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Plane Crash: 1938
... Aerial Gunnery School at St. Jean de Monts, France. In 1920 he was graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and held ... until 1930 when he came to Washington in Plans Division, Office of Chief of Air Corps. After attending the Army and Naval War Colleges, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 1:02pm -

November 9, 1938. Washington, D.C. "Two U.S. Army fliers -- Lieut. Col. Leslie MacDill, General Staff Corps Officer, and Private Joseph G. Gloxner -- were burned to death today in the worst aerial tragedy in the history of the Capital when their plane crashed on a street in Anacostia, a short distance from Bolling Field. Three automobiles were wrecked in the crash. Col. MacDill was piloting the plane." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Conducting? Yes, in a manner of speaking.I think you'll find that the military man is "conducting" the operation of lowering (or lifting) the aircraft carcass and that his orchestra is the crane driver. A Man Cooked Alive!Stanton Square's observations about lurid old reporting styles reminded me of the way that the accidental death of one of my great-grandmother's cousins was described by a reporter for the Virginia City (Nevada) Territorial Enterprise, on December 21, 1871, under the tasteful headline "A Man Cooked Alive!" Michael T. Comerford, the deceased, was a silver miner who accidentally hit his head on a beam while going for some ice to cool his tea during a dinner break deep in the mine, and fell into the boiling hot spring at the bottom of the drift he was in, and was scalded to death. The article took nearly ten column inches to describe the gruesome details of his condition when his fellow miners found him a few hours later. A mild example: there were claw marks in the mud where he had attempted to pull himself out, and his hands were described as looking like old, swollen yellow kid gloves. It was a few days before Christmas, and Comerford left a young wife and three small children. The article concluded with these staunch words: "To break the terrible news to the poor man's widow was a task the miners shrank from, but it had to be done." North American BC-1Col. MacDill was flying a North American BC-1, used by the Army Air Corps from 1936 to 1940. The BC-1 evolved into the AT-6 Texan (or SNJ in Navy nomenclature, "Harvard" to the British). The AT-6 is often seen at air shows, as many of them were purchased as inexpensive surplus after the war. MacDill Air Force Base near Tampa, Florida, is named for Col. MacDill. Different detailsIndeed, it is interesting how ordinary news accounts of decades ago leave in details related to death and injury. Suicides were routinely reported. Even traffic accident reports from the '30s, an era of journalistic interest to me, note that someone fractured a leg, say. Now, whether because of heightened sensitivity to privacy, or of hospitals' legal reluctance to offer details, or of newspapers' awareness that offended readers can become ex-readers, the results of violence don't get described as often as they used to. (Of course, the reverse seems to be the case in sexual descriptions...) Heard Body PlopA revealing insight into how journalistic sensibilities have changed (evolved?) regarding the lurid details of a gory story. ("the head was torn from the other," "a plop which suggested to him falling of a human body," "I couldn't clean up the brains splattered on my car.") Washington Post, Nov 10, 1938 Army Studies Cremation of 2 Fliers Here Crash in Anacostia Fire Destroys Plane Officer is Killed, Pilot Dies Also A special Army board last night was investigating the crash which killed and cremated two Army fliers when their pursuit plane went into a spin, narrowly missed two houses and smashed to earth in Anacostia, 2 miles from Bolling Field. The dead were Col. Leslie MacDill, 49, of the War Department general staff, who lived at 3105 Cathedral avenue northwest, and Private Joseph G. Gloxner, of First Staff Squadron, of Reading, Pa. Both were instantly killed. Maj. Charles P. Prime, chief investigator, said last night that eyewitnesses have given conflicting reports regarding engine trouble. Coroner A. Magruder MacDonald said he would postpone decision on holding an inquest into the deaths until he had received the Army report. Trouble With Motor The BC-1 pursuit plane piloted by Col. MacDill took off from Bolling Field at 9:36 a.m. Three minutes later it crashed on S street, a block away from the busy intersection of Good Hope road and Nichols avenue. Accounts pieced together from numerous eyewitnesses indicate that something happened to the motor and Col. MacDill tried to get back to his field, and then with death staring him in the face aimed his plane for a narrow space between two houses in order to land on Thirteenth street, headed for an alley. The plane cut down telephone and power wires, knocked down a pole, clipped off tree limbs and plunged into the earth between the curb and street in front of the home of Robert Thompson, 1807 Thirteenth street, southeast. The plane immediately burst into flames, settled back on a parked car. Burning gasoline flowed down the street and destroyed three other parked cars. One civilian came within 10 feet of being killed in the crash. That was Clarence W. Ohm, plumber of 1612 W street southeast. He had parked his car directly across the street from the crash, and was just getting from his car when the plane struck. Flames Leap 50 Feet Both bodies were burned beyond recognition by the flames which leaped as high as 50 feet. One of the bodies was thrown from the fuselage, while the head was torn from the other. Fireman fought half an hour with water and chemicals. Louis Fiedler, mechanic, and Harry Rosenthal, manager of Mandell Chevrolet garage at Thirteenth street and Good Hope road, and Earl Hazel, of 1235 U street southeast, rushed to the plane with fire extinguishers. The heat drove them away. Fiedler's face was scorched. The street at the time of the crash was deserted except for Ohm. Few people were attracted by sound of the plane until it exploded because Anacostia residents have become accustomed to low-flying planes. Heard Body Plop Ohm related that because of a broken gasket on the exhaust pipe of his automobile, he heard nothing until a plop which suggested to him falling of a human body. From his parked car he heard a scream and saw a body on the pavement before an explosion "like a 16-inch gun" shot up huge clouds of black smoke and flames. Still shaking from his experience last night he said, "it was the most horrible thing I ever saw. I thought the world was coming to and end. I have felt so bad all day I couldn't clean up the brains splattered on my car." Col. MacDill was a graduate of Hanover College, University of Indiana, and the Army War College. He leaves his wife, Mrs. Marilla Augusta MacDill, and two daughters, Katherine Rose, 14, and Rose, 11. Col MacDill was first commissioned a second lieutenant, Coast Artillery Corps, in 1912. By time of the World War he had been promoted to captain of Air Corps. Overseas he organized the Aerial Gunnery School at St. Jean de Monts, France. In 1920 he was graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and held several commands until 1930 when he came to Washington in Plans Division, Office of Chief of Air Corps. After attending the Army and Naval War Colleges, he returned here in 1934. The bodies of both men are being held at Walter Reed Hospital. The crash scene today; remarkable how little the house has changed. View Larger Map A one, two, three, four...The military guy with the cigarette hanging out of his mouth looks like Arte Johnson of "Laugh-In" fame. He seems to be conducting an orchestra in the middle of the street. Very surreal. Harry Rosenthal>> Louis Fiedler, mechanic, and Harry Rosenthal, manager of Mandell Chevrolet garage at Thirteenth street and Good Hope road, and Earl Hazel, of 1235 U street southeast, rushed to the plane with fire extinguishers. Harry went on to open his own Chevrolet dealership some years later. Mandell Chevrolet was owned by Ben Ourisman, who had named the dealership after his son. Military operationThe whole removal project was apparently carried out by the army. The three men to the right of the officer in charge are no doubt army men. One has staff sergeant stripes, one buck sergeant and can't tell about the other. The man on the viewer's right has coveralls over his uniform. The little billed fatigue hats are a sure sign. There is likely a navy man there too. The man in the white hat looks to be in a dungaree uniform with his white hat turned down. I'd guess that the navy furnished the crane from the Washington Navy Yard. The 'Before' PictureNot the exact plane, of course, but same model. ConductorThe Army man guiding the crane is not an officer. His cap device is that of an elisted man. Correction!OK, somewhat late to the thread, but the Washington Post article states: "Col. MacDill was a graduate of Hanover College, University of Indiana, and the Army War College." 'Tis and 'twas "Indiana University," not "University of Indiana. Harrumph. Spent 22 years in the USAF, never realized MacDill was named after a fellow Hoosier, tho. (The Gallery, Aviation, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Teeth Without Plates: 1905
... circa 1905. "Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad office, Woodward & Jefferson Aves." A number of familiar Shorpy standbys ... is Uneeda Biscuit! Northwest Corner Circa 1920. ( Wayne State University Virtual Library ) Hello Operator, give me ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:35pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1905. "Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad office, Woodward & Jefferson Aves." A number of familiar Shorpy standbys here: The newsie, the "painless dental parlor," ectoplasmic pedestrians and a cameo by Goebel's beer. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Which corner?Assuming the shot was taken in the afternoon, that would be the northeast corner of Woodward and Jefferson. The site is now occupied by the City-County building, subsequently renamed the Coleman A. Young building. The current structure was built in 1954. [Our view is of the odd-numbered addresses on both streets -- the northwest corner. - Dave] View Larger Map Can someone enlighten me? What on earth is/was Vitalized Air? Some sort of anaesthetic, I'm guessing since it's listing with "laughing gas". Chlorform perhaps? Also, I keep expecting the guy leaning against the post to whisper "Hey lady, wanna buy a watch?" and open his jacket to show them sewn into the lining... Goebel'sThis Reich will last a thousand beers! Little has changedBrakeless bikes, like the one in this great picture, are the 'modern' thing again now. They're called fixies these days. Teeth without plates?OMIGOD!! Does that mean some Dr. Painless was trying to do dental implants in 1905? I hope the bar downstairs had plenty of Canadian Club under their sign for those poor suckers. [I'd imagine that "teeth without plates" meant crowns and bridgework. - Dave] Modern DentistryAgain, Shorpy jumps the gun, Teeth Without Plates, America's first implants. A different edit of the shotMuch as I like the "King Leer" edit, I don't think it is a fair one. A different crop reveals something else entirely: All three people are looking at something down the street, although whatever it was, it was out of camera range (or ran into the store). McGough's Chop HouseHalf a spring chicken and a Goebel's cool lager would taste pretty good right now. Painless or notI don't find the picture of a naked molar comforting. King LeerNote the guy checking out the chick, although given her clothes coverage, he must have a discerning eye. Fountain pens at 20 pacesI'm curious about the oversize shotgun (punt gun?) seemingly suspended in midair near the Laughlin fountain pen sign. [It's advertising the Cassius M. Havens sporting goods store below. Or possibly the Painless Dentist. - Dave] Loooooooove this pictureTo me, this epitomizes every reason I visit Shorpy.... for the kind of minute details I see in these images. I loved everything in this one. I had grandparents born in the 1870s and can only wonder how they felt about the modern inventions just coming into their lives. A new assignmentI want to try to determine exactly when bikes started appearing with fenders attached. Goebel's -- the "Luxury Beer"Crazy wiresWhat's with the crazy wires that come out of the dentist office window- make a circuitous trip up to top floor then back down and into the sporting good store next door. Oh?This reminds me of my first bike which was too big for me. I finally grew a bit, as I'm sure he did. Love the expression on his face as he spots the photographer. All that's missing isUneeda Biscuit! Northwest CornerCirca 1920. (Wayne State University Virtual Library) Hello Operator, give me HeavenThat call box -- a direct line to the man upstairs? No Need for GasI'm laughing so hard reading all the signs that I might need some "Vitalized Air". The entire process is spelled out right in the windows: Teeth without plates are offered in the room just to the right where there are "Gold & Porcelain Crowns". Moving over to the gas sign we find "Extractions Without Pain" in one room and at the next stop is the grand finale: Of bikes and pensPer the amended "King Lear" I disagree that the kid is part of the scene and/or everyone is looking further to the right. The bike isn't brakeless: it has a 'coaster brake' inside the rear hub. A slight back peddle pedal activates it. And down here in Florida, anyway, those 'basic' bikes are called Coasters or Cruisers. The Laughlin Fountain Pens were manufactured in Detroit and seems to have had limited distribution around the country. For some reason, advertisements for them are being sold on eBay, but when I last check only two pens were for sale -- as quite expensive collector items. A brief biography of Mr Laughlin I found says: To Coast or NotIt's a little hard to tell but I think the kid's bike didn't have coaster brakes. For starters, they were only invented in 1898, and this fellow doesn't look like he's riding the latest thing. Second, I would think that the hub would be quite a bit fatter. But third, the one characteristic sign of a coaster brake is that that there is a little arm that comes out from the hub and is anchored to the arm of the frame, and I see no sign of this in the photo. All this......and a cigar store Indian! (The Gallery, Bicycles, Detroit Photos, DPC, Railroads)
Miss Louise Johnson: 1920
Miss Louise Johnson, from 1920. Her somewhat damaged appearance is maybe appropriate since the Shorpy Mid-Atlantic office is just coming back online after an agonizingly long Internet outage. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 1:37pm -

Miss Louise Johnson, from 1920. Her somewhat damaged appearance is maybe appropriate since the Shorpy Mid-Atlantic office is just coming back online after an agonizingly long Internet outage. View full size. National Photo Company. (The Gallery, Natl Photo, Portraits)
El Paso: 1903
... see it in newspaper ads of the 1800's as well. By the 1920's this usage is just about extinct, you never see it today unless intended ... sheets. The use of a period in single-word signs such as "Office." or "Coalyard." also renders the word into a declarative sentence, as ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 9:55am -

