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Old Rubber: 1942
... drive." 4x5 inch acetate negative by Arthur Siegel for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Earliest childhood memory A ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/23/2022 - 12:21pm -

July 1942. "Detroit, Michigan (vicinity). Standard Oil truck used during a rubber scrap drive." 4x5 inch acetate negative by Arthur Siegel for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Earliest childhood memoryA few years ago, my dad told me of his earliest childhood memory, going someplace in the car, and then having to get out and stand by the side of the road for a long time. He said he told this story to his mother while she was still living. She said, "Oh, I know what you're remembering." He told me where they had been driving and which relative they were going to see, but I don't remember that detail, only that they were at least a few hours' drive from home (which was the Texas Gulf Coast) when they got a flat tire. You couldn't get a replacement tire during the war, unless you had a connection. My grandmother did have a connection. But he was a long way away, and they had to wait. Defense needs rubberThis was part of a nationwide rubber drive that began on June 15, 1942. Rubber was one of the scarcest commodities at this time, after Japan conquered Malaya and the Dutch East Indies (the world's primary suppliers) earlier that year. Imports could still be brought in from South America--but that took supply ships needed elsewhere. Rubber conservation was the primary purpose of gasoline rationing and the moratorium on new car sales to civilians. Only public health and safety vehicles, essential trucking, and public transportation could get required certificates for new tires; civilians, watched over by local tire rationing boards, could possess no more than five. Macy's Thanksgiving Parade was canceled and the balloons and helium contributed to the war effort. Tanker1939 GMC COE (Would be a rare find today) (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Gas Stations, WW2)
Junkscape: 1935
... Large-format nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Uncle Mortie's Old Line ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/13/2009 - 11:29am -

November 1935. "Auto dump near Easton, Pennsylvania." Large-format nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Uncle Mortie's Old LineAs my dear departed uncle used to say whenever we passed a car junkyard, "Wow! That was one heck of an accident!" ScavengingYeaaaa indeed. They don't all seem to be wrecks -- just past their time. The tires seem to have been spoken for but you just might find a flower vase or two. RonnieA lot of good street rod material there. I was hoping to see a '32 -'34 Ford. Oh yeaaaaaa!Wouldn't you like to walk about there? Small FortuneToday those cars in that condition would be worth a small fortune. Did you notice how none of the cars are totaled like you would see in the salvage yards of today? I'm shockedGiven that the picture was taken in 1935, I'm shocked at how those cars don't seem to be very old (mostly late '20s to early '30s). Somehow, I doubt this junkyard survived the WWII scrap metal drives. Death by DesignBy 1935 the new cars looked more similar to what we own today than to those shown here. I know -- we had a '35 Stude. These old models became junk -- as you can see here. PotentialIn 1935 that was an auto dump. 74 years on that place would be a Rodder's Heaven, and would make the yard owner some pretty good scratch. Doubt we'll say the same about our daily drivers decades from now. They make them better todayMost of these seem to be 1924 - 1931 models. I'm sure that many of them are here because they simply wore out. It's not true that they were built better in the old days as per the old adage "they don't make 'em like they used to." Nowadays a car is hardly broken in at 125,000 miles - in the old days, you'd be very lucky to get 60,000. Still, I'd like to have my pick of a few of these to restore or make the hot rod I never finished back in the early 60's. Hopelessly obsoleteThe driver of a 10-year-old car in 1935 had a vehicle made hopelessly obsolete by major changes in the construction of automobiles, mainly the advent of the all-steel body -- the chassis for most cars in the teens and 1920s was a wooden frame with the metal bits bolted on. Which would rot and flex over time. And then there were the roofs. General Motors introduced the all-metal roof ("Turret Top") around 1935. Up till then, the roofs on closed cars were usually painted canvas stretched tight over a wooden frame. The manufacturers had experimented with sheet metal roofs, but they tended to resonate like a drumhead at certain speeds, which made for a lot of noise and vibration. The answer was giant (and expensive) stamping machines, which made steel roofs that were slightly domed to keep their stiffness. This led in a few short years to a complete reversal in the sales market for open and closed cars. Whereas open cars with folding tops had once been the norm and closed cars with roll-up windows tended to be the more expensive models, the all-steel body enabled the masses to enjoy the advantages of the sealed passenger compartment -- roll-up windows, heated interiors, protection from rain and snow. Other changes included steel instead of wooden wheels, as well as smaller wheels and lower clearance made possible by the construction of thousands of miles of paved highway. Under the hood there were higher-compression engines made possible by the development of higher-octane gasoline, resulting in better acceleration and fuel economy. The Life SpanCars now last much longer, are safer, and more reliable. That's one of the reasons that modern car makers are having so many money woes. The average length of time a car is owned by the initial buyer is now estimated at over 9 years. People just don't see the need to replace "the old buggy" every few years like they would back in the 1950s. Joe's Auto Graveyard Other places on the web identify this photo as Joe's Auto Graveyard on Route 22. Walker Evans took this photo on November 8, 1935. Field of Dream CarsI bet there are car buffs and hot rodders out there who dream of coming upon a field like that. My Brother's Old LineWhenever WE passed an auto junkyard my brother would say that's where I took driving lessons. Field of DreamsPeople dreamed of owning those cars when they were new, and we dream of owning them now. The only time they were junk was when the picture was taken. Junks.....No, fajna sprawa....szkoda ze nie mozna bylo ich zachowac dla przyszlosci Google translation: No, the cool .... the damage that it could not be the preserve for the future. In other wordsThe first word is misspelled, it should be "nu" -- "Well, that's a fine state of affairs ... what a shame that they couldn't have been stored for posterity." Real Gold MineTo stumble upon something like that nowdays would be better than, or as good as, having a small gold mine. Just think what collectors/restorers would pay for some of those. Have a Great Day! New desktop wallpaper.Oh I love those old cars. I am a Hot Rodder period. I'm salivating right now to think what I could be doing with those cars. Especially what looks like a 1928 or 1929 Model A Roadster in the middle. Thanks for sharing these images. Boneyard CensusAfter a bit of research and zooming, some of my guesses 1928 Chevrolet Coach (2) 1923 Dodge coupe 1927 Chevrolet coupe 24-25 Buick sedan 26-27 Ford Tudor 24-25 Ford coupe (in a light color with lettering on it) 23-27 Ford Fordor sedan 23-24 Chevrolet Coach 25-26 Hudson pickup conversion 24-27 Dodge roadster (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Landscapes, Walker Evans)
Rainbo Is Good Bread: 1942
... clues. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. UPDATE: A couple of astute ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/26/2009 - 4:56pm -

1942 or 1943. "Gilead, Ohio (?), possibly Mount Gilead" is the uncertain caption. Although the photo does provide a few clues. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. UPDATE: A couple of astute commenters have identified this as a building on Main Street in Mount Orab, Ohio. Google Street View gives a pretty good match. If there are any Shorpyite shutterbugs in Mount Orab, hie on over to the intersection of Main and High, send us some pics and help us lay to rest a mystery that's been bedeviling the Library of Congress for the past 65 years! Route 74Ohio Route 74 was renumbered 32 when Interstate 74 was built. It seems to be the same road as US50 in some places. A quick search shows a "Union Leader" newspaper in Toledo, a long way from Route 32 / US 50. ["Union Leader" was tobacco, not reading material. - Dave] Rainbo breadThought Rainbo Bread decals might give a clue to location. Flicker has 61 photos labeled with this tag. This scene is the first in the list. Route 74 is an old sign that might be what is now Route 32. Southern Ohio in other words. C.A. Lo__ Groceries & HardwareMy guess would be C.A. Long. Would the public library in Mount Orab have any local newspapers from the 1940s? An ad for this place would tie up that loose end. Also any ads for the Marvel Theatre or "Happyhour." [A current photo of the stonework below, taken from the same angle, would also be helpful. - Dave] Rainbo is good bread...and it looks like the onion sandwiches are very popular. Time warpThere are buildings that still exsist in Ohio that look the same as they did 40 or 50 years ago. Mount Orab, OhioView Larger Map A photographer who is going through multiple towns is going to have problems remembering where he took his picture. Fortunately, Wikipedia tells us that Ohio State 74 became Ohio State 32 in the early 60s. And using Google Street View in the town of Mount Orab (easy to confuse with Mount Gilead) brings us the above. Look at the side of the building in both pictures. [Ding ding ding! I think we have a winner. - Dave] Update indeedThat "Update" is why you have to keep coming back! You never know what will be added or when! Another view from Mount OrabFull image. Mount OrabRoute 74 went from near Cincinnati east about 50 miles to Peebles. It has since been rerouted and renamed Ohio Route 32, although you can still see a few "Old Route 74" sections on modern maps. Route 74 passed through Mount Orab as Main Street, which is where this picture was taken. The building pictured is still there. Rolling in doughPeyton's Market in Moberly, Missouri, displayed the identical Rainbo slogan on the screen door in the early 1950s. The local radio station KNCM had call-in quiz shows, the winner being awarded seven loaves of Rainbo bread. As an elementary school student, I won the contest seven times. For a time, we had more bread than our family of five could eat! Billy!JUST WHERE DID YOU LEAVE YOUR NEW RED WAGON? A True MysteryThis picture is a true mystery. Ohio Route 74 was nowhere near Mount Gilead. It ran from Cincinnati southeast to Seamon and Peebles. That's about 140 miles south of Mount Gilead. If you want to read a really confusing history of Route 74, there's a Wikipedia page on it. Most of what's left of it today is known as Old State Route 32, renamed from SR 74 in 1962.The last SR 74 signs were taken down in 1963. Or maybe not. In a period starting in 1938, the Columbia Parkway (Route 50) was built between downtown Cincinnati and Fairfax, and renamed SR 74. Confused? Me, too. QuestionAll of this detective work makes me wonder if any of this information makes it back to the LOC. Do they ever update the photo information with the newfound information provided by this site? [They do, for photos that are part of the Flickr Commons Project. Of which this is one. - Dave] Regnad Kcin worked here Notice the sign on the door: "daerB dooG si obniaR" StoneworkIf you "drive" by the side of the building on Google maps you can see that there is stonework in the same place as we see it in the picture. The fire escape is there too although the doorway has been boarded up. [Yes, 12 rows in both the old and new photos. - Dave] WrongNope I think that you had this right the first time. I lived in Mount Gilead, and that is the corner that is right downtown. The porch has been removed but that is the location. Morrow County, Ohio. Sorry, and if you have traveled around Ohio any, you would know that every small town just about seemed to have the same layout. If you don't believe me go to Mount Vernon, Mount Gilead or Galion. [The problem with your theory is that Route 74 never went through Mount Gilead. If you examine the details of the photos posted below (or travel to Mount Orab), you'll see that they are of building in our 1942 photo. - Dave] Rainbo BreadMy dad had a small grocery store in western Kansas 50 years ago with a Rainbo Bread sign just like that one on the door. Brings back memories! GoneAll the beautiful woodwork has gone. That is a shame. "Modern" is not always better. Route 74Talk about ironies, I was just mentioning to someone at work about SR74 and its original routings today. Route 74, according to the August 1929 Ohio Guide, passed through Cincinnati, Newtown, Batavia, Williamsburg, Mount Orab, Sardinia, Winchester, Seaman and Peebles. Plus......a gray hearse! We've only got black ones around these parts, so this is kinda exciting for me. Cheers ATsTo the AT(s) that posted the current photo and street view - you along with this site are (and the rest who added clues) are poster children into the power of social networking (not the goofy mainstram media definition of it - but the real power) and worthy of an article in some prominent academic journal. Grew up in Mount OrabThe Long family grocery store was indeed on the corner in question until the mid '70s, when it moved to a new supermarket-type store just up the road on US 68. I worked there in the late '70s. I don't know about C.A. Long. The patriarch of the family was J.P. "Sport" Long when I was there, and his son Paul ran the store. C.A. LongC.A. Long was my great-grandfather. The building in the photo was constructed in 1896 for the International Order of Odd Fellows. The Lodge used the top story for its meetings and rented the ground floor. Charles Anderson Long (1859-1939) moved his grocery business from Williamsburg, Ohio, to Mount Orab in 1931. The business before C.A. rented it in 1931 was a shop that assembled horse buggies (see second photo below). Charles rented the building for his grocery business. His son Julius Paul Long had taken over the grocery in 1939 after C.A.'s death. My father, J.P. Long Jr., bought the grocery in 1968 and continued the business on the corner of 74 & 68 until 1972, when it moved north of town on State Route 68. It closed in 1988. The Marvel was the movie theater in town about one block south on Route 68. It is now being used as the local Masonic Lodge. Route 74 was renamed State Route 32 and then eventually Tri-County Road. The IOOF building was sold when the Lodge closed (1990s?) and is now being used as a women's clothing store. Pictures- C.A. Long calendar 1935 IOOF Building 1930 Long's Grocery 1968 C.A. and his wife Nellie Long (The Gallery, John Vachon, Stores & Markets)
The Flying Bruin: 1942
... Mrs. Lawrence Thompson, wife of the manager of the Farm Security Administration cooperative sawmill." Medium format acetate negative by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/20/2021 - 8:30pm -

