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Wide Load: 1959
Aug. 21, 1959, somewhere in New Zealand. "Two women with four small children in a pushchair on a city street, ... could have been taken in Wellington, Auckland, Dunedin or New Plymouth. There must be a Kiwi here who can identify the location! :) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/15/2014 - 1:01pm -

Aug. 21, 1959, somewhere in New Zealand. "Two women with four small children in a pushchair on a city street, probably Wellington." Evening Post newspaper photograph collection, Alexander Turnbull Library. View full size. A foretaste ofairline seating in the next millennium. The most effective training begins early. I'd bet moneythat the two women are sisters, the kids probably cousins. Urban MinxThe car appears to be an English made Hillman Minx 1956-59. Fire AlarmThe fire alarm is probably of the type that I remember as a child from the time of this photo. Many residences in NZ didn't have telephones in the decades preceding 1960, so fire alarm switch boxes were affixed to lamp posts in strategically located streets. These metal alarm boxes were several inches in diameter, and painted red. They were connected through telephone cables to the fire station. I'm guessing that a press of the button caused a shutter to drop at the station, identifying the location. The standard of living in NZ increased dramatically in the 1950's and the alarm boxes were withdrawn as telephones became widespread. The authorities were probably glad to be rid of them - they were a temptation to vandals and bored button pushers. Trolleybus overheadThat's trolleybus overhead wiring visible in the background, so the photo could have been taken in Wellington, Auckland, Dunedin or New Plymouth. There must be a Kiwi here who can identify the location! :) My Kiwi contacts say it's definitely Wellington - possibly near the intersection of Cuba & Wakefield Streets. Three is a crowd,but four is quite overcrowded and looking miserable! Behave yourselves! Urban MinxRight you are. 1958 Hillman Minx Type II. Owned one just like it (they didn't do too well under our road conditions here in the States). (Kids, New Zealand)
Old Unreliable: 1921
New Zealand circa 1921. "Wanganui Fire Brigade's Merryweather fire engine on blocks, probably in Chavannes Garage. When new, the vehicle had a large hose reel, later removed and replaced by rear ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/13/2014 - 8:56pm -

New Zealand circa 1921. "Wanganui Fire Brigade's Merryweather fire engine on blocks, probably in Chavannes Garage. When new, the vehicle had a large hose reel, later removed and replaced by rear lockers. A report in January 1926 stated that the machine was useless and unreliable. It was sold a short time later for 60 pounds." Glass negative by Frank J. Denton. View full size. All the Comforts of HellSix solid rubber tires, a chain drive, all that shiny brass, and no true driver seat. You either stood to drive it, or sat on the board behind the wheel. I can't imagine why they didn't think this was the most wonderful vehicle ever made. What a great pictureLine shaft machine shop behind the wall. Hit and miss air compressor on the lower left. Jig table front and center. Modern shop in the day. Sold for.....60 pounds of what? [Sterling. -tterrace] Love those SideshaftsThat stationary engine is a sideshaft and looks a lot like a Tangye engine. Engines with sideshafts are uncommon, and the sideshaft is responsible for operating the ignition of the engine as well as governing the speed. Kingpin replacementLooks like the boys are replacing the kingpin on the right front wheel. Also notice the plain (non-ball or roller) bearing that the wheel runs on. Plenty of work there for the machine shop on the other side of that wall! Any more pictures in this series? Sure would love to see some of those machines hooked to all those belts. Drive mechanism in the background.Notice the pulley drive system in the background behind the wall. I assume they had some sort of machine shop in the back driven by a belt and pulley system. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, New Zealand)
Are You Ready for Some Cricket?
... United States, but cricket is reasonably popular in the New York area. There are about 20 fields in the city and a number more in the ... 20th century. And yes, it is a thrilling game. These New Zealand lads were on to a good thing. I bet that tall chap in the middle could ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2013 - 2:12pm -

1913. "Marist Brothers cricket team, Christchurch, N.Z." A thrilling sport that has yet to make its way to these shores. Steffano Webb glass plate. View full size. Cricket in AmericaI don't know about the rest of the United States, but cricket is reasonably popular in the New York area. There are about 20 fields in the city and a number more in the suburbs. Some city high schools have teams and there are quite a few amateur leagues. While many players are immigrants from the Caribbean and South Asia, the sport is slowly spreading into the wider population. Kid on the floorOn the right side, he could be a relative of Prince Charles, or maybe Alfred E. Neuman. Now then.I love the looks on the boys' faces. They could be members of my junior high school or be friends with my (now grown) boys. A wonderful picture that just shows us under all the fashion differences we are pretty much the same people. Thank you for this and many other photos of the past. Cricket, lovely cricketAmericans may favour rounders these days (sorry, baseball), or that thing that Americans, to the amusement of the rest of the world, call "football", but cricket does have a notable history on American shores. Benjamin Franklin brought the rules of the game to the American colonies in 1744. The first international sporting event in the world was the 1844 cricket match between the United States and Canada, at a time when cricket was effectively the U.S. national game. Even in the years of American cricket's decline, the Philadelphian J. Barton King felled wickets and batsmen like ninepins when he toured England in the early 20th century. And yes, it is a thrilling game. These New Zealand lads were on to a good thing. I bet that tall chap in the middle could play some cracking shots. Fashion Statement:I had no idea they had button-down collars 100 years ago. And in New Zealand at that! I would have thought they dressed like Hobbits back then. Cricket in CaliforniaMy 12-year-old grandson asked where he could acquire a cricket bat the other day. Of course, he wants it for swatting zombies. RolesIn cricket, only the wicketkeeper is permitted to wear gloves, so the young man wearing gloves is almost certainly the specialist who performs this role for the team. In any team, the two most experienced or most competent batsmen are usually sent in to bat first (they are referred to as "openers") in order to achieve the best score possible while the pitch is still fresh and while the bowlers are still getting familiar with how the ball bounces off it. Here the two players with bats are probably the team's openers. (The Gallery, New Zealand, Sports)
Minor Heroes: 1910
New Zealand circa 1910. "Studio portrait of bicycle road racing team with four ... View full size. (The Gallery, Adam Maclay, Bicycles, New Zealand) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/13/2013 - 3:01pm -

New Zealand circa 1910. "Studio portrait of bicycle road racing team with four young men in riding attire with two small cups, manager with polka dot tie and coach alongside, Christchurch." Glass negative by Adam Maclay. View full size. (The Gallery, Adam Maclay, Bicycles, New Zealand)
Gaiety Camp: 1910
New Zealand circa 1910. "Group men outside a tent with a sign reading 'The Gaiety ... games commense. (The Gallery, Adam Maclay, Camping, New Zealand) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/11/2013 - 11:28pm -

New Zealand circa 1910. "Group men outside a tent with a sign reading 'The Gaiety Camp,' showing each man performing domestic duties. Probably Christchurch district." It would be interesting to know something about the history of these elaborate camps (note the geranium flower beds), and how long the custom lasted. Photo by Adam Maclay, who made hundreds of these portraits. View full size. Cleanest campers ever.Starched shirts, shiny boots, and sea shell flower beds. Lets just say these guys are "persnickety". I Suspect a Pastor in the BackgroundCleancut, serious youth, neatness, the word "Gaiety"... there is something seriously 'churchy' about this to anyone old enough to remember church youth groups. Hello Muddha Hello FaddahThe photos are a scam sent to overindulgent parents who paid outrageous prices so their spoiled sons could commune with nature and learn how to fend for themselves. Hidden in the tents are cases of beer, cartons of cigarettes, boxes of cigars, decks of cards and reels of stag films. Hidden behind the tents are camp employees who will be doing the actual camp work. Hidden in the trees is the road which leads to the young ladies equivalent of Camp Gaiety. Gentlmen start your engines and let the games commense. (The Gallery, Adam Maclay, Camping, New Zealand)
Class A: 1909
New Zealand circa 1909. "Class A locomotive, NZR No. 419, at the Petone Railway ... and equipment removed. (The Gallery, A.P. Godber, New Zealand, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/01/2014 - 11:10am -

New Zealand circa 1909. "Class A locomotive, NZR No. 419, at the Petone Railway Workshops." A.P. Godber Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library. View full size. Wonderful.What a beautiful early Pacific Locomotive. I have a little one in brass. Drive, he saidThose are remarkably short drivers for a Pacific, which was an extremely popular passenger engine type. Looking at the relative height of the wheels and the crewman, I don't think they can be much more than 60-inch drivers. Passenger engine drive wheels ran from 68 to as much as 80 inches. De Glehn compoundThe A's were built as De Glehn compounds with 4 cylinders. The two hp cylinders were between the frames driving the leading coupled wheels via a crank axle. That's why the balance weight is located near the crankpin. As for the big lumps of coal, an good fireman would use his coal pick to break them up if needed. But in my experience an engine like this will steam much better when fired with larger sized coal such as we see on 419. Put in a good bank under the door and in the back corners and they'll steam like a witch. (I've fired an NZR Ab a couple of times, and footplated A 428 at Weka Pass.) As for mechanical stokers on steam locos, they were in use before 1909. The Pennsy were using Crawford stokers from 1905 onwards. At any rate, it's a lovely photo of a beautiful engine and her crew. Narrow GaugeNZR is 3' 6" gauge (as opposed to 4' 8-1/2" US standard gauge), hence the relatively small driving wheels. Aching BackSome boulder-sized coal in that tender. And mechanical stokers yet to be invented. I would not want to be that fireman. No. 419No. 419 had a long life, being built in 1908 and retired in July 1961. CounterweightsIt's curious that the counterweight on the lead driver is on the same side as the coupling rod. Find WaldoAre there 3 locomotives in this picture? Re: CounterweightI have learned much from Shorpy by looking up interesting items. The driver diameter question got me started on this Locomotive. Apparently this series was originally built as a compound arrangement with four cylinders. The two unseen cylinders were under the smoke box and attached to a cranked axle on the front wheels. The total rotational balance of all that equipment on the front axle determined the odd weight placement. As with almost all locomotives of this design the inner cylinders and related equipment were a maintenance nightmare, eventually having the center cylinders and equipment removed. (The Gallery, A.P. Godber, New Zealand, Railroads)
Kiwi Garage: 1908
Christchurch, New Zealand, circa 1908. "Wolseley and Cadillac motor cars in garage." Glass plate ... Caddy. Must have been hell on tire wear. One of my new favorites If only I could get my garage this tidy. Perhaps it is likely ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2013 - 7:43pm -

Christchurch, New Zealand, circa 1908. "Wolseley and Cadillac motor cars in garage." Glass plate by the Steffano Webb Photographic Studio. View full size. Interesting CamberOn the front wheels of the Caddy. Must have been hell on tire wear. One of my new favoritesIf only I could get my garage this tidy. Perhaps it is likely that the owner had a mechanic on staff? The details in this one combine to make it one of my favorites. The lathe, workbench, and fully-ranged set of ball-peen hammers and brooms make me want to step in and wrench away on one of those classics (assuming it was in need of repair). I particularly like the cabinet with the driving lanterns stored. Can anyone confirm what the conical item hanging on the left is for...water, oil or grease? Also, could that be a maintenance/mechanical diagram for the drivetrain of one of the vehicles over the workbench? Well lit, amazingly neat and clean garage!Thinking over the contemporary garages that have been pictured here, this one is beautiful. The walls are painted, the rafters are clear (as if recently built), there's a nice display cabinet, and all of the work areas are clean and neat. This reminds me of the modern garage of an auto collector. Re: One of my new favoritesThe conical object on the display cabinet is an early soda-acid fire extinguisher. My local auto museum has one. Definitely for the _early_ stages of a fire (in a wastebasket). Not hoi polloiRather, hoi oligoi, this motorist. Anyone New Zealander who could afford to own both a Cadillac (with hefty import duties attached) and a Wolseley (not cheap in the colonies by any means, either) probably had ample staff to keep the garage washed and brushed up. It appears that the Wolseley has yet to be fitted with its custom coachwork, or else the chauffeur is in the process of switching its summer, open body for its winter, closed attire -- or vice versa, obviously. The lathe in the corner suggests that major maintenance can also be done on-premises. Ditto on the favoriteIt's just beautiful. Two brass era classics, and not a drop of oil on the floor. I'm curious about the overhead flat ironwork; some sort of trolley hoist, perhaps. Flat IronworkPerhaps the ironwork is for sliding doors and the wall visible above is an outside wall. You can also see a joint in the concrete below. My guess is the camera is just outside the actual garage. IronworkTrack for a rolling door, maybe? Note what looks like wood siding above it. Note the cabinet on leftAll full up with headlights and markers -- kerosene-filled, I believe, just like early trains. A Commercial Establishment?These cars look like they may have just come off the boat. The Wolseley may have only primer paint, no gloss or striping, and English cars were often delivered without bodies, to be finished by the coach builder of the customer’s choice (I have no insight on the coachbuilding scene in New Zealand). American cars were more commonly fitted with bodies by the manufacturer. This garage may be the establishment of a dealer, and at this period, most dealerships were tiny affairs, often one man retailing one car at a time, or handling various brands as he saw fit. It is nice to see the foot treadle machinist’s lathe for quickly running up replacement parts, and a selection of hammers to match any problem. SiblingsCadillacs were well represented in both Christchurch and Auckland in 1908, thanks to Dexter and Crozier, an energetic dealership with a presence in both locations. However, at the risk of offending the New Zealander who wrote the original caption, both of those cars are Wolseleys. The 1908 example on our right has the unique Wolseley curved body panel from which the crank handle protrudes below the radiator, which was installed on some models. It also sports a Wolseley paint scheme, new style axle with long hubs, grille, and frame mounted headlight brackets—all characteristics of the Wolseley. The 1907 model on our left also has the frame mounted headlight brackets, along with an earlier style grille, hood, and dash/firewall (to which a wooden frame would be bolted to mount the windshield). The '07 appears to be stripped down for racing, which would explain the heavier axle of the type found on purpose-built Wolseley racing cars of the day. Both cars have their steering rods mounted behind the front axle—a Wolseley feature and not a Cadillac one. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, New Zealand, S.F. Webb)
Take Rheumo: 1890s
1890s New Zealand. "Grocery shop interior, with staff, location unidentified." Silver ... to practice the old soft shoe. (The Gallery, New Zealand, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/16/2013 - 1:31pm -

