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Bike Chained: 1920
... April 24 and are not to be opened until his return to that city. Pizzo made a California to New York trip in like manner in 1919." View ... I guess things could get pretty dicey out in the wilds of Kansas or wherever. Though, as a kid I got chased by a lot of mean dogs while ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2015 - 12:07am -

May 1920. "Sailor Tony Pizzo passing through Washington on a Coast to Coast bicycle run handcuffed to his machine. The handcuffs were sealed by Mayor Hylan in New York April 24 and are not to be opened until his return to that city. Pizzo made a California to New York trip in like manner in 1919." View full size. Buttons on his jumperBack during the Vietnam War ,when I was in the Navy, sailors modified their jumpers to make a better, and tighter, fit. These uniforms were called "tailor mades" Modern versions have a zipper. I suppose that they still do today. The morning regularI am less impressed by the physical feat of crossing the country handcuffed to a bike than I am with the thought of simply taking care of, shall we say, the less pleasant daily chores of life, and finding places (and people willing to help him) to do so. I choose to believe that he was allowed his own key to the handcuffs to facilitate his “private time”. Bathroom BreakI will be the first to ask since I know that almost every Shorpyite wants to know. How did he go to the bathroom chained to a bike? Also, did he sleep on top of the bike or underneath? Just asking? According to the story I found, he was not allowed to unchain himself and had done the necessary whilst still chained to the bike. It was, however, specially designed for him to be able to do that. More About TonyTony suffered from tuberculosis and was about to be discharged from the Navy when he undertook the trip from CA to NY. More about that here. He had a pal who got hit by a car on the first trip and had to go it alone the first time. His friend was his manager the on the trip viewed here. When they tested him in 1920 he was clear of Tuberculosis and was able to stay in the Navy. Where did he ride?It looks like he might have started out in Central Park, because he has a pistol hanging under his seat. What! No Chain Guard?As a kid I would roll up my pants leg to keep my threads from becoming ensnared while pedaling merrily down the street.....wonder if Tony did the same. A Gun!?!, etcI guess things could get pretty dicey out in the wilds of Kansas or wherever. Though, as a kid I got chased by a lot of mean dogs while on a bike that could probably go faster than the one he's on. The ability to have a ranged weapon rather than relying on a PF Flyer to the snout could have been handy. Speaking of bikes it seems that coaster brake technology had been developed by 1920 since it doesn't appear that there are any brake levers on the handle bars. A Pair of IversThe bicycle is an Iver Johnson. Not sure of the year, but likely mid teens. The grips on the revolver also look Iver Johnson-ish too. Fall of 1920The overcoats are a clue but the Motion Picture magazine in the woman's arm is from November, 1920. ImpressedI can't even imagine riding that bike even 10 miles, let alone across the country. Twice! I recently did a 210 mile bike ride over two days. I rode a bike with 27 gears that I'm sure weighs half of what this bike weighed. I was able to wear modern technical clothing. I wasn't chained to the bike. I had mechanical support along the route, several rest stops fully stocked with snacks. And there was a truck to carry my tent and sleeping bag to my overnight location. Compared to this guy, I'm a softie. Maybe next year I'll try it his way. Holster legend?Does it say "Dogs Only" on his holster? So, aside from the other private matters, he could not change his shirt, with both hands chained. Hmmm. [Notice how long the chains are and the buttons up the entire length of the sleeve. -tterrace] What about tire changes?It seems like an unnecessary measure to have those chains on. What's he going to do, conspire to defraud the public trust? [It's a stunt. -tterrace] Ready for anythingJunkyard bike: check. Semi-flat front tire: check. Handcuffs: check and double check. "Repel boarders" equipment: check. Helmet: er..... check. Odd looking pedal resistant shoes: check. I am familiar with 13-button trousers, but the button-down-the-sides-and-down-the-sleeves dress blue jumper is new to me. It may have been standard in 1920, but I suspect that it is an accommodation to Seaman Pizzo's particular situation. I'm sure that the trip through Needles in dark blue wool clothing would have been less than pleasant. Maybe he had tropical whites in the trunk. Bike equipmentOr more importantly the lack of it. I used to put in about a thousand miles a year back in the day and I gotta say those shoes must have been painful. And the pedals don't have even the most basic toe clips to give some pedal lifting during the power cycle. It looks like the pistol might rub against his leg and one wonders what he's planning offing. But I vividly remember cycling into Yellowstone Park and noticing a sign that said, "Keep Windows up" Counting the milesI was immediately drawn to the odd-looking nut near the front axle, and recognized the mileage counter located there. The counter on my old Carlton was the same compact style. My mileage counter ... was manufactured by Lucas and purchased in the '50s. It is possibly an updated design since the mount looks the same. You can see the actuating pin mounted on one of the spokes - it moves the "Cyclometer" 1/5th of a turn for each revolution of the bicycle wheel. For you bicycle enthusiasts this was (and still is) mounted on a one-owner 1948 Hex-Tube Monark Silver King. ButtonsI served over 20 years in the US Navy. From 1983 to 2006 and the men's Service Dress Blue jumper never had zippers. The trousers had buttons and the jumper was "tailored" for a fitted appearance but had no zipper or buttons other than those at the cuffs. Sailors would take their jumpers to a tailor shop and have a zipper put into the side seam to make it easier to put on/take off, especially as we put a few pounds on as the jumper was fitted during boot camp. Needles isn't always so hotThere was a remark on here about the bicyclist being overdressed for Needles. I live in Needles and it does get hot here in the summer. It is a four season location, although the winters aren't nearly as severe as the summers. One comment was made about the magazine in the woman's arm being dated November 1920. If that's the case and the magazine is new, he was dressed fine for Needles, except he might even need a pea coat. It's cold between November and March. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Superior Street: 1909
... Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Minnesota. 1915 The Hearst newspapers, ... Let's not forget The best 5 cent lunch in the city. Was it the Hot Beef Tea that they were advertising? Hot Beef Tea ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 6:42pm -

Duluth, Minnesota, circa 1909. "Superior Street." The newsboy's headline: JAP RIOT CRISIS. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Maybe he stepped on a hatTwo things on the right immediately caught my attention: 1. There is a bald man walking down the street; he appears to be the only man in downtown Duluth not wearing a hat. He must have met with some devastating hat disaster. That shiny pate REALLY sticks out! 2. The man in front of Fitger's Beer who is looking down at his feet or something on the ground. I'm pretty sure he was saying or thinking: "Aw man, what did I just step in?" Coming or going?This guy doesn't appear to be a window washer! The Lyceum TheatreSaid to be Duluth’s first “fire-proof” theatre. It was built for live theatre in 1892, but in 1921 it was converted to showing movies. Demolished in 1963. What did the Japanese do?To get that headline. Fitger's beerhttp://www.fitgers.com/subpage.php?page=History Hawaii RiotsThe newsboy's headline concerns an incident during a labor strike by 10,000 Japanese sugar plantation workers on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The wire service "riot" story was datelined "Honolulu - June 9" and ran in the New York Times on June 10, 1909. The wider story about this strike and its developments ran in many mainland newspapers throughout June and July, and concerned the efforts of Japanese sugar workers in Hawaii to achieve a wage increase from $18 per month to $22 per month. Much of the press coverage seems to have focused on "yellow peril" conspiracy fears, but a more nuanced report, "Who Will Develop the Wealth of Hawaii?" ran in the Times on June 27, detailing new efforts by white plantation owners to attract Filipino, Portuguese and Puerto Rican immigrants to replace the "restless and ambitious" Japanese. News of the day?Can we get a close-up of the newsie to read his tantalizing two-word headline? Any guesses? [Anyone read the caption under the photo? - Dave] Spot the signIt looks hot and dusty -- perfect venue for a Coca-Cola advertisement! Jap RiotThe headlines referred to riots in California due to a spate of new laws affecting the Japanese population. Below is an outline of the years before and after the riot. It clearly paints a picture for what happened during WWII. 1906 San Francisco School Board orders segregation of 93 Japanese American students. 1907 On orders from President Theodore Roosevelt, S.F. School Board rescinds segregation order, but strong feelings against Japanese persist. Anti-Japanese riots break out in San Francisco in May, again in October, much to the embarrassment of U.S. government. Congress passes immigration bill forbidding Japanese laborers from entering the U.S. via Hawaii, Mexico, or Canada. 1908 The Asiatic Exclusion League reports 231 organizations affiliated now, 195 of them labor unions. U.S. Secretary of State Elihu Root and Foreign Minister Hayashi of Japan formalize the Gentlemen's Agreement whereby Japan agrees not to issue visas to laborers wanting to emigrate to the U.S. 1909 Anti-Japanese riots in Berkeley. U.S. leaders alarmed at tone and intensity of anti-Japanese legislation introduced in California legislature. 1910 Twenty-seven anti-Japanese proposals intro-duced in the California legislature. White House urges Governor Hiram Johnson to seek moderation. 1913 Alien Land Law (Webb-Haney Act) passed, denying "all aliens ineligible for citizen-ship" (which includes all Asians except Filipinos, who are "subjects" of U.S.) the right to own land in California. Leasing land Iimited to 3 years. Similar laws eventually adopted in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Minnesota. 1915 The Hearst newspapers, historically hostile to Japanese, intensifies its "Yellow Peril" campaign with sensational headlines and editorials, fueling anti-Japanese feelings. Something's missingCan't find the United Cigar Store! Another Japanese connectionIn addition to the "JAP RIOTS" headline, a sign on the Great Northern Railway office announces steamship sailings from Seattle to Yokohoma and Kobe. On a completely separate note, while street crowds in most vintage cityscapes tend to be predominately male, this one is the most extreme, with almost no women visible. It looks almost like a modern street scene in the Middle East. I'll passon the Hot Beef Tea! Although 5 cents is a good price for lunch. Count 'emThere are THREE trolleys running up this street. If I missed one, no problem! I could just wait a minute and hop on the next one! Let's not forgetThe best 5 cent lunch in the city. Was it the Hot Beef Tea that they were advertising? Hot Beef TeaThat's what it looks like the sign says. Or maybe it's Hot Beet Tea, which sounds even worse. How to make it:http://www.thestrugglingcook.com/beef-tea.html Beef teaBeef tea is nothing more than what we now know as beef broth, beef bouillon, or beef consomme. One of my unfailing go-to beverages when I am feeling puny, or (unfortunately) on a liquid-only diet. Why it was a big deal in 1909 I have no idea. I am more concerned about the dude in the window, whether he is coming or going. My theory is that the husband came home unexpectedly. (The Gallery, DPC, Duluth, Streetcars)
Angel of History: 1942
... B-25 bomber cowl assembly, North American Aviation, Kansas City, Kansas. October 1942. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 3:37pm -

B-25 bomber cowl assembly, North American Aviation, Kansas City, Kansas. October 1942. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer. CowlingI believe the yellow painted parts on the cowling are actuators that open the small cowling doors around the engine for cooling on the ground during runups and taxing, if anyone knows about this, I'd like to know more about it. Shock MountsThose yellow things are Dynafocal mounts, where the powerplant attaches to the engine mount ring, which is attached to the airframe structure. They dampen vibrations from the running engine and keep them from transferring to the airframe. The cowl flaps are on separate ring which goes on after the engine and mount are joined. I do not know if the 25 had electric or hydraulic actuators. There is also a metal/asbestos ring (fire seal) which goes around the gap where the engine accessory case goes thru the hole where the worker's head is. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
The Old Paxton Place: 1938
... The Oregon Trail wasn't even close. It ran west from Kansas City, crossed the Kansas River at Topeka, and then went northwest into ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2020 - 6:44pm -

