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Potomac Rowers: 1921
"Potomac Boat Club Sema [?] Sig," 1921, with the Key Bridge under construction in the background. View full size. National Photo Company Collection. Potomac Boat Club This is upriver and from the dock of P.B.C. I have been a member of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 11:58pm -

"Potomac Boat Club Sema [?] Sig," 1921, with the Key Bridge under construction in the background. View full size. National Photo Company Collection. Potomac Boat ClubThis is upriver and from the dock of P.B.C. I have been a member of Potomac Boat Club for over twenty years, they have been around since 1869. The address is 3530 Water Street, Washington D.C. 20007. Upriver?Looks like this shot was taken upriver of the Key Bridge, so it might the Washington Canoe Club dock http://www.washingtoncanoeclub.org/ They have a beautiful old building which is a landmark on the Georgetown waterfront. We often canoe this stretch of the Potomac, and it's a great way to see the city. socksWhat's with the socks? Floppy socks, socks with a hole in the toe -- and those socks on the guy who's sitting down, which don't seem to be socks at all. Potomac Boat ClubIt's definitely PBC. It isn't far enough to be the canoe club. This is interesting, I had no idea that the boathouse was older than Key Bridge. Aqueduct BridgeThe old Aqueduct Bridge was torn down when the Key Bridge was constructed. The linked photo shows what looks like Potomac Rowing Club's building at the D.C. abutment. So it appears it does predate Key Bridge. Potomac Boat ClubThis is definitely PBC, which sits up against the old aqueduct abutment. The star is their insignia. Key BridgeJust returned from a stay at the Key Bridge Holiday Inn. We could see the old abutment and dock with star on it from our balcony, and when I got home I googled to see what it was and spent an enjoyable hour or so reading up on the history of the old aqueduct and the general neighborhood. How cool to see this now, knowing a little about the area. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, D.C., Natl Photo)
Boat Club Rowers: 1919
September 20, 1919. "Potomac Boat Club eight." On the river at the old Aqueduct Bridge. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Aqueduct Bridge You can see one of piers of the Aqueduct Bridge in the Shorpy phot ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 2:32pm -

September 20, 1919. "Potomac Boat Club eight." On the river at the old Aqueduct Bridge. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Aqueduct BridgeYou can see one of piers of the Aqueduct Bridge in the Shorpy photo. The span was superseded by the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge, completed downriver in 1923. The Aqueduct was dismantled 10 years later. Little of the original bridge remains, but the abutment on the Washington shore is still there (see photo below.) This would be to the viewer's immediate right in the Shorpy photo. The rowing club is still there, too. It's the Jocks in Socks!Same guys, same order, same uniform, same teamwork, same disgusting socks. https://www.shorpy.com/node/6306 Pre-ParkwayYou can see a house up on the Virginia palisades that must have had a gorgeous view before the GW Parkway was built, and presumably this and many other houses were torn down. I wonder how many houses were lost due to the construction of the road. Attn. Mr. LeyendeckerYour afternoon models have arrived. Mr. Middle Boy says he met you at a party. The "house on the hill" appears to have survived.Bing's (Microsoft) Bird's Eye View seems to show the nice columned home on the bluff is still there. The home is off the end of 24th Street N. in the wedge between Spout Run Parkway and GW Parkway. Re: Attn. Mr. LeyendeckerThis comment made me happy. Actually, there's something about the processing here (I know nothing about photography, alas) that has made the last young man on the right look rather like an illustration himself. He could be right out of a superhero comic. Strapping boysNot that kind of strapping!! Question for any rowing expert out there. What's the deal with tethering your ankle to your oar. It's not like you're a surfer who'd have to swim for his board when he eats it on a wave. [Nobody's ankle is tethered to an oar. At least not in this photo. - Dave] (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
A Row of Rowers: 1914
June 1914. "Wisconsin varsity crew on the Hudson." Souvenir from the heyday of the Poughkeepsie Regatta. Bain News Service glass negative. View full size. Now we know ... the origins of boxer-brief underwear. They'll be brief ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2014 - 2:14pm -

June 1914. "Wisconsin varsity crew on the Hudson." Souvenir from the heyday of the Poughkeepsie Regatta. Bain News Service glass negative. View full size. Now we know... the origins of boxer-brief underwear. They'll be briefI looks like there are several coxswains in this lineup. Excuse Me!This must have been before the invention of the elastic "Jock Strap" that we were supposed to wear under our Speedos. What is the correct termA plethora of pointers? An understatement of underwear? A barrage of bulges? ScaryAn intimidating group of fellows as I've ever seen. Second from the left, scary!! The bathing trunksThe trunks of that era were oddly revealing. Also, a couple of those guys look ready to rip out your heart and stomp on it. How not to lose your megaphoneTurn it into ridiculous-looking headgear. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, G.G. Bain, Sports)
Smart S Rowers: 1912
June 17, 1912. "Stanford University varsity crew at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., boat house." Capt. Seward, second from left. 5x7 glass negative. View full size. OK, men Ditch your crew socks and line up for pictures! Identity crisis The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/04/2016 - 1:00pm -

June 17, 1912. "Stanford University varsity crew at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., boat house." Capt. Seward, second from left. 5x7 glass negative. View full size. OK, menDitch your crew socks and line up for pictures! Identity crisisThe man with 15 on his sweater rather than an 'S'. The guy with the 15Is probably the new guy. He hasn't yet "earned" his "S" "15" would be his graduation year Heavy with engineersThe Stanford eight-oared crew making the trip: Bow: Roger W. Olmstead '13 (future civil engineer) 2-Carl Beal '13 (future geologist and oil company founder) 3-Chauncey Smith '12 (future army officer, died 1922) 4-Fred B. Watkins '14 (future chemical engineer) 5-R.F. Duryea '13 (future civil engineer) 6-E.B. Walford '15 7-R.H. Seward '12 (captain, and campus thespian) Stroke: J.F. Partridge '12 (future engineer) Coxswain: F.L. "Husky" Guerena '11 (future crew coach, Bay Area attorney) Substitute: P.R. Clover '12 Long way from homeStanford in NY? In 1912? I have to assume they traveled by rail. That's a long time to travel for a competition! The Boys in the BoatCalifornia schools had a long-running crew rivalry with eastern schools. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown has a vivid example of what it took to get back east for competition. Also interesting is the account of the team's experiences on the ship going to the 1936 Olympics. Quite a contrast to Louis Zamperini's experience on the same ship (he being the subject of Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken). His account appears in his own book: Devil at My Heels: A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II. I'd tell it here, but that would be a major spoiler. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Sports)
Syracuse Boathouse: 1914
... that are built into the boat. [Then why are the rowers in all the other crew photos wearing shoes? - Dave] background ... carries automobiles...see the pilot house up high. Rowers In my rowing days (actually the sixties of previous century), you had ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 6:33pm -

1914. "Syracuse Varsity crew team at boathouse." Bain News Service glass negative. View full size. No need for shoes......they're wearing socks and no shoes because the shoes are in the boat. In crew you tie your feet right into shoes or shoe-like footholders that are built into the boat. [Then why are the rowers in all the other crew photos wearing shoes? - Dave] backgroundThe vessel in the background, at about 3 o'clock, appears to be a ferry boat, the kind that carries automobiles...see the pilot house up high. RowersIn my rowing days (actually the sixties of previous century), you had two systems in the boat: you had a "universal" system, where there were kind of straps with which you fasten your own shoes, and a more sophisticated one with shoes actually fastened to the so called "foot board". The problem is of course the size of the shoes. So, if a specific crew is the only user of a boat, you could have the shoes fixed on the foot board in the boat. If you have a boat that is used by many different crews you might prefer only straps. Below an illustration. By the way, also if you have fixed shoes you might use your own shoes to walk with the boat to the water, and leave your shoes either in the boat or on the quay. Some people might walk on their socks, but then you risk to get wet feet! But also if there are no fixed shoes, some rowers prefer rowing without shoes. Therefore you may see rowers with and without shoes outside the boat, as you could see on the photograph of the Penn varsity crew team, 1914. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, G.G. Bain, Sports, Syracuse)
Second Varsity: 1914
... Summer 1914. "Penn 2nd varsity crew team in Poughkeepsie." Rowers at the boathouse. Bain News Service glass negative. View full size. ... was taken. Nothing would ever be the same. Risque Rowers Those shorts strike me as a tad daring for the period. Assuming the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/26/2014 - 3:56pm -