1890s New Zealand. "Grocery shop interior, with staff, location unidentified." Silver gelatin print, photographer unknown. View full size. Watch for falling crocksIn the event of an earthquake, the manner in which those groceries and breakable items have been stacked would spell disaster for the employees and their entire inventory of merchandise, never mind if someone thoughtlessly took a can from the bottom row of that tower of tins. Oy vey! Oh; The Humanity!>>[That's Betty. Betty Crockery. - Dave] I like the little kittens and puppies in cute little outfits. I can take the WWII cuties playing strip poker. I don't mind the occasional snarky comment from the distinguished moderators. But the puns! There should be a warning of some sort before Shorpy's gentle readers are confronted with a facer like the above. --Jim ChamberpotsThe bowl and pitcher sets appear to have a third component, which I assume to be a matching nightsoil receptacle. I recall seeing only two-piece sets here in the U.S. A difference in style, or maybe the pots were not so desirable as antiques. Who's that on the right?I think it's a WOMAN! Isn't she supposed to be hiding behind the crockery? And she's smiling! A nice change from those dour menfolk, I say. [That's Betty. Betty Crockery. - Dave] What shall I have?A quarter of laudanum, please. Oh, and some arsenic. Not Much DifferentSave for the crockery, this might be any of a number of US neighborhood grocery stores before supermarkets drove them to extinction. The chairs are for madam to take her ease whilst the attendant fetches each item on her list, one can or packet at a time. Not immediately evident but certainly present are the extension tongs used to grab merchandise on high shelves. Produce and meats would, of course, be sold in other establishments. All that appears to be lacking is the sawdust spread on the floor to absorb spills -- and, of course, to provide bored and impatient five-year-olds the opportunity to practice the old soft shoe. (The Gallery, New Zealand, Stores & Markets)
Through the Wringer: 1950
... Circa 1950 photo by the Gordon Burt studio in Wellington, New Zealand. View full size. The Stories are True On this day in 1970, I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/26/2013 - 9:01am -

"Connor washing machine with motorized wringer." Circa 1950 photo by the Gordon Burt studio in Wellington, New Zealand. View full size. The Stories are TrueOn this day in 1970, I was a 10-year-old kid who was in the hospital after being hit by a train(!). The kid in the bed next to me was 4 years old and had gotten his arm caught in one of these things. He wasn't as fortunate as landtuna; his arm was pretty well crunched up, and he was in a lot of pain. I got out in a couple of days with a couple of fractured ribs and 56 stitches on my back. He had a pretty sizeable cast to contend with. Who'da thunk one of these modern appliances could do more damage than a freight train? Curse the New Machines!My grandmother used one of these well into the late 1970's. I used to watch her in the basement using the wringer and she would show me her recent wringer related injuries to her hands. She got a new washing machine around 1978 and hated it. She swore it did not get the clothes as clean as her wringer washer. We still have her rinse tubs. When speed is a factorWhen I was a summer camp counselor back in the 1970's, we prized these machines over the newer models for doing camp laundry. When one became unrepairable (a rarity) a replacement was almost impossible to find. They took a beating but kept working because there were uncomplicated and all of the works were right out where you could get at them. Compared to the newer models with time-consuming spin cycles and mechanical-rotating dials, when one of the kids would wet his sleeping bag, you could flip the switch, wash and rinse it in about 15 minutes, wring the water out in about 30 seconds and have it hanging on the clothesline by breakfast time. You could process 3 or 4 kids' bags by the time one modern washer did one load. That young lady doesn't look very happy. Maybe she's got a lot of bed-wetters in her family. Another wringer casualty here ...My grandparents had a "modern" Maytag wringer machine in the late '60s. I. too managed to let my hand get drawn into the wringer. I had never heard such panic in my mom's yelp. It was out in a flash, no harm done. I remember my grandfather, a stoic, reserved man in his mid 80s, beckoning me over to where he was sitting in the garage, and solemnly inspecting my hand. It was one of the few times we ever shared one-on-one. Pre-CardioMotorized wringers were before the fitness craze. Miracle MachineNo water needed. It wrings your dry towels even drier. The Pain, the Agony!My grandmother had a washer just like this when I was about 4 years old. She used to roll it from the kitchen out onto the front porch to do the wash. One day I was helping send the laundry through the wringer and it sucked my whole arm into it. Fortunately, she heard my screams and hit the release bar on the top. I was none the worse for wear but I stayed away from that machine as long as she had it. Old school washingMy grandmother's electric wringer lasted into the 70's. When it finally gave up the ghost - despite everything my mother tried to tell her about modern washing machines - my grandmother went out an bought a brand new wringer! Things we take for grantedMy Mother-In-Law, now long gone, told me how in the 1950's she went to work for only one purpose: To buy herself one of those fancy new-fangled Washing Machines. As soon as she saved enough money, she quit that job. I imagine that machine looked a lot like this one. Hope it made it her life much easier and much happier. Electric WringersMy mother and grandmother both told me stories of people getting their fingers caught in the wringer, panicking and pulling hard, thereby peeling the skin of their hand. I've never seen that story substantiated, but it was quite the visual for a little kid. Those Poor Kiwi Housewives!Heels, but no pearls. Lots of arms rung dry!I guess I wasn't the only one after all. :) I did fare better than the little 4 yr old in the hospital with you, Dave. I had my experience when I was 4 or 5, can't quite remember, but I do remember how it felt. I had my arm clean up to the armpit in the wringer while my mother was yelling for my uncle to come and save me. He got me out of that thing. I remember him smiling at me while he got my arm out. I think my mother was more upset than I was. It hurt but I didn't need a Dr. thankfully. I used to help my grandmother with the washing, mostly carrying water from the cistern. I was still afraid of the "mangler" so I let her do that job. Ah, the joys of childhood! Another one who got his arm......stuck in the wringer. I was about five years old when it happened and remember screaming at the top of my lungs. I did have a bruise and remember it was quite painful. I remember before I would press my fingers on the wringer and my mother yelling I would get it stuck. Well it did happen and I stayed away from that machine. My grandmother got an article of clothing stuck in it and was lucky my grandfather was home to stop the machine. The wringers did their job, but were no playthings. OuchThere was a kid in the class ahead of me in grade school who had a mangled right hand. The story was that he had caught it in a wringer. He became a professional french horn player--the one instrument that is played with the left hand. What a great magical wringer......the item shown going through it is already dry! It definitely had its advantages. Many claimed it got clothes cleaner faster than the modern front or top loading automatic. I wonder sometimes how much it might have had to do with changes in fabric and laundry detergents technology? Simpler fabrics without all the treatments and coatings and blends in fibers may have had an effect on how they absorbed or held dirt? I have no way to compare since I've never had to do a comparison test. But the one I've always wanted to have was an original Bendix Deluxe front loading model that started you out with DIRTY dry clothes, and finished you up with CLEAN dry clothes - all in the same machine. They were available into the early 60's I think, from the old advertising I've seen. I wonder why they didn't maintain their popularity? Price maybe? The length of time it took to do a single load may have been an issue, but whether it was done between two machines or all in one probably wouldn't have made too much difference. It certainly would be more space saving than two machines. Even stacked, because of the vertical space required. And with two machines, it requires your personal intervention between functions. So, it can only progress as quickly as you can be ready to switch clothes from one to the other. This way, you could throw them in, turn it on, and walk away - even leave the house - and come back to a finished load of clothes! Still Burns TodayIn 1975, when I was 4 years old, I got both of my hands caught in the electric wringers of our washing machine. I had put something in and it caught my right hand. I put in my left hand to get it out. So my left hand was on top of my right hand, and they were stuck. The wringers kept spinning. It was just me and my grandmother home at the time. My grandfather was having coffee at a restaurant a few miles away. He got an urgent sense that something was wrong. So urgent, that he ran out without paying. When he got home he was able to free my hands from the wringers. Then he rushed me to the ER. I had third degree burns on the bottom of of my right forearm and on the top of my left hand. The knuckle just below my left thumb had to be removed because it was crushed. They weren't sure if I would ever be able to use my left hand again. I had to get skin grafts on both and was in the hospital for over 3 months. Then I had months of physical therapy. Luckily, you can't hold back a little kid and I made a full recovery. I learned to live with the horrible scars from the skin grafts, and I never get offered when people, especially kids, ask me what happened. It's a part of my life, my history. Until I stumbled upon this site, I had never heard of anyone else sustaining injuries from these machines. For the first time in 42 years I finally realize that I'm not alone. (Kitchens etc., New Zealand)
Outdoor Life: 1910
New Zealand circa 1910. "Unidentified group outside a tent, possibly at Sumner, ... neither scared nor grim. Although photography was hardly new by 1910, most people had still never been photographed. In addition to the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2013 - 10:06pm -

New Zealand circa 1910. "Unidentified group outside a tent, possibly at Sumner, Christchurch." Glass negative by Adam Maclay. View full size. Idyllic NZOh, to have been a privileged Kiwi during those splendid times. All dressed up and dining al fresco -- back in those same years, my American ancestors were shoveling coal and taking in laundry. Missed the boat, in more ways than one! It's a case of HCP!The men of the family, self-described as amateur astronomers and outdoor enthusiasts, assured the ladies that a night spent in the woods would serve as the best location for the observance of Earth's traversing of the tail of Halley's Comet. The ladies disagreed as revealed by the clear signs of HCP (Halley's Comet Panic) across their fear-stricken faces. Pretty (Scared) GirlsThe young girl on the extreme left is extraordinarily pretty. The older girl on the right is as well. But what strikes me is that every single female in this photo looks fearful. If we could just think of a wordSomething people could say when you take their photograph and it looks like they are smiling. Family Fun?This may be a family group, as the woman with the teacup on the left bears a strong resemblance to the younger girl kneeling, also holding a teacup. The folks in these photos always seem so stiff and reserved; they just don't appear to be having any fun. I guess I wouldn't either if I had to wear my Sunday best just to go camping.... Double take sistersThe woman holding the child qualifies as the older sister of Marjorie Main (Ma Kettle) and the one seated in front of the bicycle as the sister of Margaret Hamilton (Wicked Witch of OZ). Will be interesting to hear from our bicycle experts on this one. Look At The BirdieHow frightening was the photographer? Trying for a boyThe wife looks with child again - I bet he is hoping for a boy! Photography Was Still a Big DealI'm pretty sure the subjects are neither scared nor grim. Although photography was hardly new by 1910, most people had still never been photographed. In addition to the fact that holding still for a slow shutter is easier with a solemn face than with a smiling one, having one's photograph taken was still momentous for the average person and therefore an occasion to be taken seriously. It seems obvious to us now that one should smile for a photograph even when a few seconds before one was simply chatting with a relaxed face, but that cultural norm would have seemed almost manic to most people in the first decades of photography and probably still seemed so to many people in 1910. Think about oil portraits: we don't expect big grins there and in fact often appreciate solemnity. Darker ArmsThe man on the far left and the girl, fourth person from the left, both each have one very dark arm and hand. The girl sitting down with the white hat also has a similar dark hand. Is this just an optical illusion, are they in shadow, was this poorly developed, or is there another cause? There is a little shoe, possibly drying out, hanging at the top of the tent. (Adam Maclay, Bicycles, New Zealand)
Young Granddad: 1963
... 90s. There are about 23 boats operating here now. Some New Zealand. With Samoa Packing closing down that number may diminish. From ... 
 