March 1942. "Flathead Valley special area project, Montana. Mrs. Lawrence Thompson, wife of the manager of the Farm Security Administration cooperative sawmill." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Office of War Information. View full size. Going up the stairs?Bear right. Danger lurksWhy oh why would you build stairs without a rail? [Because they're not a bunch of woke sissies? - Dave] Women's workGuidance from Roy Stryker to John Vachon, March 18, 1942: "We need more pictures of 'Mrs. America.' Mrs. America is all over and often hard to find. To be specific, let us have more pictures of woman in the home, women in the kitchen, women gardening, women working. I think you have some feeling already for the type of pictures these should be." No banister or hand railNot very safe for a pregnant lady whose husband I'm sure is serving his country on foreign soil! [Um, no. He's the manager of the local sawmill. Just like it says in the caption. - Dave] Safety First? Doesn't appear that way. Those wooden stairs could benefit from a handrail. Falling BruinDid the bear die falling down the stairs that don't have a handrail? That last step could be a luluI wonder how much higher that staircase goes. Without a baluster or handrail it could be a recipe for disaster. I don't recall ever living in a home without some way to steady oneself or to keep one from falling over the edge, but perhaps it was more common in some places. Safety schmafetyI have been in a number of turn of the century houses with stairs like that From bear to beadspreadFrom apex predator to beadspread in three easy steps: 1. Get shot. 2. Get skinned. 3. Get preserved. It's not just the hills"I tell you, Larry, every time I'm in this room, I feel like someone's watching me." Stockings WWIIA woman's bane - runs in those rayon stockings! Norman Bates, DecoratorI can't help thinking of cinema's iconic taxidermist and mother's boy. Double DutyLooks like that table does double duty as the entertainment center. Radio, papers, nearby rocking chair available for your relaxation pleasure. One can assume she's listening to a morning's radio show while sewing. Stocking shortage.When stockings are scarce, you get the most out of your old ones. No accounting for tasteI find the decorating scheme -- from the bear to the birds (why is there one practically on the ceiling?) and even the frog-with-lily whatever that is -- truly terrifying. I hope Mrs. Thompson's wee bairn has a strong stomach and I hope she gets some new hosiery, and I wish she would sit in the comfortable upholstered rocking chair to do her embroidery. Partial Safety?There may be a handrail on the side of the stairs closest to the wall (which we can't see in the picture). Hopefully, that's the case. If not, poor Mrs. Thompson may have replaced the bear on the wall in March of 1944. Wonder what radio program she could be listening to while doing needlework? Neat old photograph! HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! Tire AshtrayThe object under the frog/flower on the right side of the table near the ink and flashlight looks like the old BF Goodrich tire ashtray Dad used when I was growing up in the early '50s. I wonder if it held VanDyck cigar ashes from the two boxes also on the table! (The Gallery, Animals, Frontier Life, John Vachon)
Texas Bodega: 1939
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Old Anheuser-Busch product ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/16/2022 - 7:23pm -

March 1939. "Small Mexican grocery store. San Antonio, Texas." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Old Anheuser-Busch productI love looking at pics of old stores like this. I noted the A-B Table Syrup 4th shelf all the way to the right. I wonder when that item stopped being marketed. [It was advertised in newspapers as late as 1945. - Dave] SaxetAs every Texan knows, that's Texas spelled backwards. Best known today as the name of a never-ending gun show, and don't you dare call it "dainty". (I mean, personally I don't mind if you call it dainty, but other people might.) Staples, not convenience foods, but noteworthy also the number of kerosene lamp chimneys. Granted, these items are easily broken, but San Antonio was and is a major city, and major cities had electricity long before 1939. An ill-served non-electrified enclave? Emergency lighting? Or just dead stock? Let me have one of those cans of Chuck Wagon… a ballpoint pen, and one of those Kiltie Pops there, a pint of Old Harper, a couple of flashlight batteries and some beef jerky. CornucopiaI'll have one of everything, por favor. The more things change --What strikes me most about this photo is how little many brands and labels have changed over 82+ years! Don't make me come over that counterI don't see price stickers on anything and remember the days when a cashier simply knew the price of most items. Customers would let them know if a price seemed out of line. On each vertical divider is a paper clip, each holding a different type of paper. One looks like a receipt. Does anyone know what those were for? I give this cashier a B+ on stacking merchandise. But it offends my anal retentive sensibilities that the cans of PET Milk are not all facing forward, and the one can of K C 5 Baking Powder turned backwards is driving me crazy. Don't even get me started on the salt. So cows are now pets?The cans of milk in the upper right corner of the shelf might make one think so. IconsAunt Jemima's makeovers didn't take, so she was retired (image, name, and brand) in 2021. The Argo corn starch maiden has been diminished and her American Indian identity downplayed. The Quaker, looking a bit smug, no longer greets us with open arms. Brer Rabbit has been pushing syrup since 1907, but competitors Teddy and Mary Jane have given up. The Pet milk cow continues to peek out of her can. Our Mother is enjoying retirement, though she worries about what Texas Girl gets up to. Is this store in Mexico or Texas, or is this before the Alamo?How is this a "Mexican grocery store?" The products are US products and the labeling is in English. [It's in the Mexican section of San Antonio and is owned by a Mexican. - Dave] Responding to a comment. Yes, the clerk and the clients may know all the prices, but we wouldn't put up with such a limited selection. We may have too many choices now, but I'm not ready to go back to beans, rice and white bread. Couldn't find out why the name "Pet." Wikipedia and the Pet website provided no explanation. [In 1923, the Helvetia Milk Condensing Company was renamed the Pet Milk Company after its signature product, "Our Pet" Evaporated Cream. - Dave] Mr. Monk would not approveThere are many things in this photo that bother the OCD in me. What would be... inside those small tied up packages on the bottom shelf? Post Toasties Corn Flakes...in Reverse!On the top shelf, it appears the Corn Flakes boxes were turned around, with the back showing the awesome crafts and giveaways, being promoted by Walt Disney! Product DesignMy eye was immediately drawn to the glass jars, each shaped beautifully in their own way. Texas GirlWhat a fantastic catalogue of extraordinary words contained within the array of products on these shelves: Chuck Wagon, Ole Reliable, Saxet, Our Mother’s, Argo, Aunt Jemima, Popeye the Sailor, Apex, Mary Jane, Brer Rabbit, Jefferson Island, Excelo, Teddy Bear, Lamo Lye, Rinso, Lux. My favorite is Texas Girl. Anything and everything in a canExcept lettuce. If you pleaseI will have a Derby Sugar Shaker Jar and one of those unmarked brown paper packages tied up with string. Then I will offer to, free of charge, organize all of the cans and boxes so that nothing is upside down. Drives me crazy. Right the Rinso already! Calling all artistsThis is just *screaming* for colorizing. Any takers? Almost eponymousIt was my desire to devise a clever jape over the possibility that Mr. Russell Lee had purchased a can of R. Lee's Special Sauer Kraut at this emporium, but alas, after downloading the full-size tiff from the LOC, I found my hope dashed by a vagrant reflection. A.R. Lee's Special Sauer KrautFor TTerrace, here is an actual label, that would have been on the can. Sure enough, one had sold on eBay! Must be a Texas thing.Anybody know what "Kiltie Pops" are? It seems that the box has been up there for awhile. Quite a selectionLots of beans, lots of crackers. What surprised me is the mentholated tobacco. Kool's ancestor? A-B SyrupThe photo was taken some five years after Prohibition ended. Perhaps it was one of the products made by the brewer to get by until the Volstead Act was abolished. That product might have been on the shelf for five years? [A-B Syrup was being sold well into the 1940s. Branding notwithstanding, it was a product of the Southern Syrup Co. of New Orleans. - Dave] Dippin' SnuffSeeing those tins of Garrett's Snuff on the shelf in front of the match boxes reminds me of an old fellow who ran a small engine repair shop in my East Texas hometown. He fixed lawnmowers and tillers and chainsaws and such out of a barn behind his house on the outskirts of town, just a couple miles from the Red River bottoms north of Texarkana. I cannot recall the gentleman's name, but he had to be nearing 80 years in the 1970s. He dipped that Garrett snuff and would stand at his workbench while sharpening a mower blade and kept a Coke bottle at his feet and would spit a long string of brown tobacco juice right into the bottle without any spittle running down the outside of it. Every time. He never missed. It was pure poetry. He'd stop mid-sentence and "ssspt" into the bottle and resume his soliloquy without missing a beat. He kept little screws and washers and nuts and carburetor parts in those snuff tins up on a shelf above his workbench. I don't think I've seen one of those snuff tins since, but this photo took me right back there in that old man's barn. Goober Pea (The Gallery, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
Record Time: 1940
May 1940. Crawford County, Illinois. "Daughter of Farm Security Administration rehabilitation borrower listening to phonograph." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/28/2008 - 9:29pm -

May 1940. Crawford County, Illinois. "Daughter of Farm Security Administration rehabilitation borrower listening to phonograph." View full size. Medium format safety negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. That is....a VERY interesting 78 player. Record TimeThe pensive, gentle smile on the face of this beautiful little girl reveals that the music has transported her mentally out of the austere and sparse reality of her worn surroundings. In her mind she may not be sitting on a broken chair in patched coveralls, wearing shabby shoes and contemplating a future of hard work and poverty, but instead is entertaining a young girls fantasy of a glamorous, prosperous life somewhere over the rainbow. One wonders what the record was that took her away to a better place, if only for a few minutes. This is a very appealing, provocative and thoughtful photo. Thank you. [Or maybe John Vachon said Kid, sit in that chair and make like you're listening to a record. - Dave] VelvetWhat that box is that says "velvet" on the shelf? [Tobacco. - Dave] BeautifulExcellent image.. I love B & W... PhonographBrunswick phonograph with Ultona head, ca. 1918- Brunswick PanatropeThis particular model would have been considered ancient technology by the time this little girl sat down to listen to it, indicating her level of poverty. The early Brunswicks played acoustic records, meaning the original artist or musician sang or played as loud as possible into a large horn leading to the recording stylus. Brunswick didn't start recording electrically until 1925, when they used the unusual Panatrope system (recording by light waves rather than a microphone). The wheels on this model suggest that it was a schoolhouse model that could be moved around easily, so my guess is this little girl's phonograph was donated to charity by a local school or church. My opinion, of course, hardly a fact. [Panatrope was the name of the phonograph; Pallotrope was the recording system, which used a photoelectric microphone. Link 1, Link 2. - Dave] PhotographYou got some kinda hold on me You're all wrapped up in mystery Two possibilitiesI kind of wondered why she was sitting so close, and here are my guesses. 1) Deaf or hard of hearing. 2) Needle is bad and needs to be changed, or record is worn out. Given the conditions the girl lived under, it was probably both a worn-out record and a bad needle. [Third possibility: John Vachon plops a chair down next to the phonograph and says "Sit here, kid." - Dave] PhonographI love the Brunswick phonograph. I have an Empire phonograph that's almost exactly like it. Crank itNow in living color. Click to enlarge. Looking for the GirlI came across this photo in the Library of Congress American Memory archives today. It was taken by Vachon in Crawford County, IL where I currently live. Chances are someone still living here knows who this girl is because of the accompanying photographs in the LC collection. The search begins. I love a good mystery! (The Gallery, John Vachon, Rural America)
Little House: 1938
... saved out of relief budget (August 1936). They received a Farm Security Administration loan of $700 for stock and equipment. Now they have a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2016 - 12:25pm -

November 1938. "Home of rural rehabilitation client, Tulare County, California. They bought 20 acres of raw unimproved land with a first payment of 50 dollars which was money saved out of relief budget (August 1936). They received a Farm Security Administration loan of $700 for stock and equipment. Now they have a one-room shack, seven cows, three sows, and homemade pumping plant, along with 10 acres of improved permanent pasture. Cream check approximately 30 dollars per month. Husband also works about ten days a month outside the farm. Husband is 26 years old, wife 22, three small children. Been in California five years. 'Piece by piece this place gets put together. One more piece of pipe and our water tank will be finished'." Medium format negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. I love the details in the textThis illustrates people's willingness to work hard to get out of bad times during the Great Depression, sometimes with a little help. This is such a contrast to today where there are YouTube videos on how to maximize your take from the government giveaway programs. That's why these folks were part of the Greatest Generation. Thanks for this awesome photo and story. InspirationalAt one time, you could actually start with nothing and, with a small handout, build up a life for yourself. I wonder what happened to this family. Oh, and Dorothea Lange's work is a national treasure. Thousand-yard stareEven small as it is in this image, the expression on that woman's face is striking. Only 22 years old and she's already seen the worst there is to see in life. 29 PalmsThere are some structures like this on the outskirts of Twenty Nine Palms, CA. I wonder if they are from the same program? Walk a Mile in My ShoesWe ALL need to live like this for a while to get a little perspective on life. Things come around full circleIn 1938 this young family had a tiny house out of necessity and over the years their home likely grew much larger. Today in California their grandchildren might be looking at a Tiny House, a somewhat popular concept of living in homes of approximately 200 - 300 sq. feet. Looks like that little wagon needs a new wheel, but it will have to wait until the water pipe is purchased. Today a BMW or Lexus or an upscale SUV will be parked outside their Tiny House. Hopefully it will have all its wheels firmly attached. From hard times to success?In contrast to so many other pictures we see here on Shorpy from this era this picture shows some pride in appearance. The wife and children seem to be clean and tidy, there's not a lot of junk piled up around their home and improvements are in progress. This couple is making a serious try for a good life. I'd sure like to know how this all turned out. Tulare is in the center of California's Great Central Valley, one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world (and also the home of World Ag Expo, the world's largest agricultural show). Given hard work and luck this couple had the chance to pass a great farming/ranching operation on to their children. If I could go back to 1938 I'd wish them all the luck in the world. Another OneThere is a second, fancier wagon just to the right of the door. It has wheel skirts at least on the front wheels. Rural ElectrificationAs poor as the the family appear, they have the benefit of one of FDR's favorite projects, rural electrification. The wires off to the right may go to a barn with a butter churner and refrigerator for the milk. Art Deco wagonThe wagon with the streamline pants seems to be a 1930s Metalcraft Scamp "Art Deco" wagon, one of which sold for $2,352.00 in the 2009 Barrett-Jackson auction. (The Gallery, Great Depression, Kids)
Migrant Daughter: 1936
... Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. It's in the eyes ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/11/2017 - 4:26pm -

