MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
Home

Search Shorpy

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

Search results -- 30 results per page

Sleigh Ride: 1940
... destination. They managed to cram only 3 (possibly 4?) cars on the truck. Is there a 4th car under the last one? Hard to tell. The ... on the side must have been the truck spare. [Four cars. - Dave] Buicks Interesting that these long-ago cars looked quite ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/17/2007 - 1:39am -

February 1940. Automobile transport carrying new Buicks in Chillicothe, Ohio. 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the FSA. View full size. Chillicothe BuicksMan, tell that guy to stop by my place and I'll give him 3X the sticker price on any one of those beauties. [OK. Looks like you have to put the bumpers on yourself. - Dave] Too exciting.That's my hometown! I love that you have a photo from there; the city is full of history, being it was the 1st capital of Ohio. Please post more Chillicothe photos! Buick heavenOoooh God, give me one of those Buicks! Bumpers?At first, I didn't notice the missing bumpers. Must have left them off save space on the truck. You can see the holes in the front where they'd be installed. Bumpers must have been put on by the dealer at the destination. They managed to cram only 3 (possibly 4?) cars on the truck. Is there a 4th car under the last one? Hard to tell. The tire mounted on the side must have been the truck spare. [Four cars. - Dave] BuicksInteresting that these long-ago cars looked quite elegant when they were new. Missing BumpersI'd noticed the same thing and can imagine that the bumpers were prone to pre-delivery damage when being loaded and unloaded from these driveaway haulers. Plus it would be cheaper to have a dealership mechanic bolt them on as opposed to a unionized assembly line worker. But it's surprising to me that the hubcaps are installed making them easy targets for theft. I remember in the 60s and 70s that nearly any brand of car you saw on a transport truck would never have the hubcaps installed. I say nearly because if you saw a hauler full of new Cadillacs they would invariably have their wheelcovers in place. Cadillac was concerned enough with their image that they were willing to absorb some theft losses. And no doubt they didn't want their cars to be possibly mistaken for a more "ordinary" Oldsmobile or Chrysler, even when being hauled on a trailer or rail car. [Back in those days bumper guards were a popular dealer-installed accessory. That may have had something to do with it. - Dave] Honesty?Treefrog, Maybe the people of 1940 were more honest than those of the 1960s & 1970s and didn't steal hubcaps off new cars, even Buicks. How far away from the Buick plant would you say that truck is? [I think Buicks back then came from Flint, Michigan. - Dave] TrailerThe two front cars are loaded on the "tractor" portion of the vehicle. If you look under the second car you can see the tongue of the trailer hauling the rear two cars. Merry Christmas to all! BumpersSo, it looks like I'm not the only one who noticed that these Buicks were missing their bumpers. I'm 61, but I guess that's not old enough to remember a time when cars were not delivered to dealers with the bumpers attached. Peace, OldHippieDude Buick BumpersWhen automobile production was resumed after WWII, there was a series of strikes. The last union to settle was either the bumper manufacturers or the installers. The cars were shipped with 2X4 block of wood on the front and rear of the autos. If you saw a car with these wooden bumpers attached, you knew it was a new one and not some well kept 1941 model.So I guess that sometime after 1936 they were shipping new cars with the bumpers attached. Can ItBeautiful cars, but the carrier puzzles me. How can the tractor and trailer pivot? Doesn't look like they can. Or should. A lot of cars were made inA lot of cars were made in Cleveland, Ohio too, maybe they came from there. StraddleExactly right, and that's what seems wrong. Unless that car can bend around corners from the middle, I see problems! [The solution to this riddle has already been submitted by a loyal reader below - Ken] BuicksBuicks came from Flint, FJ Boutell hauled them well into the late 20th century. The trailer pivots beneath the car directly behind the cab. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
The Automobilist: 1910
... as their own. It is estimated that only a few hundred cars were made during their seven years in production and only two cars appear to survive. The cars shown below are from the January 1, 1909 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2023 - 3:03pm -

