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Mount Airy: 1938
... the place a festive air. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. It looked better from the front ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 11:07am -

1938. "Mount Airy -- St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana." At Mount Airy, they're well fixed in the cistern department. I think they give the place a festive air. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. It looked better from the frontThe house and outbuildings were demolished about 1954 to make way for a Kaiser Aluminum plant. Cistern?They look more like brethren to me. Epic that Never WasSadly, this abandoned set is all that remains of the aborted remake of "Gone With the Wind," originally slated to star Maria Montez and Jon Hall, the high point of which was to be the escape from the burning of Atlanta via flying carpet. Re: Epic that never was.Shh, not so loud, someone in Hollywood might hear you and give it the green light! Scarlet, honeyY'all just have to come see our 'lectric lights. AND, they don't have to clean the lamp chimneys but once a month! What will those yankees think of next? The house is raisedwould that be when the surrounding area is under water? Family HouseThis is my families home. My grandmother grew up here,my entire life I have looked for some pictures of this house, and I want to thank you guys for putting them up here. It is sad because my grandmother just passed away but she would have loved to seen this house one last time. It has since been demolished by Marathon Oil. As well as it was Cisterns. AGain thank you and any other pictures or sources you guys might have my family and I would love. THANKS! (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
Spinning House: 1927
... yarns and woven fabrics. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Looking better than ever This ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/15/2016 - 1:19pm -

Fredericksburg, Virginia, circa 1927. "Spinning house, Prince Edward Street." Where wool, flax, cotton, etc., would have been made into yarns and woven fabrics. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Looking better than everThis house at 1207 Prince Edward St. was built in 1769. The front porch roofline has been changed somewhat. It last sold in 2003 for $365K. Trees unfortunately don't permit the same view in Google Earth as in the Johnston photo. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
Creole Belle: 1938
... she draped it with a cloth . 8x10 acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Cardui Tablets While spending a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/10/2014 - 7:27am -

1938. "Petitin's Store, Grand Coteau, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. Building dates to ca. 1834." While this ad-encrusted grocery might strike you as charmingly rustic, the Dr. Pepper sign seems to have so offended the photographer's sensibilities that for the other pictures she took, she draped it with a cloth. 8x10 acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Cardui TabletsWhile spending a year at Fort Benning, Georgia in the late 1960s, I occasionally noted a young Dolly Parton doing ads for Cardui on TV's "Porter Wagoner Show." (She also sang, of course, but that part I understood). Given the social conservatism of that program's viewership, Ms. Parton was required to circumlocute her way around the particular aspect of being a woman for which Cardui was helpful. Ever game, she did so with charming enthusiasm and, however her male viewers may have been mystified by the product and its uses, I am sure that her target audience understood completely. Now, of course, everything from prescription meds to marital aids is advertised with diagrams, animation, and brass bands, but those were indeed simpler, more innocent times. Dr Pepper editPhotoshop 1.0 Beta. InterestingMaybe she decided that the separate sign, on a mini-billboard, detracted from the building's charm. Creole BelleAt the time, a brand of relatively newly introduced pre-roasted/ground coffee. The anti-Dr movementwas the benign predecessor to the anti-vaccine campaign of the internet age. CarduiFrom a vintage advertisement for Wine of Cardui: "Taken at the proper time it relieves pain, corrects derangements, quiets nervousness and cures Whites, Falling of the Womb and Suppressed or too Frequent Menses." Whatever curative powers it may have had were likely attributable to its 19% alcohol content. These Places Still ExistPart of my job sometimes involves traveling through an entire county (Parish in Louisiana) to visit and photograph every gas station open for business. I have encountered many in Louisiana that are nearly identical to this place and still operating. The signs may be more up to date and there may be an ice freezer on the front porch and a couple of Texaco pumps out front but basically the same place. Numbskull ad language.Was probably why Ms. Johnston covered the sign. "Drink a bit to eat" not only doesn't roll off the tongue well; it doesn't make sense and is bad English. De-PepperedDr. Pepper, censored! Now only 45 more signs to go ... Dr Who?That cloth covering the Dr Pepper sign was not installed by Ms Johnson, but by the Coca-Cola Bottler, who had recently been promised exclusivity at the entrance of this key St Landry Parish hot spot. Black PepperI count three Dr Pepper signs--the one up front and two more above and next to the crawlspace window. What good does it do to black out only one of the three? And Black Draught laxative syrup...was another fine product pitched by the Porter Wagoner show personnel - it, along with Cardui Tablets, was a product of the Chattanooga Medicine Co., which discovered that TV country music shows were a great venue for pitching their products to the folks. Some great memories watching that show Saturday afternoons at my grandparents - the comely Miss Parton was a vision for adolescent eyes, but it was the frenetic picking of sideman Buck Trent and his electrified banjo (why would one need or want to amplify the musical mayhem produced by the instrument?) that really caught my attention and contributed to my penchant for playing loud and annoying rock-and-roll music in my later teen years. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Stores & Markets)
The Ring: 1915
... print by the pioneering Washington, D.C., photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Protoneopaganism Will you ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2009 - 2:33am -

