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Young Gun: 1939
... in the mail order catalogs in 1940. Streamlined Camping The toy in the shoe box is a stamped steel toy camping trailer from the All Metal Products Co. in Wyandotte, Mi. It had nickel ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/13/2013 - 8:25pm -

January 1939. "Sunflower Plantation. Son of tenant farmer in corner of living room. Pace, Mississippi." Note Sonny's suction-cup ammo. Large-format nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Butcher PaperTterrace we always licked the suction cups before shooting the darts usually at the tv or a window. Glass and foreheads seemed to be the only things that they would stick to. Suction cup?We don't need no stinking suction cup. The first thing my brother and I would do is pull the cup off and sharpen the end in a pencil sharpener. our main targets were cardboard boxes. I'll leave it at that. Cool guitar!Melody King, set up for Hawaiian style playing, with the raised nut. Made in Chicago by the Harmony Co., distributed by the Bronson Co., to the best of my understanding. I collect and restore old Harmony guitars. Streamline!Can anybody identify the toy in the box? Is it a travel trailer, or maybe a bus? And I like the ships wheel motif around the sound hole in the guitar. No refrigerator hereToo bad because that's the only thing those darts stuck to. My uncle pronounced me "the laziest kid I have ever seen in my whole life" because I had tied thread to my darts so I wouldn't have to get up and go retrieve them. I had one.Those suction darts would never stick to anything. [Surely I can't be the only one who spit on the cup and stuck it to my forehead. And got a nice round blue bruise for my trouble. - tterrace] WallPAPERI just love that "Real McCoy" wall PAPER - likely with no insulation and Tar Paper on the outside. Pity the kid did not have crayons to draw on it. PowerlessFrom what I can see, there's probably no electricity in the house. The huge "A" battery , and the "B" battery which may be behind it on the chair, probably powered a radio among other things. The AM receiver on the table looks like it was gutted but they may have had another one. It also appears that Our Gang's "Alfalfa" was a relative. Farm radioThe antenna and ground leads for the radio are visible just to the right of the table; the antenna lead disappears through a hole in the window frame. It's likely the radio is a Silvertone, mail-ordered from Sears and Roebuck, just like the batteries powering it. Prior to the Electrification Act of 1936 these "farm sets" were popular in rural areas; since it took several years for the "high line" to reach many farms they were still offered in the mail order catalogs in 1940. Streamlined CampingThe toy in the shoe box is a stamped steel toy camping trailer from the All Metal Products Co. in Wyandotte, Mi. It had nickel trim and real rubber wheels. Hopefully the kid still had the really cool LaSalle sedan that pulled the camper! Boys and their toysLike this young lad, I also had a suction cup gun that I used to shot at anything and everything. And like this lad probably did, I found out why there was a belt hanging on the wall within easy reach of mom and dad. Poetry FansI like how the portrait of Emily Dickinson has pride of place for this family. Farm RadioI believe OldeRadio is correct. The radio appears to be a 1937 Silvertone 4661, seen here: http://radioatticarchives.com/radio.htm?radio=3427 Probably a nice set at that time. (The Gallery, Kids, Russell Lee)
Camp Chevy: 1959
... summer of my junior year in high school seven of us went camping in the Adirondacks and I was the only alternate driver he would let ... you might hear the sounds of these people having fun camping. Roughin' it? Not roughin' it that much. While I'm sure he ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2014 - 2:49pm -

35mm Kodachrome from circa 1959 sent in by a contributor who found it in a thrift shop, and scanned by me. The wagon is a 1957 Chevrolet. View full size. re: No longer existYou left out the one thing I miss the most - vent wing windows. I wish they would bring them back, but they are not aerodynamically correct for fuel economy purposes, so I guess they're gone for good. This is the car I learned to drive a manual transmission in back in the 60s. I had gone through driver ed on our school's automatic, but my best friend had one of these wagons with the straight six and a 3-on-the-tree that he let me drive a lot. It was an ugly monotone Battleship Gray, although I'm sure GM had a catchier name for the color. The summer of my junior year in high school seven of us went camping in the Adirondacks and I was the only alternate driver he would let drive on the trip. We spent our time in these, as seen previously on Shorpy. Someone must respond... and may I be the first. Dear loujudson, I see that you've been a member for over a year and this is the first pic that you've seen that might be a little out of focus. I noticed from your profile that you're a sound engineer. Maybe if you put your ear up real close to the screen, you might hear the sounds of these people having fun camping. Roughin' it?Not roughin' it that much. While I'm sure he doesn't have a t.v. my guess is that he's using a cot to keep him above ground judging by the left side of the tent. Shifty GuyMy family camped in Chevy wagons (we had several). We had it down to a science and could set up and tear down in no time at all. I too learned how to drive in the first one. A 55 V8 stick. I could easily spin the wheels perhaps because it was a wagon and had low rear end gears. Speaking of 3 on the tree, does anyone remember reaching through the steering wheel and shifting with your left hand because your right one was around your date :-) I guess a '57 Chevy saved my lifeEverybody can’t have a ’57 Chevy story but I do and here it is: One night in 1958 my friends Roger B., Gordon C. and I were hurtling down Wopsy Road near Altoona, Pa., on our way home from the Highland Fling Tavern up on Wopsononock Mountain. Roger was driving the red fuel injected ’57 Chevy Bel Air that his mom had bought him, one of the 220-hp cars doled out to dealers early on, and this one had been driven on the sands at Daytona Beach by a car salesman, running 133 mph. For a passenger car in 1957, that was something. Well, Fireball Roger exited what he thought was the last serious curve on the road, nailed the throttle and as I looked over and saw the speedo a tick above 100 mph (shouting "Yee haw!"), the actual last serious curve presented itself. What a surprise. Roger lost control and the car ran up an embankment on the right, flipped onto its roof and slid backwards for (according to official state police measure) 156 feet before going off into the woods on the left. I can still see the sparks shooting off the roof into the night as we slid. This was getting exciting. The car was stopped by a bunch of small trees and one big one, but the Angel of No Fires kept the gas tank intact. Plus, teenagers live forever. In the photo you can see that my window (passenger side) was seriously reduced in height, but I managed to squeeze through it, crawling in total darkness around to the other side, and I reached in, turned the engine off (fuel injected engines can run upside down, but you don't want to make it a habit) and helped Roger and Gordon get out. When the windshield made its way in hundreds of pieces past us into the back seat, it cut our arms and faces in dozens of places (no other injuries) and two days later my left arm was swollen twice its size. I had crawled through poison ivy. Considering the what-ifs, I was real happy, or at least happier than Roger, because his mom forgot to add his car to her insurance policy. The Handyman1957 Two-Ten Handyman, i.e., the 2-door model as opposed to the 4-door Townsman. The One-Ten models did not have the color wedge down the side, just a solitary chrome bar. That tent!I still have one just like that. Bought it from J.C. Penney about 30 years ago and we used it last summer! Hard to set up but we like the headroom ! Yes, I would like to have that 57 Chevy as well! Things on that Chevy that no longer existHubcaps Giant luggage rack the size of a radio astronomy antenna Drip rails (that the luggage rack attaches to) Station wagons! Straight-six under the hood ... and most probably a two-speed Powerglide automatic [One of BMW's most popular engines is a straight-six. -Dave] Dave, Correct. I was thinking of 'Merican iron. I think there are still a number of straight-6 Diesels out there as well. Same carI drive a 57 Chevy wagon, same color as this one. I've had mine more than 20 years. 1957 HandymanIt's a model 150, not One-Ten I believe Pretty in pinkAs one who reveled in the unique, sleek, chrome-embellished, streamlined and definitive car models of the 50's and 60's, I wonder why they no longer offer the color range from the mid 20th century, like this soothing pink, the entire range of aqua,the two-tone combos and the vibrant feel-good interiors to match the exterior. Easter egg colors were desirable for females and some males and the only colors in interiors today seem to be tan or gray, pretty darn dull if you ask me. P.S. Update: Thanks and appreciation to Vintagetvs for the website on pastel and feminine cars, very informative. Now I can prove to my kids that I did not dream these up, but that they really were available. Pastel CarsDodge briefly played with the idea of cars styled just for Women, the Dodge La Femme was available as an option for a couple years but was dropped in 57. There were few built and far fewer still around. Wiki has an article on it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_La_Femme You won't print this one.It's your site, and I am merely a daily visitor, but this substandard photo and scan is unbecoming and inappropriate. I guess it is popular among the 50s car crowd, but since i had to squint to see the details and found them boring, you can spend that much time reading my comment... don't publish lousy pictures such as this! This is not a 100 year old picture worthy of Shorpy! There are plenty of old car sites for the chevy folx. Lou [Seeing as how this is currently the most popular post on the entire site, it would seem that most people think otherwise. - Dave] Very becoming and appropriate!I love this very detailed picture of camping in 1959, along with that cool looking '57 Chevy wagon! There are so many fascinating things available to see, without even looking closely! I like old car pictures, and Shorpy is kind enough to post this classic! Didn't even have to go to an old car site! Thank you, Dave, for posting this image of camping life in the '50s! It's a great shot! RosebudWho does not have a photo like this tucked away in a shoe box or album? A keepsake, blurred, not well defined, imperfect, and yet very dear as a reminder of Mom, and Dad, and that summer when we were young; now all gone, except for this hastily taken photo. I am Nomad!Is that Chevy a Nomad? [No. The Nomad was a 2-door model with a distinctive slanting pillar and hardtop-style side windows, i.e., frameless. - tterrace] Thank you! What a gorgeous car! 1957 Chevy wagon out camping.This Coral and white wagon is a 210. It has a white panel within the trim sweep. Belairs had trim as you see on the Seafoam and white Nomad below. 150s had a horizontal stainless steel spear down the side from the rear into the front fenders with an angled paint divider up to the window. First responderSee "very becoming and appropriate" post below. Thanks for the backup, 'Gazzie'. I'm sure 'lou' just got up on the wrong side of the bed. I guess we all have days like that. 57 ChevysOur family had a 57 210 standard shift. Another way to tell that a 57 is not a Bel-air is to look at the hub caps. Both the 150 and 210 have the small ones. The Bel air has the full size caps. (ShorpyBlog, The Gallery, Camping, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Kodachromes 1)
G. Whiz: 1914
... positions. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Camping, D.C., Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/11/2023 - 4:05pm -

On the banks of the Potomac circa 1914. "Summer camps: G. Whiz Canoe Club." 8x6 inch glass negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size. Thoughtful constructionThe bench has a board where you can hook your heels if you don't want your feet on the ground while you sit. The table has a board for resting your feet on in case you don't want your feet on the ground while you sit or to bend your legs underneath you. I think that covers the usual sitting positions. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Camping, D.C., Natl Photo)
Cooks on Wheels: 1950s
... I never got it. I'm talking about the "craving to go camping" gene; apparently my physiology deleted permanently the instinct to ... It's not cheating to bring the comforts of home with you camping. Still go camping all the time with my neighbor's VW Bus with kitchen ... 
 
Posted by Tony W. - 03/30/2012 - 3:02pm -

Bill Bliss and his family again, enjoying a little outdoor cooking sometime in the mid-fifties. I'm not sure where this is but I'm guessing somewhere up the Pacific coast. 35mm Anscochrome color slide. Here's another photo of their trip. View full size. I never got it.I'm talking about the "craving to go camping" gene; apparently my physiology deleted permanently the instinct to want to live in the wild. I don't mind an occasional one-meal picnic or an afternoon at a civilized park facility with all the amenities but I could never understand bringing half of one's possessions on a trip to attempt to cook, eat, sleep, bathe and evacuate in the woods, especially when you have all the comforts of home (at home) and don't really need to live with wild critters, insects, nasty weather, lack of hot water and all sorts of possible unknown hazards such as being stranded alone in a primitive setting. Call me an old grouch, and there is no disrespect intended for those whe love it, but I still don't get why people do it. Happy CampersIt's not cheating to bring the comforts of home with you camping. Still go camping all the time with my neighbor's VW Bus with kitchen built in and pop out tent (similar to what's pictured) and it's a blast. Oh, and new guy here. Been following this site for a week now, always one of my morning stops. Cat food?Tell us more about your selections for camping "eats." Meals on wheelsI had no idea those kinds of trailers housed a traveling kitchen, this one stocked with Ritz crackers, no less. Bill Bliss and I could have shared wardrobes. MeowI see two Dogs, a Boy and two Women, no Cats though. I'm guessing the box was just being used as a container for other stuff? CatfoodI'm pretty sure it's just a box for holding stuff. Eating at the "Ritz"Actually, the teardrop style camper (so named because of its shape) was quite popular in the day. In recent years, it has made a comeback. Just do a search for the phrase "teardrop camper" and you can find hundreds of websites that offer everything from basic construction plans to fully macked out designs that are fit for a king. As for the Ritz crackers; from using them for mini-s'mores to crumbling them into my tomato soup to feeding the stale ones to the critters, they will always have a place in my camping supplies. Gray GhostThe gray dog is a Weimaraner, originally a hunting dog owned by German royalty. They were first brought to the US in the 1930s and became quite popular by the 1960s. I have owned two and helped train many. Their nickname as noted above is "the gray ghost." [Also noted as the sweater-wearing models of William Wegman. - Dave] Kitchen on wheelsA decade or so later we crossed to country in an Impala wagon with a massive kitchen box in the back, more or less like this except that the Coleman stove had to find someplace else to sit when cooking. And our tent was, well, a bit more ship-shape (to mix a metaphor). Other than that, camping had hardly changed. The weight of all this plus parents-and-four-kids was enough that my father installed helper spring on the back, and even then on the road to Mogollon he bottomed out so hard that he stopped to make sure we still had a rear axle. A decade after that, and nylon had conquered all, and then came Gore-tex. Simple joysNoting the lantern, it looks like a Coleman dual fuel or could be a kerosene type. I've just recently purchased a North Star dual fuel. It provides as much light as my two LPG lamps combined. Sometimes old technology is better than you expect. We still holiday like this as a family just as I did in the 60s. Canvas has given way to poly tarps & nylon tents; the ice boxes hold ice for 10 days; other than that it's still the same simple fun & we have no bears to worry about in Australia. We had a English made kerosene Tilly lamp when I was a kid, you had to preheat the mantle with methylated spirits & pump the pressure tank up, the best thing about these kind of liquid fueled lamps is they are less noisy then the high pressure LPG lanterns I want that lantern!I'm pretty sure the Coleman is a Model 220. The nickel-plated tank indicates that it is probably a Canadian model. It also rules out dual fuel, as that technology was then reserved for the military, and those lanterns were all green. If it is a kerosene model, there will be a metal cup affixed to the base of the generator tube. You fill that with alcohol to preheat the kerosene to vaporization temperature. This is not necessary with the more volatile white gas. Another use for Ritz CrackersMaking an apple pie. Well, more like an "apple" pie, as it doesn't actually contain apples, instead using crumbled Ritz Crackers as the main filling. But it *does* taste almost the same as a real apple pie. That's because when you eat apple pie you mainly taste the lemon and cinnamon, and the Ritz version has these in abundance. Billy has a boo-booOr at least what appears to be a bandaid on his temple. Reply to: I never got it.I don't think camping is a genetic trait, but it may have something to do with your past. Can I assume you didn't go camping much as a child? Or perhaps you went, and had a bad experience? I didn't get a lot of chances to go camping as a child, but I cherished the opportunities I had. There's something special about sitting around a campfire on a starry night; singing songs, often with people you just met, listening to the kids laughing, smelling the wood smoke, and eating s'mores. Peace and relaxation come differently to different people. Many of my friends enjoy camping, and for different reasons: some want to get away from "civilization" and kick back and just relax with friends; some enjoy "roughing it", and the challenges that nature brings; and still some feel they are working out the kinks in their preparation for a future world holocaust. Camping out can be fun, if you choose to let it be. I even have friends whose kids like "camping out" in a tent set up in the living room. Little black ghostThe grey ghost is lovely, but the little black dog is the spitting image of my little dog Patsy, a Schipperke mix who lived to the ripe old age of 17 and enjoyed many a camping trip with me and my boys and many friends. This dog is even curled up like Patsy would, taking a snooze before somebody said, hey! Let's go for a walk! and then she would wag herself from top to bottom and head off for an adventure. Camping, and kids, and dogs. Nothing like it. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Tonypix, Travel & Vacation)
Nighthawk: 1943
... brothers had had a couple when they took my cousins and me camping. Otherwise a great photograph. Dave,I now assign my Intro and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:24pm -