"El Paso, Texas. 1903." Detroit Publishing Co. glass negative. View full size. DateDoes the overhead banner not say 1889? [1903. - Dave] Telephone cablesWhat a remarkable chapter in the history of telephone communications this photo displays. Notice how the lower six crossarms on the closest telephone pole, which used to hold 36 wire pairs, have been rendered obsolete by the three cables strung in the upper foreground of the photo. I'd guess that those cables hold 25 pairs apiece, but they could be a hundred pairs each. Nowadays there can be up to two thousand pairs in a cable. This marked a glorious transition for a forest of wires to a telephone system with some hope for future expansion. El PasoNot an automobile to be seen. However we can see streetcar tracks and a Bell Telephone sign. What else was going on in 1903.When I see the date on a picture or when a Hymn was written I try to relate the date as to what else was going on in the world. El Paso in 1903 with no cars was to change because in Detroit Henry Ford was starting the Ford Motor Co. Driving through El Paso today on I-10 you do not see much of El Paso because of all the cars you have to keep your eyes on. Great PictureLots to see here. But I keep coming back to the 2nd store from the right. Just beyond the W.G.Walz banner. Does anyone else see two eyes looking at the lens? El Paso Grand Midwinter CarnivalThe El Paso Midwinter Carnival will take place from January 12 to 17 Inclusive, some of the features of which will be: World's championship Miners' Drilling Contest, prizes $2000; Roping and Tying Tournament, prizes $2000: Fraternal and Civic Parade, prizes $1000: free shows on the streets. Oriental midway, music, parades, bull fights, confetti battles and generally a hot old time. Ammunition can be bought on the grounds. Programmes of the El Paso Grand Midwinter Carnival shoot will be mailed on application. -- Sporting Life Oregon and MillsBased on the address of the old Grand Central Hotel and the bend in the streetcar line, this appears to be taken from the corner of Oregon and Mills (formerly St. Louis), looking almost due west. Just to the right of the photographer would be San Jacinto Plaza. 1886 map. [The label in the lower left corner of the photo says it's El Paso Street. - Dave] View Larger Map Mama was a cowgirlMy mother was born in El Paso in 1918 and I imagine it looked pretty much the same 15 years after this photo was taken. Out in the West Texas...Town of El Paso, I fell in love with a Mexican girl... Night time would find me at Rosie's Cantina...etc... Sign punctuationSomething I've always been curious about - this is the first example I've seen on Shorpy since I signed up. From the pre-Civil War era up through about the turn of the 19th-20th century, sentence fragments on billboards are always followed by periods. See "Antiquities." in this photo for an example. A nineteenth century hardware store might advertise: Tools. Wire Fencing. Lumber. Nails and Staples. You see it in newspaper ads of the 1800's as well. By the 1920's this usage is just about extinct, you never see it today unless intended to create a mock-dramatic effect. Somehow there must have been a change in the teaching of business English that caused every ad agency in America to decide "this usage must go!" [Check out this post, and the comments. - Dave] Sign Punctuation and the Future of ShorpyYears from now, Shorpy.com (or its successors) may generate comments on the ersatz punctuation evident in commercial signage circa 2009. An infamous example is the use of apostrophies to indicate plurals (e.g. "soda's"). Period Signage, Signage PeriodsThe use of periods in 19th-century signage seems to derive from the similar usage on book title pages. The typographic fashion for long phrases and numerous ornamental typefaces on the same page or sign was perhaps thought to be more confusing to the reader without the periods. So in the present photo, the periods help us to sort out the discrete phrases in the "wordy" sign at the far left: "Wholesale & Retail Dealers in All Kinds of Mexican & Indian Curiosities. Mexican Straw, Felt & Fur Hats." As page and signage design simplified in the 20th Century, the perceived need for the periods became redundant and was dropped from designers' and editors' style sheets. The use of a period in single-word signs such as "Office." or "Coalyard." also renders the word into a declarative sentence, as if spoken in an announcement to the viewer. My favorite badly painted 20th-century building sign, with too-evenly spaced block letters, would have benefited from the addition of periods, or at least better spacing. As seen from the road in Beirut in 1973, it read as one word: "GARGANTUADANCINGCREPERIERESTAURANT" Electric streetcarsLooking at the streetcar system I don't see any overhead catenary system, but I am viewing the image on a google phone so the detail might not be as clear. In most cities where I have researched, primarily in the southeast, the electric distribution was handled by the streetcar companies as a secondary service to sell excess power not used in the primary transportation network. Streetcars were animal powered until electric motors were improved to handle the cars; steam powered trolleys were considered undesirable and banned in the franchise agreements needed to operate. In some cities the power was generated by the local mill since they had the hydro power, others it was a municipal system or local business group. Lighting was primarily gas until the late 1890's. The electric system is present with a transformer and service cut-ins but I was curious to know if the streetcar was still animal powered? [The photo shows an overhead catenary line. - Dave] S. El Paso StreetThis same photo (and 112 others from Detroit Publishing, some already seen here on Shorpy) is contained in the Dover Publications collection "Main Street, U.S.A. In Early Photographs" (1998). The book's caption notes this is South El Paso Street's 100 block, looking to the south. At the time the photo was taken, this area was the business center of El Paso, "although that hegemony slipped away in the subsequent decade." The two buildings at the extreme right were torn down in the 1980's for the exppansion of the Paso del Norte Hotel. Believe me, Dave has managed to bring up a great amount of detail from the mud of the original photograph (and I ain't talking about the street.) Steve Miller Someplace near the crossroads of America J.W. HardinThe outlaw J.W. Hardin was killed here 8 yrs prior to the photo. I'd say it was a rather hectic town at the time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wesley_Hardin CoincidenceHaving just watched the HBO series Deadwood last night, I smiled when I saw "The Gem" and "Billiards" on the same building down the street. Must have been a common name in those days. CURIOUSMIGHT THAT BE A SIGN FOR AN OPTOMETRIST? [I BET IT WAS. ARE YOU HARD OF SEEING? - DAVE] Making it workThe sign painters have also effectively worked the decorative brickwork and windows into their design. It is hard to say if the people who originally designed and built the structure on the left had any aesthetic compunction about using the walls as a billboard - or was this the work of later owners? Imagine spending $50 million to build an office building today and then using it for advertising space. [It is hard to envision. - Dave] 1886 MapThanks Vic for the map. I see those railroads via El Paso. My great-great grandpa went to El Paso from Ohio in 1870's to work on the railroad for few years. I make the connection with family history, personal letters with this map. Thanks so much. (The Gallery, DPC, Horses)
Vanderbilt Hotel: 1913
... the early 20th Century. Singer Enrico Caruso lived here in 1920 and 1921, his last U.S. home. To be or not to be a gargoyle That's ... Guard Armory. It was replaced in 1975 by a high rise office building known as 3 Park Avenue. Its lower floors are occupied by the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 1:17pm -

New York circa 1913. "Vanderbilt Hotel, Park Avenue at 34th Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Hotel with a pedigreeFrom its 1913 completion until it was converted to apartments in 1965, the Vanderbilt Hotel was one of the city's most fashionable in the early 20th Century. Singer Enrico Caruso lived here in 1920 and 1921, his last U.S. home. To be or not to be a gargoyleThat's handsome chauffeur (I'm making that assumption because of the hat -- maybe it's the owner just kicking back and waiting for someone). On the side of the Vanderbilt building facing us, about 4 windows up, there appear to be three gargoyles missing. Were they not ready to put up yet? Were they stolen? Did the other gargoyles chase them away? Did they abandon their posts? Are they really gargoyles or some other kind of stonework? I can't see them clearly because of the distance. It looks like they are not all the same. One looks like it's a person with some dogs, for instance. More than one looks like it could be a transformer robot. I can see that there is a window-washer about 6 windows up in the middle tier of the building. The plank is either crooked or it's an illusion because of the angle of the photo. "The car that has no crank"The car is a 1912 Cadillac, the first to use Charles Kettering's newly-invented electric starter. I think the first character on the license plate is C, not 6, but it is kind of strange. And the poor chauffeur doesn't even have a book to keep himself occupied while he waits! Vanderbilt StationA few years ago, a restaurant called Vanderbilt Station opened in the the building that housed the hotel. They claimed that when the Vanderbilts lived there they had a private railroad siding beneath the building, where their private Pullman coach, attached to a locomotive, would pick them up and whisk them to all the grand places. It turns out that the story was just another NYC fairy tale. However the restaurant served great prime rib which they sold by the inch. Ugly modernizationThe modernized lower level of the Vanderbuilt is an architectural nightmare. I don't see how a self respecting architect could create such a mess. The sad thing is that the changes neither added utility to the building nor did they improve the aesthetics. It was simply performed for no reasonable purpose. Larry. Moe & CurlyOutside the 7th floor washing the windows. Uptown TrafficNo uptown traffic lane from 33rd street? Wonder when that wall was demolished to make way. Modern betterComparing the 1913 photo to the current Google streetview we can see the exterior has been completely revamped. This is one of the rare occasions when I like the new version better. Ill-fated Alfred Gwynne VanderbiltAlfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, a great-grandson of the Commodore, built this hotel in 1913. One of many permanent residents there, he moved into two top floors. He is best-known for the circumstances of his 1915 death, however. Traveling first class on the Lusitania when it was torpeodoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland, he gave his life vest to save a young mother and child. Vanderbilt was unable to swim, and his body was never recovered. Big Babies of TodayIn 1913 if you were bitten by bedbugs at the Vanderbilt, you'd keep it to yourself. Today, you file a lawsuit and contact a press agent to get the word out. EerinessThe fellow with the "66666" license plate sitting perfectly still while the apparitions around him are in motion is a bit spooky. A Longchamps thereI seem to remember that a large two-level basement restaurant in the Longchamps chain once operated in this hotel. It was an art-deco kind of place. Alas, but Longchamps has gone the way of the Schrafft's, Childs, Chock Full o' Nuts, Horn & Hardart, and Bickford restaurant operations. Still standing proud 97 years on.View Larger Map Satan's conveyanceThe Devil himself is attending a Bilderberg meeting at the hotel. Empire State BastillePardon my unfamiliarity with New York, but what's the fortress-like building at the left edge of the photo? Looks vaguely medieval -- perhaps an armory? Tilt-shiftAll these old photos of buildings shot from the street level reminded me of something I hadn't thought much about since I quit using my Graflex 4x5 and Speed Graphic 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 years ago. It was thought in bad taste to have tall buildings looking like they were "falling over backward" in photographs, so the front board of the bellows holding the lens would be tilted in such a manner as to make the lines of the buildings look straight and give the building a more natural appearance -- albeit they look larger at the top. I haven't seen this discussed before, but the Google Street View that was posted shows the difference, albeit more extreme as it was basically taken with a wide angle lens. re: Tilt-shift The tilt-shift technique has come up occasionally here, as an example in this comment. But your comment has zeroed in on something that's always struck me as odd about such photos, particularly when it's a tall building shot from street level, and now I realize that it is indeed the fact that it tends to make the bulding's vertical proportions gradually elongate with elevation. As an experiment, using the large version of this shot, I measured the vertical dimensions in pixels of the lowest and uppermost sash windows running up the corner of the facing side. You would think that the uppermost one would be smaller, both because it's father away and because of foreshortening, but in fact, they're both almost exactly 50 pixels tall. 34th & ParkCommenter John is correct, the building on the left is indeed the 71st New York State National Guard Armory. It was replaced in 1975 by a high rise office building known as 3 Park Avenue. Its lower floors are occupied by the Norman Thomas High School. Shifty Architectural photography has pretty much always been captured by a large format camera because both the lens plane and the film plane can be shifted, tilted and swung in relation to each other. I have a couple of press cameras like the Graflex Speed Graphic 4x5 that allow you to elevate the lens board to raise the lens relative to the film plane to "look up" while the camera is level or parallel to the ground. This lets you keep the vertical lines of a building from converging, making the vertical lines stay parallel to each other. The tilt of the lens board along the horizontal axis allows you to broaden the depth of field (focus) in relation to things being near at the bottom or top to (reciprocal) things being far at the top or bottom while leaving you free to use a large f-stop to keep things farther away out of focus (like the great portraits we’ve seen on Shorpy). My, we don’t even think of f-stop on digital cameras. When these really tall buildings are photographed, the rise of the lens board can’t "look" high enough, so a full movement view camera must be used because the focal plane (back) of the camera can be tilted horizontally to keep the vertical lines from converging because the camera itself is angled upward like any regular camera that everyone uses to get the same photo like we see in the street view below. Connecticut license plateThis wasn't a vehicle from NYC. The license plate shown is an undated porcelain plate from Connecticut, C6666. The "C" indicated Connecticut. In 1913, these plates had white characters on a blue background. While the driver sleptThe beautiful architecture of the hotel was transformed into one of the ugliest, plain corners of Gotham. I stayed in this hotel.On route from the UK to California my family stayed one night in this grand hotel. It was May 1964 and from memory (I was only 13) we had a rooms on the corner of the nearest block around the 5-6th floor. I remember looking out of a window down at the scene in this photograph. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, NYC)
Freshman Chemistry: 1925
... Open The Windows... What!? I once worked in a basement office in Manhattan, not unlike this one (but it was a bit more recently). The ... on these specific dresses, for instance, is very much in 1920's style. They also actually fit each student gracefully, which ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/22/2012 - 9:32pm -

Washington circa 1925. "Mount Vernon Seminary, interior." Someone open a window, it's getting hot in here. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Hot for Teacher!The seated women in white near the chalkboard is absolutely stunning! [They is! - Dave] SashesI wonder what the different color sashes dictate? That girl in the middle back sure has some eyes. Well hello there!The girl in the center rear, with the bob and the white blouse has that "Well hello there!" look on her face. Hubba hubba! Open The Windows... What!?I once worked in a basement office in Manhattan, not unlike this one (but it was a bit more recently). The worst thing about it was that in the winter, you'd get up before sunrise to take the subway to work, and when you left for the day, it was dark again. So, the only time the employees would see daylight was during their lunch breaks. Some of them were borderline-insane, which doesn't surprise me, looking back at the experience. The place was also infested by huge, inch-long cockroaches which you'd surprise in the hallway occasionally. When I was given a chance to take a vacation in California (at my own expense), I went to the Mojave Desert! Perfectly normal?Okay, it's 1925, and there are young women in modified sailor uniforms studying chemistry at a seminary. Have I missed something, or are there a lot of incongruities here? Bunsen burners still the sameI took up pre-med classes in the late 1980s and early 90s. And from what I remember, chemistry labs look pretty much the same as this picture. Bunsen burners are nearly identical and chem lab equipment have not changed much. Perhaps the only glaring change is that in modern times, all chemistry labs will include the required "safety faucets" (safety eye wash). My eyes!!This class would never be allowed today. No safety glasses, no fireproof aprons, no gloves. I also don't see any hazardous material disposal containers. Whatever is in those test tubes could shoot out and get all over the person at the next desk. Of course these ladies probably wouldn't sue for damages and emotional distress for every cut, burn or discomfort they might encounter in everyday life. And not to mention the environmental zealots who also might take offense. Different eras, different meaningsA seminary, for most of the 19th and early 20th century, was simply a post-primary-level school. No religious connotations. And middy suits were common as school uniforms -- and non-uniforms. My collection of 1914-1925 women's magazines shows that middy suits were very popular as school and play clothes for girls up to their late teens. They were washable, sturdy, economical, and easy to sew. Institutional historyThis institution has quite a history. Starting out as home schooling for women after the Civil War, it was a high school, then a junior college, then a four-year college. Ten years ago, its very desirable location was gobbled up by George Washington University and is now the Mount Vernon Campus. Boys live there now! I'd be inclined to agree..As of my last high school chemistry class, (Junior year, 2008) I can certainly say that the lab equipment looks exactly the same. Actually, come to think of it, this stuff looks better! This is most likely due to the frugal (see "cheap and miserly") instincts of my town's board of finance. Less Serious as You Go BackThe two ladies in the foreground are dedicated researchers; the air of seriousness diminishes as you go back, 'till things get downright playful (another hottie alert!) at the very back. Those sailor dressesThe sailor outfits, called middy (midshipman) blouses, were standard, relatively generic school uniforms of the era. I had a class photo of my aunt, born 1924, in such a white blouse and neckerchief from a New York City public school. My mother, who was six years younger and went to the same school, did not get a uniform at all. These ladies have really nicely made and elaborate versions of the look. The drop-waist on these specific dresses, for instance, is very much in 1920's style. They also actually fit each student gracefully, which off-the-shelf school uniforms rarely do. You see the plain white middy blouses with the neckerchiefs in many school photos of the early 20th century. That's my sister!Speaking of the girl in the back, she looks like my little sister, I should say my little sister looks like her. I hope no one got chemicals splashed on them or in their eyes. I see no protective eyewear or anything. Nautical ThemeI wonder why the women are dressed in Navy-like uniforms. Was there a nautical connection at Mount Vernon Seminary (now George Washington University at Mount Vernon College)? Mt Venon SeminaryMount Vernon Seminary: founded by Elizabeth Somers in 1875 at 204 F St. N.W. (some more history) 1917 advertisement TeacherI think you missed the teacher. She is probably the fortyish woman standing with the pulled-back hair and the lab coat. Hi Sailor!Was the nautical outfit a school uniform that signifies something? What about the two in white in the rear of the room, were they townies? ShenanigansWhat classroom would be complete without a couple spitwads permanently affixed to the ceiling? Future archaeologists will be surprised to learn that the stalactites hanging from the ceiling of the concrete tunnel that connects my hometown's elementary and jr/sr high schools are man-made. How Soon We ForgetIn the NYC Public School System, the elementary school which I attended ca 1938-1946, we had Friday assembly. The required dress code had the boys in white shirts and red neckties and dark trousers or knickers, the girls wore white middy blouses with red kerchiefs and a dark skirt. We had extremely poor children in the mix, I really don't remember but I've got to assume they weren't strictly held to the rule. This was at P.S.53 in The South Bronx. The neighborhood that it served was from about 163rd Street to 170th Street and to Brook Avenue in the east, and, Grant Avenue to the west. The writing on the wallI can see something about Fehling's solution on the blackboard along with diabetes. We did an experiment with that in my high school chem class in 1964-65. I can't recall if eye protection was mandatory (my eyeglasses served somewhat as such). Our instructor was always setting up labs using college chem textbooks. ChangeIt's funny how things change so fast looking back. Middy BlousesAs someone who grew up in Japan I find these pictures interesting, as that "sailor style" school uniform remained popular there into the 1990's (there are still some schools which use this style of uniform). The adoption of the style there was around the same time as the look became popular in the US, as far as I know - it's just lasted longer. The look instantly says "school uniform" to me, I am used to them in modern settings but I'm not used to seeing them in an American context. This blog is amazing. I realize this post is very late, but I've come here moving backward over each page from the latest now in August, it is that compelling! Department of Homeland SecurityThis room is now occupied by some employee(s) of the Department of Homeland Security. The Mount Vernon Seminary Nebraska Avenue campus was taken in 1942 by the federal government via the War Powers Act and occupied by the Navy until 2002/3. When DHS was created, it needed a headquarters and the Navy's campus on Nebraska was transferred to the new department for that purpose. A new location has been identified for DHS and it will eventually move and the Nebraska site will more than likely be "excessed" back to the private sector or to the DC government. (The Gallery, D.C., Education, Schools, Harris + Ewing)
The Committee: 1920
Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Red Cross group, Government Hotels." National Photo Company Collection ... on the roof--is the north facade of the Russell Senate Office Building. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/14/2017 - 2:33pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Red Cross group, Government Hotels." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Not incongruous, just near itThese "government hotels" are the dormitories constructed between the Capitol and Union Station duting WWI. Visible at rear--with second-story Romanesque arched windows, double pilasters, festoons under the top-story windows, and a baluster on the roof--is the north facade of the Russell Senate Office Building. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
New Amsterdam Theatre: 1905
... represented an Upper East Side district in Congress from 1920 until his death in 1949, for ten of those years as chairman of the House ... the only place you could get weighed was at the doctor's office or at one of these penny scales. Even into the 1960s they were common ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/18/2012 - 3:41pm -

