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The Men From UNC: 1940
... office." Acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Now Where's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2019 - 7:57pm -

October 1940. "University of North Carolina boys in their car at the Chapel Hill post office." Acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Now
Where's Betty and Veronica?Looks like Archie and Jughead are out for a spin in his jalopy.
1928 Ford PhaetonI always look for old photos of this model Ford; I have a restored one which I bought in 1995 here in Southern California. If I lived near Chapel Hill we could recreate the photo, providing we could borrow a couple of photogenic UNC men.
Carolina BlueI wish this photo was in color. I am guessing the word "Carolina" was painted that shade of blue. 
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, M.P. Wolcott)

Junk Men: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A Junk Shop for Junk Men? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/17/2020 - 2:33pm -

December 1941. "Junk men with waste paper. New York City." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
A Junk Shop for Junk Men?Perhaps there is a '4' obscured by the cart wheel (preceding the '59').  This, because at 459 W 18th Street in those days there was a Junk Shop.
Mickey's home todayIf I'm correct in reading Mickey's address as 159 West 18th Street, it can be seen in Google streetview as the last remaining red brick tenement building on a nice-ish block in Chelsea, not far from the meatpacking district.
[There is no "1." The address is just two digits. - Dave]
ColumnarHigh paid metals rags. Prices for paper.
Not so fast, Buster!How'd these rocks get under here?!
(The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, NYC)

Precipittation: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Orthography alert I thought ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/01/2020 - 6:10pm -

June 1941. "Rain. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Orthography alertI thought there were 4 T's in precipittation.
PittiltClever shot. It appears that JV was in a building across the street, keeping his powder dry while angling for an interesting composition. The lady peeking through the pelting rain seems to be smiling her encouragement as a mini Pittsburgher expresses her curiosity from an upper window.
As dark, gloomy,dull, blustery this photo is, there would be no significant  difference if it was a colour photo, in fact, it may well be.
Deutschtown downpourLongtime Shorpyites may recognize this downpour, and this neighborhood, from a previous post. Pittsburghers identified that spot as the corner of Madison and Lockhart in the Deutschtown neighborhood across the Allegheny north from downtown, currently occupied by the massive Interstate 279-579 interchange and accompanying ramps and exits. Thankfully, blocks of Deutschtown west of the interchange were designated as a historic district before too many dwellings were lost. Indeed, the brick building in this photograph bears some resemblance to a pre-restoration version of 610 Lockhart.
https://www.redfin.com/PA/Pittsburgh/610-Lockhart-St-15212/home/74557715 
(The Gallery, John Vachon, Kids, Pittsburgh)

Hotel Rainbow: 1941
... Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Geyser MT It's Geyser, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/14/2020 - 10:55am -

September 1941. "Buildings on main street of ghost town. Judith Basin, Montana." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Geyser MTIt's Geyser, Montana. The bank building is still there. 
No VacancyExcept for Ghosts and Spirits of the Night.
VacancyThere's always room under the rainbow.
First National BankA sturdy-looking brick building of fairly recent construction, but already an economy store, and then boarded-up windows.  A sad, short life.
(The Gallery, Frontier Life, M.P. Wolcott, Small Towns)

Cozy Shack: 1939
... Avenue camp, Oklahoma City." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Not Shown There's no dog. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/22/2018 - 11:19am -

July 1939. "Family in front of shack home. May Avenue camp, Oklahoma City." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Not ShownThere's no dog.  Four kids keeps you busy but a dog would be nice.
Tough times!How old is Mom, 26?
Dog's aren't stupidIt's to doggone hot in those metal boxes in July! I'd bet the dogs are lounging under the trees we see in the background.
The definition of poverty then compared to now is startling. Big screen vs food.
Three out of fourThree out of four kids in the photo wearing shoes - they must have dressed up for the photographer. Only the runt got away until it was too late. 
A dog would be nice... but a dog has to be fed.
(The Gallery, Kids, OKC, Russell Lee)

J&L: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Long gone Hard to believe ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2020 - 1:45pm -

June 1941. "Jones and Laughlin steelworks. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Long goneHard to believe all of that no longer exists, isn't it?
Hard to Fathomthat the Japanese so misunderstood the folly of attacking a country with such massive industrial might, just months after this was taken.
NIght ShiftReminds me of this pic:  https://www.shorpy.com/node/22870.  Wonder what the textiles would look like if they were neighbors with the wind blowing towards the textile mill.  
Soft SteelSurreal atmosphere of a harsh environment.
Well done, yet again, Mr Vachon.
(The Gallery, Factories, John Vachon, Pittsburgh)