Detroit circa 1910. "Automobile on town street." More specifically, Jefferson Avenue at East Grand Boulevard. The building at right is Moesta's Tavern at 1407 Jefferson (also seen here). 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Ellie IncognitoI think this is Elinor Blevins in disguise. How many paople would own a pair of gloves like that? Eat my dust...I've got a horseless carriage and you guys DON'T! A pair of gloves like that?Put me down as one owner; got them about 35 years ago, kept the leather (hand) part nearly soaked in mink oil. The long fur sleeves are wonderful, used them today with the temps in the teens. Snowmobile used to call them "snot-wipers," the furry part being perfectly located for that work. WindowsWhat are the words in the window of the building to the far right? [Too blurry to tell. - Dave] WHAT is the world coming to?Danged hot-rodders! Seriously, can anyone make out the model of the car? This looks to have been in an upper-class neighborhood. Look at the size of the houses and how clean everything was. Also, no packs of "feral children" are running wild in the streets! Moesta's Store?The illegible shopfront sign got me curious, so I rummaged around in the LOC's Detroit Publishing Co. images that included automobiles. There are two more views of this street scene in the collection, taken at slightly different times, but each with a passing car. The LOC cataloger devised the titles from scrutiny of the original 5x7 glass negatives, listing one as "Street with automobile and Moesta's store," (LC-D418-31165) and the other as "Street with Moesta's store and Fuller Savings Bank" (LC-D418-31166). I'm not sure that the reading of "Store" is quite right, since the S-word looks longer than that in the image posted here, but the "Moesta" seems correct. There don't seem to be any other online references to these businesses, but a Moesta family genealogy page (a German surname later anglicized to Mesta) suggests Pittsburgh, PA as a possible locale for the period of the photo. Wealth creationThe home on the left is a great house. Even when wages were only a dollar a day, there have been people that could do things that would make them rich. I think that is wonderful. You big dummy...The driver of that car sure looks a lot like Fred G. Sanford to me...the G is for gasoline. Early BuickMy guess on the make of automobile is A Buick Model 10 (produced from 1908 - 1911). This appears to be a runabout version without the back seat. Very sporty, no matter what. DetroitJefferson Avenue and East Grand Boulevard. Shown below circa 1936. Pungs-Finch?The auto looks like it might be a 1906 - 1908 Pungs-Finch (P-F) car made in Detroit, Michigan from 1904 - 1910. What first led me to this conclusion was the script lettering on the radiator - which although blurred seems to be two words. The script is certainly is not the word "Buick," but there are many similarities between the two marques. Other identifying features in common with a P-F are the radiator shape and single strap running across the hood; tie bar below the front chassis; front axle almost directly below the radiator; rounded cowl shape and lights only on the cowl as seen in all early P-F advertising; fender line; tank or muffler below the left side chassis; and the curved body line from the top of the cowl to the front of the seat. I am not 100% sure it is a P-F because I have not found any other photos with this exact script on the radiator or the horizontal lines running across the radiator. Everything else seems to match perfectly. The Pungs-Fitch was made by a father and his son-in-law (W.A. Pungs and E.B. Finch). Pungs supplied the money and Finch supplied the engineering ability. They bought out the Sintz Gas Engine Company and claimed Sintz' history as their own. It is estimated that only a few hundred cars were made during their seven years in production and only two cars appear to survive. The cars shown below are from the January 1, 1909 Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal. The fenders have been modernized, but otherwise looks nearly identical to the earlier models. Note that the Runabout and Touring Models used different hoods. Moesta's Saloon in DetroitI found the following information online, but there was no date attached to the newspaper article nor the newspaper name. "Detroit's most famous east side saloon, on Jefferson avenue at East Grand Boulevard since 1875, is being torn down. Formerly the headquarters of Detroit River yachtsmen, it was operated by Henry Moesta until prohibition drove him from business. His father, Henry Moesta the first, founded the tavern." Henry (the first) ran the business for about 17 years, and Henry (the second) continued on for another 23 years - roughly 1879 - 1919. "I would have grown rich, like so many others," said Henry Moesta the second. "I preferred to obey the law like my father before me and keep always the memory of the honest place he constructed." "The Moesta place was taken over by Harry Gordon when prohibition arrived." "Henry Moesta's brother, Charles was also a famous tavern-keeper until prohibition arrived, when he too abandoned the business." The story also states, "Now they are tearing the tavern down to make way for a bridge boulevard and the marine atmosphere that attached the vicinity of Jefferson avenue and East Grand Boulevard with the fresh flavor of the inland seas will never be the same again." The street address was 1407 Jefferson Avenue which was directly across the street from the Detroit River. In the Detroit phone directory the business was described as a "Restaurant and Cafe, Imported and Domestic Wines, Liquors, and Cigars." The photos below show the sign in front of Moesta's Saloon and a photo of part of the newspaper article showing Henry Moesta (the second) and his brother Charles Moesta along with two views of the business. Note: This main portion of the article was very out of focus and I tried to copy everything correctly, but some words may not be correct in my quotes because reading portions of the text was so difficult. Amazingly, there is actually a photo of the inside of the Moesta Saloon here. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC)
New England Terminal: 1957
... all those solid, chrome-enhanced, built-to-last American cars! Before I got my own car, I also used to ride buses just like this to get ... These words cannot describe it." Rain and Cars What a great photo--it really gives the flavor of a rainy fall New ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/21/2015 - 12:24pm -

"Street scene, Providence, 1957." Featuring the New England Terminal Co. bus station, Chicken Roost restaurant and Journal-Bulletin newspaper building. 35mm negative, photographer unknown. View full size. Nostalgia attackJust look at all those solid, chrome-enhanced, built-to-last American cars! Before I got my own car, I also used to ride buses just like this to get to work and back every day. At the time, I still lived at home in Ct., the second smallest state, and only Rhode Island was smaller, but both states were heavily industrialized and people worked, hurried everywhere and rushed around just like in the biggest cities, with never an idle moment. I also like the art deco vertical bus station sign on the extreme left of the picture. I'm guessing it lit up blue at night like ours did. Wouldn't it be nice to go back there, even for a day? GoneDepot gone, Chicken Roost gone, but the handsome building behind remains. What film?The image is sharp all over but very grainy. If that's a full frame and the negative isn't reticulated, I'd guess it was shot with something like Kodak's Royal-X Pan. Do the edge markings identify the film? Gilbane ConstructionA Providence-based company, still family-owned with headquarters on Jackson Walkway in Providence. They went on to build the Air and Space Museum, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the World War II Memorial, just to name a few. A long way from a street corner in Providence. Gone (comment)Unfortunately, though, the windows of the handsome building have been replaced. They are not an ideal choice (economical, no doubt) and change the character of the building. BusesThe buses in the picture are intercity buses: in this case Providence to nearby New Bedford. Meanwhile, the city transit at this time was the fabulously luxurious UTC system, second only to the Registry of Motor Vehicles in its ability to torture and befuddle the good citizens of Rhode Island. A typical UTC bus of the period is shown. As Mark Twain said "Difficult? Troublesome? These words cannot describe it." Rain and CarsWhat a great photo--it really gives the flavor of a rainy fall New England day. Cars from left: 57 Chevrolet (around corner); c. 51 Olds; 51 Ford in front of c. 55 Nash Rambler, itself in front of 57 Chevrolet; buses; 46-48 Ford in front of c. 50 Studebaker; 55 Pontiac parked in front of van; 57 Ford parked behind truck. [The Rambler is a 1957; the 46-48 Ford is either 1947 or 1949 (typo) 1948; the Studebaker is a 1950. -tterrace] WEAN and WPJBProvidence City Archives has some things to say about the Providence Journal-Bulletin and WEAN and WPJB- FM: All of these events and developments, the good and the tragic were covered by the Providence Journal-Bulletin, the city's only daily newspaper of general circulation since the demise of the News-Tribune and its successors in 1937-38. The influence of the Journal and its radio affiliates WEAN and WPJB- FM on Providence thought and opinion is perhaps greater now than at any previous time. Rain and Cars IIThe older Ford is definitely not a 49, as that was the first year of the postwar restyling. If you say 47, I won't argue. Thanks. [I made a dumb typo, I meant 47-48; you're right, no way a 1949. The difference between '46 and '47-8 is the position of the parking lights. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Found Photos, Providence)
Shiny Datsun: 1971
... for them earlier in the day. I was always a fan of shiny cars, and this was back when I still enjoyed doing it. Back around 1960, I took ... Men do spend a lot of time washing and polishing their cars. I first noticed this when I was a kid in the 1930s. I thought what a ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/29/2011 - 6:49pm -