April 1943. Washington, D.C. "Girl sitting alone in the Sea Grill waiting for a pickup. 'I come in here pretty often, sometimes alone, mostly with another girl, we drink beer, and talk, and of course we keep our eyes open -- you'd be surprised at how often nice lonesome soldiers ask Sue, the waitress, to introduce them to us.' " Medium-format nitrate negative by Esther Bubley for the OWI. View full size. "Edward, this is Esther""Miss Bubley, I like what you do with light and shadow." "Mr. Hopper, I love the way you show the isolation of the human condition." Sea GrillAccording to their web site the Sea Grill Restaurant of 1943 was at 1221 E Street NW. Now on Kentlands Boulevard in Gaithersburg. I'll bet she paints her toenailsToo many years ago when I was a pre-teen, my grandmother was horrified that I wore polish on my toenails. "Dear, only hussies and party girls paint their toenails -- you don't want people thinking badly of you, do you?" I didn't know what she meant by "party girl," but it sounded okay to me at the time. The Big SleepWow, very Phillip Marlowe like! What is that on the table?Beer, matches, salt & pepper, ashtray. But what is that clear caterpillar tractor thing on the table? And it looks like she has an envelope to deliver, noir indeed. [It's a cigarette case. - Dave] Don't Look Now, Sister...... but there's a man behind you! WW2I hope that in time she found love and marriage. In the factory where I worked in WW2 there was a very nice looking young woman who would leave work, stop at a bar, pick up a servicemen and take him home for the night. In time she met and married one of the company engineers. It happens. Looking for LoveDuring WWII many women felt alone and looked for company, as the song goes, "in all the wrong places." Some got hurt, some came out unscathed and some actually found the companionship they sought. The District had many more single girls than most other cities and this photo highlights the poignancy and desperation of a lonely young woman. [Not all that lonely. Before long she'd met this nice young corporal. - Dave] Lunch that sticksDuring my years as a Montgomery County resident (early-mid '90s), my then partner and I were looking for a late lunch one Saturday and happened upon McDonnell's Bethesda location. Lunch was fine, but what I recall most is our surprise appetizer. Being Southerners (yes, Bethesda is below the Mason-Dixon, but it seems MD has more in common with its neighbors to the north), we were confused when the server brought us sticky buns as a free and unsolicited appetizer. I never did figure out what sticky buns had to do with lunch, or seafood for that matter. And the plot thickens...She works at the War Office during the day. Her younger brother is being held captive by the SS. She is waiting to pass the documents concerning Operation Pointblank in the envelope to the man in the window (who is making sure the coast is clear before he comes into the restaurant) in exchange for her brother's release. Work it girl.Elizabeth Short's friend, in an interview she gave after the Black Dahlia murder, said that the pair used to do the same thing. When they were broke they would, go out, flirt a little and a man would then buy them dinner. I think it was not uncommon practice during the war, like many young women having to share one apartment, etc. People were more trusting, I guess, or maybe it was just if a man bought them dinner the guy was expected to only be hoping for a second date. Nowadays, I would not even have my pocketbook so far from me. BrrrrrWho is the Mysterious Face in the Window? Goodnight Mrs. CalabashLooks like Jimmy Durante peeping in the window behind her. Long, cold, night.What a dark and lonely picture. Very 40's noir. I wonder if she's still there ? Lonely Spinsteror Femme Fatale? SurprisedI'd be surprised only if the nice, lonesome soldiers DIDN'T ask Sue the waitress for an introduction. So, how did the nasty servicemen behave? Hope that's not her father glaring in on her, over her head. He doesn't look approvingly upon this scene. Meryl StreepIs that you? What an atmospheric photo.What an atmospheric photo. That guy behind the blinds is creepy! "Tang o' the Sea" 1930 1943 From Any Angle......she's gorgeous. The guy checking her out through the window would no doubt agree. Freddy Krueger in the windowMy first look at this fascinating photo zeroed in on the no-goodnik in the window who seems very suspicious. When I read the comments, they are intriguing, but I personally do not believe "lonely" people get dressed up and go out to socialize (else they would not be lonely). A lonely person would be like the introverted Laura in Tennessee Williams "The Glass Menagerie" who stays home with her mother every night and collects crystal animals with which she is obssessed. Just because a person in alone does not mean they are lonely. That is the end of my theory regarding this wonderfully inspiring picture. Excuse me while I go and rearrange my Pez Dispensers. Ahem.Someone really should pick up that crumpled napkin. Spooky Beautiful girl. But what's with the incredibly spooky dude peering in the window right behind her head? I hope she got home safe that night. Very much like Hopper. . . and made only a year apart. Both are works of art. Esther Bubley is underrated. NoirI was fixing to say this looked like a still from a Noir film, and then I saw the man in the window. There's a story for a great pulp novel hiding in this picture. What a dame.She's a tough cookie, and could size you up in two seconds. Check out the creepy guy looking through the blinds. Wow I was so taken by the way this shot is lit and composed that the first couple of times I looked at it I completely missed the man looking in the window. It's a great shot. I can hear the musicClassic Film Noir... with the mystery killer lurking behind the blinds! The world's oldest profession?Not sure how many of you have seen Sands of Iwo Jima, but in it John Wayne's character meets a girl very much like this in a bar. He goes home with her, but nothing much happens when he discovers she has a baby in the next room. I always assumed she was a paid professional, and assumed the same thing when I saw this photo. It looks like I'm the only one, though. Stop objectifying Shorpy women!Yes, but wow, a great pair of gams! Putting out for the war effortWhenI was a kid, my father, an 8AF B17 pilot, made this remark on several occasions when he and his two brothers had had a couple when they took my cousins and me camping. Otherwise a great photograph. Dave,I now assign my Intro and Advanced photography classes to look at Shorpy's. Have also hipped the History of Photography instructor to Shorpy's. A great site, thanks a million for doing this. [I am always tickled when people call Shorpy "Shorpy's." Like we're the corner bar or a diner. Maybe I should start calling everyone "hon." - Dave] Fantastic NoirI'm waiting for Robert Mitchum to come by and clock the character in the window and save her! Lonely Working Girl or Tough Paloma?I'd go with lonely working girl. Fresh out of high school in Wichita, my mom went to live with an aunt in San Diego in 1943, and worked for the telephone company (where she eventually met my dad in 1945, back from the war in Europe). She often talked of double-dating sailors or marines with an office girlfriend, and going to dances or on long bike rides around San Diego on their one day off. She was 18 and shy and had never had time for fun on her parents' farm. For all the noir cynicism, and the factually lurid stuff that did go on during the war, most young women and young men that the war threw together were and remained quite innocent in their behavior, at least by later standards. So, did my mom, uh, you-know, with anybody? She never said, but if she did, why the heck not? Beer On TapDo joints still use that sign? I'm an innocent lad, so I don't know. Waiting for Guy NoirShe was tall and dark and so beautiful you wanted to just give her all your money right way and skip the preliminaries What's in your envelope?Delta3 is the closest to the "truth." That envelope holds the secret to life, the universe and everything. Poor guy in the windowWas probably just walking by on a dark night, not expecting to see a photographer in a well lighted bar. He probably has no idea that many decades later people are calling him a stalker. Hey Lady!Try the Snapper Turtle Soup. Ask them to put the sherry in it. And definitely have the rum buns. Hic! Lonely& people in company are not necessarily not lonely. I zeroed in on the crumpled napkin on the bench before I ever saw the guy in the window. Photographer's eye. The guy in the windowdoesn't strike me as particularly creepy. He looks to me more like he was walking by and glanced in the window as he passed--if the picture had been taken a second earlier or later, the camera would have just caught his ear and the back of his head. Anyway, it's a lovely, evocative picture. How Did They Do It?I struggle to get candid shots like this with my compact digital camera or DSLR. Somehow, when people know they are being photographed it shows on their face. How did a guy with a camera the size of a cinder block and a flash the size of a frying pan get such a natural look? I can only imagine that he was there for a while and possibly pretending to fiddle with the camera so she didn't know the shot was coming. [Esther Bubley, the "guy with the camera," often used floodlights. Which she seems to have employed here. - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Esther Bubley, WW2)
Your Move: 1942
... from letting fists fly. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Camping, John Collier, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/01/2023 - 2:17pm -

September 1942. Batavia, New York. "Elba FSA farm labor camp. Recreational director watching boys play checkers in recreation tent. They are among voluntary migrant labor from West Virginia and New York City relief rolls arriving in upstate New York to harvest crops." Acetate negative by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. You can cut the tension in the room with a knifeWhoever said that chess was the most intense, non-physical game in the world never played checkers against these guys. I swear, the boy on the right of the picture is mere minutes away from letting fists fly. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Camping, John Collier, Kids)
Migrant Mother II: 1936
... 1936. Blythe, California. "Drought refugees from Oklahoma camping by the roadside. They hope to work in the cotton fields. There are ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2012 - 4:59pm -

August 17, 1936. Blythe, California. "Drought refugees from Oklahoma camping by the roadside. They hope to work in the cotton fields. There are seven in family. The official at the border inspection service said that on this day, 23 carloads and truckloads of migrant families out of the drought counties of Oklahoma and Arkansas had passed through from Arizona entering California." Medium-format negative by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. A different timeMy first day in California was spent in Blythe in January of 1979. I know because that night in the motel room we watched the pilot of "Dukes of Hazzard." The family was headed for LA and I hated every minute I was in that town. I thought Blythe was a miserable town in January. I can't imagine what it was like sitting on the side of the road in August. This photo almost brought tears to my eyes. Whoa!Ohhhhh. So that's what they're used for. DaddyAnother shot by Dorothea. An Exotic CultureIt's a poignant photograph. By the sensibilities of the time, though, one just didn't show photos of women breastfeeding. Unless, of course, the woman was from an exotic and inferior culture, who's whose nakedness was suitable for display in the pages of National Geographic Magazine. One wonders if Dorothea Lange viewed the Okies this way. Sensibilities of the timeI doubt DL would have lasted five minutes if she had had such a patronizing attitude as to view "Okies" as an inferior culture. What she's saying IMHO is, "you sent me to document the indomitable American spirit and this is what I found." The first thing poverty kills is privacy. Sorority SisterTo me she looks amazingly contemporary. Minus the steely gaze and the nursing baby she could be a college girl.I'm sure she's in her early 20s. Straight out of Steinbeck. What a life. Slouching towards BakersfieldStill no room at the inn. StrengthOne of the most strinking and haunting pictures you've found. 'Powerful' is too weak a word. Thank you. Down but not outLook at the set of her jaw and near glare of her eyes. There was a lot of spirit left in this young woman. Ow. Ow. Ow.This is pure pain. This shot, all shots by Dorothea Lange transend time, simply put, each one is "art". IMO, she was the master of photography. I have so much personal pain viewing this that I cannot even comment. A long sleeved shirt?I'd at least have the sleeves rolled up, if that was my only shirt. Every August in Blythe when I passed through, it was 110 or more. And I didn't have air-conditioning in the VW, so I felt every one of those degrees even in a tank top, shorts, and sandals. You don't see any sweat because it evaporates almost instantly in the low, low humidity. My Ozark relatives would say that looking into those young woman's eyes, she got some spunk in 'er! Those were tough times.I like to relate to the pictures on this web page. 1936 was the year I entered the Henry Ford Trade School and now know how fortunate I was. Would like to know what happened to this young lady. Have read that some of these people or their children did quite well in California. Blythe, CA in Augustis hell on Earth under any conditions. This must have been pure misery. MothersThe child looks a little big to be still nursing which would mean this is the only way mom could feed him, Dad looks hopeless while mom looks strong. One of the strongest photos of motherhood I have ever seen. Those EyesEven though this is a still photograph, I believe she has what they would call an unwavering gaze. Those eyes have seen misery and hardship impossible for most of us to imagine. I wish you well, dear woman. Compelling time periodI am a huge fan of researching this time period the images, such as this one, capture moments of raw human emotion. I did a post recently about The Great Depression, using archive photographs to look at the support systems that are put in place to aid people, like the family member shown here. http://www.collectivepic.com/2009/08/the-great-depression-the-current-re... Nursing momI wish we had a breastfeeding tag here. I've seen other babes nursing. The child is definitely not too old to be nursing. It's only been within in the last century that Americans as a whole have put their babies on artificial baby milk or weaned from the breast way too early. The minimum recommended ranges from 12-24 months--and that's a minimum on the breast, not a maximum. I've come across other nursing mother pictures in old photos. I think that it was likely seen as a normal thing to do. Totally modest, there was no accusation of a lack of discretion--this is simply how infants and toddlers are fed and comforted. Hopefully we can move back toward attitudes such as this. This picture is both beautiful and sorrowful. This ladydefinitely has more femininity, modesty and class than modern American women. True BeautyThat is the face of the most beautiful woman I have seen, such strength, love, character. Antibodies, tooThis lovely mother isn't just providing food and comfort for her toddler. She is also passing on her own antibodies, to help protect him from illness, because his own immune system would have still been developing. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression)
Food Group: 1942
... backed by 1940 Ford Deluxe 4 door sedan. (The Gallery, Camping, John Collier, Pretty Girls) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/31/2022 - 2:59pm -

September 1942. Batavia, New York. "Elba farm labor camp. Red Cross workers who fed the migrants on their first day in camp." Acetate negative by John Collier for the FSA. View full size. Camps, migrants, volunteersWhat was in a name? Here we see the end of the New Deal experiment in housing and retraining migrant agricultural laborers. No one called them economic refugees -- in fact, this camp called them 'volunteers' helping with harvests in wartime. [They were volunteers -- schoolkids from West Virginia getting paid by farmers in upstate New York to harvest their crops. - Dave] The Library of Congress summary of this group of photographs describes them as "voluntary migrant labor from West Virginia and New York City relief rolls." [John Collier was photographing the West Virginia group, not the New Yorkers. Regardless, they were all volunteers who signed employment contracts with the Department of Agriculture. - Dave] Boogie Woogie BataviaI got a distinct Andrews Sisters vibe when I first laid eyes on the three ladies. Deluxe DiningDedicated damsels backed by 1940 Ford Deluxe 4 door sedan. (The Gallery, Camping, John Collier, Pretty Girls)
Little Pete: 1921
... history. Very saddened when he left us. (The Gallery, Camping, D.C., Kids, Music, Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/30/2014 - 11:13am -