Posted by Tony W. - 09/17/2011 - 8:08pm -

This is my dad as a toddler with Grandpa washing the car, probably around 1963 in Los Angeles. Scanned from a Kodak safety negative. View full size. Hunky GrandpaSimply cannot ignore this perfect-looking gent. This appreciative female thanks you for remembering that ladies enjoy a gorgeous view, too. Hubba HubcapHey, Grandpa was good lookin'! A choice specimen indeedThe Volvo, I mean. PLCF CenterfoldThe Rambler, the Volvo, Junior's sandals -- this could be cover art for the Summer 1963 issue of Progressive Left Coast Family. What did your dad end up doing as a grownup? What was Granddad's line of work? A great photo, very evocative. A Rambler *and* a VolvoWow, a Rambler Classic, *and* a Volvo (looks like a 544) in the same driveway. And your dad is about my age (49). Great picture. Thanks for sharing this one, Tony. When I was a kid, my parents owned a Rambler, and my dad was always fascinated with Volvos, mainly the 122. Wow!Reminds me of Don Draper. Yum!! OH MYGrandpa looks mighty fine! They don't make 'em like that anymore!Chain link fences that is... Notice the top of the fence. Those barbs opened up the wrist of my friend when we were kids back in Newark NJ in about 1960. There were hedges behind the fence and he reached over while passing by on his bike to pull off a leaf. Zzzziiippp. Several hours and a spools worth of sutures and he was okay. Thankfully, fence tops are folded over now. Gangster WhitesI had just gotten my driver's license in 1963 and I remember cleaning whitewalls with a Brillo pad, just like Grampa is doing. ApexThe absolute apex of American civilization captured in this photo. That's it folks. It'll never happen again. And for dessert I'll haveAn order of beefcake, circa 1963! Hubba hubba!Grandpa can hang his hat at MY house ANY time! I cringedIt's odd to read all these lustful comments about my grandpa, but hey, whatever floats your boat! My grandpa was (and still is) a chief engineer on tuna boats. My father also became a chief engineer on American tuna boats, first starting in San Diego and then moving to American Samoa. Now he works in the ports and gives his wealth of knowledge about engines to other engineers. To put it bluntly, he's the guy who makes sure boat engines run well enough so you can have a tuna sandwich. Re: I cringedThe cougars do get restless around twilight -- if you don't turn your back on them you'll be fine. My favorite thing here is the bright yellow hose on the green lawn. Something tres Sixties there. You have a good eye for interesting pictures. Pago PagoGreat photo. I probably know your dad (and granddad) as I was here in Pago during the great purse-seiner days of the late 1980s and through the 90s. There are about 23 boats operating here now. Some New Zealand. With Samoa Packing closing down that number may diminish. From Pago Pago, John Wasko Yellow HoseSeeing the yellow water hose reminded me of how my father and uncle, back in the 50s and 60s, would never buy common "garden hose" (like we still have) because it wore out much too quickly. One kink and it's dead. Rather, they would buy low pressure air hose, like the kind used in gas stations. Ten minutes with a hammer and you had a sturdy hose, typically yellow or a dull red, which was probably 25 percent more expensive but would last for years. I still have one I made back in the 70s and use often. HVAC UpgradeNote the window A/C next door. These "breeder boxes" were built hurriedly (but solidly) throughout SoCal by the hundreds of thousands in the years following WW2. Built-in A/C was a practically unheard of option in these houses, but by 1963, even my grandparents had it (courtesy of Sears). My gramp got spiffy and cut a hole in the wall for their unit. Grandpa was such a beefcakeI bet the son and the grandson became great hunks too !! Perfect sandals!Love the sandals on the toddler! Those were the days when sensible people designed sensible summer footwear for children--not the slide-ons you see today. HotnessI sure am glad it was a hot day! There are plenty of things I could say right now...But I think a dreamy sigh will suffice. Stylin'I love how the baby looks so ...tidy. His hair was parted and combed over, just to go outside with Daddy and wash the car. For a candid snap, this is remarkably poised. One more thingI wanted to make one more comment. Someone mentioned above that this reminded them of the "apex of American society". Interesting in that if you look at how most Americans lives back in the 50's and 60's, the typical family had a house that was around 700 square feet, a single car, and a single TV set. My mother along with most everyone else in my family grew up in small houses like those shown in the picture. They also shared rooms with their siblings. Look around today and the typical family home is over 3,000 square feet, there are at least 3 cars in every driveway, at least 2-3 TV sets ( flatscreens) at least 2 computers, a cell phone for every family member, an abundance of shoes and clothing which are bought as cheap disposable items at big box stores, and other endless forms of entertainment. Yet when people speak of "the good times", somehow we always come back to this single era. I think that says an awful lot about the lack of appreciation people these days have for what they've got. My grandparents went through the depression and WW2. 15 years of pain and suffering. You had better believe they appreciated everything they had after it was all over. Even today with the worst recession in decades, I doubt most Americans come close to that level of appreciation. TouchingI LOVE this picture. it really put a smile on my face for so many reasons. The Good Ol' DaysGregg Easterbrook wrote a book, "The Progress Paradox," discussing how people in the U.S. and Europe today are living better than their parents ever did, yet aren't any more happier. Just because we have more things like cell phones, TV's and cars, doesn't make life truly any better. OTOH, if you asked the people of the period in this picture if they thought this was the Apex of American Civilization, you may get a surprising answer. They may have thought life was so much better back in the Twenties or something, where they didn't have to worry about Communist missiles, civil unrest, or atomic radiation causing giant ants to run amok. And yes, Grandpa is mighty fine. Mighty fine. Is he still alive? Is he aware of how much drool he's engendered? P544I had a P544 bought new in 1964 with the only options available, a $5 side mirror and a $35 AM radio, $2,050 complete. A VW at the time sold for around $1,295. Had to crack open a window to close a door, airtight. The 122 was nice as well, but the P444-544 was a true classic. Young father and grandfather!If the toddler is your father in 1963 he married VERY young to have you! And you are very young. [His dad could have been around 40 when he got married. If you click on Tony's profile you'll see that he is 18. - Dave] Color MagicI love Shorpy. Work today was very slow so, um, I sorta spent the last half-hour Shorpy-ing. The older, b&w photos are intriguing but it's these color images from the 1960s that have really caught my imagination today. Color just sorta has a "you are there" effect! So, anyway, thank you Tony and TTerence for sharing these! And, I know you think this is weird Tony, but I have to agree that Grandpa was/is mighty fiiiiiine! '61 Rambler, 60-something P544My parents also had this same combination of cars, a '61 Rambler and a 1960 Volvo P544. I think the Volvo cost about $1800. You are fortunateI love this picture, I was admiring all of the details and your grandfather was quite a handsome man. I was never fortunate to have met either of my grandfathers, so I am quite jealous. It also takes me back to my childhood. GrandpaOh why do we have to get old. SurprisedI just looked around this site, first I saw my mother (Baby Shower 1960). My kids laughed and said look at the rest, Dad! I am the kid with the yellow hose, cowboy tricycle etc., and this is my dad. Ladies, you are right! He was, and still is, a "super hunk" -- 72 now, and I am 49. Great job son, Love Dad Oi!Now that's a real life Charles Atlas! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Handsome Rakes, Tonypix)
Happy Birthday Shorpy!
... are mourning the loss of 29 miners in a mine explosion in New Zealand. I think it is fitting we remember Shorpy and all the nameless ones ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 9:56am -

December 1910. "Shorpy Higginbotham, a 'greaser' on the tipple at Bessie Mine, Alabama, of the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Co. Said he was 14 years old, but it is doubtful. Carries two heavy pails of grease, and is often in danger of being run over by the coal cars." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Shorpy was born 114 years ago on November 23, 1896. After this photo was taken, he lived 17 more years until he died in a mining accident at the age of 31. This Thanksgiving, let's raise a toast to his too-short but memorable life. Happy birthday ShorpyHappy birthday!!! You are not forgotten Shorpy rememberedWhat a singular thing it is for an otherwise forgotten life to be remembered, even memorialized, this way, via Shorpy, the site. Combined with that, the poignant story of Shorpy the person, his childhood and abruptly shortened life - I gotta say, it brings a tear to my eye. Happy Birthday Shorpy!Shorpy is one day older than my Dad who was born 11-24-96 and died on 1-24-64. Another milestoneNext month will mark the 100th anniversary of this picture and the other photos of Shorpy taken by Lewis Hine. I wonderif Shorpy was related somehow to my 6th grade teacher Mr. Higginbotham, because I remember thinking what an unusual name he had and had NEVER met anyone who had a name like that ... until now! You do honor to his memory.And thank you for running an important historical site. Shorpy, we celebrate your birthday,Yet we are the ones who receive the gifts, not just once a year, but every day that we visit this always interesting and sometimes incredibly moving blog that Dave created and named for you. Thanks to you both and here's to another year. Here's to Shorpy - The hard-working young man, and the fascinating website. Cheers! Happy Birthday and Cheers Shorpy I think it's great that Shorpy Higginbotham (by the way, I know a Higginbotham) is remembered presently as the name and face behind this site that shares our history through "family photographs" for us to enjoy and enrich each other with our posted comments. I hope any one of us has this remembrance decades after our passing. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Remembering ShorpyDown here in the southern hemisphere we are mourning the loss of 29 miners in a mine explosion in New Zealand. I think it is fitting we remember Shorpy and all the nameless ones like him. www.rwyoung.com.au Possible genealogyI think I've found the 1900 Census record for Shorpy: His real name was Henry. Unfortunately the name has an inkblot over it but all the details work out. His father was a miner. He would have been about 3 years old in 1900, and lived in Graysville, Jefferson Co., which is where Bessie Mine is. [His birth name was Henry Sharpe Higginbotham. The basic facts of his life are recounted on Shorpy's Page. Scroll down for the genealogical details. - Dave] Thank You ShorpyFor being there every day ... Thank you Dave for this fantastic website. I wish we had one like this in the Netherlands. Very pity we don't. May you live on forever and ever. It would be nice if Shorpy H. could see these beautiful photos on his own PC up there in Heaven! Happy Birthday ShorpyThanking God today that children don't have to endure what Shorpy did. Yes, I realize children were tougher then, but life was so dangerous. Thanks Shorpy for your legacy. A toast from meRaise your glass to Shorpy Who worked at Bessie Mine He lives on in our memory Because of Lewis Hine Happy Thanksgiving, Shorpsters A glass for ShorpyAnd I don't even drink. There is much that is haunting about many of the photos that you post, but especially Shorpy's. I'd like to think that somewhere, somehow he's aware of this site and marvels that people know and remember him a hundred years later. Happy Birthday Shorpy!And many thanks to Dave for always providing a great way to start each Morning with visions from the past! Happy Thanksgiving to all! Recognitionof Shorpy's lot in life serves to enlighten all of us of with unvarnished looks at the way this country developed. Thanks to Shorpy (who might be a relative) and all who make this site the success it's become. No Joy in MudvilleIt is true that the future of these innocents was inevitable if they were born into the mineworkers' families in small towns and hollers in which mining was the only work available. There were few choices and to earn a living, they just had to 'man up', take the high risk jobs of (literally) backbreaking labor, accept that any day could be their last and were glad to have any job. These strong and courageous men and boys were not seeking fame and admiration, just struggling to support their families and do their jobs well. Like many people, even today, they were probably considered "nobodies" by the upper crust of society but to their families they were saints and saviors. My mom told me that when her father finished his day at the mines and walked home, his wife had a warm bath ready (with hand-carried, stove-heated water), then started every meal with soup (to clear out the throat and lungs of soot) and made it clear that he was appreciated by his kids all helping and serving him. I can't speak for everyone but in his case, they never got wealthy (owed their soul to the company store), suffered many family tragedies and his work-related injuries stayed with him for life. Things were so different then, it is hard to believe it was just about 100 years ago, but people truly struggled to survive. We don't know how lucky we are today. Happy birthday Shorpy, we hardly knew ye. I never realizedin all the time I've spent here, that the site was named for a real person. Thanks so much for giving us this great place to visit and expand our views of history, and special thanks to Shorpy himself. One for ShorpyI will raise a glass high and take a long drink in his honor. A question for Dave or Ken. What prompted you to choose Shorpy's name and face for this site? [The three photos of him just reached out and grabbed me for some reason. Poignant, I suppose. And the name "Shorpy" was appealing -- unique as far as Google was concerned (just one hit), and available as a domain name. - Dave] Daily remindersEvery day, without fail, includes a visit here. Young Henry Sharpe, aka "Shorpy," looks out at me every time as a reminder of my blessings. I do hope he had some in his short life. Another lowly worker, of a different kind, Green Cottenham, brought through exploration of his life a detailed look at oppression, in Douglas A. Blackmon's unforgettable book, "Slavery by Another Name." I am grateful for the images I see here each day, which serve to reinforce the great faith and effort to achieve true freedom and justice in this country. I am more grateful for the support which makes this site continue its important contribution to the understanding of what we had, what we have, and what we still must achieve; and for authors such as Mr. Blackmon, who "keep going," to bestow honor on the lowly heroes of our past. Happy Birthday ShorpyGotta say, when i was 20, I was out partying, now that I'm 50 I've found a better way to spend my nights, and that's with you dave, and especially SHORPY. Shorpy Higginbotham's story This is Joe Manning, of the Lewis Hine Project. For Shorpy readers who haven't seen it, here is the sad story of Shorpy Higginbotham. http://morningsonmaplestreet.com/2014/11/26/henry-s-higginbotham-page-on... Little MenThere's a heartbreaking lot of little men in this picture. Look at those expressions. It was a different world, and we have it way too easy, now--for which I am thankful! Thanks for the site, Dave. It was an inspired idea. Happy Birthday Shorpy!I love the great history of the U.S. Thanks for the site. Land of Equality Who says that America isn't integrated??? Glad to know nowthat this excellent website is named after someone who would have otherwise been forgotten by history. I find Shorpy's story fascinating and the website a great part of my every day. Thanks for this site and keeping Shorpy's memory alive. A guy who worked hard and served his country. Lunch is on meShorpy is my lunchtime friend. When the the boss comes around, invariably when I'm eating al desko and asks what are you doing, I answer either "a BLT" or "Shorpy." Salute!All my respect goes to the hardworking miners of the world. Always center stage.I can't help but think that although he was short of stature, he was someone to reckon with. Everytime he's in a picture somewhere, he is in the middle of the picture. A real handful. The strange things you deduct from pictures. Happy birthday Shorp! Happy Birthday, Shorpy!This was a rather poignant entry, Dave; thanks for all your fine work on here. Shorpy and I share the same birthday, and had his luck been better he probably would have been alive when I was born in 1959 on what would have been his 65th birthday. I think it is wonderful that an ordinary hard-working guy is memorialized on this site, and I hope he's is aware of it, somehow, somewhere, and is amused by it. I also hope that short and hard as his life was, that Shorpy had moments of joy and laughter that outshone the tough times. Happy 114th, Shorpy!! Training, sort of?Not trying to justify the working conditions that Shorpy and his pals had to work in, but I guess it was good training for the trenches of France where many of these guys would be a few years later. Heck, one might say that Army life was a vacation compared to day-to-day at the Bessie Mine. Thanks to Shorpy for his inspiration and to Dave for taking the ball and running with it. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining)
Toys & Fancy Goods: 1896
... here on Shorpy. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Kids, New Zealand, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/08/2013 - 9:39am -