New York circa 1905. "New Amsterdam Theatre." Looking like it just popped up out of the toaster. Now playing: "Trilby." Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. CorsetsOoooh, a view of a corsetiere! The historical costumer inside me is very happy to see it. Corsets in plain view -- clearly people weren't as timid about such things as many would like to think. Sort of like walking past Victoria's Secret nowadays. Strait is the gateThe church holds herself rather stiffly apart from the rest of the jollity on the street. Facades and RealityThe perceived address prestige of one street vs. the next in New York always amuses me. Ironically, the actual stage house and auditorium for the New Amsterdam aren't located on 42nd Street at all, but rather on the far less prestigious 41st Street, across from the Nederlander Theatre. Several others, for example, the Winter Garden Theatre, are also guilty of this (the Winter Garden facade is on Broadway, but the house is on 7th Avenue). When they switched to moviesDid they host the premiere of "The Thin Man"? Weight for a TableMy favorite part of this picture is the scale outside the restaurant. I wonder if was intended for people to weigh themselves before or after the meal. Strip showThis theater still stands (it's showing Mary Poppins), but is completely stripped of that fantastic ornament. Must be some showI am amazed that they would put a painted sign plus the lite sign for a show that is only running 2 weeks. I wonder what was painted over the sign next. Love the swanky cigar shop where Anna will hold your cigar for you. And NowThe beaux-arts gingerbread was stripped off ages ago. More pics here. I take that backLooks like some portion (half?) of the house of worship is poking out from behind McDonald's. Come And Meet Those Dancing Feet I remember this theatre very well. In the 1950s it was a shabby, 3rd run venue. It got a lot worse before it got better. That particular block (between 7th & 8th avenues) was home to every imaginable crime. Today it's Disneyland Times Square. The theatre itself is home to the musical "Mary Poppins," that side of the street also has a Dave & Busters, a Ripley's Believe It Or Not, a Madame Tussaud Wax Museum and many others. The block itself, is anchored, on the 8th Avenue end, by the recently built New York Times Building an architectural horror that fits in perfectly. Hats and Svengalis in the altogetherGeorge du Maurier's 1894 gothic novel "Trilby" was a sensation. Besides the Trilby hat, it gave us the villainous name Svengali and the phrase "in the altogether." It is said to have inspired "Phantom of the Opera." The play was equally successful, productions appearing into the 1920s, and there was a musical, "Svengali," in the 1990s. George's granddaughter, Daphne du Maurier, wrote "The Birds," source of the Hitchcock movie. Sol BloomThe name Sol Bloom in the windows seemed familiar. He made the Midway the big success it was during the Chicago Columbian Exposition of 1893. He was featured in "The Devil and the White City." In all its original splendor!The New Amsterdam has been at its location on West 42nd Street (right off Times Square) ever since its construction in 1903. It's the oldest surviving Broadway theater. The Ziegfeld Follies ran there continuously from 1913 to 1927. In the 1940s, it was converted into a movie house, and the ornate Beaux-Arts trimmings had been stripped off the front. Anyone know where they might have ended up? By the time I first saw it, in 1972, it was one of many porn theaters that made the area around Port Authority so piquant. By the 1980s, it was so dilapidated it had been abandoned. It took the massive planet of the Disney Corporation - that celestial body that draws all culture into its orbit - to resurrect it. Now the building houses the Broadway version of "Mary Poppins." Will it make it to 2103? DwarfedI'll leave it to someone else to find a good contemporary image, but it's striking to compare this photo, where the theater dwarfs its neighbors, with the present day, where the same facade is dwarfed by its new neighbors a hundred years later. Cool things: Anna Held Cigars! I didn't know Flo Ziegfeld's wife dabbled in tobacco as a side line! Both those restaurants look inviting. One has a scale out front to weigh yourself. I wonder what the man upstairs from Anna's cigar store is thinking of as he peruses his lovely selection of fireplace sets. And a watering can next to the fire hydrant! Mary PoppinsI took my 10 year old to see Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam back in '08. It is very nice on the interior these days. Of course, I don't know what it was like back in 19-aught-five What this scene needs for sparkle Another dreary street-capade that would have come alive with a few reclining gnomes here and there. Look at what just one did for that fancy Detroit house. ThanksTo Rusty for clearing that up; I was wondering where the actual 'theatre' was, remembering movies about Ziegfeld and his wonderful shows. Old New AmsterdamI was a vacation relief projectionist at the New Amsterdam in the mid 1970s. There were mushrooms growing in the balcony from the leaks in the ceiling. As far as I know it was never a porn venue but we showed typical slice and dice movies, usually badly dubbed foreign films. It was so sad. Advance Display CasesI like Doblin's remote display cases. I wonder how long they were around? Sol Bloom, Part IISol Bloom had arrived in New York City just two years earlier from Chicago (scene of his World's Fair triumph), but he was just getting started. He represented an Upper East Side district in Congress from 1920 until his death in 1949, for ten of those years as chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. He played important roles in the founding of the United Nations and the nation of Isreal. So much to likeBeside the other comments, especially painting a new sign for each show, check out the "ghost" horse to the right of the hydrant. The "trapdoor" standing open in front of the Bowyer Restaurant window. Talk about a safety hazard. On the left side of the building on 41st street the metal stairs that go from the next to top floor to the floor below it. They are partially enclosed. Maybe this was how you reached the roof garden theater and it kept the customers out of the weather. Why the shutters on the 42nd st building? ScalesPenny scales were a common sight were common inside and outside many establishments. Since there were no bathroom scales of the sort we have, the only place you could get weighed was at the doctor's office or at one of these penny scales. Even into the 1960s they were common enough at Woolworth's, theatres, and restrooms. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
Chi-Town Bus: 1938
... in names which exists about the buses built in the 1920's and 1930's This PDF file from busmag.com: ... were indeed a great part of the Greyhound Fleet in the 1920's, but Greyhound developed an interest in Yellow Coach which expanded into ... location on New York Avenue (now incorporated into an office building). Shocking The front shock absorbers are actually air ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/17/2012 - 6:26pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1938. "Greyhound bus." This coach looks like it knows its way around. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Where's Clark Gable?This looks like the bus in "It Happened One Night." Anyone for a rousing chorus of "The Man on the Flying Trapeze?" BaldyTwo front tires are ready to be changed! Deja ViewIsn't this the bus from "It Happened One Night"? Fageol Safety CoachBuilt by the Fageol Truck and Coach Company of Oakland, CA, the Fageol Safety Coach was introduced in 1922 and was so named because of its low center of gravity and equal-length front and rear axles. Fageol was the first firm to build a bus from the ground up. By the 1930s, most Greyhound buses were Fageol Safety Coaches. The night bus taken by Clark Gable and Myrna Loy Claudette Colbert in "It Happened One Night" (1934) was an Atlantic Greyhound Safety Coach, its crowded interior seen here in the dimly-lit singalong scene. Fageol was bought out by Peterbilt in 1939. [The bus in our photo has a General Motors Truck Corporation radiator badge with the Yellow Coach emblem. - Dave] Have the mechanics look her over.Tires? Love the blinker system. What are those two jugs on the front? Some kind of oil filled shock absorbers? Wrong Way BusWhoops! General Motors Yellow Bus? Couldn't read the logo in the resolution available on my laptop. When I Google-Images-searched using the string "'It Happened One Night' bus" this image came up, identified on its host website (the Internet Movie Cars Database) as a Fageol Safety Coach. Guess they couldn't read the GM plaque on the radiator in their photo either. Here is an exterior shot of the Gable-Loy Atlantic Greyhound bus with its many 1933 state license plates. Since it looks quite like the Shorpy bus, it must not be a Fageol. ShockingThe jug things are oil-chamber shock absorbers. No LoyThat's Claudette Colbert, not Myrna Loy, on the bus. YikesSeems like it could get through traffic through sheer intimidation. Definitely intimidatingWhen I first looked at this picture I immediately assumed that it was a military vehicle, maybe an armored personnel carrier. Would hate to look in my rearview mirror and see this crowding me. CrankyIs that a hole for a starter crank? Bus-FaceMy sister recently told me that cars have faces or expressions. If it was ever true, it would be for this bus, which appears to have a permanent scowl. [And bugs in his teeth. - Dave] Yellow Coach or Fageol? There are a number of pictures of Fageol Safety Coaches on this page: http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/fageol.htm All of the Fageol trucks and coaches have a distinctive logo that extends across the top of the radiator and is quite dissimilar to the GM logo. However, a bit more research shows that there are a number of diecast models of "Fageol Safety Coach - Yellow Cab" buses around in the antique toy market, and demonstrate the confusion in names which exists about the buses built in the 1920's and 1930's This PDF file from busmag.com: http://www.busmag.com/PDF/Greyh1.pdf describes what maybe be a more definitive history of the Greyhound buses and may answer our question: Fageol buses were indeed a great part of the Greyhound Fleet in the 1920's, but Greyhound developed an interest in Yellow Coach which expanded into bus manufacture and a custom model for Greyhound in the 1930's. Yellow Coach was eventually bought by General Motors. The bus in our picture appears to be one of the custom Yellow Coach buses manufactured for Greyhound after the General Motors purchase of Yellow Coach. Industrial strength mass transportationLooks like something one would have seen in the old Soviet Union. Signs on top should read Moscow-Leningrad-Stalingrad. Da, tovarich? License plateIt reads "Maryland EX 3-31-39". Was that the expiration date of the plate? (valid until that date...) Or was it the licensing date? If it's the latter case, the photo had to be taken after March 1939. [EX is an abbreviation for "expires." - Dave] 1938 Greyhound depotDoes anyone know where this might have been taken? The background doesn't look like the old depot location on New York Avenue (now incorporated into an office building). ShockingThe front shock absorbers are actually air shocks, with the Sharader Schrader valve on the top. The oil port is for lubrication of the sliding piston inside the housing. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Whistle Bottling Works: 1925
... from 1934 to 1980. Now this entire block is high-end office space. Whiskey Bottling Works... ...is how I originally read the ... Club Interestingly, Prohibition had been in place since 1920 and continued until 1933. Yet, the building has an advertising sign for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 2:22am -

"Whistle Bottling Works." The Whistle beverage plant in Washington, D.C., in 1925. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. 703 North CapitolThis appears to be a recently opened bottling plant at 703 North Capitol Street. Papers as late as February 1925 list Whistle Bottling Works at Fourth and F Street Northeast (possible the same facility as the old Jueneman/Carry brewery). However, by the summer of 1926, S. Farber was bottling Green River ("The Snappy Lime Drink") at 703 North Capitol NW. Consistent with this is a 1922 ad for Phillips Bros. & Co (Sausage, Smoked Ham, Bacon, Cooked Ham, Frankfurters) at 705 North Capitol. This complex saw earlier use (circa 1900) as a Pabst brewery. Indeed the top edge of a "Pabst" seal appears visible behind the For Rent sign at #705. #705 was also site of Plaza Wine and Liquor which was owned and operated by H. Gilmour (Gillie) Young from 1934 to 1980. Now this entire block is high-end office space. Whiskey Bottling Works......is how I originally read the title of this post. "Ah, for the days when they distilled American whiskey somewhere other than Kentucky" was going to be my comment. It wasn't until I saw the Hires logo that I realized I'd misread the title. I know I'm not as cask-conditioned as some of the commenters here, but I am old enough to remember when you could buy the Hires kits and make root beer at home. I always wanted to get my parents to buy some Hires extract, but they had too many horror stories of perfectly good closets ruined by exploding bottles of home-brewed root beer. Were there any distillers in pre-Prohibition D.C.? I'm fairly new to Shorpy, so maybe you've posted some previously. [Arlington Brewery is the closest thing I can think of. My dad and his brother tried making root beer at home when they were kids. Their glass gallon jugs exploded in the attic. Too much yeast, Dad said. - Dave] Ladies WelcomeThe luncheonette on the right has "ladies welcome" on its window... were there some luncheonettes just for men back then? Why would they put that on their window? [Eating alone (or without a male escort) in a restaurant was something a lot of women had never done before, or felt uncomfortable doing. - Dave] Home BrewWhen I was roughly Jr. High/early High School age, a friend's mother made root beer at home. I don't recall anything exploding, but then she was a Home Economics teacher and knew how to follow a recipe. The stuff wasn't all that great, but it was free, so who was I to complain? Utica ClubInterestingly, Prohibition had been in place since 1920 and continued until 1933. Yet, the building has an advertising sign for Utica Club Pilsener, which sounds like beer to me. I can't imagine that they were selling it out in the open or that they were selling it at all. Was it just nostalgia or were they expecting the repeal momentarily. The "ladies welcome" sign may have been code for "not a speakeasy." [Low-alcohol beers and malts were legal during Prohibition. Utica Club Pilsener was marketed as a soft drink. "Ladies welcome" and "Tables for Ladies" was common restaurant signage from the early part of the century into the 1940s. - Dave] Hi-res BottlingYou know you've been geeking around with computer graphics for too long when you see a sign for Hires pop and instantly read it as "Hi-res". Area Brews and suchThe big DC brewer was Christian Heurich but the local beer center was Baltimore, which had dozens of breweries in the '50s and still had five (including the brand-new Carling plant) in the mid '60s. There was also the huge Calvert distillery on the south side of town and a Seagram's facility in Dundalk. Everything is gone now. On that blockIn 1925, my grandfather and his brothers had the "P.O. Visible Lunch" on that block at 727 North Capitol, so named because it was between the Post Office and the Government Printing Office. "Visible Lunch" referred to the glass-front cases that allowed customers to watch food being prepared; my dad always told me it was one of D.C.'s first cafeterias. Any pictures of the P.O., Dave? [We have pics of the City Post Office here, here, here and here. - Dave] Phillips Bros. & Company Advertisement, Washington Post, Oct 8, 1920 Have You Tasted Phillips' Old Time Sausage all pork and a perfect blend. Made from the finest quality of pork and spices under the supervision of experts. Now on sale in all markets and leading grocer and meat stores. Specify "OLD TIME" if you want the best. There's none just as good. manufactured only by Phillips BROS. & CO. Factory at 705 N. Capitol St. Telephone Main 5926 Advertisement, Washington Post, Dec 24, 1920 Is It Clean? Some sausage is made under the cleanest of conditions and from the choicest of pork and some isn't. OURS IS! If you don't believe it, drop into our plant at 705 N. Capitol Street any old time and see Phillips' Old Time Sausage in the makeing. IT'S sold in the green wrapper. Phillips Brothers & Co. 704 N. Capitol St. Telephone Main 5926 (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Sleeping Beauty: 1910
... I always think of silent movies as something out of the 1920's - and then "talkies" from the late 20's and 30's. So much change going ... tights. I love that the king has that elaborate chain of office, but his crown is rather simple. Jack and Jill I am struck by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/22/2012 - 8:39pm -