Circa 1915. "Four dancing figures." Gelatin silver print by the pioneering Washington, D.C., photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. ProtoneopaganismWill you come with me, will you come and sing (Heed not wind nor weather) Come and join the dancing ring (Sisters dancing together) -- Leslie Fish sang it, Kathleen Taylor wrote it. One Grecian Urn!I can just hear Hermione Gingold shouting instructions to the society ladies of River City ... Fairies at the Bottom of Our GardenAnd I can just hear Beatrice Lillie's hilarious performance of "The Fairies" (poem by Rose Fyleman set to music by the soprano Liza Lehmann). Lillie's music hall turns of the 1920s often parodied the flowery salon song styles of late Victorian singers. Here is the first verse of "The Fairies": THERE are fairies at the bottom of our garden! It's not so very, very far away; You pass the gardener's shed and you just keep straight ahead -- I do so hope they've really come to stay. There's a little wood, with moss in it and beetles, And a little stream that quietly runs through; You wouldn't think they'd dare to come merrymaking there-- But they do. Bea Lillie recorded her comic version in 1934. Poor young wood nymphsThey appear to have misplaced their undergarments. It looks so familiarI could swear I've seen somewhere a sculpture so much like this picture, but I can't put my finger on where or when. MaxThis reminds me of a Maxfield Parrish paining, but I can't think of which one it is. Someone help me out here! The Three GracesThis looks like a lot of images of the Three Graces, I think, although they seem to have picked up an extra Grace somewhere. Here's a Botticelli version -- in which the ladies are wearing a bit more than in many other representations. RemembrancesWood nymphs and faeries have been extinct in my area of the world for some time. But when I was a kid my dad and uncles would go out with clubs and a sack and get as many as they could on a Saturday night. By dawn on Sunday they'd have six or eight of them in the back of the wagon and then we'd ... wait, that was opossums. Never mind. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
The Tower: 1937
... "The Tower, 1015 Chartres Street." 8x10 inch negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston, channeling Jimmy Stewart. View full size. This could ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 11:04am -

New Orleans circa 1937. "The Tower, 1015 Chartres Street." 8x10 inch negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston, channeling Jimmy Stewart. View full size. This could inspire a novel!What a courtyard scene - I can make up dramas that would fit here easily! Still there today of course, but now there's a pool in the courtyard. Would love to know the story of this architecture! View Larger Map She is luminousAnd I can't help but stare at her. "Rear Window"Nawlins style. Most sweetThe little white baby shoes carefully placed, waiting on the back steps. Their owner must be in his seventies today. What is wooden figure attached to the upright above the woman's head? Some kind of folk-art? Does it serve a purpose aside from adornment? Stella !! Whenever I see these old New Orleans courtyard scenes on Shorpy. Keep the floors cleanI love the little pair of shoes on the steps outside the door! Laundry paraphernaliaThere are big sinks up on each balcony, too. The tower todayIt's August 11, 2010, the rain is drizzling, the calliope on the steamboat is playing "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise" and "The Tower" is still there behind the house on Chartres Street. Photo isn't great because it's from my cellphone, but the copper patina roof is clearly visible. Click to enlarge. The Chateau HotelThe address is 1001 Chartres Street. I stay there every year when I visit New Orleans. Amazing hotel right in the heart of the Quarter. I've stayed in the rooms to the left and the right of the "tower" many times. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, New Orleans)
Jewel: 1939
... masonry, two story porch, ornamental iron work." Photo by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Great to See That this handsome ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2014 - 2:26am -

1939. "St. James Hotel, Selma, Dallas County, Alabama. Building dates to circa 1840. Now market warehouse. Three story brick masonry, two story porch, ornamental iron work." Photo by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Great to SeeThat this handsome building has been able to survive despite the many changes. Bravo for not tearing it down just because it's "old"So many beautiful buildings we see here have met the wrecking ball long before we get to see them and it's just sad. Wishes come trueSuccess! Open for business.The hotel was restored in 1997 and is open for business. Supposedly haunted. http://historicstjameshotel.com/history.html Flip-flopFirst the Brantley Hotel from 1837 until after the Civil War, then St. James Hotel until 1892, then a warehouse, now St. James Hotel again since 1997. It's located at 1200 Water Avenue in Selma. Absolutely BeautifulIt's so great the porch is still there. I think that's the most beautiful cast iron work I've ever seen! Excellent!Nice to see an old, beautiful building brought back to life rather than bulldozed into history. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Stores & Markets)
Alley Cabin: 1928
... by Fall Run, Falmouth." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Probably all gone, but wait -- ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/19/2016 - 3:24pm -

Stafford County, Virginia, circa 1928. "Cabin on alley by Fall Run, Falmouth." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Probably all gone, but wait --That brick 2 chimney building in the back is probably now Amy's Cafe. The building has matching chimneys and roof lines on both ends. The Site TodayI looked around the corner, and it appears that the cabin is gone. An equally small house is there, though. West wingThat cabin was minuscule, until they built the addition on the side. Standard of LivingChickens were richer back then. Extravagant OverheadThat appears to be a seamed copper roof, common for the Old Dominion in the early 20th century. I had one on an old, square-cut Chestnut log house I lived in near Rapidan. An elegant touch on an otherwise utilitarian abode. Amy's cafeI agree with kozel, Amy's café is in the brick building now. I live across the river and drive by there occasionally. I'll have to look for the cabin the next time I go by. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Kids)
Hancock County: 1944
... "House, Sparta vicinity." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Dream Home This is what happens ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 4:39pm -