"Elson chemist and Dutton bookshop on Courtenay Place, Wellington, between 1896 and 1897." Glass negative by Frederick James Halse. View full size. Phone wire junctionI count 13 crossbars on the telephone pole at the right side of the building. One or two more may be out of viewing. Most that I remember seeing in Shorpy pics. Lovely wiresThe telephone wires and their poles are so neat and orderly. That probably changed for the worse when they got electric power a few years later, at least if the photos of American towns in the 1900s are any guide. SignageMaybe I am being extra dense today, but the signage seems to violate grammatical parallelism at the very least. And what's with the full stops after each word? [The use of periods in signs was a common practice of the time. There are numerous examples here on Shorpy. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Kids, New Zealand, Stores & Markets)
Ironmen: 1905
... collections of the Alexander Turnbull Library, taken by New Zealand Railways employee and amateur photographer Albert Percy Godber ... blastpipe and smokestack. (The Gallery, A.P. Godber, New Zealand, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/01/2014 - 12:21pm -

        Petone Railway Workshops circa 1905. H class steam locomotive, 0-4-2T type, for use on the Fell system on the Rimutaka Incline. NZR 199 built at Avonside Railway Workshops in 1875, went into service on the Rimutaka Incline in January 1877, written off and preserved in March 1956. One of more than 2,000 train-related glass negatives, now in the collections of the Alexander Turnbull Library, taken by New Zealand Railways employee and amateur photographer Albert Percy Godber (1875-1949). View full size. Sure built them wellI'd have to say, 79 years of service is pretty remarkable. Personal BestI've been in service since 1934 -- that's 80 years! Lumpy LocoAll the sheet metal looks shiny and smooth except for the cab sidewalls. It looks as if it was attacked by a massive hailstorm, or did the crew have a coal-throwing melee? [Parking lot door-dings. - Dave] Service LifeIf you have a machine shop and a foundry, you can keep a locomotive like that going practically forever. Of course, after a long enough period, the only original part on it might be the number plate. Double StacksA feature normally seen only on locomotives with four cylinders and double sets of drivers: mallet, simple articulated, or beyer-garret types, all of which are far larger than this tank engine. In this case each cylinder had its own exhaust nozzle. Strange. Well maintained machine, I give it that. H classWikipedia has the history. The reason that the H class lasted 79 years was because they were unique; using the Fell system to propel trains over a 1:15 incline. The end came in 1955 when the Rimutaka tuneel was built. Much more to discoverThe Loco has Stepenson gear - not uncommon 1875, but almost obsolete in 1956. The Loco seems to be under steam. It seems, that steam is coming out a source in front of the cab. Has anyone here seen a H class from near: Is there a safety valve or any other steam outlet on this place? Near a working safety valve nobody would stood so relaxed. 80 Years of service is for a well-maintained steam loco not uncommon. In Germany (Isle of Ruegen) there are several engines this age still in all days use, and in Romania (I've been there several times in the 90's) I also met engines built by Krauss Linz in the 1890's. The dents in the cab could come from something rude loaded fuel. Dents in cabAfter thinking long and hard, I came to the conclusion that the dents in the cab side panels were put there deliberately to stop the panels vibrating when the loco reached speeds that achieved resonance in them. Imperfections such as dents break up resonances in large flat panels. Long service lives, double stacks...79 years in service is nothing unusual for a steam loco outside the US. When I started my apprenticeship I was working on engines that were all close to 100 years old. As ElViejo notes, if you have a well-equipped, well-staffed workshop you can keep them going for a long, long time. As for the double smokestacks, Lost World is incorrect in saying that only 4-cylinder articulated engines were normally fitted with these. Many modern rigid engines in the US and the rest of the world had them, to improve draughting and reduce cylinder back pressure. Union Pacific 844 is a good example. And as for Garratts, the only examples to have double smokestacks were the Algerian passenger Garratts, and the related engines in Senegal and the Ivory Coast, all built by Societe Franco-Belge. All other Garratts had single stacks. H199 has double stacks because it has two independent sets of cylinders, one for the adhesion engine, and one for the Fell system grip wheels. Each set of cylinders had it's own blastpipe and smokestack. (The Gallery, A.P. Godber, New Zealand, Railroads)
A Good Catch: 1910
... hoping some of the NZ pictures showed some Maori! (New Zealand) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/29/2013 - 8:47pm -

Circa 1910. "Maori woman with a catch of fish on the Northland coast." Glass negative by Arthur James Northwood. View full size. Reminds me ofthis photo of my grandmother: https://www.shorpy.com/node/7538 Just what I wanted!Yay! I was hoping some of the NZ pictures showed some Maori! (New Zealand)
All the Comforts of Home: 1915
... Great old photo! (The Gallery, Adam Maclay, Camping, New Zealand) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/19/2013 - 12:11pm -

Circa 1915. "Four unidentified men in front of a tent, showing a washing basin, pots and teapot with cups of tea, camping ground unidentified, possibly Christchurch district." Glass negative by Adam Maclay. View full size. The morning afterIn the beverage department, in addition to the teapot, I count four other bottles, corked and uncorked. Is that why they need the alarm clock? I also like the way they put up the fly on the tents. All the comforts excepta table. I DunnoClean-cut youths, neatly dressed, serious mature companion -- looks awfully like a camp meeting to me. Only the bottles scattered around give me hope for the future of this series. Tent canopyThose in the know will utilize one or more canopies over their tents especially in hot weather. This old photo shows the tents pitched out in the open which exposes their meager abodes to the relentless sun for most if not all day. U.S. soldiers in Vietnam would often "fly" two or three canvas covers (triple canopy) with airspace between each fly for air to circulate through. This would keep the direct sun off the surface of the tent itself by providing air currents to travel between them. The tents, at least, wouldn't be boiling hot.....just hot. Also, it kept the monsoon rains from soaking through. Great old photo! (The Gallery, Adam Maclay, Camping, New Zealand)
Imbeciles, Morons, Idiots: 1913
... of Diagnoses of 1,000 Cases") from the Sept. 28, 1913, New York Times article linked here . Outdated? Not reallly... Wow, ... "James Flynn, a philosopher and I.Q. researcher in New Zealand, has established that in the Western world as a whole, I.Q. increased ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/30/2009 - 12:27pm -

Related to discussion of this post is the pie chart above ("Results of Diagnoses of 1,000 Cases") from the Sept. 28, 1913, New York Times article linked here. Outdated? Not reallly...Wow, great old NYT article! Sure, we chuckle at the terms (idiot, imbecile, and moron) used in the article and accompanying graphic, but in those days, these were true clinical terms that were not used in the pejorative. What is really telling is that people in 1913 were not afraid to recognize that an average classroom of children constituted an entire continuum of intelligence and ability. We've got the same thing now... that doesn't change. The difference is that then, they largely ignored the slower kids for the sake of the smarter ones. Today, the exact opposite is true! We dumb down the standards for the smarter kids to "leave none of the stupid ones behind". One quote from the article says: "A tiny cinder in the eye will entirely incapcitate a man, so one [deficient] child may disorganize and retard the work of a whole classroom." Ugh, why can't we see this today??? Our government schools spend more of their effort teaching to the dullest in the classroom and the nation suffers by never challenging its best and brightest sufficiently. Org. ChartI thought this was the official White House organizational chart. Goober Pea Implausibly high numbersThe NYT article's header is telling: "NEARLY 15,000,000 SCHOOL CHILDREN ARE DEFECTIVES" 15 million kids -- in a nation whose population at the time was just under 100 million -- is an unrealistically high number. Assuming a 50% population of children, that puts the number of "defectives" at 30 percent. This might be what Gould was referring to in his The Mismeasure of Man, when he suggested that IQ testing is not a valid means of assessing intelligence and is, more often, simply a political or social-manipulation tool. Hey lookIt's a list of the people I work with. Clinical termsYes, those were clinical terms once, but they became perjorative, and a euphemism like "mentally retarded" had to be coined. Then that became perjorative and "mentally challenged" was made... NormalConsidering that a lot of people drank a lot back then and that no one knew about fetal alcohol syndrome, it wouldn't surprise me that that quite a few rather dim children were born in those times. But I'm concerned about the 21 who are "not feeble minded" and "normal." How did they get stuck in that "Clearing house". And how do they get out? I'm more curious about whatI'm more curious about what "Morally Helpless" means. Outdated? Yes really...The reason we don't "weed out" the "dullest" students is because it's unfair to ostracize children with mental or educational issues. Isolating them away from the "good" children creates a situation where low intelligence equals outcast. As there is a wide spectrum of intelligence -- you said so yourself -- any line drawn to determine who needs to be isolated and who can stay in a classroom will necessarily be arbitrary. Anyway, the idea that "kids these days" are getting dumber is just alarmist rhetoric. It doesn't take much work to find articles and studies online which show IQ hasn't changed in any significant way except in regards to how it's tested (I believe we're on Weschler IV now; the standard test used to determine childhood IQ gets "normed" every 15 or so years.) [Actually, IQ seems to have been trending up over the past few decades: "James Flynn, a philosopher and I.Q. researcher in New Zealand, has established that in the Western world as a whole, I.Q. increased markedly from 1947 to 2002. In the United States alone, it went up by 18 points." (New York Times, December 9, 2007). Wikipedia link on the Flynn Effect. - Dave] FailureWhile I agree with the point that isolating would be arbitrary (both hard to define and somewhat morally queasy), I think that less is demanded from school-age children now then ever which is the point of the previous poster. I don't see how that's good in any way. I know a lot of teachers (brother-in-law is one) and it's almost mandated that they can't fail anyone. Do kids fail? Sure, but it's hard to do even when warranted. Why do we do this? So that feelings aren't hurt and the child/person doesn't suffer emotional 'trauma/stigma'. Part of this is the system that says emotional well being is better than anything else (the you're ok, I'm ok philosophy) and the other part is the fear of consequences by upset parents. The problem with all this is that when they get into the real world that doesn't give a rip about how you 'feel' and fire your butt for underperforming, it's twice as bad. Everyone starts to get a sense of entitlement instead of becoming stronger through the struggle. WowIt's an organizational chart of company directors! Does it make sense to haveDoes it make sense to have the caravan move at the speed of the slowest camel? Having mentally disadvantaged children in the same classes as the normal ones can only make the unfortunate ones feel incompetent and unhappy. Where I live (Rhode Island) we have schools for such children, who often accomplish more than would be expected from them in regular schools. They are in no way made to feel inferior and are educated with encouragement and praise. Idiots, Imbeciles etc.I am not sure what "morally helpless" means, but I think I'm in that group. Sub-moronBack in 1966, when I was 9, I took an externally-administered IQ test with the rest of my Grade 4 class in Winnipeg. I gave it no heed, since a stranger and not our regular teacher was giving us this test, so I answered no questions and simply doodled in the margins. Nothing came of it. Years later, some friends of mine were working in the school over the summer and they snooped in the files and came upon our Grade 4 IQ test scores. Imagine their slobbering pleasure when they found I had scored a 70. On various scales, I could have been classified as a borderline defective, dull, feeble-minded, or well below average, but my official classification at the time was sub-moron. A simple moron would not do. As it turns out, I cannot be executed for a capital crime in the US, so I suppose there are some minor advantages. I now have a nephew with learning and behavioral difficulties who has been labelled many things at school and in the doctor's office, so he takes especial delight in his uncle who is a sub-moron. Even the mention of the word submarine will set him off on a gleeful round of abuse directed at Uncle Sub-Mo. (ShorpyBlog, The Gallery, Curiosities)
Dude on the Tracks: 1926
... Junction on the east side of the District, to the new resort of Chesapeake Beach, Md., 32 miles, in the late 1890's. It was cut ... - Dave] Shorted In coronavirus lockdown in New Zealand; is this a method of alerting train drivers to a person touching the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/25/2020 - 3:52pm -