All Ears: 1943
... 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. All Ears? All Ears? What do ears have to do ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/22/2008 - 8:58am -

July 1943. "Wheat, Pennsylvania." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration.
All Ears?All Ears?  What do ears have to do with wheat?  Wheat has heads, not ears.  Are you thinking corn?
[Wheat, along with the other cereal grains including corn, does indeed have ears. - Dave]
MonstrousThis is what an Ent would look like if J.R.R. Tolkien grew up in Nebraska.
Another triumph for KodachromeYou can almost smell the fields and the broken stalks.
(The Gallery, Kodachromes, Agriculture, John Collier)

Baldauf & Schlientz: 1938
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. Spectacles I wanted glasses like that. Then ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 2:57pm -

Summer 1938. "Thermometer sign. Marion, Ohio." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration.
SpectaclesI wanted glasses like that. Then Harry Potter came along and ruined them forever.
SpecsThis gentleman favors Jimmy Conlin a bit. And, from what we have seen of Marion, it looks like a Preston Sturges sort of town.
(The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Small Towns)

The Shining: 1939
... Illinois." Acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Beautiful sign That's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2018 - 2:00pm -

January 1939. "Coal miner in business center of Colp, Illinois." Acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Beautiful signThat's really a beautiful sign, despite the lower part suffering from weather exposure.  The art of hand-lettered sign painting is making a minor comeback in this age of digital/machine-made signs, and any current student of the craft could take inspiration from this one.
KoKoNut RollThe mystery sign below the Baby Ruth and Butterfinger signs is the equally high in dextrose KoKoNut Roll:
The Shining ParlorThe Shining Parlor
It was a drab street
A white man's street . . .
Jammed with automobiles
Streetcars and trucks;
Bee-hived with fruit vendors' stalls,
Real estate concerns, meat shops,
Dental clinics, and soft drink stands.
It was a drab street
A white man's street . . .
But it held the shining parlor--
A boot-black booth,
Commandeered by a black man,
Who spent much time smiling out
Upon the hub-bub of the thoroughfare.
Ever . . . serenely smiling . . .
With a brush and soiled rag in his hands.
Often . . . white patrons wait for
Their boots to be "shined,"
Wondering the while
At the wonder--
Of the black man's smile.
~ Anita Scott Coleman
Bloody WilliamsonColp is located in Williamson County. A compelling history of that county is "Bloody Williamson: A Chapter in American Lawlessness" by Paul Angle and John Simon. Reads like the fiction of Elmore Leonard, but it happened. 
Mayor CaliperLike others I'm sure I enjoy researching these small towns that are featured in these wonderful photos. According to Wikipedia: 
"Colp community leader Frank Caliper was one of the state's longest-serving elected officials. He served 52 years as mayor from 1935 until his death in 1987."
(The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Bicycles, Stores & Markets)

Casa Siete: 1939
... here. One of thousands of such pictures made for the Farm Security Administration during the Depression. - Dave] (The Gallery, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/26/2018 - 11:37pm -

February 1939. "Shack of war veteran with view along Nueces Bay. Corpus Christi, Texas." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee. View full size.
I love this photo for many reasons, ButThe look on that child's face of sheer accomplishment is Why we try and capture moments. I hope.
Oyster Shells?Is that a pile of oyster shells alongside the house?
Resourcefulness!Not only the 7up posters to break the wind, but the door (and maybe some of the walls) appears to be recycled wood flooring.  The tarpaper roof with no clear ventilation looks awfully warm, though.  At least they have the breeze off the Gulf there.
Veteran & family that enjoyed fishingNueces Bay is a shallow bay that is still to this day a great spot for catching Speckled Trout, Redfish, and Flounder.
In present day Nueces Bay with it's close proximity to Corpus Christi, there are much nicer accommodations for Anglers. :-)
Boats?Are these folks harvesting oysters? Must have been a miserable existence living out in the open on a beach.
Not so sure ...Hi gang! This is my first comment, though I've been trolling Shorpy for years.
Okay ... so I'm thinking these are work-shacks, not actual homes. Shrimpers maybe?
See the brand new shack being delivered on the flatbed. The Gulf storms are so frequent and fierce that I doubt any of these would survive for long, so they were made cheaply and maintained with any old flotsom that washed up.
That said, these folks were certainly not well-to-do and their actual homes were no doubt hardly glamorous, but they worked the waters out of these buildings -- I don't think they lived here.
[The photographer's caption information for other photos in this series states that the veteran and his wife lived here. One of thousands of such pictures made for the Farm Security Administration during the Depression. - Dave]
(The Gallery, Russell Lee, WWI)