Hancock County, Georgia, circa 1944. "House, Sparta vicinity." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Dream HomeThis is what happens when you win a dream house on one of those reality shows, but don't have the income to maintain it. They gaveThe Red Cross has been by this house as well. Nobody move!I've got a chicken & I'm not afraid to use it! The kitchenThe room to the right would be the kitchen, or at least the summer kitchen. Keeps the heat of cooking out of the house. Earlier they were often completely detached, because kitchens had a nasty habit of burning down. DraftyI see three chimnees, but with all the holes in the walls, it won't matter how many chimnees you have, it's still gonna be cold in the winter. [Better to be the chimner than the chimnee. - Dave] TenantsNeed to get on their no doubt absentee landlord to do some repairs, but then again when you're poor, you don't have much leverage. Ubiquitous ShoeLet's play "find the orphan shoe" in the photos of the old houses. Seems there usually is one if you look hard enough. Also see "sleeping dog." The face of rural povertySparta and its black inhabitants weren't always symbolized by this image. Sparta was once a boom town, in the heart of the cotton industry after the Civil War. David Dickson, Georgia's leading planter for years, found ways to employ freedmen and regained his wealth lost in the war. When he died in 1885, he left his whole estate to his daughter Amanda America Dickson, whose mother had been a household slave. By the time of her death in 1893, Dickson was widely acknowledged as the richest African American woman in the country. But the boll weevil and the post-Great-War cotton crash destroyed its primary industry in the late 1910s. Its bank collapsed, local depression ensued and the people that could move away, left (approximately one-third of the population). Today it's a town with about 1200 residents, an 85 percent African-American population, and a median household income of slightly more than $21,000. Most of them work at the state prison in Reidsville, about 75 miles away. A Google Map trip down Sparta's roads shows that this house could very well still be standing - only abandoned, and with a double-wide in the front yard. Why would Johnston have chosen to stop in this disintegrating hamlet? Perhaps she had read about it previously. Jean Toomer had taught school on Sparta in 1921 to work as a substitute principal in the black industrial schools located there. His experiences formed the basis of the Harlem Renaissance classic "Cane." Thanks again, Dave, for a photo that is always the cover of a history book, if one only starts to read the contents. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Kids)
Belle Grove: 1938
... plantation home in the South. 8x10 inch safety negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Greek Revival Doesn't look very ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2012 - 4:15pm -

1938. Iberville Parish, Louisiana. "Belle Grove. Vicinity of White Castle. Greek Revival mansion of 75 rooms. Ruinous condition. Built 1857 by John Andrews, who sold it to Stone Ware. Occupied by Ware family until circa 1913." The decaying portico of what was reputedly the largest plantation home in the South. 8x10 inch safety negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Greek RevivalDoesn't look very revived to me. Matthew 6:19"Lay up your treasures not upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, where thieves break through and steal." Southern Gothic The first thing I thought of is the crumbling mansion Bette Davis presides over as her sanity crumbles along with it in "Hush Hush, Sweet Charlotte." William Faulkner or Tennessee Williams would have had a field day with this place! The Long Hot SummerShades of Ben Quick and Clara Varner, lemonade on the veranda and Spanish moss hanging from the live oaks. With 75 rooms, who cleaned the house? At BelleGrove.net, the Friends of Belle Grove have a wonderful website. Der AnschlussSpeaking of 1938, note the swastika scratched in the stucco. Manderley!A la Rebecca, what was left of the place burned in 1952. Always mixed feelings... when viewing the ruined beauty of Southern mansions. A 75-room plantation in the deepest South, "down river," is a gorgeous building with a very problematic past. Who cleaned all those rooms? Who *built* all those rooms? Who labored in order to provide the wealth that created the entire plantation? Those are always the unspoken questions that accompany these images, at least for students of American history. In 1938, "Gone With the Wind" was a huge best seller, and being made into one of the most iconographic movies ever produced. The nostalgia for the "genteel Old South" was stronger than at any time since the Civil War. The further away we get from an era, the more it is idealized. "Life After People"A good example that would fit right into that History Channel series. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
Rickety Manor: 1937
... in, and watch your step. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Door so high up What's "up" with ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/22/2013 - 7:02pm -

1937. "Charleston, South Carolina. 727 Bay Street." Come in, and watch your step. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Door so high upWhat's "up" with that door? It looks like a long way down to the street. RegentrifiedThis appears to be the old Josiah Smith Tennent House. It is much improved today and the side yard is the Philip Simmons Children's Garden. Here's a screen shot of the Google Street View: Old BridgeViewable behind the house on the left is what appears to be an onramp for the now demolished, then very new John P. Grace Memorial Bridge. The removal of this bridge and the later, parallel Silas Pearman span in the mid-2000's (along with there supporting ramps) has left a still noticeable hole in Charleston's urban landscape. (The Gallery, Charleston, F.B. Johnston)
Grand Entrance: 1939
... on second-story balcony." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Sturdivant Hall now ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/01/2013 - 10:15pm -

1939. "Watts-Parkman-Gillman House, 713 Mabry Street, Selma, Dallas County, Alabama. Two-story masonry construction dates to 1852. Greek Revival stone columns across front. Fine ironwork on second-story balcony." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Sturdivant Hall nowView Larger Map The Column Capitals...Are sort of neo-Egyptian, round with a single tier of leaves. The more common column capitals would have been Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Uncommon for the era. Nice DetailOn both floors, small columns echo the larger columns by the doors. Handsome; hope we have a 'today' picture for this beautiful house. Hurrah, it is still with us, as glorious as ever! Sturdivant Hallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturdivant_Hall Those Column Capitals......are copied from the Tower of the Winds, in Athens. They were popular in the Greek Revival era because they looked like Corinthian capitals but cost less. Read all about them here. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
The Old Stone Bakery: 1927
... Stafford County, Virginia." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. I vote same building See image: ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2016 - 11:30am -