Summer 1914. "Penn 2nd varsity crew team in Poughkeepsie." Rowers at the boathouse. Bain News Service glass negative. View full size. The Last Days of InnocenceThe First World War, precursor to the Second as well as the post colonial troubles of the Middle East that plague us today, had been declared just a few weeks before this photo was taken. Nothing would ever be the same. Risque RowersThose shorts strike me as a tad daring for the period. Assuming the fair sex was not excluded from watching the events, I'm guessing there were more than a few ladies who would have blushed at the sight. BustedAlright, which one of you guys stole my flashlight. Shortsighted PoughkeepsieWhen the city decided against spending the money to redo the pitiful Varsity Crew quarters and boat- houses the famous race just moved out to a place that treated them as the huge tourist attraction they were. So, Poughkeepsie lost out big time because they wouldn't spend a few bucks. Poughkeepsie is known very well for terrible decisions. I lived there, and know of what I speak. CoxswainEasily identified, even from here. Coed RowingThey were likely there for the Intercollegiate Rowing Association's 1914 Poughkeepsie Regatta. This spot is very near the location of today's Vassar College Rowing Complex, used by both the men's and women's teams. A Flood Of MemoriesSome of the fondest memories of my life were rowing a single scull on the Willamette River in the late 1970s. I would give anything to go back there for a day. Boys in the BoatI recently read The Boys in the Boat, about the 9-member University of Washington rowing team that won the gold medal in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Now I have a clearer understanding of the significance of the Regatta at Poughkeepsie, which was the Intercollegiate Rowing Association championship every year from 1895-1949. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Sports)
Merrily, Merrily: 1925
... the negative is dated 1925, the print giving names of the rowers is dated 1919. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Rowers We didn't have anything this elaborate when I learned to row. I also ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/07/2016 - 11:56am -

March 25, 1925. Washington, D.C. "Central High School rowing class. Pictured rowing are: Stanley Durkee, Arthur Dorton, Ronald Collauday, Donald Kline, William Stewart and Elkin Hale." Although the negative is dated 1925, the print giving names of the rowers is dated 1919. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. RowersWe didn't have anything this elaborate when I learned to row. I also like the way that they seem to have set this up in the metalworking shop. Rowing ClassI wish I could have learned to row on land. Timing your body position so the oar doesn't hit your knees on the way back is much more difficult than you'd imagine. The gear in the photo makes it impossible to avoid this by just dipping the blade lower, too. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
Central High Shell: 1927
... on a single in 1857 and on a six-oar in 1870. Rowers As a former eight myself I find myself wondering about a couple of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2012 - 9:44am -

Washington, D.C. Central High shell crew on the Potomac at the Key Bridge in 1927. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Rowing historyPlease keep coming with these historic rowing photographs. As a former eight oar shell rower in the sixties I like them very much! @Anonymous Rower, about Sliding Seats The invention of sliding seats is generally credited to John C. Babcock of the Nassau Boat Club in New York, who used them on a single in 1857 and on a six-oar in 1870. RowersAs a former eight myself I find myself wondering about a couple of things Alex will appreciate. 1. When did the sliding seat come into use. 2. That's one BIG coxie 3. I guess 6 seat can't work that hard if he needs a big sweater like that, and how does he keep it from getting in his way. Dave (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
Navy Oarsmen: 1896
... Arévalo Strange number of athletes There are 12 rowers here. I row for a university team and can tell you this is at least 2 ... pride in how well their top crews could row. Navy Rowers These jolly tars would have been rowing either a ship's whaleboat, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 7:14pm -

Aboard the U.S.S. New York circa 1896. "A champion boat crew." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by Edward Hart, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. ImmunityYou can see that most, if not all, of these fellows have been vaccinated for smallpox. "Friends," the early yearsIn the back and rising tall above his first set of Friends stands the inimitable Matt LeBlanc. Don't Say Cheese"OK, everyone hold still now for a sec ... you, too, flag!" Popeye LiedEven as a young lad I was somewhat suspicious of his claim that his "muskles" were the result of consuming massive quantities of canned spinach. He was probably on the rowing team as a young sailor, thus acquiring his huge forearms the old fashioned way. The spinach claim obviously a ruse to trick us boys into eating the stuff. He was probably a major stockholder in a spinach farm conglomerate of some sort. Smallpox vaccines?Not for another 70 years or so. [Smallpox vaccinations in the modern era go back to 1796. Edward Jenner. Milkmaids. Sound familiar? - Dave] Dapper DanChief looking very suave. Okay, girls - our turnTime to wade in the shallow end of the pool. It's a tossup between Crouching, Second from Left, and Standing, Second from Right. The former looks like a Ralph Lauren model and as for the latter - the muscles speak for themselves. Forever YoungAt first I had the odd sensation that this was not a photo from 1896. There was nothing except the mustachioed fellow, the uniformed chap hidden to the right and the hand-sewn emblems that made me think this photo wasn't of some university team today. The eyes are all so "young." YouthYouth is for all ages! It doesn´t matter whether the photos are old or modern. Congratulations Dave for this marvellous site. I visit this page every moment I can. It's simply a real time machine taking us all to better times. Greetings from Chile Álvaro Rodrigo Arévalo Strange number of athletes There are 12 rowers here. I row for a university team and can tell you this is at least 2 crews, an 8 and a 4. It could also be 3 crews, being 3 fours. This might make more sense, seeing that coxswains are absent, making these guys in 3 straight 4's, or coxless boats. To my knowledge, coxless 8's have never really been raced, they're too impractical. Bang.Jennifridge, I'm partial to Standing Far Left. And this is quite the gun show! Easy on the eyesSeconding #2 on the left -- bedroom eyes! [fanning self]. Also, recommend adding "handsome rakes" tag. Not Exactly RegattaAlthough the crew may have had some sporting fun, rowing is how goods and personnel were often moved around between ships afloat. Dating back to the era of the sailing ships, captains put great pride in how well their top crews could row. Navy RowersThese jolly tars would have been rowing either a ship's whaleboat, Captain's Gig or Admiral's Barge. Hence the number of hands. Now that all the above have been motorized, formal (and informal) races of small craft have just about disappeared. But I have it on good authority that Full Power "Test" runs between ships that just happen to be in the same place are still known to happen. You can almost get a full roostertail out of a cruiser going in excess of 40 knots. What a flirt!That (gorgeous) guy second from the left was flirting with Monica, and now he's flirting with me! I am seeing him at 20 and he can apparently see me at that age, too, judging by the gleam in his eye! 114 Years ago and yet so modern lookingWhat caught my attention immediately is that the people in this photo could be any university rowing team today. With the exception of the mustached-one they are all so modern looking, down to clothes, hair, and "look." Simply amazing. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, E.H. Hart, Handsome Rakes)
Margaret Severn: 1923
... a fine car. Female Version ... ... of the Shorpy Rowers photos? Movies Too Motion Pictures of the pre-1930s were not ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/03/2021 - 2:29pm -

July 16, 1923. Long Island, New York. "Severn, Margaret, Miss." The dancer Margaret Severn (1901-1997). 4x5 inch nitrate negative by Arnold Genthe. View full size. And the Ys have itNice touch, ShorpY. Pushing the limits for 1923, perhapsStay out of the water. Y m c a StrangeIn addition to Arnold Genthe's weird hen scratching on negatives, he had strange poses for his subjects. Playboy 1920sGenthe could have been the Hugh Hefner of the '20s. Some of his photos of dancers (or men and women posing as dancers/actors) are delightfully risque. My first thoughtShe looks like a hood ornament for a fine car. Female Version ...... of the Shorpy Rowers photos? Movies TooMotion Pictures of the pre-1930s were not shy to be daring as far as nudity or suggestive posture. The 'Hayes Office' (of moral purity) put an end to that when it was thought to have gone too far. Welcome to the era of erotic censorship. StunningAbsolutely gorgeous photo (and subject). It's a shame that a famous star of a century ago barely earns three sentences on Wikipedia, but it's a reminder that we are all destined to fade from memory. Melancholy blog comments aside, here's a fascinating article (with many photographs) about Ms. Severn. (The Gallery, Arnold Genthe, Dance, Pretty Girls)
Jocks in Socks: 1919
... have the same ring to it? [The "eight" are the rowers. Plus the coxswain, with the megaphone. - Dave] Ladies? Not ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 11:55pm -