American Picker: 1936
... Yakima, Washington." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Yuh-KEE-muh Yakima is just ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2013 - 7:29am -

July 1936. "Picking cherries. Yakima, Washington." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Yuh-KEE-muhYakima is just down the road a piece from where I've lived all my life.  When I was a kid my brothers and I would go into hysterics when TV ads for cheap junk told us to send our $1.95 ("cash only, no checks!") to Box 10, Yuh-kee-muh, Washington.  It's actually pronounced Yak-ih-maw.  Likewise, we could sometimes buy our cheap Like Seen on TV junk from an address in Spoh-cane Washington, instead of the real Spokane, pronounced Spoh-can.  Washington State has some unusual place names, many of which get routinely mangled when spoken by non-natives.  Puyallup and Sequim are probably the most mangled.
Why is this woman smiling?When I was a kid I spent one day picking cherries at an orchard in Loveland, Colorado. I ended that day scratched, sticky and 35 cents richer. The only good thing was the mid-day meal, which included unpasteurized milk and homemade bread. This suburban boy might as well have been on another planet. Today it's a cherished memory.
Khaki LinenShe is beautiful and very elegant in her khaki linen. 
Still PickingThere are still some orchards in Yakima, though most are now in outlying areas. Most of the workers and increasingly orchard owners are of Mexican heritage.  The wires in the background are probably there for hops to climb, not power lines.
Classic three leg ladderShe's at the top of a 3 legged cherry picker ladder, favored for its stability on rough ground and the ability to wedge its way into brambles of branches.  Have seen those up to at least 20 feet high.  The basic principles of ladder safety are not being well observed here, but there's a lot of cherries to be picked and not much time to do it.
(The Gallery, Agriculture, Arthur Rothstein)

The Oil Patch: 1939
... Last seen here . Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Legal History The only oil ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/02/2018 - 12:19pm -

August 1939. "Independent refinery. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma." Last seen here. Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Legal HistoryThe only oil company in Oklahoma at the time with "Producing & Refining Co." in their name was the Denver Producing and Refining Company.  Most of the remaining information on the company is in the form of lawsuits that were lodged against it in the '30s and '40s.
[This all looks like secondhand equipment, which would explain why the DENVER (Acme, or whatever) was removed from the tank. - Dave]
Back 'a the PatchLooks like a horse racing track in the background, center, with stables in the background, right.
What's the roundish large building in the background left, with cupola? Railroad roundhouse? Indoor fairgrounds?
[Whatever it is, it is not the same building as the fairgrounds carousel. - Dave]
Oil PatchThe roundhouse is probably for indoor horse-training. Notice the really big, long building top right of center. That's an aerodrome if ever I've seen one.
[Actually that's the Stockyards Coliseum, aka the Oklahoma City Ice Palace, built in 1922, destroyed by fire in 1930, and then rebuilt with a similar design. - Dave]

The round buildingIs for walking and training horses. It is not a railroad roundhouse.
Links to the PastI believe this location is just south of the former Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, on the east side of Oklahoma City, where Douglass High School now stands. Which would put the refinery southeast of the intersection of NE Fourth Street and North Martin Luther King Avenue (former Eastern Avenue). A number of paddock buildings are visible to the southeast of the track. The body of water between the racetrack and the refinery is now part of James E. Stewart Golf Course.
(The Gallery, Industry & Public Works, OKC, Russell Lee)

Tara Incognita: 1939
... Monticello, South Carolina." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Four-Star Title Although ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/05/2019 - 10:56pm -