June or July 1926. Washington, D.C., or vicinity. "NO CAPTION [Man lying in front of train on tracks]." Perhaps some diligent Shorpysleuth can figure out what's going on here. 4x5 inch glass negative, Harris & Ewing Collection. View full size. Safety demoI suspect that the guy lying down is demonstrating that the signal voltage is not enough to electrocute him. Putting signals on this backwater railroad may have been an experimental or demonstration installation to sell the design, without tying up a main line. Of course, this disregards the fact that his shoes are something of an insulator. Chesapeake Beach RailwayWe are looking at one of two ex-Pennsylvania Railroad locomotives that were numbered CB no.3 (not at the same time, of course). The fluted steam dome with the pair of safety valves visible directly behind the head light is unique to PRR, and helps verify its identity. Disposition of the former PRR engines is unknown. Chesapeake Beach Railway was opened from Chesapeake Junction on the east side of the District, to the new resort of Chesapeake Beach, Md., 32 miles, in the late 1890's. It was cut back to Seat Pleasant, 3 miles, and renamed the East Washington Railroad in 1935. As an aside, I was working the B&O local through Chesapeake Junction in Feb., 1978 when we were ordered to enter the EWRR to pull an empty boxcar out of a warehouse on their tracks. We thought that was very unusual, until the next morning we saw the EW connection switch was spiked and that railroad was out of service. I made the last common carrier move on this railroad. Oh, and as for what is going on here in the photo, it looks like railroader horseplay. Modern day safety officials would have a collective cow. Interested in learning more on the CBRy? "The Chesapeake Beach Railway", self published by Ames W. Williams in 1975 is a good start. Mr. Williams' nice book has been out of print for many years, but can often be found amongst the booksellers at a reasonable price. I'm using Ockham's razorPerhaps nothing is really "going on here" other than someone simply deciding to pose humorously while someone else was simply in the process of taking a photo of a train. [Note the equipment next to the track and the conduit leading to the rails. Also, the guy with the razor was named Occam. - Dave] ShortedIn coronavirus lockdown in New Zealand; is this a method of alerting train drivers to a person touching the track? Re: I'm using Ockham's razorThe "guy" was actually William of Ockham and the eponymous razor is also acceptably spelled in his honor according to multiple sources. I just like to give the guy his due credit wherever possible. Also, the other spelling is attributed to a British mathematician named William Hamilton, who was either better at math than at spelling, or who contrived his spelling to help dullards with pronunciation; either way gives me another reason to avoid it. [I sit corrected. - Dave] Oh, the train. Yeah, I wonder what the other equipment is for, too. Maybe something akin to those table saws that immediately brake when your finger flesh completes a circuit? Shorting the track, maybeIf he isn't shorting the track to set off a block signal, he might be trying to listen for something, like another train. "Here, hold my hat".I hope he doesn't forget his straw boater that he or his buddy left on top of the pole. Where's The Black Hat And Mustauche?Also, where is the damsel in distress? "Sleepers"This is how they are replaced. An old cowboy trickIt's a trick cowboys used in the old west. He put his ear on the track so he could listen to see if a train is coming. Town CrierActually, he is the town crier. His main job is to put ear to track to listen for when the train is coming. He then warns the townsfolks. Unfortunately, he used his deaf ear, was unable to hear the train. However, lucky him, the train folks saw him and stopped in time to prevent a tragedy. Hmm.My first thought was: horseplay. But then I realized it was actually ironhorseplay. Track circuit?It is possible that the man is standing next to the circuitry for a track circuit. These are used to detect and transmit the presence of a train on a section of track so that dispatchers and controllers can monitor traffic and prevent collisions, or it could be a control for a signal at a road crossing ahead of the train. Why the man is laying on the tracks is unknown, though klnes's suggestion could be mostly right on. Perhaps the men are on a maintenance run and someone with a camera came along. General Comment1926 was the release of Buster Keaton's The General. This is not the same engine, but by pleasant coincidence is also designated # 3 as was Buster's 4-4-0 wood burning engine. Perhaps Ockham is muttering "poor poor pitiful me." Team Building ExerciseInstilling trust, before the 'fall backwards and I'll catch you' method was developed. SupermanThe train is huffing and puffing, but it cannot move while Superman holds it back with one hand. When he puts his hat back on (on top of the post) he will once again assume his identity as Clark Kent. Somebody FUBARed the signals.And now he's listening for opposing traffic? Interesting ContrastI find it interesting that the dirty and disheveled man on the tracks is wearing a very nice pair of spit-shined shoes and some nice socks to boot. I don't know what it means, but normally a man who's been through enough that his clothes and hygiene are in such a condition, his shoes will show some evidence of those circumstances, too. What a BeachThat appears to be the Chesapeake Beach Railway that once linked DC with the Bay. The railroad operated several steam locomotives with single-digit numbers and the lightweight track construction (no metal tie plates between the bottom of the rails and the ties) suggests this is not a heavy haul railroad. The conduit under the rails appears to be linked to an insulated rail joint suggesting it is part of a crossing warning device. Presumably Ockham left his Boater hat on top of the equipment post which may house a trackside telephone. Perhaps he didn't want to subject it to the grease and grime of the track. Don't block me in!My guess is that the conduit contains the wiring for a traffic-control signaling system. The conduit runs over to where two rails are joined. I think there's an insulator between the rails, and two wires from the conduit are connected to them. The insulator separates two "blocks" of track. I think each of the wires are for the "hot" rail of each block circuit (the rail on the opposite end of the ties is grounded). When an engine or car is sitting on the rails in a block, the steel wheels and axles connect the "hot" and grounded rails together. That causes the trackside signal to illuminate, signaling approaching traffic not to enter the block. When all wheels have rolled into the next block current no longer flows between the rails, and the signal extinguishes. Snidely WhiplashCouldn’t resist this: from the Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties segment of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. Generally --Something leads me to suspect that Buster Keaton is just out of frame. Block boundary?I take the commuter rail to work (when I'm not working at home) and they're installing "positive train control", which involves adding a lot of electrics to the rails. I suspect that the splice in the right foreground is a block boundary (it's an electrical break in the rails). And that the equipment has to do with detecting whether a block is occupied by sensing the short circuit created by the train connecting the two rails. But, I could also be full of it. Oh, and that's some bad hat, Harry. Time travel?It's an impressionistic tableau of humanity tied up by its own idiotic assumptions and the train is the Corona Special! Overzealous Revenuers?Well they won't let us use that water torture thing so we had to get a little more creative to find out where they are hiding their stills. HaircutAnd pedicure, please. Signal MenThe door to the wood cabinet on the posts is open, so I do suspect that these characters have something to do with its innards. There's another insulated joint in the left rail just under the locomotive's cow catcher, and more conduit going to it, making the location look just like a block boundary. (The Gallery, Bizarre, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Railroads)
Ranges and Latrobes: 1901
... Wiktionary thinks it's only used in Australia and New Zealand. Roofing will be clear. A Latrobe I found being a Baltimore ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/25/2020 - 4:53pm -

Washington, D.C., 1901. "View of 13th Street N.W., west side, looking south from H Street." One-stop shopping for all your cooking and heating needs, as well as a trifecta of sidewalk bread lockers. 5x7 inch glass negative, D.C. Street Survey Collection. View full size. Ranges & LatrobesCould someone explain the meaning of those words? [Click here ! - Dave] Roofing & Spouting &c.At first I read "pouting," that didn't make sense, but "spouting" does! Dictionary says it is used in midland U.S. with the meaning of "guttering", Wiktionary thinks it's only used in Australia and New Zealand. Roofing will be clear. A Latrobe I found being a Baltimore Heater. Thanks to Dave's tip to use Wiktionary we now also may know the meaning of the mentioned "ranges," as being a cooking apparatus, or more specifically a large cooking stove with many hotplates. And let there now also be a Baltimore Range! Look below for the 1914 prices. Latrobe Followup for DaveI followed your link in Papa Bear's post and I now know what a Latrobe is. Do you have any images that show a Latrobe in use in a fireplace? [Click here! - Dave] Child's CigarAlways good to see cigars offered to Children. Latrobe Definitionla-trōb′, n. a form of stove set into a fireplace, heating the room by radiation, and the rooms above by hot air—from I. Latrobe of Baltimore. The Doctor's LatrobePicture a Dalek standing in a fireplace. Pretty much what it looks like Out with the spoutAfter reading Alex's comment, I want to point out that contrary to what Wicktionary might say, "spout" is in use far beyond the borders of Australia and New Zealand. Generations of school children will tell you about the itsy-bitsy spider that climbs up the waterspout only to be washed out by the rain ... so it climbs up the spout again. And let me spout off about the oversized teapot that's sticking out over the sidewalk between the first two buildings. It's facing us, and what do we see? The pouring spout, of course. North Carolina Paleolithic Pickup TrucksWe had two of those two-wheeled carts in my dad’s barn in NE NC till the '90s. Kind of a flatbed of its day. I’m reminded of the small three-cylinder Japanese trucks that have shallow beds with fold-down sides. Fin de siècle fashionsOkay I may be cheating a little with use of that particular fancy French term, this photo having been taken at the beginning of the twentieth century rather than the end of the nineteenth, but I have to say that in movies set at the turn of the century, I've always loved the outfits -- particularly the long gored skirts that swing so beguilingly at the ankles as a lady briskly walks. The fetching lass ambulating down the sidewalk is really working hers. (The Gallery, D.C., D.C. Street Survey, Stores & Markets)
California Vacation: 1956
... restored 1955 Chrysler. '56 In 1956 I had a new drivers license and on the weekends I could be found on those hills ... Cars like shown here are alive and well here in New Zealand, friends of mine have '57 Fairlanes, '57 Oldsmobile, '58 Buick Special ... 
 