Circa 1927. "Old Stone Bakery, Falmouth, Stafford County, Virginia." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. I vote same buildingSee image: allowing for the inevitable replacement of some of the stone blocks over the years, it would be pretty surprising for the indicated stones to be the same on two different buildings. A survivor! Watch out kids!There's some poison ivy climbing the walls right by you guys... Or a doppelganger?Unless they completely rebuilt the end wall, that's not the same building -- look at the pattern of the stones, there are some pretty significant differences. Of course, maybe they had to -- the lintel above the double window is cracked, looks like it's about to drop through which would have taken out several courses above it, maybe all the way up to the roofline. A Second Look ... a different building?If the Google Street View is the same building as the circa 1927 original photo, the building has been extensively rebuilt. The stone work on the end is different. The easiest place to see this is above the attic/second floor window and to the right of the window. The foundation may well be different too. Of course the Street View version has a second dormer window, too, but that doesn't prove anything since dormers can be added fairly easily. Maybe a second similar building was built by the same builder or maybe the same plans were used. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Kids, Kitchens etc.)
Tommies Too: 1937
... on the first post. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. More history I wonder if the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 11:03am -

Savannah, Georgia, circa 1937. "38 Price Street." Beer sign by Acme Radio & Neon. Our second look at this mom-and-pop establishment run by Tommie and Clifford Whittington, whose children commented on the first post. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. More historyI wonder if the Whittington family has any more history on the business and the people who ran it? Such as years of operation, etc. The Dark SideA more depressing angle on Tommie's place, with the "colored entrance" on display. I clearly remember "colored" water fountains and entrances as a child in the early 1960s, and being puzzled by my parents hustling me away on a hot summer day when I only wanted a cold drink of water. Ah, the innocence of youth. +73 TooBelow is the identical view taken in July of 2010. Family BusinessThanks for the additional pics of our parents' shop -- yes, Tommies did serve a lot of sailors, boat yard workers, and other industrial workers of both races who lived and worked in that area. Times were very hard for most people, including our family. Thanks again. "Welcome"Well, at least it was CORDIAL segregation. What a changeThe building is remarkably unchanged over the years--yet, interestingly enough, looks completely different in its different lives. In the old photo, it looks appropriately like a place of business from its time. It does not look like a house. Yet, in the newer photo, it looks appropriately like a house and nothing like a place of business. It's amazing how much signs and different styles of doors can change a place. "Real" 7up?As opposed to "Simulated" 7up, I suppose? American Pickers delightThanks for the updated photo of Tommies. I wonder if Mike and Frank from TV's "American Pickers" got there in time to grab those great Sterling Beer signs. While in the Air Force, I would stop occasionally in Terre Haute, Indiana when going home to Cincinnati on leave and have a cold Sterling. Not a bad brew. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Savannah, Stores & Markets)
Trick or Treat: 1937
... vicinity. Structure dates to ca. 1800-1810." Photo by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. And it still exists!? Hard to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 1:20pm -

1937. Rowan County, N.C. "Maxwell Chambers house, Spencer vicinity. Structure dates to ca. 1800-1810." Photo by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. And it still exists!?Hard to believe unless this is a different Maxwell Chambers house. Heavily modified but the view with four upper windows looks the same. Our gangOK, If you want to join our gang you have to knock on the door and then count to 10 before you run away. A Closer LookBoo. Leave 'em aloneThis is the perfect haunted house, BETTER than anything the movies have depicted, since there appears to be several apparitions, reflections, shadows and forms showing up in several of the windows, even the one at ground level in the cellar. There is what looks like two large space alien eyes appearing over the broken slats in the shutter just to the right of the door and a womanly white shape in the window to the right of that. There is definitely something showing up in the left window, first floor and the second floor windows on the right. A ghost hunter told my daughter that they often appear as reflective, unexplainable, translucent orbs in photographs but I see none of those here. Still I feel this is a verifiable, ghost-occupied house of a happy family of spirits that just want to be left alone. Happy Halloween. Carnivale!Instantly reminded me of the kind of place Ben would have visited. I wonder ...Seeing a photo of a place like this always makes me wonder, what did it look like when it was brand new? who would have lived there? What happened to those people? Why did the house end up abandoned? (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Halloween)
Steamboat Gothic: 1938
... Louisiana. Steamboat Gothic circa 1850." 8x10 negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. She still shines Beautiful old ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/31/2016 - 8:08pm -

1938. " 'San Francisco,' Reserve vicinity, St. John Parish, Louisiana. Steamboat Gothic circa 1850." 8x10 negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. She still shinesBeautiful old house. Good to see the place is now in much better shape. Most descriptive"Steamboat Gothic" sums it up precisely, do we assume those tanks on each side contain water? Everything looks worse...Having visited this plantation last summer, I feel this is one of the few instances where black and white doesn't do fair justice as the colors on this house are astounding. Unfortunately, the estate is now surrounded on three sides by a refinery Cistern for your water pleaseThe round structures are cisterns which collected rain water for domestic use. Look at the right cistern and you can see the 'downspout' from the roof gutters running into the cistern. Assume at the time the pic was taken there was a pump system that provide water to the house. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
Locust Hill: 1936
... Port Tobacco vicinity." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Mystery object What is that tool ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 4:44pm -