August 1971. A car that today you'd most likely see as a rusting hulk in a junkyard or vacant lot, and clothes in a Goodwill. My brother and sister-in-law pose with their 1967 Datsun Bluebird parked on my father's garage ramp on Walnut Avenue in Larkspur, California. All kidding aside, I think they're both pretty snappily dressed, and her expression is pricelessly inscrutable. My Kodachrome slide. View full size. Easy GuessI think you could classify that expression as "resigned"; she knows that the picture has to be taken and will be taken! Desert boots!I must have worn out 10 pairs of those crepe-soled, ankle high boots with the soft brushed leather. Most comfortable footgear I ever owned until they began making running shoes that were light and flexible. Haven't seen a pair for years, so I doubt they even make them any longer. LeMans San BernardinoThat dealership brings back memories. Meet the Swinger ...... Polaroid Swinger. For some reason this reminds me of that insidiously catchy jingle. Suddenly it's gonna dawn on you... Datsun saaaaves!I went to hear folk singer Greg Greenway tonight. He mentioned buying a used Datsun 510 wagon "mostly orange, with a 2.5 Briggs and Stratton motor." It's a rare day when I encounter a "Datsun" reference twice in a day. I think she's amusedI think she's amused actually. I sense a definite "That's my brother taking the picture" type feeling from her. With that in mind, I would guess she's a bit older than her brother. [The photographer is the girl's brother-in-law. The guy in the photo, her husband, is his brother. - Dave] Re: Desert Boots!It's suede, and they haven't stopped making them. I used to wear desert boots during college in the '80s. http://clarks.zappos.com/n/p/dp/42711682/c/231.html ClarksLike most things these days the new Clarks are not the same as old. Manufacturing moved to Asia for the past 10+ years and the quality has taken a hit. [That's too bad. Former Wallabees wearer myself. - Dave] TwisterActually her expression may be one of bemused pain, as it looks like he's got her in a solid arm lock. Meanwhile, America is still recovering from the 1970's. I totally love that car. I totally love that car. Then again, I drive a Mini Cooper. My first Datsun: 2001What 30 years of cheeseburgers will do to you. Datsun jingleActually, I feel the title of my post "Shiny Datsun" should be sung to the tune of "Tiny Bubbles" (which has been popping unbidden into my head since submitting it). Incidentally, it's shiny because I had probably washed and waxed it for them earlier in the day. I was always a fan of shiny cars, and this was back when I still enjoyed doing it. Back around 1960, I took a series of shots of our 1956 Rambler, all sparkly, parked in this very spot, freshly Turtle Waxed, chrome polished and with whitewalls scrupulously SOS-ed. A year after this shot, this spot became the roost for my own first car, also a Datsun. Big Bro's BlingmobileThe DATSUN nameplate is gold. It came that way from the factory? Mona LisaI'm surprised nobody's compared your sister-in-law to that other inscrutable beauty. Bemused pain?Check out her Vulcan Death Grip on T-Bro's trapezius that Mr. Spock would envy. Rumor has it that it can turn hair prematurely gray, it's that painful. All I can say isI am totally digging the funky patterns on those super funky clothes. Car and DriverWow, she's a hotty. Looks like Minnie Driver!! Car washingMen do spend a lot of time washing and polishing their cars. I first noticed this when I was a kid in the 1930s. I thought what a waste of time and effort so I now buy white vehicles and wash them every 6 months or so even if they don`t need it. That 70's LookLet's face facts. Guys from the 1970s come off looking infinitely worse than the ladies. Regardless of how quirky the girl's clothing may look today -- peasant dresses, bellbottoms, granny glasses, overly long untamed hair, funky hats, etc. -- the overall appearance can still come off as, well, sexy. But the guys -- sheesh!!! The hair, the glasses, the shirt, the belt, the jeans -- yikes!!! Can you say "dork"? I would be very interested to see what these two people -- contemporaries of mine (and yes, my old photos from that period show my wife in sexy miniskirts, black turtlenecks and patched jeans, and me in just hideously awful things) -- look like today. That GirlShe's gorgeous! How is she doing these days? Did the marriage last? Texting while driving.What's the book on the dashboard? Tech TipsWhat do you use to transfer your slides to digital? Re: Texting while drivingIt looks like a wrapped present, although the present may well be a book. Reminds meOf the 1969 Toyota Corona, my first car. Bought it used for $100. I treated it so badly, and ultimately totaled it. Now I have to see what they are selling for these days. The book on the dashLooks like one of those "Reader's Digest Condensed Edition" anthologies. Inscrutable? In the 70s?Chemically induced, I would say. Not that I have any such experience... The more things change....Funny thing is that those clothes and hair would fit right in with today's hipster kids. It's the belt!Check out the Hippy belt slid over to his left. How cool to be to the "Grove", hair and all. Design by Pininfarina The Datsun 411 here was styled by the Pininfarina studio in italy. It does have a bit of an Alfa Romeo vibe. A pretty litle car, but was eclipsed by the Datsun 510, a more modern and powerful car, and a real looker as well. The meaning of archivalKodachrome rocks Datsun Dash MysteryI'm virtually certain it was a box of Kleenex. In answer to the slide scanning question, see here. She's Absolutely GorgeousI would like to see more pics of her. Dang She is HOT!Dang She is HOT! It's no Nissan Figarobut the Datsun has a certain homely charm. B210In 1977 I decided to buy a commuter car. I paid $2700 for a B210 coupe special edition called the Streamliner. It was a great little car and got good mileage. I liked it so much that in 1981 I bought the introductory model of the Maxima. The car cost $11,000. fully loaded with among other things a voice warning system. The only factory extra you could get was a luggage rack. I sold it in 1987, it had 128,000 miles and the only major repair was for a malfunctioning sun roof. Those were the days when an American new car dealer told you to write down any problems with the car when it when you bring it in for the 1,000 mile checkup. The list would have at least 6 items on it and they probably didn't fix them the first time. The Japanese competition caused the U.S factories to start building more reliable cars but they never caught on or caught up. The DatsunI purchased a new 1970 Datsun 510, bright orange in color, at Annex Motors in San Rafael, near Larkspur. I was stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base in Novato, just up the road. It was a great car priced at $1,750 and it's a beautiful area of Northern California. It's only fair.......to run a present day photo of these two......if possible? ...Please TrailBlazersYou had to be a major trend setter to buy a Datsun in 1971. I imagine that this car attracted more attention at that time than a Mini Cooper or a Smart Car would today. I would also guess that if they ever drove this car to within 100 miles of an American auto assembly plant that they received a lot of negative attention and possibly some threats. I would have been terrified to drive this car around at a time when all the other cars weighed two tons, had 300+ horsepower and four wheel drum brakes. What goes around...Add either a chunky belt or fun necklace (not both) and I would wear her outfit tomorrow, shoes and all! Datsun Copy CatI hate to say it, but this little car shows the Japannese pention for ripping off other designs. It is almost an exact copy of a 1967 Alfa Romeo Guilia Sedan which I used own. The styling is so identical that the cars are almost twins on the outside. Unfortunately, the Datsun didn't have the all alluminum dual overhad cam engine that that the Alfa had. Hence about 40% less horsepower. [Those overhad Japannese pentions were always breaking! - Dave] American MuscleAm I the only one here who would NOT buy a Datsun/Nissan? Never AGAIN. I had one of the God-awful things back in the '80s. My DH is an automotive technician and he won't have one either! Give me American muscle ANY day (says the owner of an '06 Chrysler 300C WITH a Hemi)! Just curious, Tterrace, what is your brother driving today? I see him in any of the following: a Volvo, Lexus SUV, a VW (probably a Jetta), or a BMW. How far off am I? That Datsun GalWell, my sister-in-law seems to have a fan club here. Here she is in a very 70s mode, smiling enigmatically again, in a shot I took at a crafts fair in Santa Cruz, California in 1974. You can also see her here, here, and here. Still asking...Tterrace, did you see my post about your brother's car? (the "American Muscle" post is mine). What's he driving today? Brother's Other Cars"What's he driving today?" His most interesting car was a Fiat X-19. His most boring car was a Fiat station wagon. He doesn't have a car anymore. Not that I'm a stalker....But since I live pretty close to this neighborhood, I drove by to see if the driveway was still gravel. Well, I couldn't quite figure out exactly which house this was, but I didn't see any houses with gravel driveways anyway. Did you live next to that super long and steep set of stairs that run down to Magnolia? I bet those where fun to run up and down. I bet you know exactly how many steps there are too. To the driveway stalkerrgraham, the gravel in the photo is actually the shoulder of Walnut Ave. Our "driveway" was the wooden ramp, since replaced with a concrete one. The northern tip of it was truncated a couple years ago to make room for a carport for a new house on the other side of the long flight of stairs, which is actually Arch Street, an official city thoroughfare. So today, what was our garage/driveway is now the second one immediately to the south of the top of Arch St. Below, our garage and Arch Street in 1955 Ektachromes by my brother. Ok, maybe a bit of a stalker.So here is what it looks like today. The stairs are looking down instead of up, and the basic garage hasn't changed. Cool neighborhood. Rust rust rustI had two Datsuns in the 1970s, a 1974 610 wagon, and a 1978 510 wagon. Both were reliable cars but they rusted like crazy. Nevertheless they were a good alternative to the Detroit small car offerings of the era, the Pinto and the Vega. The body of my '78 was about 20 percent Bondo when I junked it with 146,000 miles ten years later. Fark the CarFarked again. (With apologies to your sister-in-law.) Good Grief...The Farkizations of this photo are hilarious! (Well, except for one certain B&W shot.) A Hot Wheels-style Mustang? Herbie The Love Bug? Spinners? Getouttahere! What would/does Sis-In-Law think? Shiny, shiny / bad times behind meThis image inspired the last part of a lengthy and rambling blog post I wrote a couple of days ago: http://women-and-dreams.blogspot.com/2009/10/last-summer-of-kodachrome-i... It's part of a longer series about Kodachrome. My thesis is that Kodachrome -- despite being around for ages and being very long-lived -- has had a surprisingly small impact on the collective consciousness, in part because it has always been a formal film aimed at the kind of professionals who do not produce images that are meant to last. News photographers very rarely used it and it wasn't all that popular for family snapshots as far as I know, at least outside California, because it was expensive. I just made that up, although it sounds plausible. I would need to have solid figures that detail Kodachrome's sales figures globally compared to other slide films and films in general. Was Kodachrome unusually expensive in California in 1971? Was there an alternative, or was it the default choice? Was it hip? [If I may interject a few words: For many years, Kodachrome was the most popular slide film in America. It accounts for billions of 35mm transparencies (by one estimate, 35 billion) of birthdays, vacations and weddings. Just my parents and grandparents alone have dozens of carousel trays holding thousands of Kodachrome vacation and holiday slides. Multiply that times a few million other families. - Dave] My sub-thesis is that Kodachrome was thus used mainly for posed formal family portraits rather than snapshots, and that the subjects tend to look uncomfortable because of this, although in this case the people nonetheless exhibit character and appear to be real human beings with lives and a sense of fashion that would be perfectly natural in a world where The Flaming Lips were the dominant cultural force. Not our world, not yet. Posed formal portraits date badly and do not grab a mass audience; they grab the people who read Shorpy, but we are not a mass audience. On a tangent, my Theory of Woman: The 1970s includes a timeline that begins with Marilyn Lange - Miss May 1974 - and ends with Farrah Fawcett. The lady in this picture is clearly at the earlier end of the scale. Was it that this kind of look was popular at the time, or were women different then? Where did they go in the 1980s? Kodachrome assumptions in "Shiny Shiny..."Wow, talk about way-off assumptions - of which there are many more in the person's blog. Just briefly, and as I'm sure many here are aware, it wouldn't be even remotely reasonable to expect that my brother and sister-in-law, or anyone else in these circumstances, would be giving the slightest thought to the kind of film in my camera. 15-20 years earlier people might wonder "is it color or black-and-white," or maybe they'd be interested to know it was going to be a color slide rather than a print, but being concerned over whether it was Kodachrome? Come on. Another head-shaking contention is that color slides in general were always merely a niche product. I'd like to send this individual back in time and make them sit through some random person's slide show of their vacation last year. It is the wig I love!It is especially the wig terrace's brother wears that I like. My car -- almostImagine my surprise when I clicked on this page and saw my old high school ride -- almost! My Datsun 411 was a maroon colored wagon. It served me well through two years of high school and two years of commuting to college in the late '70s and early '80s. I'm so glad to see this shinier sedan version a decade earlier. I'm sure these folks enjoyed this baby like I enjoyed mine! SighYour sister-in-law appeared to be living the life we all aspired to in 1971. Cool, confident, stylish, beautiful and such a handsome husband. Brother-in-law sold separately. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Farked, tterrapix)
Plymosaurus Rex: 1964
... stabilizers." - Dave] Late-model cars on a scuzzy street Here we have three late model vehicles covered with ... would also explain why these then-valuable late model cars were parked in such a scuzzy place; the workers had nowhere else to park. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2015 - 2:11pm -