Washington circa 1910. "Congress Heights Dramatic Club." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size. Nearly ThereDoesn't she sleep for a hundred years? Only a year to go... CostumesKids had much better costumes in the days when nearly any mother could whip up something fairly elaborate on the home sewing machine. Posh CostumesWere these Congressmen's kids? Looks like the costume budget was pretty big for an amateur youth theater group. There is evidence that attics had been searched for props, though. That immense Paisley shawl under Sleeping Beauty is of a size worn with Lincoln-era crinolines, but not later. Gee, I don't know ...all these pictures of prone folks are giving me flashbacks of "playing doctor" when I was a young-un'. Please stop toying with me, Dave; you're playing with fire. Act 2This is the same backdrop as in "Class Photo." Wowza.Such beautiful children. Not that kids today aren't cute, but I'm sure they all grew up to be beautiful men and women in their day. Same old ratioTwo girls for every boy. I guess drama clubs have been like that since Great-Great-Grandma's day. Jack and JillThe girl on the left is strikingly beautiful. As for the dude wearing fish scales and the lace around his neck; I can just see him arriving at school wearing that outfit and being stopped by the bullies in the schoolyard! But he's a good sport, good for him! No movies - no internet - John in New Orleans again - I wonder where their ideas for costumes came from. Books, probably. Most people in 1910 probably didn't have preconceived notions of what medieval costume would have looked like from years of watching movies or Disney cartoons - although I know they had magazines in 1910 with photographs reproduced. I just wonder about stuff like that. Of course without TV and movies and the computer (ahem...) to distract them, they read a great deal more than most of us do today... And I look at this photograph and wonder about the friendships that were made during the rehearsals of this production and the giggling and fun that went on as they tried on their funny costumes... Where was it staged... what did the cars and carriages look like lined up outside... [They probably saw some movies. There are hundreds of movie ads in the Washington Post archives from 1910. Plus there were plays, opera houses, vaudeville. - Dave] Sly smileSleeping Beauty is smiling slightly because she knows any second she's gonna get a big wet one! That GirlThat beautiful young lady could be the model for every interpretation of an Angel ever painted. Wonderful picture! Costume History BooksIn addition to theater productions and the early movies, there were numerous well illustrated books on historical costume that would have been readily available in Washington schools and libraries. One very popular source was The History of Costume by Braun & Schneider, published serially in Germany from 1861 to 1880, and widely reprinted ever since. Such resources added a level of authenticity to the look of historical genre paintings, theater and opera productions, and the early movies. And, textile mills here and in Europe churned out reproductions of historical textiles and trims from many periods for popular revival styles in fashion, architecture and for churches. It looks like Sleeping Beauty's handmaidens had seen Plate 15b in Braun & Schneider, among other images. This plate is reproduced online at http://www.siue.edu/COSTUMES/PLATE15BX.HTML That's interesting!I knew they had movies then, but I hadn't realized that they were as widely available as they were, judging from these ads. We had "moving pictures" as early as the 1890's here in New Orleans, and I know these were "big city" kids with access to these venues, but I guess I always think of silent movies as something out of the 1920's - and then "talkies" from the late 20's and 30's. So much change going on right before WWI... I'd like to know more about their world. Pre-RaphaelitesAbsolutely gorgeous! Reminds me of a Burne-Jones painting. If anything, the variety of faces actually improves on, say, a Waterhouse or Burne-Jones image, which tended to feature one type of face serially. Costume imageryIt wouldn't have been necessary to do much research to come up with costumes like this; in fact I'm sure the look wasn't at all unfamiliar to these kids, since this period was justifiably termed the "Golden Age of Illustration." Books of fairy tales, myths and adventure stories aimed at younger readers were filled with full-color paintings by such illustrators as N.C. Wyeth, Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac. Though from 1924, the Wyeth Charlemagne illustration below is typical of what was being done during this period. Time didn't flyAfter perusing the excellent reference provided by A.T. at 3:58 am, I was surprised at how slowly fashions changed then. Now, we can recognize the 1920's, 1930's, etc. with no problem. Most interesting is that the men started exposing more and more lower body and the women continued to wear long skirts well into the 20th century. Except for the military, hats eeemed to have disappeared altogether just within the last 50 years. This looks familiar... I'm currently stage managing a production of "Camelot." These costumes would fit right in. The kneeling prince even has a sword and tights. I love that the king has that elaborate chain of office, but his crown is rather simple. Jack and JillI am struck by the fact that this photo looks like the Sleeping Beauty tableau described in Louisa May Alcott's book "Jack and Jill." I wonder if any of children (especially the girls) read the book and set themselves up in the same way. Harry ChickI normally hate topic drift but my mind is completely befuddled by the Plaza Theater's "Harry Chick in Songs" ..... something to do with Ag's mechanical demo hen we saw earlier (tomorrow?) [The tenor Harry Chick was billed as "Washington's sweetest songster." - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Kids)
Modern Receptionist: 1948
... 27, 1948. "Russel Wright, 221 E. 48th St., New York City. Office with secretary." Large-format negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View ... design ideas came from after the lovely interiors of the 1920's--I think it started with Art Deco. [Those are something like ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/08/2015 - 1:53pm -

Oct. 27, 1948. "Russel Wright, 221 E. 48th St., New York City. Office with secretary." Large-format negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. At 5 p.m.She turns into an ashtray. WorkspaceIt's not as bad as it looks. She has all sorts of personal needs stuff on her side of the counter, where there are shelves and drawers. Clients and customers are just an annoyance taking up a small part of her rich day. Ms RobotoShe activates when a client approaches the counter, then shuts down afterward to conserve power. How horribleMust of had a high turnover of people. GottschoIf he had been a filmmaker, he would've been Hitchcock. Tuesday is out.How about Never. Does Never work for you? Very modernI had no idea they had recessed lighting in the 1940's. It's very modern looking even today. BlandThe fake flowers don't even soften the harsh, dreary effect. You'd expect at a minimum one of those clocks that have hands but no numbers on the wall above. One wonders where such spartan design ideas came from after the lovely interiors of the 1920's--I think it started with Art Deco. [Those are something like rhododendron leaves, and they're real. Russel Wright and his pottery were pioneers of modernism in housewares and furnishings. In color you would see a lot of "blond" wood. - Dave] It Cuts!Severe design with severe reception. Maybe it looks betterin color. But I don't think so. Permit me to be the firstThat poor woman looks like a mannequin straight out of 'The House of Wax'. What a cold, lifeless place to spend your day. That's no secretaryThat's Mary Wright, Russel Wright's wife. She would die three years later at the age of 47 (according to her obituary in the New York Times, "after a long illness"). She was a published author and businesswomen, and - again according to her obituary - "Founder and Secretary of America Designs, Inc." The BeginningOf a whole lot of nothing. Gee, I hope it hasn't been ruined with an update. My Guess Would BeShe is meditating on Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness and how they relate to glass ceilings. Ah, ModernismComplete with a zombie. I like it!I'm not saying I'd want to spend a lot of time there, but I love the clean, sparse look. American RealismLooks like an Edward Hopper painting. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC, The Office)
National Benefit Life: 1921
... details in this picture which contrast with a modern office scene. For example, some of the desks do not have a telephone. The ... supply was less reliable than the gas supply. By the 1920's these must have been seen as "dated" If you look at the bottom of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2016 - 12:58am -

Washington, D.C, circa 1921. "National Benefit Life Insurance, interior." Described in contemporary accounts as the nation's largest "colored insurance company." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative, retouched to obscure whatever is on the wall behind that lamp in the corner. View full size. Tonal rangeAn excellent example of photographic craftsmanship both by the photographer and by Shorpy. Holding detail in the white blouse in the foreground and the dark tones at rear is evidence of superior skills. A decade to liveNational Benefit was a bit over twenty years old when this photo was taken, but it died in 1931, overextended and plagued with scandal. With two locations to serve youAccording to the old city directory, they had two offices, one at 609 F Street NW, the other (listed as the "Ordinary Department") was at 1209 U Street NW. Given the light fixtures and the fretwork visible in the back, this looks like a townhouse that gave way to commercial use. See if you can findThe turtle tchotchke. Combination Gas + Electric ChandelierThere's a lot of rich period details in this picture which contrast with a modern office scene. For example, some of the desks do not have a telephone. The chandelier is a combination gas plus electric fixture. These were popular in the earliest days of electrification, when the electric supply was less reliable than the gas supply. By the 1920's these must have been seen as "dated" If you look at the bottom of the "arms" that support the gas lamps, you can see key-like gas valve handles. The steel letter file in the alcove by the window is something I've not seen in years. I'd bet today's eclectic decorators would find that interesting. Note also the predominance of rubber stamps! The woman in the right foreground needs a bigger wastebasket. [That's not wastebasket overflow, but papers clipped to a holder mounted on the right side the leg well, similar to the one on the left. -tterrace] turtleIt's on the corner of the blotter in front of the Navy-clad young lady. Right next to the steak knife/letter opener. Desk dictionaryFront and center there's a dictionary. It wasn't that long ago that every office had one, we couldn't go online to look up words. Cramped officesWOW! I have seen some cramped offices in my life but this is ridiculous. I can imagine the kayos as these people crawled over their desks to their seats. Bathroom breaks must have been a real joy. Is the lady in the hat (sitting in the back) making a claim? This is the Claims Office according to the signage on the door. ["Kayos" as in knockouts? That paints an interesting picture. Or maybe "kayos" as in chaos. - Dave] Spell checker isn't fool proof is it? Something familiar about the general look of that office. Did they throw a Christmas party? Do we have a picture? The FlooringGenuine parkay or some sort of asbestos? If it's parkay it seems awfully fancy for an office environment. As kirksjunque said,it could have been a converted residence. [Unfortunately, margarine-based flooring material proved to be too slippery and quickly disappeared from the market. -tterrace] Lost my head and used the brand name spelling instead of the traditional.www.parkayfloors.com. Mea culpa. Sleeves?The woman on the far right in back has what look like rubber or vinyl 'sleeves' on her forearms. They look to be held in place by rubber bands. She's the only one with these accessories. Any ideas what these are for? Cuff protectors?Looks to me like some home made cuff protectors to keep her white sailor-blouse white. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, The Office)
Wood Jeweler: 1900
... his brother? From the "Jeweler's Circular", March 10, 1920. I poked around on Central St. in Lowell, MA, hoping I might get lucky and ... Edison light bulb price list from 1893 or this 1894 office with electric lights . No Cabots, but probably Lowell G.H. Wood ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/20/2014 - 5:09pm -

From circa 1900 in Parts Unknown comes this 4x5 glass negative of G.H. Wood Jeweler, the business, and possibly a Wood or two. View full size. How about it Shorpy?How about awarding some of those much coveted 'bonus points' to any commenter who can name the man seen in the barbershop window reading a newspaper? George and his brother?From the "Jeweler's Circular", March 10, 1920. I poked around on Central St. in Lowell, MA, hoping I might get lucky and spot the location, but didn't see it. There are an awful lot of old brick buildings on that street, though. Edit: Given 20002ist's newspaper ad, and with my article giving about 40 years before 1920, and the sign that says, "Monday July 23rd", that would peg the year at 1883, 1888 or 1894. Though, it sounds like he might have a bigger store in that article than in this picture, so maybe it's 1883 or 1888? [July 23, 1900, was also a Monday, and might be more in keeping with the light fixtures in the window display. - Dave] Edit: True, I should have mentioned 1900 as a possibility. It seemed like 7 years after that ad, things would have been more upscale, but it is possible as you say. Another thought I had is that if one of the gentleman is Millard, then 40 years a jeweler would have possibly made him 20 years old (give or take) in 1880. It's a bit hard to tell, but I would say the tall one is late 20s and the other early 30s. So that would argue for closer to 1890 than 1900. I wonder when electrification came to Lowell. [Not to mention light bulbs. - Dave] Edit: Poking through Wikipedia and other sources, Lowell is actually one of the pioneers of hydroelectric power, which fed their industrialization. They were producing power by early-to-mid 1870s. So it's likely they would have been one of the first to get electric lighting, since they already had abundant power generators. [The answer here, as hinted in the title, is 1900. - Dave] Edit: Well, the "circa 1900" led me to believe that you didn't actually know the exact date, but if it is labeled as definitively 1900, that makes it interesting that the shop is such a hovel when 7 years earlier they had "goods bought in such quantities, where so many clerks must be employed," etc. Edit: Just in case anyone else was wondering, electric lights were well established by 1893-1894, as seen in this Edison light bulb price list from 1893 or this 1894 office with electric lights. No Cabots, but probably LowellG.H. Wood was a prominent jeweler in Lowell, Mass., as evidenced by the ad below from the Jan. 14, 1893 Lowell Daily Courier. WheelLurking just inside the door, which was the term often used to refer to a bicycle in those years. In this case it is just a wheel, but assume it is attached to a cycle. We used to holler with laughter when our principal Miss Nina B. Glass (1881-1978) at Sanger Avenue Elementary would caution us about safety while riding our "wheels". This is......a fascinating picture. Thanks for posting it! Weird iron S on wallCan anyone explain what the use might have been of the 3 peices of S shaped metal? One above the door and two above the window. Did it hold something to the wall? I've seen these on other Shorpy buildings, so it just might be a stylized Shorpy S, similar to Nike checkmark. [They are turnbuckle irons, manifested most frequently on these pages as the turnbuckle star. - Dave] (The Gallery, Found Photos, Stores & Markets)
Ofty's: 1926
... address as 508 Ninth Street in 1912. However, in 1920 the Washington Post reported the sale of their building at 504 9th Street ... reeked of tobacco-mouth. One day, I was sitting in his office and I answered the phone. Looking for a pen to write a message down for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 1:15pm -

1926. Another view of the Offterdinger cigar store and soda fountain in Washington, D.C. National Photo Co. Collection glass negative. View full size. Soda and a smokeI wonder if they sold candy cigarettes and bubble gum cigars for the younger consumers? Ms. Spitcurl Comes DownShe should have stayed upstairs, so that I might admire her from afar. In her case it's the best way to admire. And what is that getup she's wearing? A Lasting ViewEvidently GeezerNYC has never seen aprons, or, at least smock style aprons. Just to see her with a cup of coffee from the shining coffee urn makes you want a cup. The wonderful old telephone booth with calendars on the back wall, the polished spittoon and bottle cap on the floor. The hair styles of the day, much neater looking than the frizzy unkept look seen today. The "natty" attire of the clerks and "Soda Jerk", which would be call "associates" today and not nearly as well dressed. La Anita must have been the prefered cigar of the day, judging on the quantity stocked. Whether you were a smoker or not, the scent of cured tobacco that met you when you walked into one of the old style tobacco stores was a sensory treat, not smoky at all. Her getupJust a guess: maybe they rolled some of their own cigars. That could be an apron to protect clothing from the tobacco leaves. Both pictures mergedClick to enlarge. Offterdinger Cigar FactoryFound a reference to this shop in a 1918 edition of the Cigar Makers' Official Journal. Offterdinger had his own cigar factory in the District of Columbia: The shop normally employs about 125 persons mostly women and girls and la the only cigar factory of any size In the District of Columbia Its output includes among its best known brands Meditation, La Anita, Deerhead, Bouquet, Ofty, After Dinner, and Army and Navy. You can see these brands (especially La Anita) on the shelves. The Journal records that there was a strike where 88 workers (82 women and girls, six men) walked out because of unsanitary conditions and low wages. It also seems that Mr. Offterdinger refused to recognize the right of the union to represent his workers. Ah, the aromaThis photo somehow reminds me of the great smell of the local drug store aisle that held the all the differt kinds of pipe tobacco. Very nice. Far From DeadThe traditional brass cuspidor is far from dead. Just minutes ago I shoved mine back to its "off-duty" location beneath my computer desk. The cigar store photo brings to mind a scene from an old "Amos & Andy" radio episode in which Andy and the Kingfish are attempting to curry favor with Calhoun the lawyer by supplying him with what they are trying to pass off as a fine cigar, saying it is a "two for fifty cents" cigar. After a puff on the vile rope presented to him Calhoun asks, "Tell me.....who got the 48 cent one?" A Splendid Cigar A Little Talk to Women About Christmas Cigar Buying The Season of the Christmas Cigar joke is with us again. The woman who buys cigars according to the beauty of the label has furnished material for many a professional humorist — but there is nothing funny about it for the man who has to smoke them. ... "La Anita" is a splendid cigar, made from selected leaves of the best Havana Tobacco, in nine sizes, ... The "Ofty" Cigar — a remarkably good seed-and-Havana cigar [A mixture of domestic and Cuban tobacco] — made in one size only - 5 cents each, $2.00 for a box of 50. ... Henry T. Offterdinger Manufacturer of La Anita and Ofty Cigars 508 Ninth Street Northwest 1912 Advertisement CuspidorI remember as a child in the early 1950s our local First National Bank building still having the polished brass cuspidors prominently in place, likely there since the elegant, tile-floored Spanish Colonial Revival building was constructed in 1928. Even at that age, they struck my brother and me as quite a contrast from the palatial atmosphere of the bank, likely built to inspire confidence and project solvency. Spitooey! Both the bank building and presumably the cuspidors were gone by 1970. Progress, I guess. Kicking the BucketIt cracks me up how the spittoon is placed right in the middle of the store like that. I'm such a klutz, if I worked there I'd be constantly kicking it, knocking it over, getting my foot stuck in it. Heck, I'd probably get fired on my first day. Just in time for HalloweenI had no idea Gomez Addams did a stint behind the counter at Offterdinger's. Peripatetic OffterdingerThe ad below gives Offterdinger's address as 508 Ninth Street in 1912. However, in 1920 the Washington Post reported the sale of their building at 504 9th Street (1/25/20, p. 32). By the time these pictures were taken, the street number seems to have been 833, based on the reflection in image 6996. Tobacco smellI used to work in a bookstore where both the owner and the manager smoked pipes. The manager smoked a particularly vile concoction which hung about him like.... a bad smell. Worse, after he talked on the phone we all dreaded having to answer it because the mouthpiece reeked of tobacco-mouth. One day, I was sitting in his office and I answered the phone. Looking for a pen to write a message down for him, I opened one of the drawers and spotted a new package of his tobacco le choix. It had a very large label stating that it was "The tobacco that women will go wild over." Obviously no one had done any market research before coming up with THAT tagline. Spit curl and a cup of JoeI had to pan in to check out the lady's hair do and clothing and noticed the accountant (?) upstairs sitting under the naked light bulb. A charming, charming photo. Just a trip back in time. Is that a spittoon or a depository for matches on the floor? I can smell my grandfather's sweet cherry pipe tobacco as I look. When is a gaboon not? Since classier establishments like this seldom dealt in chew or snuff, the spittoon is most likely for those customers who preferred to bite the end off their cigars, as opposed to the fancy folks who could afford a cutter. Although some of the high class shops would have a device on the counter that combined a punch, tip cutter and a continuously burning alcohol lamp wick for the man who couldn't wait to try out his purchase. Wax lipsNot sure what commenter Kenny meant with: "La Anita must have been the prefered cigar of the day, judging on the quantity stocked." It was, in that store, not elsewhere. In the 20s PHILLIES and WHITE OWL were the preferred (biggest selling) cigars. LA ANITA is a brand made in their factory and possibly unknown outside that store. Most cigar stores of any substance, and even many small one man ops, had one or more house brands, especially if they had a factory on premises. Ofty is another of their house brands. I don't know about the others listed. In answer to Wax Mustache...Yes, if they had a candy counter, candy cigarettes and chocolate cigars would be there, along with wax lips. Hersheys and others were making chocolate cigars (foil wrapped) in the late 1800s. Bubble gum wasn't invented when these pictures were taken. The earliest bubble gum cigar box I've seen is from the 1950's but I "smoked" candy cigarettes in the 1940s. The United Cigar Store chain (founded 1901) carried so many sundries that other cigar stores were forced to expand to meet their overwhelming competition. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Nitro Express: 1939
October 1939. "Post office in the general store. Lamoille, Iowa." Let's see now. Stamps, ammo, and ... No. 218! Real P.O. Would not be an official Post Office if it did not have that wanted poster. Desperado: 1898-1942 A ... an age That Eclipse #218 "Frost Killer" stove predates 1920, the year that the Tappan family of Mansfield, Ohio, changed the name of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/14/2018 - 7:31pm -

