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The 'Super Market': 1940
... Bokar Coffee. Back when ... ... you could park your bicycle on a sidewalk without a lock. I love this photo And it looks for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/02/2022 - 11:01am -

May 1940. "The 'super market' in Durham, North Carolina." Back when self-service groceries were enough of a novelty that photographers put the name for them in quote marks. 35mm nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Shopping for nostalgiaAleHouseMug - A coffee roaster in Burbank has bought the rights to Bokar Coffee and has attempted to recreate the taste. JennyPennifer There are multiple recipes for Spanish Bar Cake, if you bake. Or you can order one directly from the Jane Parker Bakery. They supplied the cakes to A&P originally, and claim to be using the original recipe now. The only downside is that they cost much more than what you paid at A&P. Y'all are on your own for those home killed fryers. That's the Post Office in the background. The current location of the old A&P is now a parking deck. I sometimes park hereAs J. W. Wright pointed out, the A&P at the corner of Rigsbee & E Chapel Hill is now a parking deck. The Post Office across the street is unchanged, and seems to be in good shape. There were about a dozen A&P stores in Durham in 1940, but most were the old-fashioned small stores, not the new-fangled super markets. Long gone nowA&P Supermarkets dominated Durham all the way into the 70's. Here is a little history of this one on Rigsbee: https://www.opendurham.org/buildings/rigsbee-avenue-super-market Tasty TimesBecause who doesn't remember fondly when advertising Fryers as being "Home Killed" wasn't seen as a major selling point? Your meter is runningEven the cabbie couldn't pass up the home killed chickens! Love the brush lettering. Reminds me of my old Speedball text book. We used to go shopping with dad at the A&P when we lived in Cockeysville, MD in the early 60's. I can still smell the coffee when you passed the grinder! They had an A&P in Mathews, VA when my folks moved there in the mid-70's. Three BlendsHow I miss Bokar Coffee. Back when ...... you could park your bicycle on a sidewalk without a lock. I love this photoAnd it looks for all the world like the building and market that was used in the movie "Driving Miss Daisy." I remember when most "supermarkets" looked like this - I was born in 1945 and I remember as early as 1948 going with my mother to the local Kroger store that was in a building smaller than this one. Great photo. More, more. I remember it wellThe A&P will forever be to me one item: Spanish Bar Cake. Every now and then Mama would buy one -- dark, spicy, applesaucy cake studded with raisins and nuts and coated with a generous layer of cream cheese icing featuring a fork-tine design that resembled corduroy. We couldn't wait for a thick hunk of that cake to land in our hands. To smell it was almost as good as to taste it. Much obliged... to archfan for the info. I am aware of the many recipes for "original" Spanish Bar Cake and have a few stored in my recipe file. A friend made one for me some years ago and the result was, shall we say, close but no cigar. Since we know that certain childhood memories are far more likely to be emotional than factual, it's possible that nothing not bought at the A&P, rung up with one of those gloriously chunk-kachunky cash registers and coming from my mother's hand will do it for me. But I do plan to make the recipe that I think would most approximate what I remember, and if it truly does the job, I will report back. As for Jane Parker, all I can say is that she's got her nerve charging $36 for that. Nope! A Night to Rememberby Walter Lord was on the paperback carousel at the A&P on 11th Street in Waco, Texas, in 1955 -- my first exposure to the Titanic tragedy. I mentioned it to my mother and she told me she was 10 when it sank. She added it to her tab before checking out, and I was hooked on Titanic from that point on. 8 O'ClockMy memory goes back to when I was about 3, and my parents would take my maternal grandmother (she didn't drive) to the A&P in tiny New Freedom, Pa. I would gravitate quickly to the 8 O'Clock grinder area just to smell the coffee being ground. Here I am now, at 74, typing out this memory, and I'm sipping a mug of 8 O'Clock Original. Just think of me as "hooked for life." Not so fast, Broadway!Gimme a minute to write down that phone number. Coffee"How I miss Bokar Coffee" There was also a stronger brew -- Rokah. Check my math. [Your math does not add up! - Dave] Super A&P MarketThe big sign on the roof looks like steel-embossed and porcelain enameled panels. They last forever. An unmolested version is a very sought after commodity today. Broadway Taxi Broadway Taxi changed its name to Broadway Yellow Cab in the 1970s, and was still operating in the mid 1980s -- its depot was on Hunt Street. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Stores & Markets)
Asbury Park: 1905
... New Jersey circa 1905. "Boardwalk, Asbury Park." "Notice: Bicycle riding on the plank walk is strictly prohibited." Detroit Publishing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 8:19pm -

New Jersey circa 1905. "Boardwalk, Asbury Park." "Notice: Bicycle riding on the plank walk is strictly prohibited." Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Oops. Wrong coast.Oh, yes. This "Winter" you speak of. It's some type of "season", isn't it? BeachwoodKnow we know where all the old-growth forests went -- to the boardwalk at Asbury Park. Has anyone been to Asbury Park in the last 10-20 years? Boy has it gone downhill! Calling Mrs. PuffWhat's with all the boats? I couldn't be that they are intended for lifesaving. You could drown twice before they got one off the pier. No ShowI’m curious to know what all the benches are for. It would take quite a crowd to fill all of them, so what would they be watching? Baby,We were born to stroll. RaysInteresting that in 1905, almost all the men are wearing hats and the ladies are under parasols. They must have been aware of the damage the sun can do. When I get my time machine,I'm going to make the woman in front cover her arms, such boldness, then it's straight to the roller coaster. At EaseThe awesomeness of this picture makes me yearn for simpler days. Not that these folks had things easier than we but just look at the carriage on the street to the left. Can you say, "leisurely"? Where's Doc Brown when you need him. Landlocked LifeboatsWhat do you suppose those dory-like boats were doing on the boardwalk? Props for photos? Exhibits? It looks like it would be very difficult to get one of these in the water unless there was some ingenious system of pulleys whereby they could be lowered onto the beach below. I can't read the "Notice" sign...tried to enlarge it, but I'm not very good at PhotoShop. Any ideas, Shorpy Nation? [Try reading the caption! - Dave] Ahhh...the caption!Yes...now I get it. Folks on the boardwalk were supposed to use the boats instead of bicycles! Check out the expression on the gal adjacent to the stern of the first boat. I think she's heebie-jeebied by that rat on the boardwalk a few steps in front of her. Off seasonAnother clue that it is not the high summer season is that none of the men are wearing their straw boaters. In 1905, these were a strict summer ritual from May through Labor Day. Big guy advised little guyI can see you've got a hungry heart and you're on fire. Don't worry, kid, someday the name Springsteen will mean a lot to people around here. Lifeboats in winter storageNote the lack of crowds, despite it being the morning of a a sunny day. There is no one on the beach or in the water. It's clearly the off season. I'd guess that the boats were stored high and dry on the boardwalk during the winter, and moved down to the beach for the summer. Tan, anyone?I can come up with three reasons people covered themselves while strolling along the boardwalk in 1905. I don't think they were worried about skin cancer. Modesty was becoming. This is not far from the time when Brits referred to arms and legs as "limbs" so as not to raise the eyebrows of society matrons. Middle and upper-class city dwellers didn't want to look like members of the laboring classes. "Red-neck" is a modern term, but the look has been around for a long time. Back then, you didn't want to be one. See Shorpy. Tanning for white folks has only been thought a mark of beauty and health for a couple of generations. Look at how pre-WW I advertisements portrayed women's complexions. Lily-white was in. Now we're starting to wear clothes again when we walk in the sun. Plus ca change . . . Sun and parasolsIt was considered very declasse to have a "tan" -- ladies had fair skin, farm girls were tanned. The woman in the front seems to be noticing the camera. And there is a well-dressed black man near the bottom of the frame. I'm always pleasantly surprised to see how many of these old photos are integrated. The bleachers appear to be set up for a parade. This could be for the Fourth of July, a major holiday at the time, except that there is hardly anyone around. Could this have been taken in the early hours of the morning? [This looks to be early in the season. - Dave] Decisions,decisionsI wonder which the dog finally chose-- the statue or the bush. What about reading caption?Dave, I understand your reply to Gooberpea to mean that the viewer should see button for "View full size." But on my monitor the sign about warning is still illegible with enlarged view. Wouldn't a reminder about the keystrokes to zoom in on page be more appropriate? If your remark to Gooberpea was supposed to be about the boats, the question of why they are where they are, I too am given no clue by the caption. What refer you? [Sometimes I wonder about you people. - Dave] Re: Lifeboats in Winter StorageI think the boats are lowered down to the water and not carried to the beach. They look small enough to be able to be rowed out under the boardwalk. I've never been to the boardwalk, but it seems to me that it's high enough to have clearance underneath for small boats such as these. Could that be the case? PhysiquesThe Men are Portly for the most part, but the Women have those nipped waists far as the Eye can see. Something to be said for corsets. And nowI was in Asbury Park in 2008. Things are looking up. BicyclesWay down on the South Jersey shore at Wildwood, bicycles were allowed on the boardwalk until 10 a.m. Unless one was cycling in a crowded area, enforcement was pretty lenient through the forenoon. (The Gallery, Asbury Park, DPC)
Hessick and Son: 1925
... truck with solid rubber tires and a huge chain like a bicycle's to drive the back wheels. It cost extra to use the chute, so my ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 12:41pm -

Washington, D.C., 1925. "Hessick & Son Coal Co." The company's catchy slogan: "Anthracite and Bituminous Coal in All Sizes (Furnace, Stove, Egg, Chestnut, Pea) for Immediate Delivery." National Photo Co. glass negative. View full size. Valley of ashesAll that's missing are Doctor T. J. Eckleburg's spectacles. Two Scales...Two scales for in and out weights....Exit weight minus Entrance weight equals the weight of the coal load. The coal came out of the bottom of the rail car into the pile below, how did they get it from the pile into the trucks for delivery? I don't see any conveyors unless they are hidden behind the building. [Or they could just weigh the truck twice on the same scale. The coal comes out of the chute to the left. - Dave] Black goldWhen I first looked at this photo, I immediately sensed the "smell" of coal in my mind although it's been 40-plus years ago that I last knew the aroma. Note the worn doorway threshold; many a gritty boot has trod there. Clear as a bellThis is one sensational negative! Perfectly developed as well. True GritThat place has "Dirty Jobs" written all over it. A coal bin in every basement....Younger people may not realize that in days of yore, the homes in cold climates (northern states) all had an area of the basement walled off from the rest of the cellar, in which a very low-to-the-ground window allowed passage of a chute (like a children's slide) with which the coal truck would deliver large amounts of coal, a ton or more, to be used by the home's occupants over the winter. We had a coal stove and a coal-burning furnace before we switched over to oil and gas. I would not want to go back to those laborious days. Coal, coal, everywhere...So why is there a pile of firewood stacked to the right of the scales? [They sold wood, too. - Dave] The Gentle Art of Coal Delivery With regard to an earlier comment: if you were LUCKY, coal would be delivered direct from the truck to the basement chute. My grandfather was not so lucky: the chute was to the rear of his house, and there was no alley. Coal was dumped on the curb in front of his house. He'd have to transfer the stuff around back via wheelbarrow. He was very happy to convert his boiler to natural gas. One could still see the rail berm pictured in this photo until very recently on the block bounded by N Street to the north, M Street to the south, 1st Street to the west, and the Amtrak right-of-way to the east. Immediately prior to the construction currently underway, the site required some environmental remediation, including the removal of underground storage tanks of some kind. Another perspective on coalI heat my house with wood. I wish I had ready access to coal! It's hotter than wood, burns slower, and I would think cheaper too. Coal bins and thingsNot just in the Northern states. I grew up in North Carolina in a two-family house in the late 1940's. My father had to go to the basement to feed the stove to keep the heat up. We had ice delivery to keep the icebox chilly, but later upgraded to an electric fridge with the coils on top. For radio reception, there was a small hole in the living room floor to run an antenna wire from the console radio to the plumbing pipes in the basement to do the job. Ah, the Good Old DaysCoal by the truckload, ice by the block, radios the size of refrigerators. Arghhhh! Makes you appreciate what you have today. FossilsWe had a coal fired furnace until I was 11. Sometimes I would break up pieces to see if I could find fossils. I don't think I saw anything but plant impressions. At one point, we had an "Iron Fireman" installed to feed coal from the bin into the furnace. I think it used an auger feed, similar to what farms use for grain. Coal Delivery in My Old NeighborhoodIn the terraced street I lived on back in the mid-1940's, semi-attached duplexes lined one side, and garden apartment buildings lined the higher-elevation side. The coal bins for the duplexes were in the front, and chutes were used for easy delivery into the basement bins from the trucks parked on the street. On the other, apartment side, the land itself was higher, and the coal bins were in the back. Because of the lie of the land, chutes couldn't be used, so the deliverymen had to shovel the coal into very large canvas sacks and lug them up to a basement window in the rear, through which they then unloaded the coal. That must have been a job from hell. Back-breakerMost coal trucks had tilt beds and the delivery man guided the coal onto the chute. The guy that delivered for my dad did not have a tilt bed and actually shoveled the whole ton of coal from the bed to the chute. I never knew what that was all about, but it was unusual. Cold in the MorningsI grew up in Michigan, and we had a coal furnace to heat our house. One aspect no one has touched on is that no matter how much coal my dad put in the furnace before going to bed at night, it always ran out by morning. Winter mornings it would be in the 30's or lower inside the house. I'd get dressed in bed under the blankets. There would be frost on the windows -- not on the outside but on the inside. Ah, the good old days. Coal RenaissanceLocal antracite coal has made a comeback in Pennsylvania these days, probably due to the outrageous cost of heating oil. One block of coal, say the size of a cinderblock, is enough to keep a woodstove hot overnight. The stove goes in the basement below the ductwork. Not the warmest arrangement, but a cheaper alternative. Has the coal been watered?I remember my dad running out to ask the coal delivery driver if the coal had been watered so the coal dust didn't get all over the basement where my mother hung clothes to dry in the winter. If it hadn't been he'd have the guy sprinkle it with the garden hose. Also remember them stuffing rags around the coal room door to block the dust. Remember: "Take out the ashes!" Dad had his first heart attack stoking the furnace on a Saturday morning. He was in the hospital for three weeks. When he got home Mom had converted the furnace to fuel oil and no more coal. Chicago coalI'm in my mid-50s and probably among the youngest to remember coal deliveries, in Chicago (alley, dump truck, chute.) And the smell! I can't describe it. Probably for the best, but Chicago does not smell nearly as interesting as it did 45 years ago. "Them" were the days!We had two coal-burning stoves in our third-story walkup. Every summer, in the heat and humidity of an Eastern big city, my mother ordered "two ton of coal" to be delivered. She claimed it was cheaper during the summer. The delivery men had to haul up the whole two tons one burlap bag at a time. This was up rickety wooden stairs in an unlit stairwell without a handrail. I doubt they were making more than 25 cents to 50 cents an hour. I was, at most, 7 or 8 at the time; I recall them sweating profusely. As I stood there and watched, they would pass me and still be able to crack a smile. That was brutally hard work. They truly earned the little money they made! Old King CoalI worked for Hessick between 1984 and 1989 and was told many times about its history in the coal business. This photo might be the old Washington Coal Depot on Rhode Island Avenue NE. I believe the coal silos are still there today. Ashes and clinkersMy first apartment, over a carriage house on an estate, had a coal furnace that I hated. The only good part was the ashes and "clinkers" - the chunks of "stuff" that wouldn't burn. It was the best material I have ever found for putting on the ground for traction on ice and packed snow. Coal shifting.There were conveyor belts on wheels, powered by gasoline engines, that lifted the coal from the piles on the ground into the trucks for delivery. Deliveries to our house were made by a five-ton truck with solid rubber tires and a huge chain like a bicycle's to drive the back wheels. It cost extra to use the chute, so my father, ever thrifty, would just have the driver dump the five tons on the sidewalk and we would shovel the coal into the basement window by hand. It took most of the day for us to shift it into the coal bin. In the basement, the bin was about six feet away from the furnace. As the level of the coal was lowered, 2x8 boards were removed from the door. King Coal I still use lump coal in my house and shop. Far easier and cheaper than wood, not to mention cleaner and easier to contain. I buy it by the barrel full. The acrid smell is nostalgic perfume, nauseating in heavy concentration, but wonderful in small wafts. The neighbors are all too young to know the smell and I have occasionally heard them asking one another what that "odd smell" is! I keep it a "secret," but the DeSoto in the driveway ought to give clue that something is going on. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads)
Fins: 1961
... Peggy Swan. On September 29, 1963, she was riding her bicycle near her home in Kensington, Maryland. Coming down Kensington Boulevard ... 
 
Posted by daross - 03/26/2009 - 7:22pm -

Big brother and little brother pose in Mom's new 1961 Cadillac. Seems big brother did a little damage. View full size. Sweet CaddyBut what's the "damage"? Those are leaves in front of the rear fender. Damage?Looked close as I could and it just looks like a number of light, tree and bush reflections. I don't think Big brother would have such a smile on his face if he had done any damage to Mom's Caddy, Little brother would have tattled on him anyway. Beautiful Car. Nice Pontiac 4-door hardtop in the background and not too sure of the other, Maybe a Chevrolet. Cruisin'You are correct, those are leaves. And that's a '62 Impala, 4-door hardtop in the background. Joe from LI, NY Stud BucketsDidn't anybody have a Studebaker? Lucky FellaThat's the ultimate Prom mobile! Most excellent! Babe MagnetWhat a neat car; mom had to be cool. Big brother is trying to find a way to lose little brother and cruise over to Sally's house. PS - My folks had Stud Buckets' Studebaker - moss green. Those were the days!Wow! Those were surely the days. No carbon credits, global warming, gas prices or other modern ills to worry about. What I wouldn't give to live back then. Where is this?Does anyone know where this was taken? Would be interesting to see if there is a Google Street View. The coral CadillacMy aunt had one of these and drove it for many years. From the mid 1950s to mid 60s, Cadillac offered two convertibles -- the Series Sixty-Two (pictured here) and the Eldorado Biarritz. Sharp CarI had a college professor who mentioned that when he was 12, he was chasing after a stray baseball and broke his arm running into the fins of a '59 Cadillac. Looking at this one, its amazing he didn't impale himself as well. Swell-looking guy in a nice carAt least the little brother got to be groovy... We Are Going BackwardsDagnabbit folks! Don't mean to be a cranky old geezer, but these incredibly beautiful, artfully designed, forward, streamlined, futuristic, jet-age, space patrol-ish, magnificent vehicles bring back so many wonderful memories of the 50's through the 70's, when we felt as though we were moving forward, we were modern, we were progressing into a Jetsons future, everyone seemed happy and upbeat and prosperity flourished. What happened? Many cars today are so downright ugly, the design is dowdy and square, the colors are bland grays, creams or blacks, no more two-tones, no more bright interiors (you may choose from gray or tan), no more chrome, sleek lines or white-wall tires, no outstanding or unique features. We keep hearing about the geniuses among us and yet there seems to be a severe shortage of brilliant designers in cars or anything else. Lots of copycat stuff, commonality and boredom. I know energy is a problem, but still that should not rule out STYLE and brilliant design. Anyone who lived in past decades knows what a boost one got from driving or even just seeing a snazzy, jazzy, cool, inventive vehicle. I just consider myself very lucky to have been there for the best years of American automobile manufacturing. This photo is a favorite, evocative of how good youth felt at one time. Unsafe?In "Unsafe at Any Speed," Ralph Nader claimed a little girl was killed after she ran into a fin on a 1959 Cadillac, while riding her bike or something. Ripped open her torso or some such gory injury. Nader also had harsh words for the sharp lower-body fins, which are properly called "skegs." In the year of its greatest height, the Cadillac fin bore an uncanny resemblance to the tail of the stegosaurus, a dinosaur that had two sharp rearward-projecting horns on each side of the tail. In 1964 a California motorcycle driver learned the dangers of the Cadillac tail fin. The cyclist was following a heavy line of traffic on the freeway going toward Newport Harbor in Santa Ana. As the four-lane road narrowed to two lanes, the confusion of highway construction and the swerving of vehicles in the merging traffic led to the Cadillac’s sudden stop. The motorcyclist was boxed in and was unable to turn aside. He hit the rear bumper of the car at a speed of about twenty miles per hour, and was hurled into the tail fin, which pierced his body below the heart and cut him all the way down to the thigh bone in a large circular gash. Both fin and man survived this encounter. The same was not true in the case of nine-year-old Peggy Swan. On September 29, 1963, she was riding her bicycle near her home in Kensington, Maryland. Coming down Kensington Boulevard she bumped into a parked car in a typical childhood accident. But the car was a 1962 Cadillac, and she hit the tail fin, which ripped into her body below the throat. She died at Holy Cross Hospital a few hours later of thoracic hemorrhage. The obscured car......appears to be a '62 Chevrolet Impala. Oh, and I'm a former Studbucket owner as well - in my case, a '63 Lark. Sleek ConvertibleMy dad had to be different. He owned a 1961 Volvo PV-544 back then. It looked like a 1940 Ford. My mom got handed down our 1952 Oldsmobile 98 4-door, which I learned to drive on. What a tank that car was. Way to go, Dad!Angelo Frank! As the owner of a 1964 PV-544, I must congratulate your dad on his choice of wheels! SnapAh, just like our '64 and '66 Pontiac convertibles... It had to be pretty sunny and warm to get all the snaps done on the tonneau covering the stowed top. broke a lot of fingernails on cool days trying to get the snaps snapped! Cadillac StyleI drive a 61 DeVille daily, it gets more respect than a new Escalade. Great, colorful pic. Later, Ray in CT Wow. This jumped out at meWow. This jumped out at me immediately. While in high school in the mid '80s I inherited my infirm aunt's '62 Caddy DeVille, which was a sage green color. I instantly became a hit at school. During homecoming we papered the Caddy up and it was dubbed the Batmobile. First car I'd ever had that had no a/c, FM radio, or headrests. But I loved the thing, bad as it was on gas, and drove it til it died one day in 1985. Gorgeous!What a beautiful photo -- so sharp and clear! I'd like to know the kind of camera it was taken with. I remember cars like that in my neighborhood on Long Island. Looks like The Wonder Years -- and they were. I was 6 in '61. Four wheeled optimismMr Magoo, your comment is so right. The cars of that era were the embodiment of optimism and aspiration. The designers wanted their car to stand out from the crowd and each year a new one would appear almost completely different from the last. The fact that these cars are so revered and stir such emotion is an example of what cars meant to people in the 50's and 60's. Although modern cars are more efficient etc. the fact that the retro trend in car design keeps popping up shows the basic shortcoming of modern car design techniques, computers have replaced the soul that was injected into the styling. Old CarsNothing like old cars. Most things on them can be fixed with a few wrenches, pliers and a screwdriver. Oldsmobile in backgroundThe car in the background behind little brother's head is either a Pontiac or Oldsmobile, not a Chevy, I am thinking Oldsmobile. The '62 Chevys were not as angular as that car. [The car on the right is the Chevrolet. Car on the left is a 1960 Pontiac. No Oldses in this photo. -Dave] (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Vital Foods: 1937
... mild. The bike Can someone identify that great bicycle parked out front? What is that cylindrical object between the frame ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:35pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1937. Exterior of the Happy News Cafe (described in a 1933 news item as "the new dietitian restaurant for the unemployed") at 1727 Seventh Street N.W. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. The font says, "It's circus time!"There's nothing like Bozo The Clown-style lettering on the sign to put the patrons in a good mood... but I doubt that they got any Coney Island red hots, popcorn, or cotton candy inside. Am I wrong, or is this a charity soup kitchen that was "tricked out" to look like a real restaurant? Maybe in an attempt to spare people the embarrassment of taking a handout meal? Bernarr McFadden connectionNote the name "Bernarr McFadden Foundation." McFadden was a famous proponent of exercise and nutrition. A search on Google for "Bernarr McFadden" "Happy News Cafe" turns up exactly one reference - on Google Books - which explains the connection nicely. Day by day in every wayDay by day in every way, I am getting well (Ha!) I am filled with health and strength, More than I can tell (Ho!) Now I know, I can go All along the way (Ha!) Growing better all the time, And singing every day! (Ho!) -- Marching anthem by Bernarr Macfadden, to be sung with gusto Don't know if I would want to eat there. Some interesting articles written about him and his Foundation. Makes Mr. Kellogg's health regime seem mild. The bikeCan someone identify that great bicycle parked out front? What is that cylindrical object between the frame members? Tough TimesI note the "Ladies Dining Room" is upstairs... We wouldn't want any fraternizing with the enemy! And since they make a point that the food is actually served at a table, you know these were tough days in the Depression because that means that many places were more like soup lines. Tire pumpThe cylindrical object on the bike is a tire pump. I carry one on my bike in exactly the same place. Clowns to the Left, Jokers to the RightDig the "Ladies Dining Room." Speaking as a man, I say let's bring this idea back. About Bernarr MacfaddenIt's worth checking out the somewhat hilarious Wikipedia entry on him. Apparently a bit of a celebrity in his time, this was the first I've heard of him. The FoundationI see the Happy News Cafe was sponsored by the Bernarr MacFadden Foundation. MacFadden was a physical-culture promoter and magazine publisher. Interesting, that in the next picture, the cafe customers are all African Americans. Was the restaurant segregated or perhaps, was it placed in a black neighborhood intentionally? Were there other places like this in DC at the time? GraphicsThat main sign is super! It really helps make the point about the establishment! But if the "Ladies Dining Room" was upstairs, why need that No Smoking sign downstairs? It would appear that there was really no bother about where the Ladies ate. Which would be logical. [Because there were plenty of ladies who ate downstairs. - Dave] Elder Solomon Michaux and Bernarr MacfaddenAccording to his obituary in the New York Times, Elder Solomon Michaux's Good Neighbor League fed "250,000 indigent people at its Happy News Cafe on Seventh Street in Washington" in 1933. Bernarr Macfadden was the author of books like "Virile Powers of Superb Manhood" (1900) and "Strenuous Lover" (1904), as well as "Constipation: Its Cause, Effect, and Treatment" (1924) and the always-compelling "Predetermine Your Baby's Sex" (1926). In other words, he appears to have been into most of the fads -- many of them now viewed as hard science -- of the 20th century. 9-Cent Banquet Washington Post, Jul 1, 1933 Educators Attend 9-Cent "Banquet" A Barnarr McFadden "banquet," at a cost of 9 cents a person, was attended yesterday at the new dietitian restaurant for unemployed, 1727 Seventh street northwest, by Dr. Mordecai W. Johnson, president of Howard University, and Garnet C. Wilkinson, assistant superintendent of schools. They inspected the penny plant and expressed approval of its sanitary and scientific features. Elder Michaux, who is giving all surplus foods each day for benefit of worthy colored families, was also in the party, as was Dr. Emmett J. Scott, Howard University secretary, and member of the parole board. Arthur C. Newman, Guy D. Glassford and Eloise Skinner, completed the party. LadiesThere appears to some discrepencies between this photo and the previous one of the same cafe. In this one there is a sign that says the ladies dining room is upstairs while the previous one shows everyone eating together. There is also a sign on the window of this one that says everyone is "served at the table" while the previous one shows everyone going through a line cafeteria style. [Lots of restaurants had "ladies dining rooms" for women who preferred them. That doesn't mean they couldn't eat downstairs in mixed company. - Dave] Still there! Happy News!Just older and drabber, that's all. View Larger Map Battery case.I think the cylinder is the battery case for the headlight. I'm working on the bike brand. Bike is either a Colson or a Huffman Best I can tell. Both of these bikes of this vintage had the radical curve in the twin bars near the seat. Stuck in the dining room with...Dig the "Ladies Dining Room." Speaking as a man, I say let's bring this idea back. Speaking as a lady, I couldn't agree more. Throwing a history fitI wonder if there is a plaque or any historical marker attached to that building? That cafe was a pretty cool and historically significant place, in my opinion. Is it on the historical preservation list? It appears that the buildings to either side have been replaced since 1937. What is the use of the building today? It looks pretty shabby and forgotten in time. No Lock!Best thing about the bike is that I don't see a lock.....probably had no need for one in those days. Wow, A time full of honesty! Final wordIn these days, maybe it would be appropriate for some enterprising individual to reopen the Happy News Cafe in the original location. Great name for a coffee shoppe as well! And a tribute to the building's past glory. Why not? Shelby AirfloThe bike is a mid to late 1930's Shelby Airflo. It's unusual to see this model sporting the chrome (or stainless steel) fenders but without the "tank." It is loaded with the lighting accessories. Delta "Silver-Ray" headlight on the front fender, a Delta "Horn-Lite" (horn and a headlight combined) on the handlebar, and the Delta "Defender" taillight. The aluminum tube held the batteries. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Harris + Ewing)
Mobile Newsboy: 1914
... once every 2 weeks. I had a canvas bag draped over my bicycle handlebars, loaded with 50 or 60 papers. It was tedious and not very ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/15/2011 - 1:20pm -

October 1914. Mobile, Alabama. "Young newsboy who begins work at daybreak." View full size. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. Mobile Newsboy: 1914, date of photoFlip the picture upside down, and you see the newspaper has a banner headline that reads, in part, "BOSTON TAxxx SECOND." On October 10, 1914, the Boston Braves beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 1-0 in the second game of the World Series, ultimately sweeping 4-0. Suffice to say, the newspaper, and the photo, are probably from the morning of Oct. 11, 1914. [Another clue would be the caption under the photo that says "October 1914." It's the afternoon paper of Saturday, October 10 - Dave] ww1 news alsoChannel ports now Kaiser's Objective, I think thats what is written next to the game, also Portugal expected to Decla but his hand blocks the rest - Mobile NewsieAs an artist I love it. ResolutionI am wondering about a technical question: how is it possible to get a detail from the original picture with such a fine resolution. If I download the picture it has a resolution of 1200x861 and the detail from it will have a resolution of approximately 120x100 but the detail shown in the comment has a resolution of 485x400. Can anyone tell me how that is possible? By the way: I am a European lover of historical and cartographic sites. I am very pleased to have found Shorpy. Gives me such an interesting insight in the U.S. society in the past century. thanks for all that. Alex Bussum, Netherlands [The full-resolution image here is 5000 x 3587 pixels. We downsize the full-resolution images to approximately 1200 pixels wide before posting them to the site. - Dave] 10-10-14Amazing, that we are looking at a newspaper as it was on Saturday, October 10, 1914 -- papers are so forgettable, no one could have guessed, least of all the Newsie, that he'd be seen and known all these decades later. This site really is like going back in time. Paperboys were once a legend, [We'll be right back with Part 2 of this windy diatribe after a brief intermission. - Dave] Disappearance of paperboysThe reason you don't see paperboys anymore has nothing to do with kids and their willingness to work, and everything to do with the newspaper delivery business and how it is run. Newspapers want no part of child workers anymore. But don't let me stop your misinformed rant... I was a paperboy onceBack in the 1960s, I had a paper route for a while. Even then, paper carriers were not newspaper employees. No, we were "independent contractors" who solicited sales door to door, delivered to homes 7 days a week and collected once every 2 weeks. I had a canvas bag draped over my bicycle handlebars, loaded with 50 or 60 papers. It was tedious and not very rewarding - I didn't last long. Our town, anyway, had no newsies hawking papers on the street. I think by then radio and TV had taken over the "breaking news" category. You could buy individual papers at barber shops, drugstores and the local hotel. Our town had 4 daily papers available (Omaha, Lincoln morning & evening, and Beatrice) plus the local paper 3 days a week. The Internet is taking a toll on those papers today. From a would-be paperboyI remember when the paperboy job disappeared from Long Island. It was in the mid 1980's, right when I was wanting to be a paperboy like my older brothers had been. I don't know the details of it, but some older man bought one of the Postal Service's discarded right hand drive Jeeps and took over all the local paper routes. That was the end of it for the kids. They left an envelope in your box every week for you to leave your check in and we never saw the paper deliveryperson again, unless you were up at 5 AM when he was passing by. I have no idea what it's like now, as I left the U.S. nearly a decade ago, fed up with the direction it was headed and boy am I glad I did. Love the site, keep up the good work. Mobile PaperboyIn Mobile as a 10-year old, 1950-51, I sold newspapers early in the morning--5:30 a.m.--on a street corner near the main entrance to Brookley AFB. Like a previous commenter, I didn't last long. The newsboy in the photo is probably on Government Street, a main thoroughfare, about where the entrance to the Bankhead tunnel now is. It's also possible, though less so, that he's a few blocks around the corner on Royal Street. OMG! That made me LOL!Seriously...hilarious with the fadeout. Thank you, Dave, for the laugh. I Was A Paperboy Once ...and all it taught me was not to be a paperboy. I ran my route on my bike between May and August of 1964 and delivered every day to about 90 homes within a three mile radius. Collecting from customers was like pulling teeth and I was always short - and always having to go back and back and back to try and get paid. The job took more time than I would ever have imagined and by the time I left it I had made only $12 "profit." So much for being an All-American Icon. Car Paper RouteFound this pic just today by clicking on "Prev Page" on the home bar. Brought back more memories of my 3 year career delivering papers. My first 6 months I worked for a lady that had a very large car route. We rolled and I threw from the car windows. My target was driveways and sidewalks. Sometimes I would actually hit the porches and when I did my lady boss would yell out "good shot, Jimmy". We would stop the car if I hit the bushes and if a paper landed on the roof, I would throw another paper. She retired and I got the 1st choice of a walking route as there were 5 routes created from her auto route. PaperboyI had three routes at once in the mid 60's and made about as much as some adults. My routes were broken up into seven routes when I quit. Collecting was up and down. Some customers were great, and others real deadbeats. Who stiffs a kid for a few cents? There are still paperboys in the Hillsborough and Durham NC area. They sell the papers at intersections, not much walking, but some dodging of texting drivers. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mobile)
The Prize: 1921
Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "Times boy and bicycle." One of the winners of a Washington Times subscription-selling ... a sleeping cat or dog into low earth orbit. My only other bicycle noisemaker is a St. Christoper bike bell inscribed in Latin. Alas, St. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:40pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1921. "Times boy and bicycle." One of the winners of a Washington Times subscription-selling contest and his prize, a Mead Ranger bike. More here and here. National Photo glass negative. View full size. You'll Hear Him ComingI picked one of those klaxon-style horns up decades ago at an antique store. It's heavy and requires that you put your weight on it when you blow it, but it will easily launch a sleeping cat or dog into low earth orbit. My only other bicycle noisemaker is a St. Christoper bike bell inscribed in Latin. Alas, St. Christoper has been relegated to civilian status. In the late 1950s I lusted for a chrome-plated bicycle siren that mounted on the front fork. You pulled a chain which moved the siren shaft to rub on the front tire creating a real siren wail. So realistic that the City of Detroit banned them. The second noisemaker of choice was baseball cards clothespinned to the bike tubing so the cards would flap against the spokes creating a motorbike sound, or so we thought. Maybe if your bike is cool enough,your prize is standing in the doorway. HeadlampThat's a very electric headlamp. I'd guess that there's a no. 6 Ignitor dry cell in that can under the top tube. Boss Man.He looks like a future CEO. The real prizeis the young woman standing in the doorway. Lucky for us that the lens captured her beauty forever. Now all the has to do is - remove the kickstand (too heavy). - throw away the light and battery (so kids with rocks and the coppers can't see you at night). - ditch the tire pump (weight again). - blacken the whitewalls (sissy stuff). - bend the handlebars outward and down (just because). - get rid of the fenders (macho mud splatters on clothes). - paint flames on the frame (coolness factor). - tie raccoon tail to back rack (ditto). - buy pilot's leather helmet and goggles (if you can't pedal fast at least you can look like you are). WowWhat a handsome and dashing young man. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Natl Photo)
Anomie Farm: 1941
... to the young lady in curlers underneath the deer-head-with-bicycle-handlebars, I recall my dad, when he would see a woman with curlers ... thing in the deer's antlers I'm thinking less "bicycle handlebars" and more "bow for a bow saw, missing the blade" That ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/13/2019 - 2:39pm -

August 1941. "The family of Mr. Dan Sampson, father of 11 children. The Sampsons are moving out of their small unproductive farm in the Pine Camp expansion area to a 240-acre dairy farm in South Rutland, N.Y., obtained through the New York Defense Relocation Corporation. Near Sterlingville, New York." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Hobbies: noneThat's one thing television eventually did--it gave the grown folks something to do besides making more viewers. Curlers in your hairWith regard to the young lady in curlers underneath the deer-head-with-bicycle-handlebars, I recall my dad, when he would see a woman with curlers interviewed on national TV, speculating on what event could be more important than appearing on national TV, that she would keep her curlers in her hair. In like manner, I wonder why this young lady does not take out her curlers and do something to her hair (like her older sister on the right), with the photographer in their house and all. And doesn’t she know she’ll be appearing on Shorpy in 78 years? Sampsons' ElevenWell, the farm may not have been productive, but Mr. and Mrs. Sampson sure were. Not smilingThe family doesn't seem to be welcoming the camera very much. It reminds me of something my grandmother told me about some distant relatives I thought I might like to get to know; "they are poor, but proud". She was warning me that I'd get the bum's rush very quickly if I gave the slightest "air of superiority", and I wonder if this family really doesn't appreciate being known as the recipient of charity in this regard. Where's #11?I count ten. Either one's under the table or mom's expecting again. Deer HeadThe absolute saddest example of taxidermy ever. Conceptual ArtThe deer seems to have tangled with a Picasso bull. Grapes of WhateverThere's an entire Steinbeck novel written in the face of that little girl in the foreground. This lad is not in on the fixYep, I like the boy in the foreground who seems unimpressed by Delano's stage directions. The girl in front doesn't seem to be fully on board either. We might call this picture "fake news" now. Father of 11Maybe #11 left home. 1940 CensusIn the 1940 Census for Wilna, Jefferson County, New York: Dan Sampson age 47, Lila 36, William 16, Warren 15, Mabel 14, Dorothy 12, Frank 11, Don 10, Charles 8, Charlotte 7, Clara 6, Edward 5, and Lila Jr. 2. Those black dots on the wallare flies. Moved out because of Fort DrumThe Pine Camp mentioned is now Fort Drum, one of the largest Army bases in New York. The military installation was set up as part of the massive military build up prior to the USA entering WWII. South Rutland is now called Tylerville, and the other place mentioned, Sterlingville, was also devoured by the new base. They may not have been so happy having the family farm taken away from them despite the optimistic commentary from the photographer, who, as a government employee, felt obligated to put a positive spin on things -- well, at least in the commentary. "Pine Camp expansion area"Now known as Fort Drum. My National Guard unit used to go there in early May for annual training (and wake up the residents by firing artillery at 2 AM.) In one week in the field we saw snow, rain, sun, dust, mosquitoes and mud. The commander said, "This is good training!" Our response cannot be printed here (and was probably anatomically impossible). That thing in the deer's antlersI'm thinking less "bicycle handlebars" and more "bow for a bow saw, missing the blade" That deer's seen better days. Well DocumentedPerhaps the Sampsons had had enough of being photographed. They were visited in 1937 by photographer Arthur Rothstein. Then were visited by Jack Delano twice in 1941, first in August, and after they'd moved to their new farm in October. Dan and his wife Lila would ultimately have 13 children. The couple both died in 1960. Different genreI'm thinking more Stephen King than Steinbeck. Gifts of ShorpySorry, but I have to "pipe-in" here. Having always liked Shorpy from first discovery, never considering why, I just realized an important ingredient (yes, slow learner). I don't know if Dave planned it this way from the beginning or if it was just good luck, however, while enjoying comments on this photo (and others) it became apparent that each comment gives us an added perspective to think about or learn. Each comment tells a short story. Dave could have started a site with just old photos that he found intetesting. But no, some (hidden?) genius decided to allow viewer participation through the ability to enhance the photos with comments. Well done Mr. Dave! (and any others behind the scenes). Anomie Farm?I had to google "anomie". Isn't that just a bit unkind? [The title of this post is a literary pun. - Dave] OK. Looks more like the Clover side of things than the Napoleon side, though. We have a winnerMrs Sampson is indeed pregnant. Alonzo S Sampson will be born Nov 30, 1941. She's not thereCount again. Mrs. Sampson is not in the picture, only "The family of Mr. Dan Sampson" which likely only includes his 11 children pictured. [Mrs. Sampson is the tired-looking lady in the doorway. - Dave] Grapes Of Some ...Eiger, yours is the comment of the day. I noticed that too, but throwing Steinbeck in there is so fitting! Could anyone maintain an appetite while that mounted deer was in the room?! It's rotting on the wall. Very odd energy in the room, with the lack of eye contact. What do they all know but aren't saying? Sad storyThe family grew to 15 children, seven of whom succumbed to lung cancer. Eldest daughter Mabel believed the cancer was caused by bug spray applied by the military to the area prior to the family's removal. The last living child is in her 70s. No, the family did not want their photo taken. They were not in curlers or a housedress because they were "trashy" as some have joked, but because it was early in the morning. They objected to being photographed but the three men talked them into it. Information from the chapter "Heartache on the Homefront" from Dave Shampine’s book “Remembering the North Country: Tales of Time Gone By.” Stone Cold GangstaBoy in the foreground seems to be doing something boys his age have been known to do; photobombing this event with a finger gesture (making the "Anomie" title even more apropos). His older brother in onto him. Something is Not Rotten in New YorkNot so sure the deer head is rotting. There is something hanging from the deer's right-side antler that makes it look like the right ear is rotting. But it seems the "rot" is really what's hanging. Could be a bottle brush (after all, it is/was a dairy farm). And flies in August on an upstate NY dairy farm isn't too surprising, especially in a farmhouse without air conditioning. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Jack Delano, Kids)
Detroit Opera House: 1900
... bike seem out of place is the lack of provision for the bicycle in any of the pictures I've seen from the turn of the century. Things like bike racks, bicycle shops, tires, etc. I guess they were mostly sold out of department ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 12:33pm -

Circa 1900. "Opera House and Campus Martius." The leftmost section of a four-part panorama whose center includes the Detroit City Hall view posted yesterday. Photo by Lycurgus S. Glover, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Bicycles!!!I'm impressed by the prevalence of bicycles in this date and time. It makes sense, now that I think about it. Horses and carriages were such a hassle for the casual trip around the corner to the store. If you weren't trying to carry too much a bike could take you anywhere a horse could in about the same amount of time. I guess the thing that makes the bike seem out of place is the lack of provision for the bicycle in any of the pictures I've seen from the turn of the century. Things like bike racks, bicycle shops, tires, etc. I guess they were mostly sold out of department store basements or something so they weren't usually visible to the street camera. The 45 star flagServed its country from 1896 to 1908. It must be an interesting animal in the wagon.Eveyone in front of the Opera House is focused on the animal in the crate. It would be interesting to figure out just what is in there! Enlarging the image, patterns on the animal almost seems like a farm animal (like a cow). But if it is something non-exotic, why would they crate it instead of just leading like a horse? Looks like Charlie Chaplinis crossing the street to go see Dick Mansfield rock the House. All Gone AwayThis was the second Opera House on this site, and is almost brand new in this picture, having been built in 1898 after the previous one was destroyed by fire. In those days Detroit's theater and entertainment district stretched off to the right past Wonderland up Monroe St. for several blocks. Not a building in this picture is still standing. The only survivor is the fountain. It was moved out of downtown in 1926 to a park 6 miles to the north, where it has sat dry for many decades now, to facilitate - what else - automobile traffic. The Opera House ended its days as a discount store. It, along with all of the other buildings on that block, was torn down in 1966. Surprise sightingI see two dogs on the sidewalk, both off leash. One is in front of the fountain. The other is just to the left of the Sparling's store. Remains of the DayThe only thing in this picture that still exists is the Merrill Fountain, lower left. It was moved six miles up Woodward Avenue to Palmer Park, where it sits in deplorable condition. The FoysThey probably never saw the inside of the opera house, but I'm willing to bet they played the Wonderland more than once. Charlie Chaplinprepares to cross the streetcar tracks! Remarkable pictures.I've never seen, on Shorpy or elsewhere, pictures like these in which all the participants seem so alive. It's almost like a painting of a streetscape, in which the artist has spent time on the body language of each of the people. I suspect the secret is that the photo was taken on a holiday or Sunday. There aren't the dense business crowds so each person can be seen as an individual. First class. Thank you. Henry VRichard Mansfield was touring 'Henry V' in 1900 so it's either a bear for the crowd scenes in that crate or perhaps one of the dogs of war. I also noticed Charlie Chaplin.It also struck me that these guys had a resemblance to Stan and Ollie: Look ~ A Zebra!The extraordinary detail exposed in these images is a great lens into what's going on within the finely grained detail of everyday life. The cart in front of the "Mr. Richard Mansfield" marquis sign - the one that's drawn a crowd, including children, would appear to hold a Zebra. At least that's what it looks like within the pixellation limits of the image. An exotic, striped animal is the best I can make out - and a Zebra seems plausible. A walkable, bike-able center of Detroit - how futuristic! The city's been struggling and spending billions in the post WW2 era to bring back this kind of density and detail to little avail. Too bad that when cars allowed people to whir & whizz by at 30 mph or more, no one thought the refinement and detail of urban fabric was important any more. What once rewarded you as a citizen-pedestrian-saunterer at every turn, began to degrade you with subtracted empty storefronts, fountain removals, and missing teeth. Today you'd probably be arrested for bringing a Zebra to the curb for children to have a look. Can't wait to put the 4 pics together into a panoramic view. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Howard's Chicken Shack: 1943
... good today, we will let you deliver the phone order on the bicycle. If you are not good, we will make you drive the (between 12 and 16 ... of the better tires available by then. My Elgin The bicycle strongly resembles the ancient hand-me-down Elgin upon which I learned ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/03/2016 - 12:14pm -

February 1943. "Daytona Beach, Florida. Street scene." Howard's Chicken Shack -- we're going to phone 9363 and see if they can deliver to 2016. Medium format negative by Gordon Parks for the Office of War Information. View full size. We DeliverIf you are good today, we will let you deliver the phone order on the bicycle. If you are not good, we will make you drive the (between 12 and 16 years old-depending on how close it was to a 1927 or 1931 production) Model A Ford. That is, if we have any ration coupons to put gas in it. I'm a Harold's man myselfDelivery available today! Harold's is a Chicago institution! 559 2nd AveAccording to https://volusiahistory.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/early-daytonas-forgotten... 2nd Ave is now known as Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune Blvd. https://goo.gl/maps/UuGw392TpYw re: Custom NeonHarold probably got much of his sign's cost paid for by 7-Up for advertising rights. Custom NeonHoward must have been pretty prosperous to afford custom neon on his signage. Wonder what image was on top of the sign? Had to be a chicken....right? All bicycles had to have police issued license plate in the 40's? A Small PuzzleI looked at Model A Fords on Google Images and couldn't find any with the 'large' wheel hubs the car here has; it had me wondering if it really was a Model A, but the tail light and bumpers say it was. Apparently later wheels (Model B?) could be used. '40 Ford TudorBlack sedan is a 1940 Ford Deluxe Tudor (you can see the Deluxe script on the side of the hood )with an accessory spotlight and accessory bumper guards on the end of the front bumper. At first I was going to say '39 or '40, but the steering wheel is a '40, '39 would have a banjo wheel. Bike PlateI remember getting a bike plate in Florida even in the 60's. We filled out a form and paid a few dollars, and got them at my elementary school. We looked forward to it since we thought they were cool to have on our bikes. 40 indeedThat sure is a '40, for all the reasons you state. Another spotting feature is the wing window. 1939s didn't have them. The wheel bolt pattern on the model A was the same as cars up until '48, and even later on five-lug pickups. This cars' change was probably done to take advantage of the better tires available by then. My ElginThe bicycle strongly resembles the ancient hand-me-down Elgin upon which I learned to ride. The heavy frame featured a second upper bar exactly as shown here. From recent research, I believe mine was an Elgin Four Star model. I can't see the characteristic painted stars on the fenders of the bike in this photo, but everything else matches my memory. This was a massive bicycle, really too large and heavy for a young rider. Even with the seat all the way down, I could barely reach the ground. I had to walk it up most hills, as it was a single speed. The very large balloon tires gave it a very nice ride. Like a lot of long-gone things, I wish I had it today! (The Gallery, Bicycles, Eateries & Bars, Florida, Gordon Parks)
The Rat Patrol: 1973
... the gun firing. Similar to the noise a playing card in bicycle spokes would make. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by AmericanJarhead - 09/12/2011 - 5:55pm -

This is my brother Paul (right) with a friend, Danny Bergman, who lived four or five houses down the block. It was taken in 1973 on the driveway in front of our house in Huntington Beach, California. I built the "machine gun" for them from spare pieces of PVC, wood and assorted hardware that were lying around in the garage. Next, I nailed a belt of machine gun ammunition to the block of wood and voila, a "machine gun" ... I used to go hiking with my father up in the dusty hills of Camp Pendleton where I collected spent rounds and belt links from the range. (At the time, I had no clue that I would end up hiking those hills again in 1979 and 1980 as a Marine myself! Or did I?) When I got home, I would reassemble the brass casings with the belt links and make lengthy ammunition belts. In the late sixties and early seventies I always had an ammo can with ten or so feet of belted machine gun rounds. My friends and I played "Army" a lot back in the sixties. Anyway, my brother and his friend would go around playing "Rat Patrol" and blow away all sorts of imaginary suburban enemies. In the garage is my parents 1972 Fiat 124. I never got to drive that thing but it was a dog of a car from what I remember. They ended up replacing the Fiat with a light blue 1975 Volkswagen Rabbit. I learned to drive in the 4-speed manual Rabbit while I had my learning permit. I got my license on the day of my sixteenth birthday and drove the Rabbit until 1976 when it was sold after being involved in an accident. I was not driving it at the time! Scanned from the original 110 negative. View full size. What goes aroundFantastically good scan from 110 negative! Thanks for sharing, and thank you for your service to this great country. NiceWouldn't that be Rug Rat Patrol? That's insanely cool, especially with the ammo belt made up from the real thing. The Fiat might've been a dog, but that's a great color for that car. (Yeah, I asked if you strapped that thing on, but it got edited out. Grr.) [Part of your comment did not show up because it contained invalid characters. - Dave] Shocked. Shocked!No helmets? And children allowed to play with toy guns? How times have changed. Accident Waiting to Happen...As I look at the photo, I can't believe that the gun and my brother didn't fall off and hurt themselves. I don't know how they managed to keep upright! As for helmets, we rode bikes, skateboards and mini-bikes without helmets because nobody did. I don't remember when the helmet PSA's started appearing but is couldn’t have been too much later than this. I was surprised at the quality of the scan on this too. Some of the 110 negatives that my mom shot were terrible but this one and several others were most excellent. This was scanned with the Nikon Super Coolscan 5000ED. I will post some more soon. I have a technical issue which Dave (Shorpy's own) helped me resolve. Holy Cow!My brother and I used to play Rat Patrol on vacations at the beach back when it wasn't a federal offense to play on the dunes. If we'd had that dune buggy rather than our two spindly legs, we would have destroyed all the sea oats on Topsail Island, NC. For more Rat Patrol goodness, I give you: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060018/ Fiat GreenI had a Fiat 131 in the same shade, though I think this has printed out a little light. At least in the late 1970s it was closer to glossy olive drab. I had a Rabbit too, later on. The thing that resonates for me the most, though, is the tank top. That's such a '70s boy's shirt. Iron-on!Looks like Danny needs some iron-on knee patches. When I was 9 in 1973 I had "Tough-Skin" jeans in assorted colors -- when the knees started to give out my mom would iron on plastic color-matching patches. Which made my knees sweat. And I could never figure out why my jeans never faded like my older brother's. Oohrah!Yes we played with toy guns and enjoyed Rat Patrol and movies about war. When we weren't playing with toy guns, we were practicing with real ones. I got my first rifle for my 5th birthday. Didn't get a BB gun until I was 7, maybe 8. Fun. Italian. Auto. Transport.They started making the Fiat 124 in 1966. The Russian Lada factory is still making a version of it. Love the wheel chocks, and Yes, my kids have that wagon (in red). I remember being mocked when my cousin & I pedaled around his block in Cerritos wearing motorcycle helmets. Also, those are pretty odd shoes for 1970's SoCal, Danny. As I recall, it was pretty much just Converse, Vans, Adidas, Lightning Bolt flip-flips and anything from Sears. Rat Patrol. Great job of making that machine gun. Always fun to make something cool from a pile of junk. Kids with imagination and skills. Ever notice in the weekly beginning of "Rat Patrol," the guy absolutely destroys himself on the machine gun as they crest over the sand dune? Ouch. Also, the lead actor in the series eventually died from injuries incurred while filming the series years later. Rat PatrolPlaying "Rat Patrol" and "Combat"...Our dads had enough WWII souvenirs (ammo belts, helmets, etc) still lying around in basements and attics that we could kit ourselves out, but I admit we never had such a cool machine gun! (I always had to be the bad guy because I could speak German). Fix it again, TonyWe had a nearly identical Fiat, except in powder blue. It was a lemon, and then was squashed like a bug when my neighbor forgot to set his parking brake and his car rolled down the hill, across my lawn and right onto the Fiat. Not Just a Radio FlyerIt's the flashy Radio Flyer GT, with mag wheels and whitewalls! Fiat 124, film 110I nearly bought a 124 in 1981, but got another Rabbit instead, the right decision I think. Still cool to see it in the garage there. Nice job on the 110 scan. So far I've only scanned slides from 110, which are often not very well exposed; I'm hoping I can get better results, maybe comparable to yours, when I get into the negatives. Thanks for the memories...This picture made my week. I grew up in the 60s and 70s (turned 10 in 71). I spent most of my childhood on Okinawa, mostly living off base. My brother and I would comb the jungles for WWII surplus (tons of it! Oh how I wish I would have saved some of those treasures) then we'd play "Combat" and "Rat Patrol" with the stuff we found. Getting to play soldier in a sho'nuff Asian jungle ... MAN I loved being a kid. Avocado see youSome classic 1970s colors here. Wow. Dart WarsThat suction-cup dart on the ground, what was that from? I love that it's in that same pukey shade of green. Waffle Stompers!Our kids wore them in the late 60s early 70s when we started going camping and hiking in the summer. Good shoes to wear for all the rough stuff, including going out to the desert to shoot model rockets. (After the rocket landed much time was spent trudging through sand and rocks searching for it.) Practical too. Though they cost more than Vans, they didn't wear out as fast. Plus, they would be outgrown by the next summer, so might as well get use from them. -- Former SoCal Mom Field Marshal Rommel beware.Christopher George has nothing on these guys. Things ChangeGreat photo! It's interesting to compare this picture to "A Heavy Load: 1909," and meditate on just how much American childhood changed in less than 70 years. Star Wars Storm TrooperCheck out the shadow of the kid and gun. Great memory!I was at Camp Pendleton twice, two weeks in 1976 at Devil Pups and again in platoon 3001 MCRD SD 1979. Great memories of growing up in California! SameI had a similar toy a friend of my dad built for me in the fifties. He put a motor with a battery and playing card inside so that when I pressed the trigger, we could pretend the noise was the gun firing. Similar to the noise a playing card in bicycle spokes would make. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids)
Against the Wind: 1902
... wanted man to fly ... He never would have invented the bicycle. The Factory Where the later commercial planes for the military ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/22/2022 - 6:02pm -

September 19, 1902. Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. "Side view of Dan Tate, left, and Wilbur Wright flying the 1902 glider as a kite." 5x7 glass negative by Orville Wright. View full size. We have liftoff!It's hard to say where this photo was taken in relation to Kill Devil Hill, but looking towards the right, you can see what looks like the base of a sand dune. I've taken a screenshot showing Kill Devil Hill today from Google Earth and did an overlay with today's Shorpy. So much has changed since the brothers were there in the early 1900s. Searched "Dan Tate" -and found only "Bill" Tate as postmaster, host to the Wrights, and everything else in Kitty Hawk. [Daniel Tate was Captain William Tate's half-brother. - Dave] If God wanted man to fly... He never would have invented the bicycle. The FactoryWhere the later commercial planes for the military were built on Home Ave off 3rd Street in Dayton, was one of my first jobs as an IT person. The old Home Avenue factory building (Named building 6 by GM who owned the plant) was where the Wrights built the planes. I was privileged to sit in the office of the Wrights when I called to fix the GM foreman's computer (the building was now a machine shop), who was the most recent occupant. He told me that the desk in which I sat belonged to either Wilber or his brother. As a note of interest the roof still had the steel girders attached with chains to move the planes to the double doors for exit. The building was marked with the blue Historic Building disc. But, alas, the building is now just a shell of its former self. Plus a 1997 photo of the monument at Kitty HawkWhen TV was in only black and white, stations where I lived signed off at night and then back on with the morning farm report. One station signed off with film of jet airplanes leaving vapor trails, and narrated with this poem by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. High Flight Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there, I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air… . Up, up the long, delirious burning blue I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or ever eagle flew — And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod The high un-trespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God. Ohio, First in FlightKitty Hawk, North Carolina provided "regular breezes and soft sandy landing surface," as well as seclusion from reporters and the circus-like atmosphere that got in the way on the shores of Lake Michigan. The Wright brothers did all their theorizing, design, and building in Dayton, Ohio. Every time I see a North Carolina license plate, I scoff. (And I have no connection with Ohio.) Worth a visit when near the Outer BanksThe Wright Brothers National Memorial has an excellent, if small, museum. Standing on the site where their flights took place, you can easily imagine Orville and Wilbur's small planes taking off and landing. The longest of their first flights in 1903 covered just 852 feet. Less than two years later, Wilbur completed a flight of 24 miles in 40 minutes. Artist's Rendering?Am I the only one who thinks this looks like a drawing? (The Gallery, Aviation, Wright Brothers)
The Gospel Wagon: 1900
... me. [A rare sight in early Shorpy street scenes: a bicycle rack, like the one in use here . -tterrace] Future office of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/16/2017 - 9:43am -

Buffalo, N.Y., circa 1900. "Ellicott Square Building." At the time of its completion 1896, the largest office building in the world. Our title for this post comes from lower down (and higher up). 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. I like the Gospel Wagon idea..At least there not out knocking on your door during the Pittsburgh Steeler games. Progressive?What does one sell in a "progressive" store? ["Progressive" as in the sense of "modern," as in this article, which seems unintentionally prescient. -tterrace] Phoenix Reflected The Phoenix Brewery, (a very popular name used through out the country), operated in Buffalo from 1887 to 1920, closed for prohibition from 1920 to 1934, operated again from 1934 to final closing in 1957. The title refers to the "BEER" reflection in one of the store windows across the street to the left. Signs of the TimesThere are at least five separate railroad ticket offices in the building: Erie; Pennsylvania; Buffalo Rochester and Pittsburgh; Chicago and Northwestern, and Nickel Plate. There may be more, but they're too fuzzy to read. Also like the interesting phonograph store selling Columbia and Edison cylinders and players (no they were not compatible). Ministering On Main StreetThe Ellicott Square Building (283-309 Main Street) was completed in mid-1896 and still stands today. Six workmen died during the building's construction. Across the street was 304 Main, home to Palmer's Florist and the Albany Dental Parlor. “Sam. Welsh's Progressive Store” was the cigar store of brothers Samuel and Charles E. Welsh. They opened their 311 Main Street store in November of 1899, having previously operated the Progressive Cigar Store at 331 Main Street. Perhaps the Gospel Wagon Association thought that those buying cigars and phonographs needed to be exposed to something a little more “redeeming.” Sidewalk Sign DesignI am interested if anyone knows the purpose of the signs placed along the sidewalks, which seem to be advertising above, and vertical bars of some sort below. Perhaps stops for public transportation, but why so many? And what are the bars for? A classic Shorpy mystery for me. [A rare sight in early Shorpy street scenes: a bicycle rack, like the one in use here. -tterrace] Future office of Wild Bill DonovanWhen this was taken, a local Buffalo teen named William Joseph Donovan was in St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, with big dreams. He would enroll in Niagara University for two years before transferring to Columbia, where he received a B.A. and law degree. Returning to his hometown, "Wild Bill" went into private practice with Love & Keating in 464 Ellicott Square. He would remain there until he scratched the itch to form his own law firm in 1912. O'Brian, Hamlin, Donovan & Goodyear moved into the brand-new Iroquois Gas Building. Donovan's office grew dusty as he devoted more and more time to reawakening New York's militia and turning it, by 1917, into the "Fighting 69th" New York Infantry. As its colonel, Donovan became nationally famous, leading to a series of positions that would culminate as his appointment during World War II to begin the Office of Strategic Services - the forerunner of the CIA. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Buffalo NY, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Speed Racer: 1925
... Laurel, Maryland. "R.J. O'Connor, inter-city championship bicycle races, Laurel Speedway." National Photo Co. glass negative. View full ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:34pm -

July 18, 1925. Laurel, Maryland. "R.J. O'Connor, inter-city championship bicycle races, Laurel Speedway." National Photo Co. glass negative. View full size. He does."Who wears short shorts?" BrakelessFixed gear -- no freewheeling. Great for fast track and stunt riding. Not so good for stopping. Get it wrong and over the handlebars you go. FixieTrack racing bikes still have no brakes (and no freewheel device). The rider slows down by pedaling slower. They are still raced on wooden tracks, including in the Olympics. The tracks today are generally better finished and polished, since falls are common. Look at those huge splinters! This fixed-geared arrangement has become very trendy lately, to the point it has a cutesy name: "fixie." Handsome BrakelessAlso a handsome rake! No Stopping HimYipes! There doesn't seem to be any braking mechanism on his bike. (Unless there is a foot brake that isn't apparent.) Also wondering what the sprocket lettering represents. [BSA -- Birmingham Small Arms, a British maker of bicycles and motorcycles. - Dave] Other points of interestNote the mold lines on the tires, and the axle hole through the crimped fork ends (rather than a slot). HairodynamicAll that riding has sculpted his hair into a modern 2009 look! BSABirmingham Small Arms, which began as a gun manufacturer, produced bicycles in the first half of the twentieth century. During WWII they made a folding bike for British Airborne paratroopers. After the war production switched to motorcycles, and in the 1950s and '60s "Beezers" were legendary racing bikes. They couldn't keep up with Japanese manufacturers, though, and by the early '70s the company was kaput. Progress of another sortWhat housing block or shopping mall now covers the "Laurel Speedway"? Enquiring minds, etc.! Fixie popularityWhen I was a courier in DC (89 to 97) only riders with major experience and major balls rode track bikes. It takes much more skill to stop quickly. Now every skinny jeans-wearing hipster rides a fixed gear bike, geared to stop easier and usually with a flat handlebar. Of course a lot more people are riding bikes these days. Funny how all it took to get more people in this country to get back on bikes was super expensive gas and a serious recession. Baltimore-Washington Speedwayhttp://www.wheelsofspeed.com/mdhist.html Baltimore-Washington Speedway - Laurel, MD 1.125-mile wood oval (7/11/1925 - 9/25/1926) The track, featuring turns banked at 48 degrees, was built by Jack Price in early 1925. The site is now the property of the Laurel Pines Country Club. Stupid Bike TricksMy dad raced in San Jose in the 1930s. When I was a kid down on the central coast, he had a bike like this that he'd let us use. Long before it became fashionable to do crazy stunts on a bikes, we'd ride hell-bent for leather from the top of our street toward the beach. About halfway down, we'd stand up on the (absurdly skinny) seat. Usually we'd still hold onto the handlebars, but sometimes we'd stand all the way up for part of the ride and then jump back down to stop. It's amazing that any of us made it to adulthood. I Agree WholeheartedlyDefinitely a handsome rake! Pure rideI still have my track bikes from the 70's. Pure ride - who needs 20 gears? Back in the day, our jerseys and chamois were wool, we knew how to repair our own bikes, nailed our cleats on and rode because we loved to. And we laughed at those who spent a fortune on a bike and could not ride a straight line. Even more fun was zipping past some turkey on a road bike while on a track bike and doing it in the hills of the SF Bay Area. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Natl Photo, Sports)
On Broadway: 1905
... passengers (a bit like a hayride), a farm wagon, and a bicycle - not to mention the sheer volume of walkers of all ages and costumes. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2014 - 7:07pm -

New York circa 1905. "Broadway and Times Building (1 Times Square)." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. MetropoleThe Metropole Hotel at 43rd Street. The first hotel in NYC with running water in every room. What is that?Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but for the life of me I can't figure out what that thing is on the left, above the balcony. It looks like three squares covered with dots and topped by a flourish. I can't tell if it's attached to the awning wires or hanging from the side of the building. [It's an electric sign. Similar to the one seen on the New Montauk Theater. - Dave] ElectricElectric street lights, electric signs, an electric hansom cab, an electric charabanc, what a wonderful world. Are the trams underground electric ones or are they cable cars? [The streetcars are electric. - Dave] The hatsThere had to be one guy in a million who defied convention and dared venture outdoors hatless, but I've yet to spot him in these kind of scenes. Aria landmarkLeft foreground is Metropolitan Opera House -- a.k.a. the old brewery, demolished 1967. Tally HoThere's another one of those beasts of an electric tour bus lumbering down Broadway. I wonder if Hoster's is the precursor of Hooters? Future Flappers of AmericaAll of the women in this photo have floor length shirts except the one crossing in the middle of the street. Jaywalking and a short skirt--nothing less than scandalous. E-cabSo, an electric hansom cab operated by a coachman from the traditional topside perch -- bizarre! [Below, an excerpt from he book "Taxi!" by Graham Hodges. - Dave] Electric cabs had showed some promise; since July of 1897, twelve electric hansom cabs had plied the [New York] city streets. Organized by the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company, these novelty cabs competed with horse-drawn hacks. Despite their technological innovation, called by Scientific American in a March 1909 article "one of the most significant facts of city transportation," electric cabs varied only slightly in performance and appearance from horse-drawn vehicles. Scientific Magazine preferred the electric cab because it was silent and odorless. Even though the Electric Vehicle Company expanded its New York fleet to sixty-two in 1898 and then to one hundred the next year, its overall success was short-lived. Electric cabs were cumbersome, were unable to move faster than fifteen miles per hour, and required a battery recharge every twenty-five miles that took eight hours to complete. This problem limited use of electric taxis to single rides and made cruising impossible. Changing a battery also required use of an overhead crane and a spacious garage. Replacing the pneumatic tires required taking off the entire wheel disk, which caused further delays. Despite the clean and silent operation, passenger comfort was minimal. Fares sat in an open seat in the front of the cab, while the driver perched overhead. The brakes were applied forward, which in emergency situations meant that the entire car might topple over. Not surprisingly, electric cabs did not catch on. One contemporary writer observed that many people took one ride but rarely returned for a second, preferring horse-drawn hacks. A fire settled the issue. In January 1907, the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company went under when three hundred of its cabs burned in a garage fire. Or maybe not. More here. Vehicular VarietyCarriages, hackney cabs (when was the last time those were seen in NYC?), electric cars, some sort of electric wagon full of sightseers, at least five trolley cars, a horse-drawn wagon carrying passengers (a bit like a hayride), a farm wagon, and a bicycle - not to mention the sheer volume of walkers of all ages and costumes. This is the age of Wharton, Dreiser and Howells. (It's also the age of the muckrakers and Jacob Riis' exposes.) The women's Edwardian hats and skirts are so luxurious! This was about five years before the introduction of the hobble skirt, which was tightly constricted at the bottom. Women could still sweep down the sidewalk regally in 1905, and often their hats plowed the crowd before them like the figurehead on a schooner. The female cutting across the street in a short skirt and wide-brimmed hat is probably a teenager. Edwardian girls continued to wear short skirts until they "came out" into society or reached the age of 18. Skirt lengths for women wouldn't begin to creep up off this floor until 1915; the Great War made a fashion out of the necessity of less fabric available for women's skirts. "Flapper" style wouldn't begin until the hedonistic post-War late 'teens. I often wonder if a similar photo, taken today from the same perspective, will similarly show a quaint and vanished cityscape to the citizens of 2110. Will they gape at the volume of gasoline-powered individual autos on our streets? TrilbyNote the billboard advertising the play "Trilby." The popularity of this play (adapted from an 1894 novel) is what gave us the term Svengali and also the Trilby hat. FantanaNY Times review of Jefferson DeAngelis in "Fantana" at the Lyric Theater. Re: What is that?I believe that the mysterious electric sign in question was a cab call sign, which lit up with numbers to show how many cabs were being requested by opera patrons after a show. These signs seem to have hung on many NYC theaters and hotels back around the turn of the century. There is still an existing (but, alas, apparently not functioning) one hanging on the front of the St. Regis Hotel on 55th Street. From this exact locationIt would be amazing to see a pic from 100 years later taken from the same or even close spot and placed side by side for comparison. One Times SquareI work across the street from One Times Square, and I've often thought how sad it is that you can't see the building anymore! it's so covered in electronic signs, large billboards, and other metal sheet covering, that you can't see the underlying building anymore. It looks like a handsome structure, but it's all hidden way. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Lake Worth: 1908
... The only other land conveyances are single and double bicycle chairs propelled by liveried colored men at a cost of $1 per hour. ... size," but constructed of wicker-work, and pendent from a bicycle propelled by a robust negro, that the jungle is thus visited; the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:38pm -

Palm Beach, Florida, circa 1908. "Along the shore of Lake Worth." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Whew!Having lived in Florida for a spell, I just can't imagine HOW they dealt with the heat having only fans and no A/C. Yet somehow they survived! [Palm Beach, and Florida in general, was a winter resort. People didn't visit when it was hot. - Dave] I realize that, I was speaking of life in Florida in general, year-round. It can get to 90 in January :) ContrastsA straight shoreline and crooked trees. Geography Palm Beach is a barrier island off the mainland from West Palm Beach. The body of water which separates West Palm Beach and Palm Beach is called Lake Worth; but it is really just part of the Intercoastal Waterway that runs down the length of the coast of Florida from Jacksonville to Miami. Seems like each segment of the Intercoastal has been given a different name as it runs through different parts of the coast. For example: it's the Halifax River in Daytona Beach; Indian River down near Cape Canaveral; and eventually Biscayne Bay in Miami. One assume the picture was taken on the grounds of the massive hotel in the background, but it's really hard to say which part of Lake Worth is pictured. [You are no doubt thinking of the Intracoastal, not "Intercoastal," Waterway. - Dave] Well, if you Google it, you find that both spelling are used to describe this passageway. I've always heard it called "Intercosstal." [Google indeed reveals plenty of misspelled words. The waterway in question is the Intracoastal -- meaning along a single coast. Intercoastal would mean connecting two coasts. I was born in Miami and grew up in Florida, and so was well acquainted with the Intracoastal. - Dave] Adult Perambulators Farm Journal, November 1905. No horses are allowed in Palm Beach, — only a lone mule pulling a light summer car along the famous palmetto avenue, from Jake to ocean, … The only other land conveyances are single and double bicycle chairs propelled by liveried colored men at a cost of $1 per hour. These can be seen going in every direction on the paved walks, the jungle trails, and over the long bridge across Lake Worth to West Palm Beach. The American Scene, 1907, by Henry James. It is by means of a light perambulator, of "adult size," but constructed of wicker-work, and pendent from a bicycle propelled by a robust negro, that the jungle is thus visited; the bicycle follows the serpentine track, the secluded ranch is swiftly reached, the peaceful retirement of the cultivators multitudinously admired, the perambulator promptly re-entered, the darky restored to the saddle and his charge again to the hotel. Waterway NamesThe reason for different names along the Intracoastal Waterway is that the different names were usually there first. The Waterway is a route - like a US Highway route on land, which might run over many roads with different names, but always the same route number. Many parts of the Waterway were originally separate bodies of water that have been linked by man-made canals and channels. On a different note - why are the trees on the left side of the photo so twisted and the ones on the right side comparatively straighter? "Intercosstal"As in "between the ribs"? Landscape architectI think Dr. Seuss must have been in charge of tending the trees on the left side of the walk. Favorite Bike TrailWhen I lived in WPB I used to ride on the Lake Trail regularly. This is a section of the South Trail with the Flagler mansion in the background. Palm Beach Lake TrailThe Palm Beach Lake Trail has changed very little in the past 100 years. At the time of the photo the building in the background was the Henry Morrison Flagler home. Today it is the Flagler Museum. The Lake Trail runs some 6 miles almost to the Palm Beach Inlet and is only for pedestrians and bicycles. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Florida)
Buffalo Savings: 1904
... steed, behind the fire hydrant. "I think [the bicycle] has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It ... she knows she can't get into harm unless she gets off her bicycle, and away she goes, the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood." So ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:56pm -

Buffalo, New York, circa MCMIV. "Buffalo Savings Bank." Just look at the time -- I:LV -- gotta run! 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. I've got my cloakNow where is the Dagger shop? Did the sweepers have a quota?How much territory was a street sweeper expected to cover? I think I see another sweeper by the restaurant. How did they manage to clean the streets in the winter - Buffalo can get a lot of snow? As for the letter box - my neighborhood had one until just a few years ago. The Wilkinson Building has a sign proclaiming "Wearing Apparel" - is there any other kind? I'm afraid I am still trying to interpret Dave's reading of the clock. [I:LV = 1:55. - Dave] Those who are tardy do not get Fruit CupI have to wonder if Nurse Diesel is standing behind one of those large arched windows and if there is a spiderweb shadow on the walls inside. U.S. MailWhy the different mailboxes? You would think that with the most widespread form of communication (with phones a way distant second) that mailboxes would be large and all over the place. [With letterboxes on practically every street corner, and pickups at least twice a day, they don't need to be that big. The telegraph, and telegrams, would be No. 2 for intercity communication. - Dave] Cloak for saleOh good the store next door sells cloaks! They are hard to find. It would have been nice if a cloak wearer was seen strutting the latest in early 20th century garb. BTW was 1899 the year the building was built? Buffalo GuysThere are 2 men in straw Boater hats standing at the curb in front of the J.M. Wilkinson & Co store. One of them appears to have jumped the gun by about 90 years and could be talking on his cell phone, while the other one seems to be blowing his nose into the street. Don't HVIII MeI know, I am probably weird, but I have been an XIIDIGITATOR for many years as well as a fan of sniglets. XIIDIGITATION (ksi dij i tay' shun) n. The practice of trying to determine the year a movie was made by deciphering the Roman numerals at the end of the credits. It also works for cornerstones and grave monuments in addition to movie credits. Ding-dingNote the two ladies posing coyly with their two-wheeled steed, behind the fire hydrant. "I think [the bicycle] has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives a woman a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. The moment she takes her seat she knows she can't get into harm unless she gets off her bicycle, and away she goes, the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood." So sayeth Susan B. Anthony, in 1896, er, MDCCCXCVI. Groovy hydrantsEspecially the one on the left. MDCCCXCICOK, I was away from school the day they taught Roman numerals, never did learn them, I never knew when any building was ever built. Completed in 1901This still-standing Beaux Arts building was designed by the Buffalo firm of Green & Wicks. The dome was originally copper-sheathed but is now gilded with gold leaf. Grand old building with such great detail!The striking detail on beautiful old buildings like this always amazes me! So glad this one is still standing! (The Gallery, Bicycles, Buffalo NY, DPC)
Star Vehicle: 1920
... tightening the chain. Think of the chain on a single-speed bicycle, the rear wheel being moved back to tighten the chain. The rear ... chain broke or jumped off the gears ( a la a single-speed bicycle again ) that wheel would no longer be driven nor have brakes. The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 9:54pm -

Washington, D.C., 1920. "Mack truck." As seen in the major motion picture "What's Your Hurry?," starring Wallce Reid as truck driver Dusty Rhoades. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Mackin'DC still had Mack garbage trucks with chain drive and solid tires in the mid-1930s. JarringDriving this thing must have been a bone breaker, hard on the eyes (no windshield), a bear to control, and a lead-sled to stop. Pneumatic tires would have helped the ride a little. MackosaurusWhat a dinosaur of a dumper. Chain drive, open cab and solid tires! What's Your Hurry?Wallace Reid should have stuck with trucks. After he was injured in a train wreck in 1919 while on location in Oregon making "Valley of the Giants," he was prescribed morphine so that he could keep working. He got hooked, and in 1923 died of an overdose. In the stone ageof product safety - look at that open chain drive! How many fingers/hands/arms lost out to that beauty? Big as a bread boxI've noticed these bread (pie, cake) lockers in some other Shorpy pics. I have read about bakeries making regular deliveries just like the milkman or ice man, and finally put 2 and 2 together -- these boxes are where they left your loaves, pies or cakes! What a fascinating detail of everyday life. It looks like this address also received deliveries of beverages from Reading Brewing. Reading BrewingBelow, a 1912 "City Bulletin" from the Washington Post. To survive during Prohibition, Washington's breweries switched to selling low-alcohol beers, as well as various cereal- and malt-based soft drinks. Legendary RideMy father, who was 16 years old in 1920, used to say of some cars, "Rides like a Mack Truck." It was never meant as a compliment. Mack MaintenanceThe brakes on this Mack are on the rear wheels only. The brake band can be seen around the circumference of the large hub the small chain sprocket is mounted upon, the actuating lever from the foot pedal to the front of the brake hub draws the band tight. To adjust the brake slack as the band wears, or after being renewed, the wing nuts below would be tightened or loosened as required. To the rear of the small driving gear, inside the upper and lower chains, the slack adjuster for the chain can be seen on the hinging axle arm. Threading the slack adjusters out on both sides will move the rear axle back, tightening the chain. Think of the chain on a single-speed bicycle, the rear wheel being moved back to tighten the chain. The rear axle would have to be kept at right angles to the frame to prevent undue tire wear and the truck travelling straight rather than at an angle. The much-larger driven gears can be seen through the spokes of the rear wheels. The differential, normally between the rear wheels inside the axle housing under a vehicle is inside the frame of this truck, the two small chain drive gears on it's outer axle shafts outside the frame rails. Heavy oil or chain lube grease would have to be liberally applied to the chain and the gears from time to time. Eventually, wear from constant forward motion, sand and grit thrown up by the wheels, and chain stretch would wear the gear teeth and the chain would catch, or jump, and the gears and the chain would have to be replaced. If a chain broke or jumped off the gears ( a la a single-speed bicycle again ) that wheel would no longer be driven nor have brakes. The radiator on this model of Mack was behind the sloped engine hood between the engine and the dash. The cooling fan was on the crankshaft behind the motor and blew cooling air out thru the rad cores and the louvers to each side next to the marker lamps. On top of the rad is the radiator cap with a built-in thermometer often known as a 'Moto Meter' which had a thermometer that showed red inside a bulls-eye as the engine and rad water heat increased. Operating a hard-rubber-tire truck over cobblestones, trolley tracks and bumpy roads would have been a real treat. Driving this truck in winter ice and snow, even with chains, would have been a nightmare, and COLD. Chain drive trucks, ( not only Mack marketed them ) albeit on pneumatic tires and with air brakes, were offered NEW into the early Fifties, their approach heralded by the rapid metallic clacking/buzzing sound of the chains gnashing around on their orbits. Another great photo on mechanics from Shorpy. Thank You. Nice!Mack trucks are from my hometown. I learned to drive a Mack just like that in the 70's, we had a 1912 but with a flatbed as a yard hack. It was a bonebreaker, you could only steer when it was moving. Oh god crank start was soo scary but kinda fun. No differential either, turning was crazy. No need for a windshield, it would not go faster than 20 MPH! and at that speed every bump and jolt was worse, it was like riding in an earthquake. Imagine trying to drive this beast, and having to manually advance the timing while steering, shifting, trying to stay in your seat and not crashing into anything. Next in lineI see a beautiful piece of machinery. I'd love to look under the hood and take it for a test drive. This old Mack.It's a nice pre-WWI, C-cab Mack AC. You can tell by the mesh covering the sides of the radiator. Newer models had louvers instead, plus a bigger radiator several inches wider than the hood. Apparently this truck was recently painted for the occasion; I can see several dents and mends in the hood. Its original color would have been "Mack green," a dark and rather nice shade. The paint was lead-based varnish. Those trucks carried the gas tank inside the cab, right under the seat cushion, a-la Ford T. Optionally you could get a wooden-framed, two-piece windshield that bolted to the cowl and the underside of the roof. Also worth noting, they already had adhesive tape back in 1920, and they used it to affix the photo to the sides of the cab. Turnbuckle stars!What? No one gets excited over architectural star turnbuckles anymore? Ach! You kids today! Scared Me!When I was a small boy in the early fifties I used to play in a closed coal/lumber yard near my home. One morning I ran around a corner and head on into one of these HUGE Macks - it scared the bejeebers out of me! I have never forgotten the look of that truck. Reid's AccidentEvery film book will tell you "Valley of the Giants" was filmed in Oregon, but it's just not true. The 1919 newspapers all say it was filmed in Humboldt County, California, and a review of the film--recently discovered in a Russian film archive--confirms it. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch of August 23, 1919 mentions Wallace Reid's accident in a "railroad wreck scene which was so realistically produced that Reid was injured in it and forced to take a vacation which gave him an opportunity to visit St. Louis, his 'old home town.'" (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Movies, Natl Photo)
Water Boys: 1906
... with three coworkers and a vaguely familiar gent with a bicycle. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View ... I think this is a Dave puzzler. The fellow with the bicycle is vaguely familiar because a) he looks like someone in particular ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/05/2020 - 2:41pm -

Circa 1906. "High Rock Spring, Saratoga, N.Y." Yesterday's water boy makes a reappearance at the hydration gazebo, along with three coworkers and a vaguely familiar gent with a bicycle. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Vaguely familiar gentNow I’m really curious. I think this is a Dave puzzler. The fellow with the bicycle is vaguely familiar because a) he looks like someone in particular we’ve seen before in Shorpy, b) he looks like so many other people we’ve seen before in Shorpy, or c) he’s vaguely familiar in a looks-like-Edward-VII kind of way. ArabesqueUnusually graceful ornamentation in the woodwork of this gazebo-type structure. Vintage QuarryPoking around architectural salvage yards is great fun, and while I'm always excited to see beautifully milled fretwork, I'd be thrilled to find the more humble wooden crates, as well as the chunks of granite, which were probably found on site or quarried locally. Don't take the bait!I'm certain nothing is only vaguely familiar to Dave. He provided a link to the water boy. He knows where that gent (if it's a gent at all … bearded lady?) has shown up before. Is the clue the bicycle? Dave knows. Is that a famous person we should all recognize? Dave knows. There's probably a new feature on Shorpy that, when you guess wrong you get a buzzer sound followed by a wha-wha-wha that everyone else also hears when they click on your guess. I ain't falling for it. Added fizzJudging by the big CO2 tanks leaning against the building, I suppose it's safe to assume that Saratoga Springs water was not naturally carbonated. Gazebo topperDoes the eagle have a wine bottle by its wing? The bottle on the eagleLooks more like a beer bottle than a whiskey bottle. It looks like a hard climb for some one who has drunk enough of them to do the deed. It has a round label with what looks like a big H on it but I can't swear to it. At also has a neck band. [Could it be a bottle of this resort's claim to fame? High Rock Spring mineral water? As seen in the previous post? - Dave] (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Kids, W.H. Jackson)
Basement Wonderland: 1965
... some of my old Family photos (including the famous "Bicycle built for three" of my at that time very young newly wedded parents, ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/29/2011 - 6:05pm -

The model castle my friend and I made from cardboard, construction paper and Christmas tree lights in my basement. It's about three feet tall; openings gave views into three-dimensional mini-diorama scenes. From the left, a Victorian parlor opening to the hall where Alice in Wonderland (a cut-out from a comic book) meets the talking Doorknob. Out of sight above, a window shows her fall down the rabbit hole. Next, Alice's forest meeting with the Cheshire Cat, who appears and disappears via a rear-illuminating blinking light. The castle has a moonlit courtyard, bright ballroom and a fire-lit dungeon. A chapel with flying buttresses and rose window has pipe organ music supplied by a small loudspeaker inside. We cut up the strings of lights to get them into the right positions, joining the wires with electrical tape. It's a wonder we didn't burn the house down. The inspiration was the diorama scenes inside Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. This Kodachrome really doesn't do it justice, but trying to get a good exposure was devilishly difficult. I'd been describing my work on this project to my new acquaintance in our sophomore year at Redwood High; it fired his imagination and soon we were collaborating on it, and thus began a lifelong friendship. View full size. Holy Mackerel Andy!This production would be incredibly complicated for ANYONE, let alone a high school sophomore, and I'm feeling mighty inadequate recalling how I used to smugly "WOW" my kids with the baking soda and vinegar paper mache' volcano. I guess this points out the difference in standards between truly gifted creative geniuses and copycat fakers, you being the former. Surely you have kept this amazing invention stored somewhere as a tribute to your ambition and skill. It definitely is a genuine masterpiece and I hope you got a TRIPLE A +++ for your project grade. Just brilliant! Thanks for sharing. MagicalTterrace, this reminds me of color photos I've seen of the 1939-'40 World's Fair at Treasure Island. The red and purple lights, the monumental shapes, the magical glow -- it's truly beautiful and ethereal. What happened to the diorama? Old Friends Are Best FriendsThe friendships I've maintained since high school have been the most rewarding. Castle commentsThe castle was a purely personal hobby pursuit, not a school project. Nothing of it remains. I don't remember how long it lasted, but definitely not past about 1978, when we remodeled that part of the basement into my video room. Here's my friend and me in 1985 having a typical conversation: Look at this, Uncle Walt!Let me tell you, Uncle Walt would be amazed and proud of what you did with limited resources. The Joy of Being a TeenI and you tterrance, were apparently soul mates, or at least brain mates, 3000 miles apart and about 5 years different. The joy of being a teenager in the summer was that you had an adult body with all the hand/eye coordination, tools and skills of an adult. But you had a child's responsibility. There was nothing to do. I too made dioramas in my bedroom. I had a wall of "bookshelves" in that room and I made each one into a different room of a Barbie scale home, creating curtains and rugs and even upholstered furniture (carving and covering styrofoam forms with fabrics to get a bed and a couch). Like yours it had electricity. I made a lamp shade out of toothpicks and silk, and added a tiny bulb on top of a battery. The battery was decorated to be the lamp body. No fire danger in my diorama lights. They were basically flashlights without the flashlight body. I also trained a bird to sit on my finger and sewed clear plastic seat covers for my car. I still have the perfect little bed and one of the wing back chairs I made that summer, but when I left for college, my family's house was sold, and with it went the wall parts of the display. We only had a Polaroid camera and I was not allowed any of its expensive film! But I did get one picture of the bird sitting on some of the furniture. My parents would have it, if it hasn't faded to total brown over the years. Ah to have all that time again and all that maid service -- never having to cook or clean or do laundry. Just having to find things to do. Subject: Improper PhotographFrom Tom, who perhaps is not familiar with our long tradition of weekend posts by Tterrace, and the hundreds of photos he has submitted: On 8-20-11 tterance posted a photograph entitled Basement Wonderland: 1965. This photograph should not be in Shorpy for several reasons. It is not an historical photograph during the Shorpy stated period up to 1950 but rather a photo of a high school project from 1965. While the work is rather good for a high school student it is a waste of my time to receive photos of this nature. It belongs in a Yahoo hobby group where it would be appropriate. If Shorpy starts allowing this type of photo the usefullness for Shorpy will be severly impaired. I enjoy Shorpy and refer to it regularly. Please don't diminish its quality. I liked this picture and suggested that tterrace submit it. What do you think? Re: Subject: Improper PhotographI can't wait for the torrent of emails in response to this query. Perhaps Tom could create and maintain his own photoblog. Keep 'em coming tterrace and Dave and thanks for all you do. Opinions varyDalton was right! RE: Tom's complaintAt some point, I hope to start uploading some of my old Family photos (including the famous "Bicycle built for three" of my at that time very young newly wedded parents, circa 1956). Not having been born since 1966, Tom's criteria don't work in that case for many of the most interesting photos I could upload. So I say "Nay, Nay, Tom.... any OLD photo, of a different, now long gone, era, is somewhat acceptable, if it meets Dave's criteria... and I've never seen Dave say there was an absolute cutoff of 1950. As such, expect a few early 1970s and maybe, just maybe, a few early 1980s pictures at some point from ME." Oh, and if I can find some working 610 film, I might break out my antique camera and take a few modern old time photos. [Our photo submission guidelines prohibit images less than 20 years old. - Dave] I stand amazed! What a great snap of an even greater creation! Ingenuity and creativity abound! Can't help but ask, "What ever became of this construction paper fantasy?" Kind regards, Anthony Humble (but strongly felt) opinionWell, first here's a definition of Shorpy from the site: By creating a free account on Shorpy you can share your own vintage photographs. Visitors to the site are particularly interested in images from the dawn of photography to the 1940s. This sounds like a friendly guideline, not a hard and fast rule. tterrace's posts here fall into the category of vintage photography so I'd say they are appropriate. I cherish the whole albums and groups of photos in my collection because they provide a deeper look into the time, place and people, including the photographer. Here at Shorpy I'm a big fan of tterrace for the same reason, plus we get commentary by the photographer, plus he's amusing (and evidently has always been that way.) If you wanted to placate the complainer, could you offer two types of subscriptions - one for just official blog content and one that includes user submissions as well? RE: Tom's complaintBrings to mind the old Chris Ledoux song "Five-Dollar Fine for Whining." Shorpy is not Tom's to run, so he can go pound sand if he's not happy. Parallel UniverseI am about the same age as Tterrace. I am also of Italian ancestry. In the time I’ve been viewing the photos on Shorpy, I have not seen a single photo by Tterrace that has not made me smile, or moved me to tears, as it captured the essence of his life and family through the years; so much in parallel with mine. If anyone is in tune with the spirit of Shorpy, he is. Post on, paisan! Tom just doesn't get itI've been collecting old photos for years - tintypes, CDVs, studio portraits, snapshots, even old photo albums. If I came across color snapshots at a flea market I tossed them aside as too "new." I became a fan of Shorpy because it gave me a daily fix of black-and-white life from long ago. Then tterrace started posting his family photos, many in color, many from the 1960s and '70s. Maybe it's his skill as a photographer or maybe it's his storytelling ability and keen sense of humor, but I've been hooked on his images from the start. Keep 'em coming, tterrace, and when you finally publish that photo book we're all waiting for, I'll be the first to buy it. Bobby ShermanWhen he was about 12 years old, 1960s teen idol Bobby Sherman built a replica of Disneyland's Main Street. I was a studio teamster and during a delivery to his house, he showed it to me. It was a bit dilapidated, but amazingly well built and detailed for a young boy to build. I Googled it to see if there was anything on the web about his old diorama and found that he built an even larger and grander version for his kids. Keep 'em coming tterrace!tterrace, you keep those pics coming regardless of what the likes of Tom and other bellyachers say. I always look forward to your pics, and feel I know your whole family now! Anyway, back to the diorama - fantastic work! This is the type of creative work from children that seems so lacking today. I'm gonna show this pic to the kids tonight as they are Disney heads like their old man. Tom, take a flying leapinto other parts of cyberspace. I think I can speak for others when I say, "We LOVE Tterrace's stuff!" Missed PointChiming in late, of course, but I think Tom just missed the point; all pictures are perfect as they reflect a time or a place that can only live in our memory. In 30 years, this picture will be as treasured as any peek into the past, regardless of origin. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. So now I knowWhere my ex-wife got the plans for that house we never built. Seriously, that is one nicely created project and I wonder if He Whom I Won't Name is done pounding sand. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Bike Raffle: 1954
... with a Beaver Cleaver look-alike, participating in a bicycle registration day in Lafayette, Indiana. The event began in the iconic ... and registered, and this raffle was held for a free bicycle. Later, they rode through town in a bicycle parade led by two local ... 
 
Posted by ZebraMan - 07/21/2013 - 8:08pm -

Carefree postwar boys, complete with a Beaver Cleaver look-alike, participating in a bicycle registration day in Lafayette, Indiana. The event began in the iconic city park, where the kids' bicycles were inspected and registered, and this raffle was held for a free bicycle. Later, they rode through town in a bicycle parade led by two local police officers on three-wheel motorcycles. View full size. WowA great photo. Who took it? How did it come into your possession? Shirt TuckingSome are more skilled than others. Looks like they all went to the same barber. Kids and BikesOur small town required the bicycles to have small metal license plates on them. We kids would line up early that Saturday morning when the new plates were issued in order to get a single digit number. (Plate # 1 was on display in city hall, with the reminder to register your bike.) I think the plate cost 25 cents, which was a substantial amount for a child. The plate typically hung from the back of the seat with 2 metal S hooks (provided with the plate), and rattled when you rode. BuckyThe kid with the striped shirt could, as my Mother used to say, eat corn on the cob through a picket fence! Look who snuck in the back.A girl! Thank you!This and a few others I have that are from the same event were discarded by the local newspaper when they cleaned out their archives. I founded and manage a Facebook page called Lafayette/West Lafayette Nostalgia that has 11,000+ members and thousands of photos; a friend of mine found these large-format negatives and sent them to me; photographer is unknown. Your site is one of the great joys of my life, Dave. Thank you so much for all you do and for publishing my photo! A Girl?We said "Gurll" in those days. They had Gurll Cooties. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Hybrid: 1918
Washington, D.C., circa 1918. "Woman on motorized bicycle." What won't they think of next! Harris & Ewing Collection glass ... the background remain. Cleveland motorcycle That "bicycle" is actually a lightweight and popular Cleveland motorcycle. It had a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:34pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1918. "Woman on motorized bicycle." What won't they think of next! Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. A truism?Girls on motorcycles, fantastic in any era! Her dress is covering up the most interesting...part of the Motorcycle. Nice helmetI wonder if more people would wear them if they still looked like that. It's going to get a whole lot more interesting...when that dress gets caught in that chain! Unmitigated elegance Even under such demanding circumstances, m’lady demonstrates real elegance and poise. She’s lovely! The motorcycle reminds me of our neighbors Whizzer back in the early 50s. Did I say the driver is lovely? Sherman MonumentTook me a while to figure out which District of Columbia equestrian statue is shown in the background. It's clearly not the prancing horse of Nate Green. Nor the steed of George Henry Thomas, John Logan, George Washington or Phillip Sheridan. Lacking a clear view of the rider, the details of the pedestal were key. The statue is the General William Tecumseh Sherman Monument. The photo is taken looking east from East Executive Ave. None of the buildings in the background remain. Cleveland motorcycleThat "bicycle" is actually a lightweight and popular Cleveland motorcycle. It had a two stroke engine and was a good motorcycle. I would love to have one today. My how times change.Today she would have a dozen tatoos and be wearing skin tight blue jeans. Impressive action shot...for a plate camera. She's obviously moving or accelerating quite quickly (see the upward curve in the lower side of the drive chain). Wonder what sort of shutter time was needed? (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Motorcycles)
Junior Driver: 1949
... When I was dressed up, my mother wouldn't let me near my bicycle. I wasn't alone? I thought that I was the only kid dressed ... 
 
Posted by historic52 - 12/08/2012 - 5:25pm -

A Schwinn bike and its garage-mates circa 1949, from a set of 35mm Kodachromes I acquired in northern New Jersey. View full size. Too old for the trainersThe kid looks a little too old for training wheels. Maybe it's just the suite and tie. Definitely not carbon fiber composite and Shimano parts.That bike looks as heavy as a tank too. I think when cars hit these the cars got damaged NOT the bike. Trunk TrimThe trim on the Pontiac, the car on the right, indicates that it is a 1951 model. The 1949, 1950, and 1952 trims were all different so it is easy to tell the year by looking at the trunk. Similarly, the Chevrolet parked next to it is a 1950 model. The 1949 model had different trunk trim and the 1951 and later models had the tail lights on the outermost part of the fenders instead of on the slope between the fender and trunk. The photos below show the differences between the years. New Jersey license plates from both 1949 and 1951 were white lettering on a black background. Tight SqueezeIf the driver of the Pontiac wanted to leave first, how would they get in? Clip-on tieBoys' bow ties of that era were usually clip-on. Know this firsthand. Also the license plate on the Pontiac is a 1951 New Jersey tag. Quite impressiveTaking into consideration everything; the well dressed kid, the bike, and the cars, this was a very well to do family in 1951! Sunday MorningLooks like Sunday morning before getting into the car for church... Good Job Zcarstvnz!Great ID on the model years Zcarstvnz. My initial guess was '50 on the Pontiac and '49 on the Chevy, but I could not find any good rear photos for confirmation. Nice informative post. Clip-onsI grew up in the 1950s, and any special event required all the boys and girls to "dress up." My dresser drawer had a selection of clip-on bow ties, and I don't recall learning to tie a Windsor knot until I was about 10. Was this boy's tie a clip on? It sure looks like one. When I was dressed up, my mother wouldn't let me near my bicycle. I wasn't alone?I thought that I was the only kid dressed that way! I had the same bike too but with a blue/cream coloration. Possible Reason for the Suit and TieOne possible reason for our young man to be riding his bike in a suitcoat and tie - it is Easter morning. I have a number of these same kind of pictures that seem to have the exact same feel to them. A bright, sunny Spring day and me dressed up in new Easter clothes waiting for the rest of the family to finish getting ready and go to church. (Look at his clothes and especially his shoes - way too new for a young boy to keep taht clean) I would be bored silly as I was the youngest and usually the first to be gotten ready so I would go off to find something to do while I waited. "Don't get into anything" would be the command from my mother. Most of the time I didn't... Perfect ProportionsI, too, had that model Schwinn, minus light and training wheels. I've always thought it was a particularly attractive machine, with proportions much closer to those of a motorcycle than the bigger bikes possessed. When I outgrew it, I inherited my mother's Schwinn, complete with tank horn, sprung fork, and Pierce-Arrow-style headlamp. Having a silly given name and riding a girl's bike guarantees that one will grow up to be a decent boxer ... if one grows up at all. 1950 Chevrolet and 1951 Pontiac1950 Chevy with Powerglide on the left, and a 1951 Pontiac Catalina. Gotta hurryMr. White's gonna kill me if I miss another deadline at the Daily Planet! Guaranteed for as long as he owns itLooks like the lucky lad has himself a 20 inch Model J-46 Schwinn. The circular badge just forward of the left tail light on the Pontiac identifies it as either a 1951 or 1952. Just like meI didn't know there was another kid who put on his coat and tie to ride his bike. I didn't use training wheels, though, and I had a regular tie with a windsor knot. Didn't know how to tie a bow tie. OptionalLicense plates? Maybe the owner of the new Pontiac was saving the Chevy for a Barret-Jackson Auction in 2013? Young Pee Wee Hermanheads off on his first Big Adventure. Great Caesar's Ghost!He's even wearing Jimmy Olsen's bow tie! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Our Little Pony: 1938
... Washington, D.C., circa 1938. "Native American boys with bicycle." The original caption for this photo, which has been lost, probably ... Those outfits wold be worth a freakin' fortune today. Bicycle might bring pretty good money, too. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/27/2019 - 3:21pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1938. "Native American boys with bicycle." The original caption for this photo, which has been lost, probably did not use the phrase "Native American." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Macho ManSometime later one of their descendants would be discovered dancing on the bar at a nightclub in Greenwich Village. And the rest was disco history. Seems okay to meOne little, two little, three little Indians Four little, five little, six little Indians Seven little, eight little, nine little Indians Ten little Indian boys. Ten little, nine little, eight little Indians Seven little, six little, five little Indians Four little, three little, two little Indians One little Indian boy. Actual Note Accompanying These Lyrics: "This song is considered sensitive and may contain lyrics that cause offensive to some people. Please speak to a parent or guardian for further help. In BrooklandThe photo appears to have been taken on the grassy field in front of McMahon Hall at Catholic University. Math problem, 1 divided by 3Three boys and only one bike? I hope they're brothers, because otherwise, that's a problem. HandlebarsWhen I was a kid in the 60s, we would turn down the handlebars like these guys are. We thought it looked cool. Dangerous if the grips slid off, as they often did, but cool. Dances With BicyclesI thought they only stole horses. Deep thoughtsI can't help wondering if things had gone quite the other way, how I'd feel if a Native photographer dressed a little Caucasian boy up in his daddy's war medals and plunked him by a mockery of a cannon or gave him a pop-gun to hold, just for S&Gs. Then again, the Anglo population in the US is reportedly dwindling. I may yet get to find out something of the kind before old age has kicked me humpbacked. It's like a Cleveland Bicycles poster120 years, ago Cleveland Cycles (of Toledo Ohio, bizarrely. I guess "Cleveland" sounded better), advertised their bikes in Europe with marvelous posters showing western themes -- cowboys and, especially "Native Americans" riding bicycles. Here's an example. The silence is deafening.Has the ogre of political correctness become so fearsome that nobody is game to make even the most basic observation or comment? How sad; a similar social environment to that experienced by the average German citizen in the 1930s: Keep you mouth shut and your thoughts to yourself, just to be on the safe side. Basic observationThose outfits wold be worth a freakin' fortune today. Bicycle might bring pretty good money, too. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Kids, Native Americans)
Campbell's Empire: 1904
... Circa 1904. "Empire Theater, Detroit." Valet parking for bicycle patrons! 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing ... is cleverly disguised as a middle-aged guy, the other as a bicycle. These two children? Given the subject of the photo, perhaps Ice ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 4:51pm -

Circa 1904. "Empire Theater, Detroit." Valet parking for bicycle patrons! 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. All I seeare two CHILDREN in destitute times and the feeling is the same as looking at photos of the poor children of Oklahomans heading to California with flour sack skirts and also shoeless, I hope all these helpless children found a touch of a better life, let's hope. [What an interesting interpretation. - Dave] The Address15 Lafayette Avenue. Look, Up in the Sky!It's a bad Photoshop job! White OutIt looks as though somebody "erased" the building behind the clock tower on the right. Or am I misinterpreting something. [You are correct. The sky has been masked out. - Dave] The two children.I'm confused. What two children. Those childrenOne is cleverly disguised as a middle-aged guy, the other as a bicycle. These two children?Given the subject of the photo, perhaps Ice gang is referring to these two children: Provocative posterThe picture on that left F.D. Cutcher poster looks pretty provocative. Can we have a close-up? [Racy wrestlers. - Dave] Follow-up infoAfter my previous post I did some googling and according to this website- http://www.jankaulins.com/p691.html this theater didn't even open until 1910 so somebody's dates are off. And that "provocative" picture I was asking about is apparently two wrestlers- not what I first thought. [You're confusing the Woodward and Lafayette Avenue addresses. Before the Empire opened on Woodward in 1910 it was at 15 Lafayette -- the building shown in our photo. Listed as being there in the 1897 Polk business directory. Check the storefront address numbers seen in the photo. The theater is also shown at far right in this Shorpy post. The web page you cited is also mixed up about the two addresses, as well as the date of the photo. This image appeared in the 1906 Detroit Publishing catalog. The "Saturday June 4" on the handbill in the photo dates the poster to 1904. - Dave] [addendum: Thanks for the clarification. And Dave, I'll always take your info over anybody's else! ;-)] Only 17 years oldand already sort of run-down and "old" looking. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
The Simple Life: 1939
... Michigan Hill. The oldest boy earned the money to buy his bicycle. Thurston County, western Washington. View full size. Photograph by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:31pm -

August 1939. Three of the four Arnold children outside their farmhouse at Michigan Hill. The oldest boy earned the money to buy his bicycle. Thurston County, western Washington. View full size. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. Fourth kidLooks like the 4th kid is looking out the window! Thanks for all the hard work. I love this blog This is us!From the bike, cat, kids, bare feet on dirt and rustic looks - this could be my kids on our farm now, and since an even greater depression is looking likely . . . guess we'll already be ready! :-) No match!!during the great depression in my country 10 years ago, we sold our bike and ate the cat for dinner........am serious Save UpFor just a few dollars more, he coulda got the model with brakes. Spats?What are those chaps ( or spats) the big boy has on his shins? Bike guards? [Puttees. - Dave] (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cats, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Kids)
Boy on a Bike: 1900
"Boy on bicycle ca. 1895-1916" is the improvised title of this 5x7 dry plate from the ... cell electric. Many years ago, I saw a British-made bicycle headlamp that used a rectangular 3-volt battery which was two ... Posh A well-dressed kid and a well-appointed bicycle (headlight!)plus, of course, his presence in a photo studio suggests ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/27/2016 - 10:42pm -

"Boy on bicycle ca. 1895-1916" is the improvised title of this 5x7 dry plate from the C.M. Bell portrait studio in Washington, D.C., whose legacy is a collection of some 30,000 glass negatives recently digitized and catalogued by the Library of Congress after spending the better part of a century in "a succession of basements and farm buildings." View full size. Background Fungus?The background was a bit of a puzzle until I recalled something I learned right here on Shorpy: Old negatives can be attacked by fungus. I surmise this is a severe case of fungal attack. (Makes one realize how much of a blessing digitization is.) [The culprit here is most likely mold resulting from water damage. -Dave] The headlight is interesting. It might be a carbide/acetylene lamp like some underground miner's headlamps, or it might be an early dry cell electric. Many years ago, I saw a British-made bicycle headlamp that used a rectangular 3-volt battery which was two cylindrical zinc-carbon cells in a single enclosure. It had brass contact strips on the top and front. I believe these batteries have been obsolete since circa WW2. Judging by the apparent size of this lamp, it might be an electric lamp which takes one of these 3v. batteries. But, the top looks somewhat like a vent, so acetylene still seems like a good guess. PoshA well-dressed kid and a well-appointed bicycle (headlight!)plus, of course, his presence in a photo studio suggests that this is a child of privilege. Who did he grow up to be? He grew to be...TV Tommy Ivo before he got his 4 engine dragster. DigitizationTrue, it doesn't get moldy, but I wonder if a flash drive stored in a damp basement for 100 years would yield any images? Oil?There seems to be a long springy bracket on the front lamp and, together with the vent, suggests to me that there is paraffin (kerosene?) in the bottom tank. Without good springing the flame would go out when shaken on a bumpy road. The valve on the rear tyre looks shorter than the UK one used at that time; would it have a tubular rubber insert? Little Lord Fauntleroy?Without the curly hair, but the same winsome smile. (The Gallery, Bell Studio, Bicycles, D.C., Kids)
Colonial House Cafe: 1906
... That's what people of that era called a bicycle. Historic Building Behind the power pole appears to be a plaque ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 4:22pm -

Continuing our tour of Salem, Massachusetts, circa 1906. "Colonial House." Next door to a nickelodeon advertising "moving pictures and illustrated songs." 6½ x 8½ inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Your "wheel"That's what people of that era called a bicycle. Historic BuildingBehind the power pole appears to be a plaque on the wall that resembles one from the National Register of Historic Places. Does this place still exist? Does anyone know what that is about? Moving PicturesIncredible! A true nickelodeon there on the left. Of course, Edison's name would be to the immediate left of the theater. No AC in this town -- yet.Viewing all the overhead wires, it's obvious this place is still using direct current for electrical distribution. Long live Tesla. Back door manI wonder what's going on in the alley behind the alehouse? Kimball Bros. Stone; An Illustrated Magazine, 1898 Kimball Brothers, W.A. and C.J. Kimball have started marble and granite works at Salem, Mass. Salem ObserverNo one at the upper windows that I could find, but in finest Shorpy tradition, one of the patrons of the Colonial House bar looks out at the camera, bowler firmly in place. Definitely a transitional period. All those electric wires, but the pipes for gas distribution are still in place, and it appears that the street light is gas, with its flexible hose running down to the side of the building and convenient handle and line to lower it for lighting. That pole is leaning under its unbalanced load. Perhaps it will be replaced when the city puts up electric street lights. [The street light is electric -- a carbon arc lamp. - Dave] Two things I've never seen beforeSquare and hexagonal telephone poles. Telephone poleActually a square pole with a chamfer at each edge would be an octagon. I would guess that the city would have gotten these from a railroad tie manufacturer perhaps? Nice touch!I really like that American eagle posted on top of the circular widow's walk. Hi-def brings it out nicely. Also note the station clock [Seth Thomas?] on the wall behind the left hand window of the ground floor. BTW, while these are carbon arc lamps, I remember gas lights in Baltimore in the mid 50's on Old York Road in Govans. I don't know why they lasted there so late. Pickman-Derby-Rogers-Brookhouse MansionThe photo records the late days of a once-famous Salem mansion, built in 1764 at the corner of Washington and Lynde streets for Benjamin Pickman Jr. In 1786 the house was purchased by Elias Hasket Derby, who commissioned Samuel McIntire to remodel it in the fashionable Federal style. Among other changes, McIntire added the wood frame entrance facade on Washington street and the octagonal cupola on the roof, from which Derby could see merchant ships returning to Salem. In 1797 McIntire built Derby an even grander mansion which still stands. The house seen here was heavily remodeled in the 1880s as a commercial block, and was demolished in 1915 to make way for the Masonic Temple that still occupies the site at 70 Washington Street. McIntire's cupola was saved and moved to the garden of the Essex Institute, which still owns it. A more detailed story, "Lost Treasures," can be found here. Here's a painting of the house as it looked circa 1815, now in the collection of the Detroit Institute of the Arts. Boot scraperOn the stage-left side of the Colonial House entrance, is that an iron shoe scraper? If not, whatsit? So reassuringto see that the Schlitz beer sign was in existence 105 years ago. Washington Street PlaqueThe plaque still exists and is still in relatively the same location as in this photo. Situated near 70 Washington Street it reads: "Nearly opposite this spot stood in the middle of the street a building devoted from 1677 until 1718 to municipal and judicial uses. In it in 1692 were tried and condemned for witchcraft most of the nineteen persons who suffered death on the gallows. Giles Corey was here put to trial on the same charge and refusing to plea was taken away and pressed to death. In January 1693, twenty-one persons were tried here for witchcraft of whom eighteen were acquitted and three condemned, but later set free together with about 150 accused persons in a general delivery which occurred in May. The original courthouse was torn down in 1760." (The Gallery, DPC, Salem)
Anacostia: 1918
... photo has so many great little details. I love the wee bicycle rack and the self-service bike pump on the sidewalk to the left. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:48pm -

"Nichols Avenue and U Street S.E." Storefronts in Washington's Anacostia section put on a patriotic display circa 1918. The hardware store on the corner, at 1919, was run by one William Ira Mushake. Nat'l. Photo glass negative. View full size. RemnantsNichols Avenue is now Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The middle section of the facade in this Google Street View (the part with the double arch of bricks over the windows) seems to be the same as the brick storefront at the far right in the 1918 photo. View Larger Map View Larger Map Anacostia SquareHey, its great to see a photo from Anacostia, home of the Big Chair and many beautiful old buildings. The blog And Now, Anacostia has lots of great articles and photos on the old buildings and current redevelopment in the area. Last year there was a series of posts regarding the partial demolition of this specific building (1901-1919 MLK Blvd). The facade was saved to be incorporated into a future project called Anacostia Square. April 28: Distressed Property April 30: Working on the brickwork May 29: Strengthening Facade June 17: Break out the Heavy Equipment July 25: Rendition of Future Plans Sept 3: Rear View May Manton, Japalac ...May Manton (sewing patterns) also gave sewing advice in a syndicated column of the time. Japalac was a brand of enamel paint. It was later bought by Glidden and sold in spray cans as late as the 1950s. This photo has so many great little details. I love the wee bicycle rack and the self-service bike pump on the sidewalk to the left. Re: Anacostia SquareHow fascinating. The three facades would seem to be for 1913, 1911 and 1909 Nichols Avenue. 1911 would be the brick shoe store at the far right in our photo. The bricks seem to match exactly. I see that the far left facade in the current photo has the address "1915" over the door. I wonder if they got renumbered at some point. Spencerian nibsAs a bit of an antique pen fanatic, it is wonderful to see the Spencerian steel pen nib was carried in this hardware store. Re: Anacostia SquareDave, what an amazing job to match the brick work! I hadn't realized the puzzle regarding street addresses till you pointed it out. The DC Historic Preservation Review Board considers the remaining structures to be #1909, #1911, & #1913. I wouldn't accept anything promulgated by the D.C. government at face value, but, in this case, I do think they are correct. The catch, and as Dave's brickwork analysis suggests, is that shortly after this photo was taken, #1913 was razed and replaced with a brick building. Below are two maps from the Baist Realty Survey (courtesy Library of Congress). The first map is dated 1913-1915, the second from 1919-1921. Brick buildings are shown in red, wood buildings in yellow. The printed numbers are lot numbers, with the largest printed numbers being square (block) numbers. The addresses are written in handwriting within the streets. In this case we are looking at Square 5770, lots 804 & 805. As the maps show, both buildings on lot 805 (#1911, #1913 Nichols Ave) were converted from wood-framed to brick between the (approximate) years 1914 and 1920. Based on this photo, it would appear that this was done in a two-step process, #1911 was replaced prior to photo, #1913 after the photo. What remains today are the facades of the brick buildings on lots 804 and 805. Baist Realty Map 1913-1915 Baist Realty Map 1919-1921 As a bicyclistI love the air pump next to the bike rack. Nice to see when you're away from home. I'll take...the lawn swing and one of the screen doors. I already have the lawnmower, and the wooden ice cream maker. Oh, and one of the flags. Mine all have 48 or 50 stars. LetteredThe lettering on the storefront is astounding. It's a real shame hand lettering has gone with the wind. In Awe I am in awe of the wonderful contributions of Stanton_Square and all the extra work that Dave does. They and the other commenters truly make these photographs and history come alive. Thank you all for making this a great website. [Just wait'll you get our bill. - Dave] More from the blogHere's where I posted this same photo (I also added a bit) and pointed out the differences. This is one of my all-time favorite Anacostia photographs. That DormerWhat a wonderful bit of whimsy shown in the dormer atop 1919. Marvelous! And it appears to have been done just so it could be there. Another Gem! Thank You! Fake 1918 facades?Look closely and you'll see the siding differs from 1st to 2nd floors on what are labeled as "1917" and "1915". In addition, according to this picture thanks to the blog mentioned below, the 3 storefronts - the 2 arched ones closest to the camera in the modern photo, to be specific - are identical to the closest arched storefronts in the 1918 photo. Also, notice the pressed tin in this modern photo matches what's seen in the nearest 2 storefronts in the 1918 photo. With all that, I believe that the 3 remaining facades today are the 3 storefronts shown immediately after "1919" in the 1918 photo, with the circa 1918 facades being fake in an attempt at uniformity with the wood framed "1919" above. [As noted below, the three remaining storefronts would be 1913, 1911 and 1909 in our photo (1909 is out of the frame; 1911 is the brick-front shoe store at the far right; 1913 was torn down and replaced with a brick facade after this photo was taken. - Dave] Und Him Mit All Dese FlagsNo one has commented on the priceless expression of Louis Smith (Schmidt?) checking out his next-door neighbor's panoply of flags. Original cornicesIn a this photo from stanton_square's cool blog - probably circa mid-1980's or so - it shows the 2 original cornices still intact: one at the top of the 1st floor and one at the top of the building itself for each store. In comparing the 2 pictures, I noticed something a little unusual. The top cornices are identical to the 1918 photo, yet the 1st floor cornices, while original looking, differ in placement from the 1918 photo in that the 1980's photo displays 3 identical 1st floor cornices in a row. The 1918 photo shows identical 1st floor cornices at "1917", "1915" and "1911" above - not 3 in a row of the same 1st floor cornice. In addition to the apparent number jumbling (apologies for initially overlooking the number correction), might there've been some piecemeal storefront action done when 1913 was torn down individually? [Still some confusion here. The blog is DG-Rad's And Now, Anacostia. The photo in question was taken by the wife of PGCist in April 2005, not the 1980s. The buildings in the 1918 photo are all wood-frame structures except for 1911. They were demolished after the picture was taken, with only 1911 left standing. 1913 was rebuilt with a brick facade and a brick cornice to match 1911 and 1909. As for the three lower-floor cornices in the 2005 photo: The far-right facade (#1909) is not visible in the 1918 photo. The cornice on 1911 seems to be the same in both photos. The cornice on 1913 is not the same -- it's not the same building. The cornice on the "old" 1913 was the roof of the window bay that stuck out several feet past 1911. - Dave] Sic transitThose facades at numbers 1909 through 1913 collapsed this weekend. A snowstorm with wind gusts exceeding 50mph finished them off, although years of neglect by DC government were the underlying cause. Below is another view of this now obliterated block (detail from a roughly contemporaneous National Photo Co. photo taken from a point one block further south along Nichols Ave.). (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
The Atrium: 1903
... even though it was falling apart then. We were on a bicycle tour and the place was crumbling apart. Anyone could get in, and it ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 2:38pm -

West Baden, Indiana, circa 1903. "The atrium, West Baden Springs Hotel." 8x10 glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. AmazingThe architecture of this place is amazing. It's still around and on the NR of Historic Places. The glass atrium roof reminds me of that of the Astrodome, only 60 years earlier. The Spirit of the place. Looks like it was haunted by ghosts even back then. Have a warmupThat is one king hell fireplace to read your newspaper beside! Largest in the WorldThis was the largest free standing dome in the world until the Astrodome was built. The roof was designed by a bridge builder. The hotel has been wonderfully restored -- except for the fountain with the seal! Visit if you canI learned about West Baden Springs from Scouting NY, and had the opportunity to visit in August. They've done a great job of restoring the buildings as well as the neighboring French Lick Resort. You can see more images of the renovated resort from my visit on flickr. Love your site, by the way. Thanks for sharing the great vintage photography! NFL SundayThe mirrors on the bases of the pillars look like big screen TVs -- some are on and others are off. They're gone in the modern photo. Unseen AngelsAt the apex of the atrium is a central hub 16 feet in diameter and 10 feet high. Its primary purpose is to join together the 24 steel trusses that support the roof. Secondarily it provides an anchor for the massive central chandelier. During renovations it was discovered that an artist had painted the interior panels of the hub with depictions of angels. Although the building had been used in its decline as a seminary, it is thought that the paintings date to the construction of the building. Photos of the angels are on view at the hotel: ZzzzSometimes I look at these photos and think to myself that life looks to have been quite damned boring back then. String quartetI see the band showed up that day for a few of the guests. Anyone notice the many spittoons on the floor around the sitting areas? Wow, and it's still open for business.Amazing what a tourist industry the mineral water craze produced. The Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas, was not so lucky as the years went on (but it's now very fun to explore). Dear, does it seem a little warm in here to you?I love how there's always something interesting going on in the photos here. In this one, it's a beautiful courtyard, and everyone seems quite relaxed. Overall it's quite pleasant except ... well, there is one gentleman who might be a tad more stressed out than the others, given that he appears to be spontaneously combusting. Wonderful space to visitI performed my whip act in this space in 2001 and must say it was the longest echo my whips ever produced -- over seven seconds! Twelve-foot Australian stock whips. West Baden is glorious and is a great destination point on any trip. Have seen it both waysThis place is quite impressive now. Was impressive in the late 1980s, even though it was falling apart then. We were on a bicycle tour and the place was crumbling apart. Anyone could get in, and it was deteriorated. We wandered all over looking at things that were left behind after the seminary vacated the building. Wish I could find the pictures we took. The whole lot of us posed in the fireplace. I believe it is the largest freestanding dome in the world. "A Hidden Wonder of the World"One of the grandest features of late-twentieth-century building technology got its start in 1901 in a small Indiana town. Big, Bigger, BiggestThe TV show "Big, Bigger, Biggest" takes an architectural structure (dam, suspension bridge, ferris wheel, etc.) and uses five historical examples to illustrate the development of the art. For "Domes," I think West Baden was third in historical order after the Pantheon in Rome and Brunelleschi's cathedral dome in Florence, and followed by the Houston Astrodome and Oita Stadium in Japan. Today's FireplaceThe atrium fireplace has been reworked over the years and now features a ceramic front. The illuminated spot on the upper left is a ceramic tile displaying a skyline view of the hotel. With a little leverage you might still be able to get a 14 foot log into the fireplace. Beware the other Indiana beverageI visited in 1989 and the place was nearly deserted tho still glorious and in the middle of restoration. One of the shop stalls - the ones that look like rug merchants in this photo - was devoted to selling Indiana-produced wine, hardly a well-known vintage. But the rose seemed a bargain at $6. I took the bottle home and set it on my kitchen table. A week later, it blew its own cork and spewed itself on the ceiling. A native Houstonian speaksI look at this photo and can't help but thinking the Astros or the Oilers will be taking the field at any moment. Obviously an inspiration for the Astrodome to come. Great photo. (The Gallery, DPC, W.H. Jackson)
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