Sept. 20, 1919. "Potomac Boat Club eight." National Photo Co. View full size. Middle BoyI want him bathed and brought to my tent at midnight. TrainedNow all they need is a boat. I can't decideI'll take 1, 2 and 5! Middle BoyHe's really the only one who doesn't look like he broke out from some type of facility To each her own, but--The boy in the middle is by far the hottest. Wowza! PenultimateNext-to-Last looks a little uncomfortable with Mr. Dark Eyes behind him. WOWWhat a fit looking group of guys! Interlocking, yes.But to what extent? Star materialLove the Superman wannabe costumes. Were there capes? Dorks on a dockThey can't help how awful the uniforms are. Actually, they're all kind of cute; even Mr. Pince-Nez and Mr. Mustache aren't half bad. I agree with the other ladies about Mr. Middle, but since he reminds me a lot of my dad, I can't get excited about him. The fellow on the end looks like he's trying to compete with Rudy Valentino. He wins the trophy for Most Smoldering. Handsome Rakes? Eight is enoughBecause "Potomac Boat Club Nine" just didn't have the same ring to it? [The "eight" are the rowers. Plus the coxswain, with the megaphone. - Dave] Ladies?Not that it matters -- nor do I have anything against anybody regarding their sexual preference, I am really curious how many of the previous posters ogling these young men are actually women. Matt DamonThat's who the feller in the very back makes me think of. De Feet Those socks should be a turnoff for any of the ladies who may be watching....... I have to ask the obviousAnd that is why are they wearing socks? Number 3It's Harold Lloyd! Why the socks?There's a reason they're called "crew socks," you know! Hausfraus?Yeah I'm with you -- at least lie and stick a name in there besides "Anonymous Tipster". Bleh Crew SoxSocks are a necessity for crew, at least nowadays (and presumably back then too, unless the mechanics of strapping oneself into the rowing shell have changed considerably) -- you're tying your feet into shoes attached to the boat, undoubtedly full of smells and mold and other icky things, and then, pushing and pulling the oars, you're anchored only by those shoes! Without the socks, much chafing would occur (actually, it occurs anyway) and who knows what kinds of skin conditions would be picked up! Ogling female hereI'll take the the Rudy Valentino lookalike. I wonder how many of the guys' mothers scolded them over the condition of their socks when they saw the photo. And why did they leave their socks on, anyway? Rrrroowwwrr!I am definitely female and can only say, "Give me allll of them. NOW." Oh Brother>> I am really curious how many of the previous posters ogling these young men are actually women. Really? You have doubts that those of us saying those men are hot are really women? Seriously? Do you know what year it is? 2009 and women are allowed to have sex drives now and appreciate a fine piece of tail (even if the pic is old). Make Mine Middle-BoyAnd yes, I'm a female. When you other ladies are through wlth Middle-Boy, please send him to my quarters. I wonder if he's an ancestor of the also-adorable John Linnell of They Might Be Giants, whom he very closely resembles. Sox Redux>> you're tying your feet into shoes attached to the boat I had no idea the shoes were attached to the boat and wonder how many others knew that. Hope they were easy to slip out of in case one had to abandon ship. Crew and ShoesBack in the old days-- which is to say, up into the mid 1970s or so-- the "shoes" consisted of a wooden "sole" with a metal heel cup and a canvas or leather "upper" which laced up around the ball of the foot. Getting out of this was easy enough if for instance you "caught a crab" (got the oar turned around a stuck in the water) and were thrown out of the boat. In the '70s we starting seeing running shoes attached at the ball of the foot to the sole plate instead. I never rowed much in a boat that used those, so I can't say much for their escape possibilities. Either way we always wore socks, which, getting splashed etc., tended to look just about as bad as these guys' do (except for the fellow with the mustache, who looks as though he has on a pair of Gold Toe dress socks). Crew shoes, Part 2To follow up on CGW, shoes must have a 'heel-tie' now, a string attaching the heel to the boat. It lets the shoes flex, but only to a certain point, in case a rower has to pull his feet out quickly. Ew, please!I have no problem ogling, then or now - and I can honestly tell you not ONE of them floats my boat! Pun intended. (Well, perhaps #5 - but I've got a thing for blonds). And I ain't no lady, and not shy to tell ya. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
U.S.S. Onondaga: 1864
... I'm thinking those are clean drinking water for the rowers. I'd suspect the guy to the I'd suspect the guy to the left ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 5:20pm -