November 1938. "The old Paxton residence. Omaha, Nebraska." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. 2556 Douglas StreetI can't tell if the Yeshia Fregger Grocery is incorporated into the house or in front of it, but either way, this would have been at the corner of Douglas and South 25th Avenue. Now an empty lot in a commercial area. Tough centuryThe 20th century was not kind to the Paxton family of Omaha. In July 1907, at the home at the corner of Douglas and South 25th Avenue, its patriarch William A. Paxton -- pioneer turned entrepreneur turned Gilded Age oligarch -- "was sitting in a great porch chair chatting and laughing in the best of spirits with his wife and the Misses Sharp, friends of the family" when "he gasped suddenly," nearly fell off the chair, and died of a heart attack. Their only son, William Paxton Jr., died unexpectedly of pneumonia less than three years later, in 1910. Son William left a wife (Georgia) and four-year-old adopted daughter, Prairie Paxton. His widow soon married a New York state senator, Martin Saxe, and in 1912 relocated with her young daughter to New York, leaving the great house and "many of her business interests" behind. Prairie Paxton married Randolph Day, gave birth to a daughter Georgia, suffered an illness for two years, and died in 1930 at age 24. Signs, signs, everywhere a signThat has to be the busiest US Route sign I've seen. I learned A LOT about the US highway system running through Omaha figuring it out. With the wagon sign I am guessing the Oregon Trail ran very close by. Any idea on what "B-16" means? A position locator one could then reference? Stae highway signThe diamond shaped sign is a Nebraska state highway marker, which was adopted in 1926 and designed by state engineer Robert L. Cochran. The oxen-and-wagon symbol later became the official state symbol of Nebraska, according to Wikipedia. I can't tell however if the sign reads 8-16 or B-16 though. Brick artThat is one gorgeous chimney. It’s plenty of fun looking at the house, fantasizing about occupying it, but I keep coming back to that masterwork of brick. Nebraska HighwayThe sign with the covered wagon is a Nebraska state highway sign. The Oregon Trail wasn't even close. It ran west from Kansas City, crossed the Kansas River at Topeka, and then went northwest into Nebraska. Budget RemodelNeed to get rid of some windows? Stucco 'em over! Baffling signageIt seems strange to me, twelve years after state highway engineers came to some sort of consensus about nationwide standardized signage, that we had signs that were so illegible. We have a US route shield with four route numbers instead of one, and the word "alternate". We have a state route shield that looks like a caution sign, with an inexplicably graphic depiction of a covered wagon, and two barely-visible route numbers. And I don't understand how anyone ever thought it was a good idea to place route signage on a post so low that it could be obscured by a single parked car, and yet we see this repeatedly in pre-war photos. Also, not shown here: the letters L or R, on a smaller US route shield beneath the numbered one, to indicate a left or right turn. Even if the engineers were that oblivious to non-English-speaking drivers, were arrows really that radical of an idea? But I'm just barely old enough to remember the last few dozen miles of western highway not bypassed by Interstate, and I'll turn 52 tomorrow. It's All About EfficiencyIt is commonplace in cities for numbered highway routes to converge and "run together" for a distance before separating. Nowadays in the USA, US routes have individual signs, sometimes resulting in dizzying arrays of 9 or 12 markers. Much more efficient to have one sign calling out four different routes, no? Similarly, the Nebraska state highway marker shows the conjunction of state routes 8 and 16. Makes Sense To MeAll four of those US highways are running "concurrent" through Omaha. They converged there, and will separate inside or out of the city. You don't need an arrow or turn instructions there because you have just passed through an intersection or junction and are now reading an "assurance" sign to let you know you are on the right path. Keep going and follow the signs. "Alt. 30" (or any other number) is nothing unusual in a city, even to this day. Still there in 1955Historic Aerials shows the old home still there in the 1955 imagery. The next newer imagery is 1969 and the lot looks to have been a parking lot by then. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Omaha)
West of Dodge: 1957
... it is. -tterrace] (yay! - bohneyjames) Dodge City? My husband loved all things cowboy. But being from Kansas he got a big kick out of all the mountains around Dodge City depicted in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/04/2014 - 1:59pm -

July 1957. "Actor James Arness filming on location for the television series Gunsmoke." Photo by Maurice Terrell for the Look magazine article "Jim Arness: Hero of Gunsmoke." View full size. Veteran Character ActorSimon Oakland, who infamously played gumshoe Vern St. Cloud on The Rockford Files, appears to be reclining on his saddle in the foreground, having just enjoyed a swig from his almost-period canteen. (Could the episode being filmed have been "Overland Express" which aired 31may58?) [Indeed it is. -tterrace] (yay! - bohneyjames) Dodge City?My husband loved all things cowboy. But being from Kansas he got a big kick out of all the mountains around Dodge City depicted in Gunsmoke. Dodge COELooks like a Dodge COE in the background (the 4 door truck). Judging from the lighting, I'd say they're, what, South East of a Dodge? Cowboy ClothesI would bet no cowpoke was ever as well dressed as these guys! Check out the rack of costumes on the distant right. Wildwood ParkThe location depicted here is now in Wildwood Park (or in the abutting housing tract) in Thousand Oaks California. The view is to the Northwest, with Mount Clef Ridge in the background. (Frontier Life, LOOK, TV)
Snow Angels: 1922
... Time: It's currently a little over 100 degrees here in Kansas City, and that snow looks so cool. If I could go back in time, I'd like to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 5:48pm -

"Blizzard, January 28, 1922." In Washington, D.C., freezing weather is no match for a sunny disposition. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Our eyes met across a crowded centuryI don't know how many men will fall in love with these two today, but I know I'm one of them. Frozen SunshineSunny dispositions indeed. These lovely ladies make that luxurious blanket of snow look downright warm! (Thank you, stanton_square, for all of the light you shed on so many of these posts. I don't know how you find the time to do it, but I'm sure glad that you do!) Simply gorgeousI wish I knew where I stashed Claybuster's time machine. . . I want to beat him to the one on the left! Shakespeare says So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. http://poetry.eserver.org/sonnets/018.html Snow AngelsWow... beautiful women. I wish there were a time machine. [Ooh. "Snow Angels." May I steal that as the revised title for this post? Thanks! - Dave] No two alikeThey are so naturally pretty--even their smiles are real. Beauty seems so plastic (or silicone) today. What a loss. Sensible ClothesThe blizzard was noted as an occasion when normal dress norms were relaxed, allowing women to don breeches instead of skirts. Femininity Fares Bravely Forth In Breeches, Silks and Goloshes The feminine wayfarers in the storm yesterday held their own in the matter of endurance, and seemed to enjoy the long walks to and from the government departments and the shopping centers. Many of them won masculine approval by the sensible clothes they wore to combat the elements. Sports hats, sensible coats, high shoes, wool stockings and "goloshes" were the favorite footwear. The fortunate women and girls who owned riding breeches wore them under their long or short coats, making it possible for them to go through the highest drifts without difficulty. ... Instead of attending the Saturday matinee, beloved of seminary girls, the students of a fashionable girls' school, dressed for a snow fight, built forts and snow men and shoveled snow in the front yard of the school and ended up with a "pitched battle" of snow balls which would put the historic "pillow fights" to shame. Washington Post, Jan 29, 1922 I'm bewitched!The relaxed cold weather dress code makes these long-legged lasses all the more elegant and attractive. It must have been a treat for the gents and the incorrigible "girl watchers"! What a pair of dollsLovely girls. Their eyes are similar -- I wonder if they're sisters? Tragedy awaitsLater that evening this same snowstorm brought down the ceiling of the Knickerbocker Theater. If I Could Go Back in Time:It's currently a little over 100 degrees here in Kansas City, and that snow looks so cool. If I could go back in time, I'd like to meet the one on the right! They're both very pretty girls. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls)
First Flight: 1942
... Aviation, almost ready for their first test flight. Kansas City, Kansas. October 1942. View full size. 5x4 Kodachrome transparency by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2012 - 11:03pm -

B-25 bombers on the outdoor assembly line at North American Aviation, almost ready for their first test flight. Kansas City, Kansas. October 1942. View full size. 5x4 Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer for the OWI. Taking a Hard LookI love how the guard is looking at the B-25 in the foreground like he had never seen one before. Maybe it was his first day on the job. Flight planIt's amazing, by today's standards, how small these aircraft really were. My father loved airplanes. Back in the 1930s, he'd go out to the local grass landing strip, pay the fee and get a ride in the old "barnstorming" biplanes of the day. When WWII came along, he wanted to join the air force. However, he was a big man who carried a few extra pounds. The air force refused him on the basis of his weight. Looking at these aircraft, I can see why. He ended up in the Navy and went "missing in action" in 1943. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Alfred Palmer, Aviation, WW2)
Kodachrome Karnival: 1979
... Minneapolis and the closest two labs were in Chicago and Kansas City. All the labs were licensed by Kodak and had to adhere to a certain ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 01/08/2011 - 3:41am -