    Pete Seeger, Champion of Folk Music and Social Change, Dies at 94 May 23, 1921. Washington, D.C. "Professor Charles Louis Seeger and family." Charles Seeger, wife Constance Edson Seeger and their 2-year-old son Pete, of future folkie fame. National Photo Co. Collection glass negative. View full size. Quit That!My mind persists in thinking Dad's got a laptop perched on top of a crate, though I know it ain't so. Pete's brothersWhatever happened to them? A Gifted Violinist Music and Musicians Constance Edson Seeger, of New York, a gifted violinist, and niece of Capt. Templin Potts, U.S.N., retired, of Washington, is visiting this city for two weeks with her husband, Prof. Charles Louis Seeger, a distinguished composer. Last night they gave a lecture and violin recital at the Arts club on "The Trend of Modern Music," illustrated by the playing of rare classical masterpieces and equally rare modern work - a vivid clash between seventeenth and twentieth century ideals. Washington Post, May 22, 1921 Still Going Strong...Pete, of course, is still going as strong as ever in his 90th year up in Beacon, NY, where he has lived for years and has been the driving force for the cleanup of the Hudson River, and the man behind the plan for the sloop Clearwater. I'll always remember his singing of Woodie Guthrie's "This Land" up at the Newport Folk Festival back in the mid-sixties. A related book recommendationI just finished the excellent "The Rest is Noise" by Alex Ross. The book discusses Charles Seeger at length and cites him as an influence on many better-known 20th century American composers. A fascinating read. Still SingingPete Seeger will turn 90 this May. No clue in this serene scene......to the wonderful and tempestuous folk singing career Pete Seeger would have as the Depression crucible forged his world view. As leader of legendary Weavers in the 1940s, and later, as the most extraordinary, if not most controversial, folk voice of the 1960s and beyond, Seeger has indeed rocked the world in his 90 years. GuantanameraI saw him at Yale one winter (mid 60's) where he pleased everyone by performing "Guantanamera" as a singalong. Before singing it he explained the lyrics and the story they told. Later on the tune became a hit on the folk charts by other artists. Must 've been doing something right (or left)My extreme right-wing father hated him. This was a man who, mind you, voted for George Wallace for president in 1968! The kindest (?) word he ever had for Pete Seeger was "commie." So a very happy 90th to this living American National Treasure, who irritated every troglodyte who so richly deserved it. How to become Pete SeegerThe story of the family touring the countryside by motor home is outlined in "How Can I Keep From Singing?" by David King Dunaway, as well as in "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?," the more recent autobiography (to be republished soon), and his "Incomplete Folksinger." According to the retelling, Charles and Constance wanted to bring "quality" music to the people, so they drove deep into the countryside put on little concerts along the way. Yet when they finished, the people would often say, "Wouldn't you like to hear some of OUR music? Charles realized that they had more to teach him than the reverse. The experience developed Charles' interest in ethnomusicology, his eventual career. Along the way he took teenage Peter to a folk festival in Asheville and the rest is history. The oldest son, Charles, a radio astronomer, died in 2002. The middle son, John, is a retired educator. Pete recently released the Grammy-winning CD "At 89" and is preparing for the annual Clearwater Festival, held along the banks of the Hudson. Woody Guthrie said of him, "Pete Seeger is the youngest man I ever knew." A TroglodyteI'm a life-long conservative who cast his first vote for Barry Goldwater in 1964, and I also voted for George Wallace in 1968. I knew Nixon was going to win, I just wanted him to know how many conservatives there were out here. (Not many at that time!) I also spent most of the "Sixties" in the military, fighting so that Pete's admirers could stay free to burn their draft cards. That said, I've got many of Pete's albums, most of Joanie Baez's and all of Arlo Guthrie's. On vinyl, of course. Politics is politics, but talent and good music transcends. Still can't forgive Jane Fonda, though. She got folks killed. After 50 years, an apology... in the news just this last month. The San Diego school district that sought to cancel an appearance nearly 50 years ago has issued an appology, and an invitiation to folk legend Pete Seeger. Good on 'ya, Pete. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/12/pete-seeger-school-board-apo... Ansel Adams had the Zone System... I'm working on the points system. First I points it here, and then I points it there... Pete Seeger todayThis year's Clearwater Festival Great Hudson River Revival (Father's Day Weekend) will include a 90th birthday celebration and tribute for Pete Seeger. My daughter's photo of Pete playing his banjo was in last year's festival program. Pete's still going strong at almost 90.....Bless Him! Thank you for putting this photo up........AMAZING!!!! Love it. [I hope Pete sees it. I wonder if he knows about this photo. - Dave] Dear PeteI wrote a letter to Pete when I was 15 (I'm 37 now) asking him the best way to lengthen the neck on my banjo. He wrote back advising me not to try. A standard length banjo neck is better than a crappy long one. Good advice. Photo whereaboutsThe photo is likely in the Library of Congress' American Folklife Collection. [It's not. As noted in the caption, this photo in the National Photo Company Collection. It would have been taken by Herbert E. French or one of his photographers. - Dave] A few years ago the Seegers donated films, photos and other stuff to the collection. There are a couple of similar photos from this trip too. They all originated from the Seeger family. More info about Pete at the "Pete Seeger Appreciation Page." And more info about that fabulous, one-of-a-kind Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival also found by Googling. Thanks for bringing us this photo. A Big FanI'm a big Seeger fan. I especially like "Against the Wind" and "Night Moves." P.S.Old Pete had a strong and lasting influence on me, going back 40 yrs, both musically and politically. Thanks for this baby picture. Just love the Bohemianism of it. My dad, a West Pointer, hated him too, but loved my banjo playing. Re: A Big FanThat's Bob Seger, not Pete Seeger. [Up till now everyone got the joke. - Dave] So long, it's been good to know youInterviewed him about a dozen years ago. We talked about ferry service to Manhattan around the turn of the last century, between takes for a NY State film. I sent him a copy of a map I owned showing the numerous ferry lines. Got a handwritten note thanking me a few days later, signed "Pete" with a cartoon banjo next to it. We're Not All TrogsI am one of I hope more than a few West Pointers who found much to admire in Pete Seeger, including his gentle defiance of HUAC. His fidelity to his principles and his environmental activism -- the kind where you actually sometimes get your hands dirty -- placed this humble man on a pedestal far higher than any to which most public figures could ever aspire. When I went back on the faculty in the mid '70s, the Clearwater often birthed at WP's North Dock, and casual visitors were always welcomed aboard. Those who dropped by on the chance that Mr. Seeger would be present found that occasionally to be the case, and his cordiality belied any possibility that he harbored the same antipathy toward the military that many of them presumably harbored for him. I was never a folkie, however, probably the result of hours spent at a municipal swimming pool in downtown Baltimore when I was seven years old: the juke box seemed permanently stuck on "Goodnight, Irene." Thanks for re-posting thisAll politics aside, "songwriter and champion of folk music" says it all. R.I.P., Pete. RosebudJust imagine the excitement if someone should discover that little chair. Thanks, Pete. Grand Old ManAs much as I respected and admired Pete Seeger, I only saw him once in person, and it happened so quickly that it was over in a flash. There was a Maryland Historic Marker dedicated to Mother Jones on Riggs/Powdermill Road in Adelphi, Maryland. I was driving home one afternoon and glanced over to see a small group of people singing a song in front of the newly installed sign. Playing his old banjo, with its warning against hate, was Pete Seeger. There was nowhere to stop or turn in, so I just proceeded the half mile more to our (then) house. I believe his brother Mike worked or still works at the Library of Congress; one of my guitar-playing pals works or worked for him in audio archiving. I wore the grooves out out my Pete Seeger vinyl in the mid-1960s; there was magic in those tracks, and I so wanted to catch some of it. He taught us music can be a force for good, when courage matched conviction. Tom Paxton did a lovely tribute on DC radio WTOP this evening about his friend and our friend, Pete. Pete's older brothersPictured at right are Charles Seeger III, age 8 (born 10-10-1912 and died 8-26-2002 at 89), and John Seeger, age 7 (born 2-16-1914 and died 1-10-2010 at 95). Charles was a pioneer radio astronomer and professor at Cornell University. John was a teacher at the Dalton School in Manhattan and later principal of an Ivy League prep school, Fieldston Lower School in Riverdale, NY. One of a kindI firmly believed Pete Seeger would live forever. It's hard to imagine the world without him. Fortunately he left millions of fans who will keep his music - and his principles - alive. Goodnight IreneNo. 1 in 1950 and "On Top of Old Smoky", No. 1 in 1951, were my first exposures to popular music and I treasure the Decca 78 recordings with their backup by Gordon Jenkins Orchestra to this day! So Long It's Been Good To Know YahAs his spirit moved onto a plane of existence where men of good conscience and strong convictions go he was heard singing... So long, it's been good to know yuh; So long, it's been good to know yuh; So long, it's been good to know yuh. This dusty old dust is a-gettin' my home, And I got to be driftin' along. If there is a folk singer's heaven I'm sure Pete and Woody are having one heck of a good session and giving all Fascists the proverbial hell. So long Pete, it really was good to know a man who stood up for his beliefs and never did any violence toward those who opposed him. All he wanted to do was sing his songs. Check out his stand against the House Of UnAmerican Activities here Brother MichaelMike Seeger died in 2009. What a wonderful man. Now Pete is gone. I suppose there's a terrific hoedown in Heaven. Dad's laptopIt's a portable pump organ. Bye Pete RIPMet him once at a folk festival somewhere with my school. He spoke to our group and I remember being mesmerized by his genuine concern for everything good. Then I discovered his music and political social history. Very saddened when he left us. (The Gallery, Camping, D.C., Kids, Music, Natl Photo)
Leading Ladies: 1927
... the center is just down and out gorgeous..and you could go camping and she would hold her own!!! (And she wears sensible shoes) Star ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2012 - 6:16pm -

"Holton-Arms School." More Holton-Arms girls circa 1927 in Washington. Who'll be the first to put a name to a face? Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. ContrastsThe one in the front row far right looks like Barbara Bush; the one in the front row far left looks like Richard Nixon. Miss RightLike Eric said, second from right first row reminds me of a young Christina Applegate. BlondieBlondie, second from the right in the front row, is a MAJOR cutie! Those are some pretty snazzy stockings she's wearing, too. The Quality of these dead girls is sure improvingDon't know what it is, but it seems like the group photos of young girls from 80 years ago are showing a lot more lookers and almost no mud fence uglies. Contrast that to the past when the more astute Shorpy fans would shield their eyes. Girl next doorShe may have star quality, but the girl in the center is just down and out gorgeous..and you could go camping and she would hold her own!!! (And she wears sensible shoes) Star qualitySecond from the right in the first row is movie-star gorgeous. Nice appearanceShort hair and youthful elegance. Twenty years earlier they all would have had long flowing locks. Years later, fast food will have taken its toll. Staying the same, only niftierAdding to Eric's comment: If by some quirk of the winds, the lovely girl, second from right, were to be lifted up and deposited (decorously) on the front steps of our present-day high school, none would be the wiser. If she had her purse, you'd probably find she carries a cell phone and an Mp3 inside! HoosiersWhy do I keep thinking of Indiana University basketball when looking at the gal at the front left? HoltonI would like Holton them in my arms! 99 Years OldAssuming they were about 17 years old, in the photograph, would mean they were born c. 1910. If that's the case, they would be 99 or so years old, someone or some of them could still be alive. Any way to know? Nancy HamiltonThe girl in the front row at far right appears to be Nancy Hamilton, seen here in a more flattering light with a guitar. DroopageFront row girls right and left. The belt buckles and loose ends are identical in position. Maye this was a "club" thing? School for the Criminally FlatchestedLacko Mammarita, the valedictorian, stands in the center of the front row with her enticing and sensuous smile inviting all the boys' attention. Miss 20th CenturyWhat did these girls see ahead of them? The depression, World War II, the Cold War, McCarthyism, the rise of suburbia, jet air travel, the civil rights movement, the Rolling Stones, microwave ovens, cable television... Who knows, maybe one or two of these gals learned to surf the web. Back rowThe two girls in the back row, 2nd and 3rd in from right almost appear to be sisters, the lips are almost identical. Dead or AliveMr. Mel wrote: Assuming they were about 17 years old, in the photograph, would mean they were born c. 1910. If that's the case, they would be 99 or so years old, someone or some of them could still be alive. Any way to know? Tickle 'em and see if they laugh. Flat-chested and proud of itWouldn't 1927 be the apex of the flapper era, when women actually strived to appear flat-chested? If their breasts weren't with the program they'd fix it by tying them down. I've never read a thorough explanation of the fad but I guess it may have been a reaction to the artificially curvaceous styles of their mothers, who squeezed into whale bone corsets and put false butt boosters under their dresses. Also I think I've read that, for physiological reasons not entirely certain today, girls hit puberty somewhat later in past decades, so these could be fairly normal 17 year-olds of their time. AgreedShe's the ONLY cute one in the bunch. Everything Old Is New AgainMaybe this is where the guys from Nickelback got the idea. Guess with onceWhy I always laught when i see american "beautiful women"? I WinI christen the back row center girl, Donna Fairbanks. It's very unlikely that that is her name, but Dave only challenged us Shorpyites to "put a name to a face" (and so I have, fair & square!). What's my prize, Dave? [A 50 percent discount. - Dave] From formal to informalThe gals in the last row are interesting, Gal #3 with the beautiful sweater & necklace contrasts sharply with the gal #5 two over to the right from her, who is wearing a shirt that looks like one of my husband's! And the buttons! what wonderful buttons. So is Gal #5 in the back, is she a tomboy or just poor? There was a benefit.Robcat2075, from what I understand, much of the flapper era was about rebellion of the previous generation's stuffiness (think Gibson girls...yeesh) as you suggested, but also a devil-may-care, you-only-live-once attitude following WWI. Strapping mammaries down made it much easier to get crazy and dance the Charleston, and became emblematic of free-moving and fashion-forward dames. You left out........That one thing that I guess seems like no big deal people anymore. Men landing on the moon. Several times. And, coming back. I still find this to be man's greatest achievement, and my grandfather lived to see that day. From horse and buggy, to man on the moon. That is quite a leap. It's all about themTranslation of your first few comments: "I deserve to see women I personally think are hot! They better exist everywhere I look! That's the only thing women are good for -- entertaining ME, the Entitled One! It's all about me me me me me!" I'm too old to be bitter. I'm just tired of guys who can't stop trying to shove their bizarre standards down everyone else's throats. JennaTo my eyes the cute girl in the front row with the snazzy stockings looks a bit like Jenna Elfman. All About CharleneSweetie, I think they have hormonal treatments now that help you get over the crankiness. Carolyn JonesSecond from right in the back row. All growed up and not decked out like Morticia: WOWWell, I dunno. As a guy that's into girls I think all of these young women are very attractive. But beyond that superficial level, I really like the people photos here on shorpy. The architecture and all is great but seeing the people and thinking what their lives were like, their personalities etc.... But back to the superficial, the women of the time I think are much more attractive than women of now. At least in the mainstream of our culture. And the third from the right in the back row. I could see being good friends with her... I lust, so sue me! Cankle ConundrumSo, riddle me this: is it the shoes or the stockings that almost always make women of this era appear to have unfortunate cankles? The shoe-vamps ARE very high-cut; and the stockings are sturdy and serviceable, I'm sure. ChicagoRenee Zellweger as Roxie Hart, front row second from right. H-A girlsI suspect that the two on either end of the top row are sisters. I'm surprised they're not dressed more alike. I wonder if we would find more of the girls attractive if they all had fluffy finger-waved hair with little kiss curls. Though she's the apple of my eye, too. Who can spot the faux-bobs? "No, you will NOT have your hair cut off, young lady, and that's final!" "Yes, Papa." The one on the far right, bottom row, could easily have been a model at that time. She looks like she belongs on the cover of Collier's. I bet she golfed. I think the bosom-binding was an attempt at looking rail-thin, in addition to square and boyish. Sorry, ladies. It so often happens that the beauty one is trying to achieve is in the eye of the beholder, who saw it first in Ladies' Home Journal. Later on SeinfeldElaine Benes, ooops, I mean Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a Holton-Arms alumna. Jackie Kennedy was a student in 1942-44. I don't know what tuition was in the 1920s but today young Popsie's parents have to fork out about $31k a year. However, that includes school lunches. Such a deal. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Portraits)
A Swimming Hole: 1904
... Memories We didn't go swimming here, but used to go camping with my mom's youngest brother and would swim in a similar quarry with ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 5:52pm -