"1960 Plymouth Belvedere hardtop on Boston street, 1964." Along with a gull-winged 1959 Chevrolet wagon, latest specimens in the Shorpy Bestiary of Baroque Barouches. 35mm negative, photographer unknown. View full size. Coupe de VileThis must qualify as one of the worst designs Detroit ever threw at the American public, and the streets are not all that great either. Zoom.They referred to those as "functional tailfins"! [Chrysler Corp. called them "directional stabilizers." - Dave] Late-model cars on a scuzzy streetHere we have three late model vehicles covered with splashed schmutz on a potholed street that looks like it hasn't been swept in a year. I'm going to guess that these are the personal vehicles of construction workers on the site in the background. In those days, a union construction worker had an income which would allow the purchase of a new car from time to time. This guess would also explain why these then-valuable late model cars were parked in such a scuzzy place; the workers had nowhere else to park. Anyone recognize the building in the background? [The van is moving, not parked. - Dave] Prudential CenterThis is likely the Prudential Center, front or back, I'm not certain. This was one of the flagship elements of what was then called the New Boston, which was basically the destruction, oops, urban renewal, of vast sections of the old city - by one count, a third of it. The Prudential Center is now a vibrant, oft-visited section of Boston, with its wide range of shopping and dining options. A new car from time to timeActually, it wasn't uncommon for average income workers to trade for a new car every year back then. Prudential CenterThese lovely cars are either in front of, or behind the Prudential Center, which would have been nearing completion as it was opened in 1965. Christine!You're dirty. Go home and take a bath. The Forward LookI was never a big fan of the later Virgil Exner designs for Chrysler. I thought of them as weird looking, with many clashing themes and drizzled in goopy chrome. Over the years, they have grown on me. They really represent Space Age excess much as the 1959 Cadillac or the 1958 "Chromesmobile" Olds did. One thing is for certain -- we will never see cars like that again. Aberthaw ConstructionStill around, they were already 70 years old when this was taken. http://www.aberthawcc.com/ "Suddenly It's 1960!"That was the advertising theme for the 1957 Plymouth. When 1960 actually came, the styling of the Plymouth was unbelievable. The worst was yet to come in 1961. It is hard to imagine that the same person styled all these cars. RE: "Suddenly It's 1960!"Actually, seeing the 1960 Plymouths, some people made fun of their garish style, reversing the bold 1957 advertising theme : "Suddenly, it's 1957 again!". Tinworm FoodAt four years old, this car is already showing some wet spots on the bottom of the door. Cars of this vintage were notoriously prone to rust, one of the reasons there aren't many of them left these days. PlymouthsI always thought that the 1961 successor to this car was the ugliest automobile ever produced in America. The 1962 was not quite as ugly, but was just plain weird looking. It was not until Pontiac came up with the Aztek that something equally bad came out of Detroit. Early 007One of the rewarding things of very early James Bond films is remembering what American suspensions were like then. Grandfather had a '60 Plymouth His slant six black sedan was a Savoy. They all rusted across the fenders above the headlights eventually. The Forward Look!Chrysler's over-the-top styling peaked just about when this car was new. By 1963, compared to the trim, understated offerings from GM, these cars looked, well, ridiculous. It would take Chrysler another 4 model years to completely shake off Exner's excesses. Yet, in retrospect, the 55-64 Chrysler family cars are perfect illustrations of the era - ground-hugging rocketships to the future! Prudential CenterThe cars are on Belvidere Street, near the intersection of Huntington Ave - roughly the location of the red circle in the photo. The view has changed a lot since the photo was taken - the entrances to the shopping center at the sides of the picture were remodeled when the semi- open air shops were converted into an enclosed mall in the early 1990's. A decade later two more buildings were added to the Prudential Center - 111 Huntington (aka the R2D2 Building) and the luxury condos at 100 Belvidere. The only thing recognizable today would be the Prudential Tower. What a land yacht. A 1960 Plymouth was my first car. It was a former Nebraska highway patrol car which had been ridden hard and put away wet. It had a large v8 with 4 barrel that would really set you back in your seat when the back two barrels opened up. It felt like a rocket taking off and it looked like one too with the huge cloud of blue oil smoke it would leave in its wake. It was all black with very little chrome and small hubcaps. I used to park it at the end of the measured quarter mile kids used for a drag strip in the 60s. Two cars would come screaming down the isolated country road at break neck speeds only to slam on the breaks when they got site of my car. I'd then pull out after them and tail them for awhile. (The Gallery, Boston, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Found Photos)
The Milwaukee Road: 1943
... before the Brooks Stevens designed Hiawatha observation cars replaced them and were proudly gracing the mains. During the late 70s a lot of the retired passenger cars were rusting away in an area known as the “shops,” in Milwaukee, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2013 - 2:15pm -