1864. "James River, Virginia. Monitor U.S.S. Onondaga; soldiers in rowboat. From photographs of the Federal Navy, and seaborne expeditions against the Atlantic Coast of the Confederacy." Wet plate glass negative. View full size. HangersDoes anyone know what the three objects hanging over the side of the boat are? Appropriate HeadgearFor once, someone's wearing a boater in a boat. . . . Low in the water.It would not take much to swamp this ship. Questions? Why were they built to ride so low? What is in those little bags tied next to the oars on the sides of the rowboat? I suspect the older man with the pipe at the stern using a rough stick is acting as a rudder. Interesting snapshot of life! How Low Can You Go?Not a lot of freeboard on the good ship Onondaga. [The Onondaga was, as noted in the caption, a monitor or ironclad. - Dave] historical shipI looked the Ol' Onondaga up and she had quite a history. She was built in New York and sent to Virginia where she saw several important engagements. She was decommissioned in 1865 and sold to the French navy and refitted with rifled cannons of just over 9 inch. Replacing the 8 in smooth bore guns of American vintage. She was scrapped in 1902. Pretty impressive! Buffers-low in the waterMonitors were built very low in the water in order to present as little as possible of a target to an enemy gunner. They were very useful in inland waterways, on the open seas, in any bad weather, they would be in serious danger. My guess on the three bags on the launch is they are buffers to keep the wood of the boat's side from getting banged up when it is up against a wharf or another vessel in wavy water BumpersThose, probably leather, bags over the rowboat's side are fenders/bumpers meant to protect the sides of ships when docking. Today we use plastic fenders which are plastic and much larger (shaped like a serious hot dog). Ride So LowMonitors were river craft essentially floating gun platforms. They are not ships in the normal sense. Their freeboard (distance between the main deck and water line) was very small so they would present less of a target to opposition fire. Heavily armored above the main deck, they could withstand direct hits from the guns of the day without serious injury. Boat FendersThe small round objects hanging over the side are boat fenders, used to prevent damage to the rails when the boat is moored alongside something like a dock or the Onondaga. These are probably made of leather, and if they contain anything, it's probably more leather padding or perhaps a disk of soft wood. According to Wikipedia ....The good ship Onondaga was built in 1864, near the end of the Civil War and was sold to France after the war. She continued in service in the French Navy until 1903. The delivery cruise to France must have been terrifying. Interestinghttp://americancivilwar.com/tcwn/civil_war/Navy_Ships/USS_onandaga.html Across the waves.The Onondaga was sold to France after the war. How did they deliver it? Surely they didn't sail her! OnandagaThe bags on the longboats are probably bumpers, designed to keep the boat from being damaged when at a dock, or tied up alongside a ship with a low freeboard. Monitors were designed by Ericsson to sit low in the water to improve stability by bringing the mass of the turret down, and to make them a far more difficult target to hit. The hull was protected by the water and it was hard to strike below the waterline. This made them maneuverable and hard to hit but could make them very unseaworthy in bad weather. Monitor - Ericsson's original "cheesebox on a raft" sank off Cape Hatteras in a 1862. Other monitors were designed to be more seaworthy. Onondaga hull was built entirely of iron rather than wood like earlier monitors. As for Onondaga, she was sold back to her builder in 1867 and then sold to the French where she served as a coastal defense ship. She was scrapped by the French in 1904, making her the longest lived of the Civil War monitors. Those hanging thingies ...look like bumpers to me. They are all at the right height. Low FreeboardThe very low freeboard on this (and every other) monitor was designed to make the ship very hard for another ship to hit with cannon fire. When the monitors were "cleared for action", everything but the turrets were stripped down and stored or thrown overboard. The rigging and life boats were eliminated, and the ship was steered from a small armored box only a few feet high. Even the funnel (chimney) was dismantled so that only a small stub protruded from the deck so as to present the smallest target possible. Monitors worked fairly well in protected estuaries, bays, and navigable rivers, but monitors were notoriously poor sea-going ships. Many foundered and were lost, often with all hands, in heavy seas. In every other nation, the monitors were regarded as a design fluke and were not widely copied. The U.S., however, continued to use monitors well into the 1880s and beyond....mostly because Congress refused to fund a modern navy. Does anyone know what the three objects hanging over the side ofThey are fenders. Why so low?Why were they built to ride so low? To make a small target. Great in battle. Not so good at sea, as the original USS Monitor proved. What is in those little bags tied next to the oars? I was curious about that, too. I couldn't Google up an answer, but my guess is simple oarlocks. Place the oar in the slot, then flop the weighted line over the shaft. The high-tech nature of the civil war continually surprises. Even though it was still a time of cavalry and slavery, there were also ironclads, telegraphy, balloons, Gatling guns and railroads. Freeboard or Lack Thereof...If you look up the U.S.S. Onondaga on Google you will find that after the war it was decommissioned and then transferred to the French navy. With so little freeboard how did they get it to France? I can understand the low freeboard patrolling the coastal rivers, but even there it probably had to enter the Atlantic to get from the northern ports to the southern ports. How dey do dat? Could the three objectsCould the three objects hanging over the side be fenders? That is: padding for when the bout bangs alongside the mother ship? Lil' bagsThose little bags are in fact bumpers to protect the side of the row boat from damage. FendersThey be fenders to protect the boat's planking when coming alongside I should think. Those wooden things on theThose wooden things on the side of the boats are most likely to prevent scuffing and other damage, when the boat is moored. Unfortunately I have no idea, what is the proper English word for those. these days they are made of plastic, and resembles big, straight sausages.... Hanging ObjectsI think they are cushions, to keep the side of the boat from banging directly against the side of another vessell when boarding, disembarking etc. FendersBoat fenders, that is, is what the little bags are. Hangers maybeI'm thinking those are clean drinking water for the rowers. I'd suspect the guy to theI'd suspect the guy to the left of the guy smoking a pipe is the one who actually has a hand on the tiller. As far as the three objects handing over the starboard gunwale, they might be fenders, although they do seem small. As far as the freeboard goes, it is very low in the water. The Monitors were susceptible to being swapped as evidenced by the original USS Monitor, which went down in a storm off the coast of North Carolina. FendersThe objects hanging over the side of the small boat(s) are probably fenders, meant to keep the painted wood from grinding against the edge of the larger boat - which would be particularly punishing given the low iron deck of the Monitors. Hangers@GeezerNYC Bumpers Nautical KnowledgeThe hanging things on the boat are fenders, aka bumpers, that prevent rubbing and damage when alongside other boats and docks. They are still required gear for boats of all sizes, though of different design. The gent with the pipe is probably putting his stick in the water. The tiller is more likely in the hands of the soldier in the aft. The boats in the background have rudders and tillers, so this should one as well. Barrier?In the background, are those sunken ships forming a barrier? I'd rudder not bump, if you don't mind.Following exhaustive research efforts, our crack Civil War historical artifacts team members have reached a somewhat tenuous conclusion. After sometimes heated discussions, it has been narrowly decided that the device held by the pipe smoking gentleman in the above photo should be rightfully placed under the "P.S." category of 19th century naval devices. In layman's terms the P.S. would simply designate this instrument as a "pushoff stick." Either that, or the man was an utterly misguided landlubber with a proclivity in providing great mirth to the more nautically savant. In regard to the mysterious pouch-like objects hanging from the sides of the launch, the less than timorous artifacts team has proffered the suggestion that these would likely be called bumpers in today's parlance. Please note that our team does take all our suggestions quite lightly. On monitors and freeboardsMonitors, throughout their history (Roughly the U.S. Civil War to WWII), were built to be coastal ships. A large freeboard (which means more ship to build, and a larger target) was not necessary because the ships were never intended to leave inland waterways or shallow coasts. This also worked well with U.S. foreign policy which was more concerned with its own waters. I'm sure many people are familiar with the story of U.S.S. Monitor (the original monitor) which was swamped and sank in a storm off Cape Hatteras. Monitor FactoidsThe "monitor" was a radical new warship design by engineer John Ericsson during the US Civll War. The standard high-sided wooden warship with its "broadside" of guns was still designed for sail power and to repel boarders. He conceived a fully mechanized ironclad "ship-killer" that presented a much smaller target and had several much larger guns housed in heavily armored rotating turrets. This proved quite deadly against wooden ships especially in breaking through blockades. Although not totally seaworthy, most waves washed harmlessly over the low deck. The concept gradually evolved to larger more seaworthy battleships with "real" armor-plated hulls, but the large, turret mounted guns became the new standard. The "canteens" alongside the rowboat are fenders to keep its hull from scraping against the sides of the ship. IDing the ObjectsThe things hanging over the side of the boat are called bumpers, buoys, or fenders. They're to stop the sides from hitting and scraping other boats and docks. Hangers...Id say these are used to draw wather from boat. Sorry for my poor enlish :/ The Objectsare bumpers. Coiled rope inside tarred leather to keep from scratching the boat or the ship. Much like the rubber ones we have today. She was a river monitorRiver monitors were not designed with high freeboard because it was needed. They were not supposed to put to sea, and the lower the freeboard the better because it made less of a target. HTH Re:HangersMy best guess is they are bumpers to protect the wooden sides of the rowboat when along side a ship or wharf. Notice the other rowboats pictured have them as well. What I see here is the bumpers were fitted for the average ship or dock and the ironclad, being so low in the water, caused the scraping and damage to side of this rowboat below the bumpers. Built low for a reasonWonderful photo! One of the ideas behind the Union's ironclads (called "Monitors" after the archetype U.S.S. Monitor) was that if little sticks above the water, there is little to effectively shoot at. Hence, the only things that are exposed are the (heavily armored) revolving gun turret(s). Note that this ship has two revolving turrets, in contrast to the U.S.S. Monitor, which just had one. Needless to say, though, these monitors were not the greatest thing to be used in rough open seas -- that's how the U.S.S. Monitor was lost. The Confederates took an entirely different approach (as with the C.S.S. Virginia, née Merrimack). Their ironclad vessels were heavily armored structures built upon traditional wooden hulls. Because most of the Confederate ship stuck out of the water, it would have to employ a lot more armor plating which added weight and made it much less manueverable and less able to be employed in shallow areas. Low FreeboardIndeed, as earlier comments note, this monitor has unusually low freeboard (not sure if they all did; certainly, all monitors had relatively low freeboard compared to "normal" ships.) The function of this feature was to reduce the target area that could be hit by shellfire, both to make hits less likely and to reduce the weight of armor required to cover the vertical side. (The deck was also lightly armored, since the technology of directing long range fire made a plunging, high angle hit very unlikely; the deck armor was enough to deflect a glancing hit whose angle of fall was only a few degrees). What was neglected in this design compromise was the fact that there was hardly any reserve buoyancy...a leak too big for the pumps to control would result in the deck edge going under and the ship sinking in a rather short time...and in fact, this happened to the Monitor herself on an open ocean passage on the last day of 1862. The objects dangling over the rail on the boats (both the manned boat in the foreground and the empty boats tied up to the ship) are probably fenders, although they look rather small for the purpose. Needless to say, protecting the side of a small, lightly built wooden boat coming alongside a vessel armored with iron was quite important. Re: Hangers (@GeezerNYC)I'd think that the objects on the boat are fenders, to keep the boat from banging into docks or the ship. MonitorThe Monitor-class ironclads like that in this photo were designed to offer as little a target to Confederate artillery as possible; most of their hull was kept below water, and practically the only structures above it were the chimney (those were steam-powered ships) and two revolving, armored turrets. The most famous of these ships, the U.S.S. Monitor (which gave its name to this class of vessels) took part in the first battle between "ironclads", or ships made or covered on metal, which took place on march 9, 1862, and is known as the Battle of Hampton Road. Quoting from an excellent article on Wikipedia: "...While the design of Monitor was well-suited for river combat, her low freeboard and heavy turret made her highly unseaworthy in rough waters. This feature probably led to the early loss of the original Monitor, which foundered during a heavy storm. Swamped by high waves while under tow by Rhode Island, she sank on December 31, 1862 in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. 16 of 62 crewmen were lost in the storm." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Monitor Rubber Baby Buggy Boat BumpersMy guess on the 3 objects hanging off the side of the rowboat (and visible on some of the other rowboats in the photo) is that they are "Boat Bumpers" a.k.a. "Dock Fenders". These prevent the side of the boat from coming in direct contact with another boat or the dock when the boat is tied up. FendersI took those things hanging from the gunwale of all the small boats in the photo to be fenders, used as a cushioning bumper when tied up against a dock or another hull. Modern versions: http://tinyurl.com/m4jgzu Somehow it crossed the Atlantic!According to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Onondaga_(1864) after it was decommissioned in 1865 it was sold to the French navy and here's a photo of it in Brest http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cc/USS_Onondaga_60211.jpg I can't imagine it out in the Atlantic, even on a very calm day! objects on side of boatThey look like typical boat bumpers of the small variety.. Hangers Answer?Ballast, or bumpers. It's a monitorYes, it would be easy to swamp this ship- it was designed for inlets and calm waters; it is a double turreted descendent of the Monitor- the famous ironclad that did battle with the Merrimack/Virginia. It sits so low in the water so as to be an extremely difficult target. The turrets, along with relatively petite size allowed the monitor vessels to be extremely maneuverable and effective- although the crew had qualms with living below the waterline- which is why there are so many canopies on deck. Johan Eriksson, the designer of the original Monitor was one of the first developers of the propeller, and on his signature ship he patented hundreds of brilliant inventions from a then state-of-the-art ventilation system, to the rotating gun turret, and the first operable marine toilet. HangersCould be to scoop out water eh? three objects"Does anyone know what the three objects hanging over the side of the boat are?" Bumpers. Re: Hangers, et al.The 3 little bags visible near the oars are the Civil War-era version of fenders. They were generally filled with corncobs or sawdust and served as spacers to prevent the wooden boat from brushing against the ironclad and becoming damaged. Of more interest is the canvas coverings over parts of the ironclad. These signify that the monitor is in Union-held waters as they would never be used where there was a risk of battle. Ironclads were just that, iron plates laid over a wooden hull and still vulnerable to fire. The Answer: Fenders!The bag-shaped objects are fenders, or as you land-lubbers would say, bumpers. You hang them over the side to save your paint job when you're tied up to the dock or to a ship. I'm guessing they're made of leather or rubber. The Onondaga sits low in the water to decrease her vulnerability to enemy artillery fire -- by design, not by accident. Re: U.S.S. Onondagathose little thingys are bumpers for pulling next to a stell ship with a wooden boat. This was definitly a 'Lessons Learned' device From a River Far Far Away . . .The two circular towers that have awnings on them - they remind me of Jabba the Hutt's sail barge in Return of the Jedi. I'm just saying. Monitor designThe design of the USS Monitor and follow-on ships such as the Onondaga were revolutionary for the time. The idea of mounting one or two guns in a rotating turret versus rows of guns along the sides of a ship enabled monitors to bring more accurate firepower to bear more quickly, and most importantly, independently of the direction of the ship's travel. While some earlier ships had turreted weapons, I believe the USS Monitor was the first to rely on its turret as its only weapons station. Monitors were low to the water to provide a smaller silhouette for the enemy gunners. Most shipboard cannons at the time would have had rather low, flat trajectories, which would have slammed into the sides of opposing ships rather than higher trajectories which would have sent plunging fire through the decks. Obviously a ship that sat lower in the water would have presented a much more difficult target for other ships--it practically didn't have sides to hit! It also made them difficult to see--in the days before submarines, these were the original stealth ships. These ships were generally designed to work in what are now called "littoral" operations, close to shore, in bays or rivers. In those environments, heavy sea states that would cause a problem with the low freeboard design were not a major concern. Riverboat steamers had similarly low freeboards. As for the items hanging along the gunwales of the rowboat, the look like bumpers to protect the rowboat and its mothership from bouncing off one another. Today they're a rubbery plastic, but I don't know what they would have been back then, maybe cork inside a waxed canvas bag? Re: Hangers>Hangers >Submitted by GeezerNYC on Sat, 08/01/2009 - 10:29pm. >Does anyone know what the three objects hanging over the >side of the boat are? They look to be bumpers. All the boats in the background have them, or some form of them, too. Low in the waterTo answer Woodchopper's question, Monitors (originally intended for harbor defense as floating batteries) were designed to expose as little of the ship above the waterline to minimize the target available to enemy gunners. With less to see, there is less to hit. While naval architecture changed over the years, this design is coming back into vogue with naval designers in examples like the DD(X) programs. BumpersUpon reading ALL the comments and not finding a clue and after a thorough and painstaking research I have come to the conclusion that those three objects hanging over the side of the boat are bumpers! Now hold down the applause. You can thank me later. More if you haven't googled yet...http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/onondaga.htm (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Civil War)
Yale Varsity Eight: 1911
...       Click here for more vintage rowers. June 22, 1911. "Yale rowing team." 5x7 inch glass negative, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/21/2020 - 11:43am -