Charles County, Maryland, circa 1936. "Locust Hill, Port Tobacco vicinity." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Mystery objectWhat is that tool under the middle window? Is that a hand drill? Burned -- September 1963Weep for Locust Hill, which burned in 1963, and based on pictures taken in April 1963, suffered significant indignities between 1936 and 1963. From Bad to Worse.Sometime in the 1940's or 50's, Locust Hill lost its remarkable double chimney with pent and was further compromised with an application of brick-patterned asphalt siding. A worse fate lay ahead, however: In September of 1963, the local fire department deliberately burned this delightful example of Southern Maryland Tidewater architecture. Thankfully, FBJ got there first. Gone.Alas as with so many historic structres in this area, this one was destroyed sometime after 1970. Apparition IncludedFor Sale Cheap. Make us an offer we can't refuse. Charming "fixer-upper" needs a little TLC from an industrious do-it-yourselfer. (Original owner still on the premises). Unfortunately this dwelling has been mysteriously abandoned by subsequent buyers. Country living can be yours if you are willing to put forth the effort to make a few home improvements. Call Acme Realty at 555-1936. Ahhh.Back to the great provincial farmhouses. Excellent. High performance houseIt has Dual Exhaust! (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
Watch Your Step: 1937
... 1794 with addition ca. 1812." 8x10 acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston, Carnegie Survey of the Architecture of the South. View ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2017 - 9:37am -

Spotsylvania County, Virginia, circa 1937. "St. Julien Plantation porch. Main house built 1794 with addition ca. 1812." 8x10 acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston, Carnegie Survey of the Architecture of the South. View full size. Life was so easyBefore there were so many lawyers. The PlantationThe plantation consists of 200 acres in Spotsylvania County, not far from Fredericksburg, VA. The home is Federal in style. It was started in 1797 and was completed in 1812. The attached photograph was from Wikipedia Porch Decor What is the reason for the nets at each end of the porch? Pardon meIs this the Escher residence? Neither run nor rise should change in a stairI have spent my entire career in the construction industry. Anytime I see an example of poor workmanship, I say, "Man ... that looks like *I* did it!" Well, folks, this is off even THAT scale. Safe-T-PorchYou may not make it up or down the stairs, but at least you won't fall off the porch by accident. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
Bizette: 1938
Louisiana circa 1938. "Bizette." 8x10 negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston for the Carnegie Survey of the Architecture of the South. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 4:42pm -

Louisiana circa 1938. "Bizette." 8x10 negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston for the Carnegie Survey of the Architecture of the South. View full size. Nasty but TrueReminds me of the time whatever it was climbed into the drinkin' water and drowned. Of course we didn't know this until the water started tasting real bad and we had to go a-lookin'. Great name!Interesting house, and I wonder if the name could be borrowed for a small business. Bizette, a small bizness! It looks a bit like a miniature plantation house. Don't see anything on the web -- would love to know more! Big Cistern.Wow! That is one big barrel for catching rain. Real Shutters!This house sports excellent examples of real shutters; they are solid and hinged to fully shut a window opening when closed. Louvered versions are actually blinds and it seems as if most of them are just decorative... it is nice to see the real thing on such an interesting house. Also note the handsome wrought strap pintle hinges on the shutters. Great pictureI love the chicken in the righthand corner! Fantastic photoThe hanging moss, the shadows, especially the bit of light at the back stairs just beyond the rain barrel. I only wish some members of the family that lived here were featured. [The hen doesn't count? - Dave] Lightning rod grounding?I think the four cables that go into the earth on the right side of the chimney are grounding for lightning rods, although I don't see any lightning rods sticking up on the roof. [The bamboo rods leaning against the chimney are for fishing, not grounding. - Dave] (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
Best Beer in Town: 1937
... Restaurant, Royal Street." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. "Every bottle sterilized" ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/11/2012 - 11:50am -