October 1939. "Post office in the general store. Lamoille, Iowa." Let's see now. Stamps, ammo, and a case of Iten-Barmettler, please! Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Bullet PointsLook at that Remington poster with the boy and his Indian chief metal silhouette! I've tried to do just that, but only have luck with a punch and hammer. Everything's up to date in LaMoilleSocial Security was so new, they needed a poster explaining that they wanted to hand out money. (My grandfather's Social Security card, which was issued around this time, had a short explanation on the back, too, and gave an address in Washington where you could write for more information. My father's card, issued in the 1950s, had a different, but still relatively friendly, explanation, of how to use it. Mine is full of dire warnings about improper use.) You can also send mail on an AIRPLANE for only 3 cents! Not only that, but you can send insured parcel post packages to France, Italy, and Japan, and registered parcel post packages to Germany! (Limited time offer.) Love that kid's overallsWish I could find some like that today. For the same reason you can't at home.Or maybe Mom has other reasons why you can't spit on the floor. In any case, the sign helpfully offers one explanation. I can think of others, if you need more reasons to refrain. Frost Killer indeed!I'll bet 'ol man Winter didn't dare get close to that No. 218! Real P.O.Would not be an official Post Office if it did not have that wanted poster. Desperado: 1898-1942A thumbnail sketch of Irving Charles Chapman, seen on the Wanted poster at lower right, from Oklahombres.org: Irving Charles Chapman was born on December 29, 1898 in Philadelphia, Mississippi. During the stock market crash in the late 1920s, he lost all of his fortune, and decided to be a criminal instead. He began a series of kidnappings and bank heists in Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana. He began his criminal ways with a few minor arrests in Florida and New Jersey, before embarking on a decade-long career as a gangster. In 1932 he was sentenced to serve 9 to 14 years for a Miden, Louisiana, bank robbery. However, he and two others escaped from the Caddo Parish jail at Shreveport on December 5, 1932, by lowering themselves from their eighth-floor cell with a rope made from whatever they could find. Captured in 1934, he was wounded in a gunbattle with police and sentenced to 15 years for a bank robbery in Mississippi. He was turned over to Arkansas, where he received another 15-year term for another bank heist. He escaped from the Tucker Prison (some reports say he escaped from a Little Rock prison) on August 25, 1936, using a pistol taken from the warden's office. Chapman then robbed the First National bank of Atlanta, Texas (twice). He was captured after the second robbery and given a 60-year prison term. He was sent to Eastham Prison Farm, the same one Clyde Barrow was once imprisoned at. He along with infamous Oklahoma bandit Pete Traxler, as well as six others, escaped on June 22, 1937. All were captured or killed except Chapman. In 1939, he shot his way out of a police trap near his home town in Mississippi. In January 1942, he shot Patrolman Ralph McNair at Meridian and escaped. Finally, on February 22, 1942, he drove away from his residence and right into a roadblock. He was shot, and before dying told the police, "Go ahead and shoot, you bastards!" They didn't have to, as he succumbed to his wounds. He was buried at the Sandtown Cemetery at Sandtown, Mississippi. So ended the career of this famous outlaw! The Wanted PosterClick to enlarge. Different country, different decadeBut kind of reminds me of may preschool days when my grandma gave us a little change in order to run down to the neighbourhood grocery shop and have a Kaiser roll filled with a whippet cookie. Yummy. Alas, no more neighbourhood grocery stores. No more running down the street on one's own for a preschooler. And a white flour wheat product filled with foamed sugar and fat? That's just sooo nutritionally incorrect. Sam Drucker Seal of ApprovalWhile looking a little beat down in the photo, a nice condition Eclipse/Tappen "Frost Killer" stove today at auction might go for around $2,000+. Whether ol' No. 218 is still in the mix somewhere, who knows? WantedIRVING CHARLES CHAPMAN, for Bank Robbery It has an ageThat Eclipse #218 "Frost Killer" stove predates 1920, the year that the Tappan family of Mansfield, Ohio, changed the name of their stove company from Eclipse to Tappan. I'm undecided about whether the storekeeper is burning coal or wood (it could use either), but I am fairly certain that the stains below the firebox door are evidence of sitters-and-spitters-and-whittlers getting cranked up for the winter. And the case of Iten Barmettler? It's either crackers or cookies, both of which the Iten Barmettler Biscuit Company of Omaha made for years. They must be brothers The postmaster and the coffee grinder in this: https://www.shorpy.com/node/22928 Sure look as if they could be brothers. [They are the same person. -tterrace] [In the same store. - Dave] (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Kids, Stores & Markets)
Apparatus: 1929
... of Standards was often involved in work for the patent office resolving patient claims and disputes, so testing parameters of an ... reducer on the end of the engine crankshaft. In the 1920,s numerous methods were tried in an effort to make talking pictures. One ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2012 - 3:33pm -

August 24, 1929. "Donald H. Brooks, Bureau of Standards." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. So -- what's he doing? Data acquisitionMr. Brooks appears to be doing some kind of engine dyno work. He's probably recording performance data. The "slab" the engine/dyno is mounted on is a tee-slot base. The tee-slots make it a nearly universal platform to work from. The top is/was machined flat and the tee-slots added. Lots of heavy machining goes into those things and their price reflects just that. Sometimes you'll see them sitting on the floor (as this one) or they can be mounted flush and built-in to the floor. One of the batteries on the floor is 6 volts. The other one appears to be 8 volts. What appears to be a flexible driveshaft comes off the front of the engine and (I assume) enters the back of the recorder box. For measuring RPMs? The recorder box almost looks like an old ticker tape machine. The bar device in the box looks to me like some kind of an electrical shunt for measuring current, but it's a much more complicated shunt than I ever used. The plumbing? Part of it cools the engine that's under test. Part of it cools the dyno brake. The built-in complexity of the contraption might have been to make it universal? The BoxIf you look at the box on the ground, there seems to be huge pendulums with electrical contacts on the sides. He has that device leaning on the slab the engine is on. Then on the "recorder" device, the tape seems to go thru an arcing or vibrating styluses. My best guess is that this may be a vibration measuring device? [The pendulum thingy looks something like a tuning fork. - Dave] Flux Capacitor 1.0The contraption geek in me just had a stroke. So we have some great big mass of stuff on a thick concrete or forged metal slab. Some sort of inline-6 internal combustion engine. A mess of pipes and valves bordering on Three Stooges territory. I doubt the reel-to-reel is a magnetic tape recorder, since mag tape was just invented a year earlier. Or maybe it is, since it's said that the early heads were needle shaped and shredded the tape. Could it be some type of paper tape that a stylus draws on? Wish I knew what was in the big case he's leaning on. The big thingy at the left looks like the 2 counterweighted bars will vibrate at a precise rate, maybe used to calibrate something. Or maybe it's an early portable 60Hz AC inverter? I'm all atwitter. [There were wire recorders in 1929, and devices that recorded on a thin strip of metal, but magnetic tape recorders (and magnetic tape) as we know them were still some years away. This would seem to be motion picture film. The reels are marked Eastman. Later our friend is inspecting it with a film editor. I wonder if he's using it as a kind of oscilloscope, recording a waveform or spark. Click to enlarge. - Dave] Alumni NewsFrom the Alumni News section of Ohio State Engineer, November 1923: CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Donald Brooks, '21, was one of the injured in the recent explosion at the U.S. Bureau of Standards, which was fatal to some. The men were conducting experiments on an aeroplane motor when it exploded. Mr. Brooks has fully recovered from his injuries. Film on reelsHe couldn't be recording photographically in either of the shots as the "film" (which, from the width and sprocket pattern, certainly appears to be 16mm motion picture film in form) is completely exposed to light. Note also that the visible film appears to be completely opaque, no sign of any images. Perhaps the "recording" is being done by means of perforations, embossing or etching, and film base is being used because sprocket drive would help assure consistent speed. [If he was doing any photographic recording on motion picture film -- recording the passage of a spark between two electrodes, for example -- he could do it in the dark, or have his apparatus covered. Or maybe it's some kind of specialized film, and the spark is so much brighter than the ambient light, it doesn't make any difference. Or it might not be photographic, if the film is being inscribed with something like a needle. Or maybe you start out with exposed film and the spark blasts away the emulsion. Or maybe ... - Dave] Mr. BrooksGentlemen, It's clearly evident here that Mr. Brooks has discombobulated the electrostratitherm drive as a precautionary measure before threading the worm gear through the tape drive. Thereby preventing any malfunction of the tapeworm as it makes its way past the geardrive. It's as plain as the nose on his face. [Does that titanafram look loose to you? - Dave] Frequency StandardThe cylinders on the ends of the bars are not solenoids, they're just extra masses to reduce the frequency of the device. The actual circuit is driven by making and breaking an electric circuit that is used to excite the large wire coil in between the two bars. When the circuit is made, the coil energizes and draws the two bars in together breaking the circuit again and allowing them to spring back. The two blocks further up the bars are travel limiters to ensure both arms travel the same amount. Self sustaining frequency standards (with pickup coils and drive coils) were a long way off then, so they had to make do with make-and-break solenoid type ones instead. My father had a smaller one of these babies back in the late seventies in his workshop. He'd salvaged it when they threw it out of the place he worked. The longer arm meant that a heavier mass could be used for the same frequency so it would be more stable and easier to stay in calibration. The small ones had to be calibrated against the big ones which in turn were calibrated against masters held in standards labs. [Whew. Glad we cleared that up. - Dave] Don't Touch That DialI was thinking, perhaps he was about to throw open the switches on the sonic oscillator, and step up the reactor-power input three more triangles. That Pendulum ThingIs probably a frequency standard. The cylinders at the near end would be solenoids that drive the tuned bars. These induce a current in an electromagnetic pickup (like a guitar pickup) and produce a very stable fixed frequency. Before fully electronic oscillators, these were widely used for precision frequency generation. The Bell system used miniatures as tone generators in the early tone-signalling system that we used to call Touch Tone. I have a couple in my junk parts bin. But those, from the 50s, are about the size of a small Sharpie. Shorpy, home of humor and intellectHonestly, the amount of insightful posts on this site continues to blow me away. (And I'm certified hurricane-proof by the guvmint, so it's really hard to blow me away.) You have regular geniuses (said in earnest) teasing out the story behind pictures like this, and regular comedians (again, in earnest) making hilarious asides on the subject. This site, friends and neighbors, is why the Intarwebtubenets were/was/is/am invented. Photointerpretation"My engine design is the smoothest and quietest made." The Bureau of Standards was often involved in work for the patent office resolving patient claims and disputes, so testing parameters of an engine was not unusual for that time period. The box on floor left that that looks like a tuning fork, operates much like an old doorbell. The forward coil near the weights is what drives the bars movement. The two black assemblies further up the shafts are the switches that cuts the voltage on and off to the lower coil or the electromagnet. That combination makes the two spring steel shafts oscillate back and forth and the large weights on the end limit the frequency it oscillates at to a lower speed. That assembly is powered by just one battery. It’s sole function is to “chop” or turn the DC voltage of the other battery on and off at a low fixed frequency. That chopping, turning on and off of the voltage from the other battery makes a square wave AC voltage needed to drive a transformer. In essence you could call that assembly an inverter. That principal of converting DC to AC was used up into the 1950’s and by then it was small compact unit and simply referred to as a vibrator. That AC from the chopper box drives a transformer and is what creates the high-voltage needed for the spark gaps on the film reel assembly. The film reels and sprockets are driven by that flexible spring steel shaft coming from the geared reducer on the end of the engine crankshaft. In the 1920,s numerous methods were tried in an effort to make talking pictures. One method was modulating a spark arcing on film to create or burn or gap of varying width that could be used with a light source and photocell. That test being performed in the photo is using a similar principle. Rather than modulate the voltage to the spark gap, the voltage and frequency to the gap is fixed. The speed of the film is varying giving a wider gap/burn at lower speed and narrow gap/burn at a higher speed. That will give a running record of the speed or smoothness of the engine. If the engine is rough running the gap on the film will be of varying widths. If the width of the burned gap is uniform, the engine will be smooth or quieter. That arrangement is simply recording the varying speed of the engine. To reinforce testing of steady speed or smoothness of engine, note he is looking at film through a magnifying lens. His interest is not the information on the film as a whole, but rather sampling short distances at different locations on the film. By 1929 that was old technology. Government was often slow in updating their equipment. Oh Noes!Whatever he's doing, he's just exposed the film rendering it all useless. Oh noes! [Read the other comments. Whether it's exposed or not wouldn't make any difference. - Dave] Gen SetThat motor appears to be connected to a generator in back. I suspect that our intrepid researcher is measuring motor RPM against a calibrated time base to determine AC frequency. We take it for granted now, but time and frequency were tough problems back in the electro-mechanical era. Individual generating stations were alone, unless they could synchronize their output frequency to the network. Failure to synchronize AC frequency creates heat and a loss of efficiently in transmission networks. Gasoline TestingGasoline quality testing measured the preignition of gasoline using this machine called an Octane Engine. Lower quality gasoline causes preignition, or "engine knock," which is measured by the vibration in the test engine. The less the engine vibrates, the higher the Octane value. Gasoline is still measured and rated in this manner today, but using a more modern engine. It's obvious.His magnetic flux capacitor is being calibrated by the retroencabulator. But the 16mm film seems to be what we used to call "full-coat" -- coated with magnetic oxide from edge to edge for sound recording. Testing engine power at varying humidity levelsThe tape is paper. The apparatus on the left generates a high voltage spark which periodically burns holes in the paper tape. It was a brand new design in 1928 according to the NBS. All the pipes were used to mix steam into air to get a fixed humidity for each engine test, and spark advance was changed to optimize power. Tests were at 500 rpm full throttle on a 6 cylinder ohv engine. The resulting engineering report is available free via Google by search results "donald brooks national bureau of standards june 1929". Earlier spark accelerometers were used by GM for fuel economy testing by fifth wheel: https://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2010/05/24/proven-practices/ Brooks' work was referenced right into the 1950s, and a glance at his papers shows he was a pretty technical fellow; i.e. there's a lot of advanced mathematics. (Technology, The Gallery, Natl Photo)
There Was a Crooked House: 1962
... below the front porch. I set up the camera (an old c. 1920 folding job) in the cactus garden, opened the shutter, ran down to the ... an old favorite of mine that is now a paperweight in my office: A Minolta 110-cartridge zoomer that we used to call a "Big Mac" camera. ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 07/11/2019 - 1:26pm -