Last week saw the last processing run for Kodachrome film, as noted on Shorpy here. I thought that this one, shot by my friend in 1979, was a good example of what all the hubbub was about. It's at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, California. View full size. Washington Post: Eulogy for KodachromeThere's a great narrative, with an accompanying slide show, in which Washington Post photographer John McDonnell eulogizes Kodachrome, the iconic film produced by Kodak from 1935 to 2009. You'll have to put up with a short commercial intro, but the narrative and slide show are worth the wait! (Make sure your volume is turned on.) Kodachrome scanningFirst of all, there's no such thing as a "straight" translation of any kind of photochemical image to another medium, even if it's another photographic emulsion. In that case, there are differences in the pigments and dyes used in the photographic materials. In the case of standard four-color printing, such as for books and magazines, the pigments are entirely different chemically. Furthermore, there's no way to replicate the contrast range of a color slide viewed by transmitted light on a print viewed by reflected light. When we get into digital scanning and display, there are further complications: the scanning light source, the color sensitivity of the image sensors and even the spectral characteristics of the film itself. (This is a particular problem with Kodachrome, which we faced when I was working in our custom color lab; we could achieve reasonable color accuracy in making duplicate slides and prints from Ektachrome, but doing so across the spectrum with Kodachrome originals was often impossible.) With digital, there's the additional complication of the final display, whose colors are produced in a different manner altogether. And again, the contrast range of a projected color slide exceeds that possible with a standard computer display. The best we can achieve is a reasonable simulation of what's on the slide. Then there's another angle: not all Kodachrome processing was equal. Processing done by Kodak itself was the most consistent, but that from other labs could be all over the map; our own collection of hundreds and hundreds of Kodachrome slides over a span of over three decades provides ample proof of that. We have greenish Kodachromes, magenta-tinged Kodachromes, reddish Kodachromes, bluish Kodachromes, cyanish Kodachromes and others that are off one way in certain colors and another way in others. This particular slide is from a batch processed by some unidentified lab, and they're all consistently reddish/magenta compared to the standard processed-by-Kodak color that I'm thoroughly familiar with. I decided to correct that out to something that looked, to my eyes, more like a Kodak-processed Kodachrome. Below is a version that's close to what the original slide looks like; I can guarantee that the asphalt of the fairgrounds was not red. Not as red as blueExcepting the sky is brite blue, I see this image as heavy with blue, and not as warm red as Kodachrome normally gave. Perhaps it is the age of the image as well. I did a quick adjustment and increased the color overall except contrast. The result is what I thought Kodachrome normally revealed. Just my opinion though. [Put on your sunglasses. - Dave] KodachromeI guess I am spoiled by digital photography. I think the color in this image is average. Also, is this a straight scan without digital manipulation? I enjoy this site. Keep up your good work. Doug Santo Pasadena, CA Sounds like a song titleBeautiful colors, too late though. Someone has already taken my Kodachrome away. I remember fairs like thisThis scene was repeated thousands of times across North America in the mid 70's and early 80's. I could have been one of the three kids standing by the fence. I love the fact that the rides, while brightly painted, aren't cluttered with all sorts of advertising like they seem to be now. I remember riding most of these, the Hurricane, the Yo-Yo and as the sing says, the TipTop. My favorites were The Scrambler, the Loop-O-Plane and the Tilt-A-Whirl. Wagner Shows, a Western Canadian outfit which served our town, used to feature a fellow who rode the deck of the Tilt-A-Whirl while the ride ran, nimbly stepping between the buckets, giving each an extra spin at just the right moment. He wore a t-shirt that read "Tilt the World with Joe". Anyhow, I very much like this photograph. It's one of the few shown here new enough to allow one to suppose that at least some of the people in it aren't obviously dead. Kodachrome realismAll the hubbub (for me, at least) is Kodachrome's ability to make then look and feel like now. A couple of years ago David posted a Kodachrome of a female factory worker in a WW2 aviation plant (I think) and a young man posted a response saying he was convinced beyond all doubt that the photo was a fake. It just did not seem possible to him that a picture from that long ago could look so vivid and immediate. I can see why he might think that because Kodachrome could make 60 years ago look like yesterday. Foy KodachromeIf that's a 35mm transparency, I wish I had spent more time working with Kodachrome than Ektachrome. Amazing detail, colour and texture. Too bad it required a crystal clear day like this to stop motion. Awww, c'mon nowNot at all fair to judge the benefits of Kodachrome by today's digital software manipulation. Back then, you got what you got. And, when it came to printing, only Cibachrome could really capture the essence of the Kodachrome transparency. And yes, even then a wee bit of "manipulation" was possible. We shouldn't compare apples to oranges. Kodachrome vs. DigitalIn 50 years this transparency, barring disaster such as a fire or flood, will look just like this. In 50 years any digital photograph, unless painstakingly re-saved to the latest storage media, will be non-existent. If you print the digital photo to paper with an ink jet printer, it will have long since faded into a mere ghost of its original glory. Re: Kodachrome vs, Digital>> In 50 years any digital photograph, unless painstakingly re-saved to the latest storage media, will be non-existent. This is an oft-repeated canard without much basis in fact. Your average flash memory card should be good for many decades of storage. With billions of them currently in use, there'll be a market for card readers for decades to come, even after the various formats become obsolete. The same is true for hard drives and most other mass-storage media. (Or you can just keep your photos online -- my oldest albums have been online for 15 years now.) For most folks, the storage medium of choice is prints. Inkjet prints made on good paper with dye-based inks have permanence ratings of 100 years or more. WOWWhat an incredibly interesting and fascinating work of art. KodachromeColor just oozes. Re: Kodachrome vs. digitalI used Kodachrome for many happy years, beginning in the ASA 25 years. I was fortunate in living close enough to one of Kodak's own labs, so processing was always consistent. I don't think K-chrome's prime asset was realism as much as it was beauty. Rich colors - in my experience, more so than digital -- set it apart. Ektachrome was the "bluish" film; Kodachrome brought out the deep warm tones. Ultimately, I switched to Fuji film because later high-speed versions of K-chrome weren't as satisfying as the ASA 25 variety. If K-25 was still available, I'd be using it today, and my digital equipment would be gathering dust. Projection - Yes!Too bad such a wonderful film is gone. Tterrace nails the problem with duplicating, digitizing or printing any transparency right on the head. The only thing I havn't experienced is the variance from other labs. Here in the midwest the labs were quite spread out. I processed Kodachrome in Minneapolis and the closest two labs were in Chicago and Kansas City. All the labs were licensed by Kodak and had to adhere to a certain quality standard to maintain their license. I remember that the chemical department had analysis equipment that wouldn't be found in any other photo lab and I had to calibrate the cyan and yellow printing lamps before every run. Just an interesting sidenote, EPA compliance and monitoring was always a problem because the cyan developer had a high level of cyanide that went down the drain from the tank overflow. What's gone is gone.I make no apologies for the fact that the passing of Kodakchrome 35mm slide film does not bring a tear to my eye or a lump to the throat. I'm 65 years old and have used my share of slide and print film over the past 40 to 50 years, including Agfa, Fuji and Kodak products. I have boxes of Kodak Carousel containers filled with slides, and smaller plastic boxes as received from the processing labs filled with slides. Many, many of them show signs of deterioration, no doubt due to careless storage. I'm what anyone would call a rank amateur, a "snapshot-shooter," and although I still have my Nikons I have not used them since 2001, preferring instead the ease and economy that several digital cameras give me. No, not for me the crocodile tears as I wave goodbye to Kodachrome. I'll gladly store my photographs on USB memory sticks or DVDs, keeping only the best of a mediocre bunch and only paying for prints of the really special ones. And I doubt that any other "snapshooter" would feel any different. We will miss you Gives us the nice bright colors, the greens of summer, makes all the world a summer's day. (Sorry Paul, best I can remember at my age). (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
And a Little Child: 1939
... Globe-Democrat, which would have been the closest "big city" papers. The Post-Dispatch is still around, but the Globe-Democrat ceased ... Fuller department store in St. Louis. Stix expanded to Kansas City and I remember going there with Mom when I was young. It was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/02/2018 - 6:11pm -

November 1939. "Former tiff miner, now blind, with son. Washington County, Missouri. Photographs show mining and miners of tiff, form of white lead used in paint. A dangerous occupation because tiff mines are never timbered and all mining is done by hand labor from crude holes in ground usually 10 to 15 feet deep." Photo by Arthur Rothstein, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Lead Mining in S.E. MissouriLead was a huge industry in S.E. Missouri, producing about 1/3 of the lead mined in the U.S. at any given time. The ore was found in a couple of large areas within about 60 miles south and west of St. Louis. Washington County was in the upper left corner of the "lead belt" region. There is film of tiff mining by hand in this area, probably from the 1930s and difficult to watch, showing how it was done and also some of social problems that accompanied it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU7Ovb5NtaI This video from 1948 is about hard-rock mining in the Missouri lead belt and gives a lot more information about where the ores were found and how the more common types (e.g., galena) were mined and processed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HhdkkdsvTM Some are survivors, some have disappearedThere used to be quite a lot of iron, lead, and zinc mines in southern Missouri. Lead is still mined today in Washington County and surrounding counties. The Missouri School of Mines was founded in 1870 in Rolla (about 50 miles west of this photo), to train engineers for the mines. It later became part of the University of Missouri system. The walls are covered with pages of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and St. Louis Globe-Democrat, which would have been the closest "big city" papers. The Post-Dispatch is still around, but the Globe-Democrat ceased publishing in 1986. At the top right of the mirror is an ad for the Stix, Baer, and Fuller department store in St. Louis. Stix expanded to Kansas City and I remember going there with Mom when I was young. It was eventually sold to Dillard's, and then Macy's. Tiff is also still mined today, but the process is much different than it was in 1939. One large deposit of it is near the Virginia-Maryland border and is owned by the federal government. The feds extract the tiff and supply it to private processors, who must use automated equipment to handle it - no manual processing. This equipment compresses the tiff into a more compact form that is easier to ship and to use for further processing. 4 year old paperThe Ripley's Believe it or Not cartoon that can be seen to the left of the mirror next to the shoes was published in the Aug 29, 1935 edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, making the paper lining the walls over 4 years old. Items it covered included John G. Zook who recopies the items he wrote 50 years ago for the same newspaper, a clothespin used for 62 consecutive years by Mrs. Mary Richmond, the Mormon Nauvoo Temple, and Eddie Cole of Galveston who pitched a perfect game of baseball. Tiff is Barium Ore, not LeadI wasn't familiar with the term "tiff" until I saw this photo caption, but research indicates it refers to barite or barium sulfate ore. There were a lot of barite deposits in the area - in fact if you look at old topo maps you can see small mines all over the place, some of which are lead, and some barite. Fortunately barium sulfate is not nearly as toxic as lead ores, so we don't have to feel quite so sorry for the poor lad in the picture. Although he may be lead-poisoned anyway, just from living around the mines and smelters. [Trachoma, a bacterial infection, was the cause of blindness among Missouri's miners of tiff, a substitute for white lead in paint. - Dave] (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Kids, Mining)
Knott's Berry Farm: 1964
... Being from Indiana and never any farther West than Kansas City, Kansas, I was always fascinated by the lure of the West Coast. Still, ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 11/12/2016 - 5:18pm -

The 1960s saw several SoCal family vacations to visit my sister and her family, and this time the whole slew of us took in Knott's Berry Farm, where I took 18 color slides, as opposed the over 40 I shot in Disneyland. So that'll show you. Faux-reality fan that I was, I liked wandering around Knott's old western-style buildings, cement cliffs and miniature buildings, but no doubt about it, Disneyland was my heaven on earth. Oh, and it was nice seeing the family, too. View full size. Sundays at Knott'sDuring the late 50s and early 60s Knott's had no fence and no admission fee, which made casual Sunday family events possible and affordable. By the time I returned from Vietnam in 1970 the fence and admission fee were in place. "The hippies" was the reason I was told. Berry different nowI remember Knott's Berry Farm from those earliest years, when it was much quieter. No rides that I remember, but I never forgot the fun of panning for gold in the sluice box. I also remember Disneyland when it was surrounded by orange groves, an island of fun in a sea of orange. I think I liked both places better then. Grandma's tripBack in 1970, my cousins took my 90 year old Hungarian grandmother to SoCal for several months and the part of that trip that tickled her the most is when they took her to Knott's Berry Farm to buy "chelly" and then to "Dixieland". She talked about that trip for the next six years until she passed away. Never been to KnottsI've never been to California. My cousin Joe lived in Santa Ana until retiring to New Hampshire. My Uncle Joe (his dad) visited him quite regularly and brought back a lot of stuff from Knotts. Being from Indiana and never any farther West than Kansas City, Kansas, I was always fascinated by the lure of the West Coast. Still, I'll probably never venture out there. California Dreamin.........to me......is just that. Knott's Fun1962-1964 Knott's had more to offer than Disneyland as far as I was concerned. Loved to drive the cars you could actually steer and step on the gas. Then loved the trout farm. My grandmother did not since she did not really like cooking trout. Calico Train ride was great. They had a real guy talking instead of a recording which is what Disneyland used. And...the steam train ride. The robbers would come thru holding the place up. I convinced my older brother that we should fight back. So one day we brought our cap guns (Mattel Shootin' Shell pistols). And we shot back! My Mom, well, we learned some new words that day. But it was fun. Lots of good memories. BoysenberriesWe used to go there often in the 60's and 70's. Boysenberry sherbet was the best. The transformation exhibit was cool too, and the seals. My grandpa and I used to feed the sparrows when he would get tired. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Dairy Queen: 1942
... alive. [EDIT: It's hard to discern which, but the city might be "N.Plainfield" or "S.Plainfield," both of which sit just adjacent ... camp (as we called it) at Fort Hays State College in Hays, Kansas, in the summers of 1963-65. It had none of the prestige of Interlochen, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/27/2013 - 6:51pm -

August 1942. "Interlochen, Michigan. National music camp where 300 or more young musicians study symphonic music for eight weeks each summer. A student eating an ice cream cone." Photo by Arthur Siegel. View full size. A Pretty Girl Is Like A MelodyThe fly is smiling, too. What a cute girl!Got to love that smile, just a little on the dangerous side. Dully NotedThose were the days before permanent press. Everything had the marks of ironing. Also black flies. The pin on her collarThe little violin suggests her choice of instrument. I agree with Zoomer -- a dangerously cute smile. Summer camp in knickersI went to Interlochen in the mid-'60s. What an enjoyable place. There's nothing quite as nice as being serenaded to sleep at night by strolling musicians. I Hope That there were not too many broken hearts in the horn section of the Interlochen Camp Orchestra. IDHer badge indicates that she's Judy Lambert, from Plainfield, NJ. Judging from the photo, she'd have been born in the mid to late 1920s, making her almost 90 if she's still alive. [EDIT: It's hard to discern which, but the city might be "N.Plainfield" or "S.Plainfield," both of which sit just adjacent to Plainfield, NJ.] Band campI went to band camp (as we called it) at Fort Hays State College in Hays, Kansas, in the summers of 1963-65. It had none of the prestige of Interlochen, but we had fun, too. This photo is very evocative. A guy could fall in love . . . .Amazing what a freckled cheek, a saucy haircut, a coy and confident smile, and . . . well, an ice cream cone on a warm summer day, can do to a fellow. I like this girl. Re: A guy could fall in love . . . .A guy did (and a Scion of Industry and fellow violinist at that). She married him in 1950 and they had three kids and seven grandchildren. He died last year and she's named as a survivor in the obit, so no names for privacy's sake. But it looks like our girl had a pretty good future waiting. Classic BeautyI'll bet Ms. Lambert had no idea she would be making men swoon 70 years later. I love this photograph - my wife went to Interlochen for high school, and she had to wear those knickers. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Music, Pretty Girls)
Oyster Shuckers: 1912
... a while. No, I didn't live in "the hills." I lived in Kansas City, Missouri, and was in my early 30s. I have a college education, and know ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/01/2008 - 8:44pm -