January 1943. "A Chicago, Milwaukee, Saint Paul & Pacific Railroad train just arrived at Chicago Union Station." Medium format nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Precious memoriesThe featured train probably had an Otto Kuhler designed “beavertail” observation car on the rear end. It wouldn’t be too many more years before the Brooks Stevens designed Hiawatha observation cars replaced them and were proudly gracing the mains. During the late 70s a lot of the retired passenger cars were rusting away in an area known as the “shops,” in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ironically, some of that equipment was birthed (built) in the shops and returned there to die. Fortunately, the Stevens “Cedar Rapids” observation car was rescued and restored. She dances all over the place these days, often pulled by the 4-8-4 Milwaukee steamer 261. I worked in the shops during the late 70s and spent many winter morning exploring that old equipment, including the Cedar Rapids, when my boss needed me to get scarce for a while. Not much I would trade those days for. MILW rib-side carsThese cars haven't had their skirts modified or removed - the MILW's rib-side passenger cars were never fitted with skirts: What a wonderful photographThis picture just draws you in. In some situations black and white is the only way to go. Mini-SkirtsOnly Hiawatha cars built in 1942 were built with skirts, and though they did extend the full length of the cars without cutouts for the trucks or other underbody equipment, they were very short skirts extending down only about 6 inches. It is possible that wartime shortages of materials caused the design change to add to the cars structural strength. Danger Lights!This location is right where the final scenes of the 1930 film Danger Lights took place which, incidentally, was filmed on the Milwaukee Road as well. It would have served Mr. Delano well to have loaded some color film in his camera since those Milwaukee Road cars were a bright orange, red and maroon and that would certainly have brightened the mood this gloomy Chicago view. This morningI just walked through there this morning. It's a lot darker now, because the area around it has been built up and roofed over, but glass-roofed sheds like this are still there, and are still in use for commuter and Amtrak trains. You can see some from the air if you look near Jackson and Canal streets. They appear in films sometimes (Public Enemies was the last one I remember). RE: No center to the tiesFrom memory, I think railroad tracks on concrete beds don't have full-width ties. On occasion I walk alongside the Union Station tracks in the Shorpy photo. More often I ride the train from nearby Ogilvie (aka Northwest) station. There are no ties. Also the Chicago elevated tracks have full-width wood ties, but underground in the subway, with a concrete floor, there are short blocks under each rail like the Shorpy photo. Re: Precious memorieskreriver is correct, the Friends of the 261 give everyone the opportunity to enjoy these Milwaukee Road classics. I'm lucky enough to live within earshot of the whistle. http://261.com/ Skirts & TiesFull length skirting on both rail and road cars, like streamlining on steam locomotives, was a maintenance nightmare. It was often modified or removed before everyone got a chance to see it. Half ties are common when the "ballast" is poured concrete, like in a subway. The gap leaves room for a central drainage gutter. Consult American Railway Engineering Association manuals on line for comments on the practice. The extra labor cost may be saved in the future if the ties don't rot as fast as in ordinary construction. The vanishing pointIs being carried away in a truck. No center to the tiesI am a retired railroader, and I have never seen the centers cut from the ties in a station (like the track to the left). Does anyone know why this was done for sure? It wasn't done to save material as the labor cost would have been twice as much as the material saved. Missing centersI have seen this frequently, especially in subway systems such as New York and DC. I expect the cut centers facilitated drainage. Any better ideas out there? Full Length Skirting?The cars have the streamline skirting (rocker panels on automobiles) extending the full length of the carbody. Usually the skirting is eliminated where the trucks are located to permit servicing. I have not seen photos of cars with the full length skirts. Can anyone enlighten? (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Florence: 1942
... that impression? (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Small Towns) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/01/2023 - 8:54pm -