New Orleans, Louisiana, circa 1937. "Tortorich Restaurant, Royal Street." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. "Every bottle sterilized"Two men are ordering in a restaurant and they both ask for a glass of water. One man adds, "And make sure the glass is clean!" When the waiter comes back, he's got two glasses of water in his hand and asks the two men, "Which one of you wanted the clean glass?" Nichol and MayBack in the 1950s Jax had some of the most entertaining TV commercials of the day, like this one with Mike Nichols and Elaine May: House of SchenleyIt's been ages since I've seen that name (their logo is printed above the corner entry to this establishment). We always had liquor in our house and I had all but forgotten about Schenley's. My father was a good friend of the proprietor of the "package store" in our small town and when he bought spirits there, the man always gave him the little "gifts" distributed by the liquor companies. We had in our home endless glass cocktail sticks, bottle top pouring spouts, beer trays, glasses and other novelties which were marked with advertising gadgets. I remember toy white seals (the kind that frolic in the ocean) which were tied around the bottles of Carstair's White Seal liquor and black and white scottie dog figurines from Buchanan's scotch. We just do not see these giveaways anywhere today. As for Jax Brewery, it still exists somewhat intact although it has been gentrified into a trendy and stylin' multi-level tourist attraction full of great places to leave your money. Thanks Shorpy for testing my memory yet again; it is the reason I cannot go even one day without looking at this best ever website...may I say I love you? Tortorich RestaurantOpened in 1900 by Louis Tortorichi. SazeracNext door at 437 Royal was the pharmacy of Antoine Peychaud. He invented "Peychaud's Bitters "which along with absinthe and Rye is basis of the Sazerac cocktail. Some say it is the oldest cocktail (probably a myth). The bitters are still around, and the Sazerac is a New Orleans favorite. If its appropriate, here's the recipe: 2 ounces Rye Whiskey 5 dashes Peychaud's Bitters 1 sugar cube splash of Absinthe lemon peel Muddle the sugar with the Peychaud's Bitters. Splash the Absinthe into a glass and pour in the Rye followed by the Bitters. Place the lemon peels in the glass and toast to a good life. And Good Eats, too!Judging by the "menu" written on the walls and windows, Tortorich's is exactly the kind of neighborhood watering hole I remember from my youth, and which I hope still exists. I'll bet the food was delicious. But Not for MeAnd the sad part was that Jax *was* the best beer in town. Have you ever had the swill that is Dixie? It may hearten some to know that the regional brewery tradition of South Louisiana is being kept alive by Heiner Brau and Abita on the north side of Lake Pontchartrain and that both outfits make truly excellent beers. 441 RoyalCorner of Royal and St. Louis. Of Tortorich Restaurant, the 1938 WPA New Orleans City Guide says: "well known for Italian food and seafood specialties." The DoorThanks Brooks for the before and after.Why is it when a structure is updated one of the first features to go is the screen door? It is functional, handsome and of all the sounds I have stored away in my feeble memory bank, the sound of a screen door opening and slamming closed is one of my most cherished. Home of the JaxAlthough Jax beer is associated with New Orleans, it really belongs, as the name implies, to Jacksonville. And here is more than you would ever want to know about that. Point of Sale promotionsOTY's eagle-eye spotting of the Schenley sign brought back lots of memories. Two of my prize possessions as a kid were curbside discards thrown out by a liquor-supply salesman who lived two doors down: a Carstair's White Seal table lamp (the seal had the top of the lamp balanced on its nose, and the lampshade revolved -- How great was that to put on the desk in my room?), and a huge four-color map issued by Schenley's at the beginning of World War II that I put up on the wall of our den and used to learn the names and places of just about anywhere in the world. The Other side of the Family!I never thought I'd see any part of my family on Shorpy ... But wonders never cease! Here is my wife's family in front of me. When the Tortorici family settled in the United States, some went to New Orleans and some landed here in Chicago. Both sides of the family produced great food and greater cooks. I am the fortunate recipient of both great food and a fine wife. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, New Orleans, Stores & Markets)
Oh Henry: 1928
... Jones House, Main Street." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. The New Ride ... is pulling the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/14/2018 - 10:20pm -

Fredericksburg, Virginia, circa 1928. "John Paul Jones House, Main Street." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. The New Ride... is pulling the local girls as expected but the brakes are not as good as he had hoped. A shoe change may be needed. Soap box derby plans?I can't imagine a single person of a certain age who will not immediately think of the Little Rascals' "Our Gang" comedies. Now with a new lease on life Expensive Candy?The candy seems expensive for the time. I remember buying candy bars for 10 cents in the 1970's. ChimneysThose chimneys have so many damaged and missing bricks that one wonders what held them up. Even so, the current remodel has managed to remove every iota of charm, attractiveness and historical appearance from this building. The price of a sweet$1.00 in 1928 had the same buying power as $14.25 in 2018. So the 10 cent 1928 Oh Henry candy bar would cost $1.42 today. That was fairly expensive 90 years ago. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
Multi-Storied: 1937
... that's seen a lot of living. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. 2013 Current view. But just ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2013 - 3:26pm -

Circa 1937. "61 Washington Street, Charleston." A house that's seen a lot of living. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. 2013Current view. But just down the streetSimilar buildings: View Larger Map We bought a housebut it was a TWO story. The realtor told us one story and the neighbors told us another one. (The Gallery, Charleston, F.B. Johnston, Kids)
Twisted: 1939
... Holliday and Dr. C.A. Carey." 8x10 acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Stairmaster High risers -- would ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 4:43pm -