February 1912. Port Royal, South Carolina. "Bertha, one of the six-year old shuckers at Maggioni Canning Company. Began work at 4 a.m." View full size. Photograph (glass negative) and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. Wow.This one really got to me. I have such an easy life. BerthaPeople who go on and on about the "good ol' days" should reflect. So haunting, even more so than the other shucker photos. Six. Years. Old. So SadAnd the kids today think they have it tough. This photo makes want to cry. Oyster shuckersI've seen a little of the so-called third world. While the United States has pockets of abject misery, most of those we consider poor here have a standard of living light years ahead of the rest of the world. "Back in the day" almost everyone worked long hours, with little rest or diversion. It was considered normal. I'm glad most of our children now have the luxury of enjoying life. Some of them, though, could stand the discipline and rigor of a little more responsibility. Perhaps a little less than what is pictured here. Flower GirlI find it so poignant that the little girl has a flower in her hair, it is probably the only way she can identify herself as a girl. If you didn't see her head you would assume she were a little boy. I wish I could wrap her in pink. Unkonwing childrenAs I look at your pictures, I fear for the younger generation. I am a great-grandmother of 5 and my grandchildren don't know how to cook unless it comes from a box. When things got tough, I knew how to make soap and washed clothes on a washboard. (Washing machine broke down.) No money to fix or buy another one for quite a while. No, I didn't live in "the hills." I lived in Kansas City, Missouri, and was in my early 30s. I have a college education, and know how to do what has to been done. The young people of today haven't a clue in regard to what to do if the lights go out and the heat goes off or what is edible or medicinal in regard to plants. Our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren haven't a clue. Frankly, past years had their faults, but if the electricity goes off or the "boxes" disappear from the shelves, we are in a world of hurt. [When I was in grade school, we lived next door to the Unkonwings! - Dave] Hard TimesI surely agree with your statement, I live on the other end of the state from you and do know what it is like to eat rabbit because I saw one out side my window one early morning when I was in a poor financial situation. I dread the future for the so many who do not know ow to provide for them selves. I am truly glad that my grand daughter or my children do not have to work this hard, but do fear we are going to see these times again way to soon. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine)
The Corner Store: 1932
... back in the late 40's we had a little corner store in my Kansas town. The lady that ran the store was about 70 years old. She had all ... of a professional image for workers in the Federal City. The fence looks like the same one... If you look closely at the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 10:58am -

Circa 1932. "United Food Stores." Whitman's Market at A and Sixth streets S.E. in Washington. National Photo Company safety film negative. View full size. The building's still standingView Larger Map And it looks like the neighborhood's doing well. It's a nondescript, but nicely preserved, residential home. And there's a rather nice building to the left of the address, if you're curious. Looks original, as does most of the area. In the Shorpy version, is that an action shot of a guy running out from between the buildings on the left? The legs seem blurred. I'm AskingWas the United Food Stores part of a food cooperative or an association of similar merchants that were part of a buying and/or advertising group? Beer for sale? 1926 was during Prohibition; I think the "ICE COLD BEER TO TAKE OUT" sign is a little blatant for the era... [Beer was legal during Prohibition, as long as it didn't contain more than a certain amount of alcohol. - Dave] This Old StoreYou can see the newer brickwork where the display window was, while the base for the window remains. Wish someone would tend to that weedy little side lot. BoxesAs a habitual watcher, when looking at stores, one always notices the old wooden crates used prior to corrugated cardboard boxes. I've often wondered when the latter began to push the former to obscurity. Behind the fence, just to the left of the basket is what appears to be a cardboard box cut in half. Am I right? Wrong? Everything old is new again?I miss the corner store. I wonder if environmental concerns and fuel savings might cause a turnaround soon, and small corner stores might again appear in neighborhoods? Sure, they wouldn't have the variety that supermarkets have, but I don't think I'd miss the giant parking lots, huge crowds of people, long lines at the cash register, etc. I also noticed the "public telephone" sign -- that's a reminder that public phones are fast going the way of the dodo bird. [You'd use a lot more fuel distributing X amount of food to 10 small stores than you would to one big store. - Dave] No longer a grocery todayI'm not savvy enough to put the google street view in, but there is a fantastic shot of the site there. What's interesting to note, what was in 1926 brick walkway, is today concrete, and what was concrete is now brick! WiredThe building is still there. Although it is now a private residence. The pole sticking up from the roof is for a radio antenna. Corner StoreWhile in elementary school back in the late 40's we had a little corner store in my Kansas town. The lady that ran the store was about 70 years old. She had all her penny candy in a big glass case where all the kids could see. Even if you had only a penny to spend she would treat that sale like it was the most important sale of the day. Each kid could take as much time as needed to select that very important piece of candy. If you purchased two or more pieces of candy she had these very small little sacks she placed your purchase in. Every child that came in her store was important and treated like a grown up customer. Corner BusinessesThis corner is a mere two blocks south of Stanton Square (map): I walk by it all the time. One can see many private homes in the neighborhood which bear the the architectural indicators of former corner businesses. Two clues are large display windows and a street-level entrance -- most buildings constructed as houses have a few steps up. I've searched all my usual sources in an attempt to find some information on Whitman's Market but, so far, to no avail. Capitol Hill is said to have the largest collection of surviving Victorian buildings in the country. Several corner grocery stores survive but now the most ubiquitous corner business in the neighborhood seems to be dry-cleaners -- a testament to the importance of a professional image for workers in the Federal City. The fence looks like the same one...If you look closely at the Google photo, the little fence surrounding the small side yard looks like the same one that was in the original. If true, pretty amazing. Corner storesHere in Oregon (Eugene) we still have corner groceries (there's one three blocks, another 7 blocks away from me). I was surprised at how many there were when I first moved here from California in 1979. Quite a few of them are natural food stores, many also have small delis. These are privately owned, not chains (7-11). Is this so unusual in the rest of the country? Cold Beer Next DoorI currently live in the first house to the right of the store. I knew that building used to be store, but was always amazed at how many stores were nearby. Eastern Market is two blocks away and a similar store that is still in operation on East Capitol is two blocks in the other direction. I do think the original fence is still there, as is the fence on the right. The staircases to the houses to the left of the store intrigue me. Those houses currently have cast iron staircases that are typical of other staircases on the Hill. I always thought those were original, but they seem to have wooden staircases in the photos. Those houses were built in the middle 1880s, so they were around 40 years old at the time of the photo. Do you think the wooden staircases were original? Cap Hill fixer-upperThis house is on the way to my son's day care and I walk by almost every day. It has not been maintained well by Capitol Hill standards. The stairs mentioned below were not actually replaced by nice cast iron stairs later. On closer inspection two are horrible metal knockoffs and the third is a hybrid wooden steps with a period handrail. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Keiths New Theatre: 1907
... of her dances apparently flirted with — and at least one Kansas City judge declared, overstepped — limits of moral decency. She was married ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 10:08pm -

Philadelphia circa 1907. "Entrance to Keith's Theatre." When was the last time you patronized your local vaudeville house? 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Megaphone and BellAll the tools needed for your modern bus driver. That and muscles like Popeye to steer the darn thing. Grand EntranceThis is such a beautiful entrance! It's over the top, but I LOVE it. I hope its still around. We have lost so many beautiful buildings and have either a parking garage or a Plain Jane block building with no architectural interest. [Demolished in 1971. More here. - Dave] StrippedIf you look at the photo in the article that Dave lined to, you wouldn't know that it was the same building. By 1968 (when "Ice Station Zebra" - the movie that was showing in the picture - was released) the building had all of the features of the magnificent French Renaissance style facade stripped off or hidden behind the sort of "modern" glass and steel that was popular at the time. We've all seen too many great old buildings ruined by owners and developers who were "improving" the appearance of their building, said improvements falling out of fashion as rapidly as they came into style. I hate to say it but tearing down this building was more of a mercy killing than anything else. What made it special had died long before. RKO Radio PicturesGimme a K as in Keith's. Amazing detail and spiffy derby hats too! This photo has so much wonderful detail - you don't know where to look first. I can't believe this was over 100 years ago! I bet the inside of the theatre is just as gorgeous as the outside! Where was itDoes anyone know what address this was? It's extraordinary! [1116 Chestnut Street, according to the page linked to in the "Grand Entrance" comment below. - Dave] Gertrude Hoffmanwas an exotic dancer who toured on the Keith-Albee vaudeville circuit for a number of years. Her name at the top of the bill in this pic probably caused more than a little curiosity since some of her dances apparently flirted with — and at least one Kansas City judge declared, overstepped — limits of moral decency. She was married to composer Max Hoffman who, incidentally, was musical director of the Ziegfeld Follies of 1907. Gertrude dropped out of the public eye by the late 1920s/early 30s as vaudeville faded. She died in 1955. Sadie My Creole LadySheet music from 1902 - words and music by Max Hoffmann and sung by Miss Gertrude Hoffmann. LocomobileThe car is a four-cylinder 1905 Locomobile Model E Touring with side-entrance tonneau. This was the year that Locomobile discontinued all of its rear-entrance tonneaus in favor of "double side-entrance" bodies. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Philadelphia)
Thirteen Ball: 1918
... could be served. Two of these huts were built in New York City and were known as the Eagle and Victory Huts. In Washington, D.C. the ... the 't', this seems to be the exclamation of choice in Kansas and Missouri, based on Google searching. It apparently was a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2012 - 5:32pm -