Posted by pointedrocks - 09/16/2011 - 5:27pm -

Marineland of the Pacific on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 1956. Left to right are my two cousins visiting from Texas, myself, and my brother. Inside the 1955 DeSoto are my Granny and my Aunt. We are all enjoying our ice cream at the end of a day of watching the fishes. All but my little brother, that is. His ice cream has rolled out of the cone and can just barely be seen on the ground at his feet on the right. It wasn't the first or the last time that would happen to him. View full size. DeSotoWOW what a great car. Missing dessertLove the chrome on that DeSoto. I learned to drive in my grandma's '55. What memories this pic brings back. Looks to me like a '55 Chevy station wagon in the background. [Almost -- the wagon is a Pontiac. (Oops, actually a Mercury, as noted by A Californian.) - Dave] Delightful, DelovelyI love the photo! It is so very 50ish!!! Love the joy of the ice cream and the sadness of losing your cone to the pavement!!! Boy! Do I remember that!Especially losing a triple decker. Oh, the pain of youth. DeSoto!Memories of my late father are always intertwined with his string of DeSotos. From the '47 (Fluid Drive semi-automatic) of my early childhood through the fire-breathing red '61 Firedome (383 Hemi) of my teen years, in which I learned to drive and became a man. Thanks for bringing up a lot of memories, pointedrocks. [The last Firedomes were 1959 cars. For 1961, which was DeSoto's final year, the only models were a nameless sedan and coupe. - Dave] The station wagon at rightIt's a handsome car and definitely a rival of Pontiac's, but my money is on it being a 1955 or 1956 Mercury. Sadly, in just a few years younger people won't recognize those names anymore (or other old Detroit friends like Plymouth & Oldsmobile.) Chrysler productsAs a kid of 8 & 9, just about my favorite cars were DeSotos and Chryslers of 1955-56. And they keep on following me. Just the other day via Netflix Streaming I watched Hot Cars, which is full of them, and tonight whilst exiting a shopping center parking lot I came nearly face-to-face with a vintage restored 1955 Chrysler. '56In 1956 I had a new drivers license and on the weekends I could be found on those hills directly behind the cars. There was a Nike Missile site up there and my friends and I would explore it. It was also prime hunting territory for rattlesnakes. We would catch them live and sell them to a lab in L.A. All of this within view of the big blue pool at Marineland. And at night, the Palos Verdes Peninsula (P.V.) came alive with the arrival of hundreds of young couples to watch the submarine races. Silver Lining?At least you get to eat the cone. Been there and done that. Marineland!I remember a visit in the late 50's. The walruses (walri?) were making awesomely flatulant noises inside their cement shelter - almost outweighing the famous leaping porpoises in my impressionable 12-year old mind. It was fascinating to watch the porpoises build up speed through the underwater portholes, racing individually in seemingly random circles until they suddenly came together and burst out of the water in formation leaps. And we too observed the now-forgotten discipline of only enjoying treats OUTSIDE the car, to preserve the upholstery. We would have arrived in our 1957 Mercury Colony Park station wagon with the Turnpike Cruiser V8, complete with pillarless hardtop construction, vinyl siding and red "spear" inset into white body - a major milestone in the lurid styling race that erupted in the late fifties. As hastily as this car seemed to be designed and built, not many made it into the sixties. DeSotoProbably a Fireflite, may be a Coronado. Submarine Races?Couples watching submarine races? Is this a 1950s euphemism, or was this an actual, literal event? [Yes. - Dave] Fashion youngstersBoy, those clothes are just so typical of the era. Love the turned up denims. Come on pointedrocks, tell me you gave your brother some of your ice cream after his "whoops". Cars like shown here are alive and well here in New Zealand, friends of mine have '57 Fairlanes, '57 Oldsmobile, '58 Buick Special and one mate has three Chevy Bel Airs -- 1955, 56 and 57. Great cars. Booty cuffs. Those are just like the way we used to cuff our pants as kids. Then some kid transferred to our school with his cuffs tucked under and inside the pant leg, and we never looked back. My sister, grandmother and aunt would venture down from the Bay Area to Southern California two years after this to enjoy Disneyland and surrounding attractions, Marineland being one of the stops. With no interstate highways at the time, it was the longest trip I'd ever been on, and seemed like it would never end. We did get a chance to see some Hollywood magic, as they were filming some of the new hit show "Sea Hunt". One of my favorite shows, it was so cool to see the footage of the scenes I'd watch them film later on. Yeah, I guess this photo is bringing back a few memories. Marineland From the AirLate 50's aerial view. The wife and I were married on the former Marineland site, several years after it closed. It's now Terranea Resort. The big differenceI love these nostalgic pics of families with their cars. It does show up the big difference between America and South Africa in this era -- the cars. The cars in the old photos of my parents and grandparents are generally smaller British and German cars like Morris and Opel, nice and yet somehow not as glamorous as those fantastic "yank tanks." The Times They Are a-Changin I fish off the site of the former Marineland and above is how it looks now. Below a post card and the name of the resort that is there now amidst some of the priciest high rent districts in California. Amazing AmericanaSuch a classic example of a bygone era!! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Kids)
Clipper Seven Seas: 1949
August 25, 1949. "New York International Airport, Idlewild. Bridge with plane." A Boeing 377 ... the early part of the 50s over to Europe and to Australia/New Zealand to see my uncle. They were glorious to fly on after the same flights I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/11/2015 - 10:36am -

August 25, 1949. "New York International Airport, Idlewild. Bridge with plane." A Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, the Pan Am Clipper Seven Seas. Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. 10 Years LaterOn April 10, 1959, this Clipper caught fire and was damaged beyond repair after undershooting the runway and hitting an embankment while landing at Juneau, Alaska, according to the Aviation Safety Network. The report says it was named "Clipper Midnight Sun" at the time of the crash. Renaming is considered a bad omen for ships; same for aircraft? GuppyThe Pregnant Guppy and Super Guppies were based on the 377. NASA is still flying their Supper Guppy, the other four are scattered around on static display. Comfort and SafetyComfort: The Boeing 377 was often equipped with bunks for overnight flights. Safety: Note that there are people on the bridge with the airplane, and to avoid putting them through the blender, engines No. 1 and 4 are shut down for taxi. In that period, doing that for fuel conservation alone was very rare, since a piston engine has to warm up before a safe takeoff may be attempted. The lower deckwas the beverage lounge for those nervous passengers. StratocruiserLoved those planes. As a kid, was a passenger on them in the mid-50s crossing the Pacific. Did have the bunk beds. Spent many an hour staring out the window looking for ships. Did not see many ships, did see a lot of different cloud formations. Would love to fly on one of them again. Runaway Props on the RunwayDuring a relatively short service life these planes had a number of spectacular accidents attributed to the Curtiss electric propeller assembly. The propeller pitch would slip out of its setting and cause the propeller to spin out of control and eventually fly off or tear up the engine. Often the sudden stop would wrench the engine out of position resulting in tremendous drag. Several planes crashed or ditched before the problem was uncovered. Interesting AircraftThis Boeing aircraft was also the KC-97 air refueler for the USAF prior to the KC-135. Here's another interesting fact. With the exception of the fuselage, the entire tail section and each wing, including all four engines were taken from the B-29 of WWII fame. When Boeing comes up with a winning/successful design, they use it as much as they can to reduce further development costs. B50 based, not B29The 377's wings, engines, and tail were derived from the C-97 series, which, in turn, were based on the B-50. The structure was mainly 75T aluminum (the B29 was 24T), the engines were Pratt and Whitney R4360s (the B29 had Wright R-3350s)and the tail was much larger. The 377 normally carried between 50 and 100 passengers (plus 14 seats in the lounge) and had a crew of 5 plus a varying number of flight attendants. Cruising speed was 340mph (top speed 375mph) and max range was 4200 miles. Only 50 were built, and cost app. $1,500,000. In the attached image, one can see one of the berths at the rear of the aircraft. To her right is the top of the stairs leading to the lounge on the lower deck. Coming or going?Shutting down two engines was common procedure on 4-engined aircraft but only after you have landed. Once you're back on the ground you need control, not power. There is a very good sequence showing this in the Hollywood feature Twelve O'Clock High. You got better control with the outers running but sometimes the procedure was reversed: the B-24 Liberator bomber ran its power brakes off the inners, so things could become horribly inevitable and very exciting if you shut down the wrong ones! Stratocruiser enginesActually, the Stratocruiser had 28 cylinder, Pratt and Whitney R-4360 engines and not the 18 cylinder Wright R-3350's that the B-29 used. B-29/B-50The 377 was based on the B-50, not the B-29. Of course, the B-50 would have been the B-29D if not for some fancy post-war public relations work, but there were significant differences from the earlier B-29s. There was a very similar Boeing transport which did use B-29 wings, engines and empennage, the 367, which became the USAF C-97 transport. Later examples of the C-97 used B-50 components. Boeing also briefly produced a passenger plane based on the B-17, the 307, around 1940. A fave flight of mineTook these numerous times in the early part of the 50s over to Europe and to Australia/New Zealand to see my uncle. They were glorious to fly on after the same flights I had taken on the smaller planes - as I recall, all of the plane was same class - first class only. Five months earlierAnother look at the overpass https://digitalcollections.archives.nysed.gov/index.php/Detail/objects/2... Neither of the two runways at right ever went into use as runways. The September 1949 Pan Am timetable shows the Stratocruiser to London leaving Idlewild at 1600 EST and arriving at 1000, with a fuel stop at Gander. The westward schedule was 17 hr 30 min, probably with two stops. Fare was $350 one way; Idlewild to Heathrow is 3451 miles direct, or about a mile longer via Gander and Shannon. (The Gallery, Aviation, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Itchy & Scratchy: 1938
... zero hits. Harlem was a name from the Dutch Settlement of New Amsterdam, better known by the British name of New York. Clue from a ... name as a horse medication in some parts (Texas and New Zealand were two places a quick web glance revealed), and is apparently juniper ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/10/2007 - 1:16am -

Summer 1938. Drugstore in Newark, Ohio. View full size. Photograph by Ben Shahn. Image scanned from 35mm nitrate negative. Sal HepaticaI though he played 3rd base for the White Sox....but seriously, wouldn't it be nice if stores today posted their price so easy to read. dss Times sure have changedYou could get Dutch Harlem Oil Capsules for 25 cents back then. Just try finding them for less than $1 each now. And if you have to ask how much Syrup of Pepsin costs now, you can't afford it. Itch!!!!I think the guy in the middle has a itch or something. [Maybe he could use some J&J. - Dave] Ron's right.Good thing the J & J talc comes in Large. Dutch Harlem OilSounds like an Eddie Murphy movie. Wonder what it was? Google has zero hits. Harlem was a name from the Dutch Settlement of New Amsterdam, better known by the British name of New York. Clue from a 1936 newspaper below - Dave Haarlem OilHaarlem seems to have been the more popular spelling as judged by hits in the newspaper archive. From 1940: Juniper berry oil or tarHaarlem Oil seems to be still used under that name as a horse medication in some parts (Texas and New Zealand were two places a quick web glance revealed), and is apparently juniper berry oil or tar. This site has an article from 1908 about how the Pure Food & Drug Act prevented the manufacture of domestic (U.S.) Haarlem Oil. Here's a link to someone selling a vintage box of Gold Medal Haarlem Oil on eBay for $3.99. Alas, it appears the box is empty. No kidney relief in sight... why I love photographyThis slice of life--as perfectly preserved as a lab slide--captures a reality long long gone. What can you get at a pharmacy now for a quarter? Also preserved for eternity, that hapless man, scratching his balls. Some things never change. I RememberMy grandfather used to buy Pepsin tablets not the syrup. They came in little brown bottles and were itty bitty little things. Some Mighty Expensive Baby Talc There.Har har har! I just realized that they are offering a choice of 24¢ or 49¢ worth of Alka Seltzer. At first, I thought that the dot in the middle was a decimal point. Even by today's standards, $24.49 for a couple of Alka Seltzer tablets would be considered a bit pricey. It just might be……24 tablets for 49¢ [Each number is a price in cents. For example Sal Hepatica in three sizes: 24, 49 and 97 cents. - Dave] Itchy and Scratchy Indeed...The two men leaning aganist the building look like they could be brothers. Town Hall TonightThe first thing this made me think of was that, in the 30s, "Town Hall Tonight," starring Fred Allen, was sponsored by the makers of Ipana and Sal Hepatica. The second thing I thought was, "What was quinine hair tonic, and how long did it take to use up a pint?" (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Stores & Markets)
City Gas: 1912
... (mercaptans) is used so a leak can be detected. I visited New Zealand in the 1980s, and Christchurch, Invercargill and Dunedin were still ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/21/2014 - 9:30am -

Circa 1912. "Foundation for retort house, construction for Detroit City Gas Company." A scene from the days when most big municipalities had an illuminating-gas plant where coal was heated to make the poisonous product known as "city gas." 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Moth BallsIf you ever used coal gas, it had a smell similar to moth balls. Natural gas has no odour, so an additive (mercaptans) is used so a leak can be detected. I visited New Zealand in the 1980s, and Christchurch, Invercargill and Dunedin were still generating coal gas. When you light the burner on a stove, coal gas ignites with a sharp POP, compared to natural gas. Otherwise, cooking is the same either way. I toured the Dunedin gas works twice before it closed as New Zealand's last gas works in 1987. It is now a museum, one of only three such in the world. You can read about it here. City gas, town gas, coal gas, producer gasWhatever the name, if you read a reference in a novel to sticking one's head into the oven to commit suicide, this is what is referred to, not today's natural gas. Natural gas is mostly methane. Coal-derived gas includes a substantial amount of carbon monoxide. It was the dominant household cooking (and sometimes lighting) fuel until the 1940s-1950s in the US, and somewhat later in Britain. A striking resemblancehowever I don't remember this level of the game? Taking a LeakThe pipes conveying steam from the mixer have sprung a nice leak right next to the workers. Nothing like a little live steam to liven things up! (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Railroads)
Crank Call: 1940
... 20 year process finally completed in 1960. A visit to New Zealand in 1985 revealed that some small towns still had not received dial ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/24/2019 - 9:15pm -