        UPDATE (2017): Thanks to the sleuthing of journalist Tori Cummins and historian Joe Manning, we now know the identity of the young woman in this photo: Ruby Nell Shepard (1916-1970). You can read her story on Joe's website. November 1936. "Daughter of migrant Tennessee coal miner. Living in American River camp near Sacramento, California." Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. It's in the eyesFantastic. I wonder where her mind is. The crease where her hand meets her forehead shows just how heavy her head, and perhaps her heart, is. I like how she has her left elbow resting on her right wrist draped over her knee. When you have a bony elbow (like I do) it makes those long introspections slightly more comfortable. Ms Lange sure knew how to capture a moment. Another outstanding photo in a wonderful repertoire. LangeI am amazed how Dorothea Lange continually found beauty in pathos. Wow ...I can't imagine what's going through her mind ... but she is absolutely beautiful. T.G.O.W.It's like seeing Rosasharn from Grapes of Wrath. A true beautyThose young hands appear to have known hard work, and that right there is the look of lost love, if you ask me. BreathtakingHer beauty, the pathos, the stories it makes you wonder about in your head -- I might actually like this one more than "Migrant Mother." Devotion to her father? Trapped by duty? Lost sweetheart? Dreams of running away? Dreams already fading? Incredible photograph. Lange was a master of the character study, wasn't she. RubyThe Oakland museum of photography has other photos of this girl, one of which is "Ruby from Arkansas." Oh, women...All that hard work and she still found the time to wave her hair. Don't think I'm smack talking - I'm on here waiting for my flatiron to heat up! Happiness At Last!After reading her story on Joe's website, I can say that at last she found a happiness that only few women can attain in life. A man that adored her, a great adventure with the one she loved, and skills (making clothes) that have now, sadly disappeared (mostly). Kudos to Joe for the most fascinating story. I see a wonderful movie from this and Dianne Lane as the older Ruby, Not sure who would play the younger. Well done Dave for giving this glimpse into a life that (for the most part) turned out well. Spectacular sleuthingThanks indeed to Tori and Joe for Ruby's story. Joe Manning websiteI just read the story about Ruby. She actually looks a lot happier in the photos from the 40's. She was a good looking woman. Sadly cancer doesn't spare anyone. Tori Masucci Cummins and Joe Manning did an excellent research on Ruby. Thank you Joe and Tori!It is so satisfying to learn what became of people in these photographs and know that eventually life got better. Great job Joe and Tori! Joe Manning strikes again!The last time I read one of Joe's stories was the cotton mill girl, Eddy. Incredible journalism. [Well done, sir.] Ruby had a beauty that became rather elegant, as we can see by the 1969 picture. Gazing into the face we see here, you can tell she doesnt know that better days are ahead. A profound look of uncertainty. As Laura said, the look of a love lost. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression)
Road Flair: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Such a narrow windshield ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/08/2022 - 6:27pm -

November 1941. "Trinkets in migrant agricultural worker's automobile. Wilder, Idaho." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Such a narrow windshield... would drive me up a wall. CalculatingSeeing this collection up close, now I'm wondering how many girlfriends our dear boy had. Or hoped to have. [No telling what the back seat was like! - Dave] No telling indeed. I hope if it was tricked out with pillows, the girls were armed with hatpins. Trinkets, schminketsHas anyone identified the car yet? Those controls on the steering wheel have to be a clue. Car guessA Buick; about 1930 or so? When Better Automobiles Are BuiltBuick Will Build Them. It's a 1930 model. Identity crisisWhat ever that big box is (heater?) it has a Chevy emblem on it, so it may not be a Buick. Looking at the interior, cars were absolutely medieval back then. [The radio is an in-dash unit from a Chevrolet. The car is a Buick from 1930, six years before General Motors began selling cars with factory-installed radios. - Dave] Alternate titleShould be entitled "Distracted Driving" I'm jealous!... but I do have a pine tree air freshener hangin' from the rearview. Toilet flapperIs what I thought I saw hanging from the rearview mirror. Upon reflection, maybe an upside-down miniature cowboy hat. Knobs & LeversWhat are the two knobs to the right of the fuel gauge? The ones next to the radio. Also, on the steering wheel, I would guess the left lever is for spark advance, but what is the right lever for? [Righthand steering wheel lever is throttle position, which could be used as a kind of cruise control. Righthand knobs are wipers and interior lights. Lefthand knob is the choke. - Dave] And a carburetor heat control! I could have used one of those on my 1964 Sunbeam Alpine. Driving in cold, damp Vermont I regularly had to get out and spray ether into the carb as the ice started to block the throat. Shaggin' Wagon"Wilder, Idaho Edition" Display at your own riskI hope Buick and the other auto manufacturers considered the headliner strength needed to hold up with displays such as this. Oh my gosh mannmade! Access to your user profile is blocked now, but when you insulted me in an earlier post I remember your profile included a pic of D-Day from 'Animal House' in the homemade tank. You want to be a cool guy, but slinging insults and anger the way you do is not cool. The secret to belonging is to belong -- think about that. I honestly hope you find a way to not be so angry and insulting; if not for you, then for everyone who crosses your path. Union 76The decal on the windshield lower right: Re: lolThat’s pretty darn crude, mannmade. Yes, the comments are moderated on this site, specifically to keep away garbage like this. I imagine Dave has included this comment of yours just to show he’s not blocking you utterly, as well as to show the rest of us what he has to deal with. On THAT commentQ: What do mannmade and Kramer have in common? A: Both banned from the fruit store. Junk then, junk nowI believe that the match books are worth more now than most of the other stuff he has hanging. Left til now ...I thought the sharp-eyed viewers would have every trinket, accessory and add on identified by now. So far nobody has mentioned the ash tray mounted near to the radio. Near enough that blowing ash probably ends in the radio as much as anywhere else. I had one of those in a Model A and it sometimes shocked riders to find that the gas tank was directly ahead of it. Inches away. I don't want to see that stuff here.I thought I was seeing things and question why you would include that post from mannmade. It's offensive just being there. I think we would all be better off if that one disappeared. Claptrap and bric-a-bracAnd to think I got into a mild dispute with my parents in 1957 for hanging a pair of fuzzy dice on the rearview mirror! Car carb heatI’ve flown small airplanes for over 45 years and am well acquainted with carburetor heat. Never heard of it in cars before. Shorpy is a constant education! Potentially Lethal ProjectilesIn the era before seat belts and airbags, collapsible steering columns and steering wheels and laminated windscreens, driving around in cars had the potential, in a front end collision, to project the steering column into your face neck or chest and/or shards of razor sharp glass to pepper over the injuries that haven't killed you. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee)
Family Trip: 1939
... Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Can we assume... the young child on the right ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/02/2012 - 10:41pm -

August 1939. Agricultural migrants. "Family who traveled by freight train. Toppenish, Washington. Yakima Valley." View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Can we assume...the young child on the right is the "feeling low" Ms. Toppenish captured by Dorothea before or after this photo? Denny Gill Chugiak, Alaska Migrant FamilyI was born in the month and year this photo was taken. While my family was by no means affluent, we had it good compared to this family and countless others across the country. We had a roof over our heads, coal to heat, and food on the table. It's humbling to see photos like this. Despite the hard times this family is evidently experiencing, the little boy seems perfectly content. He's found a stick to play with, like little boys do. His mother, on the other hand, seems to be thinking, "What will we feed these children tonight?" Re: My GrandfatherGood for your grandfather! If I had been running the train, I would have stopped the engine to allow a family like this to climb aboard. Why not? It's not like the railroads were losing any money by hauling people in an otherwise empty boxcar. Liability issues, no doubt. But would any of these people have been likely to hire a lawyer and file a lawsuit? Look at the trains in India: wall-to-wall people, sitting atop the cars, hanging out the windows and off the sides. "May I see your ticket, please?" No way. I was also born in 1939, andI was also born in 1939, and raised by an almost-illiterate widow. She made good use of her "widow's mite' however, so that we had a modest house, an old car, food at mealtimes, and heat (one of my chores as an adolescent and teen was fire-tender). While we had no books, magazines, or newspapers in the house, I was nevertheless encouraged constantly to go to school and get as much out of it as I could. While she might be disappointed that I never quite got the bachelor's degree, she would be delighted if she could know the level of affluence I have reached today. How does this relate? Well, one wonders to what extent this picture shows the result of bad luck or whether it is due to poor choices. Shoes Don't MatchLook at Dad's shoes - a mixed pair, I think. They may not have been a good fit; he's letting his dogs breathe without them. RE: "poor choices" - the U. S. unemployment rate in 1939 was 17.3%, compared to about 5% today. Maybe their "poor choice" wasn't a choice at all, but simply because they were part of that unfortunate 17.3%. It would take almost two years from the day this photo was taken for the wartime economy and the draft brought the U.S. economy to almost full employment. [Below, a comparison of styles then and now. - Dave] My GrandfatherWas a migrant farm worker when he was in his teens in the early 30's. He (somehow) convinced the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad to hire him on as a fireman in 1936 on his 18th birthday. He always refused to throw hobos off the train and during the cold winters of Illinois and Missouri he'd let women and children have his seatbox in the cab, he often received demerits for his humane treatment of those he only recently rose above. Optical IllusionI think I was mistaken. Dad's shoes are a pair. I guess it's all a matter or perspective. Goober Pea The KidWhile it can be a tough call, the child on the right appears to be a boy, no? And the wingtips in Feeling Low do not match the plain shoes in Family Trip, fwiw... MotherI think that generally mother here is the only person that's not content with the situation. I also think she was the only person here who didn't want this photo to be taken. MoralsThe father at least didn't abandon the family and set off on his own. Could we say the same for families today. No, I think either the mother would dump the guy and go on welfare or the guy would run off to start a new life. This shows how family morals have changed over the last 75 years. I'd stop the engineMy Father-in-law came from a "RR" family and from the way he described it you would not stop if you wanted to keep your job. It took 30 years of service to earn a pension, you could get 26/28 years no problem, it was the last 3or4 that were very hard. He said they watched you like a hawk any misstep and you were fired ,so no I don't think you would stop. Riding the rails...My grandfather was part of an obscure local railroad -- Indianapolis Union Belt, which eventually became part of Conrail. Back in those days, jobs were hard to come by and they followed the rulebook quite seriously. The "bulls," as he called the railroad police, were notoriously cruel to hobos and to people who had a soft spot for them. They were a clique that didn't hang out with the rest of the workers. Hard Travellin': The Hobo and His HistoryI recently read "Hard Travellin': The Hobo and His History" by Kenneth Allsop. Anyone interested in the story of homelessness, migrant workers, hoboing, the roots of the labour movements, etc., should read it. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Railroads)
Track Shacks: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Objects along the track ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/22/2021 - 8:47pm -