Shorpy being the Historic American Photo Archive, and me being American and at this point in my life historic, I present from my archive a nighttime photo experiment I performed in winter 1962 while a teenage camera geek. This is how I made this time-exposure of our Larkspur, California house: I turned on all the lights in the front-facing rooms, also those on the porches and front walk, and added one more (my desk lamp) below the front porch. I set up the camera (an old c. 1920 folding job) in the cactus garden, opened the shutter, ran down to the bottom of that stairway and wrote out my name with a little flashlight, then ran back up and closed the shutter. Voilà! I used that old camera, a Kodak Folding Autographic Brownie 2A, because it was the only one around the house then that could take time exposures. No tripod receptacle, so I had to balance it on something or other. (I know it's winter because of the burlap sacks covering the lantana for frost protection. Oh, and before you ask, no, we're not related to the Addams family.) Scanned from the original "116" 2½ x 4¼ negative, slightly cropped at top. View full size. The eyes have it.I think you have unknowingly presented us with an optical illusion. The glassed in porch, at first glance, appears to project from the front of the house, yet there appears to be an archway into the front room of the house. Upon closer inspection, it's obvious that the archway is actually the entrance from outside to the porch and not into an interior room. BrowniesOne of the best pics I ever took was as a pre-teen with a Brownie. Don't know the model, just that it was a Brownie. My brother was on a swing. He is stop motion, everything else blurry. I ever find a print, might post it (if he agrees). And by the way, you might not be related to the Addamses, but the picture says otherwise! Good picture. Nifty Shot and Nifty CameraWe ought to have a grouping of treasured old cameras that our spouses would love to see us toss! Here's an old favorite of mine that is now a paperweight in my office: A Minolta 110-cartridge zoomer that we used to call a "Big Mac" camera. Wish I had thought of it when naming my kids"Rau" is a very interesting name. Tim Burton-esqueI love the crookedness which, due to the ghostly lighting and the pipe-like thing sticking up (sorry; don't know what it actually is), resembles the tilted cityscapes in Burton films. The long flight of steps (I count nineteen) is charming, as is the shadow produced by the latticework. Fascinating shot. [Pipe-like thing is the tall flue atop our fireplace chimney. - tterrace] Other ArtistI believe MC Escher would like this photo. Your nameis Rau? Cool shot. What does the house look like now? [Current owners had it looking like this in 2015. -tterrace] CoolYour story makes this a very cool picture. Just Another Wednesday Night?I like how you positioned your desk lamp to throw a silhouette of the latticework onto your house. What I don't understand is why no member of your family is looking out a window in an effort to answer, "What is that boy doing out there?" [They stopped asking that question long before this. -tterrace] Brownies and ButchersA wonderful photo! The twilight in black and white is both mysterious and innocent at the same time. Your mention of 116 size film makes my shutter button finger tingle. I've got a small collection of antique cameras that are fascinating to use, the varying sizes of extinct film being just one of the challenges. They like to go out for walks. Last week I shot my first roll of film in my 1913 "Butcher's Watch Pocket Carbine." It was designed to take 117 size film, but I sanded down the end flanges of a 120 spool -- very carefully -- until it fit. No digital image can satisfy like a roll of 12 perfect images emerging from the fixer. Vintage camera rallyI'll go with Jim Page's idea with this shot that includes the Kodak Folding Autographic Brownie 2A I used to take the time exposure of our house. This also dates from 1962, and I took it with yet another folding Kodak of similar vintage we had around, but whose identity I've forgotten; it took 120 roll film. Also is the Kodak Brownie Starmite I got for Christmas 1961 that could at last let me shoot 2x2 color slides, but not time exposures. Slide projector was my brother's from about 1955 and also two of his Kodak slide boxes. Old Camera I Loved and LostTterrace, did your brother's projector take slides in those horrible aluminum mounts that I DIDN'T hate to see the last of? I love your mirrored shot!!! I feel as though I can dive into a pool of memories. If Tom Wolfe was still around, he could probably describe this '50s Anscoflex II best. Maybe a "Loewy styled 620 format top viewer olive green not really TTL baby" or something like that. Mine, NOS in the box with the matching goodies, disappeared in a yard sale my wife snuck in when I was out of town. AAAGGGHHH. [The projector must have taken those metal/glass slide mounts, because that's what my brother used for the roll of Ektachrome he developed in the kitchen sink in 1955. I finally extracted them for scanning a few years back. -tterrace] Was your house built by Robert Heinlein?As I scanned the comments, I had a browser window open to... "'—And He Built a Crooked House—'" is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, first published in Astounding Science Fiction in February 1941. Link https://archive.org/stream/Astounding_v26n06_1941-02_dtsg0318-LennyS#pag... Miraculous PhotosIt looks like Veronica Leucen's miraculous Bayside photos, where stuff like "Jacinte 1972" appeared in the night sky in cursive script. That was supernatural in origin. The Polaroid corporation attested that there was no known explanation for it. New camera smellAn aspect of the olden days I always recall with fondness is how the gear smelled when you opened the packaging. Camera gear and binoculars had a distinct odor that zips me back to those times whenever I get a whiff of it. The other distinct smell of those days, of course, was from that fake/reprint Confederate money printed on crinkly yellow paper. That money was sold at Stuckey's and other tourist attractions and if I saw it, I'd buy it. Love itA great pic and a great story. Thanks for sharing it. NameIt’s Paul, isn’t it? Not Rau. [Shhhh! -tterrace] (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
A Case of the Mondays: 1925
... no caption for this yellowing print of a lady at an office desk with postage stamps (quite possibly on October 19, 1925). Yet there ... Political Philosophy of Robert M. LaFollette (published 1920). Oak Flooring The second letter down in the in box is from the Oak ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/25/2014 - 9:00am -

There's no caption for this yellowing print of a lady at an office desk with postage stamps (quite possibly on October 19, 1925). Yet there must be some reason it's in the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog. View full size. Belle Case La Follette?She looks surprisingly like Bob La Follette's widow, at least from this picture taken the year before: [edit] OK, that settles it - they're wearing the same brooch. Oak Flooring BureauThe return address on one of the envelopes on her desk reads Oak Flooring Bureau, Chicago. It's hard to say whether the stamps are cancelled, though, so we can't say whether the mail is outgoing or incoming and thus whether this photo shows the offices of the O.F.B. [The condition of the envelope's edge seems to suggest one that has passed through the mail stream, or at least is not fresh out of the box. -tterrace] Perhaps not postage stampsI think that the stamps may some sort of "Easter Seal" type of stamp, perhaps placed over the flap of the envelope to help seal it. Postage stamps at the time, if they came in sheets, had margins on each side, one of which would have had a plate number. Even if removed, the margins would have left a perforated edge instead of the straight edge shown here. They look like modern peel and stick stamps, by the Post Office didn't make those back then. [I was thinking the same thing, not only about the absence of margins (technically, selvage), but from what I can make out of the stamp design, which doesn't seem to resemble any US stamps then in common use. -tterrace] It has something to do with Wisconsin.She has a calendar from a Milwaukee firm, and a copy of The Political Philosophy of Robert M. LaFollette (published 1920). Oak FlooringThe second letter down in the in box is from the Oak Flooring Bureau in Chicago. They're authors of "The Story of Oak Floors" (1924), a 24-page book. Fighting BobThe partly obscured book behind the telephone appears to be something about Robert "Fighting Bob" La Follette, the famous Senator from Wisconsin and champion of the Progressive political movement. He ran for president in 1924 and died just a few months prior to the apparent date of this photo. Coupled with the calendar from the Milwaukee insurance company, I'd say the book is pretty good evidence that this picture was taken in the Badger State. [Is it a clue as to who the lady might be? - Dave] Christmas seals?Those look like the 1925 Christmas seals put out by the National Tuberculosis Association. Re: Oak Flooring BureauI am enjoying this discussion of stamps and Easter Seals, with tterrace’s observations and notes, and Dave’s hint of information yet to come (or to be teased out). I would like to add that I agree with tterrace on the OFB letter being incoming as opposed to outgoing. There is a visible postmark, square in shape, across the stamp closest to the envelope’s corner. Belle Case La FolletteI agree with the comment about this likely being a picture of Robert M. La Follette's widow, Belle Case La Follette. An interesting feature is the framed copy of Rudyard Kipling's poem "IF" on the wall behind her. Miss-StampedI'm fairly certain the correct seal (stamp?) has not been identified. The seals on the desk in the photograph appear to lack the "Merry Christmas and Good Health" wording. There is also much more white (or light colored) area in the stamps she is utilizing than in the 1925 Christmas Seal stamp in the example below. Could this be a Wisconsin Anti-Tuberculosis Association seal or other Wisconsin related seal? It also seems very early in the year for this to be a 1925 "Christmas Seal." Weren't these actually sold starting around the middle of November and closer to when Christmas cards would be available? The availability of the 1925 national Christmas Seal stamp on October 19th seems doubtful (if that is the actual date of the photo). (The Gallery, The Office)
Pontiac Palace: 1948
... There was a Pontiac Hupmobile dealership there before 1920. The photo is beautiful The cars? Maybe not so much, even for the ... Auto Row structures published by the S.F. planning office. Oh wow! More like this, please. widetrackexcitementFoy ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/26/2014 - 2:10pm -

From San Francisco circa 1948 comes this nighttime shot of a Pontiac showroom, which our learned commenters reveal was at 1560 Van Ness Avenue. 8x10 inch Kodak safety negative, photographer unknown. View full size. Auto RowAlmost certainly this showroom was on Van Ness Avenue. His Best Pal & His Best WheelsAt the end of 1948, Neal Cassady, then a resident of San Francisco, used earnings from his railroad job to make a down payment on a brand-new 1949 Hudson, which he immediately drove cross-country to visit his friend Jack Kerouac. Though Cassady would soon lose the Hudson when he didn't keep up the payments, it would much later emerge as a kind of co-star of those frantic journeys in Kerouac's novel "On the Road". I wonder whether Cassady had shopped for his sleek Hudson at the Stater agency across the street -- somehow he must have known even then that a Pontiac wouldn't provide quite so much narrative edge someday. Guy in windowI bet the man peering inside the showroom from outside would know the name of the Pontiac store. And looks like the store owner was maybe was a sport fisherman with one of his prized marlin up on the wall. [I think that's a sailfish. - Dave] Van Ness Across from the Glen Stater Hudson agency, on Van Ness Ave. That's all I got. Van NessPossibly 1560 Van Ness. There was a Pontiac Hupmobile dealership there before 1920. The photo is beautifulThe cars? Maybe not so much, even for the time period. [Post-war design came for Pontiac in 1949; 1948s were still variations on the 1942 model. -tterrace] We build excitement!This is almost certainly the George Daniels Pontiac showroom at 1560 Van Ness. Glen Stater's Hudson dealership was at 1600 Van Ness, directly across California Street. [Both are indeed listed at those addresses in the 1948-9 Polk's Crocker-Langley city directory. -tterrace] There's an excellent survey of historic Auto Row structures published by the S.F. planning office. Oh wow!More like this, please. widetrackexcitementFoy 1560 Van NessAs 20002ist notes, the key to the riddle is Glen C. Stater's Hudson showroom across the street. Auto Row SurveyWow, that's really great! Thank you for the link 200002ist. A Fine car made even FINER!Love the Hydra-Matic display and, to my surprise, nobody has mentioned the reflected Shorpy "watermark". Love it! Hydra-MaticIn those post-war years, virtually every year another brand would come out with its own automatic transmission, probably the most revolutionary advancement in driving up to that time. Hydra-Matic had been around since 1940, but Pontiac would have to wait until 1948 before it became available to that make, along with Dynaflow in the Buicks and PowerGlide two years later in Chevrolets. In each instance, cars so equipped carried script either on the trunk lid or somewhere on the side. For whatever reason, the Pontiacs kept you guessing until you looked inside to know whether or not that car had the new automatic or not as they chose not to announce its presence. After '49, Oldsmobile no longer used external designation either but Buick kept on all the way through 1952. LineageThe first Pontiac was built in 1926, as a companion car to the existing Oakland line. In subsequent years, Pontiac became the more popular vehicle, and the Oakland was no more by 1931. On the Wall in Living ColorThe poster on the wall states: A fine car made even finer . . . Pontiac for 1948. Photo below. I think it can be argued that the 1948 body styles actually go all the way back to 1940. The real difference between the looks of the 1940 - 1948 models was the lowering of the headlights fully into the fenders, the dramatic extension of the front fenders deep into the front doors, and the annual changes to the front grille. Other than trim changes, the basic body shells of both the Streamliner and Torpedo models barely changed throughout these years. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco)
The New Olds: 1919
... Washington, D.C. "Oldsmobile Sales Co. interior, 1919 or 1920." National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. ... full size. Accessories Wow! Look at that classic office furniture! Oh, yeah; nice car, too. Catch Pan I guess leaks came ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 7:24pm -

Washington, D.C. "Oldsmobile Sales Co. interior, 1919 or 1920." National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size. AccessoriesWow! Look at that classic office furniture! Oh, yeah; nice car, too. Catch PanI guess leaks came with buying a new car in the early 1900s. Can you imagine going into a showroom today and seeing a catch pan underneath it? FurnitureThings really haven't changed all the much have they? The desks are crammed up real close in the showroom. And instead of PCs on the desks, they have inkwells. They even have the glass offices to run to to get a manager to "approve" a deal. Drip, drip, dripThis reminds me of the time I let a friend roll his 1975 Norton Commando into my living room to escape a rainstorm. The first thing I did was slide a cookie sheet under it to catch the oil drips. Old British bikes had the endearing habit of leaving puddles of oil wherever they were parked. Your Great-Grandfather's OldsmobileLooks like a 1920 Model 37A Floor wax, folks!Must be my hausfrau heart, but it seems like floors in the era needed a good waxing. OldsI didn't immediately realise how early this is as far as cars go and how quickly they were developing. Just looking at the front of this car...no front brakes, big scrub radius because the kingpins aren't inclined to bring the contact patch into line with them, no carbon black in the tyres etc. I bet that's ordinary plate glass in the windows as well, not tempered. Also, I can't see any front dampers...were they tucked up under the chassis rails or was it simply undamped? Must have been a bouncy thing if so! Drip LubricationMany vehicles would drip oil as a normal and intended part of their operation. Metered oil feeds slowly drip oil on various parts that need lubrication. One very renowned comment aimed at Harley Davidson motorcycles was the misconception that they always leaked oil. I guess you could call these drippings "leaks". Intentional ones. Another photo on Shorpy shows a block of oil sight glasses accessible to the driver of an automobile with little thumbscrews on top to adjust the drip rate on each one. English motorcyclesI had a couple of old Nortons, a Commando and an Atlas, and the comment "Old British bikes had the endearing habit of leaving puddles of oil" reminds me of the old joke: Q: What does it mean if your English motorcycle isn't leaking oil? A: It's out of oil. Hey...English motorcycles and cars don't really leak oil....they just 'mark their territory'! There is the start...The customer's chairs...the salesmen's desks...and the dreaded windows "I'll just pass this by the Sales Manager...you never know" Anyone wanna bet that is a mirror?I have an Olds of that age and it doesn't leak much oil. Olds had one of the first slanted windshields to prevent glare from headlights from behind. If you think the office furniture is nice, you should see the interior of that car! Pure class! I say that is a mirror to show off the undercarriage. [Below: A decidedly non-reflective drip pan. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Ashepoo P.O.: 1938
December 1938. "General store and post office, sawmill town. Ashepoo, South Carolina." Medium format negative by ... Allendale County. Up until he appears in Ashepoo in the 1920 census, he stayed put in the Sycamore/Ulmers/Bardwell area. He appears ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/25/2017 - 10:40am -