Auburn, Alabama, circa 1939. "Holliday-Carey House, North College Street. Built 1852, owned by Mathew Turner. Other owners: Dickerson Holliday and Dr. C.A. Carey." 8x10 acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. StairmasterHigh risers -- would be quite a workout going up and down this thing. Not your main stairI tracked down the other two pictures of the stair. While it seems to go to the stair hall on the second floor, it clearly isn't the main stair. I'm guessing the room is a conservatory or sunroom. If I Were YoungerI'd like to have a go at sliding down that banister. Wish I'd-a knownFour years at Auburn and this gem was buried right under my nose......I'd have befriended the occupants and slid down the rail to my heart's content. I wonder if this house is still there? N College Street/US 29 did not have many residences (but there were some) by the early 90s when I was there. Nice piano!I can see why they left it downstairs. Narrow!Eep! Good luck carrying your new bedroom furniture upstairs! Movers' NightmareYou're not getting the box spring and dresser up those stairs. Would make a great set for a Laurel and Hardy "Moving Men" movie. Kudos to the carpenter. Old Horror StoryAs you were sliding down the bannister, the last few feet turn into a razor blade. A little wornIt's a little worn but that stairway would be a focal point in a nice house even today. In fact that room looks quite nice even today, except the piano seems a bit dated and the stair seems a bit narrow. One at a time pleaseHave seen metal spiral staircases that narrow but not wooden ones. Might want a cowbell on each top and bottom end of railing so that you could let someone know you were going up or coming down. The locationAs a former student at the University, I am very curious to know which house this is in Auburn. I sure hope it's still standing. Does anyone know the address? [The address is in the caption. - Dave] Halliday-Cary-Pick HouseThe worst that can happen on the stairs is that you can bonk your head if you aren't careful when descending. I can't tell you how many times I have done this and seen it happen to others. The staircase is free-standing and made of mahogany. It is held together with wooden pegs. The house has been owned by members of Dr. Charles Allen Cary's family since 1890. Alice Cary Pick Gibson, who was born in the house, was the last member to live there. After her death in 2001 the house went to her daughter-in-law, Fran Pick Dillard. It has been listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage since 1976 and there are the occasional tours given. I have been fortunate enough to assist in hosting the tours on many occasions over the years. The house is in terrific shape! Here are a few links you might be interested in checking out: halliday-cary-pick house (includes floor plans to both levels of the house) Auburn Tour of Homes (this is a brochure from a recent "Tour of Homes". The Halliday-Cary-Pick House is #5) Halliday-Cary-Pick paperwork I've been in that house!It's not a very big house, so the stairs make sense when you see them in person. There's only a few feet on either side. It's a super cute home! (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
The Birdhouse: 1944
... Plantation, Washington vicinity." 8x10 acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. La Slum aux Folles Somebody call ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 3:15am -

Wilkes County, Georgia, circa 1944. "Dovecote at Hill Plantation, Washington vicinity." 8x10 acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. La Slum aux FollesSomebody call Extreme Makeover Avian Edition! A pigeon loftFor when flying rats were used to carry messages, not just to ruin your washday. Do they grow blackberries in Georgia ? Messages nothing.Them was good eatin! Guano! Get your Guano here!Perfect for your everyday fertilizing and phosphate needs. YesBlackberries do grow in Georgia. And Georgian birds love them. Although I knew what it meant from the context, I was compelled to look up the word "dovecote". I love learning words from Shorpy almost as much as seeing the pictures! (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
Wormsloe: 1940
... vicinity, Chatham County, Georgia." 8x10 negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Wormsloe There is no plantation ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/20/2013 - 9:09pm -

Circa 1940. "Wormsloe Plantation driveway. Savannah vicinity, Chatham County, Georgia." 8x10 negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. WormsloeThere is no plantation house, but the site is now a Georgia Historical Site with ruins to see, a museum, and nature trails. Plantation houseThere actually is still a plantation house at Wormsloe, but it's located off the main road. It was built circa 1820 to replace the original house. It's still owned and lived in by descendants of the Jones family. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
Windsor Shades: 1935
... known as Windsor Shades. 8x10 inch safety negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston for the Carnegie Survey of the Architecture of the South. One ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 4:40pm -

1935. King William County, Virginia. "Waterville, vicinity of Sweet Hall." Built by Tidewater planter James Ruffin in 1794 on the Pamunkey River, this home served as a tavern for Ruffin's Ferry. Currently known as Windsor Shades. 8x10 inch safety negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston for the Carnegie Survey of the Architecture of the South. One of thousands of large-format images of dilapidated mansions, decaying farmhouses and tipsy cabins recorded by this pioneering photographer as she traveled the South during the Depression, documenting a fast-disappearing inventory of Early American architecture. View full size. Flemish Bond Chimney Stacks Windsor Shades is still standing and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was recently restored and wings were added to either end of the building (source). Description of the architecture at http://www.kingwilliamhistory.org: Windsor Shades, also known as Waterville, is a strikingly handsome, little-altered Tidewater planter's house situated on the Pamunkey River about ten miles above West Point. The house sits in a small open area between the river and a pond and is shielded from the public road by a stand of evergreen trees . The dwelling is a story and a half, five bay, gambrel roofed structure built of frame, covered with beaded weatherboards and set on a low, English-bond brick basement. The feature for which the house is renowned is the massive Flemish bond brick chimney stacks at either end. The east chimneys consist of double stacks with three sets of tiled weatherings on each and with a two-story pent between them. In the basement there is an unusually large cooking fireplace topped by a segmental arch. The fireplace is served by the south flue of the east chimneys. Winter bedroomDibs on the bedroom between the chimneys during the winter. Still StandingThe website for the King George County Historical Society displays current photos of Waterville and Sweet Hall, among others. Many of these wonderful manses have disappeared, yes, but many are still extant. I love this place. Great photo. Needs TuckpointingBut the doghouse entrance on this end is generous. ConnectedThere's no electric line in sight, but at least there's a phone line so they can call the fire department. Tidewater TitillationThis is an exhilarating example of Tidewater architecture. The chimneys are amazing! They're also vulnerable to deterioration as evidenced by obvious signs of rebuilding. Note that the chimney stacks begin in Flemish Bond and terminate in Common Bond. Original features include the 9 over 9 first floor front sash and 9 over 6 elsewhere. The horizontal bars in the basement windows are also original. Nineteenth century alterations include a "Greek Revivalization" of the front entry and flanking windows with their corner blocks. Truly a remarkable image. I'd love to poke around inside. I'm WatchingThe dog just stands guard as if to say "OK photographer, you're close enough." I think these old structures are awesome. I like the lines and the massive sise of the building. I imagine many small rooms behind those windows with a large kitchen at the fireplace. Nice shot. Wanting to see more. Cozy!That little alcove between the chimneys must have been a nice place on a cold night. This Old HouseA retired hospital administrator named Carl Fischer bought the place in 1998 and renovated the house. 1. The renovation. 2. A history of the house. (Scroll down) (The Gallery, Dogs, F.B. Johnston)
Carpenter Gothic: 1939
... moldering manse last glimpsed here . 8x10 negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Hill House Until you expand the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2018 - 7:45pm -

