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Taking a Shine: 1941
... NY. We made some great money for the times and kept us in bicycle parts and candy. What a great experience it was. We both grew up to be ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/22/2015 - 9:48pm -

April 1941. "Shoeshine, 47th Street, Chicago's main Negro business street." 35mm negative by Edwin Rosskam for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Zoot suit !Is that a zoot suit on the left ? Attention-getterOne can't help but notice the very sharp and stylish zoot suit with wide-brimmed hat being worn by the black man walking toward the camera. He makes the perfect model for this fashion design with his demeanor of cool and confident. JohnnyHe's got the dirtiest job in town, bendin' low at the people's feet on the windy corner of a dirty street ... Could it be?I don't mean to hog the "comments section" but can the man getting his shoes shined possibly be Whistler's Father? I always wondered what happened to him. MemoriesBrings back some great memories. I was 10 and my brother was 7 when we shined shoes in College Point NY. We made some great money for the times and kept us in bicycle parts and candy. What a great experience it was. We both grew up to be engineers with a bootblack background to keep our head on straight. Not just a zoot suit... take a look at his reet pleat! Native Son's neighborhoodRichard Wright's novel Native Son is set in this neighborhood. From 1929 to 1932 Richard Wright lived nearby at 4831 South Vincennes. The photo was taken at 300 East 47th Street. I located it from a companion photo taken from the opposite direction, showing this block is where the L crosses 47th. One block east, at the beginning of the novel, Jack and Bigger see a movie in the Regal Theater at 47th & South Parkway (now Martin Luther King Boulevard). Six blocks east and one block north of the Shorpy photo site, Bigger gets a job working for the Dalton family at 4605 South Drexel. Two blocks west at 47th & Indiana is the novel's Ernie's Kitchen Shack, where Bigger takes Mary and Jan when they ask for an authentic place "where colored people eat". (The Gallery, Chicago, Edwin Rosskam)
B&O: 1942
... Edited 12/31/22 3:30 pm Yup! Found this, with a bicycle chain drive, in a 1941 steam locomotive parts catalog. Postulating ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/30/2022 - 10:18am -

September 1942. "Richwood, West Virginia. An engineer on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad." 4x5 inch acetate negative by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Springs and pulleys?That is the most unusual view of a locomotive I've ever seen! Looking up from beside the driving wheels, am I seeing leaf springs? I didn't know there were springs on locos! And what are the belt and pulleys for? It appears that the "2" in 4-6-2 has springs to keep it pressed onto the tracks. Can anyone explain? It's sheer weightkeeps it on the tracks. The springs do the same thing the springs in your car do. Don't know about the small pulleys though. Yes, springsAll wheels on railroad rolling stock have both springs and equalizers. The springs support all of the weight, and allow the wheels to follow small irregularities in the track. Equalization allow for larger irregularities in the track, and assures that the weight is properly distributed. In the picture, the lever which links the trailing axle spring to the springs on the driving wheels is partially visible at the far right. Levers are used so that the weight can be less on the trailing axle than on the drivers, for example. Dunno about the pulleysAll locomotives and all rolling stock have some sort of spring suspension, just like highway vehicles. That's no mystery. As for the pulleys? I dunno. It was common in the steam era for passenger cars to have a 32-volt DC generator belt-driven from one of the axles. This would charge a battery, so the lights wouldn't go out when the train stopped. This system was gradually replaced by head-end power, reaching completion in the 1970s, but cabeese continued to use it through the end of the caboose era. I say I dunno because locomotives got their very small electric power requirement (basically just a headlight and dashboard light) through small steam turbines, starting after 1900, when vibration-tolerant light bulbs were developed. Just like automobiles The pulley and belt are part of the power steering mechanism. Pulleys and BeltThe only purpose I can conceive for the pulley and belt would be, perhaps, for a speedometer. It's an arrangement I've not seen before on a steam locomotive. Edited 12/31/22 3:30 pm Yup! Found this, with a bicycle chain drive, in a 1941 steam locomotive parts catalog. Postulating a potential pulley purposeThe top pulley appears to be connected to a mechanism within a bracket-mounted box. A pipe passes behind this box, curves down and ends at some hardware located behind the driver, which may be a steam-operated sander. The box at the top may be a valve equipped with an overrunning clutch that opens when the drivers are reversed to provide traction sand behind the drivers instead of, or in addition to, ahead of the wheels. Or not. This is all just a guess as we mark time waiting for a comment from someone who knows what the heck he/she is talking about. Regardless, the whole setup looks to be very light-duty and unrailroady, as is the bare light bulb below the "P-3" label. Not likely to pass the hammer test. PulleysI surmise it's for a speedometer. Locomotive IDNo. 5123 was a Class P-3 4-6-2 locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1913. Only one 4-6-2, of more than 200 operated by the B&O, survives today. Here's another photo of this locomotive, taken in 1936. Springs on A Steam LocomotiveThis drawing shows how springing and equalization works on a steam locomotive to keep weight evenly distributed over irregularities in the track. Fireman or firemen?A engine that size is approaching, but doesn't exceed, the limits of what one good fireman can handle. Probably a bit over 4 tons per hour. On a passenger engine, such as this one, he was also keeping the floor swept, monitoring the water level in the boiler, and watching track conditions and signals ahead, among other things. Manual firingInfo on the B&O P-3 class is far and few between, did find that the locomotives had no mechanical stoker. Poor fireman who had to shovel in the tons and tons of coal by hand. I wonder if the B&O employed 2 firemen on this type of loco. Been There, Done ThatI've hand fired a steam locomotive of that size and type. Yeah, It's work, but one man can do it. (The Gallery, John Collier, Railroads)
Schwinners: 1970
... - Dave] Look before backing! Maybe that was a new bicycle - but hope they aren't cycling in those clothes and shoes! Sad ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/29/2022 - 4:27pm -

From around 1970, somewhere in Suburbia, comes this Kodachrome of two lovely lasses attired in Easter egg pastels, and a tricycle not long for this world. View full size. Pretty in Pink, Striking in YellowAnd Fast on Old Blue ... nice shiny chrome fenders. Winnie Cooper'slil' sis? There's more than a little resemblance. But ultimately of more importance: in the distance not one but two VW's ; Detroit's - and by implication America's - decline from industrial supremacy to (simply) "leadership" is well underway Missing WheelThe tricycle may get hit by the car in the driveway, but the dented car on the left won't be backing into it. A rear wheel seems to be missing. [Not to worry. It's there. - Dave] Look before backing!Maybe that was a new bicycle - but hope they aren't cycling in those clothes and shoes! Sad thing, but I'm reminded of the time my aunt Shirley backed up without looking and killed Grandma's dog Trixie. I was about 10, and it was a sad day ... though I didn't witness it, I heard her last yelp from across the field. Still want to cry, and always look before backing up! Trike, Trixie, backing up -- They are lovely lassesVery likely best friends. No way to tell if this friendship lasted years or somewhere along the way they lost touch. Most of us have experienced both. The two license plates I can see are dark blue with yellow letters/numbers. That makes one possible state Pennsylvania, which I'm going to run with based on the neighborhood, distant terrain, and everything else. I can't read that street sign. Dave, can you? [The street name is four letters; the second letter looks like an i. Something like BIRD, RICE, BIBB, along with CR or CT. I also note a preponderance of evergreens. - Dave] The CarsOn the left, a dented 1960 Ford Fairlane; on the right, a (now mid-size) 1968 Fairlane 500 with the side marker light that became mandatory that year. In the driveway behind it, a Chevy Corvair convertible with the top up. Blue sedan on the left is a 1964 Chevrolet. There was a classmatein my junior college days who drove a brand new, black 1960 Ford convertible with black and white interior. We had first period class together so I would most often see him in the parking lot when he drove in with the top down. I lusted after that car but couldn't afford anything even close to his ride. Man that was beautiful vehicle and I would still like to own one but they are very hard to find. It's odd that 1950's Chevys are plentiful but Fords not so much. Sympathy for the PedalAll the Schwinners are Saints. Upstate NYThe license plates are New York, 1966 to 1973 series. Pennsylvania was a good guess, but they did not use front plates. Given the view, we can rule out Long Island, but this scene would fit almost anywhere else in the state. Those smiles thoughThat's just about the cutest thing I've seen all day. The sweet girl on the right is almost certainly my age. I had a dress very like hers except mine had sleeves and it was made of ice blue dotted swiss. My sister's outfit had a few style differences from mine, and was green. Our mother sewed the frocks for us to wear on Easter in 1970 and we broke the mold by going to church that year. Oh those lovely stockings!I remember how sophisticated we felt in those textured stockings. And believe me, those weren't no pantyhose, no sirree. Those were two individual stockings held up by awful, uncomfortable garter belts that would unsnap and let you down from time to time. But paired with these simple, A-line shift dresses, those stockings made us feel like we just stepped off the page of a fashion magazine. No curbs, sidewalks or even drainage?I drive through neighborhoods delivering packages, and this time of year is especially dangerous as the large ditches in neighborhoods like these are often filled with recently fallen leaves. I see no sign of drainage measures taken in this shot, am I missing something? [There's a big drain next to the street sign. - Dave] HURD CTI believe this photo was taken looking east from the corner of Hurd Court and Bontecou Road in the Town of Stony Point, New York. I base this in on the following: The houses match what is shown on google street view, but the perspective is so different it's difficult to tell. The utility tower in the distance is still there but you have to move up quite a long way to see on street view. The contour of the mountains match what you would see if you had a clear view today, they are on the opposite side of the Hudson River from Stony Point. The biggest hint was that YEARS ago a photo identified as being in this neighborhood was posted on Shorpy, possibly even the same street, but facing west as I remember. [That's it! Even the storm drain is still there. - Dave] (Bicycles, Easter, Found Photos, Kids, Stephen Kodachromes)
Ithaca: 1901
... the dog, the well-dressed ladies and the unattended bicycle can only spell trouble. Throw in the barrels, the trolley tracks, plus ... four bicycles. The 1890's were the "Golden Age of the Bicycle," with the invention of the double-triangle frame and the pneumatic ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 11:05am -

State Street in Ithaca, N.Y., circa 1901. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Far above Cayuga's waterswith her waves of blue stands our noble alma mater glorious to view! Well not yet my alma mater, its quite interesting to see a view of Ithaca, where I'm going to be spending the next four years of my life, from over a century ago. To think Cornell was only 36 years old when this picture was taken! BTW the guy in the beanie was probably an alumnus of Cornell. Ithaca College was a tiny music conservatory until 1931. Nice perspectiveBeautiful composition. The city before it was cluttered with cars is lovely. They've Got Moxieand they'd probably sell it to you, too. Calling all KeystonesAs any silent film fan knows, the window washers, the dog, the well-dressed ladies and the unattended bicycle can only spell trouble. Throw in the barrels, the trolley tracks, plus the horse droppings, and you've got an epic scene on your hands. Rat Cap!We had to wear freshman beanies like that back in the late 1940s in Florida. BicyclesI can see at least four bicycles. The 1890's were the "Golden Age of the Bicycle," with the invention of the double-triangle frame and the pneumatic tire both less than 15 years old in 1901. North TiogaThis appears to be Ithaca Commons looking east toward North Tioga Street from Cayuga Street. Some of the buildings still look the same. Ithaca CommonsI believe this is the part of State St. that is now the Ithaca Commons, with this view looking east up the hill towards Cornell. If I'm wrong, someone correct me. Awesome photo. Ithaca CommonsBird's eye view. "Cars stop here"What about the wagons -- they had the right of way? ["Cars" meant streetcars. It was a "car stop." - Dave] Behind the TimesI'm surprised that a prosperous Northern city still had horsecars in 1901, many cities electrified their trolleys in the 1890's, if I remember correctly. I'm curious yellow....That's a scene one doesn't see anymore, a sparrow hittin' on mashed horse apples on the street. Puzzles me however, how to understand the relection of the gent on the bicycle in the window and how it relates to his actual position on the street, an optical illusion of sorts? BicyclistsWhat a great scene! One doesn't think of 1901 daily life having a lot of bicycling as primary transportation. But just look at all the bikes on the street! Comparing photosThis has to be my favorite then and now comparison of the same area. Great work. The popular priced clothiers at P. Rascover have been replaced by the hip sounding Loose Threads, but the mannequins have stayed! The woman on the right with the parasol has a 2009 counterpart in almost the exact same spot, but now with a messenger bag. Then and NowHere's a picture taken today from as near as I can get to the same spot. The conversion of State Street to the Commons back in the mid-1970's has blocked the long vista down the street, but many of the buildings are still identifiable. Click to enlarge. [Great photo. Thanks! - Dave] What's cooking?The "Now You're Cooking" building in the modern photo looks completely different from the building in that spot in the 1901 photo, and - strangely - it looks older. I like the nice curved windows at the top. Those two guysI don't like either one of those two guys walking on the right No, not at all. Foy Las Vegas Beer DogCan any Cornelians verify the legend of the dog who lived in one of the frat houses on campus and would ride a streetcar into town by himself every day to drink beer at one of the bars? My dad, btw, graduated from the university 40 years after this picture was made. Wide Angle?Seems to be a fairly wide angle shot, without the 'fish eye' type distortion at the edges of the pic. Was there something different about lenses, apertures or cameras then? [This is the "look" characteristic of just about any large view camera. - Dave] BicyclesIn addition to the buildings, the bicycles have remained a presence in Ithaca. People bike everywhere, which is somewhat incomprehensible to me in a town that has as many hills as Ithaca. What has not remained the same is the level of dress (although that is true of nearly every locale pictured on Shorpy). Still, if someone wore a suit in Ithaca, they'd probably stop traffic. The type of stores on this street has changed as well. I'm guessing Ithaca Hemp Company would not have been nearly so popular at the turn of the previous century as it is with the hippies that largely make up the town now. To R-Spice: I hope that you retain that enthusiasm for Cornell after you've been here awhile (and particularly through your first winter). Good luck! Ithaca StreetcarsIthaca streetcars seem to have been electrified from the outset. In the year 1887-88 the first track was laid, extending from the Ithaca Hotel to the railroad stations at the foot of State street. On the 1st of May, 1891, the franchises and property of the old company were transferred to the present organization, and on the 1st of June, 1892, the company purchased the franchise and property of the Brush-Swan Electric Light Company, which it still owns. That company had used electricity on the street cars under the unsatisfactory Daft system stem since January 4. 1888. The Brush-Swan system was adopted in 1891. -- "Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York" by John H. Selkreg, 1894 The Daft system apparently used a low-voltage third-rail power - which had to be a problem in snowy Ithaca. It's possible that Brush-Swan was a battery system, which would explain the lack of overhead wires. A different perspectiveI took a pic of that same spot as well: The photo was probably taken with a large-format camera that had perspective controls. It's very hard to do that with a 35mm SLR -- you would need a tilt-shift lens and there aren't any that are really wide enough. I tried to do it by stitching several photos together in Photoshop and adjust perspective, but it's not really very good. That photo, the old one, is really amazing. It was taken by a professional, to be sure! (The Gallery, DPC)
Harley-Davidson: 1925
... the same colors as their motorcycle brethren. Ads for the bicycle were primarily directed at pre-teen boys and girls; they clearly ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 11:56am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1925. "H. Addison Bowie." A motorcycle dealer on H Street. With "Harley-Davidson" in the big window under "Distributors," and a smaller sign upstairs. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. If onlyA lot of collective individuality going on here. If only we could find someone who could tell us something, anything, about this crowd. I bet most everyone had a nickname. Like "Chick" or "Buddy." I suppose the most we could hope for is that someone here has a (very elderly) son or daughter, or maybe a grandchild, who will recognize a face. Right now, all we have is this photograph. But it's really something! A little of everythingI love how there are the cops, the women in fur, the motorcycle toughs, the men in business suits, and people who are both black and white. Harley Davidson - the great equalizer? Cast of charactersSylvester Stallone, Paul Newman, Curly Howard, the Dead End Kids, the Jets and more. Whatta Shot! Shorpy in the WindowI see you. FacesWhy are the faces in these early pictures so interesting? Are modern faces interesting too, but we are just accustomed to them? Out of 64 visible faces, only 4 are wearing glasses. Seems like a low percentage. What a hootNearly laughed myself out of my skin in looking at this photo, but then, I looked at my family photos from this era, no perceptable difference, yikes; hopefully tis the fashion that is the comic relief. One notable thing is the quality of window glass which appears to be about the same as the century before. Motley CrewWhat a great picture. Look at them faces. I can't tell if the man in suspenders toward the left is genial or menacing. I hope that's a screwdriver in his hand. Character with a capital C. Look at those mugs. My grandmother would have called them "tough cookies." The hats, jackets and boots are amazing. Right in the middle of the roaring twenties. Look outThese guys are coming after all the 21st century smarty pants who made nasty comments about their kid sisters at the Thayer Studio. Say what you likebut almost every man in the picture is wearing a tie. Unlike the modern equivalent with their pants on the ground or jams or cargo pants and basketball jerseys 4 times too big, the crowd is basically well dressed. This even includes the guy in the Snoopy outfit holding the screwdriver Bikers Galore!It would seem that quite a few of these guys (cop included) rode their Harleys to this photo op. And a chilly ride it was, judging from the clothing. The Wild OnesUnlike the 50-year-old CPAs who ride Harleys today, most of these guys look like true badasses! Text book "Hanging Out"If anyone ever needed a solid example of that idiom this is it in spades. I'll cut yadon't mess with the old guy YMCALooks like a 1920's version of the Village People. What a picThis might, albeit a big might, be my favorite picture on Shorpy to date. The number of characters in this photo is ridiculous. What a deliciously eclectic portrait. WOW TroublemakersI wouldn't trust any of them (not even the three "women") with my sister! Awesome!Great pic Dave. Would love to see their bikes. I don't think 'elf and safety was top priority then. Time TravelerDig the guy with the Storm Trooper outfit, and what does the shoulder patch signify? Ghost Riders627 H has been disappeared. View Larger Map Re: A little of everything.These guys are sharp. I agree with Jay Carolina on the way they are dressed, and man, do I love those boots. And you must see how significant this picture is culturally. Policemen, bikers of multiple races, and the ladies all posed together for this photograph... this is a fantastic find! Real BikersRead the window. The sell bicycles. They're not overweight -- they peddle to work. I want me a Harley-Davidson fifteen speed road bike! [Actually they would pedal to work and peddle at work. - Dave] Dave, you're such a caution. Semper FiGot a Marine in there, too, middle row under "Distributors" on the storefront. Gotta love the leather in this pic. Most of the classic motorcycle wear dates straight from the 20's -- the archetypal leather motorcycle jacket like the one Brando wore in "The Wild Ones" is still made by the original manufacturer, and dates from this era: http://www.schottnyc.com/products/length/waist/classic-perfecto-leather-... This picture made me get an account here.I have been visiting Shorpy for a long time but seeing this collection of great faces early this morning made me actually get an account tonight so I could chime in and agree the faces are like from a master painting. Everyone tells a story. And the diversity in the collection tells us something too. Someone asked if today's faces are as interesting. I think in the US the weight problem makes some faces smoother and obviously rounder and less defined so many of us seem to sort of look the same. Also in this picture people are not smiling for the camera -- they are smiling a bit because they are assured and confident -- they are looking into the camera with a very different facial expression than some might use today. No-motor cyclesYes, Harley-Davidson did sell bicycles as well as motorcycles: The Harley-Davidson bicycles were painted and pinstriped in the same colors as their motorcycle brethren. Ads for the bicycle were primarily directed at pre-teen boys and girls; they clearly intended to capitalize on the Harley-Davidson name and mystique of the day. Most notable is the crank; note the ingenious "HD". Harley-Davidson received a patent for this design. Storm Trooper ShirtThis is a "cotswool" US Army issue olive drab flannel shirt. Interesting in the fact the shirt was closed, having to be pulled over the head to be put on. Fully buttoned shirts were not regulation until 1934 although the low set pockets remained. The patch I assume is a distinctive unit insignia. I do not have a reference handy but it looks like a M1917 helmet (the Doughboy helmet) imposed on what looks like a wagon wheel. There is something on the helmet, perhaps Mercury wings, I cannot tell. Anyone know their 20s unit patches? Every Single OneAll of these guys, every single one, look like a movie character. Amazing! I have to agree that this is one of my favorite Shorpy photos to date. H.A. Bowie H-D memoriesMy father is 93 years young and still talks about H. Addison Bowie. He was only 8 when this picture was taken but would patronize the dealership in the 1930s to buy H-D VL parts. He operated a small motorcycle repair shop on his parents' farm in Maryland, about 15 miles from the Bowie dealership. In the mid-1930s he bought a 1931 H-D VL there. My parents took their honeymoon on this machine and were still riding it up until a few years ago. A big thanks to whoever found this great old pic. I always wondered what the place looked like! That's my Grandfather!Addison is my grandfather and the two women are my grandmother and great aunt. I'm pretty sure your sister would have been safe with Frances and Beulah, "Tipster." I have a cool photo of Addison standing with a motorcycle. My RelativesThis is an email I just got from my wife, Julia. Her maiden name was Julia Bowie. Oh, her dad's name is Henry Addison Bowie too. The owner of this place was my wife's great-grandfather. Jack, this is the craziest picture!!! Remember Cousin Will? Well, a friend of his had read about this pic on a website. Every one is talking about it!! AND IT'S MY DADS POP POP AND NANA!!!!!!! Just make sure you read the replys that cousin Will sent and Leslie so you can know who is who. Also read what everyone is saying about it on the site AND NOTICE MY DADS NAME WRITTEN ACCROSS THE BUILDING:o) HENERY ADDISON BOWIE. the first Harley Store ever opened!!!! WOW....That is SOOOO COOL!!!! Now, Leslie said that Pop pop was the man all the way to the left, but she described it wrong. He is the man standing BETWEEN the two women in the furs who are my Great grandmother and Great Aunt. Also the man squatting all the way to the left with the hat who looks like a movie star is Uncle Rosco. He was a Boxer. It's amazing that this picture is circulating and relatives of the owner know it's out there. Thanks for whoever found this picture. And if you have an original I'd like to locate it. email me at wackodrumr@aol.com [The original (a glass negative) is at the Library of Congress. - Dave] DreamyTo the man on kneeling on the far left in the flannel with the cigarette -- I would invent time travel for you. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Motorcycles, Natl Photo)
Five and Ten: 1921
... the Kresge's near our house at Christmas time. I "rode" my bicycle through sloppy snow to choose treasures for Mom, Dad and my sister. I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 10:35am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "Whistle Bottling Works. Woolworth window." An elaborate dime-store window display for Whistle orange soda, "the food drink." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. We miss you, Woolworth'sWoolworth's was part of America's 20th century memories. Who over 50 hasn't bought housewares, pens, books, toys or records at Woolworth's? I still have happy memories going shopping downtown with my mother, and stopping for lunch at the Woolworth's luncheonette. It was (along with the drug store) one of the few places where we ever "ate out." I've got your "food drink"Try dunking a graham cracker in a cup of hot coffee. Quartz for a dime?What is that in the other display window? It almost looks like rocks on display cards. [Jewelry, maybe. Dime-onds. - Dave] ReflectionThere appears to be a reflection of someone, possibly the photographer, under the Whistle sign to the right of the door and also to the far left of the picture. He appears to be wearing large headphones. Why the headphones? Could it be someone inside the store? Did Woolworth's have a record department where people could listen to records? [Those are reflections of the mannequin in the window. He's wearing a radio headset. - Dave] The Big Woolworth'sThe Woolworth's on Hemming Park in downtown Jacksonville Florida was the "Big" Woolworth. Two floors. Upstairs was the candy department with the caramel corn, and downstairs was the toy department with Corgi cars, balsa wood gliders, and bins and bins of rubber lizards, snake, and bugs! Woolworth'sMy dad, who was killed in France in 1944, started at Woolworth's as a window dresser in 1938, and worked his way up to manager. As a kid I sometimes heard my Mother singing It was a lucky April shower, It was a most convenient storm. I found a Million Dollar Baby In the five-and-ten cent store. Thanks again for all the great pics, Dave. eBayThere's a fortune in memorabilia in that window. Battery AcidBattery acid and orange food coloring were the ingredients making up Whistle, at least according to smart schoolkids in St. Louis when I was growing up in the late 40s and 50s. It was drink of choice when consuming White Castle hamburgers! Cincy Caramel CornThe Woolworth store in downtown Cincinnati had one loooong counter at the entrance of the store dedicated to the making of caramel corn. You could smell it all the way down the street. The aroma was heavenly and so very enticing. They left their door open to traffic, which came in droves. Warm butter + popping corn = Woolworth caramel corn. We pleaded to go downtown just for the warm caramel corn. 5 & 10 againWho of us who have some age will ever forget the "five and dime" or "the dime store." Woolworth was of course the biggie, but there were the Ben Franklin stores, G.C. Murphy, and SS Kresge (now Kmart) among them -- some with soda fountains, some not. And 10 for a penny candy. Five and TenWhen I hear "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," I wonder if people under 30 or even 35 know what the term "five and ten" refers to. Take a look at the five and ten Glistening once again With candy canes ... UK WoolworthsAll of the remaining UK "Woolies" are to be closed in the coming months, victims of the times. No thanksWhen I want a food drink, I hoist a pint of Guinness. The 5 & 10I remember Woolworth's and its "5 and 10 cent" motto. Today it would more likely be "5 and 10 DOLLAR" store! :( Hey!Is that a folded dollar bill lying right by the door? You could get 20 Whistles with that. Where's Woolworth's?Any ideas as to where this store was? At the far lower right of the photo is a small sign for the store next door that says "Bee Hive Store 906." 906 was probably the address, but what street? [906 Seventh Street N.W. - Dave] The Five and DimeMany also referred to these popular stores as Five and Dimes. As I learned this term after moving away for college I believe it is another example of colorful regionalized language. [The region there was pretty much the entire United States, once upon a time. Five and Dime might be more generational than geographic. - Dave] Oasis on a rainy dayMy earliest memories of the old five-and-dimes include the smell of old wood -- wooden floors, bins, and counters -- and the buttery warmth of incandescent lights. Woolworth'sOur local Woolworth's in upstate NY was turning a great profit into the '90's, but had to close down when the rest of the chain did. The building is a library now. "Who cares if I drink my lunch? It's the Food Drink!" Grilled cheese & tomatoGrilled cheese & tomato sandwich at the Woolworth's counter - a great delicacy in my mind. More seriously, while we're talking Woolworth's lunch counters, the one in the Smithsonian recalls a bit of bravery in recent American history. MemoriesThat lunch counter In Michigan City, Indiana. Oh yeah. Hot turkey sandwich plates with green gravy. Pistachio, I'd guess. First JobMy first job was sweeping floors at the Woolworth in Hollywood at Hollywood & Vermont (Barnsdall Park) in Dec 1975. I later worked in the kitchen and out on the floor straightening and stocking shelves. I loved the hot dogs from the luncheonette. They had buns that were all attached and when you pulled them apart the sides were uncrusted. They would brown the sides of the buns in butter (ala a grilled cheese sandwich). Delicious! 5-10-15The expression was everywhere. In Longueuil, Quebec, near Montreal, where I used to live in the 50s, we had a Jazzar store, part of a small chain whose signs read "5-10-15." We used to say that we were going to the "cinq-dix-quinze." Were there 5-10-15 stores in the States? (Now, springing up everywhere are the Dollarama stores where everything is. .. a dollar.) WhistleFounded in 1916, Vess Beverage still makes a Whistle brand soda. The company is now owned by Cott. Charles Leiper Grigg invented the flavor. Yesterday 50 years agoWhen I saw this picture this morning the first thing I thought was Oh, how I wish I could walk through those doors one more time! They just don't make stores like that anymore. The smells of wood, of the soda fountain, the candy to be had for a penny a piece, the 10 cent toys. I'm so glad I have those experiences to remember. Kresge KristmasI have memories of going to the Kresge's near our house at Christmas time. I "rode" my bicycle through sloppy snow to choose treasures for Mom, Dad and my sister. I retrieved the glorious pink with white daisies Kleenex box cover and cup I bought on that trip from Mom's last year when we closed out her house. The matching johnny mop holder is lost. I'm happy she got 40 years of use out of them. I also went there with Dad to use the tube tester to ascertain which TV or radio tubes needed to be replaced. Holy crow, am I getting old. Cunningham DrugsWe always thought Cunningham Drugs was an upscale Woolworth's because they had their name tiled in at the front entrance. To this day, when I walk into an old building that used to house a drugstore or five-and-dime, I look for the tiled name. In old towns, I find the names quite often. It's always a little treat (probably also indicates a lifetime lack of big treats). I Found A Million Dollar BabyRob's bittersweet memory of the song, which captured the homey American love affair with five-and-dimes, sent me looking for a recording. This was one of the most popular songs of 1931 and thereafter, and was introduced on Broadway in May, 1931 by Fanny Brice, in the musical revue "Billy Rose's Crazy Quilt." Those who have Real Player on their computers can hear the best-selling 1931 recording of the song (Fred Waring's Orchestra, with vocals by Clare Hanlon and the "Three Girlfriends") at http://www.jazz-on-line.com/a/rama/VIC53080-2.ram Those without this player can find several 1931 recordings of it by visiting http://www.jazz-on-line.com/pageinterrogation.php and entering I Found A Million Dollar Baby on the page's search engine. All That JazzThanks Anonymous Tipster for the link to jazz online. That's really appreciated. If someone has other links to classic/traditional Jazz (New Orleans/Chicago/N.Y. but not Ragtime) please post. Thanks. Red Hot Jazz (history of jazz before 1930) is one of my favorites. I was also glad I found Jazzology. Merry Christmas to you all. The Dime StoreI was born in 1973, but my mom and dad always referred to the Ben Franklin store as the dime store. Nosey Little GirlI would always head for the pet department, candy, and toy sections. The candy counter had a real person who gave me what I wanted without a bar code. I always reported any animals that appeared sick, or dead, to the nearest clerk on duty. Heaven help them if they didn't remove the dead fish right away ! I would tell my mother. I miss dime stores very much. I won't go into Wal Mart. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
The Children's Army: 1942
... were in '42. That would be a photo The bike The bicycle at the bottom right gave it away for me. No tires, no rubber, which ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/14/2022 - 2:26pm -

Washington, D.C., 1942. "Children playing, aiming sticks as guns." Kodachrome transparency by Louise Rosskam for the Office of War Information. View full size. Back when kids had imaginations....They don' need no stinkin' Nintendo. So BeautifulMan, these pictures are so good and children are so universal. I had to examine their shoes to verify that it wasn't a contemporary photo. ClothesThe shoes, and the knickers. children at wall in 1942As an historian, I would like to find the grown up children and pose them as they were in '42. That would be a photo The bikeThe bicycle at the bottom right gave it away for me. No tires, no rubber, which means WWII. Either it was not invented yet or being conserved for the war effort. At first glance thought I thought 50's or 60's until I spotted the bike. Great color for the early 40's! DC KidsI love this picture. So much.
Regular Dinner: 1936
... trying to shove it past its limit. Nice shiny new bicycle! OK I'm done. D-time in T-town ?? This is what, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/27/2022 - 10:31am -

1936. "Cafe -- Alabama" is all it says here. 8x10 inch nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. More random observationsNo date is given but this is summer. Having spent most of my life in the south, I recognize those clouds, and can practically feel the heat and humidity sitting here at my desk in winter. At first glance this is a lonely-appearing photo, but then closer observation reveals a worker at the counter, diners at the window table, and even the photographer (or assistant) in a selfie. The spiderweb motif is an odd choice. Not sure how that would attract diners. Probably has some specific meaning to the owners. The front door will not open all the way due to the slope of the sidewalk. Maybe 90 degrees max. Probably reduced the lifespan of the door with customers trying to shove it past its limit. Nice shiny new bicycle! OK I'm done. D-time in T-town ?? This is what, our third offering of no-nonsense dining? The '30s must have been tough on people seeking mealtime excitement. The cafe was located at the top of the Hill on the corner of 4th Street - that's the L&N station glimpsed off to the side (see below) - being replaced by the Temerson Building a few years after this picture. The latter currently houses a restaurant: the cycle is complete ! BBT/CPBefore Bucket Trucks/Cherry Pickers The condition of the surface of the utility pole indicates many scalings with traditional lineman's climbing spikes/spurs. I can remember when a lot of poles looked like this, not any more. Among the last people using them these days are big tree loggers in remote locations. Most of our local arborists seem to have switched to using aerial platform lifts (and more than doubled their prices to pay for the things). River Hill, TuscaloosaRiver Hill is an area of downtown Tuscaloosa. In a 1945 photo caption from the Tuscaloosa Area Virtual Museum, it is described as the north end of Greensboro Avenue, south of the Black Warrior River and north of Broad Street (now University Boulevard). US 43 and Alabama state road 13, identified in Evans's photo, carried traffic north over the river. (That stretch is now named Lurleen Wallace Blvd.) The area is now the center of Tuscaloosa's Civil Rights History Trail. Knob and TubeStill have that kind of wiring inside a few of my outbuildings (considered okay by my insurance broker). Exteriorly I've removed all of it because of degraded insulation as a result of decades of exposure to the elements. Pre GPSPeople's eyesight must've been a lot better back then or they went a lot slower to see and read those signs. Buffalo Rock, my favorite!Buffalo Rock was a brand of ginger ale that was popular in the northern part of Alabama in the 1940s. We lived in LA (lower Alabama) so when we were in Birmingham, we would swap a case of empties and bring a case home. Those didn't last long! There was so much ginger in it that it burned your nose! Tuscaloosa: 1936's US 43 and Today's US 43Thank you, GlenJay for the helpful information about River Hill, which is about one mile from my home in Northport, Alabama--across the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa! It's led me on a search to pin down the location of this great Walker Evans photo, which heretofore I did not realize was shot in Tuscaloosa. Incidentally, this spot is not far from where yesterday's Shorpy pic ("Tuscaloosa Wrecking: 1936") was located. One small correction to GlenJay's useful comments: In 1936, the road that is now Greensboro Ave (formerly 24th Avenue) led down River Hill to a lift bridge across the River. Thus, US 43 followed that route at the time of the photo. When the Hugh Thomas Bridge replaced the lift bridge in 1974, however, US 43 was shifted a few blocks to the west and became Lurleen Wallace Blvd (formerly 25th and 26th Avenues) in order to feed into the new bridge more efficiently. I've got some pals working on identifying the photo location and will update my comment if I come up with anything. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Eateries & Bars, Small Towns, Walker Evans)
Eureka Vacuum: 1912
... I can enlarge/enhance it enough. Still, it looks like a bicycle tire to me. Perhaps other Shorpists will have better data. Bush ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2021 - 3:43pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Woodward Avenue." A shopper's paradise. Meet you in an hour at Cinnabon. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. View from Grand Circus ParkDetroit renumbered all of their street addresses in 1920. Therefore, the old 260 address on the left indicates that this photo was actually taken from Grand Circus Park where Park Ave. (foreground) intersects with Woodward. View Larger Map View Larger Map I am disappointed!!Just when I was in the mood for some Chop Suey and not a place in sight. Player Pianos, Fifth FloorHope they had a good elevator! Woodward buildings still standI think the current street view above is a little off. I think this picture was taken from a spot just south of Grand Circus park between where the Whitney Building and Broderick Tower are now. Most of the buildings on the right including Grinnell Brothers still stand. Also the block of buildings on the left south of the Pontchartrain Hotel are still standing. Re What were they thinking?"When this is 'View full size' we're all be dead." PianosI counted 6 piano stores not 3. Grinnell BrothersGrinnell Brothers (sign on right side of street) was a Detroit area institution all the way into the 1980's, when the entire chain went out of business. They had stores in every area mall and not only sold pianos, but other musical instruments, lessons, records, sheet music, pianos rolls, everything to do with music. Wonderful stores, they just couldn't keep up with the times. What were they thinking?I love pictures like this! This is a frozen second in the lives of all these people. Where were they all going? What were they thinking about? Who was worried, or excited, and about what? Who had just gotten good news, or bad news? Who was going to work, or to do something fun? Who was pregnant, or had new a child, or grandchild? I also wonder what was playing at the theater. I assume it was live theater, primarily, although there were quite a few short films, and the production of feature-length films was only a few years away. If I had my choiceI have to agree with user "tterrace", I'd much rather walk down the 1910 version of Woodward than today's, oh if just for a day. What sights to behold. What happenedGrowing up in Detroit and remembering my mother taking me downtown on the streetcar and shopping at Hudsons, Kerns, and Crowleys and then for being a good kid she took me across the street to Kresge's downstairs and bought me a waffle sandwich which I will never forget. I often hear the phrase "you can't go back" but I miss and loved the way the city was. Mouse Furs, yuck!Oh wait, it's Mau's Furs. Never mind. What Could It Be?I wonder what the three objects are on the street to the left and in front of the second streetcar. No one is near them. [Newspaper bundles, thrown off the streetcar for pickup by Woodward Avenue newsies, would be my guess. - Dave] Prettier?I won't get in to the prettier/not prettier debate, but based on Anon. Tipster's Google Street View links, the adjectives that occur to me are more along the lines of : 1910: alive, vibrant, visually diverse, inviting; 2011: sterile, lifeless, visually monotonous, inhospitable. Hats anyone?As far as I can tell, with the exception of one small boy, everyone is wearing a hat. Ah, those were the days. Lots of piano storesI counted three different piano shops on this block, Bush & Lane, Manufacturer's and Melville Clark. Was this a sort of "piano district" at the time, or were pianos just ubiquitous enough in parlours of the day that several dealers on a single block was nothing unusual? [Player pianos were, I think, something like the plasma TVs of their day. - Dave] "Spirit of Detroit"The buildings at the left have been replaced by the statue "Spirit of Detroit" and Coleman Young Municipal Center. There's an automatic "people mover" tram running almost directly above where the camera was. This part of Detroit is quite a bit prettier now than it was a century ago. View Larger Map View Larger Map Urgent need to tinkleIs there anyplace on this street that sells pianos?? Of course it's DetroitMore cars here than any other 1910 picture we have seen. One thing, I think I'm pretty knowledgeable about antique cars, but does anyone know what the heck that round tank on the rear of the car at center right is? Has me puzzled. [Something steamy, perhaps. Condenser? Reservoir? - Dave] Are You Properly Attired? The boy about to board the trolley seems to be, although the ring around his shoulders could also be a part of whatever he's dragging behind him. A lamp maybe? Hard to tell - I run out of pixels before I can enlarge/enhance it enough. Still, it looks like a bicycle tire to me. Perhaps other Shorpists will have better data. Bush & Lane Piano Co.on the left had their main manufacturing facility in Holland, MI. They went out of business in 1930, victims of the Depression as were many other piano manufacturers. Right RulesLooks like all the cars of the time were right hand drive. Anyone know when we decided to change? [Gradually. - Dave] Majestic TheatreThe Majestic Theatre opened in April 1915 per its website, so I wonder it that dates this post to 1915. [Detroit had several Majestic Theatres over the years. The Majestic in this photo opened in 1908 at 231 Woodward. - Dave] Piano StoresOK, I count at least six piano stores! And at least three fur stores. More piano storesI'm counting possibly seven piano stores--Bush and Lane Pianos, Manufacturers Piano Co, Cable Piano Co, Tarrand Pianos, Grinnel Bros Pianos, Melville Clark Pianos, and another just to the upper right of the Grinnel Sign. I'm surprised that there isn't a Wurlitzer sign somewhere in this. I'm also seeing a Victor Records. Pianos were all the rage for years--before everyone had radios and tv. People learned to play for entertainment for themselves and others. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Public Square, Cleveland: 1907
... was housed in the base of the monument? And, yes, that bicycle looks really lonely just standing there. Details, details. Love ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:33pm -

Cleveland, Ohio, circa 1907. "Cuyahoga County Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Public Square." This Civil War monument was dedicated July 4, 1894. Panorama made from two 8x10 glass negatives. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Memories I waited for the Number 20 bus daily 1972 through 1976 while a schoolboy across the street from this fine monument. The local men who served in the Civil War have their names displayed on the walls on the inside. [One commenter speculated that the monument housed public toilets. - Dave] ComplexThat is an impressive piece of work. Anyone know what was housed in the base of the monument? And, yes, that bicycle looks really lonely just standing there. Details, details.Love the sprinklers, and am curious who would leave a brand new bike just sitting there unlocked. Things to comeNote the harness company sign in the upper left, and, in the streets below, a few examples of the machines that would be the death of that industry. Public vs. individualAlways amazing, how much public transport one can see in these old photos, and how little private transport (shank's mare excluded). Obesity was not much of a problem then and even portly people got up and down stairs well, I suppose. Fascinating picture.Do you know if it was shot from one camera at different times or two cameras simultaneously? If it was a single camera I'm curious if some of the people, and particularly some of the trolleys and carriages appear in both photos? [The exposures were not made simultaneously. Below, the individual plates and their Photoshop marriage. Note the visitor at the base of the monument, present only in the lefthand image, and the difference in the height of the shadows on the wall. - Dave] Below, an initial and not very satisfactory attempt. Drugs/dentistPresumably, one pops upstairs for some of Marshall's cut rate drugs after one has been to the "painless" dentistry below? And after that, off to the church across the road to pray for the pain to go away. Same scene 50 years onHere's an interesting view my father took of the same area in the late 1950s. Floral emblemsI assume the artwork carved into the vegetation around the monument are some type of unit insignias? I notice one for the Corps of Engineers and another for the Signal Corps. ViewpointThe camera is on the southeast corner of Public Square. You can see the edge of the old May Co. building on the left edge of the picture. The location of the Terminal Tower complex would be where the Stein Cafe is in the photo. Signs of the timesThe old street scenes have several things in common. Signs for painless dentistry, cigars and cut rate drugs. Remembering going to the dentist starting about 1950 I have to question the painless statement. InsideThe monument houses a small museum. The photos were taken from the southeast. The Terminal Tower is to the southwest. A great tribute to Ohio's Civil War VetsThat is an amazing monument! When you compare the white objects (dresses/lamp globes) to the white stripes in the American Flag, the air pollution of the day is evident. Old Glory even looks weighted down. Fortunately, it still remains a great monument. I want to go see it. It has its own website: http://soldiersandsailors.com/ Re: Floral EmblemsIf you look closely, the same emblems are carved in the upper portion of the base of the monument. These are the symbols of the different elements of the Union Army 1861-1865. [You can see a close-up here. - Dave] You'll shoot your eye out!Ah yes, The Higbee Company (left) forerunner of the iconic Higbee's department store (in nearby Terminal Tower), perhaps best known for its appearance in Jean Shepherd's "A Christmas Story" (1983), where young Ralphie drools over a Red Ryder carbine-action Range Model (etc., etc.) BB gun in the window. Statue of "Liberty"When I was a boy, an older friend of our family gave me a tour of this monument and told me that the statue on top was "Liberty" and was deliberately placed facing north with sword unsheathed because, in the years after the Civil War, there was some ill-will with Canada and even some fear that Canada would consider "invading" America and the Cleveland citizens put her up as a warning. Never sure if that was a true story (and have never been able to find a historical reference to it) but that's how I heard it more than 50 years ago. THANK YOU!!Thank you very much for sharing this photo. I have a collection of 4 photos from about the same time (very low quality), that were passed down through ancestors and I was having trouble identifying. Then I came across your photo that has the same Stein Cafe and King Harness signs. This helped me identify the angle and roughly date my photographs. I am enclosing a scaled down version here. Thanks again for sharing. (Panoramas, Civil War, Cleveland, DPC, Streetcars)
Christmas With Wilbur and Orville: 1900
... Historical note: before they flew and even before the bicycle shop the Wrights dabbled in publishing. They produced a small local ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/16/2008 - 5:15pm -

December 1900. Christmas tree in the home of Wilbur and Orville Wright at 7 Hawthorn Street in Dayton, Ohio, three years before their famous flight. 4x5 dry-plate glass negative by the Wright Brothers. View full size. There's a lot of detail here for fans of old-school Christmas decoration. Zoom the gifts. Update: Niece Bertha is shown here playing with the dish set in a different room or house. Candles on a Christmas tree...... has got to be the most optimistic decoration ever. "nah, it's fine, it wont' burn up" ToysThe toys must've been for nieces and nephews, as Orville and Wilbur were unmarried and (presumably) had no children. I wonder if the wrapping paper was leftover from their printing business. ["Don't bother me, kid. I'm inventing the airplane!" - Dave] No WiresThese trees were fire hazards. Also lit by candles, my mom's family tree burned down in the 1930s and took their few gifts with it. Gifting was so much simpler then, without the megahyped products and must have items of today. Dolls, books, toiletries and no batteries required! All this stuff!Wow coin bags, dolls, candles, popcorn, and of course a star at the top. The man's head in the picture on the right is blocked by an ornament. Plus, those books are awesome, now that's a book cover. And is that a rifle I see? [I think it is! And there's a tag on it. Unfortunately I can't read the writing. I also see roller skates and a toy locomotive. Click here for a closeup of the gifts. But only if you've been good. - Dave] Toy$I wonder how much these toys would go for on eBay. CeilingWow, I'd hate to wallpaper a ceiling. What?No "fragile" leg lamp in the window? Denny Gill Chugiak, Alaska Presents Beneath the TreeI wonder if the gun under the tree is an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle! By the way, does anyone know what the cup-shaped ornaments on the tree are? I've never seen those before. Great presents!What great presents--the doll tea and dishes set, roller skates and some very detailed doll furniture, the train--a classic Christmas! Electric lightsThe ceiling fixture looks electric, so I guess Dayton had electricity in 1900. [I think those are gaslights on the ceiling. - Dave] Definitely GasYou can see the taps for the gas just before the fixture elbows up into the light mantles (I think that's what they were called). Hard to imagine Bishop Wright spending the money (or even having) the money needed to convert from gaslight to electric. If we think about the fire danger from candles on a Christmas tree, I think we could also offer a bit of concern about a gas flame being so close to a wallpapered ceiling. Orville & WilburTwo comments: 1) I believe they had a younger sister. Perhaps the girl's gifts under the tree are for her. 2) As a kid, I read a book about them. One interesting anecdote that stuck with me: Before their Dad was a Bishop, he was just a church pastor, and his two young sons got stuck with the boring chore of folding the church bulletins every Saturday night. To deal with this dreary task, they used their creativity and inventiveness to design and build a machine to fold the bulletins for them! I would just love to see this contraption. Most likely it long ago was destroyed, but maybe there's a tiny chance it survived and is in a museum somewhere, eh? Animal in the tree- dead or aliveIs that some kind of animal in the tree? House pet sleeping or trophy? I have never seen that before. [Seems to be a fur stole. - Dave] Coonskin CapOf course...now I see it, even without zooming in it does appear to be either that or a fur hat of some sort to go along with the gun? That is really quite funny, to place it in the tree.... maybe the brothers had a sharp wit as well as a sharp intellect...... Thanks Dave.... Christmas CandlesYou'll notice in the hi-def view that the wicks on the candles have never been lit. Maybe they were purely decorative in this instance, but I assure you they aren't as risky as they might seem. My family has put candles on our Christmas trees for the past four decades (and lit them) without any problems. You don't exactly leave the room while they're lit, mind you, but it's actually quite difficult for a fresh cut tree to ignite from a tiny candle. I know this because my father tried to demonstrate to my mother once how dangerous this tradition from the old country (The Netherlands) was. One January in the mid-70s, once the tree had dried out and was out at the curb, he spent 45 minutes trying to set the old tannenbaum ablaze and failed utterly. We still have lit candles on the tree every year, but there's always a fire extinguisher in the room in deference to my father. Gifts ON the TreeI believe people used to put the gifts, which tended to be smaller, on the tree itself. You could fit them in the branches because they were further apart and not as bushy as they tend to be now. And I think the cup-shaped ornaments may have held candy or other small gifts. I think some people even tucked their nativities into the tree branches too. There were obviously trends and fashions in how trees were decorated and I'd love to know more about it. Wright relationsI know I'm late in the game here, but Orville and Wilbur did indeed have a sister, Katherine, but she would have been a bit old to receive dolls and miniatures in 1900 and didn't marry until she was past childbearing age (to a newspaper magnate). Their brothers, Reuchlin and Lorin had children -- one was an inventor of toys -- hence the dolls and miniatures. Wired DaytonDayton had electricity, without a doubt, not long after Edison rolled out his first electric-enabled neighborhood in the Gramercy Park vicinity (NYC) in or around 1882. I used to enjoy Con Ed's exhibit about same. Dayton had a number of advanced industries - including the National Cash Register Company, which was already global by this time. The Wright Brothers used electricity in wind tunnel tests for their wing development. Electric Power in DaytonDayton was a very advanced city for 1903 due to its importance as a manufacturing center (NCR, Barney and Smith Railroad Car Company . . .) The Wright Family, though not rich, were fairly well-to-do. Thier father was a Bishop (pastor) of a local church. Historical note: before they flew and even before the bicycle shop the Wrights dabbled in publishing. They produced a small local paper and were one of the first pubishers of Paul Lawerence Dunbar's stories and poems. (The Gallery, Aviation, Christmas, Wright Brothers)
Wabasha Street: 1905
... Dylan, 1974 Sakes Be There doesn't appear to be a bicycle in sight! Could the city fathers have banned them? The sole of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/13/2022 - 6:51pm -

St. Paul, Minnesota, circa 1905. "Wabasha Street." One dog and one boy, ready for adventures! 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Starchy? Strict?What on earth does "Stern Tailoring" involve? All life is here, the respectable family outside the bakery, the shady looking boys outside a shop selling drugs, two people playing chicken with a tram. And the dog, is he about to give the photographer a nip or a wet leg? ["Stern Tailors -- Clothing with a severe cut." - Dave] Meet me for lungh at the WabashaWell,it looks like a "G" to me. Nothing LeftJudging by the street address on the left - 377 - the photograph appears to be the view from 5th Street. If so, nothing is left from this view. Meet Me in the MorningMeet me in the morning, 56th and Wabasha Meet me in the morning, 56th and Wabasha Honey, we could be in Kansas By time the snow begins to thaw. Bob Dylan, 1974 Sakes BeThere doesn't appear to be a bicycle in sight! Could the city fathers have banned them? The sole of honor!now who wouldn't be proud to put that on their feet. One left.If you continue north in the current view to 7th street, you will see the Fitzpatrick Building. Built in 1890 and listed on the National Register. In the 1905 photo, this would be to the left of the turning streetcar. St. Paul bike lawSt. Paul's leaders had not banned bicycles from city street, so long as they did not go too fast: Independent Order of Odd FellowsI searched the 'net quite a while to understand the meaning of both the handshake and the animal heads over the doorway between Allen's Bakery and Parker Drugs. I also searched quite a bit to discern the obscured letters in the acronym above them. I was also inquisitive about the tall box near the curb with its electric or phone wires that lead to the same doorway. After overlooking them, I finally noticed the three rings painted on the tall box and that gave me the clue that the acronym undoubtedly refers to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Being a fraternal organization, the handshake symbolism is self-evident. I still don't know what the animal heads represent. An old newspaper notice informs that Allen's Bakery was located at 368 Wabasha. The current resident at 370 Wabasha is a company called Ecolab. I could not find a citation for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at this location. Here's the shotLook it's a drug store! Quick let's take a picture. Seems so many of these street shots contain a drug store on the corner. Is that because they were always on the main street? The DoggieI hope that poor dog made it home okay. I also see that they hadn't gotten around to cleaning up the horse flop in front of Stern's Tailoring yet. And what was it with hats in those days? Everybody's wearing one, even though the weather looks fine. I'm 70 and I've never even owned a hat like that. Ball caps, sure. But an actual, you know, hat? The struggle is realI'm having trouble reconciling the woman walking past Allen's Bakery on the right-hand side of the photo, past the dapper slender man using a toothpick and his female companion with flowers on her hat, a big bow at her neck, and the get-off-my-lawn look on her face, with the lady whose back is reflected in the bakery window behind aforesaid toothpicking man. The angle seems all wrong and yet there is her receding figure and outfit -- tiny white-belted waist, white blouse, chignon, straw hat with the brim slightly dented in back, right arm bent at the elbow. Somebody help me. [Angle of Incidence = Angle of Reflection. - Dave] Stern Tailoring IndeedI am struck by how well-dressed everybody is: all of the men are wearing suits with ties and hats, including the boy in the street & all of the women are well-dressed and wearing hats. I know that it was the style of the day to wear hats but I am struck by the fact that there is not a single person in the frame that is not well-dressed. There do not appear to be any signs of poverty in this photo, nobody in threadbare clothing or shoes with holes in them. It is is impressive. That kid's pantsWhy does that kid have on long pants. I thought kids that age back then wore short pants. Or has he just reached long-pants age? Length(y) CommentThat boy looks too young to be wearing long pants. I've always seen boys that age (10? 11?) wearing knickers, up until around the age of 13 or 14. Perhaps he's in his Sunday best, in the suit he got from Mr. Stern. Superman vision wantedThat large building on the left is - was - Schuneman's Department Store, and I believe that from the beginning (1890ish) it occupied the whole building; so I'm curious why there's signage at the fourth floor that ends in "PAPER" ... wonder what the first words were. [FURNITURE, CARPETS, DRAPERIES and WALL. - Dave] Thanks, Clark! I was thinking something along the lines of "Paint and wallpaper" - i.e. a listing of their goods -- a rather old-fashioned approach to retailing: I believe the buidling was later "cleaned up" ... as befitted its role as StP's leading store. (The Gallery, Dogs, DPC, Kids, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Streetcars)
Northward Ho: 1905
... that brought you Miss Canada astride her wheat-swagged bicycle... When it came to platitudinal boosterism, nobody beat the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 2:07pm -

Circa 1905. "Motor car, Canadian Government Colonization Co." I wonder if there was a calliope aboard, or bagpipes. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Comedy Imitates LifeIn his album "Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America, Part 2" the founding fathers invent a new medium called Tele-wagon. It would be pulled around Europe while people extolled the new country's virtues through a small hole cut in the side. I wonder if Mr. Freberg knows how close to reality he came with his seemingly-goofy idea. Early HybridThere's an electric motor on the front axle, and what looks like a big radiator just aft. And a boiler tank in back. How'd this thing work? What propels this - um - contraption?Looking underneath, I wonder if this wasn't some sort of early hybrid... There appears to be an electric drive on the front axel but just behind it there is what appears to be a radiator and at the rear, what appears to be a gas or water tank. And finally those large boxes underneath appear to be battery boxes used in electric trucks of the period. What's your guess - steam/electric? Gas/electric? Interesting.... Fine example of the sign painter's art!And to think that we Canadians sometimes like to make fun of Americans for being "over the top." I guess we're caught this time! An amazing variety of typefaces, though. Oily AcresThe driver appears to be a bit slippery looking. I don't think I'd buy a necktie from that guy let alone travel thousands of miles for free land. John A. would be so proudFrom the federal agency that brought you Miss Canada astride her wheat-swagged bicycle... When it came to platitudinal boosterism, nobody beat the Canadian Government in the early 20th Century. Free land, mild climate, peerless soil, and the promise of happy, rosy-cheeked offspring playing amongst the wheat. Of course they never really told you that the land wasn't really free...there was a $10 service charge when you got to the Dominion Lands Office which some simply didn't have, having spent the last of their money on Canadian Pacific passage. And there was always a chance the surveyors' maps were off and you'd land was mostly under water. And the least said of the weather the better. But still, an admirable (and fantastical) showing from the fair Dominion. Considering the speed at which the Last Best West was settled between 1890 and 1914, it seems to have worked! What the heckare all of those electric bells and whistles for, the ones behind the vehicle operator's head? The signage on this wagon is magnificent. GadzooksMonty Python meets Kids in the Hall, and Charlie Chaplin is driving! Please Tell MeThat this thing survived and is in a museum somewhere. Canada, eh?Our much-advertised self-effacement isn't much in evidence, here. My mother came to Canada based on a lecture extolling the virtues of Canada's wide-open spaces and the ease of British subjects to get work. Ironically, her attempts to get a job as a teacher, here, were initially rebuffed with the terse "We don't hire Scottish people". Turned out it was a receptionist who didn't like Scots. "We don't hire your type..." --- I should have mentioned that efforts at convincing immigrants to settle the west, which also included "free land", often led to clashes in cultures. Those people from Eastern Europe fell afoul of suspicious governments (Federal and Provincial) and their neighbours when they gathered together to farm land communally. The Doukhobors, for instance, arriving in 1899 (7900 people) and 1902 (another 500), were initially permitted to own land individually but farm communally. However, but by 1905, the government of the day disallowed this practice. This and the Doukhobors refusal to swear the Oath of Allegiance, led to the government cancelling their homestead entries. They rejected government interference, which led to radical action by various sects (sometimes by carrying out bombings or nude protest). They were eventually disenfranchised, and their children removed from their care. It wasn't until the 1970s and 1980s that the Doukhobors began to reclaim their culture and, in some cases, their family ties. The Doukhobors immigration was the single largest mass migration in Canadian history. The photo was apparently a gift from the State Historical Society of Colorado to the Detroit Publishing Collection in 1949. There is more information about the Canadian Colonization Company (a privately owned company that bought land and then distributed it for a fee) and other companies like it. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=a1ARTA0... Coming and GoingFunny, my ancestors (part of the Mayflower crowd) settled in Canada as Tories but my grandfather and his 12 siblings immigrated back to the US around 1900 and became US citizens. What goes unsaidOh yes! A land of plenty and prosperity. Then there's the arctic climate six months of the year. Hope you like it uber-cold. Steam Lines?There appear to be steam lines, with sliding joints and valves, going to the wheels. What the heck? Actually, given the boiler and radiator, I really like the idea of a steam calliope. HomesteadersIn 1906 my Gr. Grandfather and family of 11 boys, (two with his second wife)set off with this dream from Minnesota to Saskatchewan. Every son went back to Minnesota to find a wife, and that is how I ended up being Canadian. ElectricDoes that motor drive the wheels? or is it just for the lights? Filling the Promised LandAt this time Canada was enthusiastically promoting immigration. Here's another 1905 promotional wagon, somewhat less hi-tech. Steam, I think.Considering the front "blow down" valve and the pipe leading to the boiler. The "radiator" is the condenser for reusing exhausted steam from the engine to turn it back into water for greatly extended mileage. The electrics are provided by a dynamo which charges batteries for all those lights. Oddly, the head and tail lights appear to by acetylene lamps. And, strangest of all. I think the rear wheels steer the thing. Hey, only on Shorpy, right? Bells whistles etcBehind the driver are two large meters that probably gave the amount of remaining charge in the batteries. A bank of knife switches that operated the numerous light bulbs are in evidence as well as what appears to be a large round rheostat to control voltage. The temperatureWhen our Fellowship sponsored a family of Kosovar refugees during the war in the former Yugoslavia, we were trying to impress upon them that the winters were "very, very cold". After bringing this up a number of times, the father finally said "If the winters were that cold, no one would be living here. Since you're living here, I think we can manage." Manage they did. Although part of the family returned home after the conflict ended, part of the family remained and remained good friends. And it wasn't until we saw photos of Kosovo in winter that it dawned on us that cold winters weren't exactly a surprise to them. That's something we still joke about (amongst other cultural misunderstandings on both our parts). Early day hybridAccording to "The Golden Years of Trucking" published by the Ontario Trucking Association in 1976, this was a gas-electric four-wheel-drive truck built by the Commercial Motor Vehicle Co. of Windsor, Ontario. It had an electric motor on each wheel, was 20 feet long and had an 81-inch track. The four cylinder engine produced 20 HP. The truck was sent to England to visit "every town and village in the country." Because it was so underpowered it never made it out of London. Presumably it was left in England. The sides could be hinged up to expose examples of the wonderful Canadian produce. [Fabulous. One question: When? - Dave] Wondering no moreI always wondered what possessed the various branches of my family to come to Canada. Now I know! Northern LightsI'm hoping the lighted letters on top worked thusly: each letter lights up in turn (C-A-N-A-D-A), and then the entire word flashes several times ("CANADA" "CANADA" "CANADA"!). That would have been all kinds of awesome! The CPR and Western ImmigrationThe Canadian Pacific Railway was instrumental in promoting immigration to Canada and settling the western provinces, in particular. 1905 was a pivotal year because that was the formation of the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Since the CPR had the only available transportation method of getting settlers into these new provinces, and they had a vested interest in encouraging both the agricultural future and the urban future of the west, they made it their business to encourage settlement. Since they also had a vested interest in getting settlers from Europe via their steamship line, they were VERY interested in advertising both the method and the reason for getting to Canada. They advertised in the form of lectures and through films (William Van Horne hired film maker James Freer to film all aspects of Canada (discouraging the use of winter scenes) "James Freer, who began shooting scenes of Manitoba farm life in 1897, and who was being sponsored on tours of Britain by William Van Horne as early as April 1898, was a pioneer in every sense of the word. None of his films appear to have survived, but his promotional literature indicates the eclectic nature of his offerings, part hard sell and part general-interest subjects to attract the audience. Entitled "Ten years in Manitoba -- 25,000 instantaneous photos upon half-a-mile of Edison films," a typical Freer "cinematograph lecture" included Arrival of CPR Express at Winnipeg, Harnessing the Virgin Prairie, Harvesting Scene with Trains Passing and Winnipeg Fire Boys on the Warpath. The first tour was evidently considered both a popular and a commercial success, though its immediate impact on emigration figures cannot be calculated. In 1901 Clifford Sifton, then minister of the Interior, agreed to sponsor a second one "under the auspices of the Canadian Government." This 1902 tour, using the same program of films, was less successful than the first, and neither the CPR nor the federal government was prepared to sponsor a third." http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/publications/archivist-magazine/01500... A joint effort between the CPR and the Canadian government IN THE WESTERN US STATES featured an "exhibition van" "which travelled the highways and country roads, much after the fashion of the van used in England by the railway company. The car was in charge of L.O. Armstrong, an effective speaker who represented the railway. According to the same book, "Building the Canadian West - The Land and Colonization Policies of the Canadian Pacific Railway (cited above), there was a colonization company (Beiseker and Davidson) active in the western US states and eventually brought 23 settlers from Colorado to found the Bassano Colony, in Alberta. This was in 1914. http://books.google.ca/books?id=CxsA_rOLK1UC&lpg=PA113&ots=2geF2e37ks&dq... No description of the van is given. I have contacted the CPR Archives to see if I can find out more. The automated response tells me that I can expect to wait 6-8 weeks for an initial response... Great. Similar to the Homestead ActThe promise on the wagon of 160 free acres reminds me of the promises of the American Homestead Act that promised anyone 160 free acres of land if they stayed on (and improved) the land and stayed for 5 years. In the corner of the prairie where I grew up (NW Iowa) my ancestors and lots of people made it, but lots of people didn't make it in the wilds of South and North Dakota. I can't even imagine how you could make it in a sod hut or tiny cabin even further north in the winters of Western Canada. All of those pioneers were made of sterner stuff! CPR Archives responseI received an email this morning from the CPR Archives... The photo of the motor car is interesting and new to us. The CP exhibit car was a railway car promoting farming in western Canada (see photos NS16354 and NS12974). CP also had a "trailer" which was hauled in Europe (see NS11550 in Paris)." I also came across this, which is unfortunately unaccessible in its entirety without purchasing the book. In my reply to the archivist, I cited the posting earlier by Jimmytruck. Curiouser and curiouser. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Curiosities, DPC)
Detroit: 1897
... in the street, a block back? [He's getting on a bicycle. - Dave] Smooth pavement I can't help feeling a bit of envy by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 10:22am -

Circa 1897. "Post Office, Detroit." Sign on utility pole: "Please do not spit on the sidewalk." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Not in AustinThe ones in Austin were built in Indiana. [They may have been manufactured in Indiana, but, as noted below, they were purchased used by Austin from Detroit. - Dave] 1892From the woman's attire in the right background, (white blouse, dark skirt--not quite in an "A" line, probably a boater hat), I guess that this was taken in 1892. If she is not quite in fashion, then 1893. Moon tower!That looks exactly like one of the "moonlight towers" of Austin, Texas -- and according to Wikipedia, they were purchased used from Detroit in 1894. I wonder if that's one of the ones residing in Austin now. Fort and ShelbyThe old post office in Detroit was on the northeast corner of West Fort and Shelby. Nothing in this photo remains today. Alright, alright, alright ..."Party at the Moon Tower." Sidewalk Sign EnvyI would like to time travel and swipe some of the polite requests to refrain from spitting on the sidewalk, and bring them to current day Boston to be posted. The sidewalks are covered with spit and gum, and there is nothing quite like walking behind a spitter. That is particularly true on a windy day. Back to the photo, the post office is magnificent! I wonder if it had spittoons inside. A short tripSeems ironic that there should need to be a letterbox across the street from the world's largest post office. High SteppingWhat's with the man high stepping in the street, a block back? [He's getting on a bicycle. - Dave] Smooth pavementI can't help feeling a bit of envy by looking at that smooth pavement on the street. Notable that this was taken at a time when the automobile was still considered a fad, a mere toy for the idle wealthy, and was not still being used as a regular means of transportation. Federal BuildingThere's quite a history of this place, as well as more photos, over at: www.buildingsofdetroit.com/places/post M.O.S.W.Looks like John Cleese doing his Silly Walk in front of the library. It is quite odd to find nothing at all remaining from this wide swath. Many buildings from this era are still in place - any drive through Detroit shows that. Then & NowHey guys, I couldn't resist this one, I just went out on the bike to get an "after" photograph of this view. Enjoy! http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsgeorge/3935273602/ (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Pedal-Pushers: 1942
June 1942. Washington, D.C. "A bicycle rental shop on 22nd Street, near Virginia Avenue N.W., on Sunday." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/22/2022 - 2:41pm -

June 1942. Washington, D.C. "A bicycle rental shop on 22nd Street, near Virginia Avenue N.W., on Sunday." Acetate negative by Marjory Collins, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Been there, done thatIn August 2017, Dallas joined the inspired world of dockless bike-sharing. Sponsoring companies promised it would come at no cost to taxpayers. The app-controlled feature allowed bike-share companies to distribute their dockless fleets wherever they wanted. By February 2018, five bike share companies transformed Dallas from the largest American city without a bike-share system to the city with the largest fleet in North America. That's right, everything is bigger in Texas. At our peak we had 18,000 bicycles scattered all over our fair city. And I do mean scattered. By comparison, New York City had only 12,000 bicycles and weak sister Seattle only 10,000. D(allas) Magazine warned “Let’s not screw this up.” But, we did screw it up. By August 2018, it was all over. And guess who had to pay to clean up the mess. The more things changeCapital Bikeshare 2022. One hour for $4 (more than 26 times the 1942 rate), though you can get membership rates and passes. PricingSo it’s 15 cents an hour during the day, Monday to Friday, but 25 cents for the whole evening or, even better, the whole weekend? I’ll take the weekend, please. The girls are wearing the same shoes, as girls are wont to do. They both look great, really strong, especially the one on the right. I’d vote for her for President. Wonderful title, Dave! Price Is About the SameThe Bureau of Labor Statistics online inflation calculator says 15 cents in June 1942 is equivalent to $2.74 today and 25 cents is equivalent to $4.57. Capital Bikeshare's 2022 rates are more or less the same as the 1942 rental rates in real terms. Hey, that's my bike!That dude in the doorway is more concerned about his bike being stolen than he is with the fine pairs of departing legs. Prime Time25 cents an hour, evenings and weekends seems logical to me. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Marjory Collins)
Detroit Rubber Works: 1908
... Morgan & Wright was the world's largest maker of bicycle tires when, in 1906, they moved from Chicago to Detroit to exploit the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 6:16pm -

Detroit, Michigan, 1908. "Detroit Rubber Works." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What do they manufacture? Vulcanized, galoshes and boots, rubber bands, or condoms? [Hmm. Detroit? Rubber? Morgan & Wright was the world's largest maker of bicycle tires when, in 1906, they moved from Chicago to Detroit to exploit the needs of the growing automobile industry. In 1911 the company was sold to the U.S. Rubber Co., renamed Uniroyal in 1961.] I found the steam whistle!Just to the left of the two "smoking" smoke stacks. Cookin' With GasGreat view of a gasometer complete with promotional message on it. Story in dBusiness Magazine this MonthI just read a story about them/Uniroyal in the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of dBusiness magazine (a Detroit business periodical). Morgan & Wright's Wartime WomenDuring World War I, Morgan & Wright hired many women to fill essential production jobs previously held by men. Here's a photo from the collection of Wayne State University. Amelia Bloomer and Parisian fashion designers usually get the credit for introducing women to wearing trousers, but it's likely that more American women got to experience this for the first time during their temporary wartime jobs. Strange PhotoIt looks like something painted by Edward Hopper. Not even a rubber band can be found there today.[Area immediately southwest of MacArthur Bridge Park.] View Larger Map What did they make?Bet they made some Baby Buggy Bumpers. Uni, Roy & AlUni, Roy & Al say "Cook with Gas". (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Factories)
Board Track: 1925
... The design was based on the velodromes still used for bicycle racing. Regarding the dress code of the day, considering that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2012 - 4:56pm -