December 1938. "General store and post office, sawmill town. Ashepoo, South Carolina." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size. Ashepoo, South CarolinaThere is no longer a post office in Ashepoo, as the postal district was folded into nearby Green Pond in the 1960's according to the postal records. I went back and looked at an assortment of USGS maps, and Ashepoo seems to have *never* been a large place. Most of the houses that comprised the village seem to have succumbed to time and nature. This is Ashepoo as it sits in modern times. You can still see where the roads once lay, and while the view is far too distant to make any details out, the lone surviving building looks kind of familiar. http://binged.it/1pPnMxF NO TIN SIGNS!How on earth will I know which tobacco and soda pop to ask for. Is this so far off the track that even the Coca Cola people couldn't find it? The dark sedanWaiting outside the store is a 1933 Chevrolet Master 4 door sedan, the same model our family had in those years and drove west to Los Angeles to relocate from Independence Missouri in May, 1937. Many years later in 1963 my brother and I bought 1933 Chevrolet 2 door coach from a neighbor for $100 and kept it over 30 years. Another sawmill townUntil I was about 11 years old I lived a few miles from Williams, SC in the early to mid fifties. There was a large sawmill there, on the east side of Williams, and right across the road was a row of small houses owned by the mill company and occupied by the mill workers and their families. I went to school with their children. The mill once had a large fire that melted the tin roofs. My father and I walked through the place after the fire and I picked up a glob of melted tin. I kept it for many years. A common sight throughout the south was large piles of sawdust left from temporary mobile sawmill operations. After a period of time the sawdust would settle and develop internal air pockets, causing it to collapse if climbed on. I know of at least one child that died that way. Ashepoo storeOwned by Benjamin Josephus Brant, died in 1946. See his gravestone on FindAGrave.com http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=36433804&ref=acom Ashepoo DepooIt is/was on the Atlantic Coast Line RR main line (now CSX) between Charleston and Savannah. The Brants of AshepooIt is entirely possible that the prop. of the General Store was also the railroad agent. I thought the name sounded familiar, and sure enough, there was a J. J. Brant, born 10 years before the photo of the store was taken, who was first trick Clerk-Operator at Yemassee (a few miles south of Ashepoo) when I hired out in 1973. I would not be at all surprised to find that J. J. was B. J.'s son, since nepotism was (and still is) a fully-acceptable and often-practiced tradition in railroading. More info on the Brants...Michaelsjy: Out of nosiness, I dug a bit deeper on Benjamin to see where he was before (and after), and to see what family he may have had. He was born in Ulmers, in Allendale County. Up until he appears in Ashepoo in the 1920 census, he stayed put in the Sycamore/Ulmers/Bardwell area. He appears in 1917 in the WWI draft records as working for the "Berry Fortune Construction Company" as a bookkeeper. I couldn't find him in 1920, but he appears running the general store in Ashepoo in 1930 and 1940, and Ashepoo was listed as his usual residence when he passed away in 1946. Cause of death was stomach cancer that had spread to his liver. In both 1930 and 1940 he was listed as a merchant, and his wife was postmistress for Ashepoo, a position she held until 1960. There are no children listed in 1930, and in 1940 they have a 9 year old adopted daughter named Emma Jean Maddux listed as living with them. WowEven the moss looks beleaguered. Living up over the storeIt used to be (and perhaps still is)that business owners and their families in small towns would reside upstairs over their stores and this seems to be one of those instances. I love the comforting presence of the two kitties making themselves at home and the screened-in sun room which lends a touch of hominess to the place. As late as 1965 there was a very similar establishment just up the street from a second floor apt. which I was temporarily renting in a very small village in Ohio (New Knoxville). The downside for the owner was that any time of the day or night, people who were in need of any given thing or service would pound on the door until somebody answered. The upside was that your commute to work each day took no time at all. Life was simple then. Fresh Chicken anyone?Also the chicken by the front door seems happy. Until lunch that is! (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Moses and Sons: 1923
... W.B. Moses & Son at Eleventh and F has been leased as office space. A few ads in early 1936 announce the auction of oriental rugs: ... this cloth to China and back to the U.S. somewhere around 1920. I can’t imagine the price it would bring today. It would have been ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 4:28pm -

Washington, D.C., 1923. "W.B. Moses & Sons, F and 11th Sts." Note the unusual circular windows at the top of the building. National Photo Co. View full size. Harrington HotelWashington's oldest continuously operating hotel. 436 11th Street N.W. (corner of 11th & E) Opening day: March 1, 1914 http://www.hotel-harrington.com/index.htm Drivers, Take Your MarksLooks like an old gran prix style race start. Those round windows were the first things I noticed. I believe there was a similar round swiveling window in the attic of the Griswald home in Christmas Vacation. Just a fact taking up space in my brain. Also notice that long straight-up fire escape. Seems like the stairs type would be safer in a panic situation. There are also flag holders outside many of the windows. "Fire Escapes"Those are probably for getting into the building, not out. The ladders are fire-control access to the various floors. There are standpipes on either side with a connection point at each floor and two supply connections at the bottom. AwningsWho did you have to be to get awnings on your windows? [A shady character? - Dave] Top heavyThose trucks look so top heavy. I bet a lot of them ended up on their sides during this era. W.B. Moses & Sons Washington Post, Jan 4, 1914 W.B. Moses & Sons The History of a Great Washington Business Establishment Although Washington makes no boasts of surpassing the great commercial centers, it should be a matter of no little satisfaction and pride to Washingtonians to know that here in the Capital is located the largest exclusively retail furniture, carpet, and drapery house in America - the widely known establishment of W.B. Moses & Sons. During the civil war, over fifty years ago, Mr. W.B. Moses, who had for a number of years been engaged in the furniture business in Philadelphia, came to Washington upon the dissolution of the partnership in which he was interested in the Quaker City, and rented a small store on D street, between Sixth and Seventh streets. He had received, as his share of the stock upon dissolution of the Philadelphia firm, about three carloads of furniture, and with this he opened business here. He met with such demand for goods that most of the stock was sold on the pavement before he had time to move it into the store room. Within a few months he rented the three upper floors of the building at No. 508 Seventh street, and, several months later, he rented the large building at the corner of Seventh and D streets, which he occupied in addition to the other establishment. Meeting with continued success, and his business constantly increasing in great strides, in 1869 he secured the old hotel at the corner of Seventh street and Market space (on the site of the present Saks building) know as the "Avenue House." Here Mr. Moses executed a business innovation which attracted attention over the United States. He fitted up the parlors, libraries, dining rooms, and bed rooms completely, decorating and furnishing them in every detail and particular, and in many different colors and combination of colors, in order that almost any one's taste could be satisfied. As a result of this venture, it was no unusual occasion when a patron would say, "Duplicate this apartment" or "that apartment" - meaning the furnishing of an entire house like the sample shown. His business continued to improve until, in 1884, he purchased the property at the corner of F and Eleventh streets, and began the construction of the present building, now occupied by W.B. Moses & Sons. This building was started in June, and was open for business in the following October. The architect was Mr. A.B. Mullett, who designed the State, War and Navy building, and Mr. John Howlett was the builder. They built well, and it was said they completed the building in less time than any building of like size had been constructed up to that time. Mr. Moses conceived the practical idea of going two stories underground; and as this was a radical departure for Washington, the citizens, when the observed the great excavation being made, predicted bankruptcy and complete failure for the enterprise, particularly as there was no business to speak of in that day on F street. W.B. Moses & Sons were the pioneers. Shortly after, through the efforts of Mr. Moses, Woodward & Lothrop removed from Pennsylvania avenue to the present location at the corner of Eleventh and F streets, and property on this short business street has been greatly in demand. In 1884, $2.50 per square foot was the prevailing price; a short time ago a lot 30 by 75 feet, near the Moses building, could not be bought at $90 per square foot. The original Moses building was seven stories high, with two stories underground making nine stories, and covered a space 50x100 feet. In 1887 an additional piece of property on F street, size 25x100, was secured, and built up seven stories to match the main building. Still another addition was put up on the Eleventh street side 50x100, in 1889, matching the original building. Again and 1898, still another building was put up on the Eleventh street side, 45 feet front; this addition was built up ten stories, and is absolutely fireproof. This later addition to the Moses establishment was designed to accommodate the shops and manufacturing departments of the store. The present establishment of W.B. Moses & Sons is one of the handsomest and most complete stores of its kind in the United States, and the largest house devoted to the sale of retail furniture, carpets and draperies. In their factory, which is by far the largest in Washington, there is employed a great force of artisans and skilled workers, cabinet makers, upholsterers, &c. The firm furnishes estimates on furnishings, draperies and decoration, and where desired decorative effects in the color will be designed for the approval of patrons. This branch of the work is in charge of a skilled artist. One of the store events looked forward to by many thousands of Washington families is the "Annual January Sale," an occasion when prices are quoted which are a genuine surprise, and are away below the real values of the merchandise. This sale is scheduled to begin tomorrow, Monday, January 5th, full details of which will be found in today's papers - Advt. FurnitureI actually just inherited a piece of furniture with a label on the back saying W.B. Moses and Sons Washington D.C. Causing me to google the name. I am trying to find out approximately how old the piece is. Any Ideas when this store closed its doors? Moses ClosesW.B. Moses & Son closed up in 1935. Press accounts in May 1935 indicate the store is still open. However, on September 29, 1935, an article in the Washington Post reports the former site of W.B. Moses & Son at Eleventh and F has been leased as office space. A few ads in early 1936 announce the auction of oriental rugs: "Balance of the former stock of W.B. Moses & Son" Moses MaterialI have found a beautiful piece of cloth in my aunt's belongings, with a store tag pinned to the cloth -- "W.B. Moses & Sons, Washington D.C." It is the most exquisite, and very dense piece of red velvet, with a price tag of seventy-five cents. I believe the cloth belonged to her mother who took this cloth to China and back to the U.S. somewhere around 1920. I can’t imagine the price it would bring today. It would have been nicer that it was a piece of furniture but I am happy to have the cloth. The store must have been grand. +77Below is the view of 11th Street looking south from F Street taken in April of 2010. The Hotel Harrington can still be seen in the distance on the corner of E Street. "Ask The Man Who Owns One" (or Two)The two trucks on the far right are Packards. The truck with license plate "36 205" is a circa 1913 model and the truck with license plate "36 204" is a circa 1911 model. The primary identifying feature is the radiator grille which is a widened version of what was used on Packard passenger cars starting in 1905. Packard trucks were made from 1905 - 1923. In 1912 a Packard truck carrying 3 tons was driven from New York to San Francisco in 46 days (July 8th to August 24th). Many of Packard's large automobile chassis were also used for commercial purposes such as hearses and ambulances. These commercial auto chassis were available well into the 1950s. Packard's automobiles were made from 1899 - 1958. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Scenic Petoskey: 1908
... named Ali came up with removable wheels between 1914 and 1920 but there is no proof and no patent listed. Best bet is Bernard Sadow in ... of Bay and Lewis and, unfortunately, has been converted to office space and is currently the home of Andrew Kan Travel. The covered ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 6:12pm -

Circa 1908. "R.R. station at Petoskey, Michigan." Not just a city, Petoskey is also the official state stone. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing. View full size. The Tank Engineon the nearest train has an interesting collection of bits and pieces on the tank top - fire irons, brake hoses and what look like grate sections - and some really ordinary-looking coal in the bunker. It hasn't yet been fitted with gauge glasses, so the poor old crew have to get by with try-cocks to see how much water they have in the boiler. Glad I don't have to fire the thing. I also like the oil or acetylene headlight, with its roller blind to cover it during meets. Passenger PigeonsThis is also the city in Michigan where, when this was taken, it had been 30 years since the last large stand of roosting passenger pigeons had been decimated (with only smaller flocks to survive until the end of the century). There is a plaque to commemorate the event. Petoskey StoneAn unusual material. It is a fossil stone used in jewelry. Why did it take so long?I wondered as I looked over the baggage cart and noticed of course, there were no wheels on luggage back then. Why did it take so long to invent them? One source says a guy named Ali came up with removable wheels between 1914 and 1920 but there is no proof and no patent listed. Best bet is Bernard Sadow in 1970 with a patent in 1972. Manufacturers still do not pay him any licensing fees. Great triple train photo - thanks Dave. Park it in PetoskeyIt looks like Pennsylvania Station, now at one end of Pennsylvania Park; the tracks still run through but the train doesn't. View Larger Map Still around.The train station still exists and is still involved in travel. It's at the corner of Bay and Lewis and, unfortunately, has been converted to office space and is currently the home of Andrew Kan Travel. The covered concourse has been enclosed but the station looks largely intact. Michigan State StonePetoskey stone is actually fossilized coral from the time when Michigan was inundated with a saltwater sea. When it is polished it makes for a lovely semiprecious stone. Petoskey and MeMany years ago at an industry convention I met an appliance dealer from Petoskey. I don't remember the fellow's name but the store, I believe, was called Puff or Puffs. We had an advertising session and I remember all his ads had their logo, a train with smoke rising from the engine forming the letters P-U-F-F in each cloud of smoke. We hit it off and talked for quite a while. He said they didn't sell a lot of room air conditioners because it really never got that hot on the Upper Peninsula (I wonder if that has changed?). However they put the advertising emphasis on food freezers because of the predominance of their hunting population and that helped them get through the summer. That I still remember this after 40 or so years shows that the guy impressed me. Old switcherFrom the looks of the larger engine (Likely a 4-6-0) on the main with the standing train, I'd have to say that the nearer locomotive is probably an aging 4-4-0, or 2-6-0 that is living out its life having been sidelined to switcher use. Contrary to what Mark said though, there are sight glasses visible at the very top edge of the firebox, suggesting that there has been a rebuild at some point to bring her up to more "modern" standards. By the look of that ungraded coalI wouldn't want to be shoveling those larger chunks into the firebox. Hand firing a steam locomotive was a horribly hot filthy job at the best of times, but in the heat of summer: no thank-you! However, I can't recall any hoggers who didn't have to serve as fireman before 'moving to the right side of the cab'. Not the Upper PeninsulaPetoskey is not in the Upper Peninsula. Those of us who are in the UP are noticing some pretty darn warmer winters and hotter summers than we care for. Lake Superior seldom freezes over anymore, which it did on a fairly regular basis from 1965 until the 90's; at least that's the way I remember it. (The Gallery, DPC, Petoskey, Railroads)
Bonus Tracks: 1906
... light and hot water. Washington Post, Jan 5, 1920 Penhurst Apartments Burn Lives of dwellers in the 22 ... Monument poking its head over the Government Printing Office on the right side of the frame. At the time of this photo, the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 11:14am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1906-1910. "Switch yards, Union Station." The third and final part of our panorama. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Pano put togetherFor your viewing pleasure. Click here to see pano Hover your mouse over the image for a menu to download the full sized picture. A Room With a ViewThe Penhurst Apartment, your Haven of Rest, conveniently located near public transportation. Refrigerated StorageLooks to be some sort of heat exchanger over on the right. Ammonia chiller, maybe. VestigesWhile the Penhurst is gone (tracks for Metro's Red Line run where it used to be), the stone bollards and wrought iron railing along First Street survive: View Larger Map Plenty Light & Hot WaterThe Penhurst Apartments was one of about a dozen apartment buildings owned and managed by the Alonzo Ogilvie Bliss, a civil war veteran of the Tenth New York Calvary. Newspaper ads neglected to mention the noise and smoke of the adjacent rail yard. Rent in 1906 was $20 for a four room apartment. Today's picture would not quite be the same as H street N.E. now passes over the rail yard. At the time of the photo, H street passed through a long tunnel underneath the yard, as several of the streets to the north still do. The Penhurst Apartments were located at 48 H St. N.E. so that gives a pretty good alignment for where the H street bridge is now. An intermodal transport center and public parking structure now covers this portion of the yard. Developments rights have recently been sold for all the remaining airspace above the rails. Classified Ads, Washington Post, Jun 28, 1919 The Penhurst, Apartment 30 - Two or more rooms, furnished or unfurnished; south front; plenty light and hot water. Washington Post, Jan 5, 1920 Penhurst Apartments Burn Lives of dwellers in the 22 apartments in the Penhurst, 48 H street northeast, were imperiled yesterday when a fire originating in the elevator shaft spread to all floors of the Building, cutting off escape of a number of tenants by the stairway. Damage is estimated at $20,000. When the fire first started the emergency hose was brought into use, but failed to function, and before the fire apparatus arrived on the first alarm the flames had gained such headway that two additional alarms bringing out thirteen additional fire companies were sent in. ... Tallest Building in the USAI think I spot the Washington Monument poking its head over the Government Printing Office on the right side of the frame. At the time of this photo, the Washington Monument (169m) still held the title of the tallest building in the United States, holding off a challenge from Philadelphia's City Hall (opened 1901) by just 2 meters. EquipmentThe heat exchanger mentioned below may have been used to cool compressed air which was used to operate the many switch machines that move the "points" -- a favored method used by the Pennsylvania Railroad in its larger terminals. Ammonia was also injected into the compressed air to help prevent freezing. Washington Union Station was opened on October 27, 1908, so these photographs probably date very near to that date. A Stitch in Time...Here's the whole panorama stitched together larger: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/414627/union-station-pano.jpg Re: Shorpy LandmarksTo the left of the Government Printing Office is the tall thin spire of the Metropolitan Methodist Church. (The Gallery, D.C., DPC, Railroads)
Open Carry: 1929
... are a nice touch. Too bad they can't be included in the office Christmas party. Fashion Forward Although the vibe of this ... hiking knickers, a breakthrough style for women in the 1920's. A decade earlier she would have been expected to face the great ... 
 