Washington, D.C., 1918. "Liberty Hut, Y.M.C.A." (W.W.H.D.?) Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size. No, No, not that oneLine up on the cue ball, Dufus. It is the white one with no numbers. RookieHe must be new at this game. Somebody show him where the cue ball is. Cold!My goodness, that looks cold. Several of the boys have their overcoats on. That hall ("liberty hut?") looks mighty drafty with that high ceiling. The HustlerNotice the young man is aiming his stick directly at the numbered ball, instead of the cue ball. Either he's trying to hustle someone, or it was simply for the photo op. One amongst manylady behind the desk. Waiting timeI wish the Army would fork out for a second table. Four StarsAnybody know the significance of the flag? Lining UpA less snarky explanation is that he is gauging the angle to the distant corner pocket nearest the camera. One of the corner pockets nearest to him appears to be blocked by the 8 ball. Tough shot to make. I don't think such an obvious goof would pass without some of the guys in the back giggling. ScandalousNot a single naked prince anywhere in sight! Wartime YThe flag looks like a very large version of a service flag, given to those who had children serving in the war. Is it possible that the flag refers to those who were lost or serving in the war that had a type of membership in this club/liberty hall? Devil Dogs among the DoughboysI count at least 3 Marines in the crowd. How do I know? Details, details, details are the keys to all Shorpy photos. Young Blue EyesLooks like a very young Frank Sinatra is watching the game, granted his eyes seem to be brown here... From Tabernacle to HutWe've seen this building before, from the outside - the YMCA's Service with Fighting Men: An Account of the Work of the Young Men's Christian Associations in the World War (1922) reports: For service in embarkation centers on the Atlantic seaboard, the Bureau of Construction planned and erected special huts. The largest was at Hoboken and was known as the Hudson Hut. Buildings of a similar nature were built in other cities near the embarkation camps. These huts were of the same type of construction as those in camps and cantonments, but had in addition a cafeteria where meals and light lunches could be served. Two of these huts were built in New York City and were known as the Eagle and Victory Huts. In Washington, D.C. the YMCA took over the Billy Sunday Tabernacle, and modified it to serve as a dormitory with auditorium, billiard room, reading and writing rooms attached. After being remodeled it was christened the Victory Hut. Thousands of soldiers passed through nearby Union Station en route to embarkation points during the war. Hully Geet! Washington Post, July 14, 1918. Largest “Y” Hut Here Former Sunday Tabernacle Doing Great Service for Soldiers. “Hully Geet. This is a regular place with sheets and pillows.” So one soldier exclaimed after he had been awakened from his sleep on a bench in Union Station and showed the way to Liberty Hut, just across the station plaza. Not only a bed, sheets and pillows awaited him there, but a shower bath, a place to check his baggage, reading and writing rooms, music of pianos and Victrolas, companionship, and food, at a nominal cost. It is a “regular” place all right, but a most extraordinary place as well. It is the largest Y.M.C.A. hut in the world and expert association men have studied huts in various camps to make its appointments a model for meeting the soldiers needs. From now on Liberty Hut will be open 24 hours a day. From Midnight until 4 a.m. a secretary will patrol Union Station to invite any man in uniform who has no shelter in view to avail himself of the hut's hospitality. For 35 cents the visitor receives the following: Free checking of valuables and clothing. Towel and soap and shower bath. Baggage checked. A Bed upon which the linen is changed daily. Special rates at the Y.W.C.A. cafeteria adjoining. If he hasn't the 35 cents the cost is nothing. No man in uniform will ever be turned away from the hut's doors. Upon entering the soldier, sailor or marine is in the spacious lobby, in which there is a secretarial desk and three pool tables, a Victorola and a piano. To his right is a library, with a homelikeness that already has struck responsive chords in many a weary, dusty, train-tired man in uniform. There are shaded library lights, not the unbroken glare of electric bulbs, more musical instruments, books and magazines, curtained windows, more than half a hundred arm chairs, and inviting tables. … Hully Gee!Without the 't', this seems to be the exclamation of choice in Kansas and Missouri, based on Google searching. It apparently was a favorite of Teddy Roosevelt, too (in a telegram): "In commenting on pictures I never use any language as modern as Latin. On the occasion in question my quotations were from cuneiform script, and the particular sentence referred to was the pre-Ninevite phrase “hully gee.”" It also appears in an article in The Southeast Missourian - Sep 3, 1949: Re: Hully GeeI wonder if it is clean-language euphemism akin to "gosh darn." Hully Gee(t) doesn't sound all that different from drawling, "Hœly shēēt." [Most references I've found say it's "Holy Jesus!" - tterrace] (The Gallery, Harris + Ewing, Sports, WWI)
4 Seconds Fast: 1943
... Were initially set up by the railroads. Before that each city or region could set its own time and that caused chaos with railroad ... to Chicago from left to right, and the "4 Second" board go Kansas City (?) to Chicago right to left? Face to Face Dave - your ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/01/2014 - 1:27pm -

March 1943. More Marceline, Missouri. "A dispatcher at work in the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad offices." This fellow would seem to be sensitive to glare. Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. FastThe clock says it's four second fast. I wonder how they (a) know and (b) at what point do they correct it? Walt DisneyThe Marceline depot is now the Walt Disney Hometown Museum. http://www.waltdisneymuseum.org/museum/ Judging by the window (double hung sash with a small transom), I would say that it is indeed the same building. Standard TimeUnder the TT&TO (Timetable and Train Order) system of train operation used by railroads for over a century, timing was critical to keep trains from running into one another. Every railroad had one very accurate "Standard Clock". Every employee whose duties were affected by the TT&TO Rules had to carry a railroad watch, certified annually by an approved jeweler to be accurate to not vary more than 30 seconds per week. Each employee starting on duty was required to compare his watch to a local standard clock at that station, and if it varied more than 30 seconds from the standard to correct it. Each station, the local standard clock had to be compared by telephone or telegraph to the Standard Clock, and if it varied by more than 30 seconds it had to be corrected. I have that picture on the wall in my hallway!My parents had the picture of the hunting dog (along with three others, forming a set) for as long as I can remember, until they gave them to me back in 1992. I've had them on the wall in my house ever since. One, sadly, was damaged ten years ago when the 1930s era frame simply fell apart suddenly and it crashed down, smashing the glass and slicing the print. The others are still hanging on the wall in our hallway. Standard Time ZonesWere initially set up by the railroads. Before that each city or region could set its own time and that caused chaos with railroad schedules, and safety. Housekeeper's holidayBased on this photo, the feather duster must have been invented in 1944. What gives? It appears as if some major changes were made in this office during March of 1943. Comparing the current image with the previous, we see: 1) the telegraph key has either been moved or eliminated, 2) “Mission Control” has the desk lamp over what appears to be a speaker device missing in “4 Seconds Fast: 1943,” 3) the standard clock is on one wall first, then another subsequently, and 4) in “4 Seconds” the dispatcher has what I’m guessing is a CTC board in front of him, absent in “Mission.” The one comforting constant is the sacred train sheet, spread from one end of the desk to the other. (Well, not so sacred anymore, as train movements are recorded and stored by computer software these days, not pen and ink…at least on Class 1 railroads.) [The two pictures were taken within minutes of each other, and nothing has moved except the photographer. These are two different desks. - Dave] Okay Dave, that makes sense. But your answer only raises two more questions: 1) why are there two desks for the same territory (a sure prescription for disaster), and 2) why does the "Mission" board go to Chicago from left to right, and the "4 Second" board go Kansas City (?) to Chicago right to left? Face to FaceDave - your comment about being different desks is correct. In fact, they appear to be facing each other. Note the position and shape of the "poster board" tied to the pipe above them. RE: left to right and right to left"why does the "Mission" board go to Chicago from left to right, and the "4 Second" board go Kansas City (?) to Chicago right to left?" I would guess that "4 Seconds Fast" guy is seated facing south with Chicago to his left and "Mission Control" guy is facing north. (Technology, The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
The Poughkeepsie Peeper: 1900
... to arrive on the 9:10 and sing "Everything's Up to Date in Kansas City" Distinctive Architecture I predict that some Shorpy Sleuth will ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/21/2015 - 10:39am -

New York circa 1900. "Waiting for the train, Depot near Poughkeepsie." 5x7 inch glass negative rescued from an Upstate attic. View full size. JeepersThat guy inside gives me the creepers. It was the birthOf the photobomb. Bring on the BoysWaiting for the Beefcake Collegiate Rowers in wool shorts to arrive? Waitingfor Will Parker to arrive on the 9:10 and sing "Everything's Up to Date in Kansas City" Distinctive ArchitectureI predict that some Shorpy Sleuth will have an identity for this station in a short time because of its distinctive architectural features: * Brick construction. (Most RR stations are wood frame.) * Curved, corbelled lintels on the windows. * Wrought iron eve braces. I know of only three RR's near Poughkeepsie on the east side of the Hudson: the New York Central, the Central New England , and the Newburgh, Dutchess, and Connecticut RR. Of these, my first hunch is that it is _one of_ the Poughkeepsie stations which preceded the current ex-NY Central station. The substantial construction supports this. However, this would be "in", rather than "near" the City of Poughkeepsie. My second hunch is that it will be the station of the Central New England Rwy. I surmise this could be their station on the Poughkeepsie Bridge Route, which would put it on high ground overlooking the City of Poughkeepsie, thus perfectly fitting the caption. One interesting aspect is the height of the platform upon which they are sitting, and the bare ground in front of it. This looks for all the world like the BACK of a station, the side facing away from the tracks. Now, the challenge is to come up with another old photo with a matching station, positively identified! More like 1915Okay, none of these folks are particularly fashionable, but there are a number of clues indicating a date later than 1900. 1. The lady on the left with her tiered skirt and angular hat - both typical for around 1914/15. 2. The lady with no hat (a remarkably casual way to appear in public at the time) has a flat top loosely marcelled hair-do most popular in the mid nineteen-teens - her loose comfortable looking dress - same period. [This is from a batch of glass negatives dated 1900 to 1902. - Dave] A Spectacle The Gentleman standing at the far right has a haircut that caused me to look twice. For a moment I thought he was wearing his eyeglasses atop his head as many of us do to rest our eyes. [He seems to be holding a conductor or stationmaster-type cap. - Dave] I Love This Photo!A successful young family on their way down to NYC? Could that be the Nanny on the left? Or is the Lady traveling with the Fellow sitting inside the door? Thank you Shorpy for this Amazing Channel to The Past! From a Disney movieAfter the comments on the adults, I can't help but notice the kids seem to be dressed up in their best summer clothes for the trip. The oldest boy looks like Bobby Driscoll has escaped from the Disney movie "So Dear to My Heart" that I just recently watched on TCM. (The Gallery, Kids, Railroads)
Hank Aaron: 1934-2021
... on our first date to see the Chicago White Sox defeat the Kansas City Royals 4-0 at old Comiskey Park, and in the ensuing years, he taught me ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/22/2021 - 1:43pm -

September 8, 1955. "Hank Aaron standing in front of his locker with misspelled name in the Milwaukee Braves locker room." Photo by Phillip Harrington for Look magazine. View full size. Hank Aaron, Home Run King Who Defied Racism, Dies at 86         Hank Aaron, who faced down racism as he eclipsed Babe Ruth as baseball’s home run king, hitting 755 homers and holding the most celebrated record in sports for more than 30 years, died today in Atlanta. He was 86. -- New York Times Arron? Really?For the love of Pete. How long did it stay like that? RIPI remember when he hit 714; we lived in Atlanta and although I was only 17 and living in an all-female household and not yet a baseball fan, Hank's accomplishment was so celebrated that even those who weren't paying attention, sat up and took notice. There was such joy in the air. Four years and four months later, when my soon-to-be husband took me on our first date to see the Chicago White Sox defeat the Kansas City Royals 4-0 at old Comiskey Park, and in the ensuing years, he taught me about many of the greats, including Hank Aaron. Now we're die hard Cub fans but we love and have utmost respect for all baseball legends. Rest in Peace, Hank. Henry Was Consistent. Here's how to hit 755 home runs: start early, and end late. Henry hit 37 HRs at age 21, and 40 (in just 120 games) at age 39. His stats are especially impressive for a man who played half his career in the pitching-dominant 1960s. Looking at his stats online, I just noticed something for the first time: Henry received votes for MVP for 19 consecutive years. That must be a record. My first baseball gameAt the first pro baseball game I ever attended, in 1953, Hank Aaron played for the Jacksonville Braves. Aaron hit 22 home runs that season and I believe I saw one of them, though that particular memory might be influenced by the following 23 years. (In this photo he's standing at far right.) Hank?I learned from the NY Times obituary of Aaron that he never liked being called Hank. What an annoyance to have to go through life seeing your name in the headlines with a nickname you can't stand. Arron? Makes you wonder doesn't it.Watched an interview with him, he said breaking the home run record made his life miserable, death threats, kidnapping threats, etc to him and his family. Makes me sick to my stomach thinking about the pain and misery we brought on these magnificent human beings when we should have been lifting them up. Forgive us. My Henry Aaron memoryHad a friend in college here in Houston who hailed from Richmond Va, the home of the Braves’ AAA club. He loved Hank and the Braves. We went to the Astrodome in September of '73 with Hank sitting on 711 dingers. We were lucky enough to see him hit #712 that Saturday night. We went back on Sunday hoping that with some luck he’d hit two and we could at least see him tie Ruth. But he sat that one out. Still a fun memory. We got some sort of little certificate on our way out of the Dome with his photo and "I saw #712". I’ve got in buried in one of my many boxes of memorabilia. I always got a kick out of the fact that he and Al Downing were both wearing my college number (44) when Downing gave up #714. RIP, Henry Aaron A piece of my heartI was in Grade 11 when Aaron hit number 715, and I remember the historical impact of the moment. Thank you, Dave, for the link to the NYT article. It saddened me to read of all the racist crap, and I was moved when Aaron is quoted as having said about all the incidents: “All of these things have put a bad taste in my mouth, and it won’t go away. They carved a piece of my heart away.” He added, in 1994: “Any Black who thinks the same thing can’t happen today is sadly mistaken. It happens now with people in three-piece suits instead of with hoods on.” Move over BabeRest in peace Hammer. Charlie Grim and the boysIn the mid 50s my friends and I would frequently conclude watching a Milwaukee Braves game far outweighed the educational opportunities of Horace Mann Junior High School in West Allis, Wisconsin. The school was only a couple miles from Milwaukee County Stadium, so we could meet our academic responsibilities in the morning, and just not return after lunch. (My older sister was an invaluable resource by providing the note I needed the next day from my mom, justifying the absence.) But the real beauty was we could watch the games free. One of my co-conspirators had learned of a seating area the VA had set up on their property on top of a high steep hill that overlooked right field (Andy Pafko) of the ball park. The seating was provided for residents of the VA facility and we were always welcome to join them. One of us always had a portable radio and we listened to the play-by-play from Earl Gillespie as we watched from high on the hill. Henry Aaron of course was someone we always looked forward to seeing at bat, hoping for a homer with each pitch. Times were good. (LOOK, Milwaukee, Phillip Harrington, Sports)
Snow Job: 1923
February 2, 1923. "District of Columbia, City Refuse Division." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View ... colored outfits. Growing up in Ohio and living in Kansas City for 20 years, I can appreciate the lifestyle of Arizona. I no ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 11:58pm -