March 1941. "Overcrowded Navy towns -- housing in Norfolk, Virginia." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Objects along the trackFrom the close-up, I suspect not a cable or conduit, but a rigid push-pull rod to the semaphore. Simple mechanical interfaces worked well! John VachonAn informative and interesting article about Mr. Vachon from American Heritage magazine, February 1989. https://www.americanheritage.com/john-vachon-certain-look This image has me wonderingFirst, I wonder what those things along the edge of the track roadbed are. I don't recall ever seeing anything like those before. Second, it appears one of these shacks has a garden area behind it, rather than privies and sheds. I wonder if the privies were remnants of an earlier time and the shacks had indoor plumbing in 1941. I also wonder if tenants in the shacks with clutter behind them paid less rent than the one who could look out on the garden. What's all this then? Can the items behind the homes, near the tracks be torches to designate the fact there's a curve? Or for some other reason, there's around 20 of them that continue until the photo goes out of frame. Shanty shenanigansI see wide open (if perhaps squalid) rural living! Maybe this little shanty trio is the result of overcrowding elsewhere. Or maybe there are 10 families living here. Or maybe the title comes from a series of photos containing other more representative examples. Whatever the case, for me this photo begs two far more important questions: What is the vantage point from which it was taken? It resembles a modern drone shot. I know that balloons were used in this era, but that seems like an unlikely effort to put forth for a shot like this. Secondly, and most importantly, is the kid beating the man about the face with a rusty bucket on a stick? Rodding and cableThe iron chairs next to the track are carrying two control functions. The thick "rodding" is iron pipe rigid enough to provide push-pull control against stiff mechanical resistance. It is supported both top and bottom by concave rollers in the chair castings. Behind the outhouses (the picture below) is a pair of bell cranks that compensate for thermal expansion, converting "pull" into "push" and vice versa. They are located precisely at the center of the pipe run. Near the signal, the pipe rodding changes direction via a bell crank to operate a derail, to enforce a stop indication before a train plows through the track crossing at the junction ahead, or more likely another junction behind the camera. By US convention, the nearer semaphore is facing away, controlling movements toward the camera, and the further white mast signal controls movements toward the crossing. ie, signals were located on the engineer's side. The chairs and bell cranks are mounted on heavy concrete blocks that extend well below the ground surface for rigidity. Somewhere behind and to the right of the camera is a manned "armstrong" signal tower that operates the derail and semaphore via very large levers. Probably another junction or passing siding. The photographer may have climbed a signal mast guarding the nearer junction. Next to the pipe is a thin tension cable that operates the semaphore, similar to European practice. As a teenager, I used to hang out at an armstrong tower in our town, and have one of the support rollers from when it was torn down. Vachon's preparedness assignmentThe recent spate of John Vachon's photos from 1940 and 1941, relating to military and similar construction and environments, points to something little-realized today: American involvement in World War II did not start with Pearl Harbor. Increasingly through the two years, the Roosevelt administration pushed preparedness, and did what it could to aid Britain and others fighting the Nazis. All against strenuous opposition from America-first isolationists. (Sympathizers with that movement included not just Charles Lindbergh but John F. Kennedy and Gerald Ford.) Vachon was still working for the Farm Security Administration in 1941, and it would be interesting to know more about the background of this large-scale assignment documenting people and places being transformed by preparedness. Poor Side of TownFrom the view of the overall picture this is the wrong side of the tracks. The trip to outhouse was an adventure in the making. Umm what?Is this a man with a bucket for a face attacking children? Obstacle courseMidnight trips to the privy must have been a challenge. Of course they may have kept a 'thunder mug' (as my grandpa called it) in the house so going out wasn't necessary. Objects along the trackWhat are the objects spaced along the near edge of the tracks? I'm sure that when someone answers the question I will say "Well duh, of course" or a sarcastic "I knew that". [It's a cable or conduit leading to the semaphore on the curve. - Dave] A bad guessWithout the date & photographer identified in the caption, I might have guessed: Mathew Brady, 1861. If I knew what the gizmos along the track were, and their history, I may have made a better estimate. I think it is a control for a switch or a signal. Railroads in times past used a rod set on rollers or bearings (as shown here) with a push-rod and a pull-rod to move the signal indications. This was controlled by a lever in a signal tower by a "lever-man". I'm with bobstothfang "Well duh, of course", "I knew that". Objects along trackbobstothfang asked about the above. This is not a cable or conduit, exactly, but a pipeline - that is, a pipe which mechanically operated the signal just this side of the grade crossing. In this instance, it also operated a derail (a device to intentionally derail a train). If the signal were at "Stop" (as seen in the photo), the derail would cause a train passing the signal to come off the track before it could cause an accident (probably a more serious accident) out of the picture to the right. Rods from Tower . . .The objects being discussed appear to be a control rod and supports that run to a flop derail and signal governing it. There seems to be another crossing and tower in the distance, but this rod must run to a tower behind and to the right of the photographer. The attached photo has a more complex arrangement that controls several switches, etc. What's at the other end of the rods --can be seen here. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Norfolk, Railroads)
American Beauty: 1940
... Medium-format safety negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Coals to Newcastle... ... ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/01/2021 - 12:51pm -

July 1940. "Near Shawboro, North Carolina. Group of Florida migrants on their way to Cranberry [i.e., Cranbury], New Jersey, to pick potatoes." Medium-format safety negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Coals to Newcastle...... Potatoes to Cranberry. Cranberry?Hmm. . . strikes me that they are probably going to Cranbury, NJ - I don't know of any town called Cranberry in NJ. Though we grow a lot of them here! ShirtsleevesThese people didn't have a lot of clothing, and what they did have was a bit worn down, but really well made. Look at the shirtsleeve on the man to the right. That's not cheap stuff. I wish I could help the young lady fix the front of her dress. And she's got a ring on her finger. Betrothed? BaldThese people don't look like they can afford tires with rubber on the tread. I imagine they spent a lot of time patching tubes and mounting tires. Oh, my....A somber photograph, but such a beautiful, beautiful face. This is one of my favorite Shorpy photos ever. They are also..."Pledged to Drive Safely" on their way to New Jersey to pick potatoes. Obviously, a very hard working family too. License plate toppers like this one are a very valuable collectible in the automobilia market. Sentimental journeySuch an evocative picture. That beautiful, soulful face. What were her hopes and dreams? And did any of them come true? One of my very favorite Shorpy pictures. It almost makes me cry. Who are you.My God, so beautiful. Did you know, sweetheart? Did you realize? In the next century, we do. American Beauty: 1940and the beauty of it all is she could well still be alive. Wouldn't it be a hoot if she posted here? GorgeousWhat a beautiful young lady. She is still full of hope for the future. I wonder what became of her? The car1934 Studebaker Dictator, if anyone asks. I agreeI think the comments reflect my feeling perfectly. It is really a very moving photograph, and she is absolutely beautiful. Perfect 10The prefix on the license plate indicates the car is from Broward County, probably Fort Lauderdale, Pompano or Oakland Park. WowThis is just one of those pictures you want to stare at forever. Her beauty is classic. La GiocondaA "Mona Lisa" smile.... Beautiful GirlI don't think the ring on her finger is an engagement ring. My guess is it's the one pretty thing she had and she put it on the finger which could hold it. I am curious though--how many of the sharecroppers would have been drafted into the army in another year or so? Did they return to their former lives? Did the women sharecroppers find work in munitions factories? Blossom DearieThis girl is like a gorgeous rose that has suddenly bloomed in a most unexpected place. LovelyBut considering the times, destined to look like the older, tired eyed lady in the background. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Jack Delano, Pretty Girls)
Michigan Avenue: 1941
... Avenue." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. N. Michigan This looks like ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/15/2011 - 6:38am -

Chicago, July 1941. "Stop light, Michigan Avenue." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. N. MichiganThis looks like North Michigan at the foot of the "Magnificent Mile," perhaps. The barely-seen white stone structure at the top of the photo looks like the Water Tower, sole survivor of the Great Fire of 1877. Water Tower PlaceThere's not many places were Michigan Avenue jogs to right as shown above. And the building in the background is one that is particularly famous: the Water Tower. So this appears to be the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Superior Street (currently one-way, heading east). None of the buildings other than the Water Tower still stand. The most shocking for me is seeing all those nice grass sidewalk lawns in the midst of an area that is now very densely urban. BustlingWhat are you all talking about? I count 15 people not in cars. Now that's crowded! Taxi questionI've noticed in the pictures of New York cabs and now Chicago had peculiar cutaway fenders as well as open rear roofs. What's up? [The low-maintenance fenders and landaulet roof were design features of the Checker Model A. - Dave] So PeacefulLooking at this photo you would never believe Europe & Asia were in the middle of a war. Hanging a leftI find it interesting that the Left Turn Only lane has traffic turning before the actual light stanchion. Would it be safe to assume the street that traffic was turning onto was a one-way street? If not, it might wreak havoc if the oncoming traffic was making a right turn on red. Sunday morningWhere IS everybody? Train of ThoughtLooks like somebody's model train layout. And they did a really good job with all the period correct cars and billboards. It just doesn't look real -- perhaps more because of the aerial angle than anything else. "Gasolene"For a slimmer carbon footprint. FrozenWhat an interesting affect; this photo looks like it was taken of a diorama of some sort. There is a feeling that one could just reach down and rearrange those model cars at will. Makes one feel like Rod Serling! I think it is accentuated by the perceived lack of people; there are only seven visible. Gasolene?I've seen it spelled this way in the Caribbean, but never here in the US. Was this an accepted spelling at the time, or something Cities Service did to distinguish itself from the rest of the crowd? Kist againStar-kist yesterday (Air Race) and Sunkist today. Is there a theme starting here? ChangesI found it on Streetview, luckily. Everything is different except the ornate little building in back. VestigesAbout the only thing left in this picture today is the old Chicago Water Tower, the masonry building the bottom of which is partially visible at the top of the photo. That upper street is East Chicago Avenue. This is not my Michigan AvenueJudging by the clock on the Sunkist sign, it's 3:05 p.m. And for the lack of people, I'm guessing that North Michigan Avenue was not the hot shopping area. South State Street had Carson's and Field's with their large stores. Watch out -- no traffic lanes. That gas station is long gone, too bad, it's a nice looking building. Walgreen's is now on the the east side of Michigan. And that's the famous Water Tower, cut off at the top of the image. Late Model and UpscaleIt seems that the majority of the cars are late model and upscale. Michigan & SuperiorThis view is taken from the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Superior Street, looking north toward Chicago Avenue, where Michigan bends to the right. In the upper right hand corner you can see a sliver of the famous Chicago Water Tower (W. W. Boyington, architect, built 1869), the best known survivor of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Needless to say, other than the Water Tower itself, every single building in this picture has been demolished. East Superior StreetThe intersection below is Superior Street and Michigan Avenue, and the street to the north is Chicago Avenue. You can see the base of the Old Water Tower at the top of the image. Miracle MileMarvelous image. Very likely we're looking north on Michigan, with Chicago Avenue intersecting near the top. What appears to be the base of the Chicago Water Tower is at the top, where Michigan kinks just a click to the NE. Charmette's Restaurant was located on the SW corner of Michigan and Chicago for many years. Spent many hours there in the late 50s, often in the company of a pretty girl from Navy Pier. Were we able to peek west on Chicago about three blocks, we would no doubt see men dancing with their wives. Needs some careful weathering.As a diorama-maker myself, I'd say one thing that makes this scene feel less-than-realistic is the near-uniform grayness of the streets (especially for longtime Shorpy fans who are used to seeing road apples and horse urine in many of the older photos). This looks like brand-new pavement. If I were crafting this one, I'd definitely add oil stains, more tire tracks, maybe a pothole or two, and more manhole covers. While I was at it, I'd do something about the turf; it definitely looks fake. By the way, I love this picture. It'll be my desktop wallpaper for a while. The best photoof a real photo imitating a model builders skill, and can this be the cleanest street in the world? Double-decker busI doubt there are many cities in the US still using double-decker buses on regular commuter routes. I know of only a few in California. Some cities have them for tourist use including NYC and Las Vegas. I think they might be a better option than the long accordian buses that take up so much street space. AfterthoughtI'd bet the reason for the odd and decidedly unsafe configuration of the left turn lane is a desire to avoid relocating the pre-existing traffic signal fixture. This is a workaround that would certainly not meet today's engineering standards, but reflects the evolving practice of the day. I've seen the "gasolene" spelling from the turn of the century to the '20s, but never this late. At some point, I think there might have been a desire for a spelling consistent with kerosene. Totally changedI lived two blocks west of here for 17 years starting in the late '70s, and still didn't recognize the location until I saw the old water tower. The lots with Sunkist signs and gas station had a series of small one-story buildings when I lived there, including a McDonald's and later a Banana Republic. For years there was also Evan's furs in the center of that block, a four-story building. At Huron and Michigan (the intersection behind the photographer, not seen here) we had a Woolworth's! Complete with Luncheonette counter the length of the store. At Chicago Ave and Michigan, we had Wag's, the coffee shop of Walgreen's. My co-workers and I used to have lunch at Wag's when we worked at the Playboy (Palmolive) building. Michigan Ave wasn't much of a shopping street until the late 1970s, when Water Tower Place went up. Just offices, hotels, apartments, and a few very upscale shops like furriers and jewelers (and Woolworth's!) The ad agencies were in this area. There were some great dive bars on Ontario, including the Inkwell, where all the Playboy people went after work. More PeopleI got to this one a few days late but my old eyes (with a magnifier app) pick out 20 folks on the sidewalks here. Clockwise from lower left: 2 at lower left 2 behind a car at the front door of the Gasolene station 7 strolling in front of Walgreen's 1 at the curb infront of Walgreen's, talking to someone in the car parked there 2 on the bench at the corner, facing the cross street 2 on the far side of the cross street 1 crossing at the crosswalk 3 on the opposite side of Michigan Ave (hard to distinguish but I see 3 shadows on the pavement). Please correct me if I'm mistaken, or if you find even more. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, Gas Stations, John Vachon)
Pie Filling: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Pie-O-Neer No Mo Sadly, the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/08/2021 - 12:33pm -

