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Ladies vs. Tomboys: 1955
April 9, 1955. Atlanta, Georgia. "Softball or ballet? Linda McConkey, of the Lorelei Ladies ... game; and Jerrie Rainey, playing third base for the Atlanta Tomboys, as she jumps for the ball." Wide World photo. View full ... retired her jersey. (The Gallery, Atlanta, News Photo Archive, Sports) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/22/2020 - 2:52pm -

April 9, 1955. Atlanta, Georgia. "Softball or ballet? Linda McConkey, of the Lorelei Ladies softball team, diving for third base during an exhibition game; and Jerrie Rainey, playing third base for the Atlanta Tomboys, as she jumps for the ball." Wide World photo. View full size. Safe at thirdGreat form, the two of them, but no way is Jerrie getting Linda out. Still ThereNot Linda or Lorelei, but the softball fields at Piedmont Park, near the soccer fields and beach volleyball courts, all surrounded by an 800-meter granite dust running track. A mighty blast can send the ball rolling near the steps shown in the pic. In the 1890s the park also hosted the first UGA-Auburn college football games. Linda may be safeBut Jerrie's got better legs and quite possibly a cuter outfit. Even if a spike comes down on a handWe can all be sure that there will be No Crying. 'Tomboy' anyone? no one?I was curious about the term "tomboy," which I thought must be banished to the dustbin of embarrassing stereotypes. Not exactly, though you can find plenty of calls to discard it (including by the Girl Scouts). At the same time, it has been appropriated by advertisers and (concept and imagery at least) by radical gender-benders. It's an old term, originally referring to a brash male youth. It was also sometimes attached to an immodest woman. By the 17th century it had the familiar reference to a "boyish" girl. In the 19th and 20th centuries, tomboys were everywhere in culture and especially literature. There are academic studies. When this photo of the softball players was taken in 1955, Harper Lee was creating Scout (birth name Jean Louise Finch). Super GirlsIt didn't even dawn on me they were playing softball when I first saw this photo. As a lifelong Superman family fan, I saw one Supergirl coming in for a landing (great form!) while another was taking off straight up (unusual but sometimes done). My Photography Knowledge is slimIn 1955; what shutter speed would the photographer use to catch this amazing shot? [The same as you'd use today. - Dave] That’s my GrandmotherLinda was definitely safe; I can’t remember all of the details, but I can get them and share them with y’all if you like, because that’s my Nanna diving into third base. She was an amazing athlete and only recently slowed down in the past ten years or so. She’ll be 83 in September and keeps a copy of this photo in a book at my parents’ house. She’s absolutely one of the most incredible humans I’ve ever known. And as for the legs, that’s debatable. See, Nanna was not only known for her athletic prowess, but her beauty ... and those legs. Boys would come from other schools to watch her legs as she ran up and down the court at her high school basketball games, where they eventually retired her jersey. (The Gallery, Atlanta, News Photo Archive, Sports)
Southern Terminal: 1941
... August 1941. "Trains in the Southern Railway terminal in Atlanta, Georgia." Medium format nitrate negative by John Collier. View full ... that the photo was taken at Terminal Station in downtown Atlanta. Here is a picture of the Old (1918-1970) Terminal. Arches and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/17/2016 - 8:19pm -

August 1941. "Trains in the Southern Railway terminal in Atlanta, Georgia." Medium format nitrate negative by John Collier. View full size. The motto"Southern Serves the South" is something I saw on a lot of railroad cars back in the day. Peachtree Station, now served by Amtrak Wikipedia's page on Peachtree Station. Peachtree StationDesigned by architect Neel Reid, it was built in 1918 as a commuter stop on the north side of town for the Southern Railway whose main stop was Terminal Station downtown. I think the size of the trains make it more likely that the photo was taken at Terminal Station in downtown Atlanta. Here is a picture of the Old (1918-1970) Terminal. Arches and anglesThe geometry in this photo is really remarkable! The three rays converge in the distance, giving it depth and perspective! Also, the guys on the left look so classy in their tailored suits! Get aboard, gentlemen! (The Gallery, Atlanta, John Collier, Railroads)
Bay Windows: 1899
... Man on the porch of his house in Georgia, probably near Atlanta. 1899 or 1900. View full size. Gelatin silver print from the ... off but its shadow is not. What gives? (The Gallery, Atlanta) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 2:44pm -

Man on the porch of his house in Georgia, probably near Atlanta. 1899 or 1900. View full size. Gelatin silver print from the collection of W.E.B. Du Bois. bay windowsnot sure about window type, but definetly not bay windows re: Bay windowsThere's a joke there but it looks like not everyone is getting it. funny businessThe background of this photo has been blocked out. Whatever is to the right of the house is gone, but you can make out something along the downspout, the edge of the gable end, and around the finial atop the small cupola. The plant at the bottom right is cut off but its shadow is not. What gives? (The Gallery, Atlanta)
Rail Disaster: 1933
... Railroad, on the Southern Railway from Washington to Atlanta, on the Atlanta & West Point / Western Railway of Alabama from Atlanta to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/02/2014 - 8:18pm -

GRAVE OF MUD         WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 1933 -- While thousands worked to overcome the havoc wreaked by the storm in the Capital, 300 trainmen struggled with the wreck of the Crescent Limited. The crack extra-fare express was hurtled yesterday from the tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad when flood waters undermined the central abutment of the bridge over the Eastern Branch [Anacostia River], just inside the District. All day and all night the crews of railroad men worked, first with acetylene torches to clear debris from the approaches to the bridge, and then with three cranes to lift aside the wrecked cars. Late in the evening a derrick lifting the crushed engine from a grave of mud uncovered the body of the engineer, Arthur H. Bryde, of Washington. The body of J.H. Faye, the fireman, of Havre de Grace, was recovered earlier in the day. It had been ground into the mud of the embankment by a coach. August 1933. Washington, D.C. "Crescent Limited train wreck." Another look at this wreck. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Men dead; locomotive saved.It's a K-4 Pacific type, seen many times on this site. Don't know what number it is, but it was definitely rebuilt. The first K-4 to be scrapped was #8309 in 1938, after a different wreck which occurred in Pittsburg when it plummeted off a high fill and then dropped another fifty feet over a concrete retaining wall into one of the city streets. The leading truck of the K-4 seen above is sunk in the mud dead-center of the photo. Wrong truckOn a railroad, a truck is the assembly of wheels, springs, brakes, and centering devices which ride on the rails, supporting and guiding the car or locomotive it supports. The engine is unmistakably, as pointed out, a Pennsylvania Railroad K-4 class 4-6-2 Pacific. But, neither of the two trucks visible near the center of the photo came from that engine. K-4 pilot trucks were inside bearing. Perhaps, these were from under the tender, or from one of the passenger cars. Re: Wrong TruckI stand corrected; how I missed them being outside bearing I have no idea. They probably are from beneath the tender, as the lead truck there is missing. Doubt they're from a car, as those appear to be all heavyweight equipment with six-wheel trucks. LocomotivesWasn't the "Crescent" usually pulled by a Southern RR locomotive? PRRA Southern 4-6-2 would pull it south of Washington. Guess this wreck must have been at the PRR bridge at 38.917N 76.9435W, where a PRR engine would pull the train. Re: Re: Wrong truckThey are definitely Tender trucks. PRR Class 2D-T4 to be precise. Crescent Question"Wasn't the "Crescent" usually pulled by a Southern RR locomotive?" The Crescent Limited operated from New York to Washington on the Pennsylvania Railroad, on the Southern Railway from Washington to Atlanta, on the Atlanta & West Point / Western Railway of Alabama from Atlanta to Montgomery, AL, and on the Louisville & Nashville from Montgomery to New Orleans. This particular train would have originated in Penn Station behind an electric locomotive (probably a PRR P5). PRR steam replaced the electric in Wilmington, DE; a Southern Railway Ps4 would take over in Washington (there may also have been an engine swap midway to Atlanta in Salisbury, NC). In Atlanta, WofA 190 or A&WP 290 (which were purchased specifically to haul this train) would take over, and an L&N locomotive would the train on the final leg of the journey. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Railroads)
Lenny and Edna: 1924
... Dad was off minding the boats. Edna Does D.C. Atlanta Constitution, 11 July 1924 New Cabinet Daughter Lands in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 6:08pm -

June 3, 1924. "Leonard and Edna Wilbur," children of Navy Secretary Curtis Wilbur. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Edna & OnaFrom the Lima (Ohio) News, April 9, 1928: Rescued by forest rangers from a narrow ledge 2,000 feet high, where darkness had trapped her and her girl companion during a trip thru Yosemite valley, Miss Edna May Wilbur, daughter of Secretary of the Navy Curtis D. Wilbur, was home here none the worse for her thrilling experience. Miss Wilbur went to the park with a party of friends. She and Miss Ona E. Ring attempted late Saturday to descend the snow-covered trail from Glacier point to the floor of the valley. Caught by darkness, they lost the trail and presently found themselves on the narrow ledge, whence they feared to attempt further progress. With a biting mountain wind tugging at their clothing, the girls huddled against the face of the cliff and called for help. Tourists in the valley, 2,000 feet below, heard their cries, and notified the forest rangers. Five men reached the girls shortly before midnight, and strenuous efforts succeeded in hauling them up to the trail with ropes. [Thrilling! I think this was an episode of "Leave It to Beaver." - Dave] Tats or Vacs?Those circular things on her arms. Can I assume that they were vaccination scars? She certainly has a modern attitude or so it seems. [That's mold on the emulsion. - Dave] Yes, DaveYes, the episode wherein the Beav climbs into a teacup and can't climb out and is rescued by the fire department. Amazing how daring Miss Wilbur was - that explains the dress. [Not quite. I was thinking of the episode where Beaver and Gilbert go camping, get stuck on a ledge and are rescued by park rangers. - Dave] Still waters run deepMiss Edna has a certain sly gleam in her eye. I'll bet she danced a few Charlestons in her time while Dad was off minding the boats. Edna Does D.C.Atlanta Constitution, 11 July 1924 New Cabinet Daughter Lands in Capital And Looks it Over Washington's newest cabinet daughter has been spending her first few days in the capital just like anybody's daughter here on an excursion trip -sightseeing. Miss Edna Wilbur, whose father is secretary of the navy, arrived last Thursday from California. She came through the Panama canal with her brother, Leonard Wilbur, and then up the Chesapeake bay and the Potomac, from Hampton Roads, on the neat little yacht Sylph, which is at her father's disposal as boss of the navy. ... Miss Wilbur is Washington's third cabinet daughter of marriageable or debutante age. Both the other two aren't braving hot weather here. ... Miss Wilbur has another cabinet distinction besides braving Washington heat. She's the only daughter of a cabinet member who knows how it feels to spend money earned by herself. The daughter of the navy secretary is a California high school teacher and she didn't give up her job just because her father is a member of President Coolidge's cabinet ... Miss Wilbur is a tall girl, with much pale yellow hair and a fair skin. Not pretty, but attractive looking. And not the debutante or flapper type. She is quiet and self-possessed. She has the voice and manner of a successful teacher. And --no, her hair is not bobbed! A Boston Globe article from April 13, 1924 says Edna graduated from Stanford with a degree in French. She was teaching at Chico High School. Leonard or Lyman, perhaps Paul?I've been doing some research on Curtis Wilbur and all the sites list his children as Edna, Paul and Lyman. Perhaps Leonard was a nickname or is this a typo? [Leonard Wilbur's name makes dozens of appearances in the historical archives of various newspapers. See the next comment up. - Dave] Dr. Leonard Wilbur's mission Young Leonard would lead an inspiring, but all too short, life. After graduating from medical school at Stanford (where his uncle had been a president) he and his wife embarked upon a mission to Northern China, starting a hospital in the province now known as Shanxi. First the communist insurgents invaded (and the Wilburs were reported missing) in 1936. They resurfaced, but in late 1937 the Japanese invaded Shanxi (and the Wilburs were again reported missing but resurfaced). On Easter in 1940, during the Japanese occupation, Leonard died of typhus. He was only 33. His wife survived, and became one of the heirs to father-in-law Curtis Wilbur's inheritence when he died in 1954. Sorry, Miss Edna.I guess you weren't the flapper I took you to be. The sly gleam must have been that look you gave your students to let them know you meant business. Wilbur childrenCurtis D Wilbur had 5 children... 1. Ralph 3/18/1903 - 3/24/1906 age ~3 2. Leonard 3/2/1907 - 3/24/1940 age 33. 3. Edna was 25 in this photo, and Leonard 17. From Pathways: A Story of Trails and Men (1968) by John W. Bingaman-- The Ledge Trail: "In 1871, James M. Hutchings had been guiding parties of hikers to Glacier Point over a most hazardous trail, which he had blazed up the Ledge and through the chimney and which climbed 3,200 feet in approximately one and a half miles to Glacier Point. This was the Ledge Trail. In 1918, it was repaired by the Park Service. It was a dangerous climb because it was partly built of solid rock, and extremely steep, much like a staircase. Rock slides occurred frequently causing accidents to climbers. Only up-travel was permitted by the park regulations in later years. After several major floods, rock slides, injuries, and deaths to climbers the park authorities deemed it necessary to close this trail to all hikers. The Author assisted in rescue parties several times on this trail." Edna hiked the Sierra's of California until she was 90. 4 & 5. Paul and Lyman lived until they were 100. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
The View From Here: 1864
... died n this war. My grandfather saw feathers n the air n Atlanta and at age 5, found it amazing. He learned later that Sherman and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 2:16pm -

1864. "Nashville, Tennessee. View from Capitol." Wet plate glass negative by George N. Barnard. View full size. In Union handsIf you were Sesech, it didn't look good for you in Nashville either. When this photo was taken, Nashville was already under Union control as it was the first Confederate capital to fall to Federal troops in February 1862. StatuesqueAn alternate view, along with a link (in the comments) to the story of the statues. Doesn't look good.When I look north I see Grant marching to Virginia, and to the south I see Sherman marching to the sea. Battle of Nashville Preservation Society "During the Union occupation of Nashville (1862-65), the Capitol was transformed into Fortress Andrew Johnson. The artillery located there never had to be fired in battle, but were used for drills and celebrations." That would explain the massive timbers blocking the steps. Men In BlackTake the clothes off the guy on the right and it would almost look like he belongs there, however I wouldn't want to see it. Five blocks awaySit I in my office (which was used as a hospital during the Civil War) Civil WarMy great-grandfathers died n this war. My grandfather saw feathers n the air n Atlanta and at age 5, found it amazing. He learned later that Sherman and troops were splitting all feather beds looking for hidden treasures. [How nteresting. - Dave] Almost existentialist. Every time I see these two remarkable photographs I think of how modern their composition is. For me, they're an inseparable pair which should be viewed sequentially, as here. (I'd have been most proud if I'd taken them). For the period -- hardly 30+ years since the invention of photography and barely having emerged from slow poisonous daguerreotype era -- these photographs, especially the second one, are just wonderful. Composition, lighting, photographic technology, happenstance, a first rate photographer and even a ladder have all combined to make what we today would understand as iconic prizewinning photos. The inclusion of the ladder is masterful, 'tis a mindbogglingly modern touch for 1864. Is that George N. Barnard himself holding the statues up (I wouldn't be s bit surprised)? Does anyone know for sure? (The Gallery, Civil War, Geo. Barnard, Nashville)
Sam Cooley: 1865
... in the Engineer Corps), did yeoman's service around Atlanta. -- Henry Wysham Lanier, Photographing the Civil War ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/25/2015 - 11:32am -

Circa 1865. "Wagons and camera of Sam A. Cooley, U.S. photographer, Department of the South." Wet plate glass negative. View full size. Photographing the Civil WarWe shall get some more glimpses presently of these adventurous souls in action. But, as already hinted, extraordinary as were the results of Brady's impetuous vigor, he was but one of many in the great work of picturing the war. Three-fourths of the scenes with the Army of the Potomac were made by Gardner. Thomas G. Roche was an indefatigable worker in the armies' train. Captain A. J. Russell detached as official camera-man for the War Department, obtained many invaluable pictures illustrating the military railroading and construction work of the Army of the Potomac, which were hurried straightway to Secretary Stanton at Washington. Sam A. Cooley was attached to the Tenth Army Corps, and recorded the happenings around Savannah, Fort McAllister, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Beaufort, and Charleston during the bombardment; George M. Barnard, under the supervision of General O. M. Poe (then Captain in the Engineer Corps), did yeoman's service around Atlanta. -- Henry Wysham Lanier, Photographing the Civil War Wow!How many megapixels has your camera got, mister? There's the rubI wonder how many glass plates were broken or had the emulsion rubbed off, regardless of packing, as they bounced around in the wagon. Packed in cotton or excelsior? (Was there excelsior yet?) [I think they'd be packed in negative cases. Large plush-lined boxes with edge-slots to hold the plates. - Dave] BureaucracyThere was a Department of the South? Civil War DepartmentsThe Union Army effectively split the country into Military Departments covering various geographic areas: Department of the West, Department of the Pacific, Department of the Cumberland, Department of New England and so on. The various Departments were responsible the installations and armies operating within these geographic regions. The Department of the South was one of these regions. At least initially the department consisted of Union held regions of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The signs on Sam Cooley's wagons would seem to indicate that he was effectively the "official" military photographer for the Department and presumably gave him much greater access than other photographers would get. (The Gallery, Civil War, Sam Cooley)
Fancy Grocery: 1935
... about the chimneys on the right. Is it possible that Atlanta in 1935 still had gaps where buildings were destroyed (by Sherman?) in ... possible, but then again, this was taken in Alabama, not Atlanta. Maybe Could be the result of Sherman's lesser-known "March to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 1:09am -

December 1935. "Coca-Cola shack in Alabama." Photograph by Walker Evans. Back in the 1930s just about any building or barn was like a Web site -- you could rent out the blank spaces for banner ads (in this case for the circus in Montgomery). View full size. ChimneysPretty cool. I wonder about the chimneys on the right. Is it possible that Atlanta in 1935 still had gaps where buildings were destroyed (by Sherman?) in the Civil War? SureIt's possible, but then again, this was taken in Alabama, not Atlanta. MaybeCould be the result of Sherman's lesser-known "March to the Gulf." fancy gro.When I was a kid in 1940s central California we had several stores like this still open for business... Scary looking back The chimneys are probably a result of the "Great Depression" when burned down houses and such were not rebuilt. If the owner was insured (not likely) they would take the money and the next train out of town. If not insured, most had no means to rebuild as there was no credit available and no money outside of the wealthy classes. Don DepositLooks like the horses left their deposits. Tenant Farm housesMy guess is that the two chimney represent old tenant houses, or perhaps a different kind of house. The bricks do not appear to be scorched, so I think we can cross Ole Sherman off the list! Houses or house was probably razed when the occupants left. We have a lot of these chimneys in North Florida. Just random-like in the woods. (The Gallery, Stores & Markets, Walker Evans)
Nitro Express: 1939
... office. Chapman then robbed the First National bank of Atlanta, Texas (twice). He was captured after the second robbery and given a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/14/2018 - 7:31pm -

October 1939. "Post office in the general store. Lamoille, Iowa." Let's see now. Stamps, ammo, and a case of Iten-Barmettler, please! Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Bullet PointsLook at that Remington poster with the boy and his Indian chief metal silhouette! I've tried to do just that, but only have luck with a punch and hammer. Everything's up to date in LaMoilleSocial Security was so new, they needed a poster explaining that they wanted to hand out money. (My grandfather's Social Security card, which was issued around this time, had a short explanation on the back, too, and gave an address in Washington where you could write for more information. My father's card, issued in the 1950s, had a different, but still relatively friendly, explanation, of how to use it. Mine is full of dire warnings about improper use.) You can also send mail on an AIRPLANE for only 3 cents! Not only that, but you can send insured parcel post packages to France, Italy, and Japan, and registered parcel post packages to Germany! (Limited time offer.) Love that kid's overallsWish I could find some like that today. For the same reason you can't at home.Or maybe Mom has other reasons why you can't spit on the floor. In any case, the sign helpfully offers one explanation. I can think of others, if you need more reasons to refrain. Frost Killer indeed!I'll bet 'ol man Winter didn't dare get close to that No. 218! Real P.O.Would not be an official Post Office if it did not have that wanted poster. Desperado: 1898-1942A thumbnail sketch of Irving Charles Chapman, seen on the Wanted poster at lower right, from Oklahombres.org: Irving Charles Chapman was born on December 29, 1898 in Philadelphia, Mississippi. During the stock market crash in the late 1920s, he lost all of his fortune, and decided to be a criminal instead. He began a series of kidnappings and bank heists in Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana. He began his criminal ways with a few minor arrests in Florida and New Jersey, before embarking on a decade-long career as a gangster. In 1932 he was sentenced to serve 9 to 14 years for a Miden, Louisiana, bank robbery. However, he and two others escaped from the Caddo Parish jail at Shreveport on December 5, 1932, by lowering themselves from their eighth-floor cell with a rope made from whatever they could find. Captured in 1934, he was wounded in a gunbattle with police and sentenced to 15 years for a bank robbery in Mississippi. He was turned over to Arkansas, where he received another 15-year term for another bank heist. He escaped from the Tucker Prison (some reports say he escaped from a Little Rock prison) on August 25, 1936, using a pistol taken from the warden's office. Chapman then robbed the First National bank of Atlanta, Texas (twice). He was captured after the second robbery and given a 60-year prison term. He was sent to Eastham Prison Farm, the same one Clyde Barrow was once imprisoned at. He along with infamous Oklahoma bandit Pete Traxler, as well as six others, escaped on June 22, 1937. All were captured or killed except Chapman. In 1939, he shot his way out of a police trap near his home town in Mississippi. In January 1942, he shot Patrolman Ralph McNair at Meridian and escaped. Finally, on February 22, 1942, he drove away from his residence and right into a roadblock. He was shot, and before dying told the police, "Go ahead and shoot, you bastards!" They didn't have to, as he succumbed to his wounds. He was buried at the Sandtown Cemetery at Sandtown, Mississippi. So ended the career of this famous outlaw! The Wanted PosterClick to enlarge. Different country, different decadeBut kind of reminds me of may preschool days when my grandma gave us a little change in order to run down to the neighbourhood grocery shop and have a Kaiser roll filled with a whippet cookie. Yummy. Alas, no more neighbourhood grocery stores. No more running down the street on one's own for a preschooler. And a white flour wheat product filled with foamed sugar and fat? That's just sooo nutritionally incorrect. Sam Drucker Seal of ApprovalWhile looking a little beat down in the photo, a nice condition Eclipse/Tappen "Frost Killer" stove today at auction might go for around $2,000+. Whether ol' No. 218 is still in the mix somewhere, who knows? WantedIRVING CHARLES CHAPMAN, for Bank Robbery It has an ageThat Eclipse #218 "Frost Killer" stove predates 1920, the year that the Tappan family of Mansfield, Ohio, changed the name of their stove company from Eclipse to Tappan. I'm undecided about whether the storekeeper is burning coal or wood (it could use either), but I am fairly certain that the stains below the firebox door are evidence of sitters-and-spitters-and-whittlers getting cranked up for the winter. And the case of Iten Barmettler? It's either crackers or cookies, both of which the Iten Barmettler Biscuit Company of Omaha made for years. They must be brothers The postmaster and the coffee grinder in this: https://www.shorpy.com/node/22928 Sure look as if they could be brothers. [They are the same person. -tterrace] [In the same store. - Dave] (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Kids, Stores & Markets)
Housewifery 101
... Wires and Gas When I first moved into my old house in Atlanta, a house built in 1910 or so, I found cloth-insulated wires for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/22/2012 - 8:38pm -

"McKinley School lab." Home economics at McKinley High School in Washington circa 1910. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Asbestos mat?Well at least they did not have guns, drugs, or knives. Ok, I'll biteWhat are the twin chains hanging from the ceiling for? [My guess would be damper chains. - Dave] Oh GoodIt's comforting to see that "1 - asbestos mat" is included in the chalkboard list of kitchen must-haves! Chains on the ceilingIf it's anything like the high school I went to the chains operate the sashes on skylights. As far as the asbestos mat,As far as the asbestos mat, Asbestos has a bad reputation because of asbestosis, but a well made asbestos blanket is perfectly safe as long as you don't let it get frayed. However, I think Dave's got the title wrong on this one... these young ladies aren't studying to be housewives, they're studying to be the hired help, kitchen maids or cooks, judging by how they're dressed. The room isn't even set up right to properly emulate a "normal" home of the era. Of course, I could be wrong.... [McKinley Manual Training School was, at least in name, a vocational high school. But that doesn't mean these ladies aren't learning the domestic arts while they're in the cooking lab. The aprons, like the aprons in any lab or kitchen, are there to protect your clothes. Something tells me there weren't many white girls in circa 1910 Washington pursuing careers in domestic service. - Dave] Combo lightsIt appears those lights are combination gas and electric- with a gas jet pointing up behind each bulb. [They're gas fixtures that have been wired for electricity. A common practice when electricity was replacing gas for illumination. - Dave] All right Dave, explainSo why do you think there weren't many white girls in circa 1910 Washington pursuing careers in domestic service? Seriously, do you know something I don't? From what I've read, photographs, etc, there seem to have been scads of white servants in that era. It's pretty darn common vocation for a girl of modest means, and those frilly white caps indicate a servant uniform. You don't see many housewives wearing those - strictly for the help. I'm not sure how being in Washington in 1910 would have changed that. Was there a highly localized white-domestic plague that year? [Anything is possible. Maybe McKinley High did have a "maid training" program where you got to play dress-up. Most of the girls shown taking food-preparation instruction in photos from this era are shown wearing aprons and caps. Then as now, food preparers in an institutional setting would wear a cap or hairnet. If these girls had career aspirations that involved cooking, I think nursing or restaurant work would be the more likely choices. The McKinley course offerings as listed in the Washington Post archives are pretty general -- machine shop, carpentry, motor repair, home economics. The classroom in our photo was the "domestic science" (home economics) lab. Instruction was given in "plain and fancy cookery," invalid cookery and menu planning. - Dave] I don't think it's jettingThe light fixture on the right has tubing coming out of what would be the jets, so I'm not sure where the flame was supposed to be. Unless... the ends were cut off and fixed with lightbulbs. But they're sorta facing downward instead of upward. [That's a rubber hose for something like a Bunsen burner. So the gas must still be connected. - Dave] I would have failed the classSince I really hate to cook! Gas hoses for tabletop useScary as it seems to me, combination gas and electric chandeliers also provided convenient sources for portable gas table fixtures via rubber hoses such as the one in this photo. I've seen a 1910 photo of a gas table lamp in the parlor of Ulysses S. Grant Jr.'s house in San Diego, using just such a hose dangling down from a gascock on the chandelier overhead. Wires and Gas When I first moved into my old house in Atlanta, a house built in 1910 or so, I found cloth-insulated wires for overhead lamps running through the gaspipes to every room ceiling. It confused me until I realized that electricity was added onto the house in the twenties. There were also the "knob and tube" ceramic insulators all over the attic. I got that overhauled quick! (The Gallery, D.C., Education, Schools, Harris + Ewing, Kitchens etc.)
Hank Aaron: 1934-2021
... record in sports for more than 30 years, died today in Atlanta. He was 86. -- New York Times Arron? Really? For the ... that? RIP I remember when he hit 714; we lived in Atlanta and although I was only 17 and living in an all-female household and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/22/2021 - 1:43pm -

September 8, 1955. "Hank Aaron standing in front of his locker with misspelled name in the Milwaukee Braves locker room." Photo by Phillip Harrington for Look magazine. View full size. Hank Aaron, Home Run King Who Defied Racism, Dies at 86         Hank Aaron, who faced down racism as he eclipsed Babe Ruth as baseball’s home run king, hitting 755 homers and holding the most celebrated record in sports for more than 30 years, died today in Atlanta. He was 86. -- New York Times Arron? Really?For the love of Pete. How long did it stay like that? RIPI remember when he hit 714; we lived in Atlanta and although I was only 17 and living in an all-female household and not yet a baseball fan, Hank's accomplishment was so celebrated that even those who weren't paying attention, sat up and took notice. There was such joy in the air. Four years and four months later, when my soon-to-be husband took me on our first date to see the Chicago White Sox defeat the Kansas City Royals 4-0 at old Comiskey Park, and in the ensuing years, he taught me about many of the greats, including Hank Aaron. Now we're die hard Cub fans but we love and have utmost respect for all baseball legends. Rest in Peace, Hank. Henry Was Consistent. Here's how to hit 755 home runs: start early, and end late. Henry hit 37 HRs at age 21, and 40 (in just 120 games) at age 39. His stats are especially impressive for a man who played half his career in the pitching-dominant 1960s. Looking at his stats online, I just noticed something for the first time: Henry received votes for MVP for 19 consecutive years. That must be a record. My first baseball gameAt the first pro baseball game I ever attended, in 1953, Hank Aaron played for the Jacksonville Braves. Aaron hit 22 home runs that season and I believe I saw one of them, though that particular memory might be influenced by the following 23 years. (In this photo he's standing at far right.) Hank?I learned from the NY Times obituary of Aaron that he never liked being called Hank. What an annoyance to have to go through life seeing your name in the headlines with a nickname you can't stand. Arron? Makes you wonder doesn't it.Watched an interview with him, he said breaking the home run record made his life miserable, death threats, kidnapping threats, etc to him and his family. Makes me sick to my stomach thinking about the pain and misery we brought on these magnificent human beings when we should have been lifting them up. Forgive us. My Henry Aaron memoryHad a friend in college here in Houston who hailed from Richmond Va, the home of the Braves’ AAA club. He loved Hank and the Braves. We went to the Astrodome in September of '73 with Hank sitting on 711 dingers. We were lucky enough to see him hit #712 that Saturday night. We went back on Sunday hoping that with some luck he’d hit two and we could at least see him tie Ruth. But he sat that one out. Still a fun memory. We got some sort of little certificate on our way out of the Dome with his photo and "I saw #712". I’ve got in buried in one of my many boxes of memorabilia. I always got a kick out of the fact that he and Al Downing were both wearing my college number (44) when Downing gave up #714. RIP, Henry Aaron A piece of my heartI was in Grade 11 when Aaron hit number 715, and I remember the historical impact of the moment. Thank you, Dave, for the link to the NYT article. It saddened me to read of all the racist crap, and I was moved when Aaron is quoted as having said about all the incidents: “All of these things have put a bad taste in my mouth, and it won’t go away. They carved a piece of my heart away.” He added, in 1994: “Any Black who thinks the same thing can’t happen today is sadly mistaken. It happens now with people in three-piece suits instead of with hoods on.” Move over BabeRest in peace Hammer. Charlie Grim and the boysIn the mid 50s my friends and I would frequently conclude watching a Milwaukee Braves game far outweighed the educational opportunities of Horace Mann Junior High School in West Allis, Wisconsin. The school was only a couple miles from Milwaukee County Stadium, so we could meet our academic responsibilities in the morning, and just not return after lunch. (My older sister was an invaluable resource by providing the note I needed the next day from my mom, justifying the absence.) But the real beauty was we could watch the games free. One of my co-conspirators had learned of a seating area the VA had set up on their property on top of a high steep hill that overlooked right field (Andy Pafko) of the ball park. The seating was provided for residents of the VA facility and we were always welcome to join them. One of us always had a portable radio and we listened to the play-by-play from Earl Gillespie as we watched from high on the hill. Henry Aaron of course was someone we always looked forward to seeing at bat, hoping for a homer with each pitch. Times were good. (LOOK, Milwaukee, Phillip Harrington, Sports)
Say Army: 1940
... 9, 1942, Kermit married Juliette Wilson Bennett of Atlanta. They had a daughter, Brenda Dale, and a son, Randy. In September ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 1:19pm -

Washington, D.C., June 1940. "New recruits join up. Kermit Kuhn, 21 years old, of Bayard, West Virginia, being examined by Army doctor Major Seth Gayle Jr." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. SuspendersNote to vintage clothing enthusiasts: His trousers have buttons for suspenders, but he's wearing clip ons. Clip ons were definitely in use back in the day. Wow!That would mean he was born in 1919 - and the same age as my parents! Hard to imagine my parents that young! 1-AGREETINGS! Report for immediate induction into the armed forces of the United States of America! Two years latermy father would lie about his age to fight in this war. I salute you Pvt Kuhn, and all others that gave their lives in this war. You did what you had to do. SadMy heart just broke a little. All the fine young men we've lost to wars. The greatest generation-We're losing a huge number of them now per day, and heroes such as Kermit never had the pleasure of growing old beside their loved ones. It's good to see their bright, optimistic young faces and remember the sacrifices all of them made to preserve our basic American freedoms, now by many taken for granted. CasualtyAlas, Kermit did not survive the war. He died 27 February 1945, and is buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial. 1919-1945 Kermit Dale Kuhn was born August 22, 1919, at Bayard, West Virginia, the third of six children born to Walter and Margaret Kitzmiller Kuhn. Kermit attended Bayard High School, where he played basketball and baseball. A star athlete, he was captain of the basketball and baseball teams and won the Bayard High School Athletic Award for his sportsmanship and athletic ability. Kermit was high point man in the basketball tournament at the Parsons sectional for three years. Private Kermit D. Kuhn entered the Army on June 21, 1940, and was trained Fort Benning and Camp Gordon in Georgia; Camp Howe, Texas; and Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. On December 9, 1942, Kermit married Juliette Wilson Bennett of Atlanta. They had a daughter, Brenda Dale, and a son, Randy. In September 1944, Kermit went overseas and received further training in England after which he saw action in France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany. In January 1945, Kermit, a member of the 309th Engineer Combat Battalion, 84th Division, was awarded the Bronze Star for the heroic act of administering first aid while under enemy fire to ten men who would have died without receiving it. His sister Mary Scripp received word from the War Department that Private Kermit D. Kuhn was killed in action in Germany on February 27, 1945. Private Kuhn was buried in the American Cemetery in the Netherlands. -- Kermit Dale Kuhn, West Virginia Division of Culture & History No war yetJune 1940 - still a year and a half from Pearl Harbor. Kermit probably had no idea that he'd be heading to Europe when this photo was taken. Makes it even more poignant that he didn't survive the war. [The war started in 1939. In June 1940, Germany had just invaded France and the Battle of Britain was only weeks away. Europe is exactly where he would expect to be sent. - Dave] Side noteMy father was wounded Jan 11 1945 near Samree, Belgium. He was in the 84th, 335th regimen. He met my mother a month or so before he was wounded. She was from Heerlen, Limburg, NL. She and her brother took care of graves at Margraten until, she came to the US in 1951 when she married my father. Small world. GrandfatherHe was my grandfather. I have his medic kit and flag. Thank you all for your comments. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Medicine, WW2)
Motive Power: 1926
... passenger train service between New York, Washington, Atlanta and New Orleans." Alexandria, Virginia, circa 1926. "Southern ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/21/2016 - 3:05pm -

        "The Crescent Limited, ace of the Southern Railway System's passenger train service between New York, Washington, Atlanta and New Orleans." Alexandria, Virginia, circa 1926. "Southern R.R. Co. Crescent Limited locomotive." Previously seen here and here. National Photo glass negative. View full size. Man at the Throttle PoseFrom the time they were built, over a period from 1923 to 1926, the Southern Railway's class 4-6-2 Pacific type locomotives have been recognized as among the most beautiful steam locomotives ever. Painted green, with gold lettering and decoration. Despite the engineer's pose, this engine isn't going anywhere very fast or very soon. It's third drive wheel is chained to the rail. HorsepowerSteam locomotives are unbelievably powerful machines. Though, as DepotHack pointed out, tractive effort (the amount of pulling force a locomotive can deliver to the rail) is the more usual measure of a locomotives strength, if this 1923 design steam locomotive were to be put on a treadmill to measure her horsepower, she would probably measure at a peak approaching 2,000 horsepower at a speed of about 45 mph. By the end of WWII steam locomotives approaching 8,000 hp were being built routinely. By comparison, the diesel locomotives which replaced steamers in the decade following WWII were generally rated in the range of 1500 to 1750 hp each, which they could produce only up to 18 mph after which their hp curve dropped dramatically. This is why it took, usually, 4 diesels to replace each steam engine on the head of a train. So, you ask yourself, why were the railroads of that decade of transition so eager to replace steam with diesel power? Answer: Labor and availability. A steam engine (at that time) was cheaper to build, but far more expensive to run. This locomotivewas painted green, I'm waiting for the coloured version. PowerA more meaningful measure than horsepower would be "tractive effort" and in the case of this beautiful passenger engine, the tractive effort is 47,500 lbs. Pretty impressive for a high speed passenger engine with 73 inch drivers! All I can say, even in 2016, is --What an awesome piece of machinery, engineering and design, wow. Sister Engine is at the SmithsonianThe sister engine to this 4-6-2 engine is on display at the Smithsonian. It is numbered No. 1401 and was the engine used to bring FDR's body back to Washington from Warm Springs, GA. See more here. 6x6 tractionI wonder how many HPs was this machine able to produce. MemoriesShorpy does it again! Made me think of my brother and me sleeping on our grandmother's screened-in back porch in a feather bed. This was in the late 40's. The train tracks were about 100 yards away and several times during the night we would wake up to a passenger train just passing through. We could see the lights in the cars and even the people sitting or moving around. Maybe Then'Tractive Effort' could also be compared to Torque in a regular engine, say, gas or diesel. Regardless of nomenclature, a very powerful machine and designed well before computers were there to assist. And what's more --The tractive effort used to pull the weight of the locomotive and all those cars is concentrated at just six small points on the rails. Each no larger than a silver dollar. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads)
Victory: 1943
... from the Bethlehem-Fairfields yards here. Atlanta Daily World, May 24, 1943. Race Captain at Helm of Douglass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/22/2013 - 10:46pm -

May 1943. Baltimore, Maryland. "Electric welders working on the Liberty ship Frederick Douglass at the Bethlehem-Fairfield shipyards." Photo by Roger Smith for the Office of War Information. View full size. V for VictoryWith apologies to our British friends. Family connectionAlthough I do not know who the two guys in the photo are, my maternal grandfather worked in the same shipyard during WWII. The late Senator Robert Byrd also worked in one of the Baltimore shipyards building ships during the war. No Liberty todayMaryland Shipbuilding and Drydock, the last name of this facility, was a B&ORR customer of mine in the 1970's, and a shadow of its WWII self. The site where Liberty ships were cranked out at a rapid rate for liberty, is today a facility for imported Japanese automobiles. Way back in the 1960's, my banker father helped MSD set up a pension and profit sharing program for its employees.To show their gratitude, MSD for many years sent a liveried driver by our house at Christmas time with a giftwrapped bottle of fine scotch for pop. SOSAbout five months later: On September 20th, 1943, German submarine U-238 attacks the New York-bound convoy ON-202, torpedoing U.S. freighters Frederick Douglass and Theodore Dwight Weld. British rescue ship Rathlin rescues all hands (40-men merchant complement, 29-man Armed Guard, and one female stowaway) from Frederick Douglass, which remains afloat until finished off later the same day by U-645. Theodore Dwight Weld sinks so quickly that 20 of the 42-man merchant complement and 13 of the 28-man Armed Guard perish. Rathlin rescues the survivors. Ref - Cressman R. J., Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in WWII Kilroy Was HereI half expect that any minute Kilroy will pop his nose over the top edge of that steel plate. SS Frederick Douglass Afro-American, May 22, 1943. Frederick Douglass Launching Saturday BALTIMORE — The Liberty Ship Frederick Douglass will be launched at the Fairfield, Md., yards of the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipbuilding Company at noon on Saturday, Willard Briscoe, company public director, said this week. … It was James Drury, local port agent for the National Maritime Union, who several months ago first requested the U.S. Maritime Commission to name a Liberty Ship after some famous Negro American. Later, officials of Local 43 asked that such a ship be launched from the Bethlehem-Fairfields yards here. Atlanta Daily World, May 24, 1943. Race Captain at Helm of Douglass WASHINGTON — A Negro captain and a colored and white crew were awaiting completion of the SS FREDERICK DOUGLASS at the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards, in Baltimore Md., this week, following the launch of the third Liberty Ship named for an outstanding Negro on May 22. The vessel was christened Saturday afternoon by Anne Wiggens Brown, Baltimore-born concert singer and original staff of “Porgy and Bess,” as the Negro master, 51-year-old Capt. Adrian Richardson, and three members of his crew witnessed the ceremony. Also present at the launching was Frederick Douglass III, grandson of the former slave who once worked as a ship caulker in the Baltimore area and who escaped from there in 1838 to become an internationally famous abolitionist, orator and editor. The grandson is now a public school teacher at Dunbar High School in Washington D.C. … The first Liberty Ship named for an outstanding Negro American, the SS BOOKER T. WASHINGTON, is already in active service under a Negro master, Capt. Hugh Mulzac. The second, the SS GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER, was recently launched at the Kaiser shipyards in Richmond, Cal. Captain Adrian RichardsonBaltimore Afro-American - Oct 5, 1943 (The Gallery, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, WW2)
The Ideal Brain Tonic
... ad for the Douglas, Thomas & Davison soda fountain in Atlanta, birthplace of Coke and home of the new Coca-Cola museum. [Credit: ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2007 - 5:35pm -