Duluth, Minnesota, circa 1904. "A swimming hole, Lester Park." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Where the Boys AreNo doubt. RiddleDo you know what they do in Minnesota in the summer? If it falls on a Sunday, they go swimming! (Oh, I slay myself.) Shocking!!!You mean boys used to go swimming in the local quarries without those woolen bathing costumes they had to rent at Coney Island and Atlantic City? Why, I'm shocked! Shocked, I tell you! "View full size"You just know what the PO'd lookin dude is thinking -- "A hundred years from now, there better not be an Internet!" Still thereSwimsuits no longer optional. Scandalous!I was expecting rented bathing suits up to the neck. I can't help but wonder if they felt they were being naughty, way back in 1904, or if we have just become sensitized from all the full body bathing suits we have seen on Shorpy. BrrrBeing in Minnesota and all, that water is cold! Obviously. Blissfully unattendedWhat I find remarkable about this photo is that there's nary an anxious, hand-wringing parent in sight. "Christopher, come out of there this instant, before you break your skull on those rocks!" "Water moccasins can swim, Jason. Now get dressed and come home right now!" "You just ate lunch, Ryan. Do you want to get cramps and drown?!" Childhood was probably more hazardous in those days. And probably more fun. I'm surprisedI'm surprised, not that some of them aren't wearing swimsuits, but that some of them are. I was given to believe that at the old swimmin' hole, you just took off your clothes and jumped in. Clearly, the truth was something different. I wonderEvery time I see an old picture of kids I wonder what became of them. Did they survive childhood? Get killed in the war? Children and grandchildren of their own? It would be neat if their ancestors could identify the picture and fill us in. A Bracing DipI just love the look on the face of the boy entering the water in front of the waterfall. Swimming in fresh spring waters I've seen it many times. it says "COOOOLD!" Girls?Either girls weren't allowed or these guys were too young to care. MemoriesWe didn't go swimming here, but used to go camping with my mom's youngest brother and would swim in a similar quarry with a bit of a cliff in western New York. We didn't bother with swimsuits either, and this was in the 1970s. There was a little bit of embarrassment until you hit the water and then you just kind of forgot about being nekkid (even when you climbed back out to jump in). It was all very innocent. Top ManLooks an awful lot like our very own Mr. Terrace, or maybe his grampa. Get much sun? The ol' swimmin' hole When I was a kid we didn't have anything that spectacular, but we did have Cow Creek and it worked just fine. Only one thing missingMud for a good mudball fight. Summers in MinnesotaMy dad told stories of swimming in the summer in Minnesota. He came from a family of 15 and lived a little ways off an river in the 1920s. The boys had a spot on the river for skinny dipping and the girls had a spot farther down stream for the same. He said after swimming they would jump on the neighbor's horses and ride bareback through the fields. The gypsies also camped close by. Been there, done thatGrowing up in Indiana near White River, we often skinny dipped. We were banned from ever going near a quarry. Still had fun jumping of a 15 foot cutbank and sinking to the bottom with a huge chunk of mud in our arms. Lester RiverI believe the photo was taken at the Shallows, along the east branch of the Lester River near Lester Park golf course. The "Day at the Deeps" video was shot at the Deeps, on the west branch of the Lester, also known as Amity Creek. Cliff jumping at the Deeps!Cliff jumping at the Deeps! 106 years later, this looks exactly the same, and is still a close retreat for people from the neighborhood. When I was a college student in Duluth, this was the best way to cool off on hot, lazy summer days. In fact, my brothers just went there yesterday! For those of you who have never been, nothing beats a summer in Duluth. It's beautiful! (The Gallery, DPC, Duluth, Sports, Swimming)
Vacation Time: 1969
... in a white 1965 Impala wagon with no AC and a ton of camping equipment both on the roof and in the back. We stayed in Reno on the ... 
 
Posted by Mvsman - 09/13/2011 - 10:36pm -

Leaving Walnut, CA for Wyoming and Nebraska in July 1969. I'm on the left, trying to look cool, going to start high school in the fall. Yikes, those socks! There's my Dad and Mom, who appeared in earlier pictures. They're showing some age progression. Both are in their early 40s here. My little brother was a surly bundle of anti-joy then, and he whined a lot through the whole trip. We packed up the '64 Chevelle wagon and left for the great unknown. As a surly teen, I read a lot of books along the way and grunted and moaned a lot. During the trip, we heard about the Charles Manson family murders in Los Angeles, and being only 30 or so miles away, I was really scared to come home. It all worked out ... thanks for looking and I look forward to your comments. View full size. Chilling NewsWe too were leaving for our vacation on our way from Diamond Bar (not too far from Walnut) to visit the grandparents in "Idyllic Larkspur" (near San Francisco) when we heard all about the Tate-LaBianca murders on the car radio. It definitely put a damper on the trip for us adults. With the three kids squabbling in the back of our VW van (Mom, she looked at me!), I don't know if they heard any of it or not. Our oldest kid was 9, the middle one 6, and the youngest 4. -- tterrace's sister Vacations in a wagonYou know, vacations just aren't vacations without a station wagon. Sorry, but an SUV just isn't the same thing. Folks across the street have a 1965 Rambler Classic Cross-Country; ours was a 1966. Did you have air-conditioning? Maybe that would have quelled the grumbling and moaning somewhat. I know that we welcomed the A/C in our Rambler after 10 years without it in our '56. But now, decades later, I'll occasionally switch mine off and roll down the windows when cruising along a rural road, and the breeze carrying the aromas of cut hay and other vegetation fills me with a warm, nostalgic glow. A great, era-defining shot, thanks! (Out of respect for your mother, I won't comment on her headgear - although I just did, didn't I?) West of the MidwestWyoming AND Nebraska? You are a lucky, lucky boy. One of our few vacations from our Indiana home was a trip to Iowa but since my dad was on some sort of a deadline* we didn't get to enjoy any of Illinois' diversions that must surely have existed along I-80, or so I dreamed. Departing from Walnut, CA, mvsman must have seen plenty of I-80 as well on his "Asphalt of America" tour. *Who has a deadline on a trip to Iowa? It was only 250 miles! FootwearYour shoes are in style about every 8 years or so. Just keep the shoes and wait for them to come back. Your dad's dark socks (with shorts), on the other hand ... Adler socksI bet they were Adler socks. I graduated from high school the year before and it was all the rage to wear Adler socks in colors that matched your shirt. Black socks with sandalsMy wife thinks I invented that look. I can't wait to show her that it's retro chic. Chevy Bel AirIt's either a 68 or 69, sitting in the other neighbor's garage - complete with trailer-light connector installed in the bumper. [It's a '68. - Dave] Love Your Mom's Hat!I think you looked quite cool for an "almost" high schooler! Your mom's hat is the best! I bet she's pinching your little brother. Or maybe that was just my mom! PurgatoryWe used our '69 Pontiac Catalina station wagon to put the gear in the middle and the whiny kids waaaay back on the rear-facing seat. Man, I loved that car! Meanwhile ...At the beginning of that very same month we were on our way back from Los Angeles in a white 1965 Impala wagon with no AC and a ton of camping equipment both on the roof and in the back. We stayed in Reno on the Fourth, hoping that the drunken manager of the KOA there wouldn't accidentally back over our tent. I was more or less inured to the lack of cool, even back in Maryland, and I think the only time we really noticed it on the trip was when it was over a hundred crossing the Mojave. The Impala was passed on to my great-uncle who drove it until it dropped sometime in the mid-1970s. By 1969 we had left short haircuts behind, which since I had thick glasses meant I looked totally dorky in a completely different way; my father, on the other hand, was well into leaving hair itself behind. I notice you're wearing the de rigueur cutoffs, which is pretty much what we wore when we weren't in jeans. TweaksDitch the socks and you'd fit in perfectly with today's Williamsburg hipsters. You were scared?I was terrified! I was 11 years old at the time of the Manson murders and lived only 20 miles away. In my 11 year old mind, I was convinced the murderers would find their way to my house and they were specifically go after me! Thanks for posting this. This photo captures the "feel" of L.A. suburbia of the era perfectly- just as I remembered it. To the Moon!I started high school in 1969, too. Did your trip start before or after the moon landing? Did your parents make you watch it on TV, even though you wanted to be out with your friends? That was a surly moment for ME for that reason. Don't worry -- the shades and the hair in your eyes make up for the socks. 1969Was not this the year of the PLAID ? Fun vacationNebraska? For a vacation? I drove through that state. Couldn't get out fast enough. I was only 3 in 1969, but lived in nearby Simi Valley, home of Spahn Ranch. What city was this taken?? Oh yeah, love your mom's hat. I have pics somewhere of my mom wearing the same thing. What were people thinking?? We went after the moon landingI actually watched it on my little black and white TV in my room. I was a space geek then (and now). Thanks! That Ramblerbelonged to the superintendent of our school district! He and my dad knew each other causally, to say hi to or wave at as the car went by. I don't recall if we had AC in that car. It had a small engine and was seriously underpowered for hills and mountains. Now, I'll try to did up slides of our earlier trips in my granddad's borrowed 1959 Chevy Nomad wagon! This was truly a luxury barge on wheels. This thing looked like it was 15 feet wide and 25 feet long (to my 8 year old eyes). I had the entire back area to myself and my comic books, as little bro wasn't on the scene yet. The Summer of '69Grew up in La Puente, not far from Walnut. My 1969 was the the summer of "Sugar, Sugar" and Man on the Moon. 41 years ago -- WOW Taz!When I saw your brother, the Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil came to mind! Mom's "Hat"That's no hat, it's a curler-cover. A la Phyllis Diller. A different eraIn '69, my dad was making probably about $18K-$20K a year. My mom stayed home. Yet we took similar vacations, 2-3 weeks at a time. Now, my wife and I work like rented mules and can't afford to go anywhere. When station wagons ruled the roadEach summer, Dad would load up the gear in the suction-cup equipped, stamped steel Western-Auto roof carrier on top of the old '61 Ford Falcon wagon and off we'd go. Looking back, it truly took faith and fortitude to pile a family of five and enough gear to support a safari in that underpowered, unairconditioned two-door wagon and set off fron Louisville to the far reaches of the country (New York City, Washington D.C., Miami). I remember fighting with my brothers over the desirable real estate in the back of the wagon where you could stretch out (no seatbelts) and watch the miles of highway fade into the distance through the tailgate window! Wagon MemoriesOur 1957 Mercury Colony Park station wagon with the Turnpike Cruiser engine had a similarly slanted rear window. On our trip to California later that year, Pop decided to drive on through the final night to miss the desert heat, with us kids sleeping in the back. I discovered I could position myself to see the road ahead as a reflection in the rear window, while simultaneously looking through the glass to watch the clear Western skies for shooting stars. What can beat the cozy feeling of slipping off to sleep while rolling along the open road while Pop faithfully pilots the family bus through the dark? Sixty-NineAh, Summer of '69, my favorite year. Got my driver's license. Got my FCC Third Phone. Started work part time in a REAL radio station. My parents ran their own store so we couldn't take too many trips. I'm jealous of those of you who did. And yes, Nebraska was borrrring to ride across back then, but today it isn't bad -- there are several interesting attractions across the state and a nice Interstate to zip you through! FourteenI was 14 years old that summer of 1969 (living in Cocoa Beach, Florida). I can relate to the yellow socks. I had a few pair of those. The color of the socks were supposed to match the color of the shirt. It looks like those are a freshly cut-off pair of jeans. What's in your father's right shirt pocket? A lens cover, maybe? Who took the photo? I see the car in the garage across the street looks like a '68 Chevy Impala--round taillights. And the Rambler in the next drive looks very nice too. A little peek of the mountain is nice too. I've never been to that area so I have no conception of what it's like there. Great photo, thanks for sharing a piece of your childhood memory. Cartop carrierMan, I want one of those roof carriers. Looks like it holds a lot of stuff. Memories aboundOur vacations were exactly the same (even my dad's socks with sandals). We headed from our Fountain Valley Ca home like thieves in the night. Had to get across the desert before the heat killed the kids. Of course we had an aftermarket AC installed by Sears so the front seat was a chill zone (no kids allowed). Our vacations happened at breakneck speed but we saw everything and always ended our trips with a pass through Vegas for Dad & Grandma. Fun times! "The Box" - Rooftop CarrierOur family trips were always in a station wagon, and always with "the box" on top. Dad built and refined a series of boxes over the years. They were much larger and taller than the one in the picture. All our luggage, supplies etc went in "the box" leaving the wagon for the 6 of us. With the back seat folded down my brother and I could sleep in sleeping bags in the back. In the winter dad put brackets on the box sides and bungee-tied all our skis on. The station wagons themselves were amazing. Dad always bought the biggest engine offered (we needed it), a large v8. The last wagon had dual air conditioners, front and rear. And how about the rear doors on a wagon. The rear door folded down or opened from the side, and the window went up and down. SUVs, get serious, they have very little useful space. No fairI suspect one of the reasons the younger brother is looking so crabby is that he didn't get sunglasses like everybody else. It's no fun to squint all day. Tterrace is completely right, roadtrips just aren't the same without a big ol' station wagon. I loved sitting in the rear-facing seat when I was a kid. And I remember being fascinated by the tailgate that could open two ways: swinging from the left-side hinge or folding down like a pickup truck. Hi Pat QYour recollections are so evocative of those road trips from another time. Life seemed simpler, or is it just filtered through our nostalgia screen? Great Time To Be AliveSure brings back memories!! I started HS in '68. We went on many, many driving vacations to New Mexico, Colorado, OK, MO & many places near the Panhandle of Texas where I grew up!! Road trips now are usually to the coast or TX Hill Country, but still have a magic to them, leaving before the sun's up!! ChevelleLove the car. In high school, a wagon was an embarrassment. Now I wish I had one. VentipanesOur family of six and a dog would pile into our '63 Lincoln and while sitting in the driveway Dad would ask Mom, "Okay, where do you all want to go?" Then we would be off to Nova Scotia or Florida. There was no AC in either the Lincoln or the '63 Impala we had so we would drive the whole way with windows open in the summer heat. If you turned the vent windows all the way open so they were facing into the car they would generate a terrific amount of airflow into the cabin at highway speed. It was quite comfortable actually and 40+ years later I wish cars still had those vent windows. Lunar summerSeveral have mentioned the Apollo 11 landing. I have a similar tale. I was 7, just a little too young to understand the significance of the event. I remember my mother trying to keep me interested as she sat on the edge of her seat watching the coverage. Now I'm glad I remember that night, and get chills watching the video and Walter Cronkite taking off his glasses and saying "Whoo boy!" totally at a loss for words. That was an awesome summer! Oh yeah, we had a station wagon too. '69 Caprice Estate with fake wood paneling! Almost had the wagon...Our family was cursed to miss out on having station wagon vacations - first time in '65, we were supposed to be getting a red '62 Corvair wagon from my uncle who was going into the Air Force but he hit some black ice and rolled it while he was delivering it from back east (he was unhurt). Next in '66 we traded our rusted-out '56 Chevy for a beige '63 Dodge 440 eight-passenger wagon; I was looking forward riding in the third seat on our annual trip from Chicago to Paducah, but a lady in a '62 Continental hit it. We ended up with a maroon '65 Impala hardtop for the next several years' vacations, but at least it had AC! Our imitation wagonWe did not have a wagon so Dad cut a piece of plywood for the back seat of our 57 Mercury that gave us kids a full flat surface in the back seat. Holding it up were two coolers on the floor. On top Dad blew up two air mattresses, then they gave us "kiddy drugs" (gravol). They caught onto that after the first trip in which that back seat became a wrestling arena. Hi BarrydaleSugar Sugar is a favorite of mine to this day. The San Gabriel Valley has changed a lot since those days, eh? And the year beforeAnd the year prior to this photo my family, consisting of myself at 13, my sisters aged 10 and 4 (or 5) loaded up in a 2 door Marquis and headed from Raleigh up through Indiana, SD, WY Oregon down through LA and back east across the desert through AZ, NM, TX and driving one marathon from Texarkana to Anderson SC in one day, during the peace marches throughout the South that summer! I still remember passing the civil rights marchers for mile after mile on the roads through MS, AL and GA. The trip took two months.... and you think YOU heard whining from your brother? Sometimes things don't changeThe socks may be a little bit high, and shorts a bit short, but the way you are dressed is exactly the way many kids at my middle/high school dress now. Especially the ones going into high school, I'm just stunned by how similar you are. I could actually almost confuse you with my younger brother, who is so similar he even has blond hair. Right now I'm planning a road trip in my 1968 Ford Falcon for the spring, its a 4 door sedan and not a wagon. But it is a daily driver kind of car, not a show car, so I drive it in the same way your parents might have driven their car, not to show off, but just to get around. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Kids)
Fish Camp: 1958
... of art in each snapshot, amateur or professional. (Camping, Wisconsin Kodachromes) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2022 - 4:02pm -