June 1940. "The gasoline pumps at Pie Town, New Mexico." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Pie-O-Neer No MoSadly, the famous pie source in Pie Town, the Pie-O-Neer Cafe, closed its doors for good after the coronavirus hit early last year. Café is still openAlthough not in the same location, I would guess. Acute accentThat is some accent over the E of CAFÉ. It almost functions as an exclamation point. Make mine minceBecause as I always say: mince pie, not words. Also because no one else ever wants any and I can have the whole thing. Good newsThe Pie-O-Neer Cafe has reopened! The retired owners sold it and helped the new owner (an experienced pie baker) with their recipes. The new owner has introduced one innovation - a pie bar. Like a salad bar, only pie! Possible future "Seinfeld" settingBinge watching "Seinfeld," this would fits right in maybe as a location for Kramer to retire to. Make sure the glass is full before starting fill-upI remember those pumps. Wow! I seem to have suddenly become old. I dare you ...to order anything but pie and see what happens. That reminds me of a story...Uncle Ronnie spent his childhood in the Kentucky hills. Once he was old enough, he joined the military as a way to gain job skills and see the world. One evening the guys in the barracks said, "Let's go into town and get us a pie." Sounded good to Ronnie--he had a sweet tooth, and didn't much care if it was apple, cherry, molasses--his mouth was already watering. Imagine his disgust when faced with his first pizza. He remained bitter about that till the day he died. He'd have viewed Pietown with the gravest suspicion. Back to the picture, I hope Cowboy Carl there doesn't get startled or hiccup--he's apt to hurt himself. What good news!Glad to hear that the Pie-O-Neer cafe is reopening. We stopped there a few years ago on the way from Colorado to California, and it is certainly worth travelling the back roads instead of the Interstates. Plus, the Very Large Array of radio telescopes is on the way there, if you leave I-25 in Socorro, NM. Ambidextrous pumpsRemember when hoses on gas pumps were so long you could stretch them across your car like that? Now you always have to remember on which side of the pump you need to park. A simpler timeBack when gasoline was sold by the whole cent, without that messy 9/10 tacked on. Pie CrustyI think this might be the old gas station. It's on US-60 in Pie Town. But the modern road is now where the row of buildings once stood across the street. Shy PieFor some reason it feels like the word "pie" doesn't work well as a brand. Like someone else remarked, it's Seinfeldian. No one would seriously build a brand whose most common uses consisted of "American as Apple Pie", "Shut your pie hole", or "cutie pie". It's a nice word, though, and I love pie,(except mincemeat pie, oddly). But somehow the word struggles as a moniker with any meaningful legs in polite society. As seen on "CBS Sunday Morning"Bill Geist visited Pie Town in 2014. You can watch his segment on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJYaTG72b2c Not just pies but chile too!You can get great pies, and a great bowl of green chile stew also! And yes I spelled "chile" correctly! 64-425Hard ridden 1935 Ford three-window "standard" coupe. Wartime rubber in high demand, automotive tires in very short supply, bald tires the norm. I recall seeing some snake-wave thread pattern tires on cars during the very early 1950s but don't remember the tire manufacturer's name or logo. Gas Wasn't CheapTwenty cents a gallon for gas may seem cheap, but it's equivalent to about $3.70 a gallon today, about what I paid the last time I filled up. I wonder how many pieces of pie I could buy for 20 cents back in 1940 Pie Town. CORONADO CUARTO CENTENNIALhttp://www.worldlicenseplates.com/jpglps/US_NMXX_GI2.jpg https://www.jstor.org/stable/2507507 Car ID1935 Ford coupe (standard one tail light) 1928 Ford model A sedan. The coupe has had a rough life so far, but the Model A is looking well. Reminds me of Jett RinkProbably not Jett Rink but I bet he knew him. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Pie Town, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Maine Train: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The Trains in Maine ... ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/01/2022 - 12:27pm -

October 1940. "At the railroad terminal in Caribou, Maine." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The Trains in Maine ...Stay mainly in their lanes? Can't get theah from heah ...Well... I think you'll have to wait a bit longer, and ride an open boxcar hobo style. Today, the passenger service from Boston only comes up as far as Brunswick. That's a good five hours south from up these neck of the woods. And keep yer eye out for moose young fella, especially at dawn or dusk ... they're much bigger than your car. Pin the tail on the railroad trackHere is the railroad terminal in Caribou, Maine today. You can't tell much from a Street View because of trees and vegetation. The terrain in the distance supports Jack Delano was facing north (top of photo). But I cannot find an arrangement in the tracks that match the 1940 photo, or where that arrangement might have been. I'm attaching a photo you can embiggen if anyone feels like figuring it out. Down south, Down East styleThe "Historic Aerials" overhead for 1953 shows a telltale trio of tanks -- say that three times fast ! -- on the eastern edge of the yard, which together with configuration of buildings, suggests the shot was taken from the vicinity of Hancock and Limestone Streets (they no longer intersect) looking south. Mr. Willie, you're supposed to be in the boxcarThis is a fantastic composition. If it had been in color, the power of the photo would be lost. Facing SouthI agree with Notcom; the view is toward the south/southwest; based on the shadows it's late morning. The crossover track just behind and to the right of the engine is still there. Foundations for the long row of warehouses for potato storage on the right in the photo are still visible. The passenger station's still there; now it's Theriault Lawn Care. Engine 403 was one of the last steam locos on the Bangor and Aroostook, retired in 1956. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads, Small Towns)
The Happy Camper: 1938
... would do this was essential to the thinking behind the Farm Security Administration project that these photos come from. On the other hand, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 7:14pm -

November 1938. "Migrant cotton picker's child who lives in a tent in the government camp instead of along the highway or in a ditch bank. Shafter Camp, California." Medium format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size. How proudly downtroddenIt's interesting how we all have the impulse to interpret the personalities and feelings of people in photographs. Of course, that the public would do this was essential to the thinking behind the Farm Security Administration project that these photos come from. On the other hand, there's a significant group of photographers today who believe that the only thing a portrait can truthfully show is what the person looks like. What we see in portraits is what we want, or hope, to see. ShirtThe kid's Three Little Pigs shirt is interesting -- I had no idea that shirt printings such as this one were available in the 1930s. The wikipedia article on T-shirts only mentions that T-shirt printing was done as early as the 1950s, which is more the date that I would have thought. Smiling kidThat picture could have been taken yesterday! The boy looks exactly like thousands of other kids, covered in mud after a days fun at camp. It's a shame his reality probably was a little different than todays kids. My Heart is Breaking...These depression-era photos are really taking us into the cruel, harsh reality of the hardships of poor families in those days...this sweet child has wrinkles and very old eyes, despite the smile for the camera...and he STILL might be with us today at age 75. In our current high-tech, super-gadgeted society, when even the "poor" have their basic needs met (in most cases), and places to get some help, it seems inhumane that children, especially, endured extreme deprivation in every area of life. Does anyone still wonder why our wasteful way of living with all things "disposable" does not please the older generation and makes them question the decadence in which we live. I thought I was an "under-privileged" kid growing up, but compared to these babies, I had everything. Very sad to comprehend their suffering. SuspicionHe has a gleam in his eye and the demeanor of a 'Dennis the Menace'! If there's a Wilson family in Shafter Camp, we could be onto somethin'! Great looking kid! Smile!Look at that mug. No doom and gloom here. Despite appearances I think this kid did all right for himself. Tyke to TycoonI bet he grew up to be a successful and wealthy businessman. Smiling reminderIf that isn't a reminder of how resilient childern can be, what is? ShirtThe more I look at Shorpy and read up on the 20th century the more I realize stuff I thought began with my generation is actually some twenty to sixty years older. This kid's shirt is a style I would've thought only emerged after WW2. One Thing's For SureHe's all boy! Good BetHe's probably still among us. He's my age and the picture shows he wasn't going to disappear so fast. I hope I'm right and would love to see him make an appearance on Shorpy, so we can all see and appreciate him once again. I think that it's due to a "socialist" campthat this kid could have at least a moment of smiling. The government-run camps for migrants were paradise compared to living (as the caption states) in a ditch on at the roadside. The camps were spartan, but had clean water, latrines, protection from miscreants, and (I think) mess halls. I'm sure that they provoked a lot of complaints about the "welfare state." Three Little PigsDisney's "Three Little Pigs" dates from 1932/33, so this boy's shirt could be a hand-me-down in 1938. Check Wiki for info on the history of the story and recent British attempts to change the story and characters in order to not offend certain groups. Who's Afraid?I've read how Disney's Three Little Pigs cartoon from 1933 set a spirit of resolve for people enduring the depression. With "the wolf" at the door, folks asked, "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?" This little guy doesn't look like he has much, but he has that shirt and the spirit of resistance the pigs represent to keep the wolf away from the door. USDA camp at ShafterEleanor Roosevelt visited the Shafter camp in April 1940: "I saw two government camps, one at Shafter and one at Visalia. For migratory workers, these camps indicate possible standards for decent existence. There is a nursery school for the youngsters, there are playing grounds for the elders, there are clinincs and, in Shafter, a cooperative store. Above all, they are run by the people themselves so that democracy may be seen in action." http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/myday/displaydoc.cfm?_y=1940&_f=md055546 If you've ever seen "The Grapes of Wrath" you know what the difference was between living in a USDA migrant camp and living along the road or in a ranch camp. I think he did OK, too...In fact, I bet he did Just Fine. I love this pic! "The Big Bad Wolf" indeedIf only one photo could be used to demonstrate youthful resilience, defiance and courage in the face of the Great Depression, this would have to be it. That there......is the very definition of "cutie patootie." Disney T-ShirtsRoy Disney cut the first licensing deal for his company in the early 1930s. It allowed Mickey to be put on a school tablet. Buddy Ebsen wears a Mickey Mouse T-shirt in an MGM musical about 1936. He later said Walt remembered that scene and hired Ebsen for "Davy Crockett" partly because of the T-shirt. So this kid in a 3 Little Pigs shirt (probably a hand-me-down by this time) may have been typical of his era. Disney was still making sequels to the "3 Little Pigs" film in the late '30s, so the shirt might've been only a year or 2 old when this boy got to wear it. WAOTBBW?This was one of the most popular Depression Era songs, and many popular dance bands and radio orchestras in the United States, England and Europe all recorded it in 1933 and later. One of the best recordings, by Henry Hall and his BBC Dance Orchestra, was released in England soon after the cartoon was shown there in 1933. That Face!Such a contrast to the other photos of the other children on this site. Looks like a happy little goofball. I think he is older than he looks here though. His front teeth are missing. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Kids)
Richwood Depot: 1942
... crops in New York State." Photo by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Extra Room on Top or in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/02/2023 - 4:49pm -

September 1942. Richwood, West Virginia. "Baltimore & Ohio train will take 300 men and women recruited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in day coaches to harvest crops in New York State." Photo by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Extra Room on Top or in the TenderWith a single coach assigned to this train, (even with rotating seats and scratchy upholstery seen in a related photo) for comfort, let's hope additional trains were assigned to move 300 people! [Why would you think there's only one coach? - Dave] (The Gallery, John Collier, Railroads)
Street Life: 1938
... "Street scene." 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Everyone celebrate! It's a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 6:58pm -

