaning Co is interesting -- in 1940, would laundry have traveled some 60 miles north, from Silverton to Montrose, by rail? Or driven via truck on the Million Dollar Highway? This could be it (The Gallery, Frontier Life, Mining, Russell Lee, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Loftis Salvage: 1939
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. West Cincinnati Street Not ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/16/2020 - 2:43pm -

July 1939. "Automobile salvage business in Muskogee, Oklahoma." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. West Cincinnati StreetNot much left of it. The block that would have contained 6 West Cincinnati (I'm assuming right there at Main) is one of a handful of small pieces that have survived the expansion of Columbus Avenue. Mr. Loftis' business is positively charming compared to the nothingness that fills the space now. Familiar sceneI can hear the Sanford And Son theme song playing as I look at this image. BaywatchI love the side addition of the tin shack, sort of a bay window. I am impressed. Spot on.I think Commishbob got the right spot because I can see the radio transmission tower in the background in both pictures and assuming it's the same tower the distance and angle are about the same. But other than the tower absolutely everything else has changed. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Russell Lee)
Land Office Business: 1941
... office for relocation project in Martin County, where 160 farm families will be moved during construction of naval ammunition depot." Photo by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. I'm pretty sure The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/05/2020 - 4:45pm -

June 1941. Burns City, Indiana. "Office of land use committee and FSA office for relocation project in Martin County, where 160 farm families will be moved during construction of naval ammunition depot." Photo by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. I'm pretty sureThe facility referred to is now the Naval Support Activity, and Naval Surface Warfare Center, near Crane, Indiana. ISO-VISISO-VIS gas and oil were both products of the Standard Oil Company. Note the Standard Oil crowns atop the pumps. (The Gallery, Gas Stations, John Vachon, Small Towns)
The Wayfarer: 1939
... Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. We come with the dust On the edge of your ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/05/2009 - 2:13am -

February 1939. "On U.S. 99 between Bakersfield and the Ridge, en route to San Diego. Migrant man shaving by roadside." View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. We come with the dustOn the edge of your cities you'll see me and then, I come with the dust and I've gone with the wind. - Woody Guthrie The Ridge RouteI've driven 99 from Bakersfield south many times, and even did the Ridge Route once (open only in summer, and you'll probably not meet a soul). So this one really struck home for me. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, On the Road)
Barefoot Scholars: 1940
... format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Somebody didn't get ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2019 - 5:58pm -

September 1940. "One-room schoolhouse showing overcrowded conditions and need for repairs and equipment. Breathitt County, Kentucky." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Somebody didn't get enough sleep last nightOr maybe the teacher's just boring. What's the beef?Dead ringer for a coupla schools I been to, and dint hurt me none! Deprived for sureNo free iPads or safe spaces. (The Gallery, Education, Schools, M.P. Wolcott, Rural America)
Shave and a Shower: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Dusty road This town must ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/28/2020 - 1:19pm -

June 1940. "Barber shop at gold mining community of Mogollon, New Mexico." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Dusty roadThis town must be the very definition of rural. According to Google Maps it takes almost 5 hours from Truth or Consequences airport, just off I-25, via state roads 52 / 57 / 59 & 159 to Mogollon, and even the "streetview" car has been there only once in 2008. This building sports the fake stone-like facade , too, but the Bath & Beyond shown above is probably long gone. I've been thereMogollon is a quaint little town, difficult to reach but worth the drive. There aren't but about 10 people who actually live there any longer - most of the buildings are falling down, and there really isn't much to see there any more. NICE photo. Please post more pictures from New Mexico and as many Russell Lee and Dorothea Lange photos as you can find. 535-07-5248I always wondered where the handsome devil from this post got to. He seems to have wandered out of the Dorothea Lange photo and into a Russell Lee photo. (The Gallery, Mining, Russell Lee, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Porch Patrol: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Maybe Twenty These two ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/18/2021 - 2:20pm -

March 1941. "Defense workers in front of rooming houses. Norfolk, Virginia." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Maybe TwentyThese two young guys look about twenty, or younger, to me. My own mother quit high school at 16 in 1942 to go to work in a defense plant and made good money until the end of WWII. After all, there was a war on! Defense workers?I realize as I get older kids look younger but I really can't believe these two are defense workers. Defense workers' kids maybe. I know, all you have to go by it is written the negative. [He's old enough to smoke! - Dave] One Man's oil canIs another Man's flower planter. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Norfolk, WW2)
Doggie in the Window: 1937
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. Woof. Even after reading those signs, I don't ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 12:55pm -

April 1937. Children playing in Washington, D.C. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. Woof.Even after reading those signs, I don't know. How much is that doggie? The Panama"The Panama," home to the doggie, was at 913 M Street NW. (The Gallery, D.C., Dogs, John Vachon, Kids)
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