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Dear Sis: 1940
... most prized family possession." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. 1940 Macbook ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2018 - 7:15pm -

February 1940. Creek County, Oklahoma. "Wife of Pomp Hall, Negro tenant farmer, writing on typewriter. Through union activities this family has developed a desire for higher education. This typewriter is to them a symbol of that education and as such is the most prized family possession." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. 1940 Macbook AirWell, Macbook Rail, probably. (The Gallery, Russell Lee)
Playtime Under the El: 1941
... on the southside of Chicago." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the FSA. View full size. "The baddest part of town" ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/20/2018 - 12:35pm -

April 1941. "Children playing under the elevated on the southside of Chicago." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the FSA. View full size. "The baddest part of town"According to the late Jim Croce. My guess is that everything in this photo is long gone, due to urban renewal. XX64 S. WabashThe columns on the elevated match the design of the South Side L, today's Green Line. The Green Line runs mid-block between S. Wabash, out of sight on the right, and S. State Street, which is off-image to the left, where the front door of the building would be. S & L Auto Co. had an office or showroom at XX64 S. Wabash. If you've got a subscription to the Chicago Herald Archives, you can see their advertisement from Nov. 30, 1941, p. 74, here and pull the exact address. It would have to be north of 40th Street, given the route of the L. And yeah, most everything there has been knocked down and rebuilt since 1940. S & L auto seems to have had other locations including on one South Michigan Avenue, but the street and L don't line up right. Blues BrothersJake: "How often does that go by?" Elwood: "So often you won't even notice it" S & L Autoapparently extended from Michigan and across Wabash then, with its address as 3840 South Michigan. Here is what the area looks like today, part of the Bronzeville neighborhood. The Lee photograph was probably taken close to the corner of Wabash and Pershing Road, now the site of a much newer apartment building shown in the lower left. Not Everything GoneThe "L" (elevated) tracks are mostly still there. The South Side Rapid Transit (also known as the "Alley L" because it mostly ran over alleys) used this type of construction between about Roosevelt Road (12th St.) and about 42nd Street. Note the two lefthand columns in the picture are of one design, while the right hand is different. A third track was added fairly early in the SSRT's life. A few sections have been replaced (notably over the Stevenson Expressway), but much of the "L" structure still looks the same. The center track (which was reversible) has been removed. (The Gallery, Chicago, Kids, Railroads, Russell Lee)
All Star Minstrels: 1938
... "Erecting tent for Lasses White show." Lasses being Lee "Molasses" White (1888-1949), minstrel-show impresario as well as star of ... in the first half of the last century. Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/13/2018 - 6:32pm -

May 1938. Sikeston, Missouri. "Erecting tent for Lasses White show." Lasses being Lee "Molasses" White (1888-1949), minstrel-show impresario as well as star of radio, stage and screen in the first half of the last century. Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Almost!But not a Butt Crack in sight. (The Gallery, Russell Lee)
Baby Steps: 1941
... labor camp. Caldwell, Idaho." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Oh, my achin' back! As any parent will ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/17/2018 - 8:07pm -

June 1941. "Farm worker's wife teaches her baby girl to walk at the FSA labor camp. Caldwell, Idaho." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Oh, my achin' back!As any parent will attest, the stage of learning to walk is when many toddlers permanently maim their adult caregivers. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Kids, Russell Lee)
Williams County III: 1937
... Williams County, North Dakota. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size. (The Gallery, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 9:36pm -

November 1937. Pupil in rural school. Williams County, North Dakota. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size. (The Gallery, Education, Schools, Kids, Russell Lee)
Pinstripe Cowboy: 1940
... the dream in San Angelo, Texas. Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Laid back and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/27/2018 - 10:36am -

March 1940. "Cowboy resting on hay and rolled-up camp bed in the barn at San Angelo Fat Stock Show." Living the dream in San Angelo, Texas. Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Laid back and handsomeI would nominate this for the coveted "Handsome Rakes" tag. Relaxed and handsome. Relaxed? Given today's world, it is a word losing its meaning. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Russell Lee)
Tub Tots: 1939
... in May Avenue community camp." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Midgets Talk about pint sized. My ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/04/2018 - 5:28pm -

July 1939. Oklahoma City. "Children taking bath in their home in May Avenue community camp." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. MidgetsTalk about pint sized. My Galvanized FriendIt started life in the early 30's as my mother's original washing machine. In the later 30's it went into drydock when my father bought a washing machine on time from Gassinger's. In the early 40's it became my bathtub after I grew too big for the kitchen sink plus it was also my kiddie pool during hot summers in Baltimore. By the early 50's I could no longer sit in it but it still worked fine for my toy boats on muggy August days and as a wash tub for my pet Brownie, a mutt of no pedigree but full of love for all. In the late fifties it was filled with ice and soda for my teenage parties in our cellar. By the 60's I had learned my way around a grill so it was put on duty as the holder of ice and quarter kegs for my backyard rib BBQs and crab feasts. By the 70's it had developed an unrepairable hole so I filled it with dirt and planted a small pine tree in it. For the next few years it was always the center of attraction at Christmas time as the only festively lit tree in our Baltimore row house alley. In the 80's I moved away and never saw it again but I still have fond memories of my galvanized friend. (The Gallery, Kids, Kitchens etc., OKC, Russell Lee)
Podcast: 1941
... for shipment. Canyon County, Idaho." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Crate & ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/17/2018 - 11:31am -