August 1938. Urbana, Ohio. "Street scene." 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Everyone celebrate!It's a Festivus pole. What's the pole?I wonder what the pole is for — the one to the right of the lamp post, sticking up next to the curb. It doesn't seem to have a bracket on it that would suggest something else is supposed to attach to it. Ideas, folks? Re: Angle-parkingAngle-parking (especially down the centre of the road, either in two rows facing each other or a single) was always easier with horse and cart than parallel or right-angle parking. Towns where you still see angle parking are usually ones where the streets have never been narrowed to accommodate several lanes of traffic and/or where horse and cart transportation hung on longer. Smaller rural towns and cities in the mid-west are more likely to still have angle-parking than the bigger cities. I can name only a few towns that I have been in in the last few years where angle parking still exists. ==== COMPLETELY forgot Smiths Falls, south of Ottawa. How could I forget when I am there at least once a month? Angle parking down both sides of the main drag, but mix of parallel and right-angle everywhere else... DepressingWhat I find depressing about the comparison between then an now is how so many of those great trees have gone (Dutch Elm Disease) and simply not been replaced by anything except concrete. Pole mysteryPossibly used to hold a stop sign, replaced by a traffic signal that may be suspended by cable over the center of the intersection. Interesting to compare the faux-olde streetlights in the Google street view to the real things. Presumably the former supplanted the ubiquitous mercury-vapor standards that proliferated starting in the mid-fifties. Ah, UrbanaI grew up in Urbana in the sixties. If I am correct, that is the north side of the square looking north. AND, if my memory serves me, everything was in black and white back then. [We're looking east along Scioto Street. See the Street View below. - Dave] Another angle on angle parkingAngle parking in our small community main street was eliminated many years ago by the state much to the chagrin of locals. Despite the outcry, MDOT claimed that "because your main street also serves as state highway M69, the change from angle to parallel parking is because of safety factor." Love the vintage highway shields!But is this really Washington Court House? US 36 doesn't go anywhere near it. Could this be Urbana? Ohio 29 and US 36 both go through it, and Ohio 54 begins in that town. [I think you're right. The adjacent frames are labeled Urbana. - Dave] AmericainGreat photo! Makes you automatically look for Andy Hardy. Great way to begin year #4! Dr. Weaver's Nasal FilterNow that's something you don't see much of anymore. I'd like to see how that works. [It "air-conditions the nose" and guards against the scourge of "loose nose muscles." The Nasal Filter (1930s retail price $12.50) was the brainchild (nosechild?) of Ohio Wesleyan alum Harrison "Doc" Weaver, trainer and traveling team physician for the St. Louis Cardinals. There are hundreds of ads for this nasal nostrum (which held a pair of oil-soaked lambswool pads inside the nose) in the archives from 1936 to 1972. Below, ads from 1937, 1940 and 1967. Dr. W seemed to feel that his "gadget" would benefit distance runners if used without the filter pads: "After a runner travels about a mile, and starts losing strength, the muscles in his nose loosen and he is unable to breathe fully. The gadget would hold the nostrils slightly distended, allowing free breathing, and holding up the athlete's vitality." - Dave] Looking EAST? I don't think soThen the sun is casting an impossible shadow to the southeast along a street that itself angles towards the east-southeast. This seems to be looking west, very early on a summer day, with the sun low in the sky and at a high latitude. [Evidently not that impossible. East-facing Street View below. Buildings and church steeple match. - Dave] Angle parkingYou used to see more of this type of parking available in the downtown areas of small towns. It allowed easier in and out and you could get more cars parked on the street, but I guess it took up more road space. The view to-dayLooking east along Scioto Street. Same two-story building on the left. View Larger Map Things Go BetterAgain, Coca-Cola, the only real advertiser in this photo.. They are right there at The Oak, a pool hall, and we see them again at Wilson Drugs. Americana is almost defined by Coke, its presence is part of our 20th century history. A Lazy Summer DayAh, to step out onto this sidewalk on a lazy summer morn. Fresh from a $1.50 room, then grab a bite of breakfast next door, and stroll into Oak Billiards to greet the morning boys, and while away the day with friendly games of 8-ball. It is indeed UrbanaSpent my early years there. The two buildings to the left right of the monument in this picture are the same two buildings on the opposite side of the street in the Shorpy picture above. Anytown, USAThis could be almost any small town in the US in 1938. Notice that a kid has left his bike leaning against a wall, and he undoubtedly isn't afraid that anyone will take it. What a hot summer day!Trees in full leaf, a guy with rolled-up shirtsleeves and no hat, strongly delineated shadows -- that sidewalk must be glowing warmth. Thanks for the trip to the summer past of our parents and grandparents. See U.S. Highway 36!Interstate highways have replaced large sections of the best known US highways, such as U.S. 30 (Lincoln Highway), U.S. 40 (National Road -- Main Street USA), U.S. 80 (The Old Spanish Trail) and of course the immortal U.S. 66 (Steinbeck's Mother Road). The "in between" routes offer glimpses of a smaller-town America. U.S. 36 (like all even-numbered highways, an east-west route) reaches about 120 miles east of Urbana but seems to end in Uhrichsville, due south of Akron. Heading due west, the road passes through many small towns whose names reflect the pride or hopes of 19th century settlers. Cities of note include Indianapolis, Decatur, Springfield, St. Joseph and Denver, but the road misses larger cities served by U.S. 30 and 40. After passing through Boulder, U.S. 36 loops up into Rocky Mountain National Park, joining U.S. 34 to form the highest altitude through road in the nation (elevation 12,090 feet). U.S. 34 has its own charms, running back east about 80 miles above 36, but eventually slanting up to terminate in Chicago. I invite Shorpy readers to find either road on Google Maps, then zoom in till the small towns are visible and just start reading off the names as you "travel" the road. Give me the family-owned store any day!When we traveled by car visiting small towns, I loved to check out the family-owned drug stores. Some were like general stores. I also liked to check out each town's library and family-owned hardware stores. Feed and grain stores were also fascinating. They are throwbacks to this era. Its hard to find a non-chain anything any more. In the old days, we could chat with the owner. Today everything is owned by out-of-state corporate offices. Give me the family owned store any day! Drugstore AromaI wish I could walk into that corner drugstore and smell that wonderful, mysterious aroma that was an intrinsic part of the drugstore of my childhood. I don't know, but I've always thought it must have been the commingling of the smells of medicines, the soda fountain, tobacco, and the newspapers and magazines. It's been decades since I last experienced that wonderful aroma, but I'll always remember it. I think anybody of "a certain age" will know what I'm talking about. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Cool Beans: 1942
... plant." 4x5 inch acetate negative by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Bushels and bushels! I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/08/2022 - 12:33pm -

June 1942. Bridgeton, New Jersey. "Seabrook Farms, several thousand acres, where Birdseye Foods are produced. Loading beans onto the delivery platform of the packing plant." 4x5 inch acetate negative by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Bushels and bushels!I would've backed the truck up to the platform and unloaded from the back! Why lift them over the rails? Then the four guys could help the one in the truck. But then, the only comparable experience I have had was mail trucks, dragging sacks by the ropes. Did they have some rule to do it this way? Staged for the photographer?In response to loujudson's question of why they didn't back the truck up to the dock, that wouldn't have made for nearly as interesting a photo. I wonder if John Collier asked them to park the truck this way so he could get the photo he wanted. [No. *Sigh* - Dave] Why the truck might be side-to Having unloaded a variety of goods from trucks in my more respectable days, and assuming this truck wasn't aligned as shown to accommodate the fotog, I suspect it's because (1) baskets of string beans aren't terribly heavy (versus, e.g., tomatoes or potatoes), so the side rails aren't a big issue, and (2) turning and getting a new basket with a step or two might be less time-consuming than walking back and forth along the long axis of the truck bed as unloading progressed, and (3) the guys on the dock can reposition themselves as the offloader clears an area, keeping remaining baskets within his easy reach. My default assumption is that guys like these know what they're doing. However, I yield to any time-and-motion geeks in the audience. They know what they're doingloujudson makes a good point. His point reminded me that I indirectly commented there should have been a more efficient way to unload this corn. Maybe when you do as much physical labor as they did, this part wasn't worth thinking about too much. I'm also reminded of doing it the difficult way when the product was concrete. AxelK's comment made me take another look and first wonder why one of the men on the loading dock doesn't simply step on the bed of the truck and make two on the truck handing off to two on the dock. Then I realized they're probably passing the baskets like a water brigade. The baskets aren't that heavy and forming a line keeps the men from bumping into each other and makes for an orderly stacking on the dock. That would also explain why the truck is parked parallel to the dock, so close the truck bed overlaps the dock. As AxelK said, you first assume they know what they're doing. Birdseye viewThe Birdseye clue sent me to this page. Seabrook Farms was already a large vegetable farm when it partnered with Clarence Birdseye and General Foods to produce Birdseys frozen vegetables. They were also a major supplier of vegetables to the U.S. military during WWII. As more of their regular workforce joined the war effort (or found better employment), Seabrook pulled workers from wherever they could find them. They used German prisoners, offered a work alternative to the inmates at Japanese internment camps, employed displaced persons from across Europe, and more. The farm disappeared in sales and corporate buy outs, but some descendants of the original owners have revived name and are back in the frozen veggie business. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Collier)
Halloween Party: 1938
... workers." Acetate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration, and Happy Halloween from Shorpy. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/31/2022 - 12:10pm -

October 1938. "Shafter, Kern County, California. Halloween party at FSA camp for migratory agricultural workers." Acetate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration, and Happy Halloween from Shorpy. View full size. Piercing MildredThe girl in second row looks -- scarily -- like Joan Crawford. Good to the last drop!So the kids back in the late '30s got a cup of coffee for Halloween. How novel! I bet they also slipped them a couple of smokes to go with their cup o' Joe. Fortune TellerThat costume would never fly today. Joan Crawford ComebackWell, at least lil' Joan sports enough makeup to match the role. The little girl in frontis absolutely precious. The expression on her face and those little hands make me hope she got a nice treat for Halloween. Not Many TreatsMaybe those cups were to hold whatever tiny treats they might have gotten, but most don't have cups. Maybe for party punch? Not many treats in sight. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange, Halloween, Kids)
Whiskey Wine Brandy Gin: 1939
... Minneapolis." 35mm negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Motorola The antenna: ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2011 - 6:13pm -

September 1939. "Liquor store in Gateway District, Minneapolis." 35mm negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. MotorolaThe antenna: re: MotorolaThank you! I posted the photos on a classic car forum and someone speculated that it might be a Motorola, but I wasn't able to find anything on it myself. 32 Washington AvenueThe Minnesota Historical Society has Hughes Drugs at 32 Washington Avenue South. It was housed in a block of buildings which contained several addresses on the east side of Washington. [The address here is, as we can see, 38. Stores move, or can have more than one location. - Dave] MercBrand spankin' new '39 Mercury sitting front and center. First year for the new marque. 1939-2011 RIP September 1939It was the worst month in modern history of my country (Poland). However, nice to see such a pretty place, at the same time, but other side of the ocean. And this car, I always thaught, that body is postwar style. Not just a while before the WW II. Merc gizmoSo what is this? I speculated that it was a flashy antenna, but a cursory Google search didn't come up with anything like it. Merely decorative? Whatever, I love it. "Chicago Service"What is it? Blimey!Whiskey, wine, brandy, trusses, rubber goods AND cut-price drugs? Drugs, Booze ...What! No gambling? At least you can buy a truss. Today this enterprise would be run by the Government. HandsomeI can see where my PV 544 got his good looks. This could be the Toad's grandfather. HmmI wonder what they sell at this store? I'm kidding! Great photo -- I especially like seeing the film perforations. Drugs, trusses, rubber goodsOne-stop shopping! LettersSome signpainter was in business for a while after that job! Chicago ServiceDoes the cafe feature surly waiters? Or is that called "New York service"? Chicago ServiceThe regular daily train between Minneapolis and Chicago ran to a station just along here, which may be the origin of the cafeteria's name. Merc gizmo foundI finally found a match for the "gizmo" on the Mercury's roof. It is indeed a radio antenna, and here's another one on a 1939 Lincoln Zephyr. Maybe it was a Ford product. What an incredibly cool thing. [I just knew TT would find this. Several commenters opined the gizmo was a "scratch on the negative" (which would have been black lines, not white) or part of the sign behind the car. - Dave] Positively Second StreetAs best as I can tell, these addresses were on the northeast side of South Second Street (a block south of the Great Northern Railway station, which was at the foot of Hennepin Avenue). Vachon, a St. Paul native, would have known the area well. In the 1950s, as scorched-earth urban renewal was on its way for the Gateway, young University of Minnesota sociology students, led by Theodore Caplow, conducted groundbreaking field research in this area on the thousands who called the Gateway's cage hotels, missions and alleys their home. This spot is now on Gateway Greenway, a one-block auto-free path. Motorola AntennaHere's another, more elaborate version of the antenna on a '38 Plymouth in a photo taken in summer 2010. IgnoredThe antennaless car behind the Mercury is a 1939 Chevrolet that has an accessory hood ornament. This was the last year that you could obtain a rear mounted spare tire on a Chevy until the availability of "continental kits" in the 1950s. Chevrolet discontinued these last car models without modern trunks early in the model year. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Minneapolis-St. Paul)
Bennie's Grocery: 1939
... format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Gas and other prices! While ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/15/2022 - 11:07am -

June 1939. "Negro grocery store. Sylvania Savannah, Georgia." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Gas and other prices!While all of these posted prices seem unbelievable today, it's kind of scary that I remember buying gas in the early-mid 1960's AT THE SAME 17 cents per gallon! Granted that was during another scenario we'll likely never see again, local "gas wars" ... Sylvania or Savannah?For various reasons, I think this is mislabeled as Sylvania and should say Savannah. There is no Gwinnett Street in Sylvania, though there is one in Savannah. (Although Sylvania could have renamed or buried their Gwinnett Street under a highway in the past 80 years.) This enterprise looks entirely too big for a very small farm town (pop. about 1,100 African-Americans in 1940) and more like something that would exist in a city with about 50,000 African-Americans like Savannah. Derst Bakery is in Savannah. Would they have shipped bread 60 miles to a small town in 1939? The address puts it square in the segregated west side of Savannah, although this particular block would have been knocked down to build a housing project and/or the interstate sometime between 1945-63. Finally, it just looks like Savannah to me. Small Georgia farm towns look like one thing, and Savannah architecture looks like another. Lard, salt, ribs, and gasoline,too! Did they have a rewards program? (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Kids, M.P. Wolcott, Savannah, Stores & Markets)
Pies in Repose: 1940
... in Ledyard, Connecticut." Photo by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Origin We finally see where ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/25/2010 - 7:23pm -