The North Woods circa 1958. "Jim Baker and Mike." 35mm Kodachrome. View full size. A good day fishing!Wow, what a cool picture! It reminds me when I was a kid in Maryland and dad was doing a lot of freshwater fishing. Is the fishing camp in Wisconsin? Dad probably has Field and Stream tobacco in that pipe and I like the fact that he wears an undershirt under his undershirt! Are they good Catholic boys? It almost looks like the boy on the left has a rosary around his neck. [Mike's family is Lutheran, and that's a fish stringer. - Dave] Yes, I know what a fish stringer is and a rosary doesn't look like one! [Mike has one, too. With fishes. - Dave] I bet Mark Trail is nearby and not to be left out, he's got two rosary stringers! Baker's got it goin' on!Baker (?) was certainly gearing up for any number of eventualities when he got out of bed that morning: two shirts, high boots, and - oh! - that hat! Somebody tell me the story of that hat! And don't get me started about the pipe. Hope it was a fun day for all. [Jim is the youngster wearing stripes. Pipe Guy might be his dad. Below, more M&J. - Dave] Sizzling in that cast iron frypan as we speak.Sure wish I was there for that dinner. Looks like it's going to be a good one. Dad picked up a straw Yeddo hat on the way to the camp... and for a couple of bucks he could vacation in style. Or not. As I remember, they were pretty weird looking, but perhaps my fashion sense wouldn't be fully developed for another ten years or so. Out of curiosityI've been waiting for someone to comment about what kind of fish they're catching. So, now I'm asking. Walleye Fillets coming up!Those look like really nice, "eatin'-size" walleye pike. Not the easiest fish to catch, so they are good fishermen. Judging from the popple or birch trees in the background, Northern Minnesota or Wisconsin is a good bet. Sensational KodachromeKodachrome doing what it does best - impressing with its color and contrast. A work of art in each snapshot, amateur or professional. (Camping, Wisconsin Kodachromes)
Grandview Cabins: 1941
... you'd find in an outhouse. - Dave] (The Gallery, Camping, John Collier, Travel & Vacation) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2022 - 12:15pm -

October 1941. Berkshire Hills County, Massachusetts. "Tourist camps stretch in an endless village along the Mohawk Trail through the Berkshires." Chicken and Spaghetti, 50 cents! Acetate negative by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Flush ToiletsWas that a feature or a request? Maybe five of fifteen cabins surviveI found a postcard for Grandview Cabins, which identified its location as four miles north of Holyoke on Route 5. The first cabin is named New Jersey, then four more cabins with the names of states before the cabins turn left and directly face the road. These cabins on Google Street View look to be the same size and are at the same angle to the road. If you look beyond the road in the 1941 photo, you'll see a mountain range. That would line up with this location and the mountains in Skinner State Park. More than a request, Bodych, there are those who would demand a flush toilet. Color available (15¢ a night) As we're often told: postcards sometimes took liberties. Light Up The NightIt would be great to have some of those old neon signs. The newer LED signs do not give off the same glow as neon. Ginger AleUsed to almost as popular as orange soda. Now days it is mostly a mixer. I've always loved the aroma but not so fond of the taste. What did you use ...If you didn't have flush toilets? Chemical toilets? [Pit toilets -- what you'd find in an outhouse. - Dave] (The Gallery, Camping, John Collier, Travel & Vacation)
Bugging Out: 1957
... All packed up. Never forget your ink pen on a camping trip. Cool Little Bug Brings back memories of trying to fit an ... the photo must have been taken in May. (The Gallery, Camping, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/12/2022 - 1:18pm -

From Columbus, Georgia, circa 1957 comes this uncaptioned shot of two guys about to go somewhere. Cola? Check. Bedroll? Ditto. Daddy's Roadmaster? All gassed up. 4x5 inch acetate negative from the Shorpy News Photo Archive. View full size. '57 CoolWell, I was only 9 that summer, but I remember wishing I could look as cool as the guy in a button-down collar shirt, khaki slacks, white socks and loafers. BTW, wasn't the Beetle rather new on the scene in '57? [No. - Dave] That BeetleDoes not look like it can hold that much paraphernalia. Although the one in front might be dad's as you said. All packed up. Never forget your ink pen on a camping trip. Cool Little BugBrings back memories of trying to fit an impossible amount into a small space. Loved my Beetle. One of us isn'tI used to own a '59 Beetle. It had no gas gauge. You drove it like a motorcycle, using the odometer to keep track of your mileage and (estimated) gas consumption. There was a black rod (see photo) to the right of the accelerator, which was UP for main tank, and kicked over to the right to enable the reserve, which would get you to a gas station. Important to remember to kick that lever vertical again after filling the tank. That lever is horizontal, which means that White Shirt is either running on fumes, or is in for an unpleasant walk. New on the scene BugsMacKenzie Kavanaugh, you are correct; I remember a pilot pal of my dad's had the first Beetle I ever saw, in about 1957, and it was an eye-opener. So different from anything I had ever seen. My dad, a WWII 82nd Airborne vet, wouldn't consider allowing me to own one, as he said it was Hitler's brainchild. After he passed in 1970, I've owned 13 of the old ones (counting vans, Karmann Ghias, and this version of the Doka double-cab truck, which was my favorite of all) and three of the new versions. The '56 RoadmasterWould be more comfortable. Not new in '57, but relatively rare.Columbus' close proximity to Fort Benning meant one would have seen more Beetles per capita there than in most other American towns. Though the renowned Max Hoffman began importing them to the US in 1949, they did not become ubiquitous on American roads until the early 1960s. But many GIs stationed in Europe returned with cars purchased overseas. The streets of Fort Benning and Columbus would have been home to examples of many marques now largely forgotten -- Panhard, DKW, Lloyd, Standard -- as well as more than a few VWs like this one. My estimate, only half in jest, is that the mass of steel contained in this Volkswagen would barely suffice to make up the front clip of that Buick. [By 1955, when Volkswagen sold 35,000 cars here, the Beetle had become the top-selling import in the United States. In 1956, sales increased to 50,000. - Dave] Beep-BeepIn 1957 my Uncle Archie had a VW Bug. They were few and far between then and when another one passed, a horn or wave was appropriate. May flowersThe grassy-looking plant in the foreground is a groundcover/edging plant called liriope (Liriope muscari). It's in bloom, so the photo must have been taken in May. (The Gallery, Camping, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Columbus, Ga., News Photo Archive)
Home Cooking: 1910
... toast one side at a time. They are still avcailable for camping. A Special Occasion There was the old political saying around ... 
 
Posted by D_Chadwick - 05/02/2009 - 7:53pm -

Circa 1910. Mixing up a big batch of "Salmonella Surprise." Scanned from the original 4x5 inch glass negative. View full size. YummyI've seen rubber chickens that looked more appetizing than that poor bird. Photographer, Anyone?Does anyone know the identity of the photographer? Fair FlowerChicken or turkey, the bird may be a bit scrawny, but that giant chrysanthemum in the vase is gorgeous. And the cook ain't so bad either. Product PlacementPlymouth Rock Gelatine paid plenty for this picture. Lovely flower, brought to you by Mother Nature, the queen of placement ads. Where's Chef Curly?This reminds me of one of those Three Stooges episodes where the chicken being served for dinner would get up from the plate and dance on the table... on puppet strings. But this "boid" looks like it might not need the strings! Yeucchh! This is coolThe spotted chicken is gross, but that flower vase is nice. Gobble.83 year old grandma here. That's a turkey. Too big to be a chicken. Makes Me Hungry!I wouldn't hesitate to eat this lady's cooking. The chicken is probably a free range bird that has been freshly slaughtered and plucked. You can see all the fixings for dessert; cherries, hazelnuts, a bar of Bakers Chocolate, gelatin and baking powder. I don't think the wall is cracked. It looks to me like the wallpaper is torn. BTW, of the four packaged food items shown, only Liberty Cherries are no longer sold. OctoberOctober, maybe, from the look of things. Ugly all aroundI don't know which is uglier: the bird or that lady's housecoat. Maybe the phosphated gelatin will make 'em all better. Royal...On the table it is possible to see a can of Royal Yeast. Interesting enough, this product is still sold in a card can virtually identical to the one in this photo... Baker's ChocolateIt took me a while, but I finally figured out the carton from Dorchester, Mass. It's Baker's Chocolate! (OK, it was my wife that calculated that the shape of the carton indicated it is something molded, hence the sloped sides for easy release from the mold.) Preventive MeasuresPerhaps she is mixing up a nice batch of Hekipi spackle to repair the crack in the wall before cookin' the bird! First things first! CrackedYowser. That's a wicked crack in the wall. I haven't decided if she's reading a recipe or penning a suicide note. Looks What's CookingThe clothes iron and toaster in the background, on the stove, heated by the gas flame, and had to be watched, there were no thermostats. The first electric irons were sold c 1903. The first iron sole plate that was hotter at the tip and cooler in the center was known as a "Hotpoint." Which became a recognizable brand and is still in existence. The first electric toaster made in the USA came on the market in 1909, like its gas heated counterpart, it toasted only one side at a time and had to be watched while in operation, it was made by GE, the company that owns Hotpoint. In 1909 the first popup toaster arrived, but was sold mainly to the restaurant trade. Mmmmm SalmonellaMy mother used to make Salmonella cakes and macaroni and cheese on Fridays. FowlThe bird's probably a turkey, and spotted with bruises from having its feathers stripped off by the aforementioned young lady, who probably caught and killed it as well. Notice the Royal Baking Powder canister has remained unchanged. What, no cooks?To me, this seems to be a very well organized and clean kitchen. It's a posed picture, I think, and the positioning of the nut bowl, the apples, the celery, the cherry preserves, and all the other things is very thought-out. Everything is within reach and positioned just so. Also, remember the pictures of ducks, turkeys, chickens, opossums, etc. we've seen in other pictures, hanging in the street. This is what people ate then. I wouldn't hesitate to eat anything prepared in this organized, clean kitchen. Art PhotoLooking at this photo, I wonder if it's meant to be a photographic study - the "artistic" placement of the foreground objects and mixed textures is a dead give away. No doubt, because of the un-casual nature of cooking and photography in 1910, the husband/brother saw this chicken-cooking as an opportunity to finagle a few minutes of lens time from the wife/sister who was going to fix dinner anyway. For her part, she saw the session as a chance to sit down for a few minutes, and best of all, get him out of the kitchen for the rest of the day while he messes with the twenty step development process in the cellar. ToasterThat flat-topped gadget on the left side of the stove was the toaster of the time, made of sheet metal. My mother had one. It sat on a lighted gas burner and toasted the bread, which rested on edge and leaned to the center, by radiant energy. It could only toast one side at a time. They are still avcailable for camping. A Special OccasionThere was the old political saying around this time, "A chicken in every pot." It is my understanding that fresh poultry was expensive and not the average meal. If you were in the country, you had chickens to lay eggs, and not so much to eat a few times a week. If you were in the city, the lack of refrigeration made it difficult to supply the masses with fresh poultry. Most people in the major coastal cities probably ate a lot more seafood than they did fresh meat. A chicken in every pot would have been a promise to really raise the standard of living. I bet in this image, she is preparing a holiday meal. Grandma's rightGrandma's right, it is a turkey. The bird had brown (or other colour) feathers; when they are plucked, a little spot of pigment is left. It isn't bruising or dirt. Modern commercial poultry all have white feathers, because people find the specks left by dark feathers unappetizing. Makin's of a holiday dinnerI agree with Grandmother that it is a turkey on the table, plus the fixin's for chestnut stuffing - the apples, chestnuts and celery are the giveaways. The tightly sealed canister probably contained the flour for quick bread with the meal, and the reason for the baking powder. Maybe a bit of chocolate cherry layer cake, with buttercream icing, too. Manzanas?El tinte oscuro de las frutas se debe a la película no demasiado "pacromática" de entonces. No sabría decir si la de la derecha es una naranja. Muy esférica y con otra textura de piel. That canisterThe tall, lidded canister is the type often used for storing lard and then reused for lunch pails. Now that's celery!You don't get celery with leaves like that anymore. Look how full it looks, like a bouquet! Pin FeathersWhen I was growing up in the 1930s my sister and I fought over who got to pluck the turkey's "pin feathers." This was the name commonly used for the small bony part of the feather that was left after yanking out the rest of the feather. Turkeys are no fun any more! Nothing to pluck. Pin Feathers, pt. 2I can remember when I was very young, Mama would get a whole chicken (roaster?) and sometimes she would singe off the pin feathers with a match. It always looked to be pretty exciting, but I never got to help. Looking at that birdI realized that I have never before seen a turkey or chicken that had not been engineered for higher meat content. The real deal looks strange to my 21st century eyes. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kitchens etc.)
Happy Campers: 1917
... from the right... "BANG, I gotcha!" (The Gallery, Camping, G.G. Bain, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2014 - 3:06pm -

July 16, 1917. Peekskill, New York. "Boys' shower, State Camp for Field Training." 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Not Much Has ChangedThis could easily have been taken a week ago. The old fashioned upper/lower torso swimsuits look just like modern wetsuits. The only thing that really dates this photo are those wide showerheads. [And the narrow kids. - Dave] AND...What also dates this photo is the fact that every third kid in it isn't obese. Sparks old memoriesIn the early 1970's I'd spend a week at "Church Camp" in the mountains just east of California's Central Valley. The boys showers were similar to this but there was a roof overhead. I remember how the hot water plumbing went to the girls showers next door before it got to us so you could forget about having a hot shower if the girls were in there! My buddy and I would sneak out of our rustic cabin (10-12 kids in bunk beds) around midnight and take loooong hot showers in the cool night air. I'm lovin' the kid second from the right... "BANG, I gotcha!" (The Gallery, Camping, G.G. Bain, Kids)
End of the Road: 1966
... on our first visit to Yosemite, and later our very first camping trips (see our decals?); took my folks to visit their first grandchild; ... the front seats reclined to join with the back on a rainy camping trip. What American design genius! The white roof Interesting ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 01/28/2012 - 5:12pm -