May 1939. "Old abandoned plantation home near Monticello, South Carolina." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Four-Star TitleAlthough "Rake's Progress" remains my personal favorite. 
https://www.shorpy.com/node/22669
Fixer upper / handyman’s dreamClose to shopping and great schools.
1830s antebellumThese are beautiful houses when restored. The layout of this particular design is very familiar to me.  The rooms are large and spacious, with high ceilings and tall windows. Designed to stay cool in the Southern heat! 
I notice that the house and roof lines have remained straight even though open to the weather -- a testament to the quality construction. This one is a keeper. I wonder, did it survive?
Another Good Selling Point"Open, airy floor plan with neutral and natural colors throughout!"
Convertible PorchIt appears from the roof and the paint remaining on the front of the house that there was, at one time, a two-story porch on the front of the building.  Probably with the typical columns.  Years of neglect probably lead led to it's its eventual demise.
(The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott)

Half-Pint Posse: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Planning ahead He'll grow ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/14/2020 - 1:28pm -

March 1941. "Children of construction workers in trailer camp. Portsmouth, Virginia." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Planning aheadHe'll grow into them.  The hat, too.
Another Christmas StoryLook! It's Randy & Ralphie and "Flick" Schwartz!
Mom's no slackerNote the ironed creases in the jeans.
End of the LineThose Buck Jones pants would soon become a collectible item, as the movie cowboy would die in 1942.
(The Gallery, John Vachon, Kids)

Amite City: 1935
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. Ben Shahn Is this the Ben Shahn of the famous ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 10:48am -

October 1935. Young residents of Amite City, Louisiana. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration.
Ben ShahnIs this the Ben Shahn of the famous prints?  This photograph has the same look of blunt desperation.
[Yes, Ben Shahn the painter. - Dave]
That Ben ShahnYeah, that Ben Shahn could sure take a picture, couldn't he?
(The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Small Towns)

Death's Door: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Knockin' on Heaven's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/28/2020 - 12:32pm -

July 1940. "Entrance to the cemetery at Penasco, New Mexico." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Knockin' on Heaven's DoorThis black-and-white, somewhat stark image reminds me of the type of photo you'd see from Ansel Adams.
Rio Lucio CemeteryDoors are gone, so it's easier for everyone to, uh, get in.

Not that farI don't know the area, but Google Maps says this photo was taken only 35 miles from Hernandez N.M., where Ansel made his most famous photo ("Moonrise").
Twilight zoneI keep expecting to see Rod Sterling stroll on camera.
(The Gallery, Rural America, Russell Lee)

Near Belle Glade: 1939
... Near Belle Glade, Florida." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Shed Toppers Are the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/26/2021 - 5:20pm -

January 1939. "Migratory laborers' camp. Single-room cabin costs $2.50, double room $4 per week. Water hauled, 55 cents for 55-gallon tank. Toilet for about 150 people. Near Belle Glade, Florida." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Shed ToppersAre the angular features on the roof a lighting and ventilation feature like a clerestory? I have been to the old railroad camp buildings on Pigeon Key in the Florida Keys built in the 1920s, and they had a clerestory and the interior of the buildings without air conditioning were surprisingly comfortable.
(The Gallery, Agriculture, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Florida, Kids, M.P. Wolcott)

Take Five: 1938
... Medium format nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. Hackberry Ramblers? So there have been a lot of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/30/2008 - 12:04am -

October 1938. "Cajun orchestra for fais-do-do near Crowley, Louisiana. Having intermission with drinks." View full size. Medium format nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration.
Hackberry Ramblers?So there have been a lot of posts of various musical groups from Crowley and even some other places around Cajun Country, and I've been wondering if any of them identified the artists.
I suspect that one of the pictures may contain a picture of the Hackberry Ramblers, one of the most famous Cajun musical groups ever.  I was recently at Festival International in Lafayette, Louisiana (Crowley is in the metro-area of Lafayette), and Luderin Darbone, lead fiddler of the Hackberry Ramblers, came out with the Lost Bayou Ramblers and told stories of his 95 years on this earth and how in 1935 his group was the first Cajun band to use electric instruments.  I just wonder if one of the fiddlers shown in any of these photos is a young Luderin.
Hackberry Ramblers?This group is not the Hackberry Ramblers, although some photos of them from that era do exist.
All best,
Ben Sandmel
www.hackberryramblers.com
Nice guitar!The fellow on the right side is playing a metal-bodied National Duolian resonator. You can tell by the "Frosted Duco" finish.
(The Gallery, Music, Russell Lee)

Mt. Vernon Straight Ahead: 1940
... size. 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. "Sanitary Lunch"? Mmm! I'm hungry ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 10:37am -