        Click here for more vintage rowers. June 22, 1911. "Yale rowing team." 5x7 inch glass negative, Bain News Service. View full size. Ahh Sweet Naivete!Show a box, show a box, Bow Wow Wow! How times change!Back then it was the men who were showing everything! Scandalous amounts of skinit must have been liberating, maybe even frightening, to wear next to nothing back then. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Sports)
Penn Varsity: 1914
... called the coxswain anchors the bottom of the photo. The rowers are all rather glum looking while the guys in the background with the ... Another thing which is a little eerie is that all the rowers have a timeless look about them. They all look like the photo could ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/14/2022 - 1:18pm -

Summer 1914. "Penn varsity crew team in Poughkeepsie." Bain News Service glass negative. View full size. HmmLooks like Penn cut the jockstrap budget that year. Hah!Glad I'm not the only one who noticed the budget cut. Hmm againThey have all been looking at Rosie O'Donnell. More SupportActually, the jockstrap dates back to 1874, invented by the good people at Bike: http://www.bikeathletic.com/History.aspx SupportFrom About.com, history of clothing: In 1920, Joe Cartledge, the owner and founder of the Guelph Elastic Hosiery Company, invented the first jockstrap or athletic supporter, marketed under the name Protex. Another great photographThis is a great photograph on a few levels. Compositionally it is very interesting because of all the vertical and horizontal plains created by the oars, the bridge and the dock. The little guy dressed in black who I think would be called the coxswain anchors the bottom of the photo. The rowers are all rather glum looking while the guys in the background with the white hats and shorts look like a hive of activity. Another thing which is a little eerie is that all the rowers have a timeless look about them. They all look like the photo could have been taken last week. Considering that this photo is almost a hundred years old. The Boys, the Boat & the BookThough taken 20 years earlier, this image reminds me of one of the most compelling and inspiring books I've read recently, The Boys in the Boat, which is about the hardscrabble group of young men who comprised the 1936 Olympic rowing team. The individual stories are so engrossing that competing at "Hitler's Olympics" is not the climax of the book. The author also adapted the original book to a middle school audience, and it has been a favorite among the students at my school for several years, as well as an object lesson in how one chooses to confront the inevitable obstacles the life presents. https://www.danieljamesbrown.com/books/the-boys-in-the-boat/ The future they did not expectSince this is the varsity team, I'm guessing each of these nine men is around 22 years old. Most likely for them, the years just before and after the turn of the last century were pretty good in terms of peace and prosperity. Their futures were bright. But the summer of 1914, when this photograph was taken, is when World War I broke out in Europe. In four more years, the United States would join the English, French, and Russians to fight the Germans and Austro-Hungarians. As American soldiers crossed the Atlantic they very likely took what would be called the Spanish Flu with them. Young people in the prime of life was who the Spanish Flu killed most. But at least American forces and weapons helped bring the war to a close in November 1918 and by early 1920 the Spanish flu was done. Then, as these nine men entered their thirties a very vocal group shamed enough elected officials about the evils of alcohol that the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed, effective January 1920. For the families of these nine young men who made their incomes from the manufacture or sale of alcohol or from restaurants or hotels for which alcohol was and still is a major profit center -- they very likely faced bankruptcy. Double takeI assume we're all looking at the same thing... ... the coxswain dressed all in black. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, G.G. Bain, Sports)
Ready to Row: 1914
... New York. "Wisconsin freshmen on Hudson River." More rowers from the heyday of the Poughkeepsie Regatta. View full size. The ... all listed at 6'0"-6'3". The difference between the rowers on the far left and far right looks to be almost a foot! Male ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 11:35pm -