November 28, 1940. "Pumpkin pies and Thanksgiving dinner at the home of Mr. Timothy Levy Crouch, a Rogerene Quaker living in Ledyard, Connecticut." Photo by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. OriginWe finally see where the origin of the fruitcake came from. Could it be the exact same one that my mother had on the table that no one ate in 1950? The First FruitcakeI remember well the ritual of the long process of making the holiday fruitcakes from cracking nuts (in shells) to chopping candied fruit and dicing dates and finally, after it was all baked for hours, to wrapping it in brandy or rum soaked cheesecloth and storing it away in some cool spot being forbidden to cut into it before Thanksgiving. These rustic pies look and smell (I have a good imagination) incredibly tasty, and the laboriously crafted fruitcake had no idea that in less than 70 years it would become a much maligned and unwanted joke. The elderly in your audience will remember when fruitcake was a highlighted specialty of the holiday season. I understand that now they actually shoot them from cannons and use them for doorstops. As for this photo, I find it outstanding in every way, just beautiful. Thanks yet again for this warm family portrait. Mmmmm, pieeeeI can smell them! NeatoI love that wallpaper. I wonder what colour it was. Ummmm, pie!The pies look delicious. I would be willing to bet those flaky crusts were made with good old lard, too. When you talk of shortening, there wasn't anything shorter than lard. $5 on the pumpkin pie!I wonder what the folks in this wonderfully American family photo would think if they knew that 70 years later thousands of people were spending their Thanksgiving gambling at a massive casino (Foxwoods) located in the very same town? It's the kind of wallpaper that's difficult to hangIt's interesting to analyse past family festive gatherings by the relative loudness of the patterns on the wallpaper and curtains in the background. This kind of wallpaper is annoying to hang to get the patterns to line up. Could we have a sequence of photos on 'wallpaper and curtain patterns through the ages'? (The 60s and 70s seem to have been particularly loud). Family albumMore of the Crouches here. How It Was DoneThe pie in the center front brings back memories of watching my mother finish putting together pies by holding a fork upside down and pressing the tines into the pie's rim all the way around, sealing the top to the bottom and making those tiny grooves. OmigoodnessI have nothing clever or insightful to say, just want to express my appreciation to Shorpy for showing a slice of life gone forever. We are fortunate indeed to have these photos. The lively wallpaper and cloth speaks to a Quaker way of life I did not know existed--no "plainness" here. "Just shut it, Tim"The centerpiece lets me pretend it's the Missus sticking the fork in his mouth. There's something about this pictureThat is just lovely. This is what i like about this site; it reintroduces photographers like John Vachon and Jack Delano. Reflections on a holidayTaking the photo in the mirror is a great idea. RogerenesI had never heard of the Rogerene Quakers before, which surprised me, since I am a Quaker and have read quite a bit about Quaker history. A little googling shows that the Rogerene Quakers had no connection to other Quaker groups, although there was some similarity in their beliefs (particularly pacifism). They also resemble Baptists and Seventh Day Adventists. I have to say that's a lovely photo, the use of the mirror is terrific. And I would love to have a slice of that fruitcake. I don't know why they have such a bad rep. Like everything, there are good ones and bad ones, and a good one is a real treat. Compare and contrastInteresting to contrast this family with the one in Kentucky of which we saw so much earlier in the fall. I wonder if their dessert table ever looked liked this? The pies at my daughter's house yesterday looked just like these--courtesy of my ex-wife. Makes me feel guiltyI only baked two pies yesterday! I wonder what kind the two-crust pies were; apple, cherry, mincemeat? This also reminds me of a certain fruitcake my mother baked in 1967. It was kept in our extra fridge, in the utility closet. That was also where my dad's huge liquor collection resided. Mom was soaking it with bourbon every once in a while, and so was I. By Christmas that was some wonderful fruit cake! It had a lovely bourbon flavor, but didn't taste like alcohol. I hate hearing all of the maligning of fruitcakes that takes place, now! It was just like everything else; bad ones were awful, but good ones were delicious. I would bet the one in this picture was delicious! I like fruitcakeWe don't see very many people in this mirror view, but the impression is that there aren't that many. After all, the stove in a previous picture wasn't cooking cauldrons. So, six pies (at least), and a fruitcake? Wow. Those home-made pies were probably great, but still seems like a lot of pie. On the Wallpaper-Mr. Plate looks sad. Now THISis Pie Town! The wallpaperThe wallpaper really got my attention. The house we rented from 1958-63 had a very similar print washable wallpaper in our kitchen. Given that this photo was taken in 1940, then our wallpaper might have been 20 years old (or older) at the time. FROOTSCAKES!Let me at that fruitcake, man. Om nom nom nom nom! No punsAbout the large family of the rogerin' Quakers? Good, because that would be rude and tasteless. Thanksgiving 1940Thanksgiving day 1940 was November 21st, not November 28th! [It was celebrated on two different dates that year, as well as 1939 and 1941. The New England states observed the traditional fourth Thursday in November. - Dave] Cookery I can't speak for these dear people, but my family always coded two crust pies differently. The slits and occasional decorations on top denoted the contents. I would guess, a pumpkin, sweet potato, cherry, apple and peach. While that glorious molasses and candied fruit and nut bundt would wait for evening coffee and tea, foolishly ignored by the unsophisticated children, in favor of the sweeter and juicier fruit offerings. FruitcakeI never liked it until I ate my mother in law's. Now, our family demands I make it every year. Usually made two at a time to begin with so one will be ready for the next year. Then every year after, one is made and stored away while the previous year's is eaten. I have to say it is the best I've ever eaten and my family agrees. Even the kids like it. Love to see pictures like this. Brings back memories of my childhood. My mother wore her hair like that and our family Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners were enormous. Lots and lots of people and food. So many, we had to eat in shifts. Such happy memories. The Timothy Levi Crouch familyThis pictures, along with several others, were taken at my great-grandparents' Thanksgiving dinner in 1940. My grandfather, one of their sons-in-law, is the gentleman with the fork in his mouth. This collection of pictures by Jack Delano is really neat, and I love to see them posted on the internet. There were 14 Crouch children living at the time this was taken, the youngest being about 12. There were definitely more people at the dinner than this picture would indicate, and most likely some of the other married children dropped in later in the day to enjoy pie. For many years the family only knew of this one picture. It wasn't until the age of internet that we discovered that there were about 20 of them along with pictures taken at the one-room schoolhouse. My mother is in pictures at both locations. She remembers the photographer being at the dinner, but she doesn't recall him being at the school. It was quite the shock when I showed her all the pictures! (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Thanksgiving)
Has Potential: 1939
... format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Very poor area My dad was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/22/2021 - 10:59am -

April 1939. "Old plantation home. Greene County, Georgia." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Very poor areaMy dad was born and grew up in this area (Greene, Hancock & Taliaferro counties). It was once the richest area in Georgia, for some, until the boll-weevil came and destroyed the cotton crop. Now it’s one of the poorest, and has been for decades. Round Toit Obviously that old man is still getting around to fixing that old plow. Handicapped inaccessibleWhen I look at these old pictures I always wonder why people back then didn't have steps with handrails. The older man on the back porch is probably wondering the same, as is the lady peeping out the screen door. What did old folk do back then without handrailings to help them up and down steps? Hello thereI feel like I see a person in the window under the fourth chimney (if counting them from the left). Anyone else? [I see a door with a person. - Dave] Jerry Lee"We got chicken in the barn" Time to say Goodbye"I was an abandoned house. You made a home out of me. Little did I know. You were just a lost traveler." -- Saniya Hush, hush sweet CharlotteAll that is missing is Bette Davis standing on the balcony with a huge flowerpot ready to drop onto Olivia deHavilland and Joseph Cotten. Who needs glass...... when an old rag will do. I wonder if this is the detail that initially caught Ms. Wolcott's attention. There does seem to be a pattern to her photos: they often have quirky or bizarre details embedded in a broader scene, that bypass your notice at first. Back whenChimneys were placed on the end of the house and not in the middle. I'm sure I've seen this house as a setting for a horror movie. Jeeter and Dude...be along any time now. Realtor-speak“Shows well, has good bones.” Those Columns!Every Southern plantation house worth its salt has to have a front porch supported by Classical columns, but the four Ionic columns out in front of this one are extreme in their disregard for the rules of proper proportion. These four columns look like they are twice as tall as the rulebooks would allow (a height-diameter proportion of 9:1 is considered standard for the Ionic order), and the pilaster(s) attached to the wall at the back of the porch suffer from the same design flaw. Not that it hasn't happened many times since then. Child in windowDoes anyone else see what looks to be a child hanging out the second floor window on the right? [Those are sheets, bedding, etc. - Dave] Needs Hollywood magicWhy, there's nothing wrong with this place that a little paint and elbow grease won't take care of. Tell Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney to get the gang and let's get to work! Good BonesSay what you will about the clapboards, glass and shutters, those ridges and valleys are true, the roof shingles are in great shape, while the chimneys are plumb and have all their mortar. A pricey rehab for sure -- but nowhere near a catastrophic rebuild. Good bones, as they say. (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Rural America)
Wendell & Oscar: 1939
... in tobacco stem factory." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Looking toward Main Street ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/01/2022 - 11:30am -

November 1939. "Main street of Wendell, North Carolina. Negroes on way to work in tobacco stem factory." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Looking toward Main StreetI'm pretty sure this is the same stretch of sidewalk as in the 1939 photograph. You're at 15 E 3rd Street looking west toward the intersection with Main. The Philco Radio building is still on the corner -- compare the second story windows. The buildings immediately across Main Street and on this side of the Philco building are still there -- compare cornice and second story brickwork. But the Whitley & Son building has been replaced by the bland brick building with tiny windows. The Oscar Griswold building may or may not still be the building with two steps up from the sidewalk. This was confusing because, if you cross Main Street the buildings on the immediate left have the same second story windows with brick eyebrows and the same brickwork parapet as the now gone Whitley & Son building. I kept trying to make that building the one in the photo. FaceliftI think that bland brick building *is* the Whitley & Son building, but with a new face. Look at the banding on the side of the building - five light courses and a dark course. It also looks like the same banding is in the Oscar Griswold building in the original picture, and you can see the same pattern in the white building, but it's tough to see under the paint. Final Score: 3 to 1 to 1Coca-Cola over Pepsi and 7up in signage: We know we're in the South (and no: "nitrate of soda" isn't a beverage ... for people, anyway) What went on in the tobacco stem factory?Not to be confused with the part of a pipe that you put in your mouth, a tobacco stem, aka midrib, is the thick part of the vascular structure of the plant. Stems are mostly removed during processing, though some of them remain in filler of cigars. A main use for the rest is sale to pigeon fanciers for their birds' nests. Madison-Clark BuildingI think the the Oscar Griswold building *is* the building with two steps up from the sidewalk in Doug Floor Plan's image. The bricked-up window (with the white rectangle occupying most of it) in Doug's image is where there's someone leaning against it in the Shorpy image (under the striped awning, arm up next to head, elbow pointing at the camera). The air conditioner in Doug's image is atop the 2 steps in the Shorpy image where the door was. Looks like the opening was widened, adding a window toward the right edge of the Shorpy image (where the flea funeral home is). Also, it looks like the same two brick building corners across the alley from each other. (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Small Towns)
Shady Rest: 1942
... Medium format acetate negative by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Same stuff, different day ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/25/2022 - 6:30pm -

May 1942. "Childersburg, Alabama. Rooms for rent." Medium format acetate negative by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Same stuff, different dayUkraine in the news. Unless, by shady, you mean something elseThat is not the Shady Rest. Maybe Uncle Joe would run an establishment like this, but never Kate. Look, they offer board. What sort of gastronomically satisfying repasts do you suppose emanate from that kitchen? (Bad W. C. Fields impression) 'Under New Management' should never be a permanent sign. One man's trash is another man's treasureAs a kid, finding those bottles would have been like finding gold. It'd be interesting to know what types of bottles they are and what their value would be today. I'd also like to know what the radio that came in that box looked like! What goes around ...The trashed newspaper on the ground behind the boxes displays a headline about "Kharkov" This city is in the Ukraine and during WWII was taken by Germany. Russia fought hard to re-take control of the city. Now, 70 years later, Kharkov (now called Kharkiv) is in the news again, a city caught in battles for control. That Coke machineWhen I moved into my first bought home in Montgomery, Ala., in 1979 there was a Coke machine of that identical style rusting in the back of my garage. Could it be ... Those Bottles !I'm certainly no antique bottle expert, but... The wide-mouth bottles appear to be milk bottles, which in those days were collected by the dairy delivery man ( or woman ) or shopkeeper and taken back to be washed, sterilized, and refilled. So, why aren't they segregated from the others? ( In the 1960's, my family had milk delivery service using glass bottles. To this day, I still see dairy home delivery trucks. ) There are other bottles which appear to be soda bottles, ditto. Probably right out of that water-immersion Pepsi cooler. The identical cooler at my boyhood neighborhood store had a rack with empty wooden bottle cases held at an angle; customers placed the empties in these cases. I think there was a deposit, but I don't have a clear memory of that. Deep in the shadows is a gallon can for Quaker State Pennsylvania Grade automobile engine oil. ["Pepsi cooler" ?? - Dave] King of the RoadDefinitely "no phone, no pool, no pets." We Could Only Wish --That this would have been the last bloody battle in Kharkov. Under Old ManagementThat sign looks quite weathered and old. The 'New' Management have not managed the waste issue very well. (The Gallery, John Collier, Small Towns)
String Theory: 1940
... "Mrs. Baptiste Jendreau, wife of French-Canadian FSA (Farm Security Administration) client and potato farmer near Saint David, Maine." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/30/2021 - 6:07pm -