If you think this is just a photo of a well-worn old car, you're wrong. It's actually a significant moment in our family's history. June 27, 1966 was the last day for our 1956 Hudson Rambler. Previously, we saw it all shiny and sparkly, mere days after we got it. During the following ten years, it: took my sister to the church for her wedding; took us to graduations, my grade and high school and my brother's college; took us on our first visit to Yosemite, and later our very first camping trips (see our decals?); took my folks to visit their first grandchild; and perhaps most important of all, took me to my first visit to Disneyland. I decided to record the event in a series of Ektachrome slides. Here, my father is clearing out all our personal items prior to the trip to the dealer to pick up our new car - a 1966 Rambler Classic station wagon. Oh; our trade-in allowance for this one: $50. View full size. I love the colors on that car!Colors in the 1950s were wonderful, today everything is a shade of brown or gray. My childhood car was a white 1965 Plymouth Belvedere four door. Purchased new by my dad, it was the most stripped down model available, three on the tree, AM radio, vinyl seats, Canadian built 318, and no AC. UglyMan, that is one ugly car. Of course, I can't talk: in the 60's my folks didn't even have a car - and we lived in a way outer outer suburban area. So outer suburban that we didn't even have a made road, our street was a collection of potholes loosely joined together with gravel. Our family's first car was an Austin A50 "ute" (pickup) with wooden floorboards in the back. Romney connectionWell, Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator to form American Motors, and George Romney (Mitt's dad) became president of AMC in 1954. Not a bad looking car, in my opinion. I'm sure a lot of happy memories were associated with it. Reminds me of the great "Wonder Years" episode where the Arnold family are prepping their memory-laden station wagon for sale. StrangeThat fellow doesn't look like Chevy Chase. They don't make 'em like this anymoreWas it like that episode of The Wonder Years? Be still my heartOooh. My Edsel and Studebaker would love to share their driveway with that car. You just don't see many of those today, even at car shows. Hope it had power steering and an automatic transmission. Too much to ask for it to have air conditioning too. I'm pretty sure it did not. Where is that time machine when you need it? It probably sold for less than one day's wages in today's money. [How IS that Edsel of yours. Pic? - Dave] Product LoyaltyYour dad was like I have been, loyal to the make of car I drive. Like your dad, I made my way from a Detroit built Hudson "Step-Down" and on to American Motors products built at the old Nash factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin. All were well built cars and doggedly reliable. Thanks tterrace for another glimpse into your fine family's interesting history. My family car in June 1966 was ...This 1960 Edsel. My father bought it new for my mother to drive me in the kindergarten carpool. Thankfully my father never traded in any car we had, ever, so I still have it. This pseudo vintage photo of it was taken August 30 2011, at Center Studios in Los Angeles. It, and the other cars on the street, were working on a TV program set in 1966 that night. In answer to your question Dave, the car is in turn key condition. It has about 300,000 miles on it and is never trailered. Don't you agree that the green Hudson wagon, with its white roof, would look real good in the driveway next to it? [My first (and only) 1960 Edsel encounter was circa 1977 in Lake City, Florida. It was parked tail-out in an alleyway, and as it loomed into view I remember thinking "What the hell IS that?" I considered myself to be a car guy but had never seen anything like this -- it looked like the mutant offspring of a 1960 Ford and Little Orphan Annie. The rear end is, to put it mildly, unique. - Dave] The way cars were meant to be builtThe bodies for these cars were built in Milwaukeen at the old Seaman Body Division of the Nash-Kelvinator Corp., on North Richards Street. They were trailered south to Kenosha for drive assemblies, interiors, etc. My car-freak friends and I witnessed hundreds and hundreds (thousands?) of car bodies heading down 27th Street (Highway 41) on their way to Kenosha. The 1956 Rambler was pretty much the design work of Edmund Anderson, the first design chief Nash ever had. By 1956 George Romney was in charge at AMC, and bet the whole farm, with mixed results, on the small car niche. I believe one of the engines offered in this car was a 262 cubic inch inline 6, with 7 (yes, seven!) main bearings. With proper maintenance one could be driving a 56 Rambler yet. Design stops at the rear wheelsEverything to the front of the rear axle is sculpted; everything to the rear is extruded. Miss the colorsI agree with Vintagetvs. I miss the shiny chrome, bright vivid colors and bold distinctive designs of the '50s. Today's cars may be full of hi-tech electronics but they are drab and monotonous on the outside. Oooh! That's a grand carAnd so was the '66 Rambler Classic! I grew up with the 66 four door at the turn of the 70's and even slept with the whole family with the front seats reclined to join with the back on a rainy camping trip. What American design genius! The white roofInteresting factoid about the white roof on our Rambler wagon: that's not the way it came from the factory. Originally the car was solid green; the dealership talked my father into having them paint the roof, pointing out it would keep the car cooler inside. I remember it chipping slightly around the edges, and I was never able to get a good shine on it like the factory paint. Later that day, our new Rambler (Larry Brink Motors, Mill Valley, Calif.), ready to drive home: Car trade insI vividly remember accompanying my late father when we took our '55 Chevy from Madison, Wisconsin to a nearby town to trade it in on a brand new '59 Chevy wagon. He said nothing at the time, but for years afterward complained that his impulse at the time was to take the wagon back for the '55. Too bad, because the wagon proved to be pretty awful, requiring numerous, expensive repairs. That damaged his brand loyalty for a long time, though he never joined the mass of his friends by purchasing a Japanese car. Pretty much a buy-American guy except for one area. When I returned from overseas service in the Army, there was a brand new Sony TV in the house, a quantum leap ahead of the dreadful American sets we had endured before. I'm utterly amazed that I don't recall any wagons like that Hudson. I remember the older slope backed ones, Studebakers, Kaisers and the rolling refrigerator-like Nash Metro though. 1960 EdselI too apparently have somehow escaped seeing a 60 Edsel before now, or at least I didn't notice, I had to Google it to see the back end. The front is really quite attractive and "normal," but the back got an extra helping of weird! Our 1959 Cross Country RamblerA photo of me and my younger brother in Mamaroneck, NY 1961. He always wanted to ride in the rear, facing backwards. When I was 21, it was a very good yearThis was my ride in 1958, a '54 Studebaker Starliner hardtop coupe, shown in the one photo with my friend Roger Baxter's chopped '48 Mercury. The Starliner (by Robert Bourke, a Raymond Loewy associate) has consistently been ranked as one of the best-designed cars of that era. Mechanically it was not a winner but oh those lines. I dropped a small block Chevy engine in it with a Chevy overdrive transmission, lowered it by torching the springs, and transformed a poorly-handling slow car into a seriously poorly-handling fast car. The color photo shows it after I dechromed it, painted it Chinese red, and slapped on a set of Moon aluminum wheel covers, just like they used then at Bonneville. (I was a dreamer.) My next car was a 1960 Austin Healey 3000. Photos taken on the Jaffa Mosque (!!!) lot, Altoona, Pa. I'm confusedWe had a 1953 Nash Rambler in our family in the 60s. When did the Nash/Hudson change take place? Was there a period when they were both using the Rambler marque? I'm pretty sure ours was pre-AMC. Maybe one of you Shorpycar experts can set me straight. It was a 4 door sedan and the front fenders looked the same as this one, although the grillwork was different. The taillights were exactly the same. It also had the very neat full reclining seats. Speaking of color, ours was a most hideous shade of green similar to an Army olive drab, only uglier! It was, however, as sturdy as anything the Army had on hand. It had a quite strong in-line 6 and 3-on-the-tree. ... Oops, sorry tterrace and Dave. Had I jumped to your other link I would have found my answer in the comments there. That'll teach me! Back o' the RamblerLike JD's little brother, I loved riding back there too, rattling around like a loose screwdriver in an empty toolbox, getting that vertigo-inducing backwards view through the roll-down window and getting slightly high on carbon monoxide. Great photo op angle, too. Check out my '57 Ford FairlaneThis was the first new car I ever owned, bought with a loan cosigned with my Dad. It cost us $2300 and was worth every penny of that. It came without a radio, so I bought one. Its cable was very short, so I had to install it upside down for the fit into the dash. That confused a lot of my friends. I drove that car for about 18 months, but then sold it to a coworker when I accepted a job in Manhattan and moved into the City. Within two months, he 'totalled' it in an accident somewhere between Plainfield NY and Brooklyn. I still miss that car. Rambler/Hudson connectionIn 1954, Nash bought Hudson to form American Motors. The head of AMC, George Mason, died shortly after the merger and his second in command, George Romney, took over. The warmed over "step down" Hudsons were deleted and their new small car, the Hudson Jet, didn't sell in big numbers and was a potential threat to the 100 inch wheel base Nash Ramblers. From 1955 to 1957, Hudsons were rebadged Nashes with some extra doodads and Hudson dashboards. The Rambler was essentially the same, as I have the pie pan hubcaps from my '58 with the "R" in the middle instead of the "H". Romney decided to concentrate on the Rambler line for '58 with no more Hudson or Nash nameplates, and it proved to be a wise decision as they made lots of profit and even beat Chrysler out in auto production in the early '60s, before Romney left to be governor of Michigan. For many years, the Rambler Station Wagon was about 40 percent of their production. The little slope in the back roofline was due to welding the extra length of metal to the sedan roof, as they didn't have large enough stamping machines for a one-piece wagon roof. The addition of the chrome luggage carriers made the roofline more straight. The engine for most Ramblers was the 195.6 straight six which evolved from the earlier Nash "Flying Scot" engines. Romney was asked if it bothered him that most Ramblers were in the slow lane when it came to roads. He responded that it didn't bother him as long as there were a lot of them. BTW, AMC was the only company to bring back a car from the dead. In 1958, they had the dies from the old 100-inch-wheelbase Ramblers, and slightly remade the car and put it out as the Rambler American to sell with the 108 inch "larger" Rambler. On the Other SideWell gee Dave, now everybody is going to be wondering "what did Dave see on the rear of that car?" So here is what Dave is talking about, the rear of a 1960 Edsel. TransposedWhen I was a kid my grandmother owned a Rambler. On the front grille the word "Rambler" was supposed to be displayed, but it was placed as R A M B E L R. True. Those were the daysI agree, they knew how to design cars in the '50s and '60s. That's why I bought a Chevy 210 in Lake Tahoe some years ago and shipped it to the Netherlands. Great pictures by the way (as always). Keep 'emI'm not too sure I could take my old car in for a trade. I still have my first new car, a 1971 Toyota Land Cruiser. Just before it was due to change over to 400,000 miles, the odometer broke (third engine). Ah, Ramblerstterrace, your parents' '66 Classic wagon pictured below sits in front of a car that looked just ours - a Frost White '66 American 4-door sedan. Ours was the high-line 440 model, with the all the brightwork that was missing on the cheaper 220. It had the 232 2-bbl Commando Six, a "Shift Command" (Borg-Warner) three-speed automatic, factory air conditioning, and pushbutton AM radio. Ours came from Marty R's Roundup Rambler, in the Pleasant Grove section of Dallas. I can remember going with my dad to pick up the car. We had no trade-in, since the Ultramatic transmission in our '52 Packard Mayfair had gone out the year before. For several months, travel meant borrowing cars or bumming rides, while my parents saved up for the down payment. Fifty BucksAs an avid S.F. Bay Area car-kid born in 1962 I remember seeing old used cars such as your dad's '56 Hudson-Rambler, in places like Berkeley and San Francisco, being used by college-aged kids as their daily transportation. These old cars lined the streets around campus, beaten by years of hard use and on their final decline before the scrap yard. Your dad's '56 wagon could have gone on to become a college kid's cheap wheels before succumbing to the pressure of 'planned obsolescence.' I seem to remember Hunter S. Thompson bought a new Rambler back in the late '50s or early '60s, he had nothing but trouble with it, and one of his books contains letters to the manufacturer over his car's ailments. Seeing your dad's ten-year old '56 makes me think of all the well-worn old cars around when I was a kid in the late 1960s. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Camp Cuddles: 1925
San Francisco circa 1925. "Swimsuit girls camping in dealer window with Willys-Knight auto." Say hello to Kay and Nina, who, in addition to camping and swimming, seem to enjoy golf. 8x10 film negative. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/09/2015 - 1:36pm -

San Francisco circa 1925. "Swimsuit girls camping in dealer window with Willys-Knight auto." Say hello to Kay and Nina, who, in addition to camping and swimming, seem to enjoy golf. 8x10 film negative. View full size. In the immortal words ...of Daffy Duck:* "It's a living." *Daffy Dilly, 1948. "No Shieks Allowed"But we welcome all sheiks! Auto RefrigeratorI've never seen an "auto refrigerator" like that before! A quick search located this. Sheik?I'm guessing that would be a "player" in the modern vernacular. I guess girls just want to have funEven advertising for their own Rudolph Valentino. Say, if they're still with us they're way over 100 by now. And from that day forwardNina was known to her friends and family as "the big one." A Knight & two DamselsThey can do laundry, golf, read, but can they cook? Plato's CaveThe window lettering casting a shadow ("Overland") near the car suggests that this may have been the Overland and Willys-Knight salesroom at 1414 Van Ness. That, at least, is what the 1925 Crocker Langley directory suggests to this reader. Hegelian Unity of Opposites Revealed!The car has sleeve valves; the bathing suits have no sleeves -- unlike many illustrated on his site, some of which might as well have trains. I'd subtly tie the above point to Kant, but I can't. Golf RoadsterThe door behind the golf bag conceals the compartment in which the clubs will be stored while en route. Sheiks and ShebasIn the 1920s, a sheik was what they called a guy that girls swooned over, like a Valentino. Another name was darb, which was more like a super cool guy, superior to all the others. A ladies' man was a cake-eater. Hot flappers were shebas or kittens. They had other names too, but sheik and sheba were popular. A flapper's father was a dapper. I'm not that old but I'm writing a novel set in the era and I researched the jargon of the day. It's quite interesting. (The Gallery, Camping, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Pretty Girls, W. Stanley)
Montreal: 1900
... see some pics of British Columbia in the 1950's or 60's, camping,family life etc. Grew up there and loved it so. I am living in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 7:56pm -