February 1940. An oil worker in Salem, Illinois. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration.
"Sanitary Lunch"?Mmm! I'm hungry already! Love the jacket, very nice.
(The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses)

Sun Spot: 1940
... on the common." 35mm negative by Louise Rosskam for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Outta my way I know CPR. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/16/2012 - 11:01am -

August 1940. Vergennes, Vermont. "Sunbathing on the common." 35mm negative by Louise Rosskam for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Outta my wayI know CPR.  I'll save 'em!
(The Gallery, Louise Rosskam)

Bank Shot: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Same building? There are a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/12/2020 - 2:17pm -

September 1940. "Montrose, Colorado. Old bank." And "Shoeteria." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Same building?There are a bunch of similarities here but if they are the same there have certainly been some serious alterations done. A matching building from the same architect perhaps? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
[Wrong intersection! - Dave]


The joys of unit bankingUp until bank deregulation in the mid 1980's, Colorado was a unit banking state, and a very restrictive one at that.  Banks coudn't do any business, even back office or IT (computer) functions, in more than one building.  This finally resulted in banks having very large buildings like the Wells Fargo one shown here to work in.  When Wells Fargo took over First Interstate Bank in 1996, FI only had three banks in Colorado -- Denver, Englewood and Boulder, each previously run separately. Prior to the takeover, Wells only had branches in California.  The Englewood FI bank was a massive building for the size of the city, and the First Interstate in Denver had two skyscrapers downtown that stood diagonally opposite each other on a city block, connected by walkways at the corners of various floors to make into "one building".  Wells-Fargo must have taken this location over later than 2000, and it would have grown to this size much before then.  Don't ask me how I know this!
Those windowsSome beautiful gold leaf on all those windows which banks and their tenants typically employed.
Different BuildingWhere the First National Bank once stood, a Brutalist-tinged Wells Fargo now hulks:

For reference (check the matching notches in the background mountain): Main Street, Montrose, 1939.
(The Gallery, Russell Lee, Small Towns)

Light Industry: 1941
... Massachusetts." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. I'm near here all the time The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/15/2018 - 8:20pm -

January 1941. "Textile mill working all night in Lowell, Massachusetts." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
I'm near here all the timeThe Lowell Gas Light office on the corner is an art gallery now and the building on the right houses the streetcar museum, or did.
Complete with ghost truckI wonder how long the exposure was?
22 Shattuck StreetEstablished in 1849, the Lowell Gas Light Company supplied piped coal gas that lit the city’s mills, businesses, and street lamps. Designed in the more contemporary and elegant Italianate style, the building contrasted with earlier Federal and Greek Revival structures downtown. Built to house the company’s administrative offices, the original building was added on to several times, the last being a 1920s gable-roofed rear wing containing a gas appliance showroom. - via Richard Howe's Lowell Politics & History

Worth a visit todayLowell National Historical Park is a 141-acre urban park comprised of preserved canals, locks, mill buildings, and other historic structures related to textile manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution.
Having been raised in the Motor City (Detroit, Michigan), I am amazed to learn about the history and organized labor of an industry other than automobile manufacturing.
We visit LNHP every time we visit our son and daughter-in-law in the Boston area, and learn something new every time. It’s definitely worth a visit. One can see the very same view that is shown in the Shorpy photo.
https://www.nps.gov/lowe/index.htm
Beat streetA view that Beat Generation legend Jack Kerouac, a native of Lowell, undoubtedly  saw many times.
(The Gallery, Factories, Jack Delano)

Bananas, Borden's & Beyond: 1939
... Texas." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Cheerios 5 cents Vanilla ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/30/2018 - 1:39pm -

February 1939. "Fruit stand in Robstown, Texas." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Cheerios 5 centsVanilla ice cream on a stick with a hard thin chocolate shell. Crunchy chocolate and ice cream. All that bliss for a nickel.
My dad would’ve called it aStick in the mud.
Also remember purple people eaters, nutty buddies, and dreamsicles.
BananasThese look like the Gros Michel (Big Mike) variety, prior to disease forcing a move the newer Cavendish we see today. Unfortunately, the Cavendish is in danger as a single cultivar with disease issues in many growing regions. Some growers are working to re-institute the Gros Michel, which some feel is a tastier variety, as well.
Spell CheckHmmm, should be 'Cheerios' and 'Fudgesicle' on the signs.  I'll let it go this time.
Foot RestCan someone explain the warped and broken boards running low along the front of the shop?  Also, what are the sticks with nails on their ends hinged to the columns for? 
[To keep people from filching fruit, and to hold up the awnings. - Dave]
(The Gallery, Russell Lee, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)

Rolling Stock: 1941
... format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The churches in the background. I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/02/2019 - 12:59pm -

June 1941. "Freight depot in Hartford, Connecticut." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
The churches in the background.I can't pinpoint the location that this photo was taken, but in the background you can see the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and Faith Congregational Church.