June 1942. "Florence, Alabama (Tennessee Valley Authority). Saturday afternoon." Acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the U.S. Foreign Information Service. View full size. Now they stripe like all the restWe are looking at the NW corner of W Mobile and N Court Streets. The Majestic Theater, at 202 N Court, is gone and the windows and door on the ground floor of the First National Bank have been bricked up. Also, the city of Florence no longer designates its parallel parking spaces with a stripe that has a bulb at one end (like a thermometer) and runs up onto the sidewalk. Yes, KathyRo, another photograph of this intersection was posted in March 2008. Bank jobComparing the Google street view from June this year (top) to the one from May 2019 shows that the past is being uncovered. Deja Vu?I feel like we've seen this corner before? Anyone else under that impression? (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Small Towns)
The Fabulous Thunderbird: 1957
... he put it) the "belt in the back" crowd. Uncle's cars I had a great-uncle, single, who had the coolest cars when I was a kid: a bright red late-fifties Cadillac with tall pointy ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/06/2020 - 12:30pm -

"1957 Thunderbird. Removable glass-fibre hard top has stylish 'port' windows." Color transparency from the Ford Motor Co. photographic archive. View full size. Such a beautiful carIt's a shame what happened to it. By the early '70s it was approximately the size of an aircraft carrier, with similar handling characteristics. My dad had one. Fnarf is rightThe original Thunderbird was a beauty. The "Second Generation" was not. What I'm wondering about this photo is, what the heck did that model eat? Her waist can't be more than 12 inches! Re: Beautiful CarFrom what I heard, you can blame Lee Ioccoca (the Father of the minivan) because it was his lobbying that changed this sporty two-seater into just another Detroit land-barge. He didn't want a car that just appealed to (as he put it) the "belt in the back" crowd. Uncle's carsI had a great-uncle, single, who had the coolest cars when I was a kid: a bright red late-fifties Cadillac with tall pointy fins, then a mid-sixties T-bird with suicide doors. Our immediate family had large boring cars to hold the seven of us, but he had only himself to worry about, being a bachelor. Robert McNamaraT-Birds were classy little cars, but I've heard McNamara was the ruination of that. Wonder if the dull finish was for photographing purposes? A young Motor HeadI'm 64 years old now and I've been a car enthusiast for a lot of them. The '57 Thunderbird was the first car that I can specifically remember. We were at a gas station and at the adjoining gas pump was a neato car with a little round window in the top. It was the coolest thing that I had ever seen. My parents had to drag me away from it. Hot dog carThat's the model Ford should have offered in the relaunch or 2002. Not that hot dog they came out with. What Goes Up ...For quite a few years it was common to encounter the claim that the height of women's hemlines was a reliable predictor of approaching economic conditions. Is it possible that the decidedly over-canvased model in this photo might have helped usher in the major U.S recession that arrived in 1958? 425 Golfcrest DriveAltered, but still recognizable. Dearborn golf course in background. Car ColorI believe the color here is Bronze ("Bronze Poly" on color charts) – a 1957 Thunderbird-only color. Corrections from Ford experts welcome! Her WaistThey were called girdles or foundation garments, and they were necessary for the fashions of the time. And no lady would head downtown or to a function without her gloves. You can see this in action in 1958 in this Shorpy photo. The car behind the ladies could rightly be called a land yacht compared to the T-Bird. My mother had a special pair of kid gloves for driving her 1949 Hillman Minx Convertible. Custom Shop AntennaI bet he could pick up stations 100 miles away with that thing. Just sayingFord is a for profit enterprise. It would seem reasonable that a measure of success toward that end would be sales volume. As to that, the number of 55, 56 and 57 Birds sold totaled 53,166 units, and the 58, 59 and 60s totaled 198,191 (according to one source). To his credit Henry was very forthright when he said he fired Lee Iacocca because he “just didn’t like him.” There wasn’t a thing in Lee’s history at Ford that warranted his dismissal from a purely business perspective. Think Mustang. His greatest strength, I believe, was he loved cars. Lee was just a car guy and instinctively knew what would work. The board at Chrysler understood that and bet the farm on him. Automotive obesityI have noticed that car manufacturers seem to overfeed their designs, as the same model tends to put on a few more pounds with every year it's in the market. The '65 Mustang was a really nice little car. Not so, the 1970 version. Three on the treeAnd a tree on the fender. Happy Birthday"Happy birthday sweetie. It's all yours, but if you're just going to go out and have fun fun fun all the time, I'm taking it away." "The Ford is strong with this one."Even if you had never seen a Thunderbird, you would know at a glance which of the major can companies produced this car. It's got Ford written all over it. The hidden persuaderCompare the color of the car and the color of the dress. Then compare the front bumper of the car and the front of the woman. Any doubt about the target market? Not all changes are for the bestI like the 1957 version of 425 Golfcrest Drive better than the 2020 version. The changes to the front porch removed all the original character, and the dormer window doesn't fit with the rest of the house. And it looks like the house needs some foundation work. Oh and the color of that Thunderbird? It's hard to tell. It doesn't look like Flame Red or Fiesta Red, the two reds available that year. It could be Mandarin Orange (Code N), which was a reddish orange. Fabulous ThunderbirdsTuff Enuff Not an antennaMr.Rogers: If you look carefully, you can see that the white pole is not part of the car; it's actually a newly-planted baby tree, right behind the rear-right fender. We see the beautiful people and the beautiful car - with a tall tape-wrapped white stick and spindly branches blocking the house window shutter. [The sapling-antenna comment was a joke that *almost* everyone got. - Dave] I thought the comment possibly was intended as such, but once I looked carefully at the photo, I was surprised that the photographer was willing to snap such a disturbing composition. It was a wild rideIn the pre-dawn hours of a chilly spring day in 1957, my fighter pilot dad raced through the streets of Kokomo, Indiana, where he was stationed at Bunker Hill Air Force Base (now Grissom Air Reserve Base), in an attempt to get my mother to the hospital before I was born. He was driving a 1957 Thunderbird which my mother used to say was his real baby. Since my sister was already fourteen months old, I've got to wonder what my mother drove because we couldn't have all piled into the T-bird unless one of us hung out of the porthole. Not exactly a practical family-man automobile, but then my father's mantra was "Live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse." He did in fact live fast and die young -- in a plane crash, one month before his 38th birthday. BTW dear old Dad made it to the hospital without incident, where I was born moments later at 6:56 a.m., just inside the doors, on a gurney, delivered by nurses. Glorious KodachromeJust one look at those reds and greens and you know it's Kodachrome - a now-discontinued, quite complex and unique, photographic process. The unfortunate thinking of many of the time period that your wife was just as important accessory as your car, and both created a background image for the young executive to 'get ahead'. Now all he needs do is join the local lodge. This photo displays this kind of thinking. (Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Pretty Girls)
The Case of the Parked Packard: 1939
An unlabeled photo of cars parked next to train tracks from the FSA archive taken around 1939. Who ... Larger Map Washington, DC Assuming that the cars are pointed north, it could be First St. NE between H and K Streets in ... Next question! How old is that stonework? 22 Cars in the Photo Approximately. 21 facing toward the camera, and one ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/13/2013 - 2:28pm -