October 1940. "Mrs. Baptiste Jendreau, wife of French-Canadian FSA (Farm Security Administration) client and potato farmer near Saint David, Maine." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Rise and Run!Those stairs! Grandma's Bobbins & Little GoblinsWhen I was about that tyke's age, I watched my grandmother use that same type of treadle Singer to make a frilly pink dress for my sister who was a year older. My grandmother taught all her 9 children to sew & most of her nearly-100 grandchildren, including me. She said it was something every person needed to know. I have a good sewing kit, a good pair of near-vision glasses & don't mind mending now & again. Grandma did NOT have a spinning wheel. Thankfully none of us were ever expected to be THAT industrious. I'd love to see where that stairway leads. Sewing machinePretty sure my daughter has that exact machine (at least, the stand for it) in her basement. It came with the house she bought. Along with a large, very heavy, oak teacher's desk. Which will probably never leave the basement because it's so damn heavy! So Much to See!I love the porcelain doorknobs, the spinning wheel and that family picture. It's a shame we can't see that geometric floor tile in color. I'll bet it was very busy! And let's not forget the most important part: the classic "Regnis" sewing machine she's using! Bilingual is BilingualI'm going to make two guesses about this photograph. First, the woman at the sewing machine is the daughter of the woman in the photo on the wall. Second, the woman at the sewing machine is speaking French with her son. Saint David, Maine is about seven miles from the Canadian border. In the mid 1980s I went to Presque Isle, Maine, about 40 miles south of Saint David, once a year to work at a bank. One day in conversation the bank president commented he hadn't learned to speak English until he entered first grade. I learned later that everyone on the bank staff spoke French in their homes and would be speaking French in the bank if my group wasn't there. In Texas, where I grew up, if you substituted Spanish for French the average Texan would be way less impressed for some reason. Jack DelanoHe was so talented. I'm in awe. Singer seven-drawerLike this young fella, I learned to sew on a similar Singer about 65 years ago. My grandmother, a seamstress, was my instructor. This looks like a Singer seven-drawer cabinet with three drawers on each side and one in the middle, identical to my grandmother's, which is now in our home but rarely used. Today I use a BabyLock machine. Ubiquitous SingerSeems no home from these depicted eras would be complete without a Singer treadle sewing machine. The photo on the wall could be the mother's or father's parents? If so and it is a wedding era portrait would place the photo into around 1910, as the mother is probably not much older than 30 (mothers seemed to look older back then) Look Out BelowThose are steep stairs, and no banister. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Kids, Kitchens etc.)
Family Guy: 1936
... he is most anxious to get steady work or to operate a farm." View full size. Medium format nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. From need to greed There is dignity and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 2:28pm -

December 1936. "Marcus Miller and family in shack that he built himself. Spencer, Iowa. This is half the house. Miller is a hired hand who has managed to save enough to make a part payment on seven and a half acres of land. However, he is most anxious to get steady work or to operate a farm." View full size. Medium format nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. From need to greedThere is dignity and strength reflected in the faces of these picture. Note the box-spring/mattress turned on side to allow a tiny bit more room to move around in shack till bedtime. These days Americans want big everything. Enough is never enough. Many are just starting to think about the downside of those huge houses. Heating and cooling costs are rising quickly and energy costs will continue to soar. Iowa FamilyThis photo is reminiscent of one of the Pie Town photos featuring a family at mealtime, although the Pie Town family seemed to have a bit more to eat. The father seems to be a hard-working, resourceful man doing his best to provide for his family. The "shack" he built by hand is wallpapered; no newspapers on the walls here. And they seem to be making efficient use of the limited space. Clean, ironed clothing; a table which might fold up to be replaced by the bed; and a radio on a wall shelf. But I can't tell what the little boy is holding in his hand. SaltshakerThey seem to be all out of salt. Garrett Dash Nelson Promising young couple They must have married quite early as they still look very young compared to their kids. Indeed looks like the father is a hard worker who is living the "American Dream" and is spoiling (if such a word can be used in this context) his family with little luxury items like a very fancy box-spring bed, a nice radio, multiple dresses, nice leather jackets and a shiny new plastic tablecloth! I hope this family made it and got to live their life comfortably. The Fourth WallWhat the boy is holding caught my eye too. The dad is looking at him. The girl looks like she knows something. Zoomed in. The dad's legs are there, crowding everyone. Then I noticed the plates. It's a TV table. The mom has moved over to the side for the photographer. Still can't figure out what the boy is holding. Re: SaltshakerI think the salt shaker is actually a pepper shaker and it does have pepper in it. Can't identify what the boy is holding; zooming in doesn't help. Miller FamilyThe children are sitting on what appears to be a single or double bed/cot. Once the other bed is lowered they would have had essentially wall-to-wall bedding. That could have been a bit, um, awkward. I too hope this family endured, prospered and had a happy life. I like them! DignityEven though this family hasn't got much, you can tell that they take pride in what they do have. Everything about the place (as well as everyone in it) is neat and clean. I'm willing to bet you could eat off the floor. A good lesson that many people in this day and age could do to learn - just because you're "poor" doesn't mean you have to live in squalor. Not sure what the boy has in his hand either, though I do have a guess. There's an open bag of bread on the table. Did they put twist-ties on bread back then? Maybe that's what he's holding? Or, it looks like a piece of paper rolled up, or possibly a twig? If he's like most boys, it's probably just one of dozens of objects he's got stashed in his pockets. The boy's holding...The boy is holding a string bean, snatched before Dad finished grace. Hickory StripesThe father's "hickory stripe" overalls bring back fond memories of my grandfather the carpenter and my great uncle the farmer...they both wore only hickories when working. My sister & I were both thrilled to each get our own pair one year for Christmas. The MillersWow, the mom and daughter look so very alike. And as a redhead myself, I am always amazed when i can spot another redhead even in a black and white photo. The Dad would've made a colorful Kodachrome for sure. Twist tiesThe bread would have been wrapped in wax paper. Plastic bread bags didn't come along till about the 60's. [Cellophane was invented in 1908. Below, a 1941 ad for same. - Dave] Bread WrappersWhile cellophane was available in 1936, I believe the bread on the Miller's table is wrapped in a thin waxed paper wrapper, as the previous commentator noted. The wrapped loaf was sealed with a sticky label on each end. Many whole rolls of these waxed paper wrappers have survived and, as you might suspect, are available on eBay. You can see an assortment of wax paper bread wrappers here. Family Guy MotherI think Mother was sitting in the position with her back to where the photographer is, and she moved so she could be in the photograph. As a patient ironer, I closely looked at the pretty dresses hung up, those dresses are meticulously ironed and starched. What a neat and tidy household! TV tablesI was 4 years young in 1936 but twist ties came many years later. There was no TV then either so I imagine the TV table had yet to be invented! They look like a hard working, relatively prosperous farm family, as were many that we knew back then. ["TV table" in the comment below means a dining table with nobody seated on the camera side -- the standard seating arrangement for meals on 1950s television shows. - Dave] Well to do for sureThat jacket above Dad's head there wasn't cheap, even back in the 1930s. An original one like that in good condition these days will fetch in the $1000 to $2000 range. That a radio?On the shelf in the upper right. Expensive? (The Gallery, Agriculture, Great Depression, Kids, Russell Lee)
Nitro Express: 1939
... please! Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Bullet Points Look at that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/14/2018 - 7:31pm -

October 1939. "Post office in the general store. Lamoille, Iowa." Let's see now. Stamps, ammo, and a case of Iten-Barmettler, please! Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Bullet PointsLook at that Remington poster with the boy and his Indian chief metal silhouette! I've tried to do just that, but only have luck with a punch and hammer. Everything's up to date in LaMoilleSocial Security was so new, they needed a poster explaining that they wanted to hand out money. (My grandfather's Social Security card, which was issued around this time, had a short explanation on the back, too, and gave an address in Washington where you could write for more information. My father's card, issued in the 1950s, had a different, but still relatively friendly, explanation, of how to use it. Mine is full of dire warnings about improper use.) You can also send mail on an AIRPLANE for only 3 cents! Not only that, but you can send insured parcel post packages to France, Italy, and Japan, and registered parcel post packages to Germany! (Limited time offer.) Love that kid's overallsWish I could find some like that today. For the same reason you can't at home.Or maybe Mom has other reasons why you can't spit on the floor. In any case, the sign helpfully offers one explanation. I can think of others, if you need more reasons to refrain. Frost Killer indeed!I'll bet 'ol man Winter didn't dare get close to that No. 218! Real P.O.Would not be an official Post Office if it did not have that wanted poster. Desperado: 1898-1942A thumbnail sketch of Irving Charles Chapman, seen on the Wanted poster at lower right, from Oklahombres.org: Irving Charles Chapman was born on December 29, 1898 in Philadelphia, Mississippi. During the stock market crash in the late 1920s, he lost all of his fortune, and decided to be a criminal instead. He began a series of kidnappings and bank heists in Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana. He began his criminal ways with a few minor arrests in Florida and New Jersey, before embarking on a decade-long career as a gangster. In 1932 he was sentenced to serve 9 to 14 years for a Miden, Louisiana, bank robbery. However, he and two others escaped from the Caddo Parish jail at Shreveport on December 5, 1932, by lowering themselves from their eighth-floor cell with a rope made from whatever they could find. Captured in 1934, he was wounded in a gunbattle with police and sentenced to 15 years for a bank robbery in Mississippi. He was turned over to Arkansas, where he received another 15-year term for another bank heist. He escaped from the Tucker Prison (some reports say he escaped from a Little Rock prison) on August 25, 1936, using a pistol taken from the warden's office. Chapman then robbed the First National bank of Atlanta, Texas (twice). He was captured after the second robbery and given a 60-year prison term. He was sent to Eastham Prison Farm, the same one Clyde Barrow was once imprisoned at. He along with infamous Oklahoma bandit Pete Traxler, as well as six others, escaped on June 22, 1937. All were captured or killed except Chapman. In 1939, he shot his way out of a police trap near his home town in Mississippi. In January 1942, he shot Patrolman Ralph McNair at Meridian and escaped. Finally, on February 22, 1942, he drove away from his residence and right into a roadblock. He was shot, and before dying told the police, "Go ahead and shoot, you bastards!" They didn't have to, as he succumbed to his wounds. He was buried at the Sandtown Cemetery at Sandtown, Mississippi. So ended the career of this famous outlaw! The Wanted PosterClick to enlarge. Different country, different decadeBut kind of reminds me of may preschool days when my grandma gave us a little change in order to run down to the neighbourhood grocery shop and have a Kaiser roll filled with a whippet cookie. Yummy. Alas, no more neighbourhood grocery stores. No more running down the street on one's own for a preschooler. And a white flour wheat product filled with foamed sugar and fat? That's just sooo nutritionally incorrect. Sam Drucker Seal of ApprovalWhile looking a little beat down in the photo, a nice condition Eclipse/Tappen "Frost Killer" stove today at auction might go for around $2,000+. Whether ol' No. 218 is still in the mix somewhere, who knows? WantedIRVING CHARLES CHAPMAN, for Bank Robbery It has an ageThat Eclipse #218 "Frost Killer" stove predates 1920, the year that the Tappan family of Mansfield, Ohio, changed the name of their stove company from Eclipse to Tappan. I'm undecided about whether the storekeeper is burning coal or wood (it could use either), but I am fairly certain that the stains below the firebox door are evidence of sitters-and-spitters-and-whittlers getting cranked up for the winter. And the case of Iten Barmettler? It's either crackers or cookies, both of which the Iten Barmettler Biscuit Company of Omaha made for years. They must be brothers The postmaster and the coffee grinder in this: https://www.shorpy.com/node/22928 Sure look as if they could be brothers. [They are the same person. -tterrace] [In the same store. - Dave] (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Kids, Stores & Markets)
Crooked House: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Service Satisfied Is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/24/2022 - 9:54am -

April 1941. "House and children in Negro section (South Side) of Chicago, Illinois." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Service SatisfiedIs painted on the building across the street and reflected in the window. But it did not pertain to this house. That lean no doubt affected the plumbing, gas line, and probably electricity. It must have been a miserable house to be in during a Chicago winter. I wonder what the temperature was on this April day. The woman in the second-floor apartment has her windows open as if it's warm while the woman on the sidewalk is wearing a long coat. Most of the kids are wearing coats but the girl carrying a book and the boys in shorts at center and far right are dressed as if more layers aren't needed. 82 degreesSometime in April 1941, the temperature reached 82 degrees. I don't think it was this day, but there was obviously an unseasonably warm period during that month. [It was chilly on the way to school. That afternoon, not so much. - Dave] A Sign Unto You ... in the window. It's a storefront church. There's a lien on that houseSaith the process server. If you tilt your head a little --Actually, the "crooked house" is the one on the left. Its foundation has probably sunk on the side out of view of the camera. If you use the school building on the right for perspective, you'll notice that the subject house is not too bad. Part of the first floor does lean to the right (makes me wonder if the street is on a hill). But the second floor seems altogether straight up. [Untilt your head! Straight lines in red. - Dave] (The Gallery, Chicago, Kids, Russell Lee)
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