Ice to the rescueA lot of ice cooled reefers.
NEMFNew England Transportation Co, now known as NEMF (New England Motor Freight).
Only image I could find:
https://www.trainz.com/products/usa-trains-17011-g-new-england-transport...
New York, New Haven & Hartford Freight YardI believe that this freight yard was located north of city center, just above the current I-84 / Route 44 bridge over the Connecticut, at what used to be called the Bulkeley Bridge.   The image was probably taken from the bridge approach.  The New England Transportation Co. was a trucking concern created by the NY, NH & H in the 1920s to compete with motor carriers.
The track layout and freight handling buildings are visible in 1917 and 1945 and also in this nifty aerial side-by-side, http://magic.lib.uconn.edu/mash_up/1934.html where the track layout is still almost visible today.  (Look for the only bridge in town.)
The high ground on the right is the makings of Riverside Park, which still exists.
No idea what the freight yard was called, though.   
It's been said beforeThese are the team tracks.
Zooming out makes the concept a little more understandable to those of us who were barely into our teens when the Interstate system was largely completed, who then visit a factory built in 1974 and are puzzled to see that has its own now-abandoned railroad spur.
(The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Railroads)

Winter Quarters: 1864
... from 1935 to 1945 created by the United State’s Farm Security Administration and Office of War Information (FSA-OWI). ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/02/2014 - 4:30am -

1864-65. "13th New York Heavy Artillery, Winter Quarters, Petersburg, Va." Wet plate glass negative, Civil War Photographs, Library of Congress. View full size.
Didn't know where to put this comment, but...Photogrammar is a web-based platform for organizing, searching, and visualizing the 170,000 photographs from 1935 to 1945 created by the United State’s Farm Security Administration and Office of War Information (FSA-OWI). 
http://photogrammar.yale.edu/
My Gosh...The taller of the two men leaning on the tree is me! At least when I was in my 20s. Possibly my great-grandfather, who was, I believe, a New Yorker and would have been about that age.
Addendum: There was a Pvt. Frederick L. Knapp in Co.A and a Caleb Knapp in Co.G. Since my grandfather was Fred C. Knapp (b. 1875), I'd say there's a fair chance that my doppleganger is Fred L.
Later: found that Fred L. died in 1908 "with no closer relation than a cousin" so apparently not GGrandpop. Don't know about Caleb.
The resemblence really is astonishing, though: I called my wife over to take a look and she said "Why'd you do that?" assuming I'd Photoshopped an old picture of myself into the image.
(The Gallery, Civil War)

Texas 2-Irons: 1940
... at Sinton, Texas." 35mm negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Vermeer meets Caillebotte ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/10/2012 - 12:45am -

March 1940. "Ironing room at FSA migratory labor camp at Sinton, Texas." 35mm negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Vermeer meets CaillebotteMeets Russell Lee.
Another time and placeThis was about a half dozen years too late to be Momma Joad and Rose of Sharon, and anyway, they took a different route, but it is reminiscent of that era.  These irons are electric also which made a big difference in the time-consuming drudgery of stove-heated ironing.
(The Gallery, Russell Lee)

Mama's Family: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Town of Sutherlin Taking a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/16/2020 - 1:58am -

March 1941. "Negro family waiting for ride into town. Halifax County, Virginia." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Town of SutherlinTaking a stab at the location, the sign could be for, or pointing towards, Sutherlin, near the southern edge of Halifax County.  It's barely a place today but it was on the Richmond to Danville train line and perhaps used to merit a road sign.  
There is a Route 655 in Halifax County but today it's about 15 miles away near Alton. Route 656 seems to pass by Sutherlin.  Perhaps the road numbering has changed over the years?  Maybe the bottom sign on the post reads "656"?  Or maybe I'm way off base.
It might be a workday... but those are definitely "Sunday go to meeting" shoes.
Glory Hallelujah!It's Aunt Esther from "Sanford and Son"!
I remember mamaAlthough I cannot remember her name, there was a comedienne/actress in the 1940 who is a dead-ringer for the mother complete to the expression on her face.  
I believe she starred mainly in movies of the time directed to the African-American audience.
Perhaps some of your readers will remember her name.
(The Gallery, John Vachon, Kids, Rural America)