June 1914. Poughkeepsie, New York. "Wisconsin freshmen on Hudson River." More rowers from the heyday of the Poughkeepsie Regatta. View full size. The jockstrapI suppose male support was invented for times just like these. SuprisingYou know,when you look at pics from the Edwardian era do you ever think of the people as particularly built, especially with regard to abs and thighs? But darn if they aren't. Another thing you also don't expect is such revealing, shall we say, "profiles" as well. I’m little confusedThat’s Poughkeepsie behind these fellows. Now, the boat houses of my memory were on the Poughkeepsie shore. Perhaps there were some crew facilities on this side of the Hudson; this was long before my time. But even here you can see things look a bit shabby. Rowing apparently doesn't put hair on your chestIs it coincidence that there is nary a hirsute rower among them, or is it possible they shaved their chests like swimmers? (Did swimmers do that then?) Faster than the JVsReturning to the June 26, 1914 IRA Race Program, the Wisconsin Freshmen 8 were in the second two-mile race of the day, against Cornell, Columbia, Pennsylvania and Syracuse, and finished last, with a time of 10 minutes, 58 seconds, against Cornell's winning time of 10 minutes, 26 seconds. If the times recorded in the 1914 program are correct, all five freshman teams rowed faster that afternoon than the Junior Varsity teams had done on the same course less than an hour before, in which the winning time was 11 minutes, 15 3/5 seconds. Here's the Wisconsin Freshmen 8 list. My OCDwants to swap the 2nd and 3rd chaps from the left. And 5th from the left is sucking in the gut he does not even have. Re: Faster than the JVsThey're carrying less baggage. Word originsI never knew the origins of the term "crew socks" until I saw such a graphic historical display. This photo should be used to illustrate the term in all dictionaries. crew sock noun Usually, crew socks . short, thick casual socks usually ribbed above the ankles. Freshman 8No way these are the starters listed in that program, all listed at 6'0"-6'3". The difference between the rowers on the far left and far right looks to be almost a foot! Male Support@MrSofty: The guys on the right are on the sagging part of the gangplank. The Opening to the Walkway Over the HudsonAnd, yes, I have heard from ‘’old timers’’ there were indeed crew quarters over on the west bank of the Hudson. Fourth from leftI didn't know Geoffrey Rush was that old, or that he attended Wisconsin. Note to Mr_SoftyThe men's height difference can be explained by the downward slope from the higher left-hand dock to sagging planking and onto the lower floating right-hand pontoon or dock. Poughkeepsie BridgeI'm more interested in the bridge in the background. I suppose that is what carried the freight between New England and Maybrook, NY, until it burned, under Conrail ownership. The Heights (of Fastidiousness and Boredom)Yes, the dock/gangplank sags. Yes, the camera is slightly closer to the fellow on the left. Still, there is a large variation in heights. Below is a comparison based on the leftmost rower; the red lines represent his height aligned with the heels of each of his teammates (it's cut & pasted, so it's identical). Even accounting for the skew from the camera angle, the guy on the left has about a foot on the shortest rower. Heights againSplunge, I tried your method on the oar handles (minus the black paddle part). Either every oar is a different length getting short from the left or perspective makes more difference than you think! (Does this make me more bored than you?) Say cheese!Now if these fellows would have smiled like the last group, there'd of been just as many cuties. Long Oars, Low BridgeSplunge, What amazes me is that the oars are taller than the bridge, and I don't see any "Low Bridge" warning signs! Wuthering Heights(Actually, it doesn't look to be all that windy. I just liked the title.) OK, Groucho aroused me from my laziness. My last diagram simply applied linear comparisons and I inferred the perspective correction. That'll teach me to make assumptions - it turns out there was more skew than I thought. The photo below has had perspective correction applied until the distance between each oar's handle and its collar is the same (green bars). That should normalize the heights of everyone involved. I then applied the "measure the guy on the left and compare his height to everyone else" method (red bars). While that does narrow the spectrum, the difference between the tallest and shortest (cyan bar) is still a good six inches by my reckoning (as compared to the size of the gentleman's head). The cox looks to be a good ten or eleven inches shorter than the guy on the left, but that's not surprising. I'll shut up now, and return to my omphaloskepsis. (At least until the next irresistible photo gets posted, in 3, 2, 1...) [edit: knowing almost nothing about crew/sculling/sweeping, I consulted the US Rowing Rules for 2012. While there's no telling how close these rules are to those that were in effect in 1914, I noted that the only rules pertaining to oars related solely to their thickness, not their length. Thus, under my reading of today's rules, every oar could be a different length (although what advantage that might confer eludes me). That said, I assume the pictured oars are at least approximately the same length, at least from handle to collar. I also assume I'll soon be corrected and/or chastised by someone far more knowledgeable.] (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, G.G. Bain, Sports)
Big Red: 1911
... June 18, 1911. Poughkeepsie, New York. "Cornell Varsity rowers." 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. ... of a college rowing team, with the phrase "eight burly rowers and their little cox." Evidently mornings were generally chilly down by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 11:38pm -

June 18, 1911. Poughkeepsie, New York. "Cornell Varsity rowers." 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Matt Damonon the far right! No two exactly alikeShirts that is. They look so happyIn the not too distant future most of these boys will be fighting and dying in Europe. [An oft-expressed sentiment, but statistically speaking, not true. Of the 24 million American men who registered for the draft in WWI, not even 6 percent saw combat. For the bulk of combatants (men 21 to 31), around 14 percent saw action. - Dave] No expense sparedon those uniforms. Had they not heard of bake sales? Past and PresentI've been inactive for a while, but I felt compelled to comment on this. I'm a member of the Class of 2013 at Cornell and I've always related myself to the Class of 1913. It gives me pause to think of my contemporary exactly 100 years ago. The picture being from 1911, I am essentially in the same stage in life as the man in the lower left (though I would rather be in his position right now, down by Lake Cayuga, instead of writing a final paper). Future swimmersYou're sure it's 1911? I can see wearing a shirt from the previous year, but it seems odd to have one with a 2-years-in-the-future date (unless it means something else). [These shirts aren't calendars. The year shows which graduating class you're in. You wouldn't expect to see any shirts with the current year -- the Class of 1911 had already graduated. -- Dave] Well-defined musculatureCombined with goofy expressions leaves me torn between lust and derision. Tiny CoxswainFor some reason I'm reminded of a comment from that stalwart British radio show "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue", wherein Humphrey Littelton spoke of a college rowing team, with the phrase "eight burly rowers and their little cox." Evidently mornings were generally chilly down by the waterside. Wet Ivy This varsity Cornell crew was training for an eight-oared race on the Hudson, which they would win in dramatic fashion nine days later. Trailing Columbia for nearly the entire four-mile race, Cornell pulled ahead in the last half-mile, after two of the "Morningside oarsmen" began to fade. The account of the race in the New York Times' June 28, 1911 edition is a model of early dramatic sportwriting. The victorious "Ithacans" were E. F. Bowen, Clinton B. Ferguson, W. G. Distler, J. B. Wakely, W.O. Brouse, B. A. Lum, E. S. Bates, C. H. Elliott, and Coxswain H. J. Kimball. Poughkeepsie?Cornell is in Ithaca. What is that body of water if not Lake Cayuga? [The Hudson River. College teams travel to play other teams. - Dave] Hubba Hubba'nuf said. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Sports)
Yale Crew: 1913
... year shows what graduating class they're in. Our freshman rowers here started school in the fall of 1912, and so are in the Class of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 11:46pm -