Quebec circa 1900. "Jacques Cartier Square, Montreal." One of relatively few Canadian scenes in the archive. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Attn: Frederic FalconI'd like to see this one colorized. Mo' CanadaThanks for posting. We need more Canadian pics on Shorpy! I may have to upload some of my collection to the Member Gallery. 73 Bleury StMy great grandfather Edward Quivron emigrated from Belgium to Montreal late in the 19th century and lived with his wife Antoine and their daughters Madelena and Rosalie (my grandmother) at 73 Bleury St., Montreal according the the April 1901 census. I believe their home may have been near this place. FINALLY SOME CANADAPlease Dave, post some more Canadian stuff. There are many of us out here looking for a little closer "connection" to our roots. Merci beaucoup! - and I am not even French Canadian WOW - Look at it Now!Me again; Cest magnifique, no?A very nice change of scenery. Place Jacques CartierAmazingly the street has changed very little in 100 years. Many of the buildings are still there. It's now part of "Old Montreal," an area that dates to the days of colonisation and has a very Old-European feel. Many of the cobblestone roads are now pedestrian streets. The monument is "Nelsons Column," in honour of Admiral Horatio Nelson. It was put up in 1808. Tall building on the right is Montreal City Hall, built in 1872. The domed building rear-left is the old Courthouse, built in 1851. It's now part of city hall. Right behind the camera would be the "Old Port" and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Jacques Cartier Square was the hub of commerce in Montreal and much of Quebec. Pat (in Montreal). 30 Years Behind The US?Photos on this site that show US big cities from 1900 show trolley tracks, if not autos, but, except for the monument, this shot of Montreal looks like something out of the US High Plains circa 1873. I almost expect to see Wyatt Earp or Marshal Matt Dillon walking down the street. [You wouldn't have trolleys running through a market. Compare it with the 1908 photo of a Philadelphia market below. Which city looks to be the more "wired"? - Dave] What a hodgepodgeCarts, horses, merchandise, humanity -- looks like the barricade scene from Les Miserables. Another great photo featuring old wall signageThe great thing about the Quebecois cities of Montreal and Quebec is how they've so effectively managed to preserve the old neighborhoods along the river. My hometown of Newburgh NY totally removed its old commercial Hudson River waterfront neighborhood as an "urban rnewal" project in the late 1960's and it took them nearly 30 years to replace the ruined landscape with a bland grassy swath and some fancy restaurants. Les MisMy first thought upon viewing this photo was that the revolution has started! Man the barricades! Six DrapeuxHasn't changed much since 1900. Montreal today resembles a big French-Canadian theme park. Mr. Mel...I'd like to see it colorized, too! But to do it right, to color all the tiniest details (such as the tree branches), it would really have to be an even larger photo than it is, ideally twice as big. It would take a long time to do this one. It would definitely be the biggest challenge I've ever encountered. I normally spend anywhere from a half hour to ninety minutes doing a coloring job. I'm sure this would take many sessions over several days. Montreal market in colorThose wishing to try their hand at colorizing this image can download the jumbo 5400-pixel full-resolution jpeg here. Crayons not included. Another Canada FanAnother request for more Canada photos (especially Montreal) please! Yes please on Canadian contentSo enjoy this site, would love to see some pics of British Columbia in the 1950's or 60's, camping,family life etc. Grew up there and loved it so. I am living in MontrealOld Montreal is still in need of renovations. Many of the old buildings that are further left of AA Wilson house are not looking fine at all. A shame because they are in direct view of the boats coming from St-Lawrence river. For that matter, Quebec City is incredibly well redone and so CLEAN. This picture here is on of the most well known of Old Mtl. 109 years laterVisual positioning... Done! Montreal 1900 - 2009 Love this site.I was Google'ing old heritage photos of Montreal, and came upon your picture. I have a very similar photo as yours, but not as clear or sharp. It was taken from the same angle. I am guessing mine was taken around 1900. I corrected the photo somewhat. Montreal was HQ of the CPRLovely old view of my favourite North American city. The CPR had monumental locomotive repair workshops there in 1900, and also built locos from scratch, thousands of them. Was hauled by a 1912 one out in British Columbia last year. As for the comment about Montreal being behind the times then, well, it's perhaps worth noting this small excerpt from Wikipedia: "By 1894, the remaining horsecar lines had all been converted to accommodate the new electrically powered streetcars. The Montreal Street Railway was known as one of the most innovative and progressive in North America. One of its innovations was the introduction of the "Pay As You Enter" (P.A.Y.E.) system of fare collection in 1905." Everywhere else used conductors to collect fares. The Brits continued until well into the 1980s on those double decker buses! (The Gallery, DPC, Horses, Stores & Markets)
1971: Are We Having Fun Yet?
August 1971 On vacation again, this time camping with my brother and sister-in-law at Hoopa, California. I'm not sure if ... idea. We guys never think of things like that when we go camping, but if my wife goes, it gets packed every time. Coats of many ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 07/02/2009 - 7:28pm -

August 1971 On vacation again, this time camping with my brother and sister-in-law at Hoopa, California. I'm not sure if my expression reflects my real mood, or if I'm just being a wise guy. Note how I set up this self-timer Kodachrome so that I was the one in focus. View full size. What? Who? How?>> Well thank you. But Dave and tterrace are two different people. I am not tterrace. tterrace is not me! - Dave You mean Shorpy has two captains? I'm so confused. Anyway, a shout-out to the 1971 hottie with the wristwatch — you know who you are. And to the hottie runner-up, be of good cheer. Your day will come. [Maybe you were thinking tterrace is Dave's "nice" alter ego. He is in reality one of the many Shorpy members who contribute photos to the site. Also one of the most popular. Click on the contributor's username above any photo to see his or her profile. Shorpy has more than 1,800 registered users. Anyone can sign up and post photos to the Member Gallery. - Dave] Time in a bottleTo think that sweet little boy from the other pictures turned into this louche lothario ... But ...Your brother doesn't look a thing like James Taylor. Easy ridersWhat a difference from the family photo you posted a few days ago -- the 1955 living room scene. Same concept here -- relaxing with family -- but a complete change in atmosphere, dress, etc. That bikiniI think I owned its twin. A Doff of the CapThose leather hats were the bomb back in the day. Those were the days my friendAh, the summer of '71. I wore a bikini well then, mine was blue with yellow flower power. "Summertime, and the living is easy." A great photo with attached memories for many. No. 3What a sweet-faced, happy looking girl. The couple looks so mellow, and then there's the photographer, fully dressed, wearing a watch. Why so uptight, man? Dave, Dave, DaveOur regular Shorpy commenters are too demure to state the obvious, so allow me: You're a HOTTIE. [Well thank you. But Dave and tterrace are two different people. I am not tterrace. tterrace is not me! - Dave] The Olden DaysSo couples in the seventies wore matching bikini bottoms? It's nice seeing you grow up in photos, tterrace. It's almost like watching a coming-of-age movie piece by piece. CoveredYou just know the tablecloth was her idea. We guys never think of things like that when we go camping, but if my wife goes, it gets packed every time. Coats of many culturesThat coat on the table, was that your sister-in-law's? It looks Central Asian, maybe Uzbek. I'm asking because "ethnic" and vintage garments were very popular in the Bay Area around 1971, and pretty young women like your sister-in-law looked smashing in them. Your camping photo recalls to me a whole circle of my closest Berkeley friends, most of them from Mill Valley, Dublin (CA), and scenic Hayward. Color my worldAh, yes...."earth tones" — the color palette '70s humanoids couldn't live without. I accessorized my mustard yellow bedroom with avocado green shag carpeting and a brown bedspread. Forty years later, I'm still depressed. OMG!!!!!Are they both wearing the same swimsuit bottoms??? The decade taste forgotGad, we looked that bad in the '70s too. Thanks tterrace for the reassurance. Third WheelHaving been in more than a few similar situations, I am going to guess that it's reflecting your real mood. Your brother doesn't seem to mind though, which probably speaks to the good nature of all three of you. And your sister-in-law is absolutely lovely. PoseWhenever someone sets the timer and jumps into the picture, they often quickly strike this "Oh, I've just been sitting here without moving for at least half an hour" pose. Pretty funny. Century of ProgressNice to see the change in America from Civil War band to civilian picnic. It's even more sobering to think we are more than a third of a century past this "modern" land. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Travel & Vacation, tterrapix)
Full House: 1937
... and saucers in a travel trailer. I don't do that much camping but I don't remember seeing anyone using fine china in a trailer. On the few occasions my parents went camping back in the 50s-60s they had a complete Tupperware set. Plates, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 7:20pm -

"Trailer camp, June 4, 1937." More tourists at the Washington, D.C., trailer camp. Photo-op casserole, anyone? Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Photo-Op Casserole78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 1 percent trace elements. Serve at room temperature. Fun in the sunEverybody's getting a nice tan. Bananas and what?What are they eating and drinking....all the vessels and dishes look empty. My wife and I had a little travel trailer in the late '60's when we were first married. It was such a joy to have this little home away from home that was all your own...sleeping on your own sheets and eating your own food just like at home but being anywhere you wanted to be. It was a wonderful time. Great memories...thanks Dave. What are they eating?I see bananas in the middle plate but every one else's plate is empty. Makes you wonder what big brother has on his fork. The other day......I had a cool water sandwich and a sunday-go-to-meetin' bun. Bow bow bow... ColorsI would love to see the interior in color, because looking at the various patterns and textures, you know it was brilliantly bright. It's also interesting that the nautical theme is in the camper -- same idea, I guess, traveling in a small, compact "home away from home" enclosure. It's...invisible casserole! Especially for Shorpy fansFor all of you out there who find the present and past such interesting companions, you have got to check this out: http://woa2.com/a-walk-through-time/ Booth seatingMom should always sit on the outside so she can jump up every few minutes to wait on someone or fetch something. At least that's the way it was in the 50s when I was a boy. I don't think Mom ever ate a meal in peace. ColemanGasoline stove on the left. Still have one but never used it inside. Per the Coleman website, yes they are still made but now they are called "Liquid Fuel" stoves. My family's hippie trailer.My family trailer growing up was this vintage thing, even though it was the the late 80s/early 90s we had this sweet trailer with orange and brown interior and big hippy flower drapes, although we brought real food with us, not imaginary. Children's Tea PartyNotice how healthy and slim they all are. Maybe more of us should have pretend parties like this. Trailer Treat StewReminds me of the one pan supper my mom used to make: Trailer Treat Stew with franks, kidney beans, canned tomatos, canned corn and spices. I think I need to make up a batch! My mother-in-lawate every meal like that, at least when I was there. I don't think the poor woman ever got to finish her meal without interruption. The only way to keep her from popping up to get whatever anybody wanted was to get up and get it yourself without saying anything. She always insisted she *wanted* the slightly burned toast. Whats for supper?"We're having Breeze Pudding , and Air cake for dessert. Take a Banana for later - if you get peckish!" Matching ChinaI find it interesting that this family would have matching china including cups and saucers in a travel trailer. I don't do that much camping but I don't remember seeing anyone using fine china in a trailer. On the few occasions my parents went camping back in the 50s-60s they had a complete Tupperware set. Plates, tumblers, cups, saucers, etc. At least it wouldn't break. With the csserole dish angled away from view perhaps Mom is just getting ready to serve everyone. EnamelwareThat's enamelware, not china. The plates and cups are porcelain-enameled metal. Still sold at camping supply places. Cream of Nothing SoupDid'ja ever eat dinner with a lump in your throat when there had just been a family fight at the table? Looks like the mother and son on the left are both about to burst into tears. But don't worry, they'll all cheer up when we pass out the rotten bananas for dessert. My TakeOlder son refuses to eat air, Dad smacks him, Mom empathizes with son, younger brother watches to see how older brother reacts and Miss Goody-goody sister is triumphant. Family resemblancesThe older son looks just like his father and the daughter looks just like her mother. Can't tell about the little fellow. Everyone is dressed very comfortably and looks tanned and fit! (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Travel & Vacation)
Coffee Break: 1862
... cup of coffee unless you can chew it!" (The Gallery, Camping, Civil War, James Gibson) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2014 - 2:47pm -

May 1862. "Yorktown, Virginia (vicinity). Group before the photographic tent at Camp Winfield Scott." From photographs of the Peninsular Campaign, May-August 1862. Wet plate glass negative by James F. Gibson. View full size. 'Tack & 'LassesI once tasted a sticky suet-like concoction made from hardtack and molasses at a Civil War reenactment. Kinda swelled up in my belly. Didn't taste awful, though. Eggshells or Cold WaterApparently the trick to drinking coffee (which in this time and place was made without filters) was to use crushed eggshells or cold water to make the grounds sink to the bottom of the cup. As for hardtack, you need to soak it in hot water (like coffee) for a while before it softens enough to be able to bite off a bit. Even so, it's still like eating a piece of masonry. Another Missed OpportunityHad McClellan actually had some gonads, the Peninsular Campaign could have effectively ended the Civil War in a little over a year's time. But no, he surmised for some reason that the Seccesh had thousands of troops in front of him and let Robert E. Lee outsmart him for the first time. The second time would be at Antietam. Pass the crackersIf you've every heard the word "hardtack" in regard to pioneer food, that's what the guy on the right is holding. Looks like a big saltine cracker -- but it doesn't taste like one. Trust me. Camp coifThe classic "I just got up" hairstyle! Only the beginningI suppose we tend to read too much into these images but I can't help thinking that, judging by the distant look on their faces, the three men on the left have come to grips with the realization that this war is going to be a lot tougher than they were led to believe and the worst of the carnage is yet to come. American HistoryMy city in Canada wasn't founded till 1882, these photos depict unbelievable memories of brothers fighting brothers. U.S. history is complicated and very interesting, now I know why Americans have so much interest in history. PrivationsI hate coffee in a tin cup. Either you burn your lip on the cup, or wait until the coffee's cold. Travel in timeShorpy is like a time machine. Wonderful photo, thank you, Dave! HardtackMy son made some for his Civil War project in school. Not the most appetizing thing in the world. Field rationsHardtack and coffee! HardtackI take part in confederate re-enactment some, and we have been given actual hardtack in the past. I found that the best way to soften it to eat, was to place it in your skillet after you've fried your bacon. It soaks up the drippings and softens up quite nicely. Gets a bit of flavor to it. The real stuff!When I started drinking coffee myself in the mid eighties, I was taught to make it on the stovetop in a tin coffee pot with no filter. The grounds were measured into the cold water and boiled the bejeezus out of until it smelled good and done. Adding a bit of cold water to your hot cup of coffee helped the grounds to settle to the bottom so you didn't get a mouthful with every swig. The last swallow was usually the worst. I was a young woman working among rough, thick skinned men in the logging industry in Alaska. Their motto about the coffee, which by the way, I always had to make, was that "it ain't a real cup of coffee unless you can chew it!" (The Gallery, Camping, Civil War, James Gibson)
Her Own Biggest Fan: 1927
... love it that she's wearing dress shoes and stockings on a camping trip. [This looks like the 1820s to me. - Dave] Okay, ... Why would you take your antique fan collection on a camping trip? [Old flies! - Dave] More fannotation Fan belonging ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/14/2015 - 4:06pm -

Washington, D.C., or vicinity, 1927. "Woman at campsite with fan display." The card enlarged here. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Definitely not an 1820's fanlindab is quite right... the fashions of the ladies on the fan are from around 1840-1850, not the 1820's. You can see this especially on the woman sitting on the bank to the right. A few clues... The 1820's sleeve was frequently fitted through the arm, sometimes with a small puff at the top, where these sleeves are fitted in the upper arm and bell out at the wrists, a style that developed into the "Pagoda" sleeve of 1860's. The 1820's skirts were high waisted and a-line with more fullness captured at the center back, where these skirts are natural waisted and clearly full, almost dome-shaped, heading towards the large crinoline hoop skirts. Of course, since this is 1927, the note taker could have been off just fifteen years, and this fan might be from 1842. Possible... The FanAppears to be conveying a vaguely religious theme, perhaps a deceased soul being borne to the other side of the river where it's received by its former loved ones? The prone figure has a death's head while the one in the center is the only one looking heavenward and with a halo around her head, the soul of the deceased. Fannotated"100 yrs. old" A daredevil aviatrix?A possible clue to the lady. She might have liked flying or fliers, judging by the airplane pin at her throat. A Lindbergh Fan?Just noticed the airplane pin at her collar. PinI that a "Spirit of St.Louis" pin she's wearing? Sky QueenThe fan is fine, but the airplane on her neck is awesome! This pinThere were many designs for her to choose from, with and without rhinestones, and this looks like the one she chose. Fan not as old as they sayThe ladies illustrated on the beautiful fan are wearing hoop skirts and hairstyles from the 1850s at the very earliest, so in 1927 it would have been at most 70+ years old. The girl, however, is charming, and I love it that she's wearing dress shoes and stockings on a camping trip. [This looks like the 1820s to me. - Dave] Okay, I'm stumpedWhy would you take your antique fan collection on a camping trip? [Old flies! - Dave] More fannotationFan belonging to Mrs. John Douglas (Wade?) 100 yrs old belonging to her grand? mother? The precision of the name vs the rest of the script makes this look to be a marked up calling card. Prominent familyIf Baltfan is correct in deciphering that text, this might be a member of a prominent family. Mrs. John Douglass Wade, Baltimore, Maryland, granddaughter of Louisa Airey Gilmor (Mrs Samuel Owings Hoffman), married May 9, 1826, hence the 100 years old comment. (The Gallery, Camping, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Pretty Girls)
While We're Young: 1915
... arresting. Talk about a Mona Lisa smile! (The Gallery, Camping, D.C., July 4, Natl Photo, Sports) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/21/2018 - 10:47pm -

Washington, D.C., 1915. "Klassy Kamp group." A summer camp on the banks of the Potomac. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. WowHat girl standing in the back row takes my breath away. Have her bathed and sent to my tent. Couples RetreatSee the two guys at the front on the left, one with the mandolin, the other with the oar? I don't think that could be more homoerotic if you planned it. Explosive BeautyI think I'll keep my distance from the young lady with the huge firecracker. The expression on her face says she is thinking of new things to blow up. Summer whitesI am constantly amazed by how people seemed much more inclined to wear white in whatever circumstance. This snazzy group is amazingly well turned out for camp; I love the casual hammock and pipe and ...ties. And is that a balalaika on the front row!? Sure beats the banjos at MY summer camp. MesmerisedI am mesmerised by the faces in this photo. It looks idyllic, but it's on the cusp of WW-1 for the USA. The girl on the far left has me spellbound ...I wonder what her life story is. Thanks for posting this great photo. MusicaleI'm partial to Victrola girl, but sadly resemble married freckly-jughead guy. Leaning skinny-tie guy gives me the willies. Concert on the PotomacThe improvised youth orchestra prepares for an evening of classical music. The opening feature is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's overture in E flat major, Op. 49 (1812 Overture) to be played with two mandolins, two guitars, one ukulele, and featuring Maria Nobel on bass percussion and pyrotechnics. The GraduatesMan, upper right: "I want to say one word to you. Just one word." Enthralled young adults: "Yes, sir." Man: "Are you listening?" Squirming young adults, in unison: "Yes, we are." Man: "Radio." Befuddled young adults: "Just how do you mean that, sir?" White upper crustIt was hard not to notice that the slightly darker skins belong to the musicians and how nice and white everyone's clothing is. [Possibly Upper Diplomatic (Spanish Legation) crust. - Dave] Where to begin ...This is a great picture despite being posed - and it's filled with so many obvious symbols of sexual yearning and, if those three chaperons at the top have anything to say about it, repression, that it would be hard to believe that most of them weren't in on the joke. If the five turgid guitar and mandolin necks weren't enough, we also have the oars positioned as sort of a gateway to the girl with the dreamy and far-away look in her eyes who also happens to be holding a -- what would you call it -- large, turgid "candle"? Which one of them, do you think, will light that wick? I'll put my money on the guy up on the deck, in the back, with the "pipe" in his mouth. He'd be the one with the matches in his pocket. Aside from all that, the quality of this picture is terrific! What a nice find it would be for a genealogist. Hot StuffThe girl in front between the oars -- she's the Bomb! While we're at itAmong all the appreciative comments on the young ladies, the third guy from the right in the front row, holding his oar in that strange grip, is a total hottie. And the chaperone at the far right looks like she's had about enough of this nonsense, thank you very much. Affluence on parade"Biff! Todd! So nice to see you!" "Muffy, dahling! It's been positively ages!" Oh, be still, my beating heart!The gorgeous face of the young lady seated, hands in lap, extreme right. I'm in love with a 114-year-old beauty! StunningThe woman in the 2nd row, fourth from the left, is absolutely gorgeous. Modern impressions of a bygone eraI am continually fascinated by the insights / impressions / speculations of a 2009 audience to snapshots in time of a past society. It is interesting to see how we impress our experiences and social programming onto an individual's look, pose, or stance - captured in an instant in time so long ago. I wonder how much we understand the social mores of a society long since faded into our past. It would be an interesting exercise to see what that past society's impressions on our present society (us) would be. I would love to sit down with any of the individuals in these photos and have a simple discussion for an hour. Shorpy does us all a great service! My wandering eyeI have spent many minutes drinking in this photo. My eye always strays back to the girl on the far left. Talk about a timeless beauty. MLSOnce you notice it, the face of the girl seated second on the left is arresting. Talk about a Mona Lisa smile! (The Gallery, Camping, D.C., July 4, Natl Photo, Sports)
The Comforts of Home: 1861
... there--as much as they could be--too. (The Gallery, Camping, Civil War, D.C., Dogs) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2014 - 2:18pm -

From 1861, a second look at these Northern infantry campers -- and our first glimpse of their puppy. "District of Columbia. Tent life of the 31st (later, 82nd) Pennsylvania Infantry at Queen's Farm, vicinity of Fort Slocum." View full size. Wet-plate glass negative, left half of stereo pair, photographer unknown. This has a lot in common with the pictures Dorothea Lange would be taking 75 years later of Dust Bowl migrants in the agricultural tent camps of California. Library of Congress annotation: Princess Agnes Salm-Salm, wife of Prince Felix of Prussia, who served with the Union Army, observed in January 1862 that the winter camp of the Army of the Potomac was "teeming with women." Some wives insisted on staying with their husbands, which may have been the case with this woman, judging by her housewifely pose alongside a soldier, three young children, and a puppy. In addition to taking care of her own family, she may have worked as a camp laundress or nurse. Some women who lacked the marital voucher of respectability were presumed to be prostitutes and were periodically ordered out of camp. Only gradually during the four years of the war, and in the face of unspeakable suffering, were women grudgingly accepted by military officials and the general public in the new public role of nurse. Queen's FarmThe images from Queen's Farm tent camp remind me of photos of American pioneers on the prairie in front of their sod houses. They would bring out all their valuables to be included in the photograph: a sewing machine, a rocking chair, a bird in a gilded cage, even a pump organ. The soldiers here are displaying pottery pitchers, plates and cups that might be unexpected in an Army tent camp. Early DaysIt's early in the war, after the First Battle of Bull Run since Fort Slocum and the rest of the Washington defenses didn't exist until after that battle, which may explain the quantities of stuff they have. It usually took their first real battle or even their long march to reveal just how overequipped they were. After Bull Run the army was incredibly sedentary which meant that they accumulated stuff they didn't need and that families came to join their husbands and fathers. 1861I love how the process of the photograph plus the aging and wear and tear make it look otherworldly, ghostly, as though the spirits of the dead were there--as much as they could be--too. (The Gallery, Camping, Civil War, D.C., Dogs)
Roughing It: 1905
... Glamping Today we call this 'glamping'. I guess luxury camping isn't so new after all. Not a tallboy That's a lowboy with a mirror, not a tallboy . (Adam Maclay, Camping, New Zealand) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2014 - 2:47pm -

New Zealand circa 1905. "Sumner, Christchurch. Interior of large tent decorated with posters and picture postcards, with tallboy and mirror, trunks with flags, lamps and 'Myrtle Camp' sign." For the men of Myrtle Camp, all the comforts of home and then some. Glass plate by Adam Maclay. View full size. Faith BasedAfter seeing the posted signs in this tent, I would say that this might have been either an Evangelical meeting place or a religious retreat. [One of the pinup-friendly denominations? -Dave] Or maybe they lapsed. My God Shall Supply All My NeedsAnd if that's not enough, there's always the Victorian pinups hung up everywhere. Pretty racy stuffArmless statue porn. The pinup on the far rightHanging from the dark part of the tent roof. Would be an interesting blowup. GlampingToday we call this 'glamping'. I guess luxury camping isn't so new after all. Not a tallboyThat's a lowboy with a mirror, not a tallboy. (Adam Maclay, Camping, New Zealand)
That's Entertainment: 1927
... How little things change When we went camping in the fifties - thirty years after this photo - we had a Colman stove just like the one on the far right and camping chairs to match as well. No wind up record player though! No ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2014 - 3:20pm -

Washington, D.C., or vicinity circa 1927. "Auto campers." One day, kid, your car will have a built-in phonograph. National Photo glass negative. View full size. Fair Warning!Having had the unpleasant experience just a month ago of a collapse while sitting on one of those camp stools, I note the right joint under the phonograph is working loose and needs attention. It's a ChryslerCould be any year model from 1924-27 as they all had quite a resemblance in those days, but the winged radiator cap was a distinctive Chrylser point of identification. How little things changeWhen we went camping in the fifties - thirty years after this photo - we had a Colman stove just like the one on the far right and camping chairs to match as well. No wind up record player though! No BananasThat crank-up portable phonograph is a real chick magnet. Don't believe me, just watch the 1954 film "Sabrina". The record Is a "scroll" label Victor, designed and originated in late 1925 to coincide with the advent of the electrical recording process which greatly enhanced the sound. The "VE" at the 12:00 and 6:00 positions stands for Victor electric. For a time, the same recordings from this early era had both the earlier batwing label as well as the newer one depending upon when they were pressed. Alas, I can't tell the make of the machine, but it is definitely not one of the many models of Victrola suitcase portables. Chrysler's "Highway HiFi Phonograph"It was available as an option on late 1950's models from all Chrysler divisions. Not perfect, but a nice try! (The Gallery, Camping, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Kids, Music, Natl Photo)
After the Earthquake: 1906
... I'll bet most of the returnees in this view ended up camping in Golden Gate Park. A Trip Down Market Street Look at this ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:40pm -

"Market Street toward ferry." San Francisco after the earthquake and fire of April 18, 1906. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Thanks...Just experienced my first Earthquake just over an hour ago. Once again, Dave you leave me speechless. Walter in Bethesda, MD Good TimingDave, you've done it again! There was a 5.9 tremor in Va. today and we felt it on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay. So, earthquakes will be the topic of discussion for a while. Quick WorkWow, you practically beat Reuters to the punch. 100-year photo blog indeed!Just arrived home after my building was closed following today's earthquake. Turned on my internet, and what do I see? AmazingEven in the aftermath of this great tragedy, everyone is as fully and fashionably dressed as they must have been before April 18th. I would expect that at least some of the people in the photograph were made homeless by the earthquake and fire, but you would never know it to look at them. Ironic timing is ironicWas this photo already chosen for today? Fortunately, DC doesn't look this way nowI don't know if this photo is a coincidence coming so soon after the Magnitude 5.9 earthquake that rattled Virginia, DC, Maryland and all the way up to New York City. Fortunately, we didn't get this kind of damage!! This just in...Very timely. The earth movedfor me! Unfortunately, I was home alone. I'm 35 miles S.E.of Washington, so a bit closer to the epicenter than D.C. My behind started moving as my chair followed the floor movement, them my whole body followed as the movements became stronger. The desk then started shaking, moving my PC case and monitor. My first thought was that there was some some structural collapse in my home, then I realized it was a quake. Lasted about 40 seconds, then slowly subsided. A quick survey showed no damage, power, phone, and DSL service all normal. That's a pretty short skyline.I can only imagine what was going through the minds of those folks as they survey the damage. The Ole Man PurseWhen will the ole man purse be back in style, I wonder. This Just In As WellFrom The Gothamist, a little while ago. [UPDATE] 5.9 Magnitude Earthquake In Virginia Rattles Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens The FDNY and the US Geological Survey has confirmed a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in central Virginia. Residents of Manhattan and Brooklyn have reported feeling the earthquake Oh, well foundPuts things in perspective a bit. It Would SeemIt appears that no matter what the occasion, the San Franciscans of 1906 got gussied up before going out. Get a load of those ladies' hats. Just Sayin'After their homes and business's have been devastated, the men still wear hats, collars, ties and suits. The ladies never go out in public unless well groomed. Definitely saying something about the quality of the general mass but not the underbelly that also existed then. First EarthquakeHow ironic that on the day you publish this photo, we in the mountains of Pa. experienced the first earthquake any of us can remember. Trolley wiresSince there are now trolley wires over the cable car tracks, the date is later than just the day after the earthquake. Fashion PlateWhere did that cool looking dude get his fresh boutonniere and clean pocket hanky? San Francisco where is Clark Gable? Previously on ShorpyMany are familiar with the famous 13-minute film of Market Street shot from the front of a trolley car as it rolled toward the Ferry Building on a busy afternoon in San Francisco. Although the footage has long been dated by LOC curators to circa September 1905, extensive new research by David Kiehn, historian for the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum in Fremont, CA, has established that this footage was probably shot by the Miles Brothers film company on or near April 12, 1906, scarcely a week before the earthquake and fire. The footage was only shipped by rail to New York for processing and distribution on April 17, and the Miles Brothers studio was destroyed a few hours later. The San Francisco Chronicle has details of Kiehn's discoveries. The San Francisco Museum & Historical Society is sponsoring a lecture by Mr. Kiehn about his findings on Sept. 21. The Underbelly SpeaksAs part of the Underbelly, or the Great Unwashed, as we are sometimes called, I'd just like to go on record as saying that, in case of earthquake, hurricane, rapture or other major disruption of life, I have prepared an outfit consisting of tattered Chuck Taylors, raggedy cut offs and a tie dyed T-shirt. I'm gonna hit the streets in style. There's no there thereThe gent with the fresh boutonniere and clean pocket hanky likely got them in Oakland. The folks on the left hand side of the photo are walking up Market Street from the Ferry Building in the background, indicating they're returning to San Francisco, not fleeing from the now extinguished fires. Likely they had evacuated to Oakland or elsewhere and are now returning to see what's left of their homes and businesses. Ferries shuttling between San Francisco and Oakland and Marin served as the city's lifeline for days after the quake and fire. I'll bet most of the returnees in this view ended up camping in Golden Gate Park. A Trip Down Market StreetLook at this movie of a cable car going the same direction on Market Street just days before the Earthquake. (The Gallery, DPC, Fires, Floods etc., San Francisco)
The Unnamed Soldier: 1864
... the same old poles. We never actually took the stuff camping. Nice Bed! Made a bed just like that long time ago in Boy ... for cots, and allowing air to circulate. (The Gallery, Camping, Civil War, Timothy O'Sullivan) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2014 - 2:41pm -

August 1864. "Petersburg, Virginia. Federal soldier's quarters." A glimpse of camp life. Wet plate glass negative by Timothy H. O'Sullivan. View full size. TaggedThis man appears to be wearing a dog tag, a new thing at that time. The Army did not issue dog tags until 1913, but soldiers could and did purchase them from private suppliers. The camp furniture reminds me of the things we used to build as Boy Scouts. By then, you couldn't cut down trees for the purpose, so we would practice building them, re-using the same old poles. We never actually took the stuff camping. Nice Bed!Made a bed just like that long time ago in Boy Scouts! I remember it wasn't too bad to sleep in once you stuffed enough pine needles into it. Nice looking camp given the time and place. Great Looking CampsiteHe would have won the million dollars on "Survivor" with no problem. I don't get itCan someone explain the purpose of the superstructure? He's not going to be there long enough to train grapevines or wisteria. It seems a bit much for hanging laundry to dry. Its purpose is probably obvious to former boy scouts, but not to me. [The shady shelter is called a brush arbor. - Dave] Looks pretty comfy!That is, as long as the weather was nice. This obviously wasn't what their camps looked like anywhere near the front lines, though. Still, it is nice to know that they were at least comfortable part of the time. War coverageThe siege of Petersburg ran from June of ’64 to March of ’65. Plenty of time to continue to build, add to, and modify a soldier’s bivouac. I wonder if at some point that “superstructure” was covered with tarps to provide a larger sheltered area, especially in the winter. Later the tarps came down and the pup tents came up? Just a theory. HeadquartersArbors of all sorts were used for protection from the sun in the camps of both sides--particularly in headquarters areas. The soldier were issued shelter tent halves and if the found materials for shebangs used the tents for a roof. This looks like some sort of headquarters. The infantry camps would be less permanent looking due to constant shifting of positions. Soldier did purchase ID disks--about the size of a half dollar. The light spot on the placket of his shirt may just be that. The ID disk would likely be under his shirt. I see a big button on his coat. To the far left of the soldier is the framework for another shelter with the canvas off. A half-wall has been fashioned out of a hardtack box and you can see the bed frame with a blanket. The cast iron tea pot and sheet tin frying pan are now very collectible. I see two cloth-covered canteen on the tree, but I do not know what the object hanging on the tent ridge pole is. A sponge or another canteen? Shady charactersAn almost identical illustration is included in a classic Civil War book on soldiering, "Hardtack & Coffee" by John D. Billings, published in 1887. He even mentions that in the summer the tents would be raised (like this one) to provide headroom and space for cots, and allowing air to circulate. (The Gallery, Camping, Civil War, Timothy O'Sullivan)
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