A very early use of Coca-Cola's now-familiar Spencerian script logo (at least the earliest example we could find in a newspaper archive of more than 64 million pages) was in this April 15, 1894, ad for the Douglas, Thomas & Davison soda fountain in Atlanta, birthplace of Coke and home of the new Coca-Cola museum. [Credit: NewspaperArchive.com] (Very Old Ads, Coca-Cola)
Eight Till Noon: 1865
... indeed, St. Michael's Episcopal still stands. Unlike Atlanta and Columbia and hundreds of other towns and villages along the way of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2012 - 9:28pm -

1865. "Charleston, South Carolina. Meeting Street, near Broad; St. Michael's Church in middle distance. Photograph of the Federal Navy, and seaborne expeditions against the Atlantic Coast of the Confederacy." View full size. Left half of a wet-collodion glass-plate stereograph. Juniper Gallery fine-art print. Tower in the distanceThe next tower down the street (with scaffolding): is that another church bell tower? Do any of these beautiful buildings still stand? Interesting.Interesting. The trees lining the street might have served as convenient ties as well as shade for the horses. Shorpy is one of my favorite sites: a wonderful window into the past. The treesI'm used to urban trees being planted in gaps in the sidewalk. Interesting that in this shot the sidewalk is paved but the road isn't, and the trees are in the road. Still Standing?Yes indeed, St. Michael's Episcopal still stands. Unlike Atlanta and Columbia and hundreds of other towns and villages along the way of Sherman's march to the sea, Charleston was largely bypassed by the general's hordes. The battery area of Charleston dates to well before the War between the States -- quite a bit is pre-Revolutionary. Well worth a visit if you enjoy old architecture, great food and friendly, welcoming people. CharlestonThis looks like it the opposite end of the street of "After the Bombardment." Blurred man on sidewalkNotice the guy walking along the sidewalk on the left. He is blurred from his movement. He takes about four steps. There's also someone exiting the dark space between the columns on the right -- also blurred. And of course there's the people seen off in the distance. [On the right, I think that's a lady with a hat going into the building. - Dave] Street TreesThat's interesting that trees are planted right in the street, not enclosed like trees would be today. Re: Tower in the distanceI think the tower in the distance is the Circular Church, which was restored. It and the bigger church in this picture are still standing today. Charleston still looks quite like this picture... just with cars on the streets, and no trees planted in the road. [Yes, the tower with the scaffold is the Circular Congregational Church, which was being rebuilt after a fire in 1861. - Dave] +145The view is looking north from just below Broad. The beautiful house on the right remains as does one on the left. Below is the same view from May of 2010. (The Gallery, Charleston, Civil War)
Peachtree Street: 1957
... We are looking north on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta on August 30, 1957. On the left is one of Atlanta's two principal department stores, Davidson's; also, the Roxy Theater ... 
 
Posted by prrvet - 03/21/2018 - 4:53pm -

We are looking north on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta on August 30, 1957. On the left is one of Atlanta's two principal department stores, Davidson's; also, the Roxy Theater that ran second runs. I remember seeing "Grapes of Wrath" there. The clowns on the tiny motorcycle are part of the annual Shriners' convention. Kodachrome slide by me, William D. Volkmer. View full size. Pickup truckIf I owned that Chevy pickup right now, the only thing I'd change would be the spark plugs. S & W CafeteriaI discovered the S&W cafeteria in 1962 while attending my first AT&T school. For five weeks, I ate lunch and dinner there every day. With a dish of strawberry shortcake for dessert. All of $5.50 a day for meals. We also got $2 a week for bus fare. We walked to and from the hotel and classroom (both a little farther up Peachtree Street) and bought a carton of unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes. Good times. Yellow & GreenThat '54 Chevrolet on the right was the exact color combo my parents new '54 Chevrolet. Popular at the time, but Dad always bought white cars after that. Even at 10 I thought it was a bit much. Couple of Things:The department store was Davison's, not "Davidson's." It was originally The Davison-Paxon Company, but was acquired by Macy's in the '50s or early '60s. It remained Davison's until the '80s, when Macy's began the branding madness that destroyed local department store history all across America. It was the less popular of Atlanta's two major department stores, with the fabled Rich's being most shoppers' first choice, despite Rich's having a less convenient downtown location. The Roxy did end up as a second-run theater, but at the time of the photo and for many years afterwards, was a first-run house. Two of its major runs were 1962's "Cleopatra" and 1964's "My Fair Lady," the latter of which ran there for eight months, if memory serves. RE: S & W CafeteriaNostalgia is a wonderful thing we all find comforting and fun, but need to occasionally remove a little of the sugar coating. Adjusted for inflation, $5.50 would be $45.35 today, which is about right for two meals. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
A Dark Chapter, in Color
... and brick sidings; North facing I suspect. Having lived in Atlanta for many years, I think the dirt streets might be a touch more orange ... 
 
Posted by Fredric Falcon - 09/20/2011 - 1:22pm -

Maybe seeing a scene from the slavery era in color will remind us of how very real those times were. Here's my concept of how this scene might have looked. Up above...I love the trompe l'oeil. Great WorkIt's amazing how the fact that all Civil War photography was black and white makes the era seem less real. I have seen CW pictures which were hand-painted in the 19th century, and they still have that unreal look, not at all like modern colorization. May I have permission to use this image in our local Civil War Roundtable newsletter? Beautiful work!Seems very real; especially the stained and moldy wood and brick sidings; North facing I suspect. Having lived in Atlanta for many years, I think the dirt streets might be a touch more orange in color due the red clay so ever present in Georgia. Great job! Amazing!I agree completely. When you look at old black and white photographs it's hard to believe we are seeing scenes from the past that were once completely real and colorful and full of life. It's like seeing an old movie; one tends to believe that "old timers" lived in black and white only, or that their presence is in some level unreal, as false and fictitious as the strange grayscale we see on the scene. But things change dramatically when you see the same scene in full color! Suddenly the old, impersonal buildings and streets come to life, speaking to the viewer of a circumstance and a period of time that, its antiqueness notwhistanding, is as real as our current cotidianity. The bizarre, Kafkaesque scene becomes human again; the buildings stop being props or mere silhouettes and become the work of men; and the ads and messages painted on their walls speak again of the reality current when the photo was taken. We are transported in time; our eyes are privileged to see a scene that had not been truly seen by anyone in over 140 years. You see the scene and wonder: how different will things be 140 years from now? How our great-grandchildren react when they see a plain, two-dimensional image of our era? will they be awed by the simple little facts of daily life captured in that image, will they have the same sentiment of longing we experience at seeing this old relics of a bygone past? What more to say? An excellent job, definitely blends artistic ability with technological improvements. Thank you very much for sharing it with us! Seems so immediateExceptional work again, Fredric. The well chosen colors make the past seem so much more immediate, to color-accustomed eyes. (Before photography, did anyone dream in black and white?) You know what they say --"Those who do not remember the pastel are condemned to repeat it." ThanksPalm Springs John, I never considered that the street dirt should be clay-colored. I've changed it and replace the photo with the upgraded version. Is this more accurate? Too much red? I don't live in the South, so let me know if it's accurate yet. Mike Brown, sure you can use this photo in your newsletter, if it's OK with Dave. I'd like to see it when it's published. Is there any way I can? Thanks for your comments. Newsletter> Mike Brown, sure you can use this photo in your > newsletter, if it's OK with Dave. I'd like to > see it when it's published. Is there any way I can? Most of our members get it in PDF form, so it'll be easy. E-mail your address to wb2jwd@htva.net, and I'll be happy to send it along. A marvelous job with a tough image.Nicely done. Georgia dirt is nearly impossible to colorize (at least for me). It comes in all sorts of shades from bright red to orange to brown – and it changes color based on moisture and heat. At times – like in the dry fall months when this was taken – it dries to a very light –almost white - brown (like baked clay). In reality, the signs and wood would have been nearly devoid of pigment. By the summer of 1864 the south – poor in the best of times – had been existing under the most severe privation and these buildings had been neither painted nor whitewashed in many years. The wood would have been a dark, weathered grey. The brick building at the far right is the Concert Hall, and it sat right up against the main line of the railroads. Years of steam and southern humidity would have made the 365-days-a-year of heavy smoke and pine soot penetrate every crevice of the masonry. The mildew is a nice touch. (I really don’t mean to be critical at all; you’ve done a marvelous job with a tough image.) (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Colorized Photos)
The Case of the Dented Dodge
... but there are still some of them in use here in the Atlanta area. [I believe the hanging "X" signs relate to the rail tracks ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/08/2016 - 9:01pm -