Dad's Best Friend: 1939
... Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Quiet family moment I'm ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/18/2018 - 9:21pm -

October 1939. "Carl Higgins family, tenant purchase borrowers, on the porch of their farmstead in Mesa County, Colorado." Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Quiet family momentI'm guessing Dad just got home from a hard day’s work. Time to relax and spend quality time with his family & dog. It seems Dad is glad to see his little guy. Nice to see the photographer caught this moment.
Little GuyIt looks like his little guy has a matching outfit.  Very cute!
Rothstein's PortraitsThere is a reason that Gisele Bündchen is paid so much to be a model. Rothstein got so much beauty out of very regular looking folks. He was a genius. 
Times are betterThe house is painted and everybody has shoes.  
(The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Dogs, Kids, Rural America)

Just the Three of Us: 1940
... here . 35mm nitrate negative by Edwin Rosskam for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. I sense A Philip Marlowe ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/05/2012 - 2:24pm -

August 1940. Provincetown, Massachusetts. "Beach scene at New Beach." Our second glimpse of the bathers seen earlier here. 35mm nitrate negative by Edwin Rosskam for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
I senseA Philip Marlowe moment, any time now.  
NOW we seewhere that extra pair of arms came from.
(The Gallery, Edwin Rosskam, Swimming)

The Howard Smiths: 1941
... of their new rural home, which was built for them by the Farm Security Administration on J.T Holley's property." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/15/2018 - 1:52pm -

October 1941. "Radford, Virginia (vicinity). Elsie Marie and Howard Jr., children of Mr. Howard H. Smith, with their mother on the porch of their new rural home, which was built for them by the Farm Security Administration on J.T Holley's property." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott for the FSA. View full size.
The Howard Smiths: 1941I found the obituary for the boy, Howard H. Smith, Jr.
Howard Harrison Smith, Jr. better known as "Smitty" age 73 of Galax, Virginia passed away Thursday, January 14, 2010 at his home.
Mr. Smith was born on April 17, 1936 in Gary, West Virginia to Howard Harrison Smith, Sr. and Susie Day Smith. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by a niece Kathy Hicks.
He is survived by his daughter & son-in-law Kasondra Jo & David Kemp of Mt. Airy, N.C.; the mother of his daughter Martha Ann Semones of Hillsville,Va.; sisters & brothers-in-law Elsie Marie & Billy Dean Payne of Galax, Va.; Edna Viola & Frank Yount of Morristown, Tennessee; grandchildren Jonathan Corey & Kristy Ann Kemp; brother Dewayne Smith & Nellie Mabe of Galax. Va.; four nieces and six nephews.
Howard served in the United States Navy and worked as a mechanic for Hanes Knitwear in Galax, VA.
The funeral service will be held Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 2:00 pm in Vaughan-Guynn Chapel with Rev. Myron Dalton officiating. Burial will follow in Crooked Creek Cemetery with Military Rites by Grayson VFW Post 7726. The family will receive friends Friday evening from six until eight at Vaughan-Guynn Funeral Home. Friends may also call at his home Harmony House Apt. #8 or at the home of his sister Elsie Payne at Fairview anytime.
Poor MomI guess Mom didn't warrant a first name?
[It's "Mrs." - Dave]
That TieLooks like he borrowed dad's. Also the shirt maybe?
Siding on houseAsbestos?
[That's how it looked on the house I grew up in. -tterrace]
Great pictureI love everything about this picture.  Mom in her nice, if worn, dress, two beautiful kids, and I'll bet the house was cute, too (it looks well-built).
The little house I grew up in, in Dallas, had natural gray asbestos siding (with a straight edged bottom, rather than the wavy kind here) laid over clapboard siding, probably because it didn't require painting.  It was a rental house that had served as the landlord's first home out of law school in 1927.  It's since been town down and replaced by a McMansion.
(The Gallery, Kids, M.P. Wolcott)
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