February 2, 1923. "District of Columbia, City Refuse Division." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Perambulatory Office Washington Post, Feb 1, 1923 Perambulating Offices To Sign Snow Cleaners Hacker Prepares to Meet Jack Frost More Than Half Way and Keep Traffic Open. Morris Hacker has nothing against Jack Frost personally, but just the same he has determined that Jack's pranks shall not interfere with the life of Washington. Mr. Hacker is in charge of the city refuse department, and the next time Jack gets busy sprinkling snow Mr. Hacker is prepared to get busy shoveling it away. Distributed throughout the city at prominent street intersections Mr. Hacker will have small houses on wheels bearing the sign, "If it snows apply here for a job." Whenever Jack Frost intimates that snow is in the offing Mr. Hacker will send out the wheeled offices, in each of which will be a representative to sign up laborers to clear the streets of snow so traffic will not be interrupted. There was an intimation yesterday that snow was due for the District and the wheeled offices made there first appearance. One was stationed at Fourteenth street and Pennsylvania avenue in front of the District building. Whether it was because of the preparations made to frustrate the "conspiracy" Jack Frost failed to shake from his cloak the threatened snow yesterday. Shovel ready snow jobsI'd like to see how many takers there would be for this job today. Elimination by Snow PlowsI wonder if the little cabins were sold by the city to individual hunters or if they were auctioned to the highest bidding city. Maybe a town in Minnesota bought all of them for their ice fishing tourists. Snow JobHey look, they had "Shovel ready" projects back then too. An unnecessary employment officeif you reside here in Phoenix, Arizona where our average daytime temperature in December and January is 65. It was 72 on Christmas Day this year as the snowbirds trudged to the pools in their brightly colored outfits. Growing up in Ohio and living in Kansas City for 20 years, I can appreciate the lifestyle of Arizona. I no longer am "dreaming of a white Christmas." So That's It!No wonder we can't get our civil servants to work; they were hired by the REFUSE Department! Chicken WireThe roof of this structure looks very rudimentary, yet they have taken the time to put screening over the window in a permanent way. Could DC have had a "broken window" problem in 1923? (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
B-29 City of Michigan: 1944
... WW2 B-29 bomber with flight crew taken at Walker AFF in Kansas in 1944 during training before leaving to Guam to join the 459th ... 
 
Posted by AmerHistory - 10/16/2015 - 6:23pm -

WW2 B-29 bomber with flight crew taken at Walker AFF in Kansas in 1944 during training before leaving to Guam to join the 459th Bombardment Squadron. The 459th BS was part of the 330th Bomber Group which was part of the 314th Bombardment Wing. This crew served 16 missions over Tokyo. On the 16th mission on June 11, 1945 a Japanese fighter fired an automatic cannon and the explosive shell blew a four foot diameter hole in the outboard section of the left wing. Pilot Massopust regained control of the disabled aircraft when additional attacks from Japanese fighters disabled the both forward turrets and injured Bombardier Nowicki. Aircraft Commander Duty pulled Nowicki from the bombardier position and administered life saving assistance. Massopust kept the aircraft stable throughout the return flight back to the base in Guam for which he won the Distinguished Flying Cross. I got this story from the son of a friend of Massopust who served with him in Guam. Please look at his website and you can learn a lot about those who served on Guam during the war. I own this photograph as part of my WW2 collection of our war heroes, and the back side has the signatures of the crew shown on the front. I am happy to share it with anyone. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Heart of Darkness: 1943
March 1943. "Argentine, Kansas. Freight train about to leave the Santa Fe railyard for the West Coast." ... end of it, looking west. Argentine Yard is still there in Kansas City, KS... see Refrigerated Freight , another Delano shot on Shorpy, for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/16/2014 - 12:17pm -

March 1943. "Argentine, Kansas. Freight train about to leave the Santa Fe railyard for the West Coast." Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. AbsolutelyBeautiful image. 42nd Street again?My guess is that this was taken from the 42nd Street bridge, possibly near the south end of it, looking west. Argentine Yard is still there in Kansas City, KS... see Refrigerated Freight, another Delano shot on Shorpy, for more info. These days, most of the freight probably travels *from* the West Coast, though. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Lush Life: 1941
... Johnson - but I thought Big Joe was originally based in Kansas City. Either way, great find! Him & Jimmy Rushing are my favorite shouters ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/29/2020 - 8:30pm -

April 1941. "Prosperous Chicagoan spends evening at home." View full size. Medium-format safety negative by Russell Lee. A few Shorpy readers have identified this as bluesman Big Joe Turner (it is not). The Internet has also identified him (erroneously) as the Rev. Clarence Cobbs. LampshadeI don't know who he is, though he clearly seems to be a performer/singer -- but my grandmother had the same lampshade idea, you keep the plastic it came in and don't take it off. Ditto for the doilies on the chair arms. Top hat, white tie, tails and a cane -- sharp-dressed man! BluesLooks like Big Joe Turner to me. Double take...Big Joe Turner.. For some reason it was "odd" to see a photo of him on Shorpy in the midst of folks in Small Town America working and playing. Pretty neat at the same time. Big JoeMaybe copping a room up there to cut a record or two with his partner in KC boogie crime, Pete Johnson - but I thought Big Joe was originally based in Kansas City. Either way, great find! Him & Jimmy Rushing are my favorite shouters and I have a stack of 78's to prove it. Big Joe It Ain'tWell I'm probably no more of an expert than the folks who guess it is, but I'm skeptical that that's Big Joe Turner. There is a slight resemblance, but no singing bartender would be wearing the get-ups in his portraits, and what's more, there's no indication whatsoever that this guy is involved with music. Big JoeSince I've seen this very photograph identified as Big Joe Turner on two other websites done by people with more knowledge about the man than I have and than vg claims to have, I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that this is may very well be Big Joe Turner. Fandom hope springs eternalIf one merely goes to Youtube and watches Big Joe Turner sing "Shake, Rattle and Roll" in 1954, shot in reasonably high rez black and white and with decent close-ups, you'd have to marvel at how he'd discovered the secret of youth since 1941 but didn't tell anyone. He looks considerably younger in 1954 than the subject in this photograph, who would have only been 30 in 1941 if it were indeed Big Joe. What's the odds of Russell Lee finding a "prosperous Chicagoan" in 1941 who was secretly Big Joe and not all that famous at the time, and on the move from NYC to LA? Between zero and none, I'd say. But this probable myth has now spread over the internet as received wisdom. (The Gallery, Chicago, Music, Public Figures, Russell Lee)
Carrier at New Orleans: 1910
... rise to a number of these subsidiary companies. Love the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient boxcar! Transfered by the Kingfish. The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/24/2012 - 1:40pm -

Circa 1910. "Southern Pacific R.R. transfer boat Carrier at New Orleans." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Ice, continuedMr K: Hatches could definitely be for loading purposes as well. Later reefers had ice hatches in the roof for quick loading at online icing stations, but as these are early ones I could see it. Would certainly be difficult getting ice up those ladders, especially when cars were coupled together. As for the whistle-looking thing, my guess is it's the air reservoir release valve to drain the car's braking system. These days the release is on the side of the car toward one end. Ice Ice Baby!Lost World: I might echo your comment about the hatches. Could they be used to LOAD ice into the ends of the cars as well as for venting? Sure, I know that iced cars had the hoppers at each end for the ice but these look a little different. Also, on the left boxcar, did you notice what looks like a peanut whistle near the brake wheel? Could just be a vent, too. ML&TNote the "ML&T" insignia on the side of the vessel - for Morgan's Louisiana & Texas RR, a Southern Pacific operating subsidiary. For many years, railroads operating in Texas were required to be incorporated there, giving rise to a number of these subsidiary companies. Love the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient boxcar! Transfered by the Kingfish.The Carrier worked near Canal street for many years until the completion of the Huey Long bridge put her out of a job in 1936. Built in 1892 at Newburgh, New York, she was sold to interests in Mexico after 1936. Hatches?I pride myself on my railroad knowledge. However, I have no idea what those hatches are on the ends of the boxcars. All I can think is that these were early ice refrigerated cars for produce, which had ice bunkers at each end. The hatches would be opened to allow ventilation to circulate the cold air throughout the car, as on later cars which had vents on the ends. If someone has a better explanation I would love to hear it. Lumber doorsThe doors on the box car ends are known as lumber doors. Lumber was loaded one stick at a time. This is well before fork lift trucks and lumber stacked on open bulkhead flat cars. Retaining ValveThe "peanut" looking thing next to the handbrake is probably the "retaining valve," which was used in mountain territory to help control the train downgrade by retaining a portion of the air in the brake cylinder on the car, while the air brakes were released on the train to allow charging of the reservoirs. It was the days before pressure-maintaining-equipped automatic brake valves, so once the brakes were set on the train, brake pipe leakage would continue to add to the braking effort, causing the cars to brake harder and harder. A way had to be found to release and recharge the brakes on the car, while still retaining at least some braking effort, and then they could be set again. It took a lot of skill to handle those old trains down steep and long grades! Converted carsIn the early days of railroading, there was a type of car commonly called a "combination" car. These boxcars, also called ventilated cars, were designed for carrying fruit. As originally built the cars had a special double door on the side, and doors on the end as we see here. Over time, as early refer cars came into use, and started pushing the ventilated cars out of service. (Early ice bunkered refer cars hit the tracks in 1870, but were widely used by 1890-1900.) This presented a problem for railroads. They had a number of surplus ventilated cars left over and nothing to do with them. So the railroads converted them into regular boxcars with solid side doors. The end doors were kept and used for situations where the railroad needed to transport grain or flour, or any loose item other than coal or stone. (This was before the covered hopper existed and all bulk items were unloaded by hand.) As for lumber? Typically lumber was carried on 28 to 40 foot long flatcars with wooden stakes in the side. Boxcars with lumber doorsAccording to the ORER, both these cars were built as straight boxcars, not ventilated cars. Clare is correct, those are lumber doors. Rough, unfinished lumber was carried on flatcars, but machined or finished lumber was carried in boxcars. When bulk grain was carried in boxcars it was loaded through the side doors once "grain doors" were installed. These were timber (later cardboard) sheets that were fitted across the inside of the door opening to prevent the grain from spilling out of the sliding doors, and to limit the depth of the lading to avoid overloading the car. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, New Orleans, Railroads)
Aerial Omaha: 1938
... advertised together. What Depression? For a small city during the worst of the later Depression years, this photo portrays an ... Fort Wayne, Omaha, St. Louis and the Gateway Arch, Kansas City, Pittsburgh) and one whole state (Oklahoma, although particularly ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2017 - 9:05pm -