June 1913. New Haven, Connecticut. "Yale Freshman 8." A motley crew and its coxswain. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Someone Call Madeline KahnYes! No, no, no, no, no, no. Yes! No, no, no, no, no, no... I didn't realizesecurity checks were that strict in those days. Buy my videoLooks like these guys could cash in on the washboard abs craze. So it's true what they sayabout the size of Yale's endowment. The ocean was angry that day, my friendAnd apparently cold, too. WhoaInteresting swimsuits. I'm glad they fell out of fashion! Socks and ShoesI found the footwear to be of most interest in relation to each guy. An impressive displayof manhoods. Please don'tgrow up. I also love the wit of my fellow Shorpy devotees! Their clever commentary makes the incredible photos themselves even more enjoyable. Re: Grow up PeopleI'm not sure you appreciate your own double entendre in your comment title. Personally, I have trouble determining what I like more; the pictures or the comments. One of my favorites is this one. Frankly, I'm shocked that no one has taken a swing at Dave's softball note of the coxswain. Year?If the picture was taken in 1913, why does the fellow sitting down have 1916 so largely prominent on his shirt? [Here's the deal. When you see a college student wearing a shirt with "1916" or "2014" on it, it's not like they're wearing a calendar to remind them what year it is. The year shows what graduating class they're in. Our freshman rowers here started school in the fall of 1912, and so are in the Class of 1916. - Dave] Grow up PeopleI am surprised by the mentality and comments of the viewers of this website. There are more 12 year old girls interested in historic photography than I thought! I am sure that's not really YaleIf it were, they'd have long since decamped to form an a cappella singing group. Put me on the fainting couchand fetch the smelling salts. A male bastionYou can bet that if there was even the slightest chance of a woman being around, they wouldn't be out rowing in their underpants. Check out some of the other rowing pics here on shorpy, from the days of the all-male Ivy League. Crew was basically the frat house moved outdoors into an eight-man shell. V. CrewClass of 1913 himself, Porter wrote several Yale fight songs while there. He debuted "I Want to Row on the Crew" at a 1914 Yale show and later dropped it into his Broadway smash "Anything Goes": I want to row on the crew, Mama, That's the thing I want to do, Mama. To be known throughout Yale as I walk about it, Get a boil on my tail and then talk about it. I'd like to be a big bloke, Mama, And learn the new Argentine stroke, Mama. You'll see your slim son Putting crimps in the Crimson, When I row on the Varsity Crew. The Men of the Freshman EightThe crew is posed in rowing position. • Walter Joseph Stauffer (bow) • James Rhodes Sheldon (2) • Albert Dillon Sturtevant (3) • Alfred von der Ropp (4) • Stanhope Wood Nixon (5) • John Bainbridge Fitzpatrick (6) • Seth Low II (7) • Robert Clark Gilfillan (stroke, captain) • Allan McLane, Jr. (coxswain; seated) If you imagine close scrutiny of undergraduate sport to be an invention of a later age, their story is worth a look. The meddlesome activity of alumni -- among them Payne Whitney and Averell Harriman -- makes the antics of those who torment today's athletic directors look like small potatoes. The picture was taken at the Yale training house at Gale's Ferry, where Yale took it on the chin for the sixth straight year in the annual Yale-Harvard regatta on the Thames. The freshman eight lost their race, but alone among those swept to defeat, earned praise for their performance. Several members would feature in the ups and downs of the varsity eight in the years that followed, including the 1914 crew that ended Harvard's run. The backgrounds and lives of the men in the photo are fascinating, representative of terrific concentration of privilege and influence. Perhaps they can be shared in a future post. Best Exercise!I was just on my Concept II from the 80's. These guys are a testament to my belief that rowing is one of the best exercises around. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, G.G. Bain, Sports)
Washington Varsity: 1913
... George Grantham Bain Collection. So why do some of the rowers in these pictures (above, and also two men here ) have bandaged abs ... back in 1913. I love all the pics you post of rowers, by the way! Underpants? Was it easier to row while wearing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 6:55pm -

June 1913. Poughkeepsie, New York. "Washington Varsity 8." View full size. George Grantham Bain Collection. So why do some of the rowers in these pictures (above, and also two men here) have bandaged abs ... chafing from where the oars hit? Intra-crew knife fights? RowingI was a rower in college, and it's very very difficult on the ribs, especially if your back isn't strong enough to handle the swing of the stroke properly. Strained rib muscles and fractured ribs were all too common -- I'm guessing that's why they would have the tape on, though it doesn't look like it would actually do much. Generally, the oar doesn't actually hit your abs as you finish the stroke, although maybe that was different back in 1913. I love all the pics you post of rowers, by the way! Underpants?Was it easier to row while wearing underpants? I've seen a few of these pictures and they all appear to be wearing their underwear! Or were these the early version of gym shorts? Regardless, they leave nothing to the imagination, eh? Location?Can anyone confirm where this photo was taken? That bridge in the background looks very much like the old train bridge that spans the Hudson River here in Poughkeepsie, NY. RowerW shirt guy is very attractive! PoughkeepsieThis is the railroad bridge over the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie. I rowed for Vassar College and know that spot well. Poughkeepsie AgainPoughkeepsie used to hold a regatta every year. Schools from all over the US would come to compete. I rowed for Marist College in Poughkeepsie in the early 1980's. Last Sunday the railroad bridge was reopened as a pedestrian walkway. They did a fantastic job of refurbishing the bridge and the views are incredible. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, G.G. Bain, Sports)
Cornell Crew: 1914
... 2nd Varsity." Let's all pull together, men! College rowers on the Hudson in the heyday of the Poughkeepsie Regatta. 5x7 glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 11:36pm -

June 1914. Poughkeepsie, New York. "Cornell 2nd Varsity." Let's all pull together, men! College rowers on the Hudson in the heyday of the Poughkeepsie Regatta. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Avert your eyes, ladiesI'm kind of afraid to "view full size" on this one. Wrong tagShouldn't this be in the "Member Photos" section? [Snort. - Dave] Franks & BeansThe guy 2nd from the right must be thinking "I'm too sexy for my shirt too sexy for my shirt So sexy it hurts" the guy sitting in front can't wait to get back to his Radio repair course. [That's the coxswain. - Dave] And on the far leftFamed rower Wun Hung-lo of the Cornell team. Famous one among us?Could the fourth from the left be a Kennedy? It appears thatthe lefties out number the righties in this instance. With my little eye I spyNo doubt about it, these young men are lefties, but the coxswain is the unknown factor. Just a female POVIt does feel rather odd to consider a man long gone sexy but that shirtless fella on the right really caught my eye and would be the guy I would admire(to say the least) on any beach today too. And speaking of "admiration"--not to put a fine point on it, but I am wondering if athletes wore jock straps (or even underwear) in the good old days because this picture sure indicates they were "out there and lovin' it"! (with aplogies to "Seinfeld") The bridge in the backgroundis the Poughkeepsie (High Railroad) Bridge, or since 2009 the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, and poster child for hard fought and successful rail-to-trail conversions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poughkeepsie_Bridge Talk about dumbPoughkeepsie was too cheap to build the new and necessary boat houses and quarters for the school crews, so the colleges moved the regatta elsewhere. This was a world famous tourist attraction that brought thousands of folks to Poughkeepsie. I have never understood this decision. It's Always Been SaidThat Cornell is a well endowed school. Fast CrewThe Cornell Junior ["second"] Varsity Eight won their two-mile race at the Intercollegiate Regatta on June 26, 1914, with a time of 11 minutes, 15 3/5 seconds, beating Columbia, Pennsylvania and Syracuse, who all crossed the finish less than a minute behind them. Their prize was a large silver punch bowl, the Kennedy Challenge Trophy, which went back to the Cornell trophy case for another year. The official Intercollegiate Rowing Association programs for every Poughkeepsie Regatta from 1895 to 1949 are available as online pdf files, from the archives of the Marist College Library in Poughkeepsie. http://library.marist.edu/archives/regatta/index.html Here is the Cornell JV Eight list from the 1914 Program. re: leftiesAu contraire. I'm a leftie and if I were to pose with a giant oar, I'd hold it up with my left hand, not the right, as the majority of the gentlemen here. (Unless your comment was a suggestive remark about something I don't seem to see.) *Sigh*Even though these young men are of the same general age of my great grandfather, I have to say that there are a few that are ... yummy. On the Brandishing of Oars in PhotosBack when I was in this sort of portrait, we all held our oars in our right hands. Usually what lefties there are row port, as a rule the even-numbered guys and the stroke, whom I'm guessing is the fellow on the right who failed to get with the oar-holding program. Mr. Andrus might have been a leftie, but I doubt many of the others were. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, G.G. Bain, Sports)
Syracuse Freshmen: 1908
... In Poughkeepsie for the IRA Regatta These freshman rowers were likely in "Po'keepsie" for the 1908 Intercollegiate Rowing ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 07/29/2012 - 6:12pm -

Syracuse freshmen on the rowing team sit around the dinner table on June 19, 1908. View full size. George Grantham Bain Collection. Wha?I've done some googling of "nov shmoz ka pop". Although I've found some references to its origin, I have no idea how this is an example of "nv shmoz ka pop". For that matter, I don't really understand what "professional flatulation" has to do with this photo either. Nov Shmoz ka PopI believe this is the clearest example of nov shmoz ka pop I've seen in over forty years of professional flatulation. StrikingThe difference between these privileged young men and the young factory workers is striking. Even with the social inequality we have today, a poor child has a chance at a college education and nutritious meals. In Poughkeepsie for the IRA RegattaThese freshman rowers were likely in "Po'keepsie" for the 1908 Intercollegiate Rowing Association Regatta, which took place annually on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, New York, from 1895 to 1949. In 1908, the freshmen came in 2nd place behind Cornell. okGlad to see a little beefcake to counteract all of the bathing beauties in recent days. Strange to think that theStrange to think that the old guy in the corner (coach?) probably fought in the Civil War. LightingThe light in this photo is absolutely gorgeous. Do you think there was another set of windows behind the photographer? [The photographer probably used a magnesium (powder) flash, which you can see reflected in the picture on the wall - Dave] LuncheonDoes it remind anyone else of "Luncheon of the Boating Party" by Renoir? Something about the light, or...??? College DegreesI once read somewhere that around the turn of the 20th century roughly 1 in every 100 Americans had a college degree. Definitely an example of social inequity, but at least it meant something back then. These days you get one for showing up and drinking for four years. I look into their facesThis site is wonderful. Love the group photos -- I could sit here forever and look in their faces and wonder. Look how young they are, today (2010) they would be over 120 years old! Life is so short, may it be grand for all of us. RockwellianDoesn't this remind you of a Norman Rockwell painting, especially the old man on the left. The light is absolutely dreamy! (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Sports, Syracuse)
The Poughkeepsie Peeper: 1900
... Bring on the Boys Waiting for the Beefcake Collegiate Rowers in wool shorts to arrive? Waiting for Will Parker to arrive on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/21/2015 - 10:39am -

New York circa 1900. "Waiting for the train, Depot near Poughkeepsie." 5x7 inch glass negative rescued from an Upstate attic. View full size. JeepersThat guy inside gives me the creepers. It was the birthOf the photobomb. Bring on the BoysWaiting for the Beefcake Collegiate Rowers in wool shorts to arrive? Waitingfor Will Parker to arrive on the 9:10 and sing "Everything's Up to Date in Kansas City" Distinctive ArchitectureI predict that some Shorpy Sleuth will have an identity for this station in a short time because of its distinctive architectural features: * Brick construction. (Most RR stations are wood frame.) * Curved, corbelled lintels on the windows. * Wrought iron eve braces. I know of only three RR's near Poughkeepsie on the east side of the Hudson: the New York Central, the Central New England , and the Newburgh, Dutchess, and Connecticut RR. Of these, my first hunch is that it is _one of_ the Poughkeepsie stations which preceded the current ex-NY Central station. The substantial construction supports this. However, this would be "in", rather than "near" the City of Poughkeepsie. My second hunch is that it will be the station of the Central New England Rwy. I surmise this could be their station on the Poughkeepsie Bridge Route, which would put it on high ground overlooking the City of Poughkeepsie, thus perfectly fitting the caption. One interesting aspect is the height of the platform upon which they are sitting, and the bare ground in front of it. This looks for all the world like the BACK of a station, the side facing away from the tracks. Now, the challenge is to come up with another old photo with a matching station, positively identified! More like 1915Okay, none of these folks are particularly fashionable, but there are a number of clues indicating a date later than 1900. 1. The lady on the left with her tiered skirt and angular hat - both typical for around 1914/15. 2. The lady with no hat (a remarkably casual way to appear in public at the time) has a flat top loosely marcelled hair-do most popular in the mid nineteen-teens - her loose comfortable looking dress - same period. [This is from a batch of glass negatives dated 1900 to 1902. - Dave] A Spectacle The Gentleman standing at the far right has a haircut that caused me to look twice. For a moment I thought he was wearing his eyeglasses atop his head as many of us do to rest our eyes. [He seems to be holding a conductor or stationmaster-type cap. - Dave] I Love This Photo!A successful young family on their way down to NYC? Could that be the Nanny on the left? Or is the Lady traveling with the Fellow sitting inside the door? Thank you Shorpy for this Amazing Channel to The Past! From a Disney movieAfter the comments on the adults, I can't help but notice the kids seem to be dressed up in their best summer clothes for the trip. The oldest boy looks like Bobby Driscoll has escaped from the Disney movie "So Dear to My Heart" that I just recently watched on TCM. (The Gallery, Kids, Railroads)
The New Recruit: 1917
... unless they were athletes like those in the famous Yale rowers picture seen some years back on Shorpy. This fella looks like he has ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 7:56pm -

1917. "U.S. Army physical examination." Harris & Ewing. View full size. They got nosierWhen I went in the military in the 1960s, they checked more of me than that! Rid 'em DocI love this site. Doc's spurs are a nice note from the past. A bit like Col. Potter's on M*A*S*H. Ow.Did Doc put his legs on backward? Or is he a bird? Contemporary StandardsStarting from the top. Breasts: small, undeveloped. Abdominals: poorly defined. Ankles: scrawny, birdlike. Next! A Lot More!!!Would have to agree with Mal Fuller about how much of me they checked when I enlisted in the Navy in 60s. Something about turn your head and cough!!! HopeWhenever I see photos of these healthy, hopeful young men I always wonder if they returned home in the same condition - with limbs and sanity intact. Hunky for 1917Actually, this young man seems in much better shape than other men of similar age seen shirtless in the published photos from this era. Most look scrawny by late 20th century standards, unless they were athletes like those in the famous Yale rowers picture seen some years back on Shorpy. This fella looks like he has filled out nicely from adolescence, making me think he may have been a manual laborer. (The Gallery, Harris + Ewing, WWI)
Canoe Club: 1924
1924. Washington Canoe Club rowers on the Potomac near the recently finished Key Bridge and older Aqueduct ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 1:44pm -

1924. Washington Canoe Club rowers on the Potomac near the recently finished Key Bridge and older Aqueduct Bridge. View full size. National Photo Co. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
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