An unlabeled photo of cars parked next to train tracks from the FSA archive taken around 1939. Who can pinpoint the location? View full size. Northeast CorridorBased on the overhead catenary over the train line I would say this is along what is now called the Northeast Corridor line between Washington and Boston. Today the line is electrified for the entire distance, but at this time the northern end of electrification was in New Haven. The stone-walled embankment reminds me a lot of Connecticut, along what was then the New Haven Railroad. Addendum to my prior commentMy guess that this was Connecticut is now reinforced by the fact that the first car has a Connecticut license plate. I will narrow this down further and say that the photo location is looking east along Railroad Avenue in Bridgeport. The location is most likely in a city, given the dense parking and the large factory building in the background, and Bridgeport is the only city along the New Haven line where there's a roadway paralleling tracks with the tracks being on a stone-walled embankment. As the twin smokestacks in the far background look too high to be factory smokestacks, I would say that they are at the power station just south of the tracks on Bridgeport Harbor. The power station is still there, although at some point (1950's?) the smokestacks with replaced with a single, very tall striped smokestack. Delaware Avenue near K Street NE"I'll take 'Parking Spaces near the DC Bureau of Traffic Adjudication' for 20." Virginia Ave SEI think this is on Virginia Ave SE in Washington, with the Capitol Power Plant in the background, prior to the construction of I-695, as we would be looking north. CT, west of New HavenI know the above is obvious; I am just commenting as a bookmark to come back later and see if anyone can figure it out. Virginia Ave SW, Washington, DCI think the Connecticut license plate is a red herring. The insulators look more like 2300 V electrification, which would be Pennsylvania Railroad. This would be the extension from DC's Union Station across the Potomac to Potomac Yards on the Virginia side of the river. [Seacue has nailed it -- clapclapclap! Virginia Avenue SW looking southeast, just east of 7th Street. Note the matching stones. - Dave] View Larger Map Washington, DCAssuming that the cars are pointed north, it could be First St. NE between H and K Streets in Washington, DC. They all look the sameSeems likely that the Pennsy folks followed fairly uniform plans in building these abutments... in most cases, they were elevating on-grade trackage to try to prevent the kind of wholesale slaughter that was routinely happening in NE Corridor cities prior to the turn of the century, as steam engines plowed through the citizenry. Having said all that... looks identical, down to the fencing and catenaries, to the NE Corridor/Pennsylvania line as it passes through downtown Newark, NJ. Standard RR of the WorldDefinitely Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way per the overhead catenary as well as the pipe-style railings. I'll say Newark, N.J. though I'm probably wrong. Hard to believe the PRR, once the largest corporate entity in the world, is gone now almost 40 years. The Answer is: Washington, DCVirginia Avenue SW, as noted below by Seacue. ID of locationThe electrical network above the tracks is far different from that of Bridgeport, CT. I think the matching of the stones is a brilliant clue! PA SignalThe RR signals in the distance are standard signals of the Standard Railroad of the World (PRR, but I used PA in the title in honor of Father's Day this weekend). Those signals are functional simplicity at its best IMHO. Three yellow lights in vertical, horizontal or diagonal lit-pattern tell you what you need to know. Sadly, they are being replaced by color-dependent signals. Location AsideThat Title would make a perfect title for a Sam Spade caper. Nicely done. Wonder what's hidden in the trunk? Mysterymobile behind the Packard?It's a 1935 Hupmobile. Very euro-style for its day. Raymond Loewy was simply a genius, one of the greats. Shorpy should do a Loewy retrospective series -- if he hasn't already(!) Good job, Shorpyites. Next question!How old is that stonework? 22 Cars in the PhotoApproximately. 21 facing toward the camera, and one driving away down the street. No, I will not even attempt to name them all. The aforementioned Packard looks like a 1934 model. Kudos to bohneyjames for identifying the 35 Hupmobile. The third car at the curb is a 35 Ford. The sixth car in line could be a 30 or 31 Model A Ford. If anybody can ID any of the others, it would be quite a feat! MusclesI'm impressed by the paralell parking. Not easy with no power steering, and the car is the size of a boat. Definitely a 1933 PackardYou are close, but a 1934 had a lower front fender line. This is a 1933 - no question about the year. However, I do question the model, whether it is a Standard 8 or Super 8. The Packard carries the V shaped headlamp and fender lamp glass of a Su8. The Std8 had dome-shaped glass. But, the front bumper is the size of a Std8 and not as large as the Su8 front bumper. Wish I could read the lettering on the hubcap - it will say either Packard Eight or Packard Super Eight. [PACKARD SUPER EIGHT. - Dave] WWWEvery one of those cars, if displayed at a car show today, would have wide whitewalls on them, yet they were rarely used when the cars were new or near new. As nice as the Packard is, I would choose the Raymond Loewy-designed Hupp Aerodynamic in a heartbeat. There is, maybe, one year that separates them, yet the Hupp is light-years ahead of the stodgy old Packard, stylewise. Too bad that Hupmobile was already standing next to its grave by this time. In their final days, they built a couple of beauties, this and the Skylark in 1941. CarsI agree with the identification of the first three cars (Packard, Hupmobile, and Ford). The fourth car looks like a 1934 Ford Fordor. Car number five is a 1937 Dodge. Car number six is not a Ford Model A which had the door handles on the belt line and different fenders and front bumper. I believe this is a 1931 Chevrolet - either a 2 door coach or a 5 passenger coupe. The Packard may have been parked there a while. There is quite a bit of trash under the front right fender, and the birds seem to be enjoying its presence. The bald front left tire, faded paint, and missing chrome on the front bumper also testify to a hard life. Finally, what is the marking on the driver's door window of the Packard from? Sticker residue from a sign to tow the vehicle comes to mind, but I do not know if such signs were in use at the time. City vehicle tax stickers existed at the time, so it might be possible larger signs could have been in use. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Moesta's Tavern: 1910
... many) I've noticed is that even back 100 years, the "hot cars" were more likely than not, driven by older men who had the means to ... ever charging stations for Baker and Detroit Electric cars. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC, Eateries & ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2023 - 3:05pm -