        UPDATE: Our vantage point for this view north along 14th Street is the Woodmen of the World tower at 1323 Farnam. November 1938. "Omaha, Nebraska." Gateway to the West. Medium format negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. FansAnyone aware of what the contraption is on top of the building on the left. I see fan units. Was this an air conditioning system? If so it is very narrow. Three Corner TavernsInteresting to note the small corner taverns in the Omaha photographs: in the “Omaha Suds” image, in the Theodore's Place image, and the Oaks Tavern in this image. Three corner taverns, each about the same size and height, although some more decorated than the other. I wonder how many others existed? Across the street is the Paris Bar and Billiards. Oaks and Paris advertised together. What Depression?For a small city during the worst of the later Depression years, this photo portrays an impressive proportion of late model vehicles. As opposed to the trucks, the great majority of the cars seen here are within 3 or 4 years of age if not newer -- a mix probably not excelled in most U.S. localities today. Brand new Ford TudorThe car almost directly in front of the "Nebraska" is a new 1938 Standard Ford V8. I've had one of these since the late 1970's. Once considered the ugly duckling of the 30's by almost everyone is now kinda good looking. Kinda. Scorch marksSo what was the commercial establishment that burned at the corner of 14th and Capitol? Whatever it might have been, the fire appears to have thoroughly gutted the place. Pay no attentionI'm assuming that this picture was taken from an airplane, so it's interesting that none of the many people on the street are looking up at the photographer. It seems like an airplane flying low over the downtown area would attract a lot of attention! [The photo was taken from the Woodmen of the World building at 1323 Farnam Street. - Dave] Gateway to the WestJust a minute, that nickname belongs to my native city, Winnipeg, Manitoba. But wait, Wikipedia points out that it also refers to no fewer than 6 cities in the US (Fargo, Fort Wayne, Omaha, St. Louis and the Gateway Arch, Kansas City, Pittsburgh) and one whole state (Oklahoma, although particularly Tulsa). Location, Location, Location?I believe this photo was taken from a building on the southeast corner of 14th and Farnam. In an aerial photo from the early 1950s I can see a tall building located at that corner. Furthermore, in that aerial photo I can clearly see the Hotel Fontenelle a few blocks to the west at 1806 Douglas and I can positively identify the fronts of the buildings in the 1300 block of Douglas where Palace Billiards and the Oaks Bar were. [You are correct about the location (my first guess, the Hotel Fontenelle, is on the wrong block). Which means our vantage point is the 19-story Woodmen of the World headquarters, at the time of its completion in 1912 the tallest building between Chicago and the West Coast. - Dave] No Apartments AvailableThe three story brick building being demolished was an apartment building offered for sale in January 1937. Directly across the street from it was the “Hummel Auto Shed” and the Omaha World Herald delivery truck garage and parking lot and the vacant space diagonally across the street was the site of the Jefferson Hotel, demolished in 1935. Win some, lose someBetween the Oaks Bar and the Nebraska theater is a campaign office with banners for 19938 candidacies of (James T.) English for (Douglas) County Attorney, and (Frank) McGrath for (Douglas County) Clerk of Court. English won, and later became a state-court judge. McGrath, an incumbent mired in scandals, lost. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Omaha, Railroads)
Pampa Depot: 1943
... this picture reminds me so much of life in a small town in Kansas. The first thing you might notice is the smell of the hot creosote from ... tall tales. I would surely rather live there than in a big city. Sky tone Jack Delano's work continues to amaze. In this one he ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2013 - 8:09pm -

March 1943. "Pampa, Texas. Going through a town on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. Grain DoorsThe several stack of wooden panels in the middle of the picture are grain doors. before the advent of covered hopper cars to carry grain, it was typically carried in boxcars. The regular boxcar door was opened by sliding it to the side and the grain door placed just inside the opening, nailed at each side. The grain door left a gap at the top of the door opening. The elevator worker then placed a tube through the opening to fill the car. Since grain was heavy, it would only fill the car to somewhere below the top of the grain door. At the receiving elevator, the grain door would be breached to let the grain flow out near the bottom. Lots of shovel work getting the last of the grain out, unless the elevator had a car tipper, which would tilt the car to get most of the last of the grain out. Life in a Small TownI have never been in Pampa, TX but this picture reminds me so much of life in a small town in Kansas. The first thing you might notice is the smell of the hot creosote from the cross ties baking in the sun. Then there would be the sound of the machinery and blowers in the grain elevator. Once you get away from the sounds of the elevator there might be the sound of someone on a construction project with the sounds of hammering or sawing somewhere in the distance. Other than that, it would be mostly quiet. There might be the sound of a passing car once in a while or, maybe, the roar of a passing freight train highballing it through on the mainline. There was always the thought of having a cold one at the end of the day in the local "watering hole" and listen to the old timers telling tall tales. I would surely rather live there than in a big city. Sky toneJack Delano's work continues to amaze. In this one he probably put an orange filter over the lens to render that burning Texas sky as a middle tone of gray. Masterful control of the B&W process, indeed. MonolithsThe tall black objects to the right of center are 'water stands'. They supplied water to replenish the tenders of steam locomotives. One is oil, the other water...Lorenzo is correct that the more distant monolith is a water crane which was found in nearly all busy steam era service facilities but I would have to say that the nearer structure is an oil column since the Santa Fe along with most other roads out west ran mostly oil fired locomotives. Oil was cheap and abundant, coal less so. Great photo, Shorpy! Oil and WaterThe far standpipe is water, the near one is Bunker C heavy fuel oil for the oil fired steam locos. Building on left behind box carLooks like the same building, 5 windows, detail at top and arch above center window. View Larger Map Oil columnThe "stand" nearest the camera is actually an oil column. They were often co-located with watering facilities so the locomotive could take on both water and fuel in a single stop. "Stand" was a term used sometimes, but "column" was the more correct term. Water or oil "plug" was a slang term used as well. What's that on left?Birdhouse? or a mailbox? Dropbox Dot Com"Birdhouse? or a mailbox?" It's probably a dropbox for waybills. They were common where cars were interchanged when / where agents weren't on duty, or when customers were switched during off-hours. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Hawkeye Troop: 1956
... Troop 433 is now located in Olney which is west of the city. http://www.troop433.org/ Jungle Greens For some reason the ... probably about 2 years older than me. I was a Cub Scout in Kansas from 1956 to 59, and a Boy Scout from 1959 to 1964. We all wore the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2012 - 6:29pm -

"Boy Scouts 1956." Our young friend Kermy is holding the flag on the right in this Kodachrome slide found on eBay. View full size. Balmer BoysOverlea is part of Greater Baltimore. Today's Maryland Troop 433 is now located in Olney which is west of the city. http://www.troop433.org/ Jungle GreensFor some reason the poses in this shot, particularly of the lads squatting at the front, remind me of photos of young soldiers in Vietnam or Korea. I guess a few years into the future from here, these lads may well have been those soldiers. Uniformed and proud.A time when the BS wore full uniforms and looked the part. I remember having to wear the official shorts, socks, shirts, berets etc. We were proud to do that as well and were always dong some volunteer task the town asked us for. We had a huge Scout troop in my hometown 40-60 at one time. I recently went back for the 4th of July parade in the hometown and was dismayed at the look the local Scouts took on. 7-10 members now shuffling down the street: shirts un-tucked, baggy cargo shorts, flip flops; barely any trace they were indeed BS. Total slobs. Oh well. Kermy's from Maryland!I would have guessed Iowa, glad to hear it. Mounting evidenceSomething tells me the evidence will start building sufficiently from these photos to track down Kermy and his sister. I wore that uniformMinus the convenient folding brimless hat, whatever you call it. I know the hat is military in origin, but I also associate it with fast food clerks. When we wore hats at all, they were ball caps. I was one of the last Scouts to wear this style uniform. The new uniforms, with the lighter-color shirts and epaulets, were introduced about 1981. I wanted to be up to date, but my parents had just bought my uniform and were determined to wait until I outgrew it, which I did soon enough. The Scout troops that beat everybody else in the knot-tying competitions must have worn their uniforms all the time. That wasn't us. It was only much later that I understood that they were busy perfecting these skills, while we were backpacking 100 miles, and climbing Mount Whitney. I think we had more fun. 1950 censusI wish we had access to the 1950 census, so we could look for a family in Overlea, Maryland, with a little boy named Kermit (at least I can't think of any other name that Kermy would be short for). azhdragon is right. These kids would have been in the age group of most who served in Vietnam. Its a very sobering thought. Scout seniorityWhen I was in Boy Scouts in the early 80s, we had the recently-introduced khaki shirt with dark OD green trousers and a mesh back baseball cap [OD green with the BSA emblem in center]. However, some of the older Scouts and a few of the adult leaders still had the old style, all-OD green uniform as shown in this photo. Sort of an indication that they were "old-timers" and still wore the older uniform to prove it. It definitely looked a lot sharper than the ones we had and was also more comfortable. This could have beena picture of my troop in the early 60's. The garrison cap worn by these Scouts was still the official "topper" for scouts of my era. Not that Troop 433Troop 433 of the Balto. Council still meets at a Methodist church in Perryville. I've been trying to identify the campsite but it's not obviously either of the two local boy scout camps (Broad Creek or Hawk Mountain) or in Patapsco Park on the other side of the city. The poseI noticed their poses as well. I think they were very consciously (without realizing it, if that makes any sense) mimicking the poses they saw their fathers taking in the unit pics from WW II. I was a Cub Scout in 56, but graduated to the green uniforms in 1958. That hat style was what we called a garrison cap in the Marine Corps, but it had a slightly ruder common name, the p*ss cutter. BSAMost of these kids are probably about 2 years older than me. I was a Cub Scout in Kansas from 1956 to 59, and a Boy Scout from 1959 to 1964. We all wore the long-sleeved shirt, which for reasons I never understood required you to fold the collar inside the shirt before putting on the neckerchief. When I was 14 I went on an expedition to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. The troop I went with all wore the short-sleeved shirt (which had no collar), short pants, and a campaign hat (which was an optional item.) After that, I never went back to the long-sleeved shirt, even in winter. (Boy Scouts, Kermy Kodachromes)
Florida Football: 1955
... and "Women"! Jim Crow I was born and raised in Kansas and had very little exposure to Jim Crow laws until about 1954. We had ... had two side-by-side cafeterias. The public schools in my city were integrated by then but I'm quite sure that the cafeterias were built ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/25/2017 - 11:56am -