April 1940. "Lady signaling operator on old-style telephone. Scranton, Iowa." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. "Turn crank briskly ... "In October of 1975 I drove my 1965 Falcon from Vancouver, Canada, to San Francisco on a leisurely trip down the coast. I arrived at a road junction north of Fort Bragg, and saw a phone booth. I planned to stay with friends in San Francisco, and thought this was a good time to call and let them know of my arrival day. Upon entering the booth, I discovered the pay phone had no dial, and below it was a black box with a crank on it. There were detailed hand-written instructions on how to use it. "Remove handset to be sure line is clear." There was no dial tone, and this was to determine if anyone else was using the party line. "Replace receiver, and turn crank briskly to signal operator." A male voice answered in Fort Bragg, and placed the call to San Francisco. The final instruction: "Turn crank briskly to clear the line". I charged the call to my Vancouver number, and when the bill came it read: "Call from North Rockport Toll Station No. 1." Vancouver was one of the last large cities to convert to dial phones, a 20 year process finally completed in 1960. A visit to New Zealand in 1985 revealed that some small towns still had not received dial telephones, as shown in this photo of a pay phone in Taihape. I have the wheat pastebut could you bring the brushes and seam roller when you come over to help hang the wallpaper today? I have to burn some incense in the Buddha to cover up the smell from Bob's fish dinner. Just When You ThinkIt could it get any better? Dave comes up with this caption!!! Now I have to add THIS ONE to my all time favourites list. [Thank you! Although "Crank Call" is the title, not the caption. The caption is the writing under the photo. - Dave] [Right! My old brain needs to reboot :) - Baxado ] Roll CallShe has rolls of something in bundles and it seems she's calling the person she prepared them for to say they are ready. Perhaps she is making some side money. What are they? Corner shelfI made one in wood shop class identical to that one in junior high school around 1977. Calling up CatfishMy grandfather (b. 1898) had the innards of one of those telephones in a bucket in his fishing boat. When he was hungry for catfish, he'd load me up and we'd go out to a deep bend on the Clear Fork of the Brazos and slide the jonboat through the reeds and into the river a couple hundred feet upstream of the bend. On one of the copper telephone wires he had tied a horseshoe as a weight, which he dropped straight down off the side of the boat. The other, much longer wire was tied to a big iron washer -- about the size of a #10 can lid. I'd paddle down to the deepest hole in the river and he would swing the washer over his head like a lasso and toss it as far as he could. As soon as the washer hit the water, he'd holler "crank it!" and I'd wind the magneto as fast as I could, creating a current between the two poles and stunning any catfish caught in between them. After a few seconds he'd get the dipnet and scoop up any electroshocked fish and we'd repeat until he had enough for a fish fry. I later discovered this was regarded as unsporting and possibly illegal means of harvesting fishflesh. In the mid-'60s, however, I never passed up and opportunity to go "call up some catfish". Where's the bird?She looks a lot like Granny from the Tweetie and Sylvester cartoon. Makes me think of Bryant Pond, MaineBryant Pond was the last community in the U.S. to have crank telephones, switching over to plain vanilla dial phones in 1983. To call my friend in Bryant Pond, I had to dial 0 and ask the operator (remember operators?) to place a call to Bryant Pond 32 -- which was my friend's number. Some operators took it in stride; others took some convincing. Oh, my aching backI'm pretty sure her phone calls never lasted long - look at the posture she has to assume. That table makes her stand about two feet away from the phone and then lean forward over the table to get close to the mouth piece. I'm surprised I don't see a hand mark on the wallpaper from bracing oneself. And of course she'd never just clear that table and sit on top of it. She doesn't look BuddhistSeriously, I am a little surprised by the Buddha figure on her shelf. Grandma was practicing way before it was hip! About those rollsI'm probably wrong but, those rolls seem to me to be too narrow. Is it possible that they are player piano rolls? A couple of them seem to have narrow wooden slats along one edge. I remember seeing player pianos in one of my aunt's homes when I was a kid in the early 1950s and they generally looked like these, but were usually stored in boxes. No hands voice dialingThat phone used no hands voice dialing, an amazing technology that is virtually unavailable today. More!A person can never have too much wallpaper. Well, maybe sometimes. BuddhaMy grandmother had one -- an incense burner, in green-red-gold. Isn't It Obvious?Those rolls next to her can't be anything but more wallpaper that needs hanging! I really like the woodworking on that fern table in front of her! (Technology, The Gallery, John Vachon)
Home Again: 1918
... devoted to antique sock knitting machines and a company in New Zealand that produces new sock knitting machines based upon the antique ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 3:44pm -

"Army soldiers, Walter Reed Hospital." Back from the trenches in Washington, D.C., circa 1918. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. An old yarnI would love to have that knitting machine! On a side note, speaking of "women's work," my dear grandfather took up cross-stitching when recuperating after World War II. He enjoyed it immensely and found it to be very relaxing. He kept it up until his death in 2007. He would do a couple stitches on whatever he was working on each day after smoking his after lunch pipe. He made gorgeous tablecloths and other items as gifts for everyone in the family. Stick to your knittingThe man on the left is using a circular sock knitting machine, which is a pretty cool (and rather complicated) gadget. http://www.oldtymestockings.com/CSMMuseum.html 999 scarves left to goThe guy on the right appears to need a bit more rehab. Thousand-yard stareLooks like the shell shock hasn't quite worn off yet. Looks likeThey made their own robes. Got Yarn?"Yeah I knit. You got a problem with that?" From man's work to women's workIt seems odd that soldiers who had recently been engaged in that most masculine of work--war--should have been given women's work to do in their recuperation. It could have been either very soothing or very humiliating. Smoke Em if You Got EmCheck out the burning cigarette by the young lady. Women's work?If you look at the history of knitting, it was solely men's work at one point, when it was mostly used to produce caps and stockings. Before the various knitting machines came along, there were entire villages in England devoted to knitting stockings, and then it was the work of the whole family. Only when knitting became less necessary and more of a recreational activity did it become solely women's work. During the war, knitting was pushed on everyone, regardless of age or gender, as a way to help the war effort. It was considered therapeutic for patients, and probably wasn't humiliating at all. Women's Work?Tell that to Rosie Grier. And if you don't know who Rosie is, Google him. [And if that doesn't work, try googling Rosey Grier. - Dave] WeightyWhat were the hanging weights for? Maybe to keep tension on the yarn? Heavy KnittingWhen you are using either a sock (shown) or flatbed knitting machine, you use weights to pull on, or tension, the already knit material. It keeps the knitted stitches out of the way of the ones currently on the needles. There are groups solely devoted to antique sock knitting machines and a company in New Zealand that produces new sock knitting machines based upon the antique machines. http://autoknitter.com/ Knitting as therapyKnitting and other needle crafts were widely used as occupational therapy during both World Wars. It also was used in refugee camps in Asia Minor (according to one of my old needlework magazines) as a coping mechanism for children, to soothe them and get them to calm down. Speaking as a knitter/tatter/seamstress/etc, I find most forms of needle crafts very soothing. And logistically it is a great choice as needles and yarn are portable and don't take up lots of storage space (unless you have a stash as large as mine). (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, WWI)
Honolulu Clipper: 1939
... the Pacific Clipper. It was en route from Honolulu to New Zealand when war broke out in the Pacific in December 1941. Rather than return ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/10/2015 - 2:57pm -

Aug. 28, 1939. "Golden Gate International Exposition, San Francisco. General Motors exhibit of GMC trucks with Pan American Airways Clipper Ship at Treasure Island. Bay Bridge in background." The Boeing 314 flying boat Honolulu Clipper. 8x10 Agfa negative from the Wyland Stanley collection. View full size. Read All About It - Honolulu ClipperHer story: http://rbogash.com/B314.html Out of Her ElementThis is an interesting composition. The centricity on the three GMC trucks is balanced by the huge Boeing and the Caterpillar tractor. The Boeing would perhaps be more properly displayed in the water or in the air, her elements, but then how would the photographer have included the GMC trucks? Any of the three parts of the composition would be highly collectable today. There's something here for both old light truck and old tractor collectors, and certainly a historic flying boat like that would be the centerpiece of any aircraft museum. Alas, no 314's survive. One interesting detail is the Boeing trademark, nicknamed "The Boeing Bug", painted on the starboard vertical stabilizer. Clipper CoveThe little cove between Yerba Buena and Treasure Islands is still called Clipper Cove. Navigator's perchI was curious about that hatch that's flipped open on top. Apparently the navigator takes celestial sightings from up there. When they called these "clipper ships" they weren't kidding. FabricThe rudder and elevators (but not the trim tabs) are fabric, to reduce the weight aft of the hinge and prevent flutter. What looks slightly like rivets is rib stitching covered by fabric tape and dope, the stitching tying the fabric to the ribs underneath. Right side up pleaseHaving OCD, I was immediately drawn to the upside down hubcaps on the front vehicle. It only takes a few seconds to pop them off and correct the error. Line of Sight?Referring to "Line of Sight"'s comment, when I was in the USAF (1970s) I toured the Navigator's school in California. Navigator's were required to identify by sight 40 different stars that they could use to take a visual fix and then calculate position Hey! there's a guy walking around on top of that plane!!! I always liked to see the giant C-5 taxi with the flight engineer sitting on top of the aircraft at a hatch while they carefully rolled along; from his perch he was watching wingtips and such to make sure they didn't accidentally "bump into something." I like those roll up window shades!!!!! Line of SightA friend who had been a navigator on SAC B-52s once astonished me by casually remarking that at least some versions of that nearly immortal bomber had a Plexiglas dome through which the navigator could use a sextant to verify his dead reckoning in those fairly recent yet pre-GPS days. Probably a much more stable platform than a storm-tossed sailing ship, but still ... "Fill 'er up!"That man on top of the plane gives a good perspective to the size of this clipper. He also looks like a full service attendant. "You can skip the windows this time, but check the tires please." Clippers and WWIIThere is a great story about the Pacific Clipper. It was en route from Honolulu to New Zealand when war broke out in the Pacific in December 1941. Rather than return to Hawaii and risk running into Japanese aircraft, the decision was made to fly west to the United States. The plane left Auckland, NZ on 8 December 1941 and flew over 30,000 miles via the Middle East and Africa, enduring bad gasoline, poor landing fields, and many other hazards. It landed safely at LaGuardia Airport on 6 January 1942. GMC SuburbanThe nearest truck is a GMC Suburban, long before they became citified, glamorized, sportified, and expensive. They were true utility vehicles -- sport was unheard of then. Honolulu Clipper sunk by US NavyNC18601 Pan American's "Honolulu Clipper" started life with a single vertical stabilizer, which was removed for a twin stabilizer tail. During test flights, pilots still complained about inadequate rudder control and the third stabilizer was added. Honolulu Clipper was lost in 1945 enroute between Honolulu and San Francisco after two of her four engines quit. Her crew and passengers were rescued. Unable to make repairs, the aircraft was damaged while attempting to tow her back to Honolulu. The aircraft was sunk by naval gunfire. (The Gallery, Aviation, Boats & Bridges, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco)
Brooklyn Public: 1941
... Public Library (Ingersoll Memorial), Prospect Park Plaza, New York." Acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. The ... being built in the US, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Almost 60 years after I first set foot in my local library ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 1:59pm -