Posted by Vintagetvs - 01/23/2016 - 9:54am -

This appears to be the same couple seen in the Roadhouse photo posted yesterday. From a box of negatives found in a Redlands thrift store. Many of these are stored in fragments of the original Kodak envelopes from the Whittier Book Store at 113-1/2 N. Greenleaf Avenue. View full size. Same peopleThese are quite strange photos, odd little group, what happened to the tough looking guy in the road house picture. Same necklace and funny ocks on the gloomy woman. Bonnie & Clyde and daughter.I had a vacation like that once. She got so mad and silent that I drove all the way home from Baja without stopping while she lay in the back of the van fuming. Fortunately her kid did not have a weapon. But hey - at least we now know exactly where they are! Wow - if Bonnie and Clyde had a childThe little girl looks as tough as Ma. 1890 WinchesterLooks like the kid has a Winchester model 1890. It's a pump action .22 which is exactly the type of rifle they would have started a child off shooting with back in the good old days. Still a good rifle to start a kid off shooting with. Of course back then nobody would have been alarmed by this, nowadays unfortunately a large number of people are. But not to veer into political commentary. Great photo. I'm hoping there are a few more in this series. The matching shades are a nice touch.Too bad they can't be included in the office Christmas party. Fashion ForwardAlthough the vibe of this family grouping is pure American Gothic, the clothes are pretty au courant. In addition to the covetable sunglasses (including the little girl's) the woman is wearing hiking knickers, a breakthrough style for women in the 1920's. A decade earlier she would have been expected to face the great outdoors in an ankle-length skirt. The man's open-collared shirt and flat-front trousers mark an early appearance of a look that remains the de facto uniform of every guy that doesn't have to put on a suit. The child's romper had been standard for both sexes since the 1910's, and, apparently, pink was still okay for boys. What's that rifle?Is that a Winchester Model 62? If so, I shot one of them once. Sweet little gun. I think they might have used these at carnivals, back in a simpler time. Intersection of here and thereMost likely this photo was taken at the intersection of Twin Valley Road & Forest Route 16N41 or Forest Route 16N41 & High Glade Rd. Those are the two intersections nearest to 6 miles from Bartlett Springs and 17 miles from upper lake. Next time I'm over that way I will have to visit Bartlett Springs; just the foundation of the spring house is still there, but the hotel burned down in 1934. 1930s HipstersI think we're seeing 1930s version of our current-day hipsters here. Wearing the trendy things to wear and looking rather disaffected overall. If there's a third picture upcoming with them on a bicycle that would confirm my theory. Cruel SummersWe'd call this the Mendocino National Forest now. Bartlett Springs was a "destination resort" of the times. During the 1920's, my grandmother's family farmed in Orland, down in the often-scorching Sacramento Valley. They would spend summers in a cabin on the Mendocino forest, leaving a hired man to tend the animals, etc. Winchester?Looks like a .22 pump action Winchester. A most excellent rifle. Have one myself. Actually a model 1906Looking at the rifle more closely I see the barrel is round rather than octagonal so it would be a model 1906 rather than an 1890, but the same design. The Model 62 is also basically the same but wasn't introduced until 1932 (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Make Yourself Comfortable
Washington, D.C., 1920. "National Photo Company, front room." View full size. Glass negative: ... and I cannot believe it is the waiting room of a business office!! I don't think I would leave for hours - just looking at all of the ... furniture. [This is the reception area of a business office. And that may well be Herbert E. French himself on the couch. - Dave] ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 4:10pm -

Washington, D.C., 1920. "National Photo Company, front room." View full size. Glass negative: National Photo Company Collection. Styling: Morticia Addams. BackdropIs that a camera on the far right? I bet a lot of portraits were taken in front of that wall of sharp implements. Now that is some seriouslyNow that is some seriously weird-looking furniture. The whole room has a very uncomfortable feel to it IMO - two thumbs down for the interior designer. Early GuestUpon spotting the odd collection of weapons hanging on the wall the early guest began to wonder who has invited him to dinner. Or if it was him who is the dinner... My voteIs two thumbs up!!! I just love the oddity of it all and I cannot believe it is the waiting room of a business office!! I don't think I would leave for hours - just looking at all of the photos and weaponry and antlers, OH MY! My thought...is that the photographer put all the photographic staging pieces in the front room. I also think it's a good idea to display some curiosities for people to look at whilst waiting. I wish more businesses would do that today. Love The Title!I laughed out loud at the title of this photo! Comfy, indeed! In that room, I imagine that the furniture is made out of human bones! Although bamboo might be closer to the truth. Does anyone want to guess what the subject matter is in the photo next to the antlers? It appears to possibly be a close-up of some sort of animal dung? But, I'm sure I am wrong about that, too. I hope... Kathleen Charming photoMy guess about the photo next to the antlers is that it's a coiled snake. I get a whole King Kong/Skull Island vibe from the furniture motif; I wonder if Merian C. Cooper had visited the National Photo Company 13 years before? I would definitely make room in my place for that vanity/lamp combo, although I'd be real careful getting up from it. Mighty Hunter?This is an odd juxtaposition of styles. That desk looks painful. It actually looks more like a vanity table. Maybe this is a young couple with the usual starting out mixture of his manly trophies and her teenage girl bedroom furniture. [This is the reception area of a business office. And that may well be Herbert E. French himself on the couch. - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Youngest Lawyer: 1922
... High School Class of 1915 was characterized in a July 1920 news story as a divorce specialist who was about to relocate from ... (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Portraits, The Office) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2012 - 6:17pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Pauline Floyd, 24, youngest lawyer ever admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court." View full size. Ambitious LookFrom looking at her photo, you just know that Miss Floyd would be going places. SuffragettesAnd here is another photo of Miss Floyd, taking notes at a meeting between Women's Suffrage activists Mrs. Lawrence Lewis and Alice Paul: http://womenshistory.about.com/od/paulalice/ig/Alice-Paul-Pictures/Alice... Quick studyThis member of Washington's Business High School Class of 1915 was characterized in a July 1920 news story as a divorce specialist who was about to relocate from Washington to Reno to "find divorce cases worthy of her talents." How could one become a lawyer four years after high school? It was reported that she had taken "special courses in domestic relations at the Washington College of Law." The first law school founded by women, it's now part of American University. In an article published two years later (at the time of this photo), she was still in Washington. Then the trail runs cold, in D.C., Nevada, and elsewhere. [She was also president of her senior class in law school. When she died in 1968 she was married to Lee Somers. - Dave] A tesatment to feminine intelligence!Way to go, Ms. Floyd! You became a force to be reckoned with. The old boys in the ABA must have been quaking in their boots. [The title says it all! - Dave] And in the movie...She would have been played by Debra Winger! This could make a good movie!Very nice photo and information. I could never have imagined this. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Portraits, The Office)
Minute Service No. 1: 1925
... brands. Just look in the Shorpy archives at other 1920's filling stations and you will see many stations with various "brands" at ... station and garage were razed in 1960 to make way for office space. Washington Post, Apr 9. 1922 Open ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 6:03pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1925. "Minute Service Station, 17th & L streets N.W." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. GaseteriaI see Amoco, Sunoco, and Standard. How many brands do they have at one station? A real life game of MonopolyIt was actually quite common for the full service stations of early days to give patrons a choice of petroleum brands. Just look in the Shorpy archives at other 1920's filling stations and you will see many stations with various "brands" at their pumps. However all of these particular brands are related. Standard Oil of John D. Rockefeller fame was broken up in 1911. But Amoco, Sun Oil and Standard were all once part of the Rockefeller monopoly that got trust-busted. PerspectivesThis appears to be looking north on 17th Street with the Mayflower Hotel in the background. 17th and LLooking northwest. Tom has correctly identified the Mayflower Hotel (the only landmark) View Larger Map Oiling and GreasingA fine modern design by architect Robert F. Beresford, previously seen in final construction. Beresford aided in the design of the adjacent Mayflower Hotel as well as other service stations seen on Shorpy including Minute Service Station No. 3, and Lord Baltimore No. 6. Other Minute Service Stations seen at Shorpy are No. 2 and No. 5. I find the advertisement for the L street Garage interesting in that original business model for the garage was to provide overnight, heated parking for the finicky autos of the day. The L street Garage was later renamed Mayflower Garage and provided parking for both guests of the hotel as well as shoppers on Connecticut Avenue. The service station and garage were razed in 1960 to make way for office space. Washington Post, Apr 9. 1922 Open Largest Gas Station Tomorrow New Building is Last Word in Completeness, Beauty, Speed and Arrangement. Washington's largest and most attractive gasoline station will be opened for business tomorrow. The announcement will be of interest, particularly to motorists of the large northwest section, and will mark the coming of something new in gasoline stations. The Washington Accessories Company, composed of Messrs. W.T. Gallither, president of the American National Bank; C.E. Galliher, of W.T. Galliher & Bro., lumber dealers and Allan E. Walker, president of Allan E. Walker & Co., is the owner of the new enterprise, which represents an investment of more than $150,000, in ground, building and equipment. ... Particular stress is laid on the fact that the station is so designed as to have free entry to every pump for either side, and to make it possible to drive out when ready, no matter how many cars are at the pumps ahead. Calling attention to a rapidly growing evil in gas stations - that of tipping - the company announces that its employees are positively forbidden to accept tips under any conditions. ... A large two-story granite stucco building has been erected on L street. This houses the accessories store. A very complete stock of automotive supplies will be carried, and both wholesale and retail business will be featured. A second building, similar in construction, in in the rear of the first, and contains an auto laundry, battery station, and tire repair departments. ... Edward E. Lipphard, who has been connected with the automobile accessory business in Washington for several years, and who enjoys a wide acquaintance, throughout the Capital, will manage the new enterprise. (click to enlarge) Washington Post, Sep 30, 1923 New Garage Opening The L Street garage, a new four-story, fireproof garage building, located at 1705 L street northwest, will be opened for business tomorrow, according to an announcement made by the company. The garage will be operated by the L Street Garage company incorporated, which is owned by Galliher-Walker Investment corporation. D.M. Gordan is the manager of the new enterprise. It adjoins the splendid filling station and accessory store of the Washington Accessories Company which is owned by the same corporation. The L Street garage is a splendid 4-story, fireproof building with lime-stone front, which presents a very attractive appearance. It is located on a lot 43 by 130 feet with over 5,500 square feet of floor space on each floor, a total of over 22,000 square feet. One of the unusual features of this building is that the supporting pillars are place within four feet of the side walls, thus leaving practically the entire width of the building free for easy movement and arrangement of cars. Very liberal window space provides unusual light on every floor. Wide entrances are located on L street and on the alley at the rear of the building. Offices and an accessory store are located on the the first floor with comfortable and attractive waiting rooms adjoining. A ladies' rest room is located on the mezzanine. (click to enlarge) You don't see that anymoreI have to say that all gasoline stations of the 30-40's just seem so much nicer, safer and friendlier places than they are today. Perhaps it is because you have people waiting to assist you, the down side of course it that they closed, they certainly were not open 24 hrs a day. I would love to visit that station and ask them to "fill er up." Many faces of Standard OilThe Standard Oil in DC was the New Jersey company, and fits the bill for the pre-bust comment. American Oil was not part of the Trust, Amoco was based in Baltimore before Indiana Standard acquired it. Sun Oil (Sunoco) was also not part of pre-1911 Standard Oil. It did buy in to the Standard legacy when it bought the remains of the old Atlantic Refining Company of Philadelphia (Atlantic) from Arco in 1988. Atlantic was part of pre-1911 Standard. Sunoco's A-plus convenience stores are the biggest legacy of old Atlantic. +90Below is the same view from May of 2015. (The Gallery, D.C., Gas Stations, Natl Photo)
Willie of Montgomery: 1914
... much of a double entendre... reminds me of the "Car Talk" office located in the fake law firm of "Dewey, Cheatham, & Howe." ... like in Ward 1 of Montgomery, Alabama, in the 1900 and 1920 censuses there's a Willie D. Cheathem, born c. 1897/98. (I couldn't find ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2011 - 6:25pm -

October 1914. Montgomery, Alabama. "Willie Cheatham, Western Union messenger #1. Says he is 16 now; been messenger for 6 years. Late Sunday night, October 4th, I talked with him, still on duty, until 10 P.M. 'You bet I know every crooked house in town. Went to school with one of those girls when she was straight. Her mother died and she went bad. Some young girls were there too. I go out to Red Light some with messages and packages, and if I want to, I bust right in and sit down.' Hard face." View full size. Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine. Red Light DistrictDid every kid that worked for Western Union go to the Red Light District? I think they all mentioned it red light districtYeah no kidding, I was thinking the same thing! Kids and Bad HousesI frequently see messengers going in what was then called "Red Light District". I guess "ghetto" is what we now call them? Why would a young kid deliver messages from a well-respected company to the dirty areas? [Because that's his job. - Dave] Red Light Districts"Ghetto" has racial overtones that people probably didn't apply to a red light district, which was typically where the gambling and whorehouses, and, during Prohibition, speakeasies could be found. Old timer once told me....An old timer once told me that whence the meaning of "red light" as it relates to ladies of the evening began when a so-inclined woman put a red shaded light in her street-faced window ---- if the light was on, she was available, if off, she was either in service or not home in the moment ---- as birds of a feather flock together, so did the ladies, either by choice or by community ordinance ---- at the turn of the 20th century, some "higher-class" ladies only received gentleman company by appointment and the cutting edge of making an appointment was by telegram ---- so, as pointed out already, it was the messenger only doing his task at hand ---- I believe though that the term "red light district" applied to prostitution rather than gambling and speakeasies although there was certainly "intercourse" betwixt.... His left arm......doesn't match his right. I wonder if something was wrong with it. Poor kid... Mandi- That's a good,Mandi- That's a good, plausible explanation for these type of pictures. I wonder how kids seasoned later in life then when they learn almost everything early on. Fake name?"Willie Cheatham" is way too much of a double entendre... reminds me of the "Car Talk" office located in the fake law firm of "Dewey, Cheatham, & Howe." Probably not a fake name.It looks like in Ward 1 of Montgomery, Alabama, in the 1900 and 1920 censuses there's a Willie D. Cheathem, born c. 1897/98. (I couldn't find him in the 1910 census, but that could be from a transcription error in the index.) No matching entry in the Social Security Death Index so he may have never had an SSN, or may have died after 1920 but before the social security system was in place. Willie CheathamAs part of my project to find descendants of child laborers photographed by Lewis Hine, I was able to contact Willie's oldest living direct descendant. I found some interesting information in my search, and you can see it at www.morningsonmaplestreet.com/williecheatham.html He looks so much older thenHe looks so much older than 16. It's amazing how working hard, and living hard can age you so quickly. LookalikeMy husband bears an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Cheatham. So much so that when we showed his mother, she thought I Photoshopped his picture into this one. What's more, after reading more about him on Mr. Manning's fabulous website, we found that he passed away a year and a day after my husband was born. If it had been that much sooner, I'd really be spooked! (The Gallery, Lewis Hine, Montgomery)
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