December 1955. "Football game in Florida." Kodachrome transparency by Phillip Harrington for the Look magazine assignments "How It Looks From the South," "Florida's Prophets of Boom" and "What Is Florida?" View full size. CompositionI recall a photojournalism prof using this photo to demonstrate the possible impact of frame composition. He also taught us great techniques like "The Ol' Switcheroo": how to palm "the good stuff" and give a "placebo roll" to the cop who's demanding the film's surrender. Grim reminderThis photo reminds me of the first time I went down to Florida, Jacksonville, in 1967. As a 17 year old from New York, I remember the separate bathrooms and water fountains, the images of which burned into my mind. It was a side of humanity that I had not seen before. Separate but EqualGrowing up overseas (Asia) I was pretty ignorant of jim crow. Later in life, learned what it was about from a friend that was sent in 1965 to Georgia Tech for a year. He and some buddies went bowling one night. When he went to get a burger, he was told to "go over there" where non-whites were served. His buddies came over, forced the person to serve them all. They sat in the whites section. They also never went back there. I asked him how he could tolerate working for an American firm after he was treated that way in the US. His comment was really pretty simple and telling: Not everyone is that way. And he is right. The same all over?I remember seeing the duplicate facilities in the Winter Park, Fla. train station, and thinking that it was the same as where we came from up North in Pennsylvania, except we had them labeled "Men" and "Women"! Jim CrowI was born and raised in Kansas and had very little exposure to Jim Crow laws until about 1954. We had black students in our school and we never thought a thing about it. They were just other students trying to get through high school like the rest of us. In about 1954 my family took a trip down through Tennessee and one Sunday we stopped at a drive-in to get something to eat. Whites were given the priviledge of curb service but Blacks had to go around to the side to pick up their orders. Being a Sunday, all the Blacks were dressed up just coming from church and were very well dressed. A car pulled up next to us loaded up with what I can only say were "white trash". They got curb service, since they were white, and proceeded to throw trash all over the parking lot and were a very disgusting bunch. That was my first exposure to discrimination and I just could not imagine it. Transparently OpaqueKodachrome, but black and white. Used the Wrong Water FountainDuplicate facilities were the norm in Oklahoma when I was a boy (1950s). Once in a big grocery I drank from a fountain that said "Colored," and caught holy H from my grandmother. I am white. Where's Waldo? There are a few African Americans sitting in the 'whites' section with seemingly no problem. For example: Is this really a football game?This seems to be something other than a regular football game - I can count four different marching band groups in the stands. Perhaps a band competition of some kind? (The one seemingly black person among the whites that J.W. Wright pointed out looks like he's part of one of the bands - perhaps from an integrated high school.) It looks like a very hot day - many of the women are wearing identical looking paper hats to get some relief from the sun, perhaps for sale at the stadium. On a personal note, I grew up in Central Florida, and the high school I attended, which was built in 1969, had two side-by-side cafeterias. The public schools in my city were integrated by then but I'm quite sure that the cafeterias were built the way they were to make sure there was still de facto segregation at lunch. (Kodachromes, Florida, LOOK, Phillip Harrington, Sports)
Pilot Project: 1938
... flight was on a Frontier Airlines DC3 from Lincoln, NE to Kansas City, in about 1960. Before takeoff, the stewerdess handed out sticks of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/15/2013 - 11:14pm -

May 16, 1938. "National Airmail Week essay winners at Washington Airport." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. WonderWhere the 'Airmail Week' winners are being airmailed to. An interesting assortment of folks; how many might be about to take their first airplane ride, if that be the prize involved. hold on to your hats!These essays are going to blow you away. The plane that changed the world These wonderful birds have been in the air in one form or another for almost 80 years. An excellent history of the plane (Donald Douglas himself considered it the best on the subject), “The Plane that Changed the World: A Biography of the DC3,” (Douglas Ingells, 1966) is available online, and should be a must read for anyone with the slightest interest in aviation history. These planes just keep flying and flying with no end in sight. Most likely many Shorpy readers are unfamiliar with airmail service of days gone by. Most mail moved by train or truck then, but for a premium (six cents as opposed to three) a letter could be sent by air. Tail NC16094I googled the tail number and found out that the DC3 was sold by Eastern to Pan Am in 1939. In 1941 the government grabbed it and sent it to the UK. The Dakota (Brit for DC3) was sent to the North African campaign. I found that Corgi prduced a model of this DC3 and there were several offered in action. There were also three rather low rez pictures of it in war trim. It as well as both Eastern and Pan Am are no more. My First FlightMy first commercial flight was on a Frontier Airlines DC3 from Lincoln, NE to Kansas City, in about 1960. Before takeoff, the stewerdess handed out sticks of Doublemint to chew because the planes were not pressurized. I sat behind the emergency exit door and there was a slight breeze coming through it during trip. The plane flew low enough that you could see farmers out working in their fields. We had to spend about an hour on the ground in St. Joseph Missouri during a scheduled stop because it was discovered that one of the fuel caps was missing and it took them a while to round up another one. I remember more details about that short flight than the many I have taken since. Wings Over AmericaPictured are the state winners of the national essay constest. This photo at the LOC shows Postmaster Burke awarding the prizes to the top three national winners. A technical comparison of the photos (I looked at the shoes) suggests that Perry Morrison is second from the left (he has the swagger of a winner) while Ellen Peak is on the right-hand arm of the pilot. I can't find Homer Still, jr. Washington Post, April 21, 1938. Essay Contest Will Mark Air Mail Birthday Washington Public, Private School Pupils to Seek 1,500-Mile trip. Vincent Burke, District postmaster, yesterday announced plans for an essay contest for students in public and private high school of Washington in connection with the twentieth anniversary of the Government air mail service, to be celebrated from May 15 to 21. Burke said the essays would treat the subject “Wings Over America,” including the purposes of air transportation and its effects on modern communication. Similar contests are being conducted in each State. Winners of the State contests will receive an air trip to Washington to take part in the Airmail Week celebration, while the winning Washington student will be given a 1,500-mile round trip to whatever point he wishes. The runner-up in the District will be given a plane ride to Norfolk, Va., and back. The national winner will be given a trip and five-day stop-over to Hollywood, Calif., or Miami Fla. … Washington Post, May 16, 1938. … Perry Morrison, Arcadia (Calif.) High School student, last night was awarded a trip to Miami as winner of the National Air Mail Week essay contest at a dinner held at the Mayflower Hotel. Runners-up were Ellen Peak, of Manhattan, Kans., who received a bronze and silver trophy, and Homer Still, jr., of Jacksonville, Fla., who was presented with a silver plaque. … DC-3!My dad loved DC-3s, and in the late '60s finally found a C-47 cargo variant, which he loved. He flew it out of the Naples and Ft. Myers airports. He raved about it being perhaps the best airplane ever built, and I asked him what made it so special. He started a long explanation about wing loading and other technical stuff, and then stopped and said, "Sometimes an airplane just looks so right that you know it's right, and the DC-3 is one of those. It's just perfectly proportioned." Maybe that's part of their appeal. I used to see the Naples Airlines/Provincetown-Boston's DC-3 at the Naples airport in the winters and it was a beauty! The Winning EssayI tracked down Perry Morrison's winning essay, published in the May 16, 1938 issue of the Lodi News-Sentinel. Their are a few metadata discrepancies with the previously posted Washington Post article: the correct theme of the competition was “Wings Across America&#8221, not “Wings Over America&#8221 and the California paper reports Perry's high school as Monrovia, not Arcadia. I enjoyed reading Perry's essay for the combination of astonishment and thrill in the new age of air commerce and communication. Wings Across America by Perry Morrison A nation is no stronger than the ties which bind it together, Air transportation and communication constitute such a tie—an agent in binding our country into one unit. Moreover, it helps to maintain within that unit a social, cultural and economic as well as political democracy. For instance: The Federal Reserve Bank's resources in New York are being taxed. Money lies idle in San Francisco. An adjustment is made—by air. A Government official is in Chicago. Urgent matters of state call him to Washington. He is there in less than twenty-four hours—by air. Serum from Boston is needed for an epidemic in Florida. It gets there in a few hours and saves many lives—by air. Junior cuts his first tooth. Full particulars are sent—by air. Even such trivial matters as information bout Junior's tooth help to bind us together as a nation. Wings Across America help to keep us united yet democratic; efficient yet free—an ideal much of the world has given up. Wings Across America also makes for more gracious living for the individual. One has breakfast in Los Angeles; dinner in New York. A letter mailed on one coast is delivered on the other in an astonishingly short time. Loved ones or business connections, days away by land, become a matter of hours by air. Scenic wonders take an even greater glory when viewed from above. Speed and dispatch undreamed of a few years ago are now at every man's disposal for the purchase of an air mail stamp. To what end? Unity for the nation; more abundant life for the individual. (The Gallery, Aviation, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Catskill Route: 1902
... in the movie "Oklahoma" when Gene Nelson comes back from Kansas City right down to the twins, however, in this case, triplets. Huckleberry ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/19/2012 - 10:45am -

Circa 1902. "Catskill Mountain railway station, Haines Corners, N.Y." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Just my luckI want to go All points East-West. New Baldwin The locomotive is Catskill and Tannersville Railway 2-6-0 No. 2 (2nd) 3 foot gauge constructed by Baldwin Locomotive Co. in April 1901 with serial number 18884. The C&T purchased No. 2 new from Baldwin. It looks new in this photo, so this could be shortly after delivery. The Catskill Mountain system lasted until 1919. Rolling StockNo doubt in its later years, the C&T added a tank car to its varnish runs to accommodate the heavy borscht traffic. The three little girls are priceless: "Now you girls wait right here while I get our tickets," instructed Momma. Everything's Up To DateThis could have been the dance scene in the movie "Oklahoma" when Gene Nelson comes back from Kansas City right down to the twins, however, in this case, triplets. HuckleberryThe C&T was nicknamed the "Huckleberry" and was known for making unscheduled stops to let the passengers view the scenery, pick flowers, etc. 5.2 miles long, it connected to the outside world via the Otis Elevating Ry., a cable car that descended the face of the Catskill Escarpment, 1600 feet in a 7000 foot run, to the 3-ft gauge Catskill Mountain Ry. A 16 mile trip on the C.M Ry. brought you to the West Shore (NYCRR) depot or to the Hudson River Day Line and Evening Line steamers at Catskill, NY. Famous LocomotiveThis train looks like it features the same type of locomotive as the famous Sierra No.3, which was featured in countless movies and televisions shows, including Petticoat Junction, Back to the Future 3, etc. Not the sameSierra RR No.3 is a standard-gauge oil-fired 4-6-0 built by Rogers, whereas this engine is a narrow-gauge coal-fired 2-6-0 built by Baldwin. They're broadly similar, but hardly the same type. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
The Stalker: 1940
... Only a few days ago, it was "Everything's up to date in Kansas City." A few days from now, it might be "This was a real nice clambake." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/16/2017 - 11:34pm -

August 1940. "Extremely tall and excellent corn is also grown on the King and Anderson cotton plantation near Clarksdale. Mississippi Delta, Mississippi." Here we see an early attempt at portable "personal corn." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Corn as high ...as a giraffe's eye. CornlessI was going to make a corny joke, but I just haven't the ear for it today. Knee high by the 4th of July?IF that old saying was accurate then there was one heck of a growth spurt in August. The corn is as high as a elephant's eyeIt's surprising how many Shorpy photos bring to mind the lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein. Only a few days ago, it was "Everything's up to date in Kansas City." A few days from now, it might be "This was a real nice clambake." Which?In the background is either the smallest one-room schoolhouse I've ever seen, or a sonic tool to assist farmfolk in their regularity. "Personal Corn?"Let me be the first to comment on how corny your joke is. The question is, where will the cornstalk take that man at midnight? Is Bigger Always Better?That is a lot of corn stalk to yield only one ear of corn! We grow tall cornJust not a lot of it. Surprise!You blow up the image expecting the usual dried-out, skinny old geek, and the guy looks like a male model! I almost suspect the picture was posed. Granny's cornMy grandmother grew corn like this. It only had a few ears, but it was good eating. It also was good fodder. As for the building with the bell. that was the way to communicate at distances. There was an entire code of rings meaning anything from "lunch is ready" to "fire." They were also rung to announce a death in the community, Sex and age were included in the ring. (The Gallery, Agriculture, M.P. Wolcott)
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