1939. "Knight House, Greensboro vicinity, Hale County, Alabama. Gothic Revival two-story frame built c. 1840." Another view of the moldering manse last glimpsed here. 8x10 negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Hill HouseUntil you expand the photo the house looks quite charming. Expanded, it could easily become a basis for a classic Gothic horror novel, such as "The Haunting of Hill House" (1959) by Shirley Jackson and its oft quoted partial opening line, ..."and whatever walked there, walked alone." ShinglesNicely exposed detail of how shingles were installed before sheathing was used. Like the vent details in the crawl space area at the right side. Too bad it is gone. ChallengeI suspect my parents were, at least mentally, perpetually house-hunting for our growing brood. But their dry senses of humor popped out briefly whenever we passed a house like this on a back-country road. My father would point it out, and feign consideration, saying, "Well, that one would be a challenge." Radio FlyerDo the ghost children play with that wagon? (The Gallery, Bizarre, F.B. Johnston)
Eutaw: 1938
... still live there." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. A Neo-Classical Cabin Now I've ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 11:14pm -

1938. Eutawville vicinity. Berkeley County, South Carolina Low Country. "Cabin at Eutaw Plantation. Main building dates to 1808. Built by Wm. Henry Sinkler, son of indigo planting family. Descendants still live there." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. A Neo-Classical CabinNow I've seen everything. Underwater nowEutaw Plantation was in Berkeley County until 1908, when the state redrew county lines and placed it in Orangeburg County. In 1939 the Santee Cooper hydroelectric power development program claimed the Eutaw Plantation lands in what was at the time the largest land clearing program in US history. All of Eutaw Plantation now lies beneath the man-made Lake Marion. Pet DoorOne can assume that these folks had some cats and rigged up a early version of a pet door through the shutter along with a ladder IllustrativeThis grandiose hovel could well illustrate the old Southern saying, "Too poor to paint, too proud to whitewash." (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
Chretien Point: 1938
... Parish, Louisiana. Structure dates to 1831." Photo by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. What a lightning rod! Is that a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/27/2014 - 12:32pm -

1938. "Chretien Point Plantation, Sunset vicinity, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. Structure dates to 1831." Photo by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. What a lightning rod!Is that a lightning rod atop the roof? It's HUGE. If it is an antenna, what a dream of a radiator it must have been on that tin roof ground plane! Past and Present"Chretien Point Plantation was at the center of the Battle of Buzzard's Prairie, October 15, 1863. The home was surrounded by troops, but said to be spared when owner Hypolite Chretien gave the Masonic sign. Today, there is a memorial to the lost soldiers placed in the front of the property and the mansion is open for historic tours that include information about the Civil War, the battlefield, and plantation life." Ref: http://www.civilwar.org/civil-war-discovery-trail/sites/chretien-point-p... Current info and pictures: http://www.chretienpoint.com/ It's looking a little better now+76 - now operated as a bed & breakfast and wedding site. Turnbuckle SunsThey make a nice change from the more common stars seen here frequently on old brick buildings. Hollywood connectionIn the past they gave tours of the house. One of the things that sticks in my mind is that the staircase in Tara in "Gone With the Wind" was a copy of the staircase in Cretien Point. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
Hyphen House: 1939
... from a different vantage. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Watcher Little one watching the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/05/2013 - 11:36am -

1939. "Williams-Reid-Macon House (Dr. Gideon Hunt Macon), Airlie vicinity, Halifax County, North Carolina." Seen earlier here from a different vantage. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. WatcherLittle one watching the camera from the window on the right. The watcherNow that is spooky. Why would someone be in that house. Ooh, love a mystery. Size isn't everythingA stunningly beautiful example of the Early Classical Revival style; even in its decayed state. The shaped columns are delightful. What a gem! Larger examples of the style can get ungainly. House is a homeI suspect that this house was actually in use as a home. Many people from that part of the country enter by the back door, so the steps at the front aren't needed. Its a good thing too because that first step would be a doozy! (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
The Telltale Door: 1931
... Henrico County, Virginia." Large-format negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Well alrighty then This explains ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/29/2013 - 8:31pm -

Circa 1930. "Edgar Allan Poe's mother's house. Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia." Large-format negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Well alrighty thenThis explains a lot. Poe housesI had first assumed that this was EAP's foster mother's house, as his mother died early in Edgar's life while he lived in Boston, but it probably was hers, as she did live in Richmond for a very brief time before her death. He was taken in by the Allan family (his birth name was Edgar Poe) in Richmond after his mother's death. Although the Allan's raised Edgar and changed his name to Edgar Allan Poe, they actually never formally adopted him. His foster parents were quite well off, and I assume therefore, that this wouldn't have been their home. It's probably appropriate to note however, that EAP would have lived with his mother in Richmond in the early 1800's, a full 100+ years before this picture was taken, so the condition of the property might have been much different when he lived there. (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston, Richmond)
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