Detroit circa 1910. "Automobile on Jefferson Avenue at East Grand Boulevard." Backdropped by Moesta's Tavern, the city's "most famous east side saloon." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Car IDPackard Model 30 Now they race to beat the lightToday the intersection of East Jefferson Avenue and East Grand Boulevard is unrecognizable compared to the 1910 photo. But this once beautiful French Norman/Queen Anne house on E Grand in this photograph is the same house as in street view, below. To the right is the intersection where Moesta's Tavern once resided, now the site of a Tim Hortons drive thru; or a Starbucks if you pull into the parking lot. Victimized by Advertising The tavern survived Prohibition but not Mad Men. Per the Detroit Free Press of May 25, 1936, demolition of the Old Moesta Tavern was about to begin. The plan was to erect an advertising sign on the site, which was and is on the corner of the entry to Belle Isle. The building had earlier been physically moved back so it wouldn’t be in the middle of Jefferson Blvd when it was widened. After the demolition, the business was to reopen in an existing building behind the new sign. Our longtime family business sat about a block away (and has been a grassy field since the ‘70’s). The Freep bemoaned the pending loss of the bar in the legacy building. It was originally built and used by by Strohs Brewery and was installed in the tavern about 1889. Wonder what happened to it. Today it would be transplanted to a cherished new location. For years, places like Senate Resale/Detroit Antique Mall would recycle the endless stream of elaborate Detroit Detritus, intricate building material mined from locals demolishing what was left behind from decades of an incredible building and business boom that wasn’t sustained. Aye carumbaI used to make prank calls there all the time. Those upstairs porchesMy grandmother in Detroit had a big double brick house with the upstairs porch. I loved their great view and giant elm trees lining the street. Earlier PackardThe car looks like an earlier Packard Model L from about 1904, perhaps with non factory fenders with a step in between. The Packard 30 wasn't introduced until 1907. Car and DriverI've been a Shorpy aficionado for years now... and one thing (among many) I've noticed is that even back 100 years, the "hot cars" were more likely than not, driven by older men who had the means to afford the toys, and who were looking to a machine to give them one last "giddy-up". Nowadays, I see the older men in my town taking their mid-engine Corvettes or their 911s out for a leisurely spin through the center of town. The equation between age, earning power, and automotive consumption has not changed in over 100 years. Same Dude - Same Day?Could this image have been taken on the same day as this image? https://www.shorpy.com/node/11496?size=_original#caption Driver has the same bowler hat and same black velvet collar on his jacket. Location is within a half-mile -- one image is on Belle Isle and the other is on Jefferson Avenue and East Grand Blvd. entrance road to Belle Isle. The car appears to be the same. Back in 2011 I thought the car was a Packard Model 24 or "S" from 1906 somewhat based on the circa year of 2008. Now as I compare the two images the car is still a Packard but maybe a Runabout Model 30 or Model 18 from either 1907 to 1909. Finally, in Doug Floor Plan's image of the French Norman/Queen Anne home there is a building two doors down (to the south) with a curved archway. That building at 112 East Grand Blvd was one of Detroit's first ever charging stations for Baker and Detroit Electric cars. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC, Eateries & Bars)
Junkscape: 1935
... like to walk about there? Small Fortune Today those cars in that condition would be worth a small fortune. Did you notice how none of the cars are totaled like you would see in the salvage yards of today? I'm ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/13/2009 - 11:29am -

November 1935. "Auto dump near Easton, Pennsylvania." Large-format nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Uncle Mortie's Old LineAs my dear departed uncle used to say whenever we passed a car junkyard, "Wow! That was one heck of an accident!" ScavengingYeaaaa indeed. They don't all seem to be wrecks -- just past their time. The tires seem to have been spoken for but you just might find a flower vase or two. RonnieA lot of good street rod material there. I was hoping to see a '32 -'34 Ford. Oh yeaaaaaa!Wouldn't you like to walk about there? Small FortuneToday those cars in that condition would be worth a small fortune. Did you notice how none of the cars are totaled like you would see in the salvage yards of today? I'm shockedGiven that the picture was taken in 1935, I'm shocked at how those cars don't seem to be very old (mostly late '20s to early '30s). Somehