MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
Home

Search Shorpy

SEARCH TIP: Click the tags above a photo to find more of same:
Mandatory field.

Search results -- 30 results per page

Warren Peace: 1921
... Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Camping Humor This snippet is remembered from some book or article on these camping expeditions, actual citation long forgotten: Henry Ford's favorite ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/20/2017 - 10:41am -

        During the week of July 21-27, 1921, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone camped at a site about six miles east of Hancock in Washington County, Maryland. During the weekend, President Warren G. Harding joined the “vagabonds” — the name the wealthy industrialists gave themselves when they camped together. The 200-acre farm where they made camp was located about one mile north of the National Turnpike along Licking Creek. Today, the campsite lies inside Camp Harding County Park. A plaque memorializes the gathering of these famous campers. -- Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources July 1921. "Warren Harding at Firestone camp." The president with industrialist Harvey Firestone and the inventor Thomas Edison (napping). Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Camping HumorThis snippet is remembered from some book or article on these camping expeditions, actual citation long forgotten: Henry Ford's favorite practical joke was hand-carving wooden "croutons" and putting them into Harvey Firestone's soup. There it is. His reputation will be forever enhanced. Camping attireGotta love the bow-tie Henry's sporting. If this is roughing it, I can only imagine how he dressed on a normal day! Harvey's thinking, "The things I do to sell a million tires!" Camping in styleWhen the "vagabonds" went camping, they didn't rough it. This is a little description of their trips taken from The Henry Ford Museum:         The 1919 trip involved fifty vehicles, including two designed by Ford: a kitchen camping car with a gasoline stove and built-in icebox presided over by a cook and a heavy touring car mounted on a truck chassis with compartments for tents, cots, chairs, electric lights, etc. On later trips, there was a huge, folding round table equipped with a lazy susan that seated twenty. (The Gallery, Camping, Harris + Ewing, Public Figures)
Forest Camp: 1950s
... trailer. Action Comics Superman and Dick Tracy go camping. Do it in a Buick 1947 Buick, I believe. Maybe 1948. ... I smashed up my mother’s Willys station wagon. Camping Bliss I think rgraham is on to something; those look to me like ... 
 
Posted by Tony W. - 02/02/2012 - 12:19pm -

Here's the Blissmobile with the portable kitchen attached. This looks like it could be Yosemite again, in the mid-fifties. 35mm color slide. View full size. Russian River areaFrom the looks of the redwood trees, I'm saying Russian River, or anywhere on the north coast. I remember how families would tie ropes between the trees and hang large tarps over them to create very nice campsites. Some would stay all summer, and others a couple of weeks. I can just smell those dried redwood leaves lying on the ground baking in the sun. Cool little teardrop trailer. Action ComicsSuperman and Dick Tracy go camping. Do it in a Buick1947 Buick, I believe. Maybe 1948. [1948-49 chrome trim through the door handles. More here. This was the Special body used from 1942 through 1949. - Dave] Look, an off-road Buick. Here's another.I was 17. Mid-50s, rainy roadway, slick street car tracks on Sixth Avenue in Altoona, Pa. ("Gateway to The Rest of the World"). I manage to slide my Dad's 1942 Buick Century up onto the sidewalk and hit the convent of Sacred Heart Parish (my grade school alma mater). A woman appears. 'Oh, my gosh! Did you wreck?" The last couple of bricks were landing on my hood. "I’m not sure I'm done yet.” That was Monday. On Saturday I smashed up my mother’s Willys station wagon. Camping BlissI think rgraham is on to something; those look to me like coast redwood leaves, not giant sequoia. We know that the Bliss bunch was also camping along the Northern California/Oregon coast. Nomad campingI took several trips up in that area as a kid. Some of my best memories are when we loaded up the 1959 Chevy Nomad wagon (see below) and headed up north from SoCal. We camped in places like Clear Lake, MacArthur-Burney Falls, Lake Shasta, Mt. Lassen, you name it. Dad took care of the logistics, Mom took care of the cooking. Little old me had his comic books and drawing pad to while away the hours in the car. Thanks, TonyW for posting. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Tonypix, Travel & Vacation)
Cheers: 1937
... the fellow's hand from the lady's shoulder. Indoor camping Pretty rustic. The lights are kerosene lanterns. Slim ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 10:17pm -

September 1937. Craigville, Minnesota. "Saturday night in a saloon." Medium format negative by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size. White gasKerosene lanterns had just an open flame. These pictured were fueled by white gas and the tank had to be pressurized with a hand pump. Hands-Off policyInteresting that the "Cheers" folks removed the fellow's hand from the lady's shoulder. Indoor campingPretty rustic. The lights are kerosene lanterns. Slim pickin'sA James M. Cain novel is written all over that woman's face. P.A.Do you have Prince Albert in a sign? Cheers...... it ain't.... Cheers!Hey! Doesn't the guy holding glass appear in the old lead-in for "Cheers"? Cheers to you too!Oh my gawd it's the folks from the "Cheers!" intro. I must have seen their colorized faces a thousand times (thanks to reruns), and now I know where they're from. It's like running into long-lost family members. Thanks Dave! Where everybody knows your nameThis photo was used in the opening sequence of "Cheers." As I remember, it was cropped, to highlight the couple in the center. 0:43Character actorsCentral Casting, eat your heart out! Cheers!Remember the opening titles to the TV show "Cheers"? It shows old photos of people at bars. One of the "Cheers" photos is THIS photo; they did a close-up of the guy on the left. And yes, I watch too much TV. Casting? Sure ...That's Howard Hughes, Patricia Neal, and G.W. Bailey on the right. Can't quite make out the lady on the far left, though. A certain dignity.Even though these people have seen more than their fair share of hard times, there is a kind of dignity in the way the hold their drinks. Serious drinkers for sure. The guy on the right looks kind of like George Clooney. They all exhibit character with a capital C. The guy on the left is giving a major superiority pose to the guy taking a nip. The lantern in the back corneris a Coleman. I have one just like it. Still works very well. A rose is a rose is a rose.A barfly is a barfly is a barfly. Nice hat on the alcoholic on the extreme right, looks like he stole it from a horse. Not politically correct but my opinion. GaslightNotice the fixture in the upper left of the photo is providing light via gas, not electricity. [As noted below, that's a kerosene lantern. The tank holds the fuel. - Dave] CamelsAnd I'm thinking that's a Camel cigarette pack on the bar. Recognize the "pillars" from my father's smokes. That's where I've seem him!Thanks everyone for restoring my sanity. I saw the guy on the left and immediately thought "were have I seen him before?" I am a child of the 80's so that's why his face was burned into my brain. Camels for sureI used to smoke them before Pall Mall. Cigarettes didn't have filters in those days. Maybe it was the "Hits or Cracks" game that made me switch from Camels to Pall Mall. As I remember, you guessed if it was the letter H or C under the stamp. If you picked wrong you got slugged on the upper arm. Alternate casting suggestionsLeft to right: Rosie O'Donnell, Robert Ryan, Margaret Hamilton, Walter Huston. Whatever is transpiring, it's interesting enough for the Missus to delay her request to "light me." SimplicityThe beer looks great. Camel Caravan"Camel" was the first nationally advertised and distributed brand of American cigarettes, beginning in about 1914. My dad's first real job was with their NY Distributor, Metropolitan Tobacco, back in 1921. He smoked Camels and only Camels for the nexr 65 years, and never had so much as a cough ("Not a Cough in a Carload"). Back in my time, if I ran out of my favorite, Lucky Strike, I'm bum a Camel from him. Without any exception, they were the strongest, looseest and hottest burning American cigarette that ever existed. They would have killed me after a year! And yes, I do also remember the H and C thing from under the revenue stamp on the packages. LanternsActually both lanterns are probably Colemans. The one over the bar is an indoor table lamp, which would have originally come with a shade, much like an electric table lamp. The other one is an outdoor type lantern. Both are missing their globes, a rather alarming fact, as the furring strips on the ceiling suggest that it is made of combustible fiberboard, a cheap and popular building material at that time. Like most Colemans, these burned "white gas," which I believe is actually naphtha, but kerosene models were also available. More common kerosene lanterns have wicks, but pressurized ones do exist. They can be distinguished from the white gas version by the primer cup below the mantle. You fill this cup with alcohol to preheat the kerosene; otherwise, it does not vaporize properly. BTW, "not a cough in a carload" was the slogan of Lucky Strike, not Camel. And I don't believe for a second that anyone smoked any brand for 65 years without coughing. Lumberjack TownSome history on this town, and this saloon can be found here: http://www.lakesnwoods.com/Craig.htm This place was evidently both a saloon and a barbershop. There are some photos here of other customers, as well as another shot of these folks. Another image in original Cheers Theme SequenceThe original Cheers Theme Sequence has a picture of my Great-Grandfather W.T. Price II in the Horseshoe Saloon in Junction City, Kansas taken in 1905 by a photographer named Pennell! (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Russell Lee)
The Natty Campers: 1905
... in a tent and dress in suits is that they may well not be "camping" but might have been made homeless in the Aug. 9, 1904 earthquake in ... up where a home used to be. [No, this is a standard camping setup. Thousands of similar photos in the archive. - Dave] They ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2013 - 7:34pm -

New Zealand circa 1905. "Male youths outside tent, probably Christchurch district." Glass plate by Adam Maclay. View full size. RE: Close to HomeAlso notice the regular beds. They certainly don't appear to be "roughing it" too badly. Close to HomeLooks like they're camped out in their backyard. I notice the fence so they're not in the woods somewhere. Serious Tie action going on; extreme knots, quite dapper. Maybe it's like the Haitian tent citiesMy first thought as two why two young men would have semi-permanent furniture in a tent and dress in suits is that they may well not be "camping" but might have been made homeless in the Aug. 9, 1904 earthquake in New Zealand, rated between 6.8 and 7.2 on the Richter scale. The tent may be set up where a home used to be. [No, this is a standard camping setup. Thousands of similar photos in the archive. - Dave] They win!That is officially the DORKIEST pair of so-called camping outfits I have ever seen -- what a hoot! Fancy campingIt appears that camping was either a serious business or a semi-permanent state in New Zealand. Other examples of Maclay's work show similarly impressive tent accommodations. Question About Their TiesThose are some wide knots in their ties. It also looks as though the young fellow on the left has either a short tie or his tie has been cut off. But my question is about the fellow on the right's tie: Is that wide band going across his tie connected to his shirt to hold his tie in place? I've never seen that before. The cap worn by the fellow on the left is similar to what we used to wear in the Cub Scouts. Catty NappersThe next post, the context here, and my general warpedness handed my mind that title, the first time I read it. Accident Waiting to HappenTie your shoe, son, before you fall on that axe and hurt yourself. (The Gallery, Adam Maclay, New Zealand)
Camping fun
... and Jesse Carter. She looks a little too dressed up to go camping and not too thrilled either. Taken sometime in the 30's from the ... Decamped It is possible these people were not camping, just traveling -- roads were not very good then. I heard reference ... 
 
Posted by mhallack - 09/20/2011 - 12:51am -

My great aunt and uncle Heraldine and Jesse Carter. She looks a little too dressed up to go camping and not too thrilled either. Taken sometime in the 30's from the fashions of the time. View full size. DecampedIt is possible these people were not camping, just traveling -- roads were not very good then. I heard reference one time that traveling in the late 20's and 30's was similar to falling down a flight of stairs. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Camping at Sebago Lake: 1959
This was family camping for four at Sebago Lake State Park, Maine, summer 1959. The tent, a 9x9 ... pole cotton tent, was borrowed, along with the rest of the camping gear, as we tested out how we liked it. My brother, sitting at the ... 
 
Posted by Islander800 - 03/28/2014 - 7:46pm -

This was family camping for four at Sebago Lake State Park, Maine, summer 1959. The tent, a 9x9 center pole cotton tent, was borrowed, along with the rest of the camping gear, as we tested out how we liked it. My brother, sitting at the table (who liked his comforts) is wondering what the heck he's doing here. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Camping in Quebec: 1959
... brother and one of his buds, heading off for a weekend of camping, riding their bikes on two-lane blacktop and gravel back roads in the ... 
 
Posted by Islander800 - 11/14/2014 - 7:38pm -

This is my oldest brother and one of his buds, heading off for a weekend of camping, riding their bikes on two-lane blacktop and gravel back roads in the Eastern Townships, Quebec, summer of '59. View full size. The RailbikersI have written a story about a couple guys like this who converted their bicycles to go on an abandoned railway. They headed west in search of adventures! This picture look more as if it were taken when I was around the age of these boys -- in the mid-1960s. The tires on these bikes aren't the ultra-fat ones I think of from the 40s and 50s. (I got a Schwinn Typhoon for Christmas 1965 when I was 9. I had it restored a few years ago, and it is still at Mom's house.) Days gone by...beautiful.When kids were not micro-managed, and they could actually do a trip like the one you describe, sans adults! Railbikers response510Russ I appreciate your comment on my submitted photo. I can relate to your story about an abandoned railway, as in late 1950s Bedford, there was an abandoned rail line that led out of town, to an abandoned quarry... I remember exploring down that line with my buds as kids, as in "Stand By Me". It was really a remarkable, and never to be repeated, time to be youngsters. But yes, this picture is from the late 50s. These bicycles were relatively new CCM 3-speeds, with British Stermy-Archer rear hubs. By this time, balloon tires were falling out of fashion. I had, as a kid, a "Leave It To Beaver" experience in 1950s Bedford, Quebec, for which I am very grateful. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Family Camping: 1929
... from New Hampshire in 1929 out on several automotive camping trips around Mt. Chocorua, Chocorua Lake, Hampton Beach and Rye areas ... 
 
Posted by Christoph Traugott - 01/29/2019 - 12:34pm -

Found photos of a family from New Hampshire in 1929 out on several automotive camping trips around Mt. Chocorua, Chocorua Lake, Hampton Beach and Rye areas of New Hampshire. Bucket BrigadeWhat is the purpose of the buckets? Each has a list? Where'd she get it?That woman third from the right has my mom’s corn pot! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Camping at Tofino: 1962
Camping on the beach near Tofino on Vancouver Island, BC, in 1962. From left to ... 
 
Posted by adam_b - 09/18/2011 - 10:58pm -

Camping on the beach near Tofino on Vancouver Island, BC, in 1962. From left to right: Our 1958 Morris Minor, campsite, my aunt, my mother and me. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Camping Self-Portrait: c.1910
Donald Jenne of Minneapolis embarking on his camping and land prospecting explorations of the North Woods of Wisconsin. ... 
 
Posted by Deborah - 02/08/2013 - 8:50pm -

Donald Jenne of Minneapolis embarking on his camping and land prospecting explorations of the North Woods of Wisconsin. Approx. 90 miles south of Duluth in the Hayward area is Lac Court Oreilles where he eventually purchased land. He is 19. Photo taken with his new Kodak No.3A Special Folding camera. Scan of a print from his scrapbook. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
War Kitchen: 1941
... have my parents' percolator which is used extensively on camping trips. Makes a great cup of coffee, but be careful of the grounds! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/21/2022 - 10:31pm -

July 1941. "War housing. Mrs. B.J. Rogan and her small son, Bernie, in the kitchen of the Rogans' new war home at the Franklin Terrace housing project in Erie, Pennsylvania. Mr. Rogan is a drill press operator at a nearby plant which is working three shifts on war contracts. The Rogans pay about twenty percent of their income for rent." Medium format acetate negative by Alfred Palmer for the U.S. Office for Emergency Management. View full size. Light bulb in the trash canThat used to be a familiar sight, as manufacturers held to highly inefficient--thus highly profitable--incandescent bulbs long after alternatives were possible. It took an act of Congress (Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007) to phase out incandescent bulbs that typically lasted 750-1000 hours, as opposed to today's LED bulbs which won't need replacing for 25,000 hours. That CoffeepotWas my worst enemy after visiting my father-in-law's house for the first time for an overnight stay and being asked by my wife to "make coffee." Of course I had no idea how to make coffee in that kind of pot. We had only been married a year and I had been in the US for the same. Needless to say, I greeted everyone to breakfast with the best coffee sludge a newbie could make. Still thereThe Franklin Terrace apartments are now called the John E. Horan Garden Apartments. The old kitchen was tiny but charming; now, not so much. https://www.hace.org/housing-info/hace-rental-properties/john-e-horan-ga... https://www.hace.org/about-us/revitalization/ Snack TimeIt's about 2 pm according to the clock on the wall. I am just wondering what he did to get a snack at 2 pm. When I was his age, I didn't dare ask for a snack that soon after lunch. I usually waited until about 3 pm. Chances were 50/50. If if got to be 4 pm - it was too late - 'dinner is soon'. There's a busted light bulb in the trash bin. I wonder what wattage it was. Looks peaceful to meEverything spic and span and in its place while Mrs. Rogan whips up something tasty for her family, but I'm sure it reflects accurately on the home front during wartime. Those Servel gas refrigerators always seemed to produce a faint odor, but they did work using a science I never understood of how to make cool with a gas flame. Between 1955 and 1960 with I was in Boy Scouts, we'd spend Memorial Day weekend at a deer lease in the Hill Country of Texas between Kerrville and Medina. The first thing our Scoutmaster did upon entering the asbestos sided cabin was light the Servel refrigerator and that odor lingered throughout the weekend, but we had a lot of fun. [Fun fact: Servel is a contraction of "Serving Electricity." - Dave] Movin' on upIt's new, nice, clean, and not an attic nor a small travel trailer still on wheels. I couldn't find the Rogan family in the 1940 Census, but did find this description of their living arrangement progress: "Defense housing, Erie, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. B. J. Rogan and their small son, Bernie, at home in the living room of their new defense home in Erie, Pennsylvania. Mr. Rogan is a drill press operator at the nearby General Electric Company plant. He earns $42.50 a week, and pays about twenty percent of his income for rent. Before moving into a newly constructed defense home at the Franklin Terrace housing project, he lived in a remodeled attic, and then a trailer. For the latter he paid 6 dollars a week, including all utilities." I'm pretty sure the B. stands for Bernard. The Franklin Terrace housing project is now the John E. Horan Garden Apartments. Horan was/is the director of the Erie Housing Authority. These units are now public housing. PercolatorI suggest Baxado ought to retry the percolator for making coffee. I still have my parents' percolator which is used extensively on camping trips. Makes a great cup of coffee, but be careful of the grounds! Encyclopedias, The seat of knowledge Loco ...... motive on the table. 1941, huh?Since The U.S. didn't enter the war until December, why was this family living in "war housing?" [Yes, huh. Some googling might provide enlightenment. Keywords: Lend-Lease, Battle of Britain. - Dave] Found 'em Bernard J. Rogan, Sr., wife Lenore, and son Bernard Jr. are in the 1940 census, living in Washington DC, where Bernard Sr. is an insurance agent. All 3 were born in Pennsylvania. In 1948 they are living at 2130b Gladstone Ct., Erie PA. Occupation was listed as "Tool Rpr". In 1950, they are back in Washington DC, where Senior is manager of a service station. Lenore works for the Federal Power Commission. Senior died in about 1983. Lenore died in 1992. Junior died in 2016. Let there be (free) light."Light bulb in the trash can" reminded me that here in Detroit (and I assume other cities) the Edison Co. would exchange light bulbs (burned out for new) at no charge. That went on for years until some local store owner sued Edison for restraint of trade because he wanted to sell more lightbulbs. And won! What a yutz. Monday ... is laundry day. And this kitchen appears to have a combination kitchen sink and deep laundry tub. If Mrs. Rogan was lucky she would have an electric wringer washer, otherwise it would be the old washboard. It would lean against the angled portion of the laundry tub. My 1928 house still has its original double concrete laundry tubs. There were also refrigerators that operated on kerosene. Re: Snack Time by Soda_PopGiven his age, the social conventions of the time regarding raising children, etc., it's highly likely that Junior had a relatively early lunch - between 11:30 and noon, followed by a nap. Upon rising from said nap, he could have had a regular snack, followed by playtime in the yard all afternoon. Dad may have been at work until 3 or 3:30, and walked home by 4. Dinner may not have been until 5, so a 2 o'clock snack for Junior wouldn't have been out of place. Kids' stomachs are smaller than adults are, and their metabolism is generally higher. (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, Kids, Kitchens etc., WW2)
Camping Trip: 1932
... from New Hampshire, 1929-1935, out on several automotive camping trips around Mt. Chocorua, Chocorua Lake, Hampton Beach and Rye areas ... 
 
Posted by Christoph Traugott - 01/29/2019 - 12:33pm -

Found photos of a family from New Hampshire, 1929-1935, out on several automotive camping trips around Mt. Chocorua, Chocorua Lake, Hampton Beach and Rye areas of New Hampshire. This trip is dated 1932. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Tent Camping: 1931
... from New Hampshire, 1929-1935, out on several automotive camping trips around Mt. Chocorua, Chocorua Lake, Hampton Beach and Rye areas ... 
 
Posted by Christoph Traugott - 02/06/2019 - 10:26am -

Found photos of a family from New Hampshire, 1929-1935, out on several automotive camping trips around Mt. Chocorua, Chocorua Lake, Hampton Beach and Rye areas of New Hampshire. This trip is dated 1931. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Clean Living: 1937
... if this is a trailer park, where are the flamingos? Camping shoes Look at the moderately high heels they are wearing in a camping trailer park. Plus dresses on an outing. You don't see that level of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 7:10pm -

Washington, D.C. June 4, 1937. "Trailer camp." And what looks like the trailer seen earlier here. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Griffin Allwhite Shoe Polishis what I used to use to clean my white bucks when they were the shoe of the day. I don't think they have that any more. And if this is a trailer park, where are the flamingos? Camping shoesLook at the moderately high heels they are wearing in a camping trailer park. Plus dresses on an outing. You don't see that level of dress in camping parks of today. What is the table in the infield used for? House cleaning.The only trailer trash I see is the empty matchbook on the ground. White Lead PasteWhat's the Eagle All Purpose White Lead Paste, on the box serving as a doorstep? [White lead paste was a filler that could be thinned with linseed oil and used as a caulk or putty. Mixed with pigments, it could be used as paint. - Dave] A Trailer Camp"Trailer camps" used to be quite common. The trailers (and you can see several in the background) had beds and a small living area, cooking was usually done outdoors or under a shelter, and there was a central shower/toilet/laundry facility. This is doubtless the white building in the background. Check out these vintage postcards for a more complete glimpse into this prewar Vagabond lifestyle! I love stuff like this! State FairThis reminds me of the 1945 musical in which the family takes their little trailer to the fair for a week. Momdoesn't look like a happy camper. Random observationsNever go camping without your rubber floor mat. How about the portal height of that trailer? Mom is standing on the ground, yet wiping near the top of the door. It started way back then: make windows that stick out, so when you walk by they poke you in the eye. (Don't ask how I know about that one.) That TableCould it be a fixed grill for those who don't have a camping stove of some sort? Clean and SpiffyI always wear my hairnet when camping as well. I find that it lends to the overall atmosphere. Departure from the 1930s ordinaryAfter seeing so many photos of Depression-era people on the road, with whole families living out of their cars and trying to get work where it could be found, it's kind of refreshing to see people living on the road because they wanted to. Of course, I'm sure they were in the minority. I guess that white lead paste was as necessary to 1930s RV owners as a tube of silicone would be today, for sealing those rivets and seams that always seem to leak. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Travel & Vacation)
Camping in Yosemite 1940's
This is from a group of photos of my dad's family during a road trip to Yosemite National Park. Judging from other pictures with my dad as a kid in them, I'm thinking this was around 1946. (Sadly he is not around anymore) I wish that old Ford was ... 
 
Posted by mhallack - 01/05/2009 - 9:54pm -

This is from a group of photos of my dad's family during a road trip to Yosemite National Park. Judging from other pictures with my dad as a kid in them, I'm thinking this was around 1946. (Sadly he is not around anymore) I wish that old Ford was still around, though not likely as he traded in cars every few years. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Violet Camp: 1905
... ! Glass negative by Adam Maclay. View full size. Camping? Camping for the wealthy? They have two alarm clocks, a mirror, cloth for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2014 - 2:48pm -

New Zealand circa 1905. "Men in front of 'Violet Camp' tent, Christchurch." On the lookout for ... foxes! Glass negative by Adam Maclay. View full size. Camping?Camping for the wealthy? They have two alarm clocks, a mirror, cloth for table, nice bed. My kind of camping. Is it me or the angle of the camera, but don't these guys look really small? Mr. CravatsWhat's with those extraordinary knots in their ties? Were they part of the camp dress code? Amazing. On the lookout for foxes?So these are two wild and crazy guys. But at first I thought the the fellow on the left was the third place runner up in the Stan Laurel look alike contest. High pocketsThe guy on the right probably has a wedgie from trying to pull his pants up to meet the bottom of his tie. (The Gallery, Camping, New Zealand)
Future Tents: 1959
... out of the car. First public showing of the easy-does-it camping equipment will be at Eastland Center in Harper Woods ... (Continue ... Chitty Bang Bang There's nothing new under the sun. Camping Could Be In tents in 1958. You see a dinosaur ... I see a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/17/2020 - 12:40pm -

"1959 Ford Country Squire with pushbutton 'Station Wagon Living' equipment." Color transparency from the Ford Motor Co. photographic archive. View full size. FORD WILL EXHIBIT PLUSH CAMP WAGON         In the experimental station wagon developed by Ford Motor Co., the outdoorsman with a strong push-button finger can set up camp without getting out of the car. First public showing of the easy-does-it camping equipment will be at Eastland Center in Harper Woods ... (Continue reading) -- News item, Detroit Free Press, 1958 Barbie had a nightmare. This is it. In a word. Hideous. Capitalism does it bigger and betterThe socialist version looked like this. More homely, less comely. Updated version of Chitty Chitty Bang BangThere's nothing new under the sun. Camping Could BeIn tents in 1958. You see a dinosaur ...I see a HAPPY MEAL! Just Push a Button, and Camp News item from the Washington Post, July 3, 1958:         TRAVELERS and sportsmen who would like to park their cars after a day's drive and set up camp by pushing a few magic buttons, may be able one day to do just that.         With the "pushbutton camper," a specially equipped experimental Ford station wagon, a traveling couple could pull into a parking area, lower a boat from the roof top, pitch their tent and set up a kitchen unit protected by an overhead awning -- almost without getting out of the car.         One push button lifts the boat and swings it over the side so it can be easily removed for launching. A car-top tent, containing a full-sized double bed, already made up and equipped with a reading lamp, is erected by another button.         After the tailgate is opened, a third button slides out the compact kitchen unit complete with an electric refrigerator and two-burner stove, a work table and meat cutting block, and a sink with hot and cold running water.         The roof compartment also houses a shower head, complete with curtain. Ford has no definite plans for mass producing such a vehicle. If consumer demand warranted it, a company official said, the automatic equipment could be produced by independent suppliers and installed by a Ford dealer. Wagon with a dilophosaurus on topThose wings on top of the pop-up tent are eerily familiar. Took me a second to realize where I'd seen something similar ... From the same company that brought you the Edsel.Looks like something Rock Hudson's character in the movie "Pillow Talk" would drive. It might as well have been a camperThis one really took me back! While our Country Squire was newer than this one (1963, maybe) it looks almost exactly the same, right down to the red interior. We moved twelve times between my birth and the start of kindergarten, so while ours didn't have the camper accessories, I might as well have lived there for as much time as I spent going place to place in it. AmenitiesI love the little shower on the side. (Technology, Bizarre, Kodachromes, Camping, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Camping
Unknown location, but probably in California. From a box of negatives found in a Thrift Store. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery) ... 
 
Posted by Vintagetvs - 01/22/2016 - 7:22pm -

Unknown location, but probably in California. From a box of negatives found in a Thrift Store. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Dork Dynasty: 1910
... was it the butler or the maid that took the photos ? Camping Merit Badge I don't know when the Boy Scouts came to New Zealnad, but earning the "Camping" merit badge must have been a chore. The Gaiety Camp As ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/27/2013 - 7:19am -

No slapdash campsite for these circa 1910 New Zealand outdoorsmen: "Unidentified men sitting between two open tents with beds, tables, pictures, flags and posters on the walls, and Gaiety Camp sign, quoits game in front, pine trees behind. Sumner, Christchurch." Glass negative by Adam Maclay. View full size. Harp Poster ?The poster in the middle of the sleeping tent on the left depicts a winged figurehead harp which has me wanting to know more - Can anyone enlighten me as to its origin and what it represented ? One also wonders how far out of town these campsites actually were, did they have a matching fancy outhouse or did they just go across the road to the church hall - and was it the butler or the maid that took the photos ? Camping Merit BadgeI don't know when the Boy Scouts came to New Zealnad, but earning the "Camping" merit badge must have been a chore. The Gaiety CampAs evidenced by their cheerful demeanor of its residents. Nary a smile present, in spite of all the apparent creature comforts of rural Edwardian NZ. Shocking! I tell you. Shocking!!All of those girlie pictures and tobacco ads on those walls! Harp posterIt looks like a version of the Harp of Erin so maybe one of the gents had an Irish connection. Bob's your uncleThe British flag is a Second Boer War commemorative featuring Lord Roberts, whose nickname—Bobs—is a contender for the origin of the title phrase. (The Gallery, Adam Maclay, Camping, New Zealand)
Excelsior: 1863
... of the 72nd New York Infantry. View full size. Camping Gear - Knot I think I slept in that same tent and cot in Boy Scout ... to read "Castiglione." - tterrace] (The Gallery, Camping, Civil War) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2014 - 2:39pm -

September 1863. Culpeper, Virginia. "Dr. Irwin of Excelsior Brigade in front of tent." Charles K. Irwin of the 72nd New York Infantry. View full size. Camping Gear - KnotI think I slept in that same tent and cot in Boy Scout camp this past summer! I'm somewhat surprised that the tent ropes have tension/lenthening/shortening "gadgets" rather than use of knots that slide. Then again, this was pre-Baden-Powell. I Tell You CharlieWar is hell, ain't it? Wine timeI see they're enjoying a nice cup of wine! Can anyone enlarge the desktop to see what vintage it is? I'd also like to see what the books in the back shelf are (maps, I'd assume). [All I could make out on the full-sized LOC tiff is part of one line which appears to read "Castiglione." - tterrace] (The Gallery, Camping, Civil War)
Midcentury Mom: 1952
... all around. 35mm Kodachrome slide. View full size. Camping anyone? You can see the camping trailer next to the shed in the distance. Wonder if it belongs to this ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/12/2018 - 10:27pm -

"1952." Our young man returns, this time on the arm of an attractive older woman. Natty attire all around. 35mm Kodachrome slide. View full size. Camping anyone?You can see the camping trailer next to the shed in the distance. Wonder if it belongs to this family. [Stay tuned. - Dave] SighIt makes me sad to know that she's most likely pushing up daisies and the kid is in his 60s, if not deceased himself, his children (if any) don't even have the wonderful slides that their grandparents took. The car was probably scrapped a long time ago, the stylish clothes gone to the landfill. But despite all that it might cheer me up to know what's in the kid's hand? I knew that kid looked familiarSpeedy Swing CoatMy Mom made me a coat like that in Green. Wore it for years. I am still around and all our children are in their 50's. Good years for our age group..too young for the wars andthere was prosperity most of the time. Box of KleenexThe obligatory box of Kleenex can be seen on the shelf of the rear window in the car. Our 1952 Oldsmobile had a box of Kleenex there also. It must have been the place of choice for the tissues back then. My parents' first car was a 1950 Plymouth Special four door sedan. $2,011.01 cash on delivery. And where were they?I was disappointed that they stood in front of the license plate. Early BoomerThis boy, like me, is an early Boom Baby. Because I, and maybe he, was born in '47, high school graduation was 1965 -- this is the year the Class of '65 turns 65. As of now, 10,000 of us are turning 65 EVERY DAY! Here's hoping this guy has enjoyed the advantages of boomerism as I have. SwingMom's wearing a swing coat, a popular style in the 1940s and early '50s that's enjoying a revival today. Junior's getup is still waiting to be rediscovered. He's a Mama's BoyWhat a darling picture! She is a proud Mom and he looks just like her. The colors are just glorious and crisp. The snapshots of this little fellow and others have been a treat! Thank You. First car Sure looks like a 1950 Plymouth. Mine could leave rubber in two gears, and if I popped the clutch just right could make the fan belt squeal and sound like it was leaving rubber in all three gears. Never pulled those stunts with my brother in the car or in our neighborhood for obvious reasons. In his handIt looks like it could be the right size to clip onto the handlebar or frame of a bicycle. Perhaps a small whirligig? [Or an oarlock for a small pink rowboat. - Dave] PlymouthThe Plymouth must be either a 1951 or 1952 based on the bumper. In 1950 Plymouth used a bumper that had a character line along the bottom and bumper guards that tapered towards the top. The 1951 and 1952 Plymouth bumpers were smooth and had more beefy bumper guards that had almost no change in width from top to bottom. As the rest of the body from 1950 - 1952 hardly changed, it is easy to miss these minor model year differences. Photos of a 1950 (red) and a 1952 (blue) are below. Bicycle clipI don't remember plastic bicycle cuff clips. I was born in 1941 and grew up in an era where items like bicycle clips were still made of metal. This is a great photo and sure brings back memories. I remember those Plymouths. They were Chrysler's answer to Ford and Chevy but they didn't even have a form of automatic transmission until 1953 when they introduced "Hy Drive" which was nothing but the old Chrysler fluid drive. Chevy and Ford had full automatic by 1950-51. Remember "Fordomatic"? Mama has a Polish noseAnd given the brown hair she & Dad (previous picture) sport with a blond little offspring and the fact they're in the Pinconning area, I am going to make a guess that they're Polish or at least part. Lots of Poles in Pinconning and we tend to start out blond and change hair color around 9-12 years old. (Cars, Trucks, Buses, Kids, Michigan Kodachromes)
Klassy Kamp: 1915
... NOT to let Irma play with the matches!" Carry on Camping Other camps included Big Six camp, Raccar camp and Camp Ease. More ... Street were known as Easy Girls. (The Gallery, Camping, D.C., July 4, Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/21/2018 - 10:45pm -

July 1915. Washington, D.C. "Klassy Kamp group." One of the many summer camps dotting the banks of the Potomac a century ago. Other views here and here. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Starting the day off with a bang"I thought I told you people NOT to let Irma play with the matches!" Carry on CampingOther camps included Big Six camp, Raccar camp and Camp Ease. More information here: Summer Camps Along Virginia Shore of the Potomac Gangsters and a GypsyThat has to be Bonnie and Clyde upper left. That lady up top with the headscarf is trying to hypnotize me. Something about their eyesAfter enlarging this picture, everyone in it seems to be under hypnosis or perhaps in the twilight zone, similar to a group of robots or programmed people from science fiction or even reminiscent of the group pictures hanging on the hotel walls in "The Shining". Maybe there is something in the water or they have been brainwashed, but doesn't it look just a little unnerving? [Obviously they're trying to tell you something. WHAT IS THE MESSAGE? - Dave] A musical groupIf they join in with the wind-up phonograph, those five variations of guitars and mandolins could make a lovely sound for what may be a July 4th celebration with the young lady preparing to light the fuse of the huge dummy firecracker -- let's hope it's a dummy! Woodstock 1915There'll be a wild time tonight. Racy picture for sure. Oh Baby!A female ankle. Covered with a sock. Still, hot for the times. Fathers, watch out for the Mandolin ManA favorite story from my mother is when she was a teenager in the late 1920s. A steady visitor to her house was one Billy Bowen, along with his mandolin and two or three of his male friends. They would sit in the front parlor with my mother, Kate, and my piano playing Aunt Rose, Aunt Helen, Aunt Marge and Grandmother Wilhelmina and talk for a while, then Billy would start to strum the mandolin and play some songs from the Gay '90s ("Who Put the Overalls in Mrs Murphy's Chowder?") to amuse my grandmother. Who would leave as he segued into the popular tunes of the day. Now he was a very accomplished musician who could play and sing as he tried to steal kisses from Mom. Sometimes she would let him get his wish and other times she would coquettishly hold him off. My aunts, especially piano player Rose, were busy doing the same with his friends as they would sing until they kissed and continue singing afterwards. There was always someone singing and a musical instrument playing to convince Grandmother everything was on the up and up. I always wondered if in whatever social media was popular then if the Streb Girls of Aisquith Street were known as Easy Girls. (The Gallery, Camping, D.C., July 4, Natl Photo)
Vacation Wagon: 1964
... use them. Back then, we used to spend our vacations camping, so the car was packed to the gills, including the center of the back ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/31/2022 - 1:09am -

        Our annual salute to the start of vacation road-trip season, first posted here 15 years ago. Everyone buckled in? Let's go! "Great Falls, Montana. Return after 3 weeks Vacation. June 27, 1964." This Kodachrome of a 1960 Chevrolet Parkwood station wagon is from a box of slides found on eBay. View full size. family trips in those carsI also spent some hot days in a car like that on the way to the grandparents. My mother flattened the second seat, put a mattress on the floor and loaded three of us and the stuff in on top of it, us and the stuff equally loose and not tied down. We whined and fought and slept our way to Cape Cod from southern NJ. My father always "had to work" (they were her parents), so she did the drive alone, I think maybe 12 or 16 hours? Seemed like forever. NostalgicThese people still had a bright future ahead of them, full of great hopes for the days to come. They hadn't gone to the Moon yet, and to them, by 2007 we'd have personal helicopters and robots would run everything. The possibility of the President being indicted for a crime was unthinkable. My job as a web designer hadn't even been invented yet. The lawn looks like it's literally astroturf. Were the colors really like that, or is it an effect of the kodachrome? Holy cow! We had a 59 chevyHoly cow! We had a 59 chevy stationwagon back in the day. Does this bring back memories. We would drive to Florida from Virginia a two day trip usually in the heat of the summer to visit grandparents. Five children two parents no ac. Damn! [This is a 1960 Chevrolet. - Dave] DeflectorsDoes anybody know/remember what the deflectors left and right of the rear window were for? These may have been an aftermarket item. It is amazing how well the colors in this slide are preserved after almost 50 years. It looks like Kodachrome all right, including the telltale blue cast in the shadows The Astroturf look......to my eye, seems to come from the little flowers (or toadstools?) that are in the lawn. At the smaller image size, they look like specular reflections, making it seem like the grass is shiny. [The white flowers are clover. - Dave] 1964As I remember it, this was less than a year after the assassination of JFK, there were race riots in the south and we (I was 14) were all starting to question attitudes towards women, blacks, hispanics, homosexuals and the culture we had grown up with. One of the more minor cultural things was the importance of your front lawn. 50 years?I was born in 1964, and trust me, it hasn't been 50 years since then, yet.... ;) Re:DeflectorsThe deflectors on either side of the rear window were intended to blow air across the rear window to prevent snow from accumulating. A similar deflector is often fitted along the roof on station wagons from the 60s on. I think they were usually a factory or dealer option in later years, but I really don't know specifically about this model or when they might have first been used. OK, 40 years.Sorry, I was too vexed on the year of manufacture of the car. I remember that someone in our street had the sedan version of this Chevy. Like any 8 year old, I was fascinated by the winged tail and the panorama windshield. You didn't see many of these in Europe around 1960; everbody, including my father, was driving Volkswagen Beetles. (He later had a new Ford Mustang 1964 1/2 , with a 289 ci V8 and a four speed box, rally pack and (optional) front discs, which I found very impressive at the time. A real gas guzzler by European standards. Family TrucksterThis is probably what Clark Griswold's dad took the family on vacation in. It's a 1960 Chevy, and I'm guessing it's a Kingswood model. The Brookwood was the more stripped down model and I think the "full dresser" was called a Nomad. This one isn't completely chromed-out and it has the small, dog-dish hubcaps so I'm thinking it's the middle of the line model. I think the rear air deflectors also helped keep exhaust gas from entering the rear passenger compartment when the vehicle was moving with the tailgate window was lowered. Though it doesn't look like there's room for anybody in the third row of seats for this trip. With the window up they also helped keep the rear glass clear of snow and dust. These are Parents of the Year......in my book. Can you imagine going across country now without all of the luxuries and Wendy's and portable DVD players and Nintendo and cell phones and credit cards? These parents did it all the HARD way...and I'll bet they made a lot of memories that summer! My jaw droppedOnce again the red stationwagon family blows me away. The color composition here is perfect. Chevy ParkwoodThis is a 1960 Chevrolet Parkwood. Parkwoods and Kingswoods both use Bel Air trim (mid-level). The Kingswood, a nine-passenger wagon, has the third-row rear-facing seat, and two steps on the rear bumper (one on each end just outside of where the tailgate would come down). Less obvious is that all Kingswoods have power tailgate windows, an option on the other Chevrolet wagons. I still drive a '59 ChevyI recommend owning one. In 2000 We took the ultimate road trip with mine from near the Canadian border in Washington State through the desert to Las Vegas and back up through California and Oregon. There really is nothing like seeing the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet. Cruising the Strip in Vegas was a blast. We might as well have been driving a space ship with the reactions we got. Sadly, these Chevrolets were mostly scrapped and very few survive. 60 ChevySadly, the third row seat had not been invented as of yet and the deflectors were used to deflect air into the rear of the stationwagon at slower speeds. I may not be an expert but I'm old enough to have ridden and slept in the back section of a folded down stationwagon. We didn't know about SUV's yet. Chevy WagonChevy's Parkwood and Kingswood wagons could both be had with a third-row seat. And back then, for the record - wagons WERE the "SUVs" of the day! [According to the 1960 Chevrolet sales brochure, only the Kingswood was available with third-row seating. The International Travelall and Chevy Suburban Carryall were two of the SUVs of the day. - Dave] The luggage rackis something you don't see anymore. It hung on the wall of the garage when not in use. Once my dad, who was in a big hurry, didn't secure the tarp on top properly... We played car games, like Alphabet, Road Bingo, and License Plates, read books, colored,sang songs and squabbled. You took your chances with local restaurants. We hadn't got used to entertainment on demand, so we didn't miss it. And to Dave Faris: It's the film. I once assured my daughter that colors when I was a kid were the same as today. "The Fifties," she said, in her narrator's voice, "were an oddly-hued decade." Slide ConversionHow does one convert slides to digital photos? Any website links or advice? [You'd use a film scanner. I used a Nikon 4000 ED for this one. - Dave] Family TrucksterWe had a green Ford station wagon, not nearly as nice as this, and with our family of six, it was a masochistic experience to take family vacations. Every summer we said that's it, we will never do this again, until the following summer when we did it again. The best part was arriving home again, but I will say that NOT having DVD's and high tech electronic gadgets forced the kids to look out the window and they gained incredible geographic knowledge from seeing the U.S. I could truthfully call these annual trips "purgatory on wheels." Road TripMost all of my long-distance car trips were connected with moving as my father was in the USAF. In August 1954, after being in the UK 2½ years, we got in our in our '53 Chevy coupe and went from New York City to the SF Bay Area, mostly along US 40. Entertainment consisted of looking at the scenery and checking off the towns on the free roadmaps that the service stations provided in each state. Iy being the pre-Interstate era, one did go thru many towns back then! (Excepting on the PA Turnpike) Burma-Shave signs relieved the boredom in the rural areas. We had a car radio (AM only, of course), but for some reason I can only recall it being used while crossing the salt flats west of Salt Lake City. Westward HoIn 1951 our family, my wife, son and daughter, living in Detroit, started taking trips to Cheney, Washington, to visit my WW2 buddy. All on old state highways, no air conditioner, 4½ hours to get through Chicago and the kids loved it. Took these trips out west to the 1970s. We still go west to see my buddy and my daughter in Seattle and we enjoy crossing Nebraska on old U.S. 30. It is a treat to be off of I-80. Nostalgia Ain't What it Used to BeDon't look at this picture and pine for the old days. Change the car to a green Olds Vista Cruiser and that's us in 1969. Back then, dads bought a new station wagon to kick off the summer vacation. Dads don't buy an SUV today for that reason. Without repeating some of the horrors already mentioned below, there was the additional joy of Mom sending back a Coca Cola bottle for one of her sons to use in lieu of a loo. If the girls had to go, we had to pull over. Not so with the boys. Watching mom backhand-fling a Coke bottle out her window, filled with fluid far different that what was originally intended, and seeing it bounce and spill along the shoulder as we whizzed along at 75 mph (pun intended), that's about the fondest vacation memory at least from the car perspective. Today with the daughter hooked up to a video iPod and the sons enjoying their PSP, it's a pleasure to drive for distances. Back then, we didn't play License Plates. We played Punch Buggy and Slug Bug, etc. Fistfight games. Let's go!I loved car trips, and I never had DVD players and Nintendo. I watched the scenery and kept a travel diary. those were some of the greatest times of my life. Road TrripWe had to make do with pillows & blankets. A mattress would have made it actually comfortable. I don't know if Dad didn't have the imagination for that, or just not the money. I suspect the latter. We'd sing sometimes. It was 12 hours from north Georgia near the North Carolina line to south Georgia, near the Florida line, where my grandmother lived. I see the moon; the moon sees me. The moon sees the one that I want to see ... Thanks for the memoriesMy folks had the four-door sedan version of this car, in sky blue & white. My mom used to have a station wagon, don't remember what kind, but it was memorable for its pushbutton transmission on the dash instead of a gearshift! However my favorite "finned" car was our family's Buick Invicta. Now that was a car! Third Row SeatsFords had third-row seats in 1955. I'm pretty sure Chevy had them by 1958 at least. Chevy didn't offer woodgrain sides until '65. Sunday ridesWe had that same car, only in light blue. No seat belts or infant seats for us! We'd put my baby sister in one of those deathtrap baby seats that hooked over the front seat and off we went! What a picture!This picture takes me back almost 40 years to the road trips our family did during summer holidays when I was a little boy. It feels like I myself am stretching my legs after coming home. The colours, the moment -- one of my favorite pictures in Shorpy. My Favorite Car was a 1960 Chevrolet Impala 2-dr hardtop. Bluish gray with white segment on the side, red and white interior. The first car my wife and I bought. Paid $1750 for it used in 1962. We made some wonderful trips in that car. Re: Family TrucksterJust saw this item on TV yesterday about a real family named Griswold that had their station wagon modded to look like the Family Truckster from National Lampoon's Vacation movie for their trip to Disney World. http://tinyurl.com/plo5kub See the USA in Your ChevroletFor our family, it was a 1962 Buick Invicta wagon. Huge car designed for doing massive mileage on the interstates and that's what we did -- six or seven hundred miles a day from Indiana to the Rockies for our annual vacation. Procedure for Accessing the Cargo AreaWe had one of these when I was a kid as well. Ours was a silver gray color. See the chrome disk on the trunk door? Upon arriving at destination, here's what you had to do: 1) Put trunk key in center slot (separate keys for ignition and trunk back then) 2) Open flap (as seen in photo) 3) Rotate flap several times till rear window is fully down 4) Reach in and grab handle to drop tailgate Simple, huh? Looking at old red carsmakes my elbows hurt! Seemed like some of those old single stage paints, reds in particular, had to be waxed every two weeks to keep them looking decent. The widespread adoption of clearcoat finishes in the late 80's to mid 90's freed modern kids from the dreaded frequent waxing chore, thereby giving them the leisure time to start the video gaming revolution... As Long AsThis isn't really the "End of the Road"! That's a scary title for all the Shorpy Faithful. 3 Adults + 7 Children =1000 mile round trip to see grandma. We kids didn't mind a bit. Seat belts?I don't think you heard "Everybody all buckled up?" all that much in '64. I'm not sure of the exact dates, but if you had seatbelts back then, you bought them at a discount store or an auto parts store like Western Auto or J. C. Whitney, and they were lap belts only. Three point seat belts didn't come along for several more years, if I recall correctly, and it wasn't until the government mandated new cars with ignition interlocks in the 1970's that "real men" started to actually use them. Back then, we used to spend our vacations camping, so the car was packed to the gills, including the center of the back seat. My sister and I each got little cubbyholes next to the doors, with just room enough to sit for the trip to northern Wisconsin. My dad drove a two tone green '55 Oldsmobile Delta 88. I saw a picture of that car a few months ago, and as soon as I did, I started remembering a surprising amount of detail about the car's details. It was handed down to me when I went off to college in '64. Seat beltsbobdog19006 is correct in that seat belts were not standard equipment in 1960. However, they had been available as a dealer-installed option since the 50s. By 1966, they were standard in all Chevys, and by 1968, they were federally mandated. I spent many a happy hour on family roadtrips in our '68 Ford wagon, nestled in the narrow gap between the second row and the rear-facing third-row seat, no seat belt, of course. Neither did my siblings in the third row. Service StickersI remember those stickers that service stations or car dealers put on the inside edge of the driver's door when you got your car serviced. This Chevrolet has two. Our road trip rigWe had a '76 Chevy Beauville van, a ho-hum light brown rather than red, which made up for the lack of chrome spears with its cavernous interior: two bucket seats in front for Mom and Dad, two bench seats, and a homemade plywood bed. Strangely, all that space wasn't enough to prevent sibling quarrels. The best story of this van was the return trip of its maiden voyage, when my uncle, who owned a small niche-market manufacturing firm, talked my dad into towing a piece of equipment from South Texas to a parking lot near Chicago, where we would deliver it to his customer from Wisconsin. We quickly got used to being asked at every single hotel, gas station, and rest stop, exactly what was the three-wheeled contraption with the hydraulically-actuated vertical roller-chain conveyor with teeth. The looks on everyone's faces when my dad told them it was a grave-digging machine: Priceless! Curtains?Every August for years we travelled from Birmingham to Cincinnati for a week of visiting my parents' relatives. Before our last such trip in '69, we went through a black-and-white '57 Plymouth Savoy, a metallic-beige '63 Ford Country Sedan wagon (the one without wood on the sides) and a '67 Olds VistaCruiser. I'd love to have that VistaCruiser back today. Ours was burgundy red and my dad put red stripe Tiger Paw tires on it. Imagine a 442 station wagon. As for Shorpy's '60 Chevy wagon, I only just noticed the homemade or aftermarket side curtains, with vertical stripes of brown, gold and red to compliment the bright red car. Thanks, Dave, for showing us this photo again... and including all the original comments, too. Great to relive all the great summer vacation stories with everyone! Re: deflectorsIn the days before the rear window wiper on a station wagon, some folks put these on and the deflected air current would help to clean off that window to a degree. Not having either, within a mile that rear hatch would be almost impossible to see through. Been there, done that and got the tee-shirt. This does bring back memoriesWe had a similar station wagon, but it was salmon (or was it mauve, or ecru?) colored with a white top (I think). It had a 460 a/c (four windows down while traveling sixty miles per hour, some times 560 with the rear tailgate window down). I remember taking a trip from Mississippi to Six Flags over Texas on U.S. Highway 82 (two lane most of the way) in Summer, 1964. The back seats were folded down, and the four of us kids had pillows, blankets, books, and board games to pass the time. It was replaced soon after with a 1965 Ford Country Squire Wagon with a/c, and fake wood paneling on the side. Instead of a rear facing bench seat, it had two small seats on either side that faced each each other. Memories of summer tripsWe also lived in Montana back then, and our family truckster in the 1960s was a 1963 Rambler Classic station wagon. (Yes, I suffered greatly for it among my friends.) That's what I learned to drive, and we ranged all over the western US and Canada in it. Before that, however, we traveled in a 1949 Studebaker Land Cruiser 4-door sedan, which my dad (both inventive and frugal) had outfitted with a set of three back seats that, when covered with the mattress from our roll-away bed, filled the back seat and trunk area with a very passable sleeping unit. That's where I spent most of my time on our travels. At other times, I would climb over the front seatback into the front bench seat between my parents. That's where I was on August 5, 1962, when we were preparing to leave Crescent City, CA, and heard on the radio that Marilyn Monroe had died. Deflector's actual purposeWas to break the "vacuum" the "wall" that was the rear of that wagon created which would suck exhaust into the car if that rear window was open even a little bit. The fresh air, the snowless/cleaner rear window were merely bonuses... Buckle up?A 1960 Chevy wagon probably didn't have seat belts unless the owner installed them. The kids in the back were pretty much free range as long as they didn't make too much noise. Lots of people piled the stuff on the roof and put a mattress in the back for the kids. It was a great way to go and most of us survived. [Seat belts were optional on all 1960 Chevrolets. - Dave] Car playgroundMy folks had a Ford wagon of that era. No seatbelts. Folks put a mattress in the back. Became our playground on long trips. We had no desire to "sit" in a seat. Miss station wagonsI miss station wagons. I prefer them to the SUVs that replaced them. I also miss the bold bright colors that cars use to come in. No SquattingLooking at all the stuff already loaded, I'm surprised the back of this wagon isn't dragging on the ground. In fact it's sitting pretty level. I wonder if dad had overload springs installed? We've had one built for you.To BillyB: Station wagon suspensions were designed with the idea that they would have to haul some combination of eight people and their luggage, so they did OK when loaded down. They *were* softer than contemporary pickup trucks, so the back end of the station wagon wouldn't bounce all over if there were only one or two people in it. Especially at the time of this photo, gas was 25 cents a gallon and would be that price forever, so the factory didn't mind spending a little extra weight on a beefier suspension. Also, most of the really heavy luggage went on the roof rack, which was fairly close to being in the middle of the wheelbase. The back-back, behind the rear seat, tended to contain lighter things, like blankets, pillows, the picnic basket, and - as the trip progressed - bags of souvenirs. If Dad wanted to use the inside rear-view mirror, you couldn't stack stuff much higher than the seats, anyway. Source: I rode in the back of a '79 Oldsmobile wagon every summer from '79 to '87. I think the longest trip we took in it was from Kansas City to Washington, DC and back. WagonsWe had a 1956 Ford wagon, then '61 Mercury wagon, finally a (I think) 1964 Ford wagon. I remember one year with the Mercury, my mom ran low on gas. We were up in the mountains in a resort town. To get to the gas station, she had to reverse up hills, turn around for the downhills, turn around again for going up the next hill. What a ride. Another time, 1965, we were in a typhoon in the current wagon. There were eleven of us in it. Another wild ride driving on a road along the bay. Waves washing over us, my mom hugging the middle of the road (there was an island we could not get across). Wagons were great. The 283 V-8with its 170 gross horsepower is not going to have much highway passing reserve with all that weight. Cross-flags over the V on the tailgate would have indicated one of several 348's which would have given more than enough reserve. That car is 58 years old but properly equipped could have kept pace with most cars on the road today in equal comfort. A 58 year old car in 1960 by comparison was barely even recognizable as such it was so rudimentary by comparison to the 1960 version in its looks and capabilities. The same comparisons held true in all other realms of life comparing 1960 to 1902--homes, conveniences, dress, you name it. Virtually any of those later areas are not that significantly different from their 1960 versions. Those deflectors... were supposed to keep dust off the back window Nikon CoolscanI am having a problem with mine. Can you recommend a place that can repair them. [There aren't any. Try buying them used on eBay. - Dave] 283 V8Although I agree that a 348 engine would have been a better choice for this station wagon. The 170hp 283 was the base V8 engine with just a single two barrel carburetor. The next option up was also a 283 but with a four barrel which the above wagon may have had, which would have given it a little more passing power. Koolscan softwareDave. What software program do you use with your 4000? As it seems the program that came with it is only works for Microsoft VISTA. [I use the NikonScan software that came with the scanner, on a Windows 10 workstation. To install the software on a modern operating system, you have to disable Driver Signature Enforcement. And it's Coolscan, with a C. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Kodachromes 1, Travel & Vacation)
Vagabonds: 1937
... deVaux Wow! Good answer! Thanks Trailer Camping Trailer camping was a new phenomenon in the 1930s: it was accompanied by great ... tried to shoot firecrackers in the wet "backyards." Camping and trailers In 1954 I took our family of five to see D.C. We stayed ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2014 - 2:18pm -

Washington, D.C. June 4, 1937. "Trailer camp." Harris & Ewing takes us into the late 1930s with a "new" batch of 1,945 glass negatives. View full size. Parade flagCurious flag mounted on the fender, could it have been required when pulling a trailer? The Good Old DaysWhen a stubborn car could be cured with the tools you could cram into your back pocket and there were no electronic gizmos involved. Looks like a Dodge. I was born in 1937and look forward to more pictures of my parents' world at the time. Too many moving partsWhat my father and his friends always said about the latest newfangled washing machines. Is the father in this picture secretly wishing for the simplicity of his old Model T, with no water pump, distributor, generator, battery, starter, gas gauge or roll-up windows to worry about? Or is he glad these conveniences have been brought to a reliable state of mass production as he teaches his son the finer points of adjustment? Cool ShortsNot often Shorpy shows clothing that fits today's style. The kid's shorts would fit perfectly today. Correct length and all. But not his shoes. Not by a longshot. Don't Look Like VagabondsAn orchard in the background suggests a labor camp but the travel trailer and the car suggest a vacation of sorts, maybe a "working" vacation. The trailer looks almost new, no dents, broken glass, windows open, roof vent operational ana d the car looks to be in good shape, too. The bottom of the spare tire shows road dirt but this doesn't strike me as a "Grapes of Wrath" type migration. hey, is that a radio antenna sticking out of the top of the trailer? ["Vagabond," in addition to meaning wanderer, was a brand of travel trailer as well as the name of countless motels. - Dave] Plugged InThere seems to be an electric light with a shade and an empty light cord comming down from somewhere out of sight from the top of the picture. Grapes, UpgradedSeems straight out of "The Grapes of Wrath," though these folks seems a little better off. Trailer CampThe trailer looks like it's plugged into electric and there's an electric light hanging overhead - Grapes of Wrath this is not. Curious Flag... That's a fender marker. So you could see where the edge of your fender was while parking and not bash it all up. The other side should have one, too. 1931 De VauxThe car is a 1931 De Vaux 6-75 sedan, made by the De Vaux-Hall Motors Corporation. It was the brainchild of Norman de Vaux, who had on-again off-again ties with General Motors and built the Chevrolet and non-GM Durant factories in Oakland, California. Starting at $595, the De Vaux was an inexpensive assembled car – that is, it was put together with parts from different manufacturers. The car bodies were leftover 1930 Durants with different fenders, hood and grill – all made by the Hayes Body Corporation in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The engines at first were a 65 hp design by Elbert J. Hall, who had co-designed the Liberty engine of WWI fame and co-founded the Hall-Scott Motor Car Company in Berkeley, California. That is the engine in the picture and it was capable of moving the car along at 70 - 80 miles per hour. Later Continental supplied four and six cylinder engines, as they did for Durant, Peerless, Jordan and many other makes. De Vaux-Hall Motors acquired the Durant factory in Oakland as well as a factory in Grand Rapids leased from the Hayes Body Corporation, and began building De Vaux automobiles in both places. Unable to keep up with sudden demand, De Vaux-Hall only produced 4,808 vehicles in 13 months before they sold to Continental Motors Corporation in 1932. Continental reportedly produced another 4,200 cars called the Continental De Vaux before discontinuing production in 1934. Norman de Vaux repurchased the assets in hopes of restarting production, but in 1936 finally sold the Oakland factory to GM. There are some 23 Oakland built and around 32 Grand Rapids built De Vaux automobiles still surviving today. As far as the travel trailer goes, it is the ubiquitous “bread loaf” shape made by numerous manufacturers in the 1930’s including Roycraft, Schult, Kozy Coach, Glider, etc. There were over 2000 trailer manufacturers in 1937. Pierce Arrow made a few hundred of them in the late thirties, and even the Hayes Body Corporation manufactured a similar style. Plus there were dozens of do-it-yourself plans available for the handyman. My best guess is that this is most likely a mid-thirties Silver Dome Hyway model. ContrastInteresting modern electrical connections to the trailer contrasted with the befringed pull-down shade on the driver-side car window. Caravan park all rightThe crud on the spare was most likely thrown up from the front wheel. The name "HALL"appears to be embossed on the engine block. Would that indicate what make of car it is? What's the make ...of the car? The engine block has the word "HALL" cast into the side. 110V of Fine Livin'It looks like the light is plugged/spliced into the top of the trailer. The trailerWhat kind of material is the trailer made of, I wonder? Old travel trailersWhat would the external walls of the travel trailer in this photo be made of? It looks sort of like fiberglass although I figure it would be much too early for that. It does have a pattern on it. [Painted aluminum would be my guess. - Dave] Fairly well offThis family seems to have fared quite well through the Depression. They look well dressed and the man sports "romeros," slip-on shoes popular until the 1950's. The car and trailer both look well maintained. It appears another member of the family or a neighbor friend is coming around the front of the trailer. For most of 1941, our family of four lived in a 19-foot trailer similar to this, with two doors on the curb-side. Hall-ScottTwo talented young Californians, Elbert J. Hall and Bert C. Scott, founded the legendary Hall-Scott engine company by producing gasoline powered rail cars. The duo then went on to build motor cars from 1910 to 1921 before moving on to aircraft and marine engines, where the enjoyed their greatest success. In WWI they produced a family of engines for the “Liberty Motor” program. The engines shared the same cylinder dimensions in 4, 6, 8 and 12 cylinders, with interchangeable parts, designed to be mass produced. No matter the size engine, these low RPM engines were reliable and light weight, producing a very favorable power to weight ratio. Hall-Scott engines were among the best known in aviation history. After WWI, Hall-Scott left their leadership role in the aviation market to turn to producing engines for trucks, buses, boats and power units. American Car and Foundry bought Hall-Scott in 1925. ACF used Hall-Scott's fame to advertise their buses as being Hall-Scott powered. They refused to sell engines to others. ACF made an exception for International trucks. The Internationals sported Hall-Scott engines in the 1920s and early 1930s. The engines ran vertically or horizontally, on LPG or gasoline. deVauxWow! Good answer! Thanks Trailer CampingTrailer camping was a new phenomenon in the 1930s: it was accompanied by great speculation, and also fear, as to how this would reshape the housing, labor, and tourist economies. The immediate pragmatic concern in D.C. appears to have been issues related to hygiene and sanitation. Based on other photographs in this series at the LOC showing the proximity of the Washington Monument (will we see them Dave?), my hunch is that this photo is at the Washington Tourist Camp, located "on the bank of the historic Potomac River, and in the midst of the rare and magnificent Japanese cherry trees." Washington Post, Jul 6, 1937 Hopes Appear Dim for D.C. Trailer Camp Only 25 Auto Nomads in Potomac Park During Fourth. Although prospects for a District trailer camp do not appear any too bright for him, Assistant Corporation Counsel Edward W. Thomas will call a meeting of the Washington trailer committee, sometime this week, he said last night. "Private property for a trailer camp would be pretty high and most other land around here is already in the national park system. But we will meet to discuss trailer health and traffic problems." The committee was appointed in February by Commissioner George E. Allen to make a study of the trailer situation. Due to activity of District officials at the Capitol during the past few months, no meeting has been held. In the meantime - as the touring season reaches its peak - there are at least two schools of thought concerning the need for a trailer camp. Less than 25 trailers were parked in the Washington Tourist Camp over the holidays. Some of their occupants expressed opinion that if the District provided a special camp "there would be 500 trailers here every night." Knode Among Doubters J.S. Knode, manager of the tourist camp, is among those who have their doubts about that and who wonder whether the economist was right when he predicted that a big portion of the American public would be living on wheels within the next decade. There is rarely a time when the Knode camp could not accommodate a trailer or two more. The only "homes on wheels" he turns away regularly, he said, are ones bearing District license plates. "Strangely enough, we are always turning them away. We're just for tourists, but it's hard for them to realize it, apparently." Washington offers no inducements for touring nomads who wish to settle down for two or three months as they do in Florida during the winter. The tourist camps place a two-week limit on their stay, and it is rare that health regulations can be met when the trailer is parked on private property. "Gypsy Law" Broken. Under an old "gypsy law," any vehicle used as living quarters can not be parked on any lot for more than 24 hours unless water and sanitary facilities are provided. Another hindrance that Thomas considers might stand in the way of a special trailer camp is the District building regulation that requires all new structures to be made of masonry. Trailers have but little brick and mortar in their construction. Takoma Park, Md., officials last month had to "declare war" on trailers which were parked in violation of the gypsy law. They reported last night, however, the situation was corrected easily and that several trailers are now "hitched up" in that vicinity. At the tourist camp in East Potomac Park it was evident that trailering soon settles down to a routine just like any other type of travel. Nobody appeared to be much concerned with what the neighbors were doing, or even conscious of the State printed on their license tags. As isolated as if they lived in adjoining apartments some of the nomads sat on doorsteps to read their evening papers - apparently unaware of children who tried to shoot firecrackers in the wet "backyards." Camping and trailersIn 1954 I took our family of five to see D.C. We stayed in a tent at a campground near the Jefferson Memorial. We had all our camp gear in the 14 ft. boat we trailered on our vacations. This same trip we took the kids to see the Statue of Liberty. In Manhattan, I got in trouble for having a car and trailer on Riverside Drive. We used the boat when we camped at Fish Lake in upstate New York. Our trailer looked like the one here. I had to report back to the 20th Armored Division in California. Hearing there was a shortage of housing at the base near Lompoc, we bought a trailer in Detroit and towed it west. This was wartime and we had many flat tires. But we got there and sold the trailer when we left California for home. Vintage TrailerI love seeing photos of vintage trailers. I camp nearly every weekend with my family in our Airstream trailer. It's neat seeing how others fared back before trailers were outfitted with mind-boggling luxuries such as satellite systems, minibars, TVs and so on. This photo was taken shortly after Wally Byam introduced the first Airstream trailer model, the Airstream Clipper. Interestingly enough, Airstream was the only trailer manufacturer to survive the Depression. Something about 1930s trailersIn those days practically all trailers were made of wood and covered with Masonite. This was surprisingly durable when painted, they lasted at least 10 years. Much longer if painted or kept under cover. A few examples of Masonite trailers survive from the 30s and 40s. More expensive models had a special leatherette material over the Masonite. This may be what is on the trailer in the picture. The roof was also made of Masonite. It was covered with canvas over a layer of cotton padding then the canvas was sealed with 2 coats of special paint. In the picture you can see how the edge of the roof canvas is tacked down over the padding. The most expensive trailers were covered with sheet aluminum. But this did not get popular until after WW2 when better, cheaper, and thinner aluminum became available. The electrical socket on the roof is a bit of an optical illusion. It is a light socket hanging in the air. Look to the right and you can see a light fixture shaped like an inverted bowl. There must have been a row of these lights suspended from a horizontal wire . The trailer looks brand new, the car would have been about 5 years old. There were many brands of trailer that looked like that. If you wanted to pin down the exact brand you could compare to the advertisements and pictures at Atlas Mobile Home Museum website. They have the largest collection on the net. (The Gallery, Camping, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
Auto-Campers: 1920
... Texas plates came out in 1925. Great photo of auto camping, which was quite a national fad in the 1920s for those lucky enough to afford it. Lots of folks would do auto camping during the following decade as well, but for altogether different ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/22/2013 - 9:37am -

Washington, D.C., or vicinity circa 1920. "Dr. A.A. Foster and family of Dallas, Texas, in auto tourist camp." A novelty that would evolve into tourist cabins of the 1920s and '30s, the motor courts of the '40s and '50s and culminate in the motor hotel, or "motel." Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. About that license plateNice illustration of the first state-issued Texas license plate and registration plate in action. State-issued Texas plates were introduced in 1917, with slightly over 50,000 plates being issued that year. The plates were undated, with the date being on the registration plate [commonly called a "radiator seal", for obvious reasons]. This style of plate, with separate registration seal, continued to be used through 1924. The first dated Texas plates came out in 1925. Great photo of auto camping, which was quite a national fad in the 1920s for those lucky enough to afford it. Lots of folks would do auto camping during the following decade as well, but for altogether different reasons. A great memory of the pastWhen we were young our families used to go to the various roadside rests around the area for a picnic. There were quite a few in our area of Ohio. As years went by and the advent of 4 lanes, the roadside rests were closed and abandoned. Some of them had the best drinking water I have ever had. Winnebago,The early years. Give it ten years or so.They will be doing the same thing, only it won't be for fun. Deep in the HeartI am curious why anyone would ID this as being in the Washington DC area when the vehicle clearly has a 1920 Texas license plate, and some kind of Texas permit (possibly for its use as a camper) on its radiator. [A big hint is the term "tourist camp." Harris & Ewing was a commercial photography studio located in Washington, D.C. -tterrace] Chandelier He's even got an outside lamp for late night dining. In 1920Any trip from Texas up to the Washington area would have been a grand adventure. Imagine the type of roads that poor car had to use. Brave souls. Lamsteed KampkarOne of the first RV's, a Lamsteed Kampkar. Designed in 1915 by Samuel Lambert of Listerine fame... later built by Anheuser-Busch. Described in the book Mobile Mansions Motor Touring in 1923In 1923 my grandmother, aunt, mother and a friend just back from being a missionary in Liberia (4 women), took a motor trip from Washington, DC, to Maine and back. They camped each night, usually in farmer's fields. They were avid photographers and I should post a picture or two on Shorpy. Dadlooks to be a rather jolly ol type of fella doesn't he. Clear the Bridge!He must have gotten that Klaxon from navy surplus. Re: DadWhile Mom, on the other hand, looks a little tired of it all. Car campingThey've essentially turned their car into an RV. Plunk that RV down in a more scenic piece of land and it screams national park to me -- a campground. Car camping. Meet the FostersAfter much squinting and Photoshopping I was able to decipher the writing along the bottom of the plate. Caption updated to reflect this. "Dr. A.A. Foster and family of Dallas Tex." Also seen here. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!"Oh, there's nothing like the posh, posh traveling life for me!" -- From the film, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" 1920 Census RecordsFound the family! From familysearch.org 1920 Census Records - Dallas, TX Allan A Foster (M) - born in Tennessee 1886 - 34 years old Jessie W Foster (F) - born in Texas - 34 years old Beula Belle Foster (F) - born in Texas - 8 years old Allan A Foster (M) - born in Texas - 7 years old Thomas K Foster (M) - born in Texas - 2 years 6 months old Household ID: 83 Sheet No.: 4 GS Film No.: 1821791 Digital Folder No.: 4391480 Image No.: 00741 More on the Foster familyIn the 1930 census, the family was in Pasadena, California. The parents, Allan (spelled Allen) and Jessie, are both 46. The children are Beulah, age 18, Allan, age 17, and Thomas, age 12. In the 1940 census, the Foster family is still in Pasadena. Son Thomas, at age 22, is still living with his parents. There is also a daughter-in-law, Theresa Foster, age 25, living there, who I assume was Thomas's wife. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Dogs, Harris + Ewing, Kids)
King of the Road: 1963
... Growing up we mostly used our full size Coleman for camping but I can identify with the comments regarding use for the roadside ... can remember my mother cooking on it for us during our car camping trips around the state of Oregon during the 60's. He still has the red ... 
 
Posted by delworthio - 12/23/2008 - 4:33pm -

This is how you pull over for a family meal during a road trip. It's the early 60's and the family is off to visit Canada. Kodachrome slide. That camp stove used white gas. View full size. PumpedI too fondly remember the rectangular hand-pumped Coleman stoves with the fuel vessel hanging off the front and the stamped metal wind-breakers: simple yet reliable. (I currently use the backpacker descendant that looks like a moon lander: it has never let me down even in the coldest weather). Growing up we mostly used our full size Coleman for camping but I can identify with the comments regarding use for the roadside midday lunch break. If it were my family we would probably be stopping for lunch at one of the many scenic rest stops along the old national road as it crosses the mountains in western Maryland. Oh the MemoriesWow this photo brings back memories of my dad heating chicken and dumplings in the can and assembling bologna sandwiches on white bread with mustard for many a roadside dining experience on our yearly family vacations. He branded it "clean food" in his campaign to convince my brother and me that it was the best thing ever. This was in the 1980s - I guess it was a tradition he carried on from his own childhood vacations. I doubt the tradition will carry on with this generation since I'm much more likely to just GPS the location of every Starbucks along the way. A Tent SituationMy wife, daughter and I camp two or three times a summer at state parks, and we regularly leave all our cooking stuff on the table (including our old drab-green Sears-branded Coleman stove), our clothes and such in the tent (we do lock up the valuables in the car, though). We'll go out for multi-hour hikes, or even drive into whatever town we're near, and when we come back usually the only trace of visitors is muddy raccoon prints on the table. Alas, we do all our cooking when we get there, though. My version of this scene would be ordering sammiches at Subway. Coleman Camp StoveSitting in my father's garage is that very same green camp stove (ca. 1961) still in the original box. I can remember my mother cooking on it for us during our car camping trips around the state of Oregon during the 60's. He still has the red Coleman cooler also. That stove brings back memoriesWe cooked on one of those for a whole year while hand-building our geodesic dome house in 1971 and waiting for the power company to install underground power. The stove used expensive gallon cans of Coleman fuel. There was a gas station in town that sold white gas (naphtha) for cheap, but it had impurities that clogged the stove. So we had to go back to the $4/gallon stuff. Doing it rightTraveling in style means camping with a chrome percolator. InterestingThe idea of stopping on the side of the road to cook from a Coleman stove is a novel idea in this culture and would now be considered really weird. The roadside picnic area where this was taken is probably now a McDonald's. I'm 37 years old and although I've been camping several times we've never stopped enroute for a picnic. It's obvious the older generation was not as prone to be discouraged by a little hard work and inconvenience and didn't mind taking some extra time if it meant doing something important. Our family van on a long trip is packed to the brim with junk, mostly stuff we don't even need - DVD players, cellphone cords, GPS units, boxes of clothes for the in-laws, huge suitcases, etc, etc. Then it's on the interstate - no time to stop except quickly for fast food. What a refreshing change it would be to recreate a trip like the one pictured here on the backroads of America. Where in Canada?Being as how I'm in Prince George, BC, and this scene could be practically anywhere but in the mountains or on the prairies. By the way, I looooooves Shorpy! Coleman StoveAh! A good old "green monster" coleman stove. My Scout troop still uses identical ones to this day, a testament to their being indestructable. We only changed the tanks to newer red ones a few years ago. You know it was a great design as you can still buy the same stove today, it has a few very minor improvements but for all intents is the same stove they made 50 years ago. ColemanI still have my Dad's two burner Coleman, 55 years old, works like a charm Don't miss the Tupperware!Another iconic item of the 50s and 60s is behind the stove -- Tupperware! Road FoodMy girlfriend & I usually stop and make sandwiches at least once on a vacation trip. Not as extravagant as firing up a stove for a hot meal, but it's a nice break from fast food and a chance to unwind. What impresses me is that the stove also has its own stand. No stooping down to the ground for him. No man who takes a chrome percolator on a road trip should stoop. Background to dramaBlissfully unaware of the drama playing out behind them: on the left, a speeding Corvair; on the right, unsuspecting, a pair of pedestrians precariously perched on the shoulder. What will the next few seconds bring? Sudden terror, or just a request to pass the mustard? PercolatorIt appears to be an electric perc. How did he make it work way out there? Dad cooking.Dad is doing the cooking just as I did for our family when on camping trips. My children loved the camping life as we traveled and still have wonderful memories of it. My kids, now 56, 62 and 65, still talk about my Rabbit Ear Pancakes. In the late 1940s we could leave our stove and cooler on the table, the sleeping bags in the tent at the campsite and they would still be there when we got home from a movie in town. Times have changed. Camping 40's and 50's StyleYou've hit on a passion of mine! I fondly remember many road trips while growing up. We used the same stove. For those interested, you should check out 40's and 50's style Teardrop trailers. I am just completing one now. We are taking a week long Florida trip starting tomorrow and will spend our time in State Parks sleeping in our teardrop. Mine can be seen here: http://home.earthlink.net/~tony.cooper/TDProj/album.htm Many varieties including originals can be seen here: http://pages.prodigy.net/rfs2growup/mystry07.htm Talk about living nostalgia! [I grew up in Florida! For a few summers in the mid-1960s we'd haul the family Avion up from Miami to Juniper Springs, in the Ocala National Forest. You should check it out if it's not too cold. - Dave] Sault Ste. MarieI failed to mention that on the slide this was phonetically written: "Soo St. Marie, breakfast." The trip was from our home in Northern Indiana and up through Michigan. I'll post the other slide with Mom doing the cooking (includes tailfin of their car!). Maybe that one will show us the percolator better. I'll have to ask Mom if she remembers where they would plug that in. My wife and I do the cooking like this while camping at Bonnaroo, but not while on the road. We don't have this stove but use the modern equivalent and use her dad's old Coleman camp oven, which is basically a metal box that sits on top of the grill and bakes. It has a temperature gauge on the door so you adjust the flame accordingly. Perfect for biscuits to go with the bacon and sausage gravy. Or Naan to go with our Indian MRE's. Road foodMy Texas Bride told me that when her family traveled her dad would buy a loaf of bread, a pound of bologna and a quart of milk. So one day while traveling up to Valentine, Nebraska, we were in the town of Thedford and I bought a loaf of bread, half-pound of bologna and a quart of chocolate milk and went to the park for lunch. I loved it. She did not! About theft of camp gear, we ran into a case of this in Yellowstone Park and Sinks Canyon State Park in Wyoming. Sad that this happens but happen it does. Great stove!We use those guys in WW2 reenacting. Nothing perks you up in the morning like Tim from the 5th Armored brewing up a pot of tea on that thing! I've been looking for one of the "pocket stoves." eBay? eOuch!! I'd like to just say, for the record, that roadside cooking is still alive and well. This summer I took a 10 day driving trip to Wyoming with very little cash. Well, I should say what cash we had was eaten up by gas!! We started out with a few camping meals, jam and jerky. Along the way we would pick up bread and fruits. Finally after 5 days I said "enough" and demanded a hot meal. We got a small "disposable" grill from K-Mart and cooked up dinner on the side of the road by the bison preserve. It could have been torture, trying to shield that thing from the wind at 1 in the morning, but watching planes come over the Tetons lit up by the full moon made things romantic and magical. Maybe in 50 years, those shots will show up on Shorpy! Roadside foodI remember stopping along side the road in Utah, Nevada, Colorado and many other states on our road trips. We had NO money, so we stopped at local stores and bought bologna, bread, chips and fruit. I still remember this after all these years. A trip to fast food would have been long forgotten. A side-of-the-road picnic? It's is branded indelibly in my brain!!! They're everywhereAhhh, the ubiquitous ol' Coleman stove. I think Lewis and Clark had one too. Juniper SpringsJuniper Springs will not be too cold to visit at about 83F, today at least. I may just take the 29 mile drive out there to see if any other Shorpies are there! But back to the Coleman stove -- they can also be quite dangerous or upsetting. I once got one as the #1 Christmas present for a previous spouse. Wrong move. GuessCan't say exactly why, but if I had to guess I'd put them somewhere in Northern Minnesota. Something about that dwelling in the background looks Range-Finnish. I would love to do a family vacation like this someday. Sad to say, but who has the time for a leisurely Americana road trip? Guess it's time you have to make. Our trips to CanadaWe did exactly the same thing on our trips to Canada to visit my aunt. I remember the food tasted wonderful. Manifold menuI'm still surprised to find that people eat out 3 meals a day while traveling. No wonder so many are so deep in debt, so addicted to credit cards. It's easy enough to find a rest area or city park to eat lunch. The TV tells us that the world is dangerous, but I've found most places are fairly friendly. At worst, they just leave you alone. I still have the green Coleman stove, but I never did like the darn things. We have a small propane stove that doubles as a heater. We don't spend every night in a motel when we travel, either. A tent packs up pretty easy in the car. Now, for true road-food, you take a piece of meat, some cut-up potatoes, onions, and carrots, a little oil, salt and pepper, wrap it up in foil, and lay it on your engine to cook while you drive. When you get hungry, you have a hot meal ready to go. Or is that just an intermountain western US concept? Great photo -- looks like a fun trip. Road trip!I'm 23 and plenty of my friends go on road trips and we rarely stop for fast food. When we got to our major destination this summer, we cooked a 12 pound turkey over a fire. It was magical and cooked perfectly. I think I might be in the minority here, but when I have kids, we're totally road tripping and cooking for ourselves. CookingMy buddy used to do that on backpacking trips. Before starting up the hill he would stop and buy meat and vegs and had a little spice kit in his backpack. We'd build a fire once camp was set up and he'd wrap everything in foil and through it in the coals! I must say it was very da kine!!! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Travel & Vacation)
The Campers: 1930s
... changing into late-forties styles, or it could be because camping is a fairly casual activity. Casual clothes are always a bit hard ... several of the boyscout version of aluminum all-in-one camping utensils to stash in my car just to keep from getting perturbed and ... 
 
Posted by Tony W. - 09/18/2011 - 10:11pm -

This is probably Yosemite National Park some time in the thirties. Scanned from the 4 x 2½ inch negative. View full size Hey SamMildred? Have you seen my keys?? We'll never get out of this darned park if I don't find those keys! Late ThirtiesA data point: the car in the background is either a 1937 or 1938 Chevrolet Master DeLuxe four-door touring sedan. The breeze has placed the hanging clothes in rather inopportune positions, covering some details that would make the year more conclusive. Given what I can see, my guess is it's a 1937 model year car. It's impossible to tell how old the car was when the picture was taken, so all I can offer with any certainty is that the picture dates from 1937 or later. (If only the newspaper on the table was legible.) Correct TimeThose long skinny ladies' watches would indicate the 1930s also. 1935 Plymouth DeluxeThe circles on the hood, door hinge locations and the windshield wipers point to a 1935 Plymouth Deluxe sedan. 1935 PlymouthThe car in the background is definitely a 1935 Plymouth Deluxe Four Door Sedan. The trim rings on the hood give it away. Although it is blurred you can vaguely see the round sailing ship hood ornament. I hope this helps. Plymouth? Chevy?I never before noticed the remarkable similarity between the '35 Plymouth Deluxe (see it here) and the '37-38 Chevy Master DeLuxe (see it here). It's hard to distinguish in the images I linked, but both cars have the rings on the hood, the suicide doors, the little window in the rear, the elongated hood. The grille would be a giveaway, but it's not really visible, and if you can make out the hood ornament in the Yosemite picture, your eyes are far better than mine. I will defer to the '35 Plymouth identification, though, because the pillar between the doors is slightly more visible on the Plymouth, and the rear door hinge is higher on the Plymouth (and both of these are evident in the Yosemite picture). Good catch! Sometime between 1945 and 1949Judging by the clothing. Here's my thoughts: The men's haircuts look like they are from the late 1930s, but men tend to be conservative about their hairstyles. (Women too, actually; you can often tell a woman's age by her hairstyle if nothing else.) The older women have hairstyles suggestive of the 1930s (but see above) while the younger, undoubtedly more fashion conscious, women have hairstyles that are more casual versions of mid-forties. This could be because those styles are changing into late-forties styles, or it could be because camping is a fairly casual activity. Casual clothes are always a bit hard to date but are often earlier than you would suppose, because one decade's casual clothes become the next decade's more formal or at least more general wear. Believe it or not, the tuxedo was once casual (hunting) clothing! So these are not everyday clothes of the '50s and '60s. They are earlier. That bare-shouldered dress on the dark haired woman facing the camera is definitely later forties and not thirties. The "playsuit" started in the later thirties but that kind of sexy bare shouldered look for informal activities didn't really get going until after the war. The pressure is on!Quick! Someone identify that pressure cooker lid! What's for breakfast?Looks like a half open can of hash? A box of biscuits and eggs. What was in the pressure cooker? ShameIt looks to me as if the dark haired girl on the left is giving the photographer bedroom eyes, while the girl next to her is mortified and trying to meld into the background. Dad looks resigned and tense, while the aunt on the end looks disgusted. Mom just looks at the photographer as if to say, "don't even go there". The dark haired girl looks quite hot to trot, I think. Anyone else see this whole scenario? Before plastic forksThese campers don't know how lucky they are to have real flatware, NOT the current despicable, fragile and useless forks and knives with which they expect people to enjoy outdoor and party dining today. I plan to purchase several of the boyscout version of aluminum all-in-one camping utensils to stash in my car just to keep from getting perturbed and annoyed by those who offer only the flimsy, weak and unusable disposable junk. I find that nothing spoils the fun of a joyful gathering more than crappy utensils! (And you darn kids stay off my lawn). [The white kind is flimsy and to be avoided -- blech. The full size clear Lexan or polycarbonate variety, on the other hand, I've found to be pretty good -- my flatware of choice for camping trips or patio barbecues. The cheap aluminum flatware in a lot of camping kits is soft and bendy, much inferior to the better plastic. Nice stainless flatware, of course, trumps them all as far as style and function go. - Dave] Camping accoutrementsEnameled coffee pot, still in style at fashionable camping sites thirty years later. Nothing like the taste of coffee grounds roasted over an open fire. And before milk cartons.Yes, and before milk cartons, paper plates, the whole "modern" picnic thing. Teen AngstNo one has mentioned the family dynamics of this photo: Mother, Aunt, Father, older daughter, younger daughter -- not the kind of campsite you put up and take down in a day, so probably has been set up in a campground for a week. The Uncle pulls out the camera on the day your leaving, and catches the youngest not wanting to leave the boy she met. Oldest daughter in a good mood 'cause they are going home, Mother tired of cooking and cleaning in the "rough," Father wanting to get home to see the game. Dating the photoThe girls' hair is definitely forward-looking (to the 1940s). My gut feeling though is that the older women look reasonably "with it." In other words they don't look like they'd be wearing styles dramatically out of date -- they'd simply not pick up on the latest change as it happens. Given that the car is '35, my expert opinion puts it at 39-40. What a CutieMan, I gotta stop falling in love with these Shorpy babes. Especially since they are, as a rule, deceased. The Pressure is offThe lid does not belong to a pressure cooker (note the collapsible handle in the center rather than a relief stem) - this lid most likely belongs to a utensil tote for camping. Family Dynamics ReduxI am thinking that that is Grandpa and Grandma away from the camera. Mom is on the right and Dad is taking the picture. The girl looks too young for boyfriend camping. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Tonypix, Travel & Vacation)
The Buoys of Summer: 1942
... not sure where Reggie is. (The Gallery, Boy Scouts, Camping, Jack Delano, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2023 - 9:27pm -

July 1942. "Florence, Alabama (vicinity). Boys in swimming class at Boy Scout camp." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the U.S. Foreign Information Service. View full size. I spy Jughead!The kid with the broken fingers could be a red-headed Archie. I'm not sure where Reggie is. (The Gallery, Boy Scouts, Camping, Jack Delano, Kids)
Comic-Con: 1942
... be called ha-relief. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Camping, Kids, Music) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/24/2023 - 8:44pm -

August 9, 1942. "Interlochen, Michigan. National music camp where 300 or more young musicians study symphonic music for eight weeks each summer. Reading the funny papers on Sunday morning." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur S. Siegel. View full size. How big those pages are --The good old days when you could read a comic strip without a magnifying glass. And when was the last time you heard anyone refer to "the funny papers" or the "funny pages"? Comic ReliefThey're reading the Detroit News, which maybe shouldn't be a surprise - the fact that Interlochen is clear across the state notwithstanding - as metro papers had wide circulation areas in those days; competition was fierce: the rival Free Press and Detroit Times both offered 16 page sections. And last, but by no means least, we can't blame them for wanting to avoid the main news section: a front page headline that day was "Six Nazi Spies Die in Chair" (the infamous "enemy combatant" case). It's punnyAn artistic style that could be called ha-relief. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Camping, Kids, Music)
Roughing It: 1905
... memories! I spent a lot of my youth in the Adirondacks camping in lean-tos just like this. The canoe paddle is identical to one my ... natural insect repellent. (think cedar closets) When I go camping out here in Oregon, I look for cedar trees. I cut and bruise (crush the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2014 - 2:46pm -

Upstate New York circa 1905. "An open camp in the Adirondacks." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Fine ThingHumph. Lean on meThat lean-to makes me so nostalgic for the time I spent hiking and canoeing in the Adirondacks. I have enjoyed several dozens of nights sleeping in those amazing shelters, hiking the high peaks area near Lake Placid and portions of the Lakeville-Placid trail and canoeing from the lakes and rivers around Saranac all the way down to Old Forge. The lean-tos are all over the trails, rivers and lakes in the park. Were it not for the early 1900s clothing, the photo could have been taken yesterday. The shelters still look exactly the same. Pit BullBecause I own one myself, I cannot help but notice that the dog looks like it is at least part pit bull. Lean-to sheltersThose who have hiked in the Adirondack High Peaks will immediately recognize the lean-to, which is characteristic to the region. These can be widely found and in the state park they are maintained by the state for use by hikers on a first-come, first-serve basis. Some locations and photos, etc., here. You can see that they haven't changed at all. That's how I remember itThree men with guns, check. One man with an oar, check. Two disgusted women, check. One disgusted dog, check. One cabin open to all the bugs in the Adirondacks, check. One man in a three-piece suit carrying a clipboard, check. Okay, then, I guess we're ready to camp! Hey MaWhatcha want us to do with this here city slicker we caught snoopin around? He shore got a funny lookin hat! Didn't read the rulesSomeone in this picture accidentally brought an oar to a gunfight. Who feels like a silly goose now? On a country road close to town?Very interesting picture with the contrast between the rugged outdoors and civilization. Two of the men are wearing ties. One looks like he is the banker there to discuss the mortgage on the property. Only the two on the right look dressed for the outdoors. The structure looks to be just a sleeping platform. Something more sturdy than a tent but without all the comfort of a cabin. This contrasts with the more developed structure in the background and the cleared land indicating this might not be too far from civilization. Two of the men are holding now classic Winchesters. The man on the right an 1886 takedown and the fellow second from the left an 1895. The open cabinYou'd get eaten alive by black flies and mosquitoes, sleeping in that place. Second From LeftI hear a song when I see this picture: "Come and listen to a story 'bout a man named Jed Poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed" Ahh the memories! I spent a lot of my youth in the Adirondacks camping in lean-tos just like this. The canoe paddle is identical to one my dad and I picked up nearly 50 years ago in the Adirondacks. Every time we went to this one canoe rental place we would look for that paddle. The owner finally sold it to us. It's all about the detailsSo, the lean-to appears to be hung with cedar boughs - is this to ward off bugs? The man on the right it seated on a wonderful chair made of wooden crate. He wears a handsome plaid shirt with corduroy trousers tucked into socks with fancy tops. He appears to be wearing a badge or fob of some kind - perhaps his park permit? And look at that beautiful basket behind him! Note also what looks to be a bunkhouse in the upper right, up the hill. Adirondack ChairThe crate-chair on the far right says Cushman's Menthol Inhalers on it. These supposedly "cured diseases of the head, including hay-fever, colds and bronchitis." Back in Boy ScoutsWe had these three-sided cabins (bigger than the one shown here) at Camp Harris on Lake Echo in Nova Scotia, and we all referred to them as "Adirondacks". Now I know why! See der branches?Looking at the branches that festoon the cabin I see that they appear to be cedar branches. (There are lots of them out here in Oregon) Cedar branches will keep away most insects. they tend to be a natural insect repellent. (think cedar closets) When I go camping out here in Oregon, I look for cedar trees. I cut and bruise (crush the leaves) a few branches, then spread them around and under my sleeping bag if I am sleeping on bare ground. They seem to do the job of keeping mosquitoes away. The Ghosts of Camping past The 'Lean-to' we opted for on Horse Stable Mountain, NY, was twice this size and with a stone fireplace and chimney in the center, facing inwards of course. The breeze atop a 500 foot tall boulder kept most bugs away, and nightly warmth was assured by dropping a ten foot pole down the flue, and watching it self-feed into the coals all night long. (The Gallery, Camping, Dogs, DPC)
[1]23…next ›last »
Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.