January 13, 1941. "Brooklyn Public Library (Ingersoll Memorial), Prospect Park Plaza, New York." Acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. The Library at BrooklynI actually like the architecture. Reminds me of ancient Egypt, in the sense that it looks like long after all the other buildings in Brooklyn crumble, this one would still be standing, giving testimony to all the knowledge of mankind. Prewar, there was an idealism of the inherent belief in the good of mankind, so in the attempt to lift us from the Depression, we as a country built all these great libraries, schools, public works of all kinds trying to bring everyone up. And after the war, there was this fatalist realization that this wouldn't ever be possible, so why bother. It's fundamentally and economically not worth the effort, as there will never be any grand success to this ideal. This building reminds me of that prewar idealism -- clean, sterile lines, like the architect was dreaming of 23rd century America and wanted this building to be there still, stoic to the whims of the ages, an edifice to higher education sitting like an ancient hall. Then and nowView Larger Map I am confused...Is that a monument to Stalin, or Ayn Rand? Looks the same, either way. Aha!A closeup of the inscription from the Brooklyn Public Library's website. "Noble things that tower above the tide"In addition to the splendid gilded figural reliefs by Carl Paul Jennewein and Thomas Hudson Jones, the library's entrance façade and doorways are ornamented with numerous inspirational inscriptions written by Roscoe Conklin Ensign Brown (1867-1946), who served on the Library Board from 1908. He was the Board President who oversaw the design and completion of the building, and was clearly very good at crafting a lofty phrase. Yuckto this and the interior shot below. Late 30s - early 40s IMO = the beginning of truly hideous architecture. I'm sure I'm in the minority here but dang, to me that thing is fugly. More than just books.A building this beautiful makes me want to go in and explore. Looks like an Egyptian funerary temple.Or something by Albert Speer. Nice neighborhoodThe area around the library went downhill for a long time after this picture was taken. But the last 20 years has seen a tremendous resurgence. Every Saturday morning in the summer months there is a large farmers market that is full of life. Both Park Slope, and now Prospect Heights have evolved into some of America's most beautiful and livable neighborhoods. And when you see it up close, the architecture of this building is not as brutal as it may seem in pictures. Come to Brooklyn and see! Architectural illiterates! This is a remarkable building which elevated its users into a higher plane. It meant something to go into that space (as I did when researching high school projects in the 1960s.) It was the flagship for a superb borough-wide system of excellent libraries and had the distinction of being both beautiful and user friendly. I can only surmise that those who are totally unused to a high level of design in their daily existence would be overwhelmed by its magnificence. It is "only" a library after all, but such a presence. Outside GOOD, Inside BADAs a nearby resident and archi-nerd, I couldn't help but think, "I doubt most of these people have actually used this building." Because the glowing reviews would pretty much stop there. Yeah, the exterior is beautiful in an eccentric "destined to be a landmark" kinda way, but the inside is pure misery. There is zero natural flow between the departments, the main lobby is ostentatiously grandiose while serving no real purpose, the kids section is so far removed from the others (with no place to sit and rest), the rest of the building is a rabbit's warren of hidden rooms and long corridors... the list goes on and on. Yes: til the break of dawn. Reminds me a lot of the NYC Guggenheim. Visually wonderful, and an absolute nightmare to use. The FlagshipThe Ingersoll main branch is the flagship of the great Brooklyn Public Library System. Many of the smaller neighborhood branches were built through the generosity of Andrew Carnegie, whose largess in this regard resulted in over 2500 architecturally significant libraries being built in the US, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Almost 60 years after I first set foot in my local library in Brooklyn, I can still remember the smell of the books on the shelves, the wrought iron staircase that takes one to the balcony and its treasures, and the beautifully tiled fireplace in the central reading room. When I first set foot in the Ingersoll, I was even more proud to be a Brooklynite. Brooklyn's giftAs a child, I was thrilled to enter the Grand Army Plaza library. My 8th grade English teacher, Rose Silver, made us memorize the inscription by Roscoe Conklin Brown, President of the BPL System. I have forgotten neither the library nor my magnificent teacher to this very day. When I began driving in the late 1960s, I would often travel "in" from Queens to bask in the splendor of this library, Brooklyn's gift to the civilized world. I am still awed by the monumental architecture of this place, and no, it is nothing like Albert Speer's creations for the Third Reich. I left NYC in 1978. When my wife and I returned on vacations to "the city" during the 1980s with our children, we made it a point to have them take a stroll through the Ingersoll Building at Grand Army Plaza. Even the graffiti that besmirched the facade in those days could not diminish the grandeur of this soaring and stately symbol; it represented all that was good and noble within the Western World, forged, as it was, in a dark time of the Great Depression -- a precipice on which civilization itself tottered, in grave peril of being cast asunder by the 20th Century's version of the barbarian horde during the Second World War. It would not be hyperbole to say that this building and its contents indeed represent the greatness of American genius, culture, and values. As an aside, but of no less importance, let me address proposed library budget cuts. How sad -- for the children who need this resource to climb out of slums and ignorance; and for the adults who need this resource to continue to grow and never stagnate throughout their lives. Cutting the budget is nothing less than a sanctioned book-burning. Remember well the words of Heinrich Heine: "Dort wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man auch am Ende Menschen" -- Where they burn books, at the end they also burn people. Best times of my lifeGrowing up in Brooklyn in the '50s and '60s was an incredible experience. The Grand Army Plaza library was a wonderful part of that. I vividly remember the project I did for my wonderful eighth grade English teacher, Mr. Rood, at Mark Twain JHS in Coney Island -- "The Gladiatorial Contests of Ancient Rome." Every Saturday, for a year, my mother would pack a lunch for me (to be eaten in nearby Prospect Park only!), and my parents would drop me off at this wonderful library. The staff there was incredibly kind in helping me find obscure journals, books and art. They even helped me write proper citations and footnotes for each article and publication. Of course, the most fun was using the "new" copying machines, with those awful white on black, nearly impossible to read copies. For many years, I enjoyed just walking up and down the aisles looking at their great collection of books. I recently moved to Oklahoma City and truly miss everything about this fabulous library! (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Wonder Women: 1942
... drudge. She completed her nursing training in 1939 in New Zealand and leaped at the opportunity to join the (Australian) army nursing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 4:48pm -

August 1942. "Formerly a sociology major at the University of Southern California, Mrs. Eloise J. Ellis (left) now "keeps 'em flyin'" at the Naval Air Base, Corpus Christi, Texas. She is a supervisor under civil service in the Assembly and Repair Department. It is her job to maintain morale among the women by helping them solve housing and other personal problems. With her is Jo Ann Whittington, an NYA trainee at the plant." Large format Kodachrome transparency by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information. View full size. Salute this generationOne has to admire the women of WWII. In addition to the worry of having their husbands, brothers and fathers in harm's way, they had to suddenly take on the responsibility of keeping home together, caring for any children, trying to afford and cook meals (no Mc Donald's to run to then), and work some physically demanding jobs previously held by men to help the war effort. They were mostly young women too. All this while just coming out of a long Depression as well. Both male and female had to mature fast in that generation. Tested by fire, no wonder they are called the "Greatest Generation." We Will Remember Them.According to my mother, who was a nurse attached to an Australian General Hospital unit in WW2, most women of her age (late 20s onwards) saw this period as a time of great opportunity to do more than be a housewife or a female drudge. She completed her nursing training in 1939 in New Zealand and leaped at the opportunity to join the (Australian) army nursing corps just after war was declared in September that year and always said that it was the most exciting time of her life. Yes"Yes, I'd love to. BEachwood 4-5789" (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Howard Hollem, WW2)
Palm Beach: 1905
... myself a linguistic tuneup. Trolleys = Go-karts In New Zealand (and probably other places) go-karts are "trolleys." There are annual ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2012 - 4:53pm -

Florida circa 1905. "The Palm Beach 'trolley.' " Early development in the Sunshine State. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Flagler hotelsThis trolley led from the the gargantuan Hotel Royal Poinciana about a half mile east to the Breakers on the ocean. Guests could also choose to take the palm-lined "Ocean Walk." The hotel closed around 1930 and was razed in 1936. It was the largest wooden structure in the world when it was built. http://royalpoincianahotel.blogspot.com/ A quibbleis that the term "trolley" refers to the apparatus for picking up electrical power from an overhead wire, absent in this case. [The word meant "cart." As in horse trolley. It eventually came to be applied to the apparatus drawing electrical current from overhead wires to power a trolley car. Strictly speaking, this conveyance is a horsecar. Which is why the caption puts the word trolley in quotes. - Dave] JustificationAnother reason I visit Shorpy every day is to give myself a linguistic tuneup. Trolleys = Go-kartsIn New Zealand (and probably other places) go-karts are "trolleys." There are annual "trolley races" all over. A friend is an organizer for one. Flagler SystemThe trolley is owned by Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. Flagler was the man most responsible for early real estate development and resort building in Florida, bringing all interested parties down there via his own railroad, which ran all the way to Key West, with ferry service to Havana. HorsepowerWhatever it is, it gets around on 1 HP. Old FloridaHaving grown up in South Miami, I'm loving this series. Anyone who attended South Florida schools in the 1960s would know all about Henry Flagler and his railroads and hotels. If I'm ever offered a time machine, my first trip will be to South Florida and the Keys circa 1900. It's wall-to-wall concrete now even compared to when I was a kid, but the pristine, undeveloped wilderness of the area must have been stunning at the time. (The Gallery, DPC, Florida, Horses, Streetcars)
Japan Surrenders: 1945
... the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, the Soviet Union, and France. At the time, the British, Dutch, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/02/2015 - 12:30pm -

Sept. 2, 1945. "Japanese foreign minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signing the document of surrender aboard the U.S. battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay as General Douglas MacArthur and members of the Allied delegations watch." Acme photo by Dave Davis, war pool correspondent. View full size. My great-uncle was aboardMy great-uncle Carroll A.L. "Whitey" Herget was stationed aboard the USS Missouri BB63 during WWII. He was one of the few men in uniform to witness the Japanese surrender on the Missouri September 2, 1945. Ten days till I turn 6This was on a Sunday, just three years and nine months since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In reality to a child, WW2 seemed so very long, as though it would go on forever, since I remember nothing before age 3. Growing up in a very industrious, factory-filled, small Connecticut mill town where everyone had at least one full time job, I remember the many nights of "lights out" air raid drills, everybody's mom having to work in the factories, rationed food stamps, savings bonds, recycling of paper, scrap iron, grease, rags, restrictions on so many items, and banners on countless windows with gold stars of people who lost their beloved young family members in combat. It was common to see people wearing uniforms of the various armed forces everywhere, throughout every day. Just about every home displayed their American flags and patriotic songs and sorrowful, sentimental or yearning love melodies playing on the radio. True joy was hard to come by, although through the spirit of togetherness, most people had hope we would soon be victorious. On the day this happened, our town really let loose. Starting shortly after church services, there was a huge impromptu parade that soon became a massive block party, people all gathered in the center of town and the grocery stores and social clubs were providing unlimited cooked free food and drinks and local bands were playing uplifting music. There was dancing and singing and hugging and kissing and crying and everyone's emotional release was palpable. This went on late into the night. There were no grumps, no arguments, no political dissent, just mutual exuberance from everyone that surely better times were ahead, happy days were here again. As a dumb kid, I really didn't understand all of what it meant, but it was obvious that this was one of the best days in history. God bless America. Lots of brassGeneral MacArthur was in charge of the proceedings and stands at right. The officer standing to his left is Lt. Gen. Richard K. Sutherland, sometimes erroneously identified as Gen. Jonathan Wainwright. 6th from bottom in the line at left is Adm. William F. "Bull" Halsey, 4 stars prominent on his service cap (he got a 5th star 3 months later). Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz stood just out of view to the right of the shot. Allies Also on HandJudging from the varied array of hats on the group in the foreground, the Allies were there in force. I can't identify many, but the French kepis do stand out. They have long preferred the kepi style dress hat, and here is no exception. Then there are the 2 fancy kepis with the design on the top. My guess would be Algerian or Moroccan officers serving in the French Army. But the real question is, what are the French doing there? Their Pacific exploits in WWII would make for a very thin book. Beginning and the endOn a recent visit to Hawaii we toured the Missouri which is now a museum ship in Pearl Harbor. After seeing newsreels and photos, I was amazed to note that the actual site of the surrender signing is quite small. Ironically, Missouri is now docked along Battleship Row where World War II began December 7th 1941 and, as this great Shorpy photo reminds us, ended on the Missouri's starboard deck 4 years later. Distracted?What are the three guys one the railing of the ship looking at? One of them has binoculars. The three are located next to all the sailors in white uniforms. With such an important event going on right in front of them, I am just wondering what could be so important that they are focused on something else? Noisy neighborhoodWhen the surrender was announced in August, my mom gave me a metal dishpan and a wooden spoon and told me to go out by the front gate and bang it. Wow! Here I was a little kid actually being encouraged to make noise! She didn't have to tell me twice. The French deserved to be thereThe Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri was signed by the military representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, the Soviet Union, and France. At the time, the British, Dutch, and French all had more overseas dependencies or independent countries within their cultural-political orbits in the Pacific than the United States did. In most cases their local defence forces had fought valiantly against the overwhelming, unprovoked aggression of the Japanese, and their populations had suffered great hardships and losses of life. Not distractedThat was the boarding gangway and that would be the duty officer and his crew, in charge of piping aboard any visitors. Amazingly enoughThe man with the binoculars is still alive. See this article. Thanks Shorpy!Stunning Photo! Thank you for the opportunity to view this. Missouri GunsUSS Missouri is indeed at Pearl Harbor, but the 16-inch guns looming overhead in this famous photo were replaced at the end of the Korean War. The guns remained in storage until a few years ago when they were made available to military museums. (A few were saved; the others scrapped.) The gun barrel closest to the surrender ceremony (serial #386) was saved by the National Park Service and is now on display at Fort Cronkhite in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area near San Francisco. It's awaiting remounting in a nearby disarmed Coast Artillery battery to take the place of a 16-inch gun salvaged at the end of WWII. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, WW2)
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