July 11, 1925. "Auto races at Laurel, Maryland." The 1⅛-mile wooden oval at Laurel Speedway. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Sibling rivalryLooks like both Ralph and John DePalma were racing that day. Black BoxesFor a good while I kept wondering what were those neatly arranged squares in the outfield. I guess I'm slow on the uptake. Notice the Parking Lot?Every car in the lot is black. Finding your car after the race must have been hell! And sitting in the stands squinting into the glare from all those skimmers...... A Sea of Menall looking toward the track, and one lone woman with a parasol looking toward the camera. Interesting composition. Sharing a memory...There was a graphic design studio I worked in for a time and it (rather oddly) had a race car set in the middle of the office of the same type in the photos. I recall one office party where I (accompanied by my beer) finally worked up the gumption to climb into it. I remember sitting there, hands on the wheel, and just letting my mind wander back to a scene similar to the one in this photo. The car was much larger then I would have imagined. Amazing Uniformity of HatsWhat's with all the straw hats? It must have been the style in 1925 ... but still, did 98% of the men of the time wear the same kind of hat? It's really kind of freaky. [Check out this photo. - Dave] Hat DayMust have been Hat Day at the track. You know, they give away free hats. Also, the banking in turn 4 is not supported by dirt. It is actually up on supports , which you don't see anymore. To what degree?That has to be the most steeply-banked track I've ever seen! The corners appear to be way steeper than Daytona or Talladega. I wonder just what the degree of banking actually was. [48 degrees. - Dave] HiddenAnd not a Marx Brother in sight? Not even a Harp! Sea of HatsSkimmers or boaters were the hat of choice, much like ballcaps today. You can still get one, I love mine. Newspaper BrimsPlenty of folks have extended the coverage of their hats with sheets of newspaper. That's a lotta woodThe idea of a wooden racetrack for cars is incredible! It takes a hefty underlying support structure to keep the surface boards in place. Even with that the pounding of the racecars would loosen the nails and the resulting clickity-clack sound would have been very loud. I remember that effect from some wooden bridges we used to have around here. Unless all the wood was treated with creosote, the usual preservative back then, the whole track might rot away in a few years. Wonder how many years the track did last? Why wood?Why was it made of wood? [It was a relatively cheap way to build a banked racecourse. Board tracks were quite popular in the early part of the century. - Dave] Deadly SplintersBoard tracks were used for motorcycle racing at the time as well and taking a spill on the lumber was a nasty experience. LostHave you seen my dad? He was wearing a white shirt and a straw hat. Quite a lineupRalph was the only DePalma racing that day. The partially-obscured "DeP___a" was a misspelling of Pete DePaolo's name. Pete was Ralph's nephew, the winner of the 1925 Indy 500, and also the winner of this race. A list of the results can be found here. Interesting to see so many jackets on a day marked by "extreme heat." Board track racer Jim DavisA few years back I had the pleasure of meeting long retired board track racer Jim Davis, who raced motorcycles for the Indian Company beginning in 1916. He told stories of running over 100 mph on the boards and having splinters thrown up by other bikes with such force that they would pierce the protective leather gear. At the end of one race as he slowed to a stop he discovered he couldn't remove his foot from the peg of his bike and found that a large splinter had pierced the leather of his boot and wedged itself between parts of the bike. Fortunately it somehow missed his foot. It was all insanely dangerous but when you were 17 years old and could make $25 a week plus expenses and prize money, why not? Mr. Davis was a very polite man, friendly, and could tell racing stories 75 years after they happened like they happened last week. Finish LineThe results linked to in an earlier comment are interesting. All cars save one were a Duesie or a Miller and the average speed for the 250 miles was around 124 mph. Very impressive considering the venue! I wonder if it was AAA sanctioned. A board track legendNeedless to say, the elaborate framework of a board track allowed ample opportunity for boys to climb around under the track. A legend goes that during a race at Beverly Hills, a driver came into the pits pale and shaking. When asked what's wrong, he said "There has been a crash and I saw the guy's head bouncing down the track!" He was told there had been no crash. What he saw were local urchins getting the best view of a race imaginable; through holes in the boards. They would duck down as the cars passed and then pop back up as they cleared. Then and NowHere is the track today, overgrown but still recognizable: View Larger Map Woodpeckers not allowedThe official name of this track is The Baltimore-Washington Speedway and all races ran there were AAA sanctioned. It had 48 degree banked corners and was built by Jack Prince. However it was very short loved in that it was operational between the June 1925 and the September 1926. The first board track was built at the Los Angeles Coliseum Motordrome in 1910. The design was based on the velodromes still used for bicycle racing. Regarding the dress code of the day, considering that these were the days when men wore not only hats, but suits and ties to the movies, to ballgames, horse races and in this case, to auto races, it was expected to be a very hot day at the event thus the white dress code and straw hats. As a racer, the topic of board tracks has been one of my studies for several years all of which had some amazing historical value. That said, in my opinion, the board track in San Francisco was the most beautiful of all with a significant amount of historical value. It was built overlooking San Francisco to coincide with the 1915 Pan Pacific International Exposition (World's Fair), where the 1915 Vanderbilt Cup race was run. I have some beautiful photos of them and the cars. CamerasMakes you wonder what ever happened to the pictures they are taking down in the race lane, and if, some time in the future, Dave will find and post them. [A clever ploy. More here and here. - Dave] Google Maps imageI am fascinated by the Google Maps image posted below. I'd love to get into that property just to look around and walk the old layout and stand where such an amazing track was. Sadly, I'm in Arizona so it's not likely to happen. Hats and Plank roadsI can also attest to the terrific comfort of a straw boater. I got an antique boater recently (ca 1930s) and it's amazing how shady cool and comfortable they are. And yes, just about every man in America wore one. May 15 was the traditional "Straw Hat Day," when straws were "officially" sanctioned to be worn. Regarding the wooden track, this was also the era of plank roads. In an era when wood was tremendously abundant, miles and miles of highways were paved with wood. Even in Brooklyn, Coney Island Avenue was originally called Coney Island Plank Road. Laurel board trackWhen I was a kid, we used to ride our bikes in the woods there. Unfortunately, the current image above does't show any remains at all of the old track. 4 or 5 years ago they cleared the land. Now its just a grass field. About 10 years ago, when we found the track, we thought it was a road. We road our bikes on it and and discovered it was huge oval. Since the track was all sand, we thought it was once part of the horse track. Since the horse track is across the street(brock bridge rd), it only made sense to us. Wish it was still there since I now know what it is. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Natl Photo, Sports)
Bike Chained: 1920
... Tony Pizzo passing through Washington on a Coast to Coast bicycle run handcuffed to his machine. The handcuffs were sealed by Mayor Hylan ... levers on the handle bars. A Pair of Ivers The bicycle is an Iver Johnson. Not sure of the year, but likely mid teens. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2015 - 12:07am -

May 1920. "Sailor Tony Pizzo passing through Washington on a Coast to Coast bicycle run handcuffed to his machine. The handcuffs were sealed by Mayor Hylan in New York April 24 and are not to be opened until his return to that city. Pizzo made a California to New York trip in like manner in 1919." View full size. Buttons on his jumperBack during the Vietnam War ,when I was in the Navy, sailors modified their jumpers to make a better, and tighter, fit. These uniforms were called "tailor mades" Modern versions have a zipper. I suppose that they still do today. The morning regularI am less impressed by the physical feat of crossing the country handcuffed to a bike than I am with the thought of simply taking care of, shall we say, the less pleasant daily chores of life, and finding places (and people willing to help him) to do so. I choose to believe that he was allowed his own key to the handcuffs to facilitate his “private time”. Bathroom BreakI will be the first to ask since I know that almost every Shorpyite wants to know. How did he go to the bathroom chained to a bike? Also, did he sleep on top of the bike or underneath? Just asking? According to the story I found, he was not allowed to unchain himself and had done the necessary whilst still chained to the bike. It was, however, specially designed for him to be able to do that. More About TonyTony suffered from tuberculosis and was about to be discharged from the Navy when he undertook the trip from CA to NY. More about that here. He had a pal who got hit by a car on the first trip and had to go it alone the first time. His friend was his manager the on the trip viewed here. When they tested him in 1920 he was clear of Tuberculosis and was able to stay in the Navy. Where did he ride?It looks like he might have started out in Central Park, because he has a pistol hanging under his seat. What! No Chain Guard?As a kid I would roll up my pants leg to keep my threads from becoming ensnared while pedaling merrily down the street.....wonder if Tony did the same. A Gun!?!, etcI guess things could get pretty dicey out in the wilds of Kansas or wherever. Though, as a kid I got chased by a lot of mean dogs while on a bike that could probably go faster than the one he's on. The ability to have a ranged weapon rather than relying on a PF Flyer to the snout could have been handy. Speaking of bikes it seems that coaster brake technology had been developed by 1920 since it doesn't appear that there are any brake levers on the handle bars. A Pair of IversThe bicycle is an Iver Johnson. Not sure of the year, but likely mid teens. The grips on the revolver also look Iver Johnson-ish too. Fall of 1920The overcoats are a clue but the Motion Picture magazine in the woman's arm is from November, 1920. ImpressedI can't even imagine riding that bike even 10 miles, let alone across the country. Twice! I recently did a 210 mile bike ride over two days. I rode a bike with 27 gears that I'm sure weighs half of what this bike weighed. I was able to wear modern technical clothing. I wasn't chained to the bike. I had mechanical support along the route, several rest stops fully stocked with snacks. And there was a truck to carry my tent and sleeping bag to my overnight location. Compared to this guy, I'm a softie. Maybe next year I'll try it his way. Holster legend?Does it say "Dogs Only" on his holster? So, aside from the other private matters, he could not change his shirt, with both hands chained. Hmmm. [Notice how long the chains are and the buttons up the entire length of the sleeve. -tterrace] What about tire changes?It seems like an unnecessary measure to have those chains on. What's he going to do, conspire to defraud the public trust? [It's a stunt. -tterrace] Ready for anythingJunkyard bike: check. Semi-flat front tire: check. Handcuffs: check and double check. "Repel boarders" equipment: check. Helmet: er..... check. Odd looking pedal resistant shoes: check. I am familiar with 13-button trousers, but the button-down-the-sides-and-down-the-sleeves dress blue jumper is new to me. It may have been standard in 1920, but I suspect that it is an accommodation to Seaman Pizzo's particular situation. I'm sure that the trip through Needles in dark blue wool clothing would have been less than pleasant. Maybe he had tropical whites in the trunk. Bike equipmentOr more importantly the lack of it. I used to put in about a thousand miles a year back in the day and I gotta say those shoes must have been painful. And the pedals don't have even the most basic toe clips to give some pedal lifting during the power cycle. It looks like the pistol might rub against his leg and one wonders what he's planning offing. But I vividly remember cycling into Yellowstone Park and noticing a sign that said, "Keep Windows up" Counting the milesI was immediately drawn to the odd-looking nut near the front axle, and recognized the mileage counter located there. The counter on my old Carlton was the same compact style. My mileage counter ... was manufactured by Lucas and purchased in the '50s. It is possibly an updated design since the mount looks the same. You can see the actuating pin mounted on one of the spokes - it moves the "Cyclometer" 1/5th of a turn for each revolution of the bicycle wheel. For you bicycle enthusiasts this was (and still is) mounted on a one-owner 1948 Hex-Tube Monark Silver King. ButtonsI served over 20 years in the US Navy. From 1983 to 2006 and the men's Service Dress Blue jumper never had zippers. The trousers had buttons and the jumper was "tailored" for a fitted appearance but had no zipper or buttons other than those at the cuffs. Sailors would take their jumpers to a tailor shop and have a zipper put into the side seam to make it easier to put on/take off, especially as we put a few pounds on as the jumper was fitted during boot camp. Needles isn't always so hotThere was a remark on here about the bicyclist being overdressed for Needles. I live in Needles and it does get hot here in the summer. It is a four season location, although the winters aren't nearly as severe as the summers. One comment was made about the magazine in the woman's arm being dated November 1920. If that's the case and the magazine is new, he was dressed fine for Needles, except he might even need a pea coat. It's cold between November and March. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Our New Ride: 1921
Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "Times bicycle contest." Winners of a Mead Ranger bike for selling 30 newspaper ... Pretty nice prize! Hot Wheels That is one hell of a bicycle! It has all the bells and whistles, even an oo-gah horn. That kid is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:38pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "Times bicycle contest." Winners of a Mead Ranger bike for selling 30 newspaper subscriptions. National Photo Co. View full size. On the fringeLooks very close to the bikes we had in the 50's. Just add handle bar fringe and a few playing cards in the spokes. Peewee Herman would be proud. Ride a Ranger All the Year 'RoundClick to enlarge. Nice PrizeFrom a few period ads, it appears that a Mead Ranger bike might fetch about $20. In today's money, that's about $240. Pretty nice prize! Hot WheelsThat is one hell of a bicycle! It has all the bells and whistles, even an oo-gah horn. That kid is living the dream. Wouldn't notice the differenceIf you took this bike out of this time and set it in the 50's the only thing that kids would notice different, if they looked close, would be no chain guards and maybe the strange battery size and location. Darn!All I ever got for new customers on my Detroit Times route was tickets to Tiger ballgames. Thrilled to deathNeither of them look particularly thrilled. Do you suppose they had to share the bike? Or perhaps they were wishing they had won the $60 motor bike for selling 35 subscriptions. Window dressingThe lady's bike in the window is something to admire too. Bikes were built for transportation back then, not just playing a sport as so many are these days. Such beautiful styling! As lovely as a retro cruiser with extras or a Pashley bike from England. "Newspapers?"Yes, I have heard of these "newspaper" things you write of. Were they not popular before dying an inglorious death in the early twenty-first century, overcome by that intertube net thingy? Everything exceptIt even has whitewall tires but, it doesn't have a chain guard. Not a problem for those two young men. How old are those kids?Twelve? Thirteen? What sort of legitimate, recognized job is there that a child that age can hold today? How can they earn spending money and, possibly, transportation? And that bicycle would have enabled them to expand their route, as well, since they would have more time. A bike like that used to hang in my grandparents' basement, in back of the furnace. It disappeared around 1980, when the basement was cleaned out of a lot of scrap wood and old metal. Half NelsonBig Brother apparently is not "pleased as punch" with the spoils, and little brother only slightly less glum (stunned?). Little B looks like Ricky from "Ozzie and Harriet." Interesting contrastWalking away, she's quite a fashionable woman with her high heels and fancy hat. And then there's the man in his baggy suit and tattered shoes badly in need of a shine. That bikeDandy and very deluxe in its day. Plus it has a built-in light with a generator and a battery. $240 may or may not be an accurate conversion of $20 in 1921 dollars. However, $240 today will not get you a dream bike. I'd say you'd need $500-$1000 or more to get something as juicy and impressive today, and I'm not talking about a vintage bike. Just a 2010 bike with "all the bells & whistles". Today that might be a "trials" bike for doing tricks. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo)
Well Urned: 1906
... urned, not well posted Why? They are for leaning your bicycle against, as somebody did with the fourth urn back on the right. But ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/15/2022 - 1:12am -

Volusia County, Florida, circa 1906. "Palm avenue, Seabreeze." At right is Wilman's Opera House, with a sign advertising the real estate business of opera house manager Charles Burgman. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Two highest points in FloridaThe street eclipsed only by the sand dune on the right. May you never run out punsNot there is any sign of it. Planters?Okay, I’ll bite: what was the actual purpose of these urns? To be public planters? I wonder who would tend them. Nowadays they’d be filled with empty cigarette packs and butts. Streets of Confusion"Seabreeze" was both the name of major street in Daytona Beach, and a separate town to the north, whose main street was named Ocean Boulevard (I think that's what we're seeing here, looking west). The two towns later merged, and Ocean Boulevard was renamed Seabreeze Boulevard, while Seabreeze Avenue seems to have been renamed Main Street. Questions? A similar shot from further east on the grounds of the Clarendon Hotel - the town seemed to have something of a battlement fetish! - with the building three long blocks distant. The two Wilmans' buildings that straddled Pine Grove Avenue Florida real estate boom in the makingAn elegantly accoutered but unpaved, partially-overgrown "avenue" with elegant building on one side and (possibly) nothing on the other: welcome to the fantasyland of Florida real estate, then and now. [Indeed. The partly obscured sign at the entrance reads "[Burg]man and ***sden Real Estate." - Dave] The best known Florida real-estate bubbles were in 1926 (see the Marx Brothers' 'Cocoanuts') and 2008 (see 'The Big Short'). Seabreeze--now a historic district of Daytona Beach--probably had the lucky timing to escape. I have seen later postcards where a similar wide be-urned street was labeled "Ocean Boulevard" or "Seabreeze Boulevard." Urn AvenueJust, WHY? Well urned, not well postedWhy? They are for leaning your bicycle against, as somebody did with the fourth urn back on the right. But what's that unusual short post with the hole in it near its top by the second urn on the left used for? [Parking your horse. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, Florida)
Big Bruvver: 1941
... laundry, hot showers , a swimming pool and at least one bicycle. Also a boxing ring . - Dave] Grapes of Wrath scene With ... up with bloody toes. Be it ever so humble ... That bicycle is virtually new, so someone was thinking of the children and perhaps ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/20/2019 - 8:09pm -

July 1941. "Children outside tent home at the FSA migratory farm labor camp mobile unit. Athena, Oregon." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Simple pleasures -- few comfortsNo hot and cold running water; no indoor plumbing; difficult to prepare warm meals; no privacy. Toys were a luxury ... [The camp had stoves, running water, a laundry, hot showers, a swimming pool and at least one bicycle. Also a boxing ring. - Dave] Grapes of Wrath sceneWith all the aforementioned amenities, all that's is lacking is a lawnmower or a few goats for mowing duties. CringeThis brings back vivid memories of the times I rode barefoot and ended up with bloody toes. Be it ever so humble ...That bicycle is virtually new, so someone was thinking of the children and perhaps some double-duty fun. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Kids, Russell Lee)
Freddy and Harley: 1922
... Fretwell Double Winner in Motor Cycle Events The bicycle, motorcycle and automobile racing program staged by the Costello post ... of the program. The day's card opened with a half-mile bicycle race for the D.C. championship. V. Messineo covered the dirt course in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 11:57am -

"Fretwell, 1922." Fred "Freddy" Fretwell of Washington on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. National Photo Collection glass negative. View full size. Re: He is a hottie!I agree ... it seems that Dave is rather parsimonious with (or oblivious to) the proper use of the Handsome Rakes tag. [Alright. Freddy has now ascended to the ranks of Rakedom. - Dave] Harley Smokes Indians Fretwell Double Winner in Motor Cycle Events The bicycle, motorcycle and automobile racing program staged by the Costello post yesterday afternoon attracted about three thousand people to the Arlington race track. Those who journeyed to Virginia side of the Potomac witnessed some fine racing as well as an excellent exhibition cavalary drill put on by Troop B of the Third U.S. calvary from Fort Myer. The Fort Myer band was also on hand to enliven things during the progress of the program. The day's card opened with a half-mile bicycle race for the D.C. championship. V. Messineo covered the dirt course in 1 minute and 19 seconds. Daly and Nigoria crossed the line second and third, respectively, while the rest of the field was closely bunched. The first motorcycle race, a three-mile novice event, went to R. Bean riding an Indian. He covered the course at an average of 44.77 miles per hour, his time for the event being 4 minutes and 43 seconds. Charles Crawford and B. Frazier finished second and third, respectively. Both riders rode Indians. The 10-mile motorcycle race featured the day's program. F. Fretwell, riding a Harley-Davidson, had no trouble outclassing the rest of the field. He finished a full lap ahead of R. Dean, mounted on an Indian, who in turn was two laps ahead of the other entrants. Charles Crawford, also riding an Indian, finished a poor third. Fretwell covered the 10 miles in 12 minutes 37 seconds. The 3-mile race for the D.C. Championship was won by F. Fretwell and his Harley Davidson. Fretwell toyed with the other two entrants in this race, making the distance in 4 ½ minutes. Cy Fendall and Charles Crawford, both mounted on Indian machines, finished second and third. In the sidecar event there were but two entrants. Both machines were of the Harley-Davidson make. Speed Connors with Kellar as a passenger did the distance in 6 minutes, 15 seconds, outclassing George Green with Karart as hi passenger all the way. Washington Post, July 30, 1922 He is a hottie!Just changed my name to Harley. Vintage machinesA Harley Davidson, and the ubiquitous Ford T in the background. I love it! The bike has a very interesting arrangement for the chain drive. The center sprocket looks like it has a pedal attached. Do you pedal it like a bicycle to start the motor? Or that was the clutch/shifter? In LoveOh he is dreamy! If I could only go back in time. Ernest Homer Fretwell Jr., 1899-1966The monkey story mentioning Edmonston -- a small community in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington -- and the fact that Freddy worked in a garage (which might be the building with the Ebonite oil sign behind him in the photo) sent me delving back into the archive. Fred seems to have been a nickname for Ernest Homer Fretwell Jr., born in 1899. He raced motorcycles in his twenties, married a girl named Hilda, had a daughter, worked as a mechanic and kept a monkey. In the 1950s he owned a Sinclair service station on Annapolis Road in Bladensburg. He died August 24, 1966, at the age of 67, still a resident of Edmonston. Among his survivors were two grandsons, Ronald and Donald Fleshman. Residents Are AlarmedWashington Post, August 23, 1929. ESCAPED MONKEY SPREADING TERROR Pet "Goes Native;" Antics Give Birth to Tale of "Gorilla." RESIDENTS ARE ALARMED A 30-pound monkey with a fierce mien has started a "gorilla" scare in East Riverdale and its environs. Children seeing the monkey have been frightened by its appearance and antics, and have helped spread tales of a ferocious gorilla. Since its escape from the household of Freddie Fretwell, of Edmonston, several weeks ago, the monkey has made its appearance on several occasions. Once it pulled the feathers from all of the chickens in the yard of an Edmonston resident. The chicken owner attempted to capture the monkey, but refrained when he was bitten. Size of Dog. The simian is about the size of a dog, and has an especially ferocious appearance, aided by the long teeth it shows when attempts are made to capture it. It will accept bananas and other food, but begins to snarl when efforts are made to capture it. The monkey has apparently "gone native," and seems to have decided on a woods near the Fretwell home as a hiding place. Two men succeeded in throwing a net over the animal but he escaped and jumped into a creek, swimming under water to the opposite side. Monkey Is Trained. Fretwell was given the monkey to keep by a truck driver who had bought it from a carnival. The monkey rode on a pony in the show but was injured when it fell off and was stepped on by the pony. The monkey used to ride on his motorcycle and go to work with him, Fretwell said, and seemed to enjoy the ride. One day he became peeved and began throwing storage batteries around the garage where Fretwell works. It was reported to Fretwell that the monkey was captured several days ago but he has been unable to find the captor. The story of the "gorilla" has spread from Hyattsville to Beltsville and through the intervening territory. The further from the source the tale is traced, the more fierce and enormous is the "gorilla." Re: Ernest Homer Fretwell Jr.A rich, full life. Especially the monkey part. [Really. How many pony-stomped-monkey-gifting truck-driver friends do I have? Zero. - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Handsome Rakes, Motorcycles, Natl Photo, Sports)
Harpers Ferry: 1865
... parts. Strongly recommended for anyone who can walk, bicycle or roll for a mile or two. [There's also a nice footpath through ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/19/2008 - 11:37pm -

1865. "Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. View of Maryland Heights at confluence of Shenandoah and Potomac rivers." Wet plate glass negative (detail) by James Gardner. Civil War glass negative collection, Library of Congress. View full size. Bridge and BoatThat bridge is lovely! And it looks like there's a boat being drawn by horses in the canal on the left. Harpers FerryFirst saw a picture of Harpers Ferry in a 1950s National Geographic. Took the family to see it in 1958 and we climbed to the top of mountain where early pictures showed Union Troops. Now the National Park Service runs everything. Maryland HeightsThis view looks downstream; the rocks on the far side are Maryland Heights. The bridge in the center is still represented by a line of piers adjacent to the present bridges. Anniversary of the RaidNext year marks the 150th anniversary of the raid on Harpers Ferry. More info, including some very nice photos, here: http://www.harpersferryhistory.org/johnbrown/index.htm Harpers FerryThey've done a lot of restoration in the town over the past few years. It's always breezy because of the two rivers, so even on the hottest days it's usually pleasant. Plenty to see and learn, and the restaurants provide rest and excellent provender! Beautiful spot that we revisit often. Harpers Ferry BridgeThe bridge spans are some of the earliest examples of the Bollman truss, a hybrid truss/suspension design which originated on the B&O. The only surviving example is in Savage, Maryland. Harpers Bridge Recent ViewsAnyone interested in "current" views? 1974 from very roughly same location: and 12/6/07 opposite direction, Bollman bridge piers remain in river at left, 1893 replacement bridge in center, 1930's replacement bridge at right as the railroad addressed the horrid original alignment here (look at those curves at span ends in the 1865 version). The predecessors to the Bollman were blown up over and over again as the Civil War surged back and forth here. Harpers FerryAnd Amtrak can take you right there on the spot. There's the train station on the west side of the rivers, which provides a great view as well. Amtrak train the Cardinal from NY to Chicago through Washington DC will take you there. It's a beautiful trip through the Adirondack mountains going west, been through there myself more than once. Harpers Ferry TodayThe C&O Canal Towpath, a national park, follows the Potomac River from Cumberland, Maryland, to Georgetown (D.C.). That makes it a 185-mile park, and the stretch through Harpers Ferry is among the most beautiful parts. Strongly recommended for anyone who can walk, bicycle or roll for a mile or two. [There's also a nice footpath through the woods to Maryland Heights -- the top of the cliff to the left. The view is spectacular. - Dave] One of my favorite places on Earth!I can remember stopping there on my way back to live in Kansas after graduating from high school and college in Maryland. I foolishly stood in the middle of the street and stared across the river at the tunnel. A horn honked and I turned and saw a beautiful long-haired blonde driving a huge red convertible. The world seemed rife with possiblities at that moment in a way that was different from anything that followed in later years! Harpers Ferry by TrainIt's the Amtrak Capital Limited, train No. 29 west, and 30 east. Of course before Amtrak this town was served by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and the original Capital Limited. That House!!Having visited Harper's Ferry several times, I started to search my photos to see if I had a modern comparable shot... but the thing that stood out most to me was that tiny white house on the left edge of the photo!! The structure is still there and people always stop to explore it! There's also an old ad that seems to be painted into the side of the mountain, which I've never been able to figure out what it says... I see "powder"... Last Trip TogetherMy husband Steve and his brother-in-law Jack visited Harpers Ferry in March of 1995. Steve, the shutterbug of the family, took along his camcorder and we have lots of footage. I've never been there and now, thanks to this photo, I'm going to "revisit" the area by viewing this footage again. Steve and Jack will never know how poignant their vacation was. Jack passed away the very next month and Steve less than four years later. Both died in their 40's--both lives cut way too short. Powder SignAccording to the FAQ page on the NPS website for Harpers Ferry, the sign reads (or read) Mennen's Borated Talcum Toilet Powder, and it was painted some time between 1903 and 1906. http://www.nps.gov/hafe/faqs.htm (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Civil War, James Gardner)
Belle of Bohemia: 1900
... horse and carraige. Behind the carriage there's a man and bicycle. Where's the man's leg(s)? [His one leg is visible behind the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 7:16pm -

New York City circa 1900. "Casino Theatre, Broadway." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Poop patrol"Watch your step boys, because the street sweepers haven't made it this far yet." Evelyn Nesbit again!It seems that the next production at the Casino, after "The Belle of Bohemia", included the lovely Evelyn Nesbit in the cast. http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=5407 http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=54396 She was apparently a replacement for another cast member and is not on the list of the opening night cast members. And in the background...If I'm making it out correctly, in the background is the Knickerbocker Theater playing "L'Aiglon" starring Maude Adams. From Wikipedia: L'Aiglon (1900) was a French play about the life of Napoleon II of France in which Adams played the leading role, foreshadowing her portrayal of another male (Peter Pan) five years later. The play had starred Sarah Bernhardt in Paris with enthusiastic reviews, but Adams's L'Aiglon received mixed reviews in New York. Music of the Night?This place looks like the perfect setting for Phantom of the Opera. Unusual "Moorish Revival" buildingBoy, they don't make them like they used to! This must have been inspired by buildings like the Alhambra and the mosque at Cordoba, both in Spain. BoBHere's the Internet Broadway Database entry on The Belle of Bohemia: http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=5365 It says that the show closed on November 10, 1900, and the sign near the corner says "Last Nights!" so I suppose that puts the picture in early November or so. It must have been a warm November for the lack of overcoats. Fancy Fire EscapesOr are those stairs for accessing the levels where the seats are? I also wonder where one would go to purchase a ticket since there doesn't seem to be the usual ticket booth. Not that it matters -- I'd spend all of the allotted time standing on the sidewalk gazing at that amazing building. MaudHere is an extended review of Maude Adams acting in "l'Aiglon" from the New York Times, Oct. 28, 1900 http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9806EEDF143FE433A... AntiquesI like the antique shop...of course, everything in this photo (including the photo itself) is now an antique! Also like the early lighted signs for the different theatres. Great White Way, Version 1.0. Fasten Those Buttons Below the KneesJust seeing Maude Adams would have been well worth the price of admission at the Knickerbocker. A timeless beauty. Perfecto!A Theater that lives up to the Play! Love the two young gentlemen crossing the street. Exquisite details abound! Puzzling appurtenancesA lot of puzzling appurtenances attached to this building- like what are those circular iron rings atop the cupola for? StunningTurn-of-the-Century architecture usually takes my breath away; this theatre is Exhibit A. What a shame this was demolished (I was surprised to see it was in 1930; I figured it had to have been in the late 50s.) I can only imagine what it was like to view a performance here. Bohemia still existed at the timeFunny. The State of Bohemia still existed in 1900. Actually, it was the Kingdom of Bohemia, an integral part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In fact, at one point in the mid-19th century, the Empire of the Habsburgs had seriously considered officially naming the empire as the "Triple Monarchy" aka the Empire of Austria-Hungary-Bohemia. But the Hungarian part of the crown did not want to share that glory with the smaller Bohemian state, and only wanted it to remain as the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Just as well. At the end of WWI, the Empire was dismantled at the insistence of the victorious Allies. Austria became a much smaller nation (and later annexed by Hitler). Hungary became an independent republic. And Bohemia transformed into the modern state of Czechoslovakia (later broken up into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic). Antique AntiquitiesI would LOVE to spend an hour in the antiquities auction rooms! The Monster That Ate ChildrenThat's maybe the spookiest building I've ever seen. Most of the windows are filled with teeth! And isn't 50 cents an outrageous price for a matinee seat? FantasticWhat a great photograph, simply magnificent. Ornate Inside and OutWhat a fantastic corner this must have been, with the old Metropolitan Opera House right across the street! The Casino was just as garish on the inside as on the outside, and featured Broadway's first roof garden. It's too bad the Schuberts didn't decide to keep it; surely it would be a landmark house today. Antiques?I always find it fascinating that there were stores selling antiques at the turn of the century - I'd be happy today with something they were selling as "new" back then! But ...Seems funny to think in 1900 they sold "antiquities." Scary ThoughtWhen I saw the "busy" round sign on the corner I immediately thought it was the inspiration for Starbucks. Pulled DownAccording to Wikipedia and The Internet Broadway Database, this pile of bricks was pulled down in 1930. White Wing on the WayHe's working his way up the street, center right! Buster BrownsAlmost impossible to believe (without this photographic evidence) that, before the logo, boys actually dressed like that! QuestionCloser to the Knickerbocker there's a horse and carraige. Behind the carriage there's a man and bicycle. Where's the man's leg(s)? [His one leg is visible behind the carriage wheel. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Performing Arts)
Marbles: 1940
... it in a Deep South state, and that could be me on the bicycle. In fact, I had a bike and a jacket just like the boy on the right. ... imagine. I wonder if anyone can identify the make of that bicycle. The Edge of Prosperity In May 1940, Woodbine's future was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:00pm -

May 1940. "Boys playing marbles. Woodbine, Iowa." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Looking BackMove this picture's date up 10 years and place it in a Deep South state, and that could be me on the bicycle. In fact, I had a bike and a jacket just like the boy on the right. And I did play marbles. Re: My Brother, The ChampionIn our neigborhood the big marbles were called "Log Rollers". Dubs, aggiesclunkers, cats eyes, and I've forgotten the other 50 names for marbles, do children play marbles any more? Playing marbles on Memory LaneWow does this bring back some memories, for many of us I would imagine. I wonder if anyone can identify the make of that bicycle. The Edge of ProsperityIn May 1940, Woodbine's future was bright; it was the centerpiece of Iowa's apple-growing business (then second in the nation), and was bisected by the nation's best-known transcontinental route (the Lincoln Highway, US 30). Six months later a severe storm known as the Armistice Day Blizzard devastated Iowa's orchards. Arriving in the warmth of fall, before tender new growth in the apple trees had a chance to "harden off," the blizzard blackened and killed all but the oldest trees. Highway 30 would bypass downtown Woodbine on the east, and Interstate 80 would bypass US 30 on the south, but the bricked-streets of the old Lincoln Highway remain preserved on County Highway L16 (and Lincoln Way Street) in Woodbine. Woodbine's annual Applefest survives. Lost My MarblesGood marble players only bought marbles one time. You could tell a good shooter by the way he aimed and addressed the circle. In my neighborhood we had two or three that would need to keep a sock attached to their belt to hold the marbles that they knocked out of the circle. Brings back memoriesI spent many hours playing marbles and riding my bike as a youngster. Didn't have to worry about some slug coming around trying to sell us dope and junk back then. Times were a lot more carefree for a kid. For funsies or for keepsThis picture brought the memories flooding back since it was a common pastime when I was a kid. Every kid knew exactly what marbles were his and when we did not want to lose any, we would play for "funsies" which meant when the game was over, we each took all ours back. Playing for keeps was serious business and losing a favorite marble was a personal tragedy. Sometimes you could win that coveted one back in a future session. We also played what we called a "Polish" version of marbles (it was my yard and I'm Polish) wherein we had to shoot the marbles into a hole in the dirt with our fingers and the last one to get the last marble in would win the whole lot, a real bonanza. Those were great days. SteeliesI remember my older brother used "Steelies or Ball Bearings" and would crack my marbles or chip them so bad that you couldn't use anymore. Those were the days. Now bannedWow, I spent so many recess and lunch periods playing marbles as a kid back in the 70's. It was THE schoolyard game. We played the "polish" version, though to us that was the only game we knew. Imagine my dismay when I found out that marbles have now been banned from school yards around here as some teachers view it as "gambling;" how sad is it that kids will never know the rush of winning his opponents marbles or the disappointment of losing his. My Brother, The ChampionI remember being very proud of my brother because he was the best marble player in our school. I remember they used to draw a circle (girls weren't allowed to play). There were certain marbles that were more valuable than others. There were also some big ones called Aggies, I think. I RememberWe played in Brooklyn, NY as late as the early seventies. Re: SteeliesSteelies were a no no. You could not use them. If you tried it was bad news for you. SkullyI missed out on the marbles generation(s), but sure loved Skully. I-am-the-killer-diller-of-this-game! Marbles in 1947In Farmington, Michigan, in 1947, rarest marbles were the crystal-clear ones in various colors - we called them "peeries," and any large-size marbles were called "boulders." A peerie boulder was the most valued marble of all. You could win one by making a tough shot - say shooting between two marbles, spaced an inch apart, at a distance and hitting the target marble behind them. At recess, we'd try our skill at various such challenges which were set up on the ground, side-by-side, like the midway at a carnival. Grandma raised my dad here He was born in 1932, and lived in Woodbine until he shipped out with the Marines in 1950. Even as a kid in the 1970s I remember her cafe on the main drag, right across from the five-and-dime. I can also remember the artillery pieces on the street corners that were placed as memorials to our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. I miss that place and those times almost as much as I miss my grandma. (The Gallery, Bicycles, John Vachon, Kids, Small Towns)
Fairview Hotel: 1916
... look so different. Many are even on wheels (carts with bicycle wheels). Most have similar folk-art signs complete with misspellings. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 1:21pm -

Washington circa 1916. "Fairview Hotel, 1st Street and Florida Avenue." The proprietor is former slave and "colored philosopher" Keith Sutherland. See the comments below for more on him. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Room comes with outside bar.I wonder if he ever tried to patent his Pepecual Motion machine? Soup to GoTake a good look at the wooden cart. It has a kerosene container with a tap. It looks like it goes under the "soup" pot. Maybe Mr. Sutherland took his cart around and sold food as a vendor. He has a counter on both sides! Amazing. I don't know why......but I have sudden craving for a delicious CORBY CAKE™. Gold Dust Twins"I will agree with you sister why do they want to break up Fairview for" Cryptic sign. One might assume the city wanted to tear down the, um, stately Fairview Hotel. I can't imagine this was seriously a room for rent, unless it's just the check-in. Looks more like a ramshackle lunch stand. Fair View?Why, I'd say it was better than fair. It's downright byootyfull. Gold Dust Twins"Fairbank's Gold Dust Washing Powder - The Many Purpose Cleaner. Gold Dust products were represented by the Gold Dust Twins, two African-American children surrounded by gold coins. The orange box with the universally recognized twins practically jumped off the shelf. In fact the twins were one of the best known trademarks of the 19th century. Let the Twins Do Your Work was the tag line. The back of the box shows the twins tackling several household chores as well as a list of 34 cleaning jobs made easier by using Gold Dust. http://www.the-forum.com/advert/golddust.htm Wow!Now this is one of the most interesting photos posted on Shorpy in a long time. I would love to know the story behind the "I will agree with you sister..." sign. This Quaint StructureWashington Post, September 3, 1916. PLEAD FOR QUAINT HOTEL Hundred Neighbors Sign a Petition To Save Sutherland's "Fairview." A petition eight feet long, signed by about 100 neighbors of the Fairview Hotel, First street and Florida avenue northeast, will be introduced as evidence against the condemnation and closing of this quaint structure when a hearing is held at the District building Tuesday to determine whether the property shall be razed for sanitary reasons. Keith Sutherland is the aged colored proprietor, and he hobbled to the District building last week and appealed to Daniel Donovan, secretary to the board of commissioners, to save his place. Since filing his appeal the health department has investigated the property. Its report has been turned over to Commissioner Brownlow, and will be heard at the hearing. Fairview is a one-room hotel, opposite the Baltimore and Ohio freight yards. On the spotless whitewashed walls the proprietor, Sutherland, has written some quaint bits of philosophy for the edification of his customers -- truck drivers and employes about the yards. Corby - Washington's Biggest BakeryArticle from October 1915 issue of Bakers Review courtesy of Google Books: The largest bakery in Washington--and model one, too, in every sense of the word--is that owned and operated by the Corby Baking Co., one of the most progressive baking concerns in the United States. The firm was organized twenty years ago, when they started a little bakery down town. In 1902 they bought out a baker at 2305 Georgia Ave., (where their present plant is situated), and then built the first addition. In 1912 they built again, giving the Plant of the Corby Baking Co., Washington, D. C. building its present size. The article even has pictures! Say!I think I stayed there one year Thursday night! Roof GardenFor me a most entertaining aspect of the photo is the three rusty tins being used as planters on top of the shack:     FAIR     VIEW     HOTEL And the whiskey bottles on the stand tell a lot about this place. Those signsKeith Sutherland's quaint signs would qualify today as genuine folk art. Gold Dust TwinsFred Lynn and Jim Rice were known as the Gold Dust Twins in 1975. I figured the name came from somewhere, but I didn't know it was from washing powder. Sage DiesWashington Post, Feb. 21, 1933. Sage Dies Former Slave Prophesied Voters' Landslide for Roosevelt. Keith Sutherland, colored philosopher and prophet whose political forecast won him the thanks of President-elect Roosevelt, fulfilled his final prediction Sunday when he folded his hands about a Bible and died at his home, 1640 Eleventh street. The former slave felt the approach of death Friday, his children said. He called his family together and instructed them to prepare a funeral, saying that he would die on the Sabbath. Last August Sutherland dreamed of a great voters' landslide for Franklin D. Roosevelt. The dream was so "clear" that he wrote Mr. Roosevelt a description of it. Mr. Roosevelt responded with a "thank you" note saying he found the prediction "very encouraging." For the past half century Sutherland has kept a restaurant in Washington where the walls were posted with his prophecies, many of them showing unusual foresight. He was 79 years old. Funeral services will be held tomorrow at 1 p.m. at the P.A. Lomax funeral home, Fourteenth and S streets. Interment will be at Harmony Cemetery. He is survived by four children. The Real McCoyIt actually looks like Grandpappy Amos McCoy's apple cider stand. Hostelry Spared Local News Briefs Upon recommendation of both the health officer, William C. Woodward, and Building Inspector Hacker, the District commissioners decided not to condemn "Fairview," the famous hostelry at First street and Florida avenue northwest , owned by Keith Sutherland, colored philosopher. About a month ago complaints reached the health office that "Fairview" was insanitary and a menace to the health of the city. The commissioners decided to investigate, but before they were ready to take action, an eight-foot petition signed by hundreds of residents of the northeast section, asking that "Fairview" be allowed to remain, was presented to them by Sutherland. Washington Post, Sep 9, 1916 District Building Notes Keith Sutherland, the aged colored proprietor of the Fairview Hotel, at First street and Florida avenue northwest, impressed city authorities so much last week with a plea for the retention of his property, which had almost been condemned to be razed, that it is likely the "hostelry" will be allowed to stand. Sutherland hobbled to the District building and presented a petition for his place signed by about 200 neighbors. Health Officer Woodward investigated the property and it is understood reported favorably on letting it remain. The building inspector, Morris Hacker, has the matter now under consideration. Sutherland is famous throughout his section of the city for his bits of philosophy, with which the walls of his establishment are painted. Washington Post, Sep 10, 1916 Alley Cook-ShopsWashington Post, Jan. 1, 1897. LICENSES FOR ALLEY COOK SHOPS. Judge Kimball Decides They Are Liable To a Fee of $25 a Year. The alleys of this city are filled with colored cook-shops, which heretofore have paid no license fee. Judge Kimball said yesterday, however, that every one of them must pay $25 a year. Only the police and the people who visit the numerous alleys and little streets of the city know how many of these cook-shops exist. The colored people generally resort to these places for pigs' feet, meat pie, and substantial provender prepared by the old mammies and quaint old colored men who run them, and cook dishes to the taste of the people of their race. The police yesterday brought into court, as a test case, Keith Sutherland, who has conducted a cook-shop for many years at 1111 R street. He was released on bonds after he took out a license, and as the matter has now been tested the police will bring all the proprietors of unlicensed cook-shops to the Police Court. Into the FutureThe descendants of Keith Sutherland's little counter 100 years ago were still going strong when I moved to Washington in the 1980s. I was directed by my new colleagues to explore the alleyways around our offices at M Street and Connecticut Avenue for (legal) hole-in-the-wall eateries for lunch and breakfast. It didn't take long for these places to become favorites of mine. I've been gone from D.C. for 20 years now; I'm wondering if these establishment still exist. Sutherland Family 1880 Census 1643 Vermont Avenue Sandy Sutherland, 54 Rach Sutherland, 57, (wife) Webster Sutherland, 12, (son) Keith Sutherland, 25, (son) Hattey Sutherland, 22, (daughter-in-law) Mary Sutherland, 6, (daughter) Willie Sutherland, 4, (son) 1900 Census 1112 R St Keith Sutherland, 46 Hattie Sutherland, 44, (wife) Arthur Sutherland, 3, (son - adopted) Webster Sutherland, 32, (brother) 1920 Census 104 Seaton Place Northeast Keith S Sutherland, 65 Hattie D Sutherland, 64, (wife) Webster Sutherland, 52, (brother) ???, 14, (daughter) Arthur L., 21, (son) Cora, 15, (daughter-in-law) Pinkey ???, 52, (mother-in-law) Just like India of todayHere in India, we still have thousands of "hotels" just like this one. I can walk to the end of the street here and find three of them that in black-and-white wouldn't look so different. Many are even on wheels (carts with bicycle wheels). Most have similar folk-art signs complete with misspellings. And similar records of cleanliness. I always thought it was interesting that restaurants in India are still called hotels. Now I see it's not odd, just archaic. Corby BakeryIt later became a Wonder Bread bakery (last time I was by there, the old "Wonder Bread" sign was still in place). The Corby buildings are still there (east side of Georgia just north of Bryant Street) and now house a strip of retail shops and fast food places. "Arbiter of all Brawls""Keitt" Sutherland was getting towards the end of a colorful life here. Washington Post, February 4, 1900. EX-KING OF THE BOTTOM Once Dominated a Notorious Section of the City. WHERE CRIME AND EVIL REIGNED. Reminiscences of "Hell's Bottom," Which Formally Kept the Police Department Busy, Recalled by "Keitt" Sutherland, the Odd Character Who Figured as Self-appointed Arbiter of all Brawls –- His Curious Resort in Center of that Section. KEITT'S. I, am, going, to, put, my, name, above, THE DOOR. The above legend with its superfluity of commas, inscribed on a piece of board about a foot square, nailed above the door of a tumble-down building at the intersection of Vermont avenue, Twelfth and R streets, marks the abode of the “King of Hell’s Bottom.” The structure thus adorned is the pool room of “Keitt” Sutherland, overlord and supreme ruler of the negroes in the vicinity. Although the encroachments of modern dwellings, increase in the police force, and other accompaniments of growing metropolitan life have somewhat shorn him of his feudal rights and curtailed his former realm, “Keitt” is now, and always will be, monarch of all he chooses to survey. It is still within the memory of the present generation when “Hell’s Bottom” was a fact and not a memory. The swampy, low-lying ground bred mosquitoes, malaria, and – thugs. It was the quarter set apart for and dominated by the tough element of the colored population. A white man with money in his pocket studiously avoided the locality after dark, or else set a fast pace to which he adjusted the accompaniment of a rag-time whistle. Half a dozen saloons congested within the radius of a block served the barroom habitués with whisky as hot as chile con carne and as exhilarating as Chinese pundu. Fights arose approaching the dimensions of a riot, and the guardians of the law had all they could do to quell the disturbances. A policeman or two was killed, and that, together with the growth of the city, led to the rehabilitation of “Hell’s Bottom.” Now it is interesting mainly in its wealth of reminiscence. “How did I happen to put up that sign?” Keitt repeats after the inevitable query. “I’ll tell you. You see my folks used to own that property, and they was sort o’ slow dyin’ off. I knowed I was going to come into it some day, an’ I thought I might as well let people know it. About that time a show came along, and they sang a song somethin’ like this: “I am going to put my name above the door. For it’s better late than never. An’ I’ll do so howsomever.’ It gave me an idea. I just put that sign above the door. After while the folks died, an’ I got the property.” Queer Sort of Place. Guided by the much-be-commaed signboard, the visitor goes to the door of the poolroom and inquires for “Keitt.” He finds the room filled with colored youth of all sizes, the adults of which are engaged in playing pool at 5 cents a game. The balls on the table are a joblot, the survivors of the fittest in many a hard-fought game. The cushions are about as responsive as brickbats. But the players do not seem to care for that so long as they can drive the balls into the pockets and make their opponents pay for the sport. An ancient, dingy card on the wall informs the reader that he is within the precincts of the “Northern Light Poolroom.” The same placard also gives the following warning: “Persons are cautioned against laying around this building.” “Where is Keitt?” inquires the intruder, who finds himself regarded with suspicion. “Two doahs down below. Jest hollah ‘Katy,’ an’ he’ll show up,” is the answer. “Keitt” on inspection justified the right to the title of “king.” He is a giant, weighing 250 pounds, well distributed over a broad frame six feet and one inch in height. He looks like a man who would not shun a rough and tumble fight. He does not have to. A registered striking machine off in the corner shows that he can deliver a 500-pound blow. He might do better, but unfortunately the makers of the instrument did not figure that a man’s fist was a pile driver, and 500 pounds is as high as the machine will register. Many are the tables told of his prowess; of how he whipped in single combat the slugger of the community, a man who had challenged any five to come on at once; of how when only a bootblack in the ‘60’s, he sent three bullies about their business with broken heads and black eyes; of how he used to suppress incipient riots in his saloon by means of his strong arm and without the aid of the bluecoats in the neighborhood. Indeed, the police used to say that “Keitt” was as good as a sergeant and a squad with loaded “billies.” But “Keitt” (the name is a popular conversion of the more familiar “Keith”) has not won his way entirely through the medium of brawn. He is a man of intelligence, and has a keen eye for business. He is the magnate of the neighborhood, with property in his name, money in the bank, and a good comfortable roll about his place of business. He can go down in his pocket and bring out more $50 bills than the average man caries about in the $5 denomination. If one hints robbery or burglary “Keitt” simply rolls his eye expressively, and enough has been said. No one cares to tamper with his till. Plenty of Local Color. The saloon on the outside looks like a combination coal and wood shed. “Keitt” apologetically explains that it was formerly a stable, and that he has not had time to fix up much. Nevertheless, the fish, beans, sandwiches, and other eatables are so tempting that the frequenters of the place do not pay much attention to external appearances. The magic of the proprietor’s name draws as much custom as he can attend to, and fully as much as the customers can pay for. There is a charm about the old haunt that cannot be dispelled by police regulations or the proximity of modern dwellings. On Saturday night the place takes on something of its old glory. In the smoke-begrimed room – hardly 12 by 12 – are found thirty or forty men eating and talking. Through the thick clouds of smoke the lamps throw out a dim gleam, and the odor of frying fish and the fumes of the pipe struggle for the mastery. The crowd gets noisy at times, but any attempt at boisterousness is quieted by a word from the dominant spirit of the gathering. If any one gets obstreperous he is thrown out on the pavement, and it makes little difference to the bouncer whether the mutinous one lands on his head or not. This is the negro Bohemia. They who live from hand to mouth love to come her. The boot-black with a dime receives as much consideration as the belated teamster with a roll of one-dollar bills. Business is business, and “Keitt” is a business man. Consequently there is very little credit given. “Five or ten cents is about the limit,” says the autocrat. But “Keitt” is something of a philanthropist., although he makes his charity redound to his personal benefit. An illustrated placard, done in what appears to be an excellent quality of shoe blacking, has the figure of a man sawing wood. It bears the following words, “Just tell them that you saw me sawing wood at Keitt’s for a grind.” The term “grind” is synonymous with mastication, the wood sawyer thereby being supposed to do a stunt for the recompense of a square meal. This does away with the tearful plaint that is ever the specialty of the hungry and penniless, gives employment to the idle, and increases the size of “Keitt’s” wood pile. The latter is sold to the negroes of the neighborhood at prevailing prices. “Keitt” figures that his method is wiser than giving unlimited credit, and he is probably right. “Keitt” is a mine of reminiscence. He has been in Washington 1862, when he came from Charles County, Md., where he was born a slave. He was a bootblack around the Treasury building, and he remembers seeing Lincoln’s funeral pass by, with the white horse tied behind the hearse. His history of the rise and fall of “Hell’s Bottom” is quite valuable from a local standpoint. Divested of dialect, it is as follows “’Hell’s Bottom’ began to get its name shortly after the close of the war in 1866. There were two very lively places in those days. One was a triangular square at Rhode Island avenue and Eleventh street. It was here that an eloquent colored preacher, who went by the name of ‘John the Baptist,’ used to hold revival services, which were attended by the newly-freed slaves. The revival was all right, but the four or five barrooms in the neighborhood used to hold the overflow meetings, and when the crowds went home at night you couldn’t tell whether they were shouting from religion or whisky. “Then there was what was known as the ‘contraband camp,’ located on S street, between Twelfth and Thirteenth. The negroes who had just been freed stayed there waiting for white people to come and hire them. They got into all sorts of trouble, and many of them settled in the neighborhood. Money was scarce and whisky was cheap – a certain sort of whisky – and the combination resulted in giving the place the name which it held for so many years. The police force was small. There was no police court, and the magistrates before whom offenders were brought rarely fixed the penalty at more than $2. Crime and lawlessness grew terribly, and a man had to fight, whenever he went into the ‘Bottom.’ “The unsettled condition of the locality made things worse. Men used to shoot reed birds where Corcoran street now is. I have caught many a mud turtle there in the 60’s. I saw a man get drowned in the creek at Seventh and R streets. At the point where the engine-house is now located on R street a man could catch all the minnows he wanted for bait. Tall swamp grass afforded easy concealment for any one who wanted to hide after a petty theft or the robbery of some pedestrian. Consequently, it is small wonder that the law was defied in those days. Many Disorderly Rowdies. “A white man never wanted to cross the ‘Bottom’ after dark. If he did he had to keep stepping. Just how many crimes of magnitude were committed there no one can tell. The life of the negro was far from easy. If a fellow took a girl to church, the chances were that he would not take her home. A gang of rowdies would meet him at the church door as he came out. They would tell him to ‘trot,’ and he seldom disobeyed. They escorted the girl themselves. It was impossible to stop this sort of petty misdeeds. “At times the trouble grew serious. I have seen 500 negroes engaged in a fight all at once in ‘Hell’s Bottom.’ That was during the mayoralty elections, and the riot would be started by the discovery of a negro who was voting the Democratic ticket. I have had big fights in my old saloon, but there was only one that I could not stop with the assistance of two bouncers I had in those days. There were fully fifty men in the saloon at the time, and most of them were drunk. They began to quarrel, and when I could not stop them I blew a distress call. About fifteen policemen came, for in those days it was useless to send two or three to quell a disturbance around here. When word came that the police were after them the last man of them rushed through the rear part of the saloon, and I’ll give you my word that they broke down the fences in five back yards in getting away. Not a man of them was captured. “Ah, those were the days. Things are quiet around here now, but sometimes we have a little fun, and then the boys go to the farm for ninety days. I keep ‘em pretty straight in my place, though, let me tell you.” (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Harris + Ewing)
Brooklyn Wading Pool: 1942
... Hook Park, but It's not there at all now. I ride my bicycle through this area all the time and haven't lost a tire to empty crack ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 09/08/2011 - 6:48pm -

Children play in a wading pool at a play center at the Red Hook housing development, Brooklyn, New York. The charge to use the pool is nine cents for children, 25 cents for adults. Photograpy by Arthur Rothstein, June, 1942. View full size. Wonder what it looks like today...Instead of water, that pool is likely filled today with empty crack vials and shell casings. Actually...I assume this pool was in Red Hook Park, but It's not there at all now. I ride my bicycle through this area all the time and haven't lost a tire to empty crack vials or shell casings. Or maybeit has to do with that the original poster believed it to now be a high crime high drug use area.(shakes head as well) It looks like trees and some kind of play areaA satellite view of the area shows some dark square areas surrounded by trees, possibly basketball courts? The apartment blocks are still there, southwest of the park but still on the same block. I suppose the "crack vials and shell casings" comment has to do with the fact that the neighbourhood, which was once white, is now mainly black. (shakes head) better satellite viewCharlene, the satellite view you used is off by a few blocks. The pool is still there but a few blocks east. the mixed blessing of public housing projectsIn 1942, when this picture was taken, we as a society, still thought that we could solve poverty by creating consolidated housing projects like the one shown. At their best, resources like this pool were available to kids who might otherwise be swimming in the polluted waters of New York Harbor. But sadly, in the 65 years since, we have discovered that this sort of project actually tends to foster more crime, and can create more abject forms of poverty than the tenaments they replaced. Hence an earlier poster's "crack vials and shell casings", which doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the color of the people living there. I think Red Hook is pretty racially mixed right now. PoolI was born in Red Hook in 1944 and lived there for several years. My aunt lived until sometime in the 70s or 80s. I recognize the look of the building in the background, but neither I nor my older brother remember the wading pool. What street was it on? We lived on Henry Street. We also remember a regular pool very close (I think on it was on Lorraine Street). There was also a park with a pool with sprinklers. Anyone remember the Clinton Movie theatre? Go Ahead...Shake your heads all you want, and keep telling yourselves that the inner city of today is a wonderful place to be. Should you actually drive through it--as I do daily in places like Trenton, Jersey City, Newark, and Paterson NJ--you might think differently, should you choose to take your blinkers off, that is. The locals, I'm sure, would love to make your acquaintance. Possibly dumb questionFor those of us who've not lived in an area where such things are common---what exactly is the difference between a tenement and a housing project, and is a tenement just the same as a cheap, seedy apartment? Why should one be more prone to foster crime than another? Red Hook TodayThe wading pool is gone. There is no mention of it in the NYC Parks Department web site. The Red Hook swimming pool is still a going concern. It is not filled with broken glass, litter, crack vials, or shell casings. Lost World, I don't know where you're from, but I can tell you that Red Hook today bears almost no resemblance to the red Hook of 20, or even 10 years ago. The projects are still there, and yes, they still suck. The rest of the neighborhood is fast becoming quite the desirable residential neighborhood. Red Hook PoolCan't help you with any information about the wading pool. The Red Hook Swimming Pool is still going and is on Lorraine Street. Filled with waterThe Red Hook pool that is under discussion here (not the wading pool shown above) today is not filled with some of the things that were asserted below. Rather, it is filled with water. Clean water. And people. A diverse group of families, to be specific. Say What?Apparently no one has been to Red Hook lately, which boasts both an Ikea and the upscale Fairway Market. Inner city neighborhoods in New York City have become gentrified, you'd have less trouble buying an excellent key lime pie in Red Hook then getting either crack or ammunition. Wading poolThat wading pool was in the park on Clinton Street across from the much larger Red Hook Pool. When I lived there as a young boy in the 80's it was still there minus the water. I used to ride my bike in that space. It's now filled in and part of quickly disappearing history of Red Hook. Hooverville in Red HookWe are two norwegian authors writing a book about the big Hooverville in Columbia Street, in the area where the park is, beside the big grain elevator. if someone knows some old people who lived in Brooklyn in the 1930s, please send e-mail me! Kvarog@hotmail.com This Wadding Pool LocationIt is no longer a wadding pool. It was filled in then made into a track. You can see it right across the street from the Red Hook Pool today. I have lived in THE HOOK for 37 years and i remember playing in it and remember it used to be open in the late 70's early 80's. [Red Hook Pool -- full of wadder, I'll bet. - Dave] Clinton Street movie theaterI was born in 1943 and lived in the Red Hook housing projects until 1954 when we escaped to suburbia. I have wonderfully fond memories of those days at the pools, at the stadium, at the docks and definitely at the Clinton Street movie theater. I went to P.S. 30. The Clinton Theater played two features, five cartoons and a serial (Flash Gordon, Tim Tyler's Luck) each Saturday from 11 to about 4. I learned to ride a bike at Coffey Park, was mugged there, skated and went to see the Yo-yo man each summer when a new yo-yo was introduced. I'm writing a YA book detailing the life and times of three young boys who live in the housing project during the time of my youth (about 1953). Hope to finish it this winter and publish it as a Kindle book. It's still there.....I'm sure the wading pool was there because of the picture. Just as well as the movie theatre. However, it looks like it is the home to a reconstructed track and 4 new basketball courts for all the ball players and future Carmelo Anthony's of RED HOOK. It's also the home to the classic ball games that many come to from all around to watch. It also has a nice sized playground for the children that caters to the ever growing diversified population of people making new memories. Crack doesn't even exist in RED HOOK anymore. If it does you do not see it. I know I don't. And RED HOOK POOL... it's still there! If RED HOOK is such a bad place to live in and it is so full of drugs and corruption and all the negativity that people are quick to judge and whom obviously doesn't have a clue because they are not from there, then why the sudden urge to move in? (Arthur Rothstein, Kids, NYC)
Straight Talk Express: 1915
... Hangs like a monorail, wheels on the floor like a bicycle/slot car ... yow! Remembering my '61 Chevy Most of us like ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 3:10pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1915. "Senate Subway R.R." Somewhere deep in the bowels of the Capitol. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Fashion StatementWhite hi-tops, black tights, knee-length shorts. If he let those bangs grow out a bit more he could pass as a hipster bike messenger in today's NYC. Back when it was still open to the public, I had the thrill of riding this subway back in the 70's during a family trip to D.C. which included a visit to one of our state representative's office Not TodayIf that's the Straight Talk Express I don't believe any member of congress could ride it today. 100th anniversaryhttp://thehill.com/capital-living/cover-stories/70059-exhibit-marks-100-... This year marks a century of underground subway travel through the Capitol complex, but while hitching a ride has long been a convenient way for lawmakers and staffers to stay safe and dry on the one-fifth-mile journey to the Capitol, the trip wasn’t always as comfortable as it is today. and http://world.nycsubway.org/us/washdc/capsubway.html Really cool!Does it still exist? I guessthe Edwards boy missed this train. Road to nowhereFinally we have visual proof! Cars have been preservedhttp://www.clouse.org/capitol1.html "Two subway lines serve three Senate Office Buildings and have a long history. Starting in 1909, the Senate Office Buildings were serviced by an electric bus. This was replaced in 1912 by a monorail vehicle which featured a wicker coach. This monorail, I have been told, can be seen in the movie "Advice and Consent." In 1960, this monorail was replaced by trolleys, one of which remains today and runs between the Senate side and the Russell Senate Office Building. At this time, the tunnels were apparently enlarged to accommodate the new trolleys. "The trolleys installed in 1960 still run on the shortest line that runs from the Senate side to the Russell Senate Office Building." A Fortuitous RideIn my senior year of high school, I was awarded a trip to DC with the Close Up Foundation (spring of 1982). I was in Congressman Jim Broyhill's office, who was my state representative at that time, and as he talked to me he was distracted by an unusual lighted clock on the wall. As a few of the lights changed to red, he explained that it indicated he only had a few minutes left to cast his vote on an important issue. I assumed the visit was over, but he told me to come with him. When the elevator we took opened I was shocked to see a subway system. I rode with him on the subway from the Rayburn building to the Capitol. Usually, if I tell that story to people, there is a look of disbelief, as most people usually respond they didn't know there was a subway system connecting the buildings. They think I'm fabricating some tale about this mythical transport, but as you see, it does exist. Thanks for the links that show the changes through the years. The page in the white shoesCould pass for Matt Damon. Been there, done that!When I was a kid in the 1960s we got to ride on the Senate Subway and ate at the Senate Cafeteria, dining on Senate Bean Soup. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/blogs/yeas-and-nays/Eat-like-... I had forgotten about that adventure until I saw this photo! The original version......of the Senate's Filli-Bus. PhooeyJust another example of what's good for us geese ain't good for you ganders. Still there...Those tunnels are still there and used as seen here. They have since been updated, though; when I visited as a young lad in the late '80s, I don't remember them being the same as the current version. Rode the 1970 versionRode the 1970 version with my 6th grade class as part of our Summer 1970 class trip to Washington D.C. CurvesThis is obviously not the Straight Talk Express. It is as crooked as the people who ride them. The kind of people who are "too good" to do their own walking for a short distance between two buildings. Walking must be "for the little people" Crooked subways are for the crooked ruling class. [It's not a "short distance." And the "kind of people" who use it are mostly pages and secretaries, who might travel a few miles every day on trips back and forth between the various buildings served by the system. - Dave] Which of those young men is Robert Byrd?(I know, I know, I know... he was born two years after this photo.) D.C. underground same as above.It all takes place out of sight in places not open to the constituents. Important transportsThe Senate subway and the House subway both serve the vital functions of quickly transporting Senators and Representatives (and the staffs and other personnel) from their respective office buildings to the Capitol building. Not only does it save time, but it is much safer than having to deal with crossing busy streets to get to the Capitol, and they are also protected from the elements and anyone who might want to interfere with them. Saving time in getting from the offices to the Senate and House chambers is no small consideration where voting is concerned, or quorum calls. I believe when voting or quorum calls are under way, the subway cars become reserved for members only, just as some of the elevators do. AmazingI rode the modern version back in 2007 when my government class competed in the National We the People Competiton and we were given a tour of the Senate. The current cars look like an airport shuttle mixed with a subway car. It blows my mind to think of how many people have ridden through those tunnels. Did Dr. Seuss design that?What a contraption! Hangs like a monorail, wheels on the floor like a bicycle/slot car ... yow! Remembering my '61 ChevyMost of us like to remember our old cars. We think of them as though they were our long lost buddies and we miss them. I bought my 1961 Chevy Bel-Air in 1964 while serving in the U. S. Air Force in Missouri. This was big time luxury for a young airman as that V8 engine ran as smoothly as any car I ever had. Was it a better car than those made today? No, today's cars are much better. But, I have a lot of great memories of that car and regardless of the quality of today's cars, memories from your youth spent in an old heap can't be replaced. [Great photo, but why is it posted here? - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Politics, Railroads)
Ambridge Alley: 1938
... This is late enough for motor vehicles, yet only a horse, bicycle, or person could walk down that street. Seems evidence that the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/14/2008 - 5:16pm -

July 1938. Another view of "housing conditions in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, home of the American Bridge Company." View full size. Photo by Arthur Rothstein. While I guess the point here is the decrepit nature of the neighborhood, it looks to have been a great place to grow up. Like something from a Neil Simon play. Twins?I wonder if the girls on the right are twins--they look to be. Everyone looks clean and tidy, very little trash about. I agree--a nice neighborhood. Ambridge AlleyAre we looking at the backs of these apartments? [The front. - Dave] AmbridgeThe appeal of this place is the closeness. The neighbors all know each other and rub elbows every day. My childhood neighborhood wasn't quite as crowded as this but we all knew each other well, while we don't today. I miss it. PhiladelphiaWith the exception of the front steps, my house had 4 steps, this looks just like the street I grew up on. the actual street was wide enough for cars to park on one side of the street, the second floor had two bedrooms and a bath, the first floor had a living room, dining room and a kitchen, the basement ran the length of the house, it was a great place to grow up. AmbridgeI grew up in the Pittsburgh area. It never dawned on me that the town of Ambridge took its name from the American Bridge Company that was located there. Great old photo. AmbridgeMy dad grew up in Ambridge; my grandparents lived there until they died a few years ago. I've spent lots of time tehre. But I can't for the life of me figure out where in Ambridge this photo was taken. Most of the town looks nothing like this, but is single-family homes of various sizes (nearly all modest), including the early 18th Century Harmonist community. Next time I'm back there I'll roam around and look for this alley for sure. I wouldn't be surprised if it were still there--urban renewal pretty much left Ambridge unscathed. Ambridge Shipyard The American Bridge Company (a division of United States Steel) built a number of LST ships for the US Navy during WW II, including the LST- 847. The above photo shows the constructor's plaque that was mounted on the wall of the officer's dining area in the LST-847. The LST-847 slides down the launching ways and into the Ohio River at the American Bridge Co., Ambridge, PA on Dec. 17, 1944. (National Archives Photo) Mike_G MGM musicalsThis reminds me of scenes from many of those old musicals, where someone is walking down the street and begins to sing, and all the people looking out the windows chime in with harmony and choruses...and everyone dances in step. Back alley, I thinkI also think this is a back alley and you are seeing back doors on these row houses. Reason 1: No mailboxes. Reason 2: Who hangs their laundry out in FRONT of their home? Reason 3: This is late enough for motor vehicles, yet only a horse, bicycle, or person could walk down that street. Seems evidence that the street is on the other sides of the buildings and this is just meant as an walkway. [This is the front. The back is here. And how's that Edsel? - Dave] The StreetWhile 1938 is late enough for cars, there's no indication of when the buildings were built. Dare I say it, since this was obviously a working class area and probably developed at the same time as American Bridge set up operations - probably as company housing - there may have been a feeling when it was being built that there was no need for wider streets; that the people living in the area wouldn't have carriages or horses (let alone those new-fangled horseless carriages) so why waste the space when you could build more row housing. I would imagine that if this are were ever redeveloped the old buildings would be torn down and new streets would be laid out to modern standards. [The tenement district of Ambridge was razed in the early 1950s as part of a slum clearance project. - Dave] Front or Back?The back is here. Ambridge AlleyMy mother grew up in this neighborhood she affectionately calls First Street, on Marshall Alley ... She said it was the best place ever growing up, even though everyone was pretty poor. They have a First Street Reunion every year to this day and have a dinner gathering. She always talks about her friends during that time and how everyone looked out for everyone else. Good "old" AmbridgeI've spent a lot of time in my adult life mucking about in Ambridge, and the poor old place is just another dying Rust Belt town now, and just breaks your heart to walk about and see the vacant buildings that line the streets. It's nice to see Ambridge folks in happier times. 1949 to 56I was 2 when my family moved to 201 Marshall Alley. My Grandparents and my uncle and his family lived in "The Alley" for 7 years. Yes, everyone hung their laundry from the second story window, both in front and back. We had to carry the washed laundry from the cellar to the second floor bedroom. Marshall Alley was condemned in the mid fifties but many of us stayed to the last before finding other places to live. We did not qualify for the "new" Economy Village that had been built for lower income families. My family scraped together enough money to put a down payment on a house up on Glenwwod Drive. Lots of great memories from The Alley. Front to backThe homes on the right is the back and on the left is the front side. There were three rows of homes like these, the front ones facing First Street and all three stretching form Maplewood to Merchant street. The other side of First street was lined with businesses on the first floor, and homes upstairs. More comments herehttps://www.shorpy.com/node/15453 (The Gallery, Ambridge, Arthur Rothstein)
Velocipedes R Us: 1940
... Van-looking thing is below the fire engine. Is it a bicycle fairing of some sort? Notice the semi-subliminal sales technique of ... the good stuff. Located This was the Rhode Island Bicycle Company (R.I. Bicycle Co.) store located at 57 Washington Street in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:49pm -

December 1940. "Window display for Christmas sale. Providence, Rhode Island." "Billy" now just 89 cents! 35mm nitrate negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Grumpy GrandpaThe gent on the far end of the window shoppers. Maybe he thinks the prices are too steep. Or maybe he recalls how he got along with just a barrell hoop and a stick. Red ScooterI had a red scooter just like the ones in the window. Black rubber handles. Even had the bell! Fire engineI want the fire engine. I could also be talked into the red scooter!! I Thought so!So that beat up, bent, rusty scooter I got to play with as a kid was all shiny and did have a bell once upon a time. Being the last kid in the family is a bummer. It even had hand grips. No Scooter for meWe couldn't afford a scooter, so we did the next best thing - took a 2x4 - nailed two halves of a shoe skate to the bottom - attached a wooden produce box to the front and voila, a scooter, if you were really handy you put two empty tunafish cans on the front of the produce box to serve as headlights. Two By For Me TooHey Fun2BeMe, I had the 2 by 4 and old shoe skate scooter, it was great fun till the pavement wore down those metal wheels. I want to know what that Volkswagen Van-looking thing is below the fire engine. Is it a bicycle fairing of some sort? Notice the semi-subliminal sales technique of using the word "Buy" twice, one just above the other, on the window sign and the monkey's price tag. I remember shops like this back in the fifties, they always had the good stuff. LocatedThis was the Rhode Island Bicycle Company (R.I. Bicycle Co.) store located at 57 Washington Street in Providence. It was run by Nathaniel C. Cohen into the 1930s, but his name stops showing up in the city directories in the early 1930s. I didn't find the name of the next owner. The front of the store, as well as the bicycle with the wind deflector/fairing attached can be seen here. The building is long gone. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Christmas, Jack Delano, Providence, Stores & Markets)
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