Oakland circa 1953 and another vehicular misadventure, this time starring the bike that couldn't quite dodge a Dodge. Cameos by two Cadillacs. View full size. Lane MarkersI don't know exactly how those old lane markers (X) are operated, but there are still some of them in use here in the Atlanta area. [I believe the hanging "X" signs relate to the rail tracks that appear to be running along the cross street. -tterrace] 19 cent hamburgersThat seems rather high for 1953, especially since they didn't have to go far to get the meat. X for a CrosswalkI remember seeing those "X" signs used to indicate to drivers that a pedestrian crosswalk was located below. 19¢ hamburgers!Those 19 cent hamburgers would be nice in this day of low wages and tight budgets. The 19¢ hamburger story continuesIt was probably about this time that the Hi-Fi Drive-In on U.S. 101 in downtown Petaluma, California put up their "19¢ Hamburgers" sign, the "19¢" in huge, neon-and-bulbs-illuminated letters. It was my first lesson in the realities of economics when at some point in the 1960s the "Hamburgers" under the "19¢" was changed to "Fries." X for Ped Xing?I remember them as markers for pedestrian crossings. We appear to be at the intersection of Telegraph and Grand, looking down Telegraph with Grand as the cross street. The Key System ran down Telegraph, no tracks on Grand: http://djjr-courses.wikidot.com/soc128:project13-key-system Cancel Previous TransmissionRailroad crossing is plausible, you can see the overhead trolley wires as well as the tracks. Now I'm confused as to which way we're looking. It's only been fifty plus years since I was at that intersection. MEATS MEATSYou just don't see signs like that anymore. Scene todayThanks to the Google Street View Time Machine: You Have Reached Your DestinationX marks the spot! (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, News Photo Archive, Signal 30)
Let's Go Play In Traffic: 1957
... taken by me, William D. Volkmer, on August 30, 1957, on Atlanta's Peachtree Street in the theater district during a Shriners ... realized it was an electric coach (something I never knew Atlanta had) and not a bus, so there would be no exhaust pipe. Instead it seems ... 
 
Posted by prrvet - 03/16/2018 - 3:38pm -

This Kodachrome slide was taken by me, William D. Volkmer, on August 30, 1957, on Atlanta's Peachtree Street in the theater district during a Shriners convention. I was entering my Senior year at Georgia Tech. View full size. '50s KodachromeThere is nothing like 1950s Kodachrome slide film for busy street scenes like this. I really wish I could get this look out of my digital files. I have a couple of Fujis equipped with Classic Chrome. It's a good look but it's certainly not this. They save lots of paradesI have to mention that many of the smaller towns and cities I've lived in had their parades saved by Shriners who volunteered to perform on their motorcycles, small cars, trikes and what-have-you with clowns, their trademark red fezzes, and other costumes to fill in for the lack of enthusiastic marchers and perhaps poor planning by the parade planners, to step in and make something out of what would have been a pretty lame performance and turned it into a laughter-filled and enjoyable good time for the kids and adults who took the time to attend and participate. One small city I lived in in the Southwest (I won't point the accusatory finger) was supposed to have their first St. Pat's Day parade and the day before, all they had was the Irish mayor in a green suit carrying his Carmel Quinn album and two Irish setters willing to participate, but since the Shriners were nearby at a convention, they all came to the rescue and saved the day with a fun-filled celebration for all the spectators and were very much appreciated. Good on them. I Was a Teenage WerewolfCurrently playing at the Paramount and starring a young Michael Landon, a couple of years before his role in Bonanza. Julie Andrews in the skyI stayed with my cousin for a month (my parents were living in France) in an apartment just off of Peachtree Street in the summer of 1965 while waiting for my freshman year to start at the University of Georgia. That billboard on the top of that building featured a huge version of the iconic image of Julie Andrews spinning in a mountain meadow promoting "The Sound of Music," that year's biggest film. I saw it every day when I'd walk to the drugstore for a Coke. Diners Club HonoredBefore the ubiquity of Visa/MasterCard/Discover credit cards, this was a selling point worth enshrining on permanent signage. Similar to "Color TV" and "Air Conditioning" on 1950s motel signs. Invasion of the Saucer MenThis was the second feature https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la9VXiM8GJU My first motorcycleThe closest motorcycle is a Cushman Eagle. I got mine as a basket case when I was 15. I don't remember how many cc's it had but it did have a two speed transmission with the shift lever on the tank. It had an arm on the front of the engine you stepped on to start it. There was a small piece of key stock that kept shearing. I got real good at pushing it and jumping on to bump start it. I've been riding over 50 years now. Hot, cold, rain, or sun, I have loved every minute of it. Have a CigarI thought at first that there was an exhaust pipe jutting out under the middle of the bus closest to the camera, until I realized it was an electric coach (something I never knew Atlanta had) and not a bus, so there would be no exhaust pipe. Instead it seems to be a remarkably thick but rather short cigar clenched between that baby-faced Shriner's teeth. Those were the days. CushmanYes! The bike appears to be a Cushman. Made in my hometown of Lincoln Nebraska. An interesting little scooter. The Cushman aficionado still have annual (I believe) conferences/swap meets. Frances Virginia Tea RoomAt the end of the block on the right side of the photo, one can see the sign for the Frances Virginia Tea Room. Owned and run by Frances Virginia Wikle Whitaker, was located in the Collier building from 1931 until 1962, although Ms. Whitaker had retired in 1944. It is the subject of a 2012 masters' thesis written by Mildred Coleman, a Georgia State graduate student who is the niece of the restaurant's manager at the time of this photo. The sign remained until the late 1970s. The building was demolished and replaced with the Peachtree Station of the metropolitan transit system. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Banana Boat: 1903
... to judge events in New Orleans by the standards of, say, Atlanta or Birmingham, especially on the basis of a vignette. Unloading a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:39pm -

Circa 1903. "Unloading bananas at New Orleans, Louisiana." An alternate view of this scene. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Reminds me of my former officeI counted 57 people in the scene around the "reefer", 17 of them were leaning, posing, smoking pipes, and watching all the others doing the actual work, nothing has changed. Union JackThe ship being unloaded is flying the Civil Ensign of Great Britain. This merchant flag has the Union Jack in the canton and a red field. Note the thicknessof the doors of the refrigerated rail car in the foreground. Also note that all the longshoremen are white. Southern cities generally had competing black and white longshoremens' unions. Wooden Railroad car...and moreAs a railroad historian, the wooden reefer car grabbed my attention- Arched bar trucks, outside body hung brake beams - outside of the airbrake line this car could have been built in 1880. The Fruit Growers Express and Continental Growers Express were owned by Armour & Co. and they operated until the early 20th century when they were broken apart in a nasty monopoly case. As a labor historian, I was bemused by the relatively few African-Americans unloading fruit. The New Orleans water front was controlled by a number of unions, mostly segregated (hey! it was 1903! That any at all were integrated is amazing), but a set of agreements had been setup by the Port's Council of Unions which set quotas for the workers supplied by the 'black unions' and 'white unions'for any particular job- the work gangs should have been more mixed up if it was a normal crew. This workforce is largely European. This leads me to suspect that this may be an image taken during one of the fairly common labor strikes. The companies (Railroad and Fruit shippers) would hire strike breakers among the recently arrived immigrants to replace the union workers during the strike. These jobs were very desirable. The union wages for longshoremen was 40 cents an hour in 1903 New Orleans compared to that of railway cargo handlers at around 30 cents an hour. Both groups would work unloading and loading fruit. This was a good wage in 1903 (a beer was 20 cents) and a blue-plate dinner was 75 cents (no payroll taxes either) and these jobs were in high demand. This photo (and its other view) lead me to believe that these are at the Thalia Street Wharf just down river from the Garden District in New Orleans. The loafers are a mixture of foreman, a coat watcher (who apparently likes bananas (look at the peels), and probably a few stevedores (labor brokers).. Lots of WorkNew Orleans is and has always been a different place. It's a city in the South, but not a "Southern city" in the sense of the often fairly accurate stereotype. There were businesses and organizations composed entirely of blacks, others that were white, and a few that were integrated. The groups dealt with one another fairly freely but didn't mingle as individuals, and while black and mixed groups were somewhat lower-status than those of whites it wasn't by much. There were many wealthy and middle-class blacks, who held their own in the general society. This arrangement survives today, at least somewhat, visible in the "crewes" who set up the Mardi Gras floats and extravaganzas. As ajlcary notes, before the general unrest and union consolidation of the Thirties, the New Orleans waterfront was organized along those lines. There were many small Unions, each represented on the Council of Union leaders. As recently as the late Sixties, there were groups continuing the tradition within the overall subhead of the ILA. Union leaders tended to assign them to work as groups, rather than as individuals. It is never wise to judge events in New Orleans by the standards of, say, Atlanta or Birmingham, especially on the basis of a vignette. Unloading a banana boat in the days before useful mechanization involved several different tasks, some nastier than others, and during the unloading the groups involved would trade off after the breaks. It's entirely possible that, at the moment the photograph was taken, there was a black Union "diving" in the hold (the nastiest job) and a white Union "passing", that is, on deck transferring fruit along the deck (the easiest work), while the mixed group we see "docks", loads the freight car. An hour or so later we might well have seen the white group docking, the blacks passing, and the mixed group down in the dark, dirty, tarantula-infested hold. Another hour might have produced another tradeoff, and most of the people we would see on the gangplank and dock would be black. United Fruit CompanyStack logo of the steamship is that of the United Fruit Company which ceased operations (at least its fleet did) in 1970. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, New Orleans, Railroads)
Five Cents' Worth: 1941
... Anyone else have an opinion? Cornbread and cabbage were Atlanta School System staples well into the 1960s, as I have reason to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/28/2019 - 4:53pm -

June 1941. "Eating a five-cent hot lunch at the Woodville public school. Greene County, Georgia." Happy Thanksgiving from Shorpy! Photo by Jack Delano. View full size. Mother's chinaI have those same divided Blue Willow plates that my mother had since her wedding in 1939. Surprised to see them in a school lunch program. What was the Menu of the Day?I think I'm seeing cornbread, boiled cabbage, a small slice of ham, and some fruit cobbler - not a bad lunch at all for that time and place. Anyone else have an opinion? Cornbread and cabbage were Atlanta School System staples well into the 1960s, as I have reason to remember. Before it all got turned over to McDonald's and like vendorsEven in a 1960's fairly affluent town, school lunch was still only about 40 cents, and a relatively balanced meals prepared on site. A BargainThat would be 88 cents today. Lunch inflationBy 1956 the cost of a similar lunch at my school, Wheeless Road Elementary School in Augusta, Ga., had gone up to 25 cents. Still a deal, though. We got a meat, two vegetables, dessert, milk, and the best yeast rolls I've ever tasted. Airline MealUnrecognizeable entree and dessert. Not worth itYou would have to pay me to eat that, I can't even identify that mess! Culinary relativityConsidering the recipes my grandmas used to cook in the best of times in the 1970s and considering what my dad told me about the lean times of his youth this would have been Sundays every day to them in the 1940s. And prepared daily on-site, from mostly local and seasonal ingrfedients (because they didn't know any other way yet)? That's called slow food these days. Hey, count me in! Southern MemoriesMy third- and fourth-grade days were spent in rural Haw River, North Carolina; a one-building school district attended by children of fabric mill workers and dirt poor tobacco farmers (and me, a recent Pennsylvania transplant whose dad was an engineer in a nearby city). Lunch in the cafeteria was the highlight of my day. Those lunch ladies fixed us fresh buttermilk biscuits every day and always something warm and filling. I first ate ham and navy bean soup there and, even though I'm now 72, still take every available opportunity to have a bowl of that less-than-nutritious concoction. Culinary Delight, by period standardsMy father-in-law worked for Department of Agriculture school lunch program in the upper Midwest during this time. His photos show farm kids eating food that was served with a ladle from a large pot on a metal plate. And, Brett, they all had smiles on their faces -- they were poor farm kids and they were hungry. Lucky kids in Georgia! A flyis waiting patiently for some scraps. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Kids, Thanksgiving)
Chattanooga Depot: 1864
... year, when Chattanooga was the base for Sherman's Atlanta campaign." Wet plate glass negative, half of stereo pair, photographer ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/16/2008 - 8:04am -

1864. Chattanooga, Tennessee. "Boxcars and depot with Federal cavalry guard beyond. From photographs of the War in the West. Battle of Chattanooga, September-November 1863. Photograph probably taken the following year, when Chattanooga was the base for Sherman's Atlanta campaign." Wet plate glass negative, half of stereo pair, photographer unknown. View full size. Pardon me boys...Who knew the Chattanooga Choo Choo was a United States Military Railroad? Won't you choo-choo me home?It's the Chattanooga Choo Choo! Sacks in the boxcarWonder if it's grain for the cavalry horses... Chattanooga DepotDuring Sept-Nov 1863 the Federal forces were besieged at Chattanooga and no rail traffic entered the city. What supplies did manage to get through came from the north side of the Tennessee River on what is known as the "Cracker Line." Once the rebels were forced from the heights of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge and put into full retreat, the city became a depot for Sherman's offense in Georgia. We used to own a house on Missionary Ridge and I have walked all over the battle area. Many Union veterans settled in Chattanooga after the war and Chickamauga battlefield (and parts of Chattanooga) became the first National Military Park. The rail depot was in the part of town where one can today find the Chattanooga ChooChoo, a hotel. Not what Glenn Miller had in mindNot the luxurious Chattanooga Choo Choo of Glenn Miller big band fame, that's for sure. (The Gallery, Civil War, Railroads)
Mount Airy: 1938
... point of which was to be the escape from the burning of Atlanta via flying carpet. Re: Epic that never was. Shh, not so loud, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 11:07am -

1938. "Mount Airy -- St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana." At Mount Airy, they're well fixed in the cistern department. I think they give the place a festive air. 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. It looked better from the frontThe house and outbuildings were demolished about 1954 to make way for a Kaiser Aluminum plant. Cistern?They look more like brethren to me. Epic that Never WasSadly, this abandoned set is all that remains of the aborted remake of "Gone With the Wind," originally slated to star Maria Montez and Jon Hall, the high point of which was to be the escape from the burning of Atlanta via flying carpet. Re: Epic that never was.Shh, not so loud, someone in Hollywood might hear you and give it the green light! Scarlet, honeyY'all just have to come see our 'lectric lights. AND, they don't have to clean the lamp chimneys but once a month! What will those yankees think of next? The house is raisedwould that be when the surrounding area is under water? Family HouseThis is my families home. My grandmother grew up here,my entire life I have looked for some pictures of this house, and I want to thank you guys for putting them up here. It is sad because my grandmother just passed away but she would have loved to seen this house one last time. It has since been demolished by Marathon Oil. As well as it was Cisterns. AGain thank you and any other pictures or sources you guys might have my family and I would love. THANKS! (The Gallery, F.B. Johnston)
Parcel Post: 1914
... Whites and Wagenhals had been dispersed as follows: Atlanta, Ga., 2 Whites; Baltimore, 3 Whites; Brooklyn, 3 Whites, Buffalo, 2 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 6:47pm -

Washington, D.C., 1914. "Post Office Department -- parcel post." A scene outside the post office on Pennsylvania Avenue in its final year of operations before it moved and the building became known as the Old Post Office. View full size. U-shaped bracketsNice truck! I'd love to have it in that condition right now. My question is, what are those big u-shaped brackets in front of the radiator? Maybe for headlights? If so, what are the smaller lights mounted on either side of the dashboard? Oh, and of course, what make and year is the truck? [The small lamps are running or parking lights. - Dave] In the DarkWhere are the headlights? Parcel Post serviceThis was the year after the Post Office Department began domestic Parcel Post service. Originally, a series of special stamps was issued. "Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow"Only darkness will stop them from their appointed rounds. Notice the headlights seem to be missing from the bracket holders. Dark of Night"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds". I think the "gloom of night" might stay this one. Righty?Right hand drive? Was that common in those days? [Still the case for mail delivery vehicles. -tterrace] KisselKar truckThis is a 1913 KisselKar truck, made by the Kissel Motor Car Company of Hartford, Wisconsin. In July 1913, to prepare for the domestic Parcel Post delivery service that tterrace mentioned, the United States Post Office Department's Committee of Award accepted a bid by the White Company for 20 vehicles rated at 3/4 ton capacity. They cost $2,060 each and had to be equipped with either pneumatic or cushion tires, depending on what the Post Office decided. The Post Office also ordered 21 Wagenhals Motor Car Company three-wheeled vehicles that had 800 pounds capacity. Powered by a 20 hp water-cooled four-cylinder engine, they cost $625 each (visually similar to the less expensive electric version below). Located in Detroit, the Wagenhals Motor Car Company would reorganize just a month later as simply the Wagenhals Motor Company. Both the Whites and the Wagenhals had to be delivered to Cleveland, Ohio within sixty days. A year later the Post Office was advertising for bids for spare parts for these vehicles, which included: "Transmission and cup grease, horn bulbs, cylinder and heavy oil, blow out and tube patches, pressure gauges, cushion and pneumatic tires, inner tubes, tire tape, valve parts and tools, vulcanizing rubber, etc." The winner of the bid had to supply each individual post office named in the contract, and the parts just couldn't be dumped in front—the bid proposal stipulated that "All the supplies must be delivered at and within the doors of the post offices." The bid proposal noted that the Whites and Wagenhals had been dispersed as follows: Atlanta, Ga., 2 Whites; Baltimore, 3 Whites; Brooklyn, 3 Whites, Buffalo, 2 Whites; Columbia, S. C, 1 Wagenhals; Columbus, O., 2 Wagenhals; Detroit, 2 Wagenhals; Louisville, 2 Whites; Memphis, 3 Wagenhals; Minneapolis, 4 Whites; Nashville, 3 Wagenhals; Norfolk, Va., 2 Wagenhals; Philadelphia, 6 Whites, Richmond, Va., 2 Wagenhals. Two possibilitiesThe headlamps are, being actual brass lanterns, probably on a bench getting cleaned and filled (or re-carboned). No reason to rattle around with them on the truck all day long. Or maybe they just don't drive this truck at night. [Many if most trucks of the era didn't have headlights. The brass fixture illustrated below is an acetylene gas lamp. - Dave] Believe it or notIn the early years of the auto business the lights were optional. I suppose driving after dark was pretty dicey even with the improved illumination provided by acetylene. For a business that normally operated during daylight hours I imagine that the expense and hassle of the lights was not worthwhile. Speedy Delivery Washington Post, March 2, 1913. Five Kissel cars, bought by the government for parcel post in the city of Washington, D.C., have been placed in service after a thorough inspection by Postmaster General Hitchcock and Postmaster Merritt, of Washington. They are 30-horsepower wagons of 1,500 pounds carrying capacity, and are painted a brilliant red. On its initial run one of the cars made 152 stops between 8:30 a.m. and 12 noon. Brilliant red was not what I was picturing for this vehicle when first looking at the photo. I had thought a more institutional green or dark blue, but with enough squinting I can begin to imagine red, perhaps a color chosen to express speed and priority. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Family Porchrait: 1939
... live in an electrified house until she was 20 and moved to Atlanta. They are dumb-founded. Rural electrification was a great thing. The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/24/2012 - 12:53pm -

January 1939. Chicot Farms, Arkansas. "Husband and wife on porch of farm house." Photo by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size. New Home OwnershipI can feel the pride they have showing off their new home; all white and pretty. Are those some kind of manufacturer stickers on the window panes? You know, like Minnie Pearl's hat with price tag still attached. Ma & Pa KettleAnd from the looks of that ax, Joan Crawford is probably lurking somewhere nearby. Christmas lights?Those "stickers" in the window look like Christmas lights (which would be somewhat appropriate since it's January). It's hard to tell if they're really lights or just stickers. Okay, I'm going with Christmas light stickers. Just mucking aroundBesides fishing, you'd need the boots when doing the chores such as feeding the hogs or mucking out the stable. You wouldn't want to be stepping in that stuff with regular shoes. Also, Ms Hen might not be ready to meet her demise. On family farms, it would be the poorest layers who'd meet their doom first. Uniroyal, Red Ball or LaCrosse?No signs of fishing equipment in the scene, so I wonder - why the hip boots? Ms. Hen in the left background may be the guest of honor for that chopping block. [I truly love old farm scenes.] ElectricityIf these folks didn't have power for a radio, they probably didn't have power for Christmas lights. Chopping blockBlock could most certainly be used on ms hen's neck, however, the block was most likely for chopping firewood. A hatchet for the hen, an ax for the wood. Hip BootsI have no idea why he's wearing those boots, but to SJBill's comment about fishing, it seems that Chicot Farms was/is located on Chicot Lake. Boots on the groundBoot are a must have on a farm. Animal muck everywhere. I wore mine all the time. No worries and when you are done you can spray them with the hose before you take them off. I tell young friends that my Mother didn't live in an electrified house until she was 20 and moved to Atlanta. They are dumb-founded. Rural electrification was a great thing. The electric company's would never have done it. To few customers to justify the lines. Also, great dog! Dawg on the left"I smell a cat around here somewhere..." (The Gallery, Cats, Dogs, Russell Lee)
The Help: 1939
May 1939. "Negro domestic servant. Atlanta, Georgia." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm ... Administration. View full size. (The Gallery, Atlanta, Kids, Kitchens etc., M.P. Wolcott) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2019 - 5:23pm -

May 1939. "Negro domestic servant. Atlanta, Georgia." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. (The Gallery, Atlanta, Kids, Kitchens etc., M.P. Wolcott)
Showtime in Chicago: 1941
... What, they were going to clip out the burning of Atlanta because the show ran long?? Oy gevalt! Late Arrivals I hope ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/11/2019 - 4:09pm -

April 1941. "The movies are popular in the Negro section of Chicago. Regal Theater and Savoy Ballroom in the Southside neighborhood." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Looked the same in 1961when I was producing a series of Chicago jazz sessions for Riverside Records. I took this photo then—notice Sam Cooke and The Drifters were on the bill. This ain't a rehearsalI know it's been said before, but I love the way people used to dress up to go out. I still dress up when I go out. You live one time; dressing up is a nod to the uniqueness of every day. [As well as, in this case, Easter Sunday. - Dave] All the more reason to resurrect the custom of dressing up to go out. The first car is a 1940 Mercury. I bought one in 1968, and restored it by 1972. I used it for about 40 years, and then gifted it to a young friend who will take care of it for many years to come. UneditedI find it sorta remarkable that on the coming attractions, the Regal found it necessary to say they’re showing GWTW with “Nothing Cut but the Price”. What, they were going to clip out the burning of Atlanta because the show ran long?? Oy gevalt! Late ArrivalsI hope these filmgoers got a break at the box office in April of 1941. Both "The Philadelphia Story" and "Life With Henry" were released and had already been shown in movie houses in 1940. Previously on Shorpy ...We've been to the Savoy for roller skating a couple of times. The Coasters: 1941 Saturday Night: 1941 I hear a MeadowlarkIn addition to movies and roller skating, the Savoy also had basketball exhibitions by the Savoy Big Five, who later changed their name to the Harlem Globetrotters. Basie at the SavoyIt looks as if Count Basie was playing the Savoy ... can you imagine? ObservantI'm fascinated that the ones who noticed Mr. Lee are all children. So many of them are looking directly at the camera. Also, The Philadelphia Story is worthy of many, many viewings. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, Movies, Russell Lee)
West Hotel: 1905
... or less stopped after the "fireproof" Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta burned on December 7, 1946, killing 119. (The Gallery, DPC, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 6:00pm -

Minneapolis, Minnesota, circa 1905. "West Hotel." Busy both architecturally and commercially. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Mass transit then and nowCould the young couple standing under the arched overhang be waiting for Jesse Ventura's light rail? Prof. HillMight have seen that Billard sign as a call to arms to save the city from itself. West Hotel - 1927Here's a picture of the hotel in 1927, looking a bit darker than it is in the above photograph. Most likely due to lighting. [It would also be due to soot. Masonry buildings turn black after years of exposure to coal smoke. - Dave] Things Go BetterFred C Weinhold had himself a great spot for his Drug Store, right out on the street in front of the West Hotel and more than likely with an entrance to the shop from inside the hotel itself. He was also supported by the Coca-Cola Company, in their infinite advertising wisdom, with a sign right at the entrance to the store. Before the blazeA 1900 tourist guide described the West as fireproof, but January 10, 1906, showed otherwise. That morning, a fire that began in the bottom of an elevator shaft spread upward, generating toxic smoke, and eventually flames that ran through the top floors. Ten died, several by leaping or falling to their deaths from those many ledges. But the structure remained intact, and within months the hotel was again hosting major national conventions. The loss of this beauty can't be blamed on urban renewal. It was demolished in 1940, at the choice of its owner, Philadelphia Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Co. FireproofThe term "fireproof" was originally used by insurance companies simply to denote that a building was of masonry/steel frame construction, and the shell of the building could therefore not burn down. Hotel owners were quick to seize upon the term and use it in their advertising, but the practice more or less stopped after the "fireproof" Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta burned on December 7, 1946, killing 119. (The Gallery, DPC, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Streetcars)
Man of Letter: 1904
... the Elkridge of Maryland, the Piedmont Driving of Atlanta and the Metropolitan of Washington.         ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/23/2020 - 9:31am -

1904. Washington, D.C. "H.D. Watts, 6th Street." Proud alumnus of Maryland Agricultural College. 5x7 inch glass negative from the C.M. Bell portrait studio. View full size. He gave his alma mater the Byrd tooIn addition to Ritchie Coliseum, H.D. Watts Construction Co. also built the University of Maryland's first football stadium. It opened in 1923 and was named for Harry "Curley" Byrd, the segregationist football coach who commissioned it. That stadium became known as Old Byrd Stadium after the current stadium (now known as Maryland Stadium) was completed in 1950. And the man in the photo is ...Harry Dorsey Watts (b. 28 Apr 1885 in Baltimore; d. 27 Jul 1952, East Hampton, N.Y.) This is his Class of 1904 photo in uniform. ~ Stephen P. Hall An Old LinerThis was what became the University of Maryland. They were known as the Old Liners (Maryland being the Old Line State). However appropriate that name might seem in football, they became Terrapins in the 1930s because people wanted an actual mascot. And future architect?Ritchie Coliseum, home arena for the U-MD basketball and boxing teams, was built in 1931 by the H.D. Watts Construction Company, which was owned by Harry Watts, an alumnus who played as a fullback on the football team from 1901 to 1903. https://www.revolvy.com/page/Ritchie-Coliseum Mansard or GambrelOh, the paths Shorpy takes one down. Looking up Maryland Agricultural College took me to the wiki for University of Maryland. There I learned that the oldest building on campus (the only unscathed survivor of The Great Fire of 1912) is Morrill Hall, built in 1898 in Second Empire architectural style. Clicking further, I learned that Second Empire was popularized in France during the reign of Napoleon III and characterized by a mansard roof similar to the gambrel roof style commonly seen in barns. "What's the difference between mansard and gambrel?" I wondered. A gambrel roof has vertical gable ends and overhangs the facade, whereas a mansard roof is hipped and usually does not overhang the facade. Thank you H.D. Watts and Shorpy! One more thingInspired by Zcarstvnz's research, I thought that Yawkey isn't a very common name, and wondered if Elsie might be related to Tom Yawkey, for many years the owner of the Boston Red Sox. And I found the following: From the Reno Evening Gazette, Nov 14, 1944, p. 6 Red Sox Owner Divorced Here Elsie Sparrow Yawkey Monday divorced Thomas A. Yawkey, millionaire owner of the Boston Red Sox. All this inspired by one Shorpy photo. Thanks, Shorpy. Decorated ConstructionistThe New York Times July 28, 1952 Harry Watts Dies; A Building Leader Ex-President and Chairman of James Stewart & Co. Won the Navy's Service Emblem.         Southampton, L. I., July 27 -- Harry Dorsey Watts of 1 East End Avenue, New York, and East Hampton, former president and chairman of the board of James Stewart & Co., contractors of New York, died today in Southampton Hospital after a brief illness. His age was 67.         Born in Baltimore, the son of John H. C. and Mary Dorsey Mitchell Watts, he was a descendant of Col. Harry Dorsey, first Secretary of the State of Maryland.         After being graduated in 1904 from the University of Maryland, he began his career as a time-keeper and engineer with Wells Brothers Company, later becoming vice president. From 1915 to 1923 he headed the H. D. Watts Company.         Mr. Watts joined the Stewart construction concern in 1924, beginning as manager of the southern territory and assistant to the president. He became vice president in 1926, executive vice president in 1937 and president in 1940. He served as president and chairman of the board from 1942 until his retirement in 1946.         The Stewart concern participated in the construction of many notable buildings, including the United States Chamber of Commerce, Department of Labor and Home Owners Loan buildings in Washington, D. C.; the United States Court House, New York Postoffice, Federal Building, New York Central Building and 60 Wall Tower, all in New York; Union Station in Cincinnati, the Trinidad Naval Air base and the Republic Steel plant in Chicago. It also worked on the West Side Express Highway in New York.         Mr. Watts received the Navy's Meritorious Civilian Service Emblem. He had been president and director of One East End Avenue Corporation.         He had been a member of the United States Chamber of Commerce, the West Side Chamber of Commerce in New York and Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. His clubs had included the Deepdale, Metropolitan, Bankers, Cloud, Atlantic Beach, Devon Yacht, Seawane Country and Pilgrims, the Maryland of Baltimore, the Elkridge of Maryland, the Piedmont Driving of Atlanta and the Metropolitan of Washington.         Surviving are his widow, the former Mrs. Elsie Sparrow Yawkey; a son, Harry D., Jr.; three daughters, Mrs. Thomas Crabbe, Mrs. Harold McTigue and Mrs. Haley Fiske 2d; a brother and three sisters. Harry's first wife, Idoline Lochrane Austell Watts, whom he had married in 1907, died in 1943. They are both buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York. Time for an upgrade?Surely, Mr. Watts deserves elevation to the Handsome Rakes category here on Shorpy. He's 116 years overdue, by my estimation. (The Gallery, Bell Studio, D.C., Handsome Rakes, Portraits, Sports)
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