June 1941. "Dressing crates of peas for shipment. Canyon County, Idaho." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Crate & BasketCummer Graham at some point wisely changed its name to Little Rock Crate and Basket. The company just shut down: https://www.arktimes.com/arkansas/goodbye-to-little-rock-crate-and-baske... There are some interesting production pictures showing archaic wooden conveyor belts. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Russell Lee)
Death Won Here: 1940
... on the highway in Bernalillo County, New Mexico." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Powerful ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2018 - 11:09am -

July 1940. "Marker of accident on the highway in Bernalillo County, New Mexico." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Powerful statementWe sometimes see memorials placed roadside by mourners, but no "official" markers such as this. Quite a campaign they must have had to promote motor safety. The vehicle here is a 1930-31 Ford. And it had a rumble seat, shown by the step plate on the fender. X marks the spotAt least a couple of states still do this today. The Florida Department of Transportation has an official program to place a memorial marker at the site of a fatality on a state highway - a round white sign. When you're driving by, you can only read the "Drive Safely" wording, but if you're on foot, you can see that it also has the name of the person who died. Sometimes people will put flowers or other things at the base of the sign. I first saw those signs when visiting in 2008, and the program is still available today. The South Dakota state police have had a similar program since 1979, with a somewhat similar "X" to the one seen here. In the early 1980s, I remember hearing my grandparents talk about the roadside "shrines" that family and friends would put up in northern Mexico and southern Texas. I don't remember seeing anything like that in Missouri at the time, but by the late 1990s, I started seeing them in Missouri. South Dakota Has Similar SignsBut they didn't start erecting them until 1979. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee)
Park-Vista: 1941
... These are rented to Negroes." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Renamed and demolished On a hunch I figured ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/25/2018 - 11:55am -

April 1941. "Kitchenette apartments on South Parkway, Chicago, Illinois. These are rented to Negroes." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Renamed and demolishedOn a hunch I figured south parkway became MLK drive, and this website confirms https://chicagology.com/chicagostreets/streetnamechanges/ "Grand Boulevard changed 1923 to South Park Avenue, changed 15 April 1940, 24 September 1940 and 8 October 1940 to South Parkway, changed 31 July 1968 to Martin Luther King Drive" The building next door is still there. Shorpy Vehicle Identification Imperative1937 Chevrolet two-door sedan and an ultra cool 1937 LaSalle four-door sedan with a custom "Landau" top. Parked in front of such a beautiful building. What a great place to hang out, on those balconies! Those second floor dudes be lovin' it, for sure. A shame it had to come down. KitchenetteUpscale way of saying "small kitchen". The Ryan Homes salespeople called the small kitchen in my house a "step-saver" kitchen. Less walking to sink, stove, and refrigerator. I bought a starter (low-cost) home in 1983. Now someone calls or sends me a letter wanting to buy my house about 6 days a week. Real Estate Magic DescriptionsDavid Brinkley wrote about some apartments he was looking at in Georgetown, DC. They were called the Gulfview Apartments. Mr. Brinkley asked his realtor, "How can they be called that if we're thousands of miles from the Gulf of Mexico or any other gulf?" The realtor responded,"Look out this window." There was a Gulf station on the street below the apartment. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, Russell Lee)
T for Three: 1939
... Lincoln County, Oklahoma." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Saucered and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/26/2018 - 11:54am -

June 1939. "Migrant workers eating dinner by the side of their car (Ford Model T) while they are camped near Prague, Lincoln County, Oklahoma." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Saucered and blowedI saw my father drink his coffee that way from time to time and he said it was “saucered and blowed”. I remember seeing my grandmother (his mom) pour her hot coffee into a saucer and blow across the top to cool it off. That “crystal candy” dish might be a dime store heirloom. I received one similar to it as wedding gift from one of my husband’s aunts who lived in a tiny country town in rural Mississippi in the late 1960s. The only store where she could have shopped would have been a Ben Franklin or other dime store. It was clear glass with a lid that had a silver painted top on top. I looked closely to see if I could figure out what they were eating. It appeared to be large lima beans, perhaps cooked with a ham hock. My mother in law cooked them with macaroni, making a rather thick, but very filling dish. Loaf bread, served from the wrapper, was served to round out the meal. Carb city. Grapes of WrathA few weeks ago, I commented on a 1920-something Auburn sedan that looked good as new after more than ten years on the road. This Model T, by contrast, has clearly been put through the wringer. The Joad Family drove a '26 Hudson, not a Model T, in the movie version of Grapes of Wrath. However, this car reminds me of theirs. They set a nice blanketThat's a nice, er, table setting for itinerant migrant workers. That fine china and that beautiful crystal dish, probably handed down from parents or grandparents, seem incongruent to people today who are used to seeing plastic utensils and paper plates and cups when eating on the road. Shades of prosperity pastThey're eating off what I'd assume is the last of the china they used to own, Dad's wearing a good pair of men's shoes, and the lady (Mom? daughter? sister? I can't tell) is wearing her "Sunday go to meeting" dress. The boy on the right has outgrown the clothes they had in the good days, though. I bet it's Sunday and they just went to church. And that's gotta be tight in that Model T to have all your clothes, cookware, and probably a tent in there. Wow. Laurel & HardyReminds me of the picnic scene at the front yard of the mansion from the movie "It's A Gift" [In which Laurel & Hardy were played by W.C. Fields. -tterrace] PronunciationShould you find yourself in this part of the country, be advised that "Prague" rhymes with "vague." There's also a Miami, Oklahoma, which isn't pronounced how you might expect. But that's a comment for another photo. Hood Ornament?Is that a flying duck on top of the crumpled front fender - right in front of the headlight? Ett fika, kanske?My maternal grandfather invariably drank his coffee the same way: milk and sugar while in the cup, then into the saucer for further cooling and subsequent ingestion. He was the son of Swedish immigrants, and since Grandma didn't take her coffee like that, I figured he'd picked the habit up from his folks and it was therefore a Swedish thing. Never asked him about it, though. So what about your grandma, Grammy23? Was she, or her folks, from up around these parts? Proper pronunciation of Prague, OklahomaLocally pronounced "pray" (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, On the Road, Russell Lee)
Williams County II: 1937
... Williams County, North Dakota. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size. (The Gallery, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 9:40pm -

November 1937. Pupil in rural school. Williams County, North Dakota. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size. (The Gallery, Education, Schools, Kids, Russell Lee)
Spring Forward: 1942
... the United States and the Azores are the same'." Photo by Russell Lee for the Foreign Information Service of the U.S. Office of Coordinator of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/13/2021 - 7:21pm -

April 1942. "Portuguese-Americans in California. Mr. H. Ormond, who is a leading jeweler in San Leandro, came to the United States from the Azores Islands 23 years ago when he was 17 years old. For three years he lived in San Francisco and then moved to Oakland, where he worked in a jewelry store for ten years. In 1932 he opened his own store in San Leandro. Mr. Ormond and his wife have worked long hours to build their establishment and now hold a respected position in the social and business life of San Leandro. Mr. Ormond said, 'I received my education as a boy in the Azores but I have found that all the things that I learned there as well as the principles of honesty and integrity and thrift and industry that my parents taught me have served me well in my adopted country. While I now speak a different language, all the principles of life in the United States and the Azores are the same'." Photo by Russell Lee for the Foreign Information Service of the U.S. Office of Coordinator of Information. View full size. Assignment: nationalities in CaliforniaIt's astonishing how a Shorpy photo of a man holding a clock in a town outside San Francisco evokes complex but little-known international politics during World War II. Lee took this photo the same month as the one of Japanese 'evacuees' that recently sparked spirited commentary on Shorpy. The 'Foreign Information Service of the U.S. Office of Coordinator of Information' was in the same alphabet soup as the Office of War Information that is credited on Lee's photo of Japanese-Americans. It would be interesting to know the specifics of Lee's assignment during April 1942, though one motive is not difficult to figure. Portuguese-Americans were particularly important because neutral Portugal was one of the few places in continental Europe not under strong German influence. (Dictator Salazar ran a government not unlike Spain's, but disliked Franco's ties to the Axis.) That made Portugal a key destination for refugees and a jumping-off place for the Western Hemisphere. (Characters in 'Casablanca' are trying to get there.) Mr. Ormond's origin in the Azores is particularly noteworthy because both sides were eying the strategic location of that archipelago in the mid-Atlantic. While maintaining neutrality into 1944, Salazar's government gradually increased the Allies' access to the Azores, something that continued into the Cold War--and today. Tik-Tok-Tik-TokTry to sleep with one of those in the room. Let's just say they keep you up until you surely miss the alarm. Ask me how I know. The AzoresThis one has me all nostalgic this morning. My wonderful grandfather, like Mr. Ormand here, came to the US from the Azores. He arrived as a stowaway in Key West circa 1915, worked his way up the coast to his relatives in New Bedford, Mass. and then fibbed his way (he was about 16) into the US Army. He was gassed and wounded in The Battle of Belleau Wood, met my German grandmother as part of the occupation in 1918 and eventually made his life in Brooklyn as a welder & pipefitter in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The pic I've upload shows my Mom holding me in early 1953. My Dad is on the left, my grandfather on the right. The other two ladies are my aunts, my fathers sisters. Seems that Mr. Ormond, like my Pop, found a place here and prospered. Part of our unique blended culture. Enough to Wind Him UpDaylight Savings days were probably not Mr. Ormond's favorite days of the year. [DST was instituted 365 days a year during the war, so Mr. O got a reprieve. - Dave] Daylight Savings EYAHHHHHHH!Love the clocks, love the photo, but thinking of all those clocks and Daylight Savings is giving me acid reflux. And I thought **I** had a lot of clocks to change! Scream AlarmIs that an Edvard Munch clock just over Mr. Ormond's right shoulder? Wondering how that alarm might sound. The time of his lifeYesterday I ate a clock. It was very time consuming but I went back for seconds. A woof not a screamThe clocks at both of Mr. Ormond's shoulders look like puppy clocks to me. And one of my aunts had the cat clock with the tick-tock tail. (The Gallery, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
After the Gold Rush: 1940
... San Juan County, Colorado." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. All that glitters. I was trying to find out ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/02/2018 - 9:33pm -

September 1940. "Abandoned gold mill east of Silverton, San Juan County, Colorado." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. All that glitters.I was trying to find out which mine this was, but it was rather like trying to find a needle in a haystack because there were a LOT of mines, both gold and silver, in that area. A few years ago, however, the hazards of all that mining became a very pressing concern. https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2015/0810/Animas-River-spill-How-Colorado-... There are over 20,000 mines burrowed into the mountains in Colorado. It's really only a matter of time before something like this happens again, which is horrid news for the environment and for wildlife in Colorado. [Even back in 1940, photographer Lee made note of the yellow streams of the Animas River Valley. - Dave] It boggles the mindJust look at all the effort that went into building those buildings. Look at the many windows in that structure on the incline, and think that this was all done without power tools, not counting the sawmill that milled the lumber. It boggles the mind to think what our ancestors could do with the tools and resources they had. There's gold in them thar tailingsAbout 1948, at age 14, my friend's dad would drive into the mountains near Denver and stop where there were mill tailings. We would take a batch home, crush the rock, and pan for gold with a pie tin. Over time, we collected about an ounce of gold flakes. Gold at that time was price-controlled at $35 an ounce. Silver Lake Mill along the Silverton NorthernThis is the Silver Lake Mill along the old Silverton Northern RR line to Animas Forks. It stands at the foot of Arrastra Gulch. Behind the photographer on the west bank of the Rio de las Animas is the Mayflower Mine, which can still be toured. There's a lot less of the Silver Lake Mill left than shown here. An excellent reference to the area is The Rainbow Route by R. Sloan and C. Skowronski (Denver: Sundance, 1975). I model the areas around Silverton in HOn3. (The Gallery, Mining, Russell Lee)
E.L. Bowman Grocery: 1940
... plains. Dawson County, Texas." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Poster Boy       Alvin R. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/17/2018 - 6:28pm -

March 1940. "Grocery store and filling station in the high plains. Dawson County, Texas." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Poster Boy      Alvin R. Allison, generally regarded as the “Father of Texas Tech Law,” served as a statesman and as a member of the Texas Tech University Board of Regents. The Alvin R. Allison Professorship of Law is dedicated to supporting a faculty member based on commitment to the Texas Tech School of Law, to the legal profession, and to public service. http://techlawnews.law.ttu.edu/?p=4116 To Dave,Your title is much better than mine. Shorpy Vehicle Identification ImperativeA couple of '38 Ford coupes. Nice, the way they balance out the photo. Where do they get their ice?Please educate me. Reading the sign on the photo firstI wondered what ELBOWMAN meant, I saw the very small periods meaning E.L. Bowman, then I looked at the title, oops. Wind generatorThe windmill appears to be making electricity. No power poles to be seen. MemoriesAs a youth, friends and I would prank call stores asking if they had Prince Albert in a can. When they said they did we would say "then let him out". Childhood humor, anything so we could laugh. Of course the store owner probably did not appreciate it. The Iceman ComethIn answer to the question; "Where do they get their ice?" I'm going to venture it was trucked in from Midland or Lubbock. https://www.texashighways.com/eat/item/1391-icehouses-vintage-spaces-wit... WinchargerYes, that is definitely a DC power-generating wind turbine, probably a Wincharger. The lack of an air-brake governor leads me to believe that it is one of the small 6-volt machines, designed to replace a radio's A battery. They could handle a small number of light bulbs as well, but little more than that, unlike the larger 32-volt machines. The visible-register gas pumps were operated by hand, of course. As to the ice, it was probably trucked from Lamesa. Just about every town with rail service would have had an ice plant in those days. Outlived his obituary by 22 yearsI love digging into the names of these old stores, and was surprised how easily this one was compared to most. In the 1940 US Census, the family of 54-year-old W.H. Bowman, his wife 51-year-old wife Pearl, and twin 23-year-old sons Ernest L. and Everett Bowman appear with W.H. being "Owner Garage and Grocery Store." His sons are listed as clerks. It turns out Ernest was the "L". Ernest L. Bowman went into the Army in October 1941, came back after a four-year stint, married in 1945 and stayed in the Lamesa area apparently until he died in 1994 at the age of 78. Except, despite his tombstone saying 1994, and his BIRLS file saying 1994, and his Social Security saying 1994, I found his obituary. This was in 1977. Usually I'd chalk this up to two people sharing a name, but in this case the obituary lists his twin brother as well as his sister! I've been doing genealogy a long time, and I have to say finding an obituary 22 years prior to the actual death is a new one on me. His obituary from 1977. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21080835/ His Find-a-Grave (which correlates to his military records.) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63501247/ernest-l-bowman (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
The Egg and I: 1940
... Maricopa County, Arizona." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Poultry ... work or architecture." (The Gallery, Agriculture, Russell Lee) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2018 - 4:13pm -

May 1940. "Member of the Arizona part-time farms (last seen here), Chandler Unit, in bedroom of his apartment on the project studying for civil service examination in poultry culture. Maricopa County, Arizona." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Poultry Culture 101"The material culture of barnyard poultry is sparse, although Rhode Island Reds formerly wove exquisite baskets as nests, according to some early observers. There is no record of their having mastered pottery or textiles, let alone metal work or architecture." (The Gallery, Agriculture, Russell Lee)
Fair Ladies: 1942
... Young people at the Imperial County Fair." Photo by Russell Lee for the Office of War Information. View full size. (The Gallery, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/29/2017 - 8:23pm -

Spring 1942. "El Centro, California (vicinity). Young people at the Imperial County Fair." Photo by Russell Lee for the Office of War Information. View full size. (The Gallery, Russell Lee)
Joyride: 1941
... at Vale, Oregon." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Oregon vs. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/30/2018 - 5:27pm -

July 1941. "Farm boys getting on the ferris wheel, one of the attractions at the Fourth of July celebration at Vale, Oregon." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Oregon vs. Oklahoma - who's living the dream?Am I the only one who thinks these Oregon kids are having a heckuva lot more fun than the Oklahomans? (The Gallery, July 4, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Up a Tree: 1942
... "Boys in city park on a Sunday afternoon." Photo by Russell Lee for the Office of War Information. View full size. Our Arboreal ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/18/2016 - 9:21pm -

July 1942. Klamath Falls, Oregon. "Boys in city park on a Sunday afternoon." Photo by Russell Lee for the Office of War Information. View full size. Our Arboreal Genetic Heritage on DisplayNot all of us have lost that instinctive urge to live in the trees. As a child of the age of these, my summers were spent atop our crabapples, plums, cherries, and pecans, happily eating my way from branch to branch. I only ever climbed the persimmon once--yuck! I all but gave up climbing trees at age 50 when while sitting on a branch about 20 feet from the ground, sawing the branch above, the sawn and falling branch's weight, and my own, were enough to bring my comfortable perch and myself to the ground, left shoulder first. So for the last ten years, I've slept on my right shoulder. So being older now and not necessarily wiser, but surely not stupider, when my neighbor stepped out to kiss her departing husband goodbye, parrot on shoulder, and the parrot said, "I go bye-bye!" and flew to the top of my 100-foot pecan, I did not offer to climb to retrieve him for the much distressed young woman. I did, however, set up spotlights and provide additional ropes for the professional tree man she hired, younger and more daring than I, and ultimately, one of my king-sized pillow cases for bagging the bird around 4 a.m. Surprisingly, the daring climber is the son of a world-famous attorney who prefers following in the footsteps of his ancient primate ancestors to his father's footsteps (not that there's much difference). Possible face plantThe boy on the right better learn to tie his shoes before he trips and falls on his face. Been there done that. (The Gallery, Kids, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Night Moves: 1941
... service station near Chicago." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Plymouths and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/04/2018 - 5:19pm -

April 1941. "Auto convoy trucks at service station near Chicago." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Plymouths and DodgesWe see here an assortment of 1941 Plymouths and Dodges. The two cars on the back end of the truck on the left are Plymouths, and the two sedans in the back, on the backs of trucks (one is a light-colored sedan, covered with a tarp) are Dodges. While trucks got larger, so did rail cars for auto transport. First, open cars that could carry as many as 15 cars, and later, the enclosed cars we see today, that deter vandalism and theft of parts during transport. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autorack Fin-ish ahead of their timeCars that can been seen well enough despite all the canvas look to be 1941 Dodge Custom Town Sedans. If you look closely at the rear of the first light-colored car from the left, you'll see a harbinger of Chrysler Corp. things to come: fins! '41 PlymouthsLooks like a load of '41 Plymouths. Whoever bought them would be probably holding onto them for a few years due to war production starting in '42. My wife's great uncle had a '42 Plymouth with no chrome trim. He still had it in his barn when he died about 5 years ago. Still had the last inspection tag on it from 1969. They Drive by Night ...1940 movie with Humphrey Bogart, George Raft, Ida Lupino and Ann Sheridan. The railroads got smarterIt's true, the boxcars equipped for hauling autos were limited capacity, and it was easy to damage the merchandise. Things were so bad that by the end of the 1950s, the railroads had largely lost the new car trade. However, by the mid 1960's the railroads were getting that work back. Today, a single, long multi level auto carrier with vandal resistant covering can carry 12 to 20 new cars. The highway auto carrier you see is delivering new cars to the dealers or wholesale/distributors from a railroad facility. (That is, unless you live close to an assembly plant.) A solid train of auto racks can carry 800 or more new vehicles; that's a lot of trucks off the road. Look Out, Railroads!Looks fly-by-night, but it was the future. The railroads held most of this traffic at the time, but it was in specially-equipped boxcars that tended to hold just four autos. The truckers had the same capacity, but a faster transit time and the ability to deliver to the customer no matter where they were located. Eventually the trucks got bigger. New AutomobilesThese were probably some of the last civilian autos produced in 1941. Car plants were converting to wartime production of everything but cars: jeeps, trucks, tanks, and even heavy bombers. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, Gas Stations, Russell Lee)
The Stag Table: 1940
... Casa Grande Valley Farms. Pinal County, Arizona." Photo by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size. A Cooperative is not ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/03/2020 - 1:37pm -

May 1940. "Boys eating their lunch at the WPA nursery school at Casa Grande Valley Farms. Pinal County, Arizona." Photo by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size. A Cooperative is not SocialismKAP, Casa Grande Valley Farms was a cooperative. It operated under cooperative principles, which mostly involve providing economies of scale. The Federal government has been supporting agriculture through cooperatives since the Federal Land Bank was formed in 1916. The FSA my have initially allocated the same resources to each member as part of getting each farm started, but to say the government dictated nearly every aspect of their lives is ridiculous. The FSA did not tell everyone when to go to bed, where to worship, what to purchase at the general store, etc. Further, such a statement totally contradicts your later statement that "The settlers were unable to cooperate because they were involved in a ceaseless struggle for power." According to your first quote -- the FSA controlled all the power. A failed experimentCasa Grande Valley Farms was an FSA experiment in a socialistic system, where all farmers were assigned equal work, paid equal wages and had equal housing. The government dictated nearly every aspect of the lives of the tenants. However, human nature and the dilemma over differentiating work ethics took over and the experiment failed after only two years. Edward Banfield, in his book on the project, put it this way; “The settlers were unable to cooperate because they were involved in a ceaseless struggle for power”. Food pyramidI can't help the impression that even back then kids considered some types of greens to be greener than others. What I can't make out is whether these kids were saving their favourite greens to enjoy them last, or whether that leafy stuff (kale? spinach?) is actually at the bottom of the pyramid of preference. SpoonsSo many things to like in this photo. The boys’ towheaded cuteness. The tongue with the morsel of food on the left. Eating everything on their plate without objections due to food allergies or vegetarianism (I’m assuming). Their readiness for action at such a young age. Eating it all with a spoon (no need for fork and knife). And (another assumption), I would bet on them to kick the butts of any current daycare kid the same age. (I realize I’ve said so many potentially objectionable things, but I don’t care.) That lettuce is toughPerhaps the boy might have an easier time with the lettuce, if he ate his spinach and channeled his inner Popeye. Eat your greensThe one youngster is leaving his greens until last (albeit his tongue is out in anticipation of the next bite of whatever has his attention -- potatoes? Cabbage? Anyone?) while the other seems to be throwing down on his. My grandchildren would be retching. Something I am not proud of. In other news, I would love to have a set of those dishes. PrioritiesLooks like cabbage, carrots and spinach. The spinach of course is eaten last (some things never change). If there was any meat, it's long gone. Brings to mind what my father used to say to me and my three younger brothers when there was a rare reluctance to finish our plates: "At least eat your meat!" Not 'til I was an adult did I realize why he said that. Meat was the only thing on the plate he and my mom couldn't grow -- thus it was the only thing on the plate he had to PAY for! (The Gallery, Kids, Russell Lee)
Family Cart: 1937
... Shawneetown, Illinois." Medium format nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Mule haircut ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/05/2015 - 9:35am -

April 1937. "Scene in Shawneetown, Illinois." Medium format nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Mule haircutThe coats of working mules/horses are clipped or shaved as a thick coat that is sweaty can take a long time to dry out. After 1937 Ohio River FloodShawneetown was devastated by the Ohio River Flood of January/February 1937. Apparently, the Resettlement Administration was documenting the aftermath. After the flood, the town moved west, away from the river. The area in the photograph is now "Old Shawneetown" with the old Shawneetown Bank, now a historic site, in the background on the corner of Main and Old Shawneetown Road. Last days of Old ShawneetownThis photo is after the great Ohio River flood of Jan.-Feb. 1937. These folks might be down to pick up what they can to the old home before being resettled in New Shawneetown, up on the bluff above the river. My mother, who was 7 at the time and living in similarly flooded Harrisburg IL, used to recall riding a similar mule-drawn wagon up into the Shawnee hills after the flood to stay with relatives in Rudement. Shawneetown BankThe Shawneetown Bank is a splendid example of Greek Revival architecture. Built 1839-1841, its architect is unknown, which is a great shame; it is a very skillful adaptation of the Greek/Roman temple model used for so many different types of buildings during this period. The detailing of the exterior is so good that one can easily overlook the colossal "mistake" in its design - the facade has five Greek Doric columns, breaking the solemn but unwritten rule that Classical facades must always have an even number of columns, not an odd number. Whoever designed it knew exactly what he was doing. Memories.In 1962, when I was a student at Southern Illinois University, just a short drive from there, I discovered that the dive bar behind the brick wall at the right edge of the photo was very lax regarding ID. Accoprdingly I and my girl friend would go there to listen to the jukebox and guzzle beer. One night, as we were necking in the front seat of her car in a parking space in front of the bar, a short fireplug of a man staggered out of the dive in a cloud of stale cigarette smoke and alcohol fumes and straddled a Harley Electro-Glide. His wife and three kids followed him and clambered on the bike too! The whole mob then motored off into the darkness of the hot and humid night. I've often wondered what happened to them. On the BandwagonA very picturesque merry gathering, whatever the unfortunate circumstances might have been! Barber, barberHate to ask, but is that mule sporting a shave? And why is it that someone chooses to shave their... mule? (The Gallery, Dogs, Horses, Russell Lee)
Idaho Hay: 1941
... Canyon County, Idaho." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. (The Gallery, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/02/2019 - 6:17pm -

June 1941. "Hay stacker and haystack on farm of member of the Dairymen's Cooperative Creamery. Caldwell, Canyon County, Idaho." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Board Room: 1940
... room of migratory labor camp at Sinton, Texas." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Master switch ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/18/2018 - 7:02pm -

March 1940. "Ironing room of migratory labor camp at Sinton, Texas." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Master switch and master patternIt looks like each iron outlet has its own pilot light to indicate that the power is on. I wonder if perhaps all the outlets were controlled by that switch near the door - that way, somebody could shut down all the irons in the room with one switch, when laundry time was over, or at night. That far ironing board support also sports either the carpenter's pattern, or the piece in the "kit" that was labeled (if it was made elsewhere and shipped to the site). The top line pretty clearly says "IRONING BOARD", but the bottom line is more garbled - "CENTRAL VT"? - perhaps a misspelling of Sinton. [CENTRAL UTILITY. - Dave] (The Gallery, Kitchens etc., Russell Lee)
Progressive Farmer: 1940
... They are equipped with electric refrigerators." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Defrost Cycle ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2018 - 11:12am -

November 1940. Tulare County, California. "Corner of kitchen in Schmidt house at Mineral King cooperative farm. They are equipped with electric refrigerators." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Defrost Cycle NeededThe defrost cycle is manual. Take everything out, put a bowl under the freezer compartment, put towels out, and let thaw. Chip away the ice when it gets loose enough. Put everything back in. Wow, time to defrostLooks like it has been some time since the freezer section has been defrosted. My '46 GE refrigerator needs the same attention at least twice a year. Second shiftI can just hear my mother (of the same vintage as pictured): "Her socks and shoes are a disgrace, but you could eat off her kitchen floor." Living on a farm in California, I'd be inclined to overlook the icetrays and shoes. Farm wives of any vintage work two jobs: the farm and the house. Keeping field dirt off her floors is a pretty admirable job. Never with a knifeAn emergency-room doctor once told me a freak tale of defrosting an old-style fridge badly. A guy was hacking away at the ice on his freezer compartment and he pierced the metal, hitting a tube. A jet of freon whooshed out, which the guy inhaled directly. He had an immediate heart attack and died. (By the time I heard this tale, my old-style freezer defrosting days were over, and good thing too, since my own method was to place a pot of hot water underneath and then stab at the ice with a heavy blunt knife.) So little spaceAnd no tupperware. Bowls, cups, and paper bags. Is that a linoleum floor? It's not very well put together. I love the poor little flowers above the sink and the woman's well-worn shoes and socks. Photos like this make me appreciate what I have. [These people were living in a brand-new house, back when most farmhouses lacked electricity and many had no indoor plumbing. - Dave] (The Gallery, Kitchens etc., Russell Lee)
Fiesta Selfies: 1940
... at the fiesta at Taos, New Mexico." 35mm negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. (The Gallery, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/27/2014 - 1:10pm -

July 1940. "Quick photos at the fiesta at Taos, New Mexico." 35mm negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. (The Gallery, Russell Lee)
This Land: 1940
... farmer and his son. Placer County, California." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The Year ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/19/2018 - 2:11pm -

December 1940. "Japanese fruit farmer and his son. Placer County, California." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The Year BeforeIt'll be a lot less pleasant for them in the US the following December. I'll say what we're all thinkingSoon to be sent to an internment camp, for no other reason than their ethnicity. Missing "Handsome Rakes" tagI can all but guarantee that young fella did just fine with the ladies. (And to think these poor guys were likely unjustly rounded up and sent to internment camps after Pearl Harbor) Who would have guessedThat in about a year their lives would be forever changed. References to Japanese communities in Placer CountyThe farm was probably somewhere along Interstate 80. japantownatlas.com mentions Japanese communities in Loomis (church), Penryn (several stores, Buddhist church, and hall), Newcastle (school), and Auburn (grocery and church). http://www.japantownatlas.com/map-placer.html "Located in the foothills east of Sacramento, the town of Penryn was once surrounded by rolling hills filled with peach, plum, and pear orchards. Japanese farmers leased or owned a substantial portion of the fruit ranches in this area, and the money they made in turn supported a local economy of Japanese businesses. https://www.asianamericanbooks.com/books/3524.htm This photo from the Library of Congress may be the same son at an Arts and Crafts desk. Note the cutout of a starlet above his desk and the framed photo on the desk. https://www.loc.gov/resource/fsa.8c00555/ I've gotten the impression that the Placer County area tended to produce fresh fruit for shipping to the rest of the U.S. Because it was on the Southern Pacific railroad on its way east, it would have been easier for them to ship fresh fruit than places further west. Canning and drying was more common at points west, such as the San Joaquin and Santa Clara valleys. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Russell Lee)
The Farmer's Quarters: 1937
... on cut-over land near Northome." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. (The Gallery, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/01/2016 - 10:43pm -

September 1937. Koochiching County, Minnesota. "Farmhouse on cut-over land near Northome." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. (The Gallery, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Questa: 1939
... before we motor west. Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Indian(a) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/19/2018 - 11:25am -

September 1939. "Street scene. Questa, New Mexico." One last look at the business district of this bucolic burg before we motor west. Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Indian(a) Gasoline, father of TexacoIndian Refining Company was one of the ancestors of Texaco. I found this page with a history of Indian Asphalt/Indian Refining of Indiana (only sort of), Havermeyer Oil (the creators of Havoline motor oil), and Texaco in all its variations. Given how Indian and Texaco's histories are intertwined, I'm not the least surprised to find an Indian pump installed at a station sporting a Texaco sign. Indian GasThe nearer pump globe sports an "Indian Gas" logo. Who has the dope on Indian brand gasoline? Bet those globes fetch a few bucks today. Am I seeing right?Does the sign by the hood of the car really read "MONEY FOR SALE"? [No, honey. - Dave] Tivoli BreweryFounded in 1859, closed in 1969, and reopened in 2016 in its original Denver location. If These Shabby, Flimsy Walls Could Only TalkThey might say a few things about a rough little town. Excerpt from Another Time in This Place: Historia, Cultura y Vida en Questa (2003) by Tessie Rael y Ortega and Judith Cuddihy: "“At this time [1943], Questa had the most despicable reputation with anyone else. So Father Smith decided to do something. One day he got an axe and starting tearing down the bridge, the only way out of town. When people saw what he was doing, they were furious. They said, “What are you doing that for?” And Father Smith said, “If I don’t tear down the bridge, it’ll fall down.” The people said, “In that case, we’ll help you.” So they tore it down and then they realized what they had done. “Now we can’t get out of town,” they said. Father Smith said, “I guess you’ll have to build another one.” And they did. Father Smith lived in a house on top of a hill where the Parish Hall is now located. From there he could see everything that was going on in town—who was fighting, who was hanging out in bars, and so forth. One day he had a police siren mounted on top of his car. Whenever he saw a disturbance, he’d turn on the siren and go down. He said to them, “Did you see it? Did you hear it? Then swallow it.” He succeeded in remodeling Questa. Two years later it won a prize for civil cooperation.” Lunch SuppliesThe typeface on the Groceries sign looks very modern and a bit out of place compared to the others. Is it neon? Sipping Four Roses at the Four Roses.That step just outside the door of the Four Roses Cafe seems like it would be trouble for a sober man but a man full of Four Roses Bourbon served by the saucy redheaded Four Roses barmaid would defy gravity and blessed drunkenness if he were able to navigate it and steer a homeward bound course. (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
Banana Veranda: 1938
... near New Orleans, Louisiana." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. (The Gallery, New Orleans, Russell Lee) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/26/2018 - 11:00am -

September 1938. "Verandah of plantation house near New Orleans, Louisiana." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. (The Gallery, New Orleans, Russell Lee)
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