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Pain's Spectacle: 1905
... Beach, N.Y." At left, a sign pointing the way to the bicycle track as well as "Pain's Spectacle in Fireworks." 8x10 inch glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/09/2016 - 5:55pm -

Brooklyn circa 1905. "Oriental Hotel and bath house, Manhattan Beach, N.Y." At left, a sign pointing the way to the bicycle track as well as "Pain's Spectacle in Fireworks." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. No YorkKnowing NY, I'd venture to guess the signpost (behind the benches on the right) is a long list of the things not allowed on the grass. Early weather serviceAt far right there appears to be a rooftop weather station. My, they were big back then. Pain's Spectacle in FireworksJames Pain was a British entrepreneur who presented a dramatic version of Giovanni Pacini's operatic extravaganza The Last Day of Pompeii. The extravaganza was presented at Coney Island from 1879 to 1914. "Pain staged his pyrodrama in at least 37 U.S. locations, including Los Angeles in 1905. This libretto comes from the pyrodrama's appearance in Cincinnati in 1891. Pain required a sizable down payment to bring the spectacle to a city, usually for a one- to two-week run. Civic authorities had to build a multi-acre venue with a large body of water, a long platform, and seating for approximately 10,000 viewers. Efficient public transportation was also critical. The actors, however, were secondary, and local performers trained by Pain's staff played most roles." Pain also produced an updated show depicting the Battle of San Juan Hill in Aurora, Illinois in 1899. It included 300 people on stage and 12,000 square yards of oil painting. That is 2.5 acres. Whichever show the patrons saw (Pompeii of San Juan Hill), They got their money's worth. Gentility & Simplicity Early 1900's seems to have been an encouraging time. Shorpy's brilliant photos and clever descriptions has made me especially fond of this specific American period. Thank you, for this enchanting portal allowing us all a glimpse into the past. Are we experiencing a *theme* day?Here, we have a great billboard pitching Pain's Spectacle in Fireworks, and just earlier, The Great Creatore - *both* featured in a single scene of The Music Man! p.s: In light of John J's comment, it's clear that Meredith Wilson was writing from current events of the setting. In the Music Man scene, the fireworks "spectacle" in question was even "The Last Days of Pompeii"! A nifty mapMy favorite images on Shorpy are Coney/Brighton ones! The NYPL has a nice excerpt from a Fire Insurance map of this area. http://nyplmaps.tumblr.com/image/25718182000 Our photographer stands with the Brighton Beach Hotel right behind him. The Manhattan Beach Baths to the right, and the background is the Oriental Hotel. I don't believe I've ever seen a photo of the Manhattan Beach Baths before. So this is, to me, a real treat! (The Gallery, DPC, Kids, NYC)
Our Gang: 1935
... certain website name. Ah.... The Good Old Days ! No bicycle helmets, no padded playground, no parents scurrying after the kids to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/10/2014 - 2:27pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1935. "Children playing." With a cameo appearance by our old friend Turnbuckle Star. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Ghost adThat has to be the faintest ever version of a certain website name. Ah.... The Good Old Days !No bicycle helmets, no padded playground, no parents scurrying after the kids to blow their noses.... Scraped knees is the norm.... And no socks is not a bad thing either.... This is the way I played! Lord, how I miss those days - the FUN I had! DogLoose dogs used to play with kids. Talented ones got adopted. Today every loose dog is an emergency. Age of InnocenceEven in the bad old days of Jim Crow (and DC had plenty of that), kids too young yet to have been socialized into adult prejudices managed to get along. And the dog is totally stoked to be included. I wonder, incidentally, how many unsupported masonry buildings still exist because of those turnbuckles? If their inventor didn't die a very rich person, he or she certainly deserved to. 1935?All kinds of ethnic shades in that photo. I have a feeling those kids were a lot more integrated than many of their contemporary elders. One does have to give it to kids - they do have a sense of what's important and what isn't. (The Gallery, D.C., Dogs, Harris + Ewing, Kids)
Steel Wheels: 1942
... turned by their own wheels - sort of like a giant bicycle headlight. Each car would have its own generator, and batteries for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/28/2013 - 11:31am -

November 1942. "Chicago. In the locomotive repair shops at an Illinois Central Railroad yard." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. wheel shopThis is not a locomotive shop. It is a wheel shop and there are wheels from freight and passenger cars present. The wheelset under the hoist is a passenger car set. The gearbox between the wheels drives a generator which charges batteries for the car electric system. Wheels need to be reprofiled due to wear or flat spots. Industrial atmosphereJD was really a master at composing gorgeous photographs of quotidian subjects and this is no exception. What serendipity to have an arrow on the floor. be sure you are SAFE, then go ahead with your jobThese look like freight car wheels, or non-powered locomotive wheels... they don't have the gear or traction motor that powered wheels would have. (Yes, there were diesel-electric locomotives in and before WWII. Just not very many.) The wheelset to the right of the man standing, with the gearbox-looking thing in the middle of the axle and a pile of small parts on the floor in front of it, might be designed to drive an under-car generator. Before locomotives provided electricity to the train, some passenger cars were lit by generators turned by their own wheels - sort of like a giant bicycle headlight. Each car would have its own generator, and batteries for use while in the station. I think the big machine with the electric motor on top is a wheel lathe. Railroad wheels are made with a certain taper to the "tread"; this makes the train car center itself between the rails and go around curves smoothly. After a while, the wheels wear down, and the train car will track badly; one fix is to re-machine the tread back to the proper taper, which is what a wheel lathe is for. There are a few standard wheelset sizes for freight cars, so a lot of railroads keep a supply of new or rebuilt wheelsets (the assembly of two wheels and an axle) at big freight yards. If a car needs new wheels, they hoist it up with jacks or a crane and swap the wheelsets - the old wheelsets go on top of a flat car. When the flat car is full, it goes to a shop like this, so all the wheelsets can be inspected for cracks and re-machined in batches. Cracked wheels and axles, and wheels that have worn so much that they can't be re-machined, are sold for scrap; often they are melted down and cast back into new railroad wheels. Powered axles have a traction motor in the middle. Sometimes these are swapped out complete just like non-powered axles, but sometimes the wheels are re-machined on the car. There are wheel lathes that sit in a pit under the tracks; the train car is driven over the pit, a small section of the track is removed, and the lathe can machine the wheels while they are still installed. The trolley crane, with exposed conductor rails, is a nice touch. These days, there would probably be a long insulated cable feeding this crane. Really big cranes (enough to lift an entire locomotive with) still have busbars like this, but they're buried under a lot of insulation. Train Wheels.While visiting the U.P. Yard in Cheyenne I spied a flat car, tarp covered, with a huge load upon it as the car was bent under the weight. The worker told me it was a wheel lathe as this rail road maintains gorgeous steam 2-6-6-2's that are used. The wheels on the engines and cars are of cast iron to which a steel "tire" with flange must be shrunk fitted. Can you imagine turning an 80" locomotive wheel so it is within .001" round? When the wheel is finished a steel "tire" is then fitted by heating the steel disk so it expands over the wheel and locks solid when cool... a very hard and precise job indeed! One of Jack Delano's photos show a roaring hot tire just fitted.... take a look by searching for: "Wheel of Fire". Spicer driveThe name of this drive that powered the generators off the wheel axle is known as a Spicer drive. It used generally two universal joints, a drive shaft, and a large generator to charge the onboard batteries, normally 32V. The Spicer drive only effectively charged the batteries at road speed. According to Amtrak's Standard Maintenance Procedure or SMP revised 3-4-2011, "Effective January 1, 2015, use of an axle drive for a generator system (either Spicer or belt) is prohibited at the time of the car's next PC-1 annual inspection, and the drive apparatus must be removed from the axle by that time." So if you see one, get a photo of it as they will become more rare to see in operation! Lathes, wheels, tyresAs an apprentice I spent some time in the wheel shop. I can't be absolutely certain, but that machine in the centre of the photo looks like a tread grinding machine - used to re-profile the treads of chilled cast iron wheels - rather than a wheel lathe. Wheel lathes typically have large headstocks and large diameter faceplates at both ends. As for loco driving wheels, by the 1940s US practice favoured the use of cast steel wheel centres. The preserved UP locos referred to have steel Boxpok wheels. The locos I work on have 69" diameter Boxpoks, which we re-tyred some back in 2003-4. On most locos I've worked on the tyres are not just retained simply by shrink fitting. Older locos with cast iron wheel centres have studs through the wheel rim, and more modern locos with steel wheels use a Gibson ring. The car wheels in this photo appear to be multiple-wear wrought steel wheels, which were in very widespread use on passenger by 1942. These were one-piece wheels with no separate tyre. They could be machined when worn to restore the tread and flange profile. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
The Seaside: 1905
... of Wheels 1. Motor vehicle 2. Horse drawn wagons 3. Bicycle 4. Entrepreneurial fellow with the wicker push chair 5. Mom with ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:03pm -

Atlantic City, New Jersey, circa 1905. "Seaside Hotel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Vacationing VictoriansOh how I love this photo! Most everything during this time is beautiful, the homes, hotel and the very lovely ladies. I wish I could stroll this street right now. I was born in the wrong time. Sigh. Five Kinds of Wheels1. Motor vehicle 2. Horse drawn wagons 3. Bicycle 4. Entrepreneurial fellow with the wicker push chair 5. Mom with crutch pushing baby carriage. MonopolistsAtlantic City, home of the famous Boardwalk. I wonder if they passed "Go." Paddle Steamer HotelThe structure of that hotel is reminiscent of the big paddle steamers, with the full-length double deck verandas, the tall cupolas taking the place of the smokestacks, and the staircased portico at the side standing in for the paddle wheel. I wonder if this was deliberate imitation. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, Bicycles, DPC)
Han Wah Laundry: 1901
... the woman hurrying away with a baby buggy; the abandoned bicycle; the shadow pattern on the pavement that calls to mind a devilish face. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/08/2020 - 2:15pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1901. "View of Sixth Street N.W., west side, looking north from I Street." 5x7 inch glass negative, D.C. Street Survey Collection. View full size. Tree wrapit looks like the trees are wrapped in chain link fencing. Can anyone explain? [Curbed horses tend to nibble. - Dave] News ItemThe Washington Post -- Aug. 14, 1903 Han Wah Moy's Clothes Gone         Han Wah Moy, who conducts a laundry at 900 Sixth street northwest, failed to secure the door properly Wednesday night when he retired, and some one entered, carrying off the celestial's garments and a $5 bill which was in one of his pockets. Moy discovered the loss yesterday morning and, coming to police headquarters in borrowed clothes, reported the theft. Still Going Strong!!This may be the first time that the D.C. Street Survey buildings shown are still here. Re: News ItemFor a moment I thought stanton_square was back. (Note to new Shorpsters: this informative commenter, not seen for a few years now, provided relevant news items contemporaneous with the posted photo, in a distinctive format very similar to Dave’s comment.) I wonder where he / she got to. Future shockThere are signs and portents here of the Han Wah Laundry's future: a disembodied foot and the faint ghostly images of passers-by; the blurred image of the woman hurrying away with a baby buggy; the abandoned bicycle; the shadow pattern on the pavement that calls to mind a devilish face. A century later the quieter pace of a quieter age is gone. Bike & Camera CaseIs that our photographer's bike and camera case in the lower right corner of the image? I would suspect a tripod was also involved unless the camera was supported by some physical object like a wall etc. [The case is for the photographer's glass negatives. - Dave] (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., D.C. Street Survey, Stores & Markets)
Happy Thought: 1940
... by. Same for tractor tires, truck tires, wagon tires, even bicycle tires! So many farm families lived miles and miles "from town" they had ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/19/2018 - 12:41pm -

September 1940. "Mrs. Garland and her little boy. Family lives in the submarginal farm area of Rumsey Hill, near Erin, New York." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Lots of PotsThat stove looks huge and can accommodate so many pots but I guess once you made the fire, you had to cook everything at once instead of making things one after another. Perhaps she had a large family (or planned to) and this was a wise purchase. Another thought -- during harvest season my grandparents would hire threshers to come in and harvest everything in a short period of time. The farm wife was responsible for feeding them. This probably came in handy if used for those times too. Shoe problemMr. Delano must have shown up when no one was ready. Maybe scurrying around to get their shoes on. The little boy either didn’t get both shoe on on decided he didn’t want to wear two shoes. Mother simply didn’t have time to tie her shoes, I suppose. Anyway, that is quite a remarkable stove! [That's a baby shoe. Our young lad has both shoes on. - Dave] Threshing, heat, and canningThat big stove is probably for a bunch of reasons, starting with the fact it was probably a main source of heat for the home. It also would come in handy for not only threshing season, but also canning, preserving, boiling down maple syrup, baking bread & pies, and even heating water for doing laundry. It's impressive how much oven you can use when you're doing all that. Close your mouth, you'll catch a fly.That's what my old dad would tell me when my mouth was hanging open like this young lad's. Give me gas (stove that is)The stove was a critical appliance. My family were from the anthracite region in northeastern Pennsylvania. My aunt had a coal stove. It had to be kept burning all year round. It was a pain to re-light so extended trips from home were few. In addition to cooking, it was the primary source of heat and hot water. There were metal grates in the floors upstairs to let the heat rise up in the winter. For really cold days she had a second coal heater in the "parlor," as she called it. She had this setup until she had to move into a "home." Maybe the result of living through the Depression, but my family never updated anything without good reason. Things were used until they broke and couldn't be repaired. Shorpy StoveNice placement. The Stove That Made Pittston FamousFounded in 1869, the Pittston Stove Company's business took off after 1873, when Samuel Smythe, an engineering pioneer with 25 patents, designed a duplex grate, which became an industry standard. The company shipped $175,000 worth of stoves in 1917, the equivalent of $3.2 million today. The one shown in this ad has much fancier ironwork but the components are similar the Garland family's version. Re: Give me gas (stove that is) I have had many conversations as a curious teen, and even more curious adult with my grandparents, as well as my husband's Indiana farmer grandparents of German farm family roots over the last 40 years. In those conversations, I discovered that due to not only the Great Depression, but general farm family economics, combining a lifetime of thrifty farming ways, plus the aforementioned Depression, AND WWII, they just lived that way, because that's the way things were. While "the men" - meaning the grandfather and any uncles that remained to follow in their father's footsteps - ruled the roost regarding not only farm operations, but economic ones as well. Grandmothers - mothers at that time, of course - ruled the home, and all operations taking place inside it, but only to the point where the economy would allow. The furnishing of the kitchen, the sewing room, the canning storage, water supply, and other utilities were ruled by the amount of money available coming from the economies of the farm operations, which always came first. If electricity were to be furnished to the property, it came to benefit the running of the farm first, and then the house IF there was enough left over to do so. So, the harder the men worked, and the more money that came from those efforts, the more everyone would benefit. Updating the features of the farm home was practically impossible not only during depression times, as there was no money to do so, until the Federal government and the FSA began getting involved in helping farm families pull themselves out of the Great mire they found themselves buried in during the very late thirties. But, it all came to a halt during the War years, because even though there was more money in the bank finally, there was little to nothing to buy! Restrictions, rationing and priorities on metals reduced new farm equipment to absolute minimums, if not down to nothing to be had at all. Even repair parts were almost impossible to come by. Same for tractor tires, truck tires, wagon tires, even bicycle tires! So many farm families lived miles and miles "from town" they had difficulty getting there to buy anything, if there was anything to buy. Going to the local co-op for seed, feed, and fertilizers - also difficult to get in needed quantities - was about as close to shopping as many farmers or their wives would get for years. My husband's grandmother never learned to drive, and she was relegated to sending a list with grandpa to get the things she needed, so she had to depend on him entirely for several years to get her shopping done. The only time she left the house for years was to go to church down the road about two miles on Sunday mornings. Sometimes she would be able to send mail orders in from her Sears catalogs, if they had what she wanted for the money she had to spend. She had three sons and one daughter, born in a period of 36 months from the birth of the first to the last, all by C-sections, in the mid-30's, so those trips to the hospital were also rare outings! And extended rests, with other local church acquaintance farm wives coming to help her out for the first few weeks after each one came. Cloth diapers were washed daily in a bucket, rinsed twice in the wash tub, run through the wringer, and hung on the line in the sun to dry. Laundry wasn't just a Monday only job, with farmer's overalls getting filthy on a daily basis. Nobody had a week's worth of clothing to get from Monday to Sunday. Gasoline restrictions and rationing certainly didn't help that, as you didn't get far on three gallons per week. Gasoline meant for farm equipment only had been colored with a red dye, and if you were found to be running farm gas in your automobile, there was severe fines that could be levied. So, keeping things running, and fixing instead of replacing were the rules of the day all during the War years as well. Once all those restrictions, rationing, priorities, etc., were over with, it wasn't so easy to just start throwing things out and buying new. Not when you had been doing things that way practically all your life. Mrs. Helen Struble Garland, age 31This is most likely Helen Garland and her 3-year old son Chauncey. Per the 1940 census, Helen lived with her husband Clarence and five young sons in Van Etten, NY, where her husband worked as a woodcutter. Helen and Clarence both lived into their eighties. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Kids, Kitchens etc., Rural America)
Grease: 1925
... by a former self-titled world champion high-wheel bicycle racer, Englishman Jack Prince. Playa Del Ray was the first built, in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/22/2012 - 10:54am -

"Bob McDonough, Laurel race." On his ribbon: "Baltimore-Washington Speedway DRIVER. Inaugural Opening. Saturday July 11, 1925." View full size. Just look at those eyesHe's exhausted. He's dirty. His hands and feet are probably still shaking. He could've died this day, horrible and bloody. He might die in the next race. And he wouldn't have it any other way. Error on the boards.McDonough was initially declared the winner of the instant event, but after the scoring cards were checked Pete DePaolo was granted the win. Yum!Nothin' like a lime after a hot, dirty race! About those board tracks(Details adapted from my magazine article "Racing on Wood"): There were 24 board tracks in the U.S. from California to New Hampshire, ranging in size from a half mile to two, with seven in California (Beverly Hills on Wilshire Boulevard near today’s Rodeo Drive; Cotati, Culver City, Fresno and San Carlos, plus two circle tracks, Oakland and Playa del Rey); three in Pennsylvania at Altoona, Bridgeville and Uniontown; Akron and Cincinnati, Ohio; Atlantic City and Woodbridge, New Jersey, Charlotte, Chicago, Des Moines, Miami, Omaha, and Tacoma, plus Kansas City, Missouri; Laurel; Salem, New Hampshire; Sheepshead Bay in New York. Most were designed and constructed by a former self-titled world champion high-wheel bicycle racer, Englishman Jack Prince. Playa Del Ray was the first built, in 1910, and the last major board track race was at Woodbridge on 10/18/1931. Average track life was just four years. Not much was known about protecting wood without using slippery creosote and the stock market crash didn't help. Frank Lockhart did the fastest ride ever on the boards, a race qualifying lap of 147.229 mph in a Miller 91 on the mile and-a-half Atlantic City 45-degree banked track near Hammondton on May 7, 1927. BTW Laurel's track was banked 48 degrees. Bob cleaned up real goodHere's McDonough at Laurel on 10/24/1925 holding a funnel covered with a cloth strainer while his fuel tank is topped off. Below that is a self-explaining Laurel poster. Played byBears a strong resemblence to Paul Newman, who became noted for his sports car racing skills, primarily in Datsuns. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
Curb Work: 1920
... Luchs Real Estate, the business located behind the parked bicycle around the center of the photo, was around until 1993, when it was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2013 - 6:51pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Curb work -- car stop on 14th Street N.W." Streetcar infrastructure. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. History Repeats ItselfIn a few years, this scene might be repeated. If the North/South Streetcar line is built, it "would run from the Southwest Waterfront, cross the National Mall, travel up 14th Street, follow Georgia Avenue, and eventually terminate at the Takoma or Silver Spring Metro stations." TodayThe corner building is still there. View Larger Map No Wires!An unusual feature of Washington's street car system was that there were no overhead wires in the downtown area to power the cars. The streetcars were powered through "plows" that went into slots between the tracks to connect to power under the street. The slots are visible in the photo if you look closely. It was a neat system, although snow and ice could cause problems. Shannon and LuchsShannon and Luchs Real Estate, the business located behind the parked bicycle around the center of the photo, was around until 1993, when it was bought out. Droop?Beyond the Gardner and Dent sign, we see "Droop". Surely someone can identify the business/building associated with that. Droop MerchantI suspect the "Droop" sign at top left is for Edward F. Droop & Sons, sellers of pianos and other musical instruments. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
The Cordova: 1891
... I would have guessed a little later then 1891. The safety bicycle and the men's boaters look more like 1901 to me. [That 44-star ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:04pm -

Florida circa 1891. "Cordova Hotel, St. Augustine." 8x10 dry-plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. America with a few states lessBeautiful hotel complete with fountains, gardens and a 44 star American flag. Casa MonicaNow the Casa Monica Hotel. Whose website has a nice history page. View Larger Map 1891I've been in the coffee shop at the base of that tower many times. One of my favorite people watching places. I would have guessed a little later then 1891. The safety bicycle and the men's boaters look more like 1901 to me. [That 44-star flag would have been a tad out of date by then. - Dave] Great placeI got engaged at the Casa Monica in 2000. It's hard to imagine living in Florida before AC. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Florida, W.H. Jackson)
Louisville Wharfboat: 1905
... years the bridge has been restored to allow pedestrian and bicycle traffic to cross the river. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/07/2014 - 12:47pm -

Circa 1905. "Ohio River levee at Louisville, Kentucky." Note the "U.S. Life Saving Station." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Connected finallyThe Big 4 bridge in the background is now a pedestrian bridge connecting the 2 sides (finally). It's a great addition to downtown. Busy!There sure is a lot going on in this photo! Still afloat!The Life Saving Station(#10) is still there and is now used as the wharfboat for the historic sternwheeler Belle of Louisville. [The present Life Saving Station #10 dates from 1929. -tterrace] Ol' Reliable That Old Reliable Laundry cart in the middle looked pretty new - so I looked and found a Google Book's result that said it was Organized Aug, 4, 1904, for $3,000 and paid $3 in tax. So, the cart (or the paint job on the cart) was probably a year old or so old when the picture was taken. Railroad BridgeThe bridge in the background appears to be the "Big Four" bridge which was built to carry the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis railroad (Big Four) across the Ohio River. If it is the Big Four bridge it is the first one; the bridge became inadequate for the traffic and was replaced in the late twenties. The Big Four eventually was merged into the New York Central and railroad traffic on the bridge was ceased. In recent years the bridge has been restored to allow pedestrian and bicycle traffic to cross the river. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Louisville)
Lake Front Depot: 1899
... in. Her main lines have since surrendered to becoming bicycle and hiking trails. If I believed in ghosts I would spend endless hours ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/15/2018 - 6:59pm -

Milwaukee circa 1899. "Chicago & North Western Railway Station." Romanesque Revival structure on Lake Michigan completed in 1890; demolished 1968. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. PinocchioLooks like the clock tower has been telling lies. Fond memoriesIn the late '50s/early '60s, downtown Milwaukee was a fun place to be, and the CNW depot at the foot of Wisconsin Avenue was part of it. My girlfriend and I would stop in there occasionally to use the restroom or have a meal while bumming about downtown, waiting for a movie to start or just sightseeing. By 1965 trains were routed through a new depot. Milwaukee County had purchased the site in 1964, with the thought of using the land for a freeway interchange. Fortunately we were spared the folly of it all. The depot was demolished in 1968, and it was a sad sight to witness. It was her time though, being in the state of disrepair it was in. Her main lines have since surrendered to becoming bicycle and hiking trails. If I believed in ghosts I would spend endless hours looking for a ghost of a 100mph CNW 400, thundering north along the lake shore, headed for the twin cities. Demolished in 1968Was located at 901 E Wisconsin Ave, what the area looks like, today: It was a wonderful building - inside - and outIn 1968, just before this building was demolished, I found a door that had been left open, so I went inside. Probably this was true of many railway stations of that era, but the main hall was marvelous and grand, but peeling and sadly broken. Days later they began knocking it down, before I got a chance to go back into it to take some photographs. What replaced that beautiful structure is entirely forgettable, but then I haven't been back there for over a decade. I doubt that much has changed since then. OOPS! I forgot about the art museum. It's pretty good, but not 100% exactly the same location as the train station. Late adopters?The locomotive at left and the coach at right appear to still have link-and-pin couplers. The coach looks like it might have an air brake hose; the resolution is inconclusive, but why would that change not have taken place at the same time as the knuckle coupler retrofit? They have, at most, a year or so to comply with the Railroad Safety Appliance Act of 1893. The locomotive looks like a 4-4-0, and those were on their way out anyway, so that might explain the lack of change, much like the aged semiconductor manufacturing tools that I remember in 1999 being labeled as exempt from Y2k compliance. (The Gallery, DPC, Milwaukee, Railroads)
Old-School: 1953
... rain, snow, or shine on a 1950 English 3-speed Rudge bicycle to school every day. I rode that Rudge through 1970 in college. The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2015 - 10:17pm -

Jan. 29, 1953. "Greenville School, town of Greenburgh, New York. Foyer." At right, "Third Grade Paintings." 5x7 negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. FamiliarI'm sure this looks familiar to Shorpyites of a certain age - it looks just like my elementary school in Michigan. Most of the 50's and 60's schools seemed to share the same DNA. Many of those windows were blocked off and insulated in the panic of the oil crisis in the '70s. Natural Light EverywhereThe complete LOC set is fascinating. Love these midcentury school designs, with abundant natural light in classrooms--and windows that open!--very unlike classrooms in the school where I teach (built in the 1990's). For the nerdiest among us, here is an interesting history of school design 1900-present. Academic AromasAhhh, the scent of a mid-century American elementary school. Our sense of smell and the way our brains organize memory (the olfactory bulb is part of the brain's limbic system) are very closely related; aromas can call up memories and powerful responses almost instantaneously. I guess it works in reverse, too, because seeing this school scene caused ghost scents to appear in my office this morning as I indulged my coffee and breakfast taco and Shorpy habits. The phantom aromas have to be strong to overpower a taco and cup of Ruta Maya…but here’s what I detected: *The indigo dye in brand new blue jeans *A whiff of Cavendish pipe smoke coming from the principal’s office *Sweaty kids – not the sourly rank teen kind, but the innocent 4th grade kind *Mimeograph ink *Fish sticks and sheet cake from the cafeteria *Wood shavings from the pencil sharpeners *Bic pen ink *Cardboard Duo-Tang folders *Cut grass from the playground *Crayola crayons and construction paper *An olfactory stew of gum eraser, chalk dust, and Elmer’s glue *Ms. Borcherding’s rose petal perfume and Aqua-Net hairpspray And perhaps my most vivid olfactory memory: the faintest hint of “Charlie” perfume, booze and cigarette smoke wafting around the hot-before-I-knew-what-hot-was library assistant Ms. Sherri D’Amato (Cherry Tomato). Goober Pea Re: Academic AromasOne more: that green stuff the janitor threw on the floor before he swept. ackModernist architecture and, yes, I went to schools very similar to this. They were, like most modernist designs, stiff, cold, and boring. In this picture, gaze with head shaking at the Danish modern furniture, which I think was designed to be as uncomfortable and unattractive as possible. Thank you. It's good to get that off my chest! More than familiarThis doesn't look like my elementary school, this WAS my elementary school. I went to kindergarten here in 1955. I was put into shock this morning when I woke up to this photo. Funny, the only thing I remember were the naps. My brother went there too. Hey, that's my schoolWhat a surprise today at my daily glimpse of Shorpy as I saw "my" Greenville School where I attended second through fourth grades from 1950-54. That Shorpy would single out such a relatively insignificant school in of all in the country seemed a bit strange so I did a double take to see that it was actually "my" Greenville School. Although I walked past the furniture in the foyer every day, my memory does not recall it after 62 years, yet that memory clearly remembers riding rain, snow, or shine on a 1950 English 3-speed Rudge bicycle to school every day. I rode that Rudge through 1970 in college. The Greenburg area of Scarsdale was a wonderful place to grow up. Strangely, it was a 1958 photo of my new Redwood High School in Larkspur, CA that was posted on Shorpy some years back that got me to looking at Shorpy every day. Great site and many memories. [You're in my 1961 Redwood Log yearbook, your senior year, my freshman. I posted that 1958 Redwood photo my brother took. -tterrace] My Thoughts Exactly, Gooberpea!Upon seeing this photo of what could've been my elementary school at Kincheloe AFB, Michigan I too was overwhelmed with "aromatic" memories. I giggled to myself while thinking, "I wonder if anyone else associates memories with smells", and all at once I read your post, Goober Pea. Apart from Ms. Cherry Tomato, you got it, exactly! Academic Aromas IIMy elementary school had similar smells as Gooberpea mentioned except for Ms. Borcherding’s rose petal perfume and Aqua-Net hairpspray since mine was the Shrine of the Little Flower. No parochial student of my era '46-'52 could ever forget the smell of a rainy Friday. There was the aroma of wet boys' cudoroy school pants mingled with the aromas of the brown bag Catholic lunches of that era. Hardboiled eggs, fried eggs, salmon croquettes, fried fish and for a lucky few crab cakes created a meatless miasma of unforgettable smells. (The Gallery, Education, Schools, Gottscho-Schleisner)
Totally Tubular: 1960
... take them home, blow them up, and fix all the holes with bicycle patches or duct tape if none were handy. Then we'd head off to the ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 11/27/2017 - 1:29pm -

Well, it's vacation time, and what better destination than the beach in 1960? My brother snapped me and his Cal Poly college chum Bob (who you may recall from Christmas Special) along the Russian River at Guernewood, California in July of that year, just one month before my 14th birthday. I believe my exceptionally stylish swim trunks are 1940s vintage hand-me-downs from my father. Hair by beach towel. 35mm Kodacolor negative. View full size. Tubing down the Russian River.Did it many a time back in those days. A whole group would bring supplies in separate tubes for the excursion. We'd use our flip-flops mounted on our hands as paddles. Floating like a leaf, without a care in the world. Ah, I can smell the Sea N' Ski squeezed from the green bottle with the orange twist cap now ... You did have to remember to splash water on the tube before mounting it, as the black rubber became super hot in the sun. Russian Tubersaka vodka. Two tall yearsWeeeell someone hit puberty with a vengeance! It's easy to forget how quickly kids grow up in two short years. Kenneth Grahame was wrongThere is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in inner tubes. Russian RiverLove this photo. I've spent a lot of time lazing by the Russian River. Western Sonoma County is just about my favorite place in the world. Just last night I uploaded a ton of wedding photos onto my Facebook page, and was lost in how beautiful it is. My wife and I were married there in a meadow on the banks of the river. TubingWhen I was a kid growing up in Knoxville, TN, we would head to the local farmer's Co-op and get 5-6 used tractor inner tubes. Usually they had a huge pile out back so we could have as many as we wanted. Then we'd take them home, blow them up, and fix all the holes with bicycle patches or duct tape if none were handy. Then we'd head off to the Smoky Mountains 45 minutes away and go down the "Y", which was where 3 small rivers joined together. Even in July that water was about as cold as ice. I think some of my best summer memories are of drifting down the river on an inner tube. That is until they spring leaks. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Travel & Vacation, tterrapix)
Angel of the Waters: 1901
... a beauty This is a place I used to ride past on my bicycle every day, and still go to as often as possible. The trees and the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/15/2019 - 1:57pm -

New York, 1901. "Central Park -- Bethesda Terrace and Fountain." Starring "Angel of the Waters," a winged bronze by Emma Stebbins dedicated in 1873. Panorama made from two 8x10 inch glass negatives. Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. The case of the missing stairs?The view to-day: A fountain of knowledgeHard to believe that just past the treeline in the background lies Fifth Avenue and the mansions of the rich and famous. In 1901, some construction along the Avenue would have reached north of the 70s, but there would still be vacant lots to be filled in. 1935 I was there!It was a common walk on Sunday. In the 1930s, there were many more people in the park. Bethesda Fountain - 2002I was in NYC in 2002 in October. The fountain was drained for the winter (and the Rockefeller Center skating rink was open) but it was 70F on a Sunday so people thronged the park to enjoy the day. Angels In AmericaI believe this was the centerpiece of Tony Kushner's play and the HBO miniseries. Still a beautyThis is a place I used to ride past on my bicycle every day, and still go to as often as possible. The trees and the foliage have certainly grown over the years, and the number of people on the plaza is usually significantly more than seen here, but the place itself remains essentially unchanged. It is still a place of repose, rest, and enjoyment in the middle of NYC, and remains one of the most dramatically beautiful pieces of urban park design anywhere. (Panoramas, Dogs, DPC, Landscapes, NYC)
The Commercial Vampire: 1898
... (same as the milliners) Druggist: Peoples Drug Bicycle dealer: Wheaton Cycles Shoes: Hahn Shoes Grocer: We still have ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/01/2013 - 9:33am -

For your Halloween enjoyment we present "The Commercial Vampire," a Leon Barritt cartoon from the July 20, 1898, issue of Vim, a short-lived satirical weekly published in New York. Painting department stores as bloodthirsty predators of small independent businesses, the same argument made today in some quarters against giant retailers like Wal-Mart and Amazon. View full size. And so forthI detect a decidedly anti-Semitic undertone as well. It is interesting how each period produces an ever bigger conglomerate that supposedly squeezes out the little guy. The two opposing entities today being online and brick and mortar Super Centers. And now we know... where Lugosi got the "hypnotic gaze." Interesting to note that among the victims of the department store megalith is your friendly, neighborhood "segar" dealer. Guess it's mass-produced El Ropos for the 99 per cent from now on. Where's the outragefor all the segar dealers done in by Mr G? The others are all still around as niche marketers but how long has it been since one could find a good segar at a neighborhood shop? Lost D.C. MerchantsThe pantheon of merchants shown here got me thinking about their Washington, DC (or at least Montgomery County, MD) equivalents: Butcher: Murrays Steaks Jeweler: Shaw Jewelers Clothier: Raleighs Hardware Merchant: Hechingers Gent’s Furnishings Dealer: Britches Outdoors Milliner: ? (the hat thing was before my time) Piano Dealer: Jordan Kitts Book dealer: Brentanos Hatter: (same as the milliners) Druggist: Peoples Drug Bicycle dealer: Wheaton Cycles Shoes: Hahn Shoes Grocer: We still have Giant Foods… EXTRA CREDIT Toy store: Lowen’s in Bethesda Music (guitar) store: Veneman Music Record store: Kemp Mill Records Fast food: Pappy Parker Jr. (The Gallery, Halloween, Politics, Posters, Stores & Markets)
Little Dipper: 1915
... (where the mules walked to tow the boats) converted to a bicycle/hiking trail. It runs from Cumberland, Md. to Georgetown (DC) along the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2018 - 3:53pm -

Washington, D.C., vicinity circa 1915. "Along the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. C&O CanalFor those of you not familiar with the Maryland/DC area: the C&O Canal site is still alive and well. It is now a 180-mile long national park, with the old tow path (where the mules walked to tow the boats) converted to a bicycle/hiking trail. It runs from Cumberland, Md. to Georgetown (DC) along the Potomac River, and is just one the best places in the country! GAP TrailNot only is the C&O canal towpath still a "thing" here in the Maryland/DC area.. I will add the C&O canal now meets the 150-mile GAP Trail in Cumberland, Maryland. It is therefore now possible to ride a bike from Washington to Pittsburgh on these two trails. (The Gallery, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo, Swimming)
Fast Living: 1925
... "Race car driver Peter De Paolo and Chas. Allen, Laurel bicycle races." National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 12:13pm -

July 18, 1925. Laurel, Maryland. "Race car driver Peter De Paolo and Chas. Allen, Laurel bicycle races." National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Peter De Paolo A legendPete DePaolo, now there's a legend. ChafingThose cycling clothes are a huge chafe-fest waiting to happen. Owwwwwww! Thank God for Lycra! Mild and woollyWool's actually not a bad material for cycling. It wicks sweat very well and it can be mde into a lighter material than you might think. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Natl Photo, Sports)
Spook Hill: 1940
... looking a bit better, though I suspect the Basketball Hoop/Bicycle Rim is gone. https://noehill.com/nv_storey/nev0087.asp ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/28/2018 - 6:35pm -

March 1940. "Old mine office. Virginia City, Nevada." Medium format negative by Arthur Frankenstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The Savage MansionAnd looking a bit better, though I suspect the Basketball Hoop/Bicycle Rim is gone. https://noehill.com/nv_storey/nev0087.asp Mansard Family MemoriesThat mansard roof is so reminiscent of a house in Connecticut where I lived in college, sharing the second floor with three paying housemates, and a seemingly endless procession of couch-dwellers and hangers-on. In 1990, I didn't know how old the house was. All I could say was that it was late Victorian. Each room had a capped gas pipe, five feet off the floor, where once there was a sconce. At some point, one adventurous soul figured out how to scale the cornice and find an unlatched sash on the vacant third floor, where we found multiple layers of 19th century wallpaper. Then came Zillow, and I learned the house dated to 1875. Presumably its mansard roof once sported this capricious arrangement of hand-cut cedar shakes. I count myself lucky to have dwelt there before the novelty board siding was covered with vinyl, even though the uninsulated balloon frame cost us $400 per winter month to heat. On one level, I know I shouldn't find such a structure incongruous as a mining company office. But I do. A radio ham inside?Very interesting the wire antenna stretched between the tree on the right and the dormer. There is the insulator which decouples the copper wire from the cotton thread attached to the tree. Probably someone inside was using a radio. Massimo IZLPE. And open for toursWe toured the house on a 2015 visit. It's very interesting. There are a lot of artifacts from the time inside, as well as pictures. In fact, Virginia City is well worth a visit. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Halloween, Mining)
Growing Boys: 1917
... before 10:30. Escorted by mounted police and headed by bicycle troop, with a Boys Scout band, the boys marched to New York avenue, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/17/2009 - 12:07pm -

"Boy Scout farm, 1917." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Children of the CornSeems during the war, Scouts helped out producing food for the war effort: In 1917 Boy Scouts operated a Government-owned tract of 175 acres and raised a corn and market vegetable crop worth some $10,000. The land was in a wild state — a tangle of wood and shrubbery when the boys attacked it. They cut down trees, cleared the brush, pulled the stumps and roots, prepared the soil, planted, cared for, and harvested the crop themselves and all the work done was purely voluntary, devoted to soldier feeding, not to gain. -- "Educational Work of the Boy Scouts" Food BulletsThe Boy Scout Farm was located at the site of today's East Potomac Park. Start Boy Scout Farm More Than 500 District Lads Open National Food Campaign. Spurred on by the admonition of Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Carl Vrooman that "the boys in the furrow will be winning the war before the boys get in the trenches." More than 500 Boys Scouts of Washington yesterday started the cultivation of a 300-acre farm along the Potomac. Uniformed in khaki and marching like soldiers, but armed with the rake, hoe and other gardening implements, Washington's first army of volunteer farmers went to the bat for the allies yesterday by going into the furrows. This marked the opening event of the national campaign to be waged by the national emergency food garden commission. The first "battle" in Potomac park was marked by intense patriotism. The army mobilized at Fourteenth street and Pennsylvania avenue shortly before 10:30. Escorted by mounted police and headed by bicycle troop, with a Boys Scout band, the boys marched to New York avenue, west to Pennsylvania avenue. They passed the white house where they were greeted by President Wilson, returning in an automobile from a golf game. Secretary Tumulty came out of the executive offices to watch the army pass. Passing down Seventeenth street, the procession was witnessed by Secretary of War Baker and other officials, who watched from the porches. At the Department of Agriculture the scouts broke rank to hear an address by the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture. He told the boys that for many months the only bullets can shoot are "bread bullets and food bullets." While we are preparing our army, the English, French and Russian soldiers are offering their lives in our defense, he said, and the only way we can return this now is with food. The boy's work, he continued, is a valuable, significant, and as indispensable as that of any soldier of the United States. The work they are starting, Mr. Vrooman said, "Is only a part of the national plan to have one company working the furrows, for every company in the trenches. He said we would not be surprised to see the boys in the furrow win the fight before the others fired a gun. ... The gardeners received 100 pounds of seed from F.W. Bolgiano. They carried rations, and after noon, pitched tents and proceeded to eat their lunches. The campaign thus started will continue throughout the summer. Washington Post, April 22, 1917 So...That's how they grow them! So that's what people mean... when they say "my boys are grown." Especially Scouts, who are so fresh and wholesome. And maybe a little green -- wet behind the ears. Unfortunately......all the scouts made little Anthony mad and got wished into the cornfield. (The Gallery, Boy Scouts, Harris + Ewing)
Sailing on the Sand: 1903
... day's hang gliders. In the background we see a couple of bicycle people movers. Appropriate Photo I just returned from my 50th ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/15/2012 - 9:26am -

Circa 1903. "Sailing on the beach at Ormond, Florida." An interesting looking character at the controls. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing. View full size. Major Hoople Au Bord de la MerA fez and a wool suit, Florida weather -- and Arrid won't be invented for a few years yet. The pilot looks as if he's calculating whether he can run over the photographer before the latter can gather up his tripod-mounted view camera and skedaddle (they still did that back then). [Our captain would be bundled up against the chill -- Florida was a winter resort. -Dave] In the Midwestthet thar is known as a "prairie schooner." Boat For HireIt appears that one could buy rides on that contraption. Similar to the present day's hang gliders. In the background we see a couple of bicycle people movers. Appropriate PhotoI just returned from my 50th High School Reunion in Daytona Beach (on the south edge of Ormond Beach for those that don't know). Everything is a lot different now than it was back then although I think it was better 100 years ago than now. We walked on the beach and in the ocean while there. The beach is much narrower now, even at low tide and they now charge a fee to drive on the sand. Great photo and I have enjoyed this one and the other photos of Daytona Beach shown on this site. They bring back memories of a time that will never come again. Thanks a lot. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Florida)
For Love of the Game: 1912
... out of metal? Who Knew? They used to do overhead bicycle kicks in American Football? Final Score I looked up this game ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2012 - 4:32am -

1912. "Football, Costello; Georgetown-Virginia game." Costello seems to be having a pretty good time. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Technical AchievementThis is a wonderful example of a stop-action photograph, made in an era when such things were generally thought impossible to do. Before the 1930s, photo emulsions -- the light sensitive chemistry applied to glass plates or film -- were 'slow', meaning that you either had to have enormously high light levels or your subject had to remain relatively still. Compounding the problem were lens optics that were not terribly efficient at gathering up what light was available. Yet, here we have a photo that shows very little blurring and is on a par with that seen in Sports Illustrated. Kudos! [That's a perception maybe encouraged by historical accounts of daguerreotype studios using neck braces on portrait-sitters to allow for two-minute exposures. But 60 years later in 1912, improved emulsions allowed for shutter speeds of hundredths of a second even on inexpensive cameras. There are hundreds of stop-action sports photos from the 1910s and 20s in the LOC archive, mainly the National Photo and Bain collections. Below, another photo from the Georgetown game. These were made using 5x7 plates. I think probably the most challenging part of photography like this would have been bulk -- the heavy camera, and glass-plate boxes that weighed 5 or 10 pounds -- and what must have been the cumbersome process of changing the plates for each exposure. It would be interesting to see an account of what that was like. - Dave] ComicalThat's a good shot of Charlie Brown — where's Lucy? Rubber or Metal?Please tell me that those cleats are made out of rubber?! Can you imagine being run over by those cleats if they were made out of metal? Who Knew?They used to do overhead bicycle kicks in American Football? Final ScoreI looked up this game in the Virginia football media guide. Georgetown won the 1912 game at home by a score of 16-13. Georgetown and Virginia played 16 times between 1889 and 1913. The final record was 7 wins, 7 losses and 2 ties. (The Gallery, Harris + Ewing, Sports)
Washday Alley: 1923
... Neatness Counts There doesn't appear to be any bicycle parts, old washtubs , newspapers, used tires or other debris in this ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/17/2015 - 2:08pm -

"City rowhouses." Another entry in this series of Harris & Ewing views of back-alley Washington from 1923. 4x5 inch glass negative. View full size. Possible ScenarioI think the two figures on the steps are playing kazoos or harmonicas and the two children are dancing. Neatness CountsThere doesn't appear to be any bicycle parts, old washtubs , newspapers, used tires or other debris in this yard. Even the wash is hung behind an enclosed wall. Just leave me aloneThe body language of the man on the left side is indicating he is not in the mood for any friendly chit-chat and is completely turned away from the activity on the stoop where the kids are having fun. However, the adult on the right side stoop is ready to initiate a conversation at the very first sign of getting his neighbor's attention. The joyful, exuberant little boys are really cute and rarin' to go, laughing all the way. I'd rather be a kid. Today's CondosIf these buildings were around today, of course they would have been visited by This Old House for a re-make into high end condos for the D.C. drones... Joyful children!The happiness in the two little boys is both obvious, and adorable! I wish I could be there and watch them, and hear them giggle! I wonder if the laundry hanging on the line was the personal laundry of the mother of one of the boys, or maybe some that she took in, to bring in a little money. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Class Day: 1906
... this image. And imagine, a fellow could actually leave his bicycle unattended next to the curb and expect it to be there when he returns. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/09/2015 - 10:17am -

1906. "Harvard Square -- Cambridge, Massachusetts." Note the signs advertising "Class Day." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Havahd SqueahThe Coop is still there. The bank is still there. This is 1906, so the T station is not there (the subway came to Harvard Square in 1912 and terminated there for over 70 years.) What a great photo; it brings back a lot of memories. Trustworthy folksWhat a lovely photograph capturing a moment in time at Harvard Square. There is so much going on in this image. And imagine, a fellow could actually leave his bicycle unattended next to the curb and expect it to be there when he returns. No survivorsLooking at Google Street View for September 2014, it appears that every single building shown in the 1906 shot -- outside the gates of Harvard itself, naturally -- was demolished. The entire left side was taken out for the Holyoke Center in 1966, the Cambridge Savings Bank definitely sprouted a new building, and the entire far side of the square, Coop and all, was replaced. Some charm now, but not nearly so much as it had. June 22Was the date of the 1906 Class Day according to this article from the Cambridge Tribune. Also this ticket. (The Gallery, DPC, Streetcars)
Sk8r Dude: 1921
... of Herb and Joe and I'm more impressed every time. As a bicycle rider of more than fifty years, I can appreciate how difficult these ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:10pm -

Washington, D.C. January 29, 1921. "Herbert Bell and Joe Garso." Either Herb or Joe takes a smoke break while the other fellow does all the work. View full size. CoolI like the look of those rad bikes. The Herb and Joe ShowI keep coming back to these photos of Herb and Joe and I'm more impressed every time. As a bicycle rider of more than fifty years, I can appreciate how difficult these stunts were. Although there must have been some truly painful practice sessions, these guys mastered their machines. MastersNot only masters of their machines, but also masters of their fate. Instead of going on what little relief was available to them, begging essentially, they decided to make the best of their condition. They are to be admired for overcoming a difficulty in life seldom experienced by any of us. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Herb & Joe, Natl Photo, Sports)
Wood Jeweler: 1900
... the door, which was the term often used to refer to a bicycle in those years. In this case it is just a wheel, but assume it is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/20/2014 - 5:09pm -

From circa 1900 in Parts Unknown comes this 4x5 glass negative of G.H. Wood Jeweler, the business, and possibly a Wood or two. View full size. How about it Shorpy?How about awarding some of those much coveted 'bonus points' to any commenter who can name the man seen in the barbershop window reading a newspaper? George and his brother?From the "Jeweler's Circular", March 10, 1920. I poked around on Central St. in Lowell, MA, hoping I might get lucky and spot the location, but didn't see it. There are an awful lot of old brick buildings on that street, though. Edit: Given 20002ist's newspaper ad, and with my article giving about 40 years before 1920, and the sign that says, "Monday July 23rd", that would peg the year at 1883, 1888 or 1894. Though, it sounds like he might have a bigger store in that article than in this picture, so maybe it's 1883 or 1888? [July 23, 1900, was also a Monday, and might be more in keeping with the light fixtures in the window display. - Dave] Edit: True, I should have mentioned 1900 as a possibility. It seemed like 7 years after that ad, things would have been more upscale, but it is possible as you say. Another thought I had is that if one of the gentleman is Millard, then 40 years a jeweler would have possibly made him 20 years old (give or take) in 1880. It's a bit hard to tell, but I would say the tall one is late 20s and the other early 30s. So that would argue for closer to 1890 than 1900. I wonder when electrification came to Lowell. [Not to mention light bulbs. - Dave] Edit: Poking through Wikipedia and other sources, Lowell is actually one of the pioneers of hydroelectric power, which fed their industrialization. They were producing power by early-to-mid 1870s. So it's likely they would have been one of the first to get electric lighting, since they already had abundant power generators. [The answer here, as hinted in the title, is 1900. - Dave] Edit: Well, the "circa 1900" led me to believe that you didn't actually know the exact date, but if it is labeled as definitively 1900, that makes it interesting that the shop is such a hovel when 7 years earlier they had "goods bought in such quantities, where so many clerks must be employed," etc. Edit: Just in case anyone else was wondering, electric lights were well established by 1893-1894, as seen in this Edison light bulb price list from 1893 or this 1894 office with electric lights. No Cabots, but probably LowellG.H. Wood was a prominent jeweler in Lowell, Mass., as evidenced by the ad below from the Jan. 14, 1893 Lowell Daily Courier. WheelLurking just inside the door, which was the term often used to refer to a bicycle in those years. In this case it is just a wheel, but assume it is attached to a cycle. We used to holler with laughter when our principal Miss Nina B. Glass (1881-1978) at Sanger Avenue Elementary would caution us about safety while riding our "wheels". This is......a fascinating picture. Thanks for posting it! Weird iron S on wallCan anyone explain what the use might have been of the 3 peices of S shaped metal? One above the door and two above the window. Did it hold something to the wall? I've seen these on other Shorpy buildings, so it just might be a stylized Shorpy S, similar to Nike checkmark. [They are turnbuckle irons, manifested most frequently on these pages as the turnbuckle star. - Dave] (The Gallery, Found Photos, Stores & Markets)
Ectoplasmic Express: 1908
... and it would also appear from the streak of light that the bicycle that's parked by the curb on the left arrived while the lens was open. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/20/2017 - 10:09am -

Niagara Falls, New York, circa 1908. "Falls Street at Night." A scene last glimpsed here. Note the ghost streetcar stopped mid-frame in this time exposure. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Talking Pictures in 1908?Thomas Edison experimented with synchronizing a crank wound phonograph with his early moving picture film around the turn of the century... [The poster to the right of the entrance announces the theater is using E.E. Norton's Cameraphone system. -tterrace] This has me intriguedI've never heard of "Talking Pictures" this early. I wonder what they were. [Explained in a comment to the earlier photo linked in the caption. -tterrace] Ghost bicyclistWhat a great photo! I can spy a couple of ghosts on the sidewalk on the right, and it would also appear from the streak of light that the bicycle that's parked by the curb on the left arrived while the lens was open. Barrel HoodA lovely "barrel hood" Franklin, parked at the curb (The Gallery, DPC, Movies, Streetcars)
Meats and Groceries: 1905
... It was always a day of adventure from the rental bicycle Boardwalk ride to being allowed to eat salt water taffy just before ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/24/2011 - 1:24pm -

Continuing our visit to Atlantic City, New Jersey, circa 1905. "Atlantic Avenue West." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Kuehnle's Hotel Genealogical and memorial history of the state of New Jersey, 1910. Louis Kuehnle was born January 6, 1827, at Hacmusheim, in the principality of Baden, Germany, and died August 7, 1885, at Egg Harbor, New Jersey. In his native country he received the training requisite for a first class chef, and came to America in 1849, obtaining employment at some of the leading hotels and restaurants of the country. While in Washington, D. C., he had the honor of presiding as chef at the hotel where President Buchanan boarded. In 1858 he opened the New York Hotel at Egg Harbor, being connected with same until his death. January 9, 1875, he purchased and opened Kuehnle's Hotel, at Atlantic City, New Jersey, placing same under the management of his son, Louis K. He was held in high esteem by his fellow citizens at Egg Harbor, who several times elected him to the office of mayor; he was also a member of the city council and the school board. He married, in 1852, Katherine Werdrann, of Germany, and they had three sons— George, Louis and Henry. "Poultry! Game! Butter! Eggs!"...all produced in the nearby farms of the Garden State. They were brought in daily by horse-cart, as well as grain, garden truck, milk, pork, firewood, even barrel staves! New Jersey was called the "Garden State" because it was the backyard vegetable garden, chicken coop, pig sty, timber patch and cow pasture for New York City, Philadelphia, and the sandy shore resort-towns. As Benjamin Franklin, a man who knew it well, said, New Jersey is like "a beer barrel, tapped at both ends, with all the live beer running into Philadelphia and New York." (It was also the brewer, hard cider as well as beer.) All those McMansions presently in New Jersey, and their accompanying highways? They were all built on those former tomato fields, potato fields, corn fields, fruit orchards and cow pastures, after the Second World War and the Interstate Highway Act. Most developments have one lone farmhouse standing by the access road, often with large chicken coops still standing behind them, the palimpsest of New Jersey's agricultural heritage. If transportation costs ever get so high that it's no longer worth it to truck in vegetables from California and Mexico, and not sensible to drive to work from 5000-square-foot houses 100 miles from the place of employment, New Jersey will turn its residential zoning back into farmland. There's going to be a lot of money waiting for someone who develops a way to remove toxic chemicals and metals from poisoned reclaimed farmland. Yes - New Jersey born, New Jersey bred, New Jersey proud! That's me! Jitneys on Pacific AvenueI remember Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Avenue as being the two main streets in the Atlantic City of the 1950's. Pacific Avenue had small buses called jitneys that held about 12 people. They ran practically bumper to bumper so they were very handy. The fare was 10 cents unless you wanted to go past the end of the line to Hackney's Seafood Restaurant (10 cents extra) or Captain Starnes Restaurant (15 cents extra.) The last I heard, the jitneys are still in service. My main memory of Atlantic Avenue was going to the movies on a rainy summer vacation day in 1957 and seeing William Holden in "The Bridge on the River Kwai." Captain Starnes, Pat Boone The Captain's was always a highlight of our Atlantic City vacation. The visit was usually reserved until the last full night and I can still remember the flounder I had my first trip. The Steel Pier along with its Deep Sea Diver Bell, Diving Horses, comedy divers, first run movies and name entertainers was the first full day must. I remember seeing Gary Cooper's High Noon then after the movie Pat Boone came out to sing Ain't That A Shame and Lucille but to my fine tuned R&R ear they were poor imitations of Fats Domino's and Little Richard's versions. A daily highlight was eating at a cafeteria where I was allowed to pick my meal and the only admonishment was one I heard later in life at Great Lakes NTC, "Take all you want but eat all you take." It was always a day of adventure from the rental bicycle Boardwalk ride to being allowed to eat salt water taffy just before bedtime at the Saint James Hotel. On another note, I love those swinging doors on Kuehnle's Hotel Bar. Kuehnle’s hotel was the hub of Republican politics in Atlantic City and the place where important political decisions were made. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Schwinn Sting Ray: May, 1965
This isn't a picture of my Bicycle, my house or my cars, but it might just as well be. I remember my ... 
 
Posted by Vintagetvs - 09/18/2011 - 11:07pm -

This isn't a picture of my Bicycle, my house or my cars, but it might just as well be. I remember my childhood in 65 looking a great deal like this. This 3x4 black and white print is from a lot of photos found at auction. View full size. Valiant RamblerAt left, a rather generic-looking 1960 Plymouth Valiant. To the right, a very nice 1963 or 1964 Rambler Classic station wagon. A Ford Thunderbird is parked to its right, and next door another Ford of some sort. All in all, a nice selection of 2- and 4-wheeled vintage vehicles. The sheer quantity of cars makes me want to think this is California. 1964 FordThe car off to the left in this pic is a 1964 Ford. AhemJust "Valiant." Or "Valiant by Chrysler." Didn't officially become a Plymouth until 1961. Nice Sting RayI remember having a Sting Ray like that. I also had the "slick" rear tire, and bike lock too. No basket,but I did move up to a tall "sissy bar" on mine. Must have repainted it 20 times. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Dynasty: 1956
... One of the subjects of a photograph, a youngster with a bicycle in 1952, identified the photographer who lived from 1902-1999 as his ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/19/2012 - 2:05am -

Southern California circa 1956. Some of our picnickers are back for a multi-generational, ensemble-coordinated portrait on the couch. View full size. Hoping descendants look at Shorpy!I'm enjoying getting to know this family, as well as the time when I was a baby (I was born Sept. 1954), through these amazing photos! I sure hope someone will notice them and think, "Gee, that looks like Aunt Sally", or "They look like some neighbors we had growing up", etc.. Similar things have happened! That family sure had a lot of pretty girls! Image qualityHey Dave, how much clean up and adjustment was required on this image? Most of the slides in this series seem to be nicely color saturated, with good lighting, and devoid of the extraneous "junk" usually found on old slides. Nice job! (Is that our "loves olives" girl in the back?) [The film scanner and software do all of the cleaning up. - Dave] Bring back those styles!!Seeing photos like this from the 50's makes me long for the clothing styles of the times. You don't see any of these pretty ladies wearing t-shirts with logos on them or tank tops. They look beautiful and a good part of that is what they're wearing, and you can tell they know it. SMILESWith all the headlines about damaged children screaming at us every day, it is a delight to see the beautiful smiling babe in your photo. Thank You! Twins?What a beautiful & healthy family. The two girls on either side of the Mom look like they could be twins. They're both wearing the same blouse as well. A similar collection of photographsfrom the same time period, mid-50's, of African-Americans in Waco, Texas was found several years ago by historian Mike Cochran. There were 414 in all, black and white, in a bag in an antique shop. They needed lots of attention and he was able to get a grant to assist him in making them presentable and they are now available online at the link below. One of the subjects of a photograph, a youngster with a bicycle in 1952, identified the photographer who lived from 1902-1999 as his neighbor. There was a story about him recently in our local newspaper. http://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/partners/PCMC/ (ShorpyBlog, SoCal 1956 Kodachromes)
Nuclear Family: 1958
... is a perfect Shorpy composition. Old car, antenna, bicycle and kid. Even better if he was a paperboy (newsie). With a nice ... 
 
Posted by Truck5man - 01/22/2012 - 11:32am -

Aaahhh, Home Sweet Home. 3 bedrooms, 1 bath. My family's home in San Jose, California September of 1958. My folks bought it in 1952 for $11,650 with monthly payments of $75.00. It's located in a tract referred to as "Bascom Gardens". It was the model home for the tract and mom liked it because the big front window would be "a perfect place for the Christmas tree". The ginormous antenna was able to bring in all 4 channels! The tree in the devils-strip is still there and is nearly 3' in diameter and is over 75' tall. That's my older brother in requisite Giants cap. He bought the home in '92 and currently lives there. He's still wearing Giants caps. View full size. A lovely homeFrom back when a man could support his family and have a good standard of living on his wages. Did your dad use his VA benefits? My dad did, and bought 2 homes (at different times) using his benefits. Do you have any shots of how the house looks today? I hope your memories of living there are good. Thanks for posting. Ahhh, suburbia!This looks like a wonderful place to live! Hitching PostThis is a perfect Shorpy composition. Old car, antenna, bicycle and kid. Even better if he was a paperboy (newsie). With a nice hitching post front and center. Thanks for the look. Suburbia!Hardly in the suburbs any more, but Rose Garden is still a lovely area to live in. That's about the vintage of our home in Campbell. I believe it was built around '52-'54. We bought it in '69 for just under $20k. Of course, that was before multiple remodels and refinances!! Kinda wish we had the original 2&1 still. "Devil's-Strip""Devil's-Strip" I've not heard before, I love it! Internet research says it's pretty much a northeast Ohio usage. (Dave, in southwest Dade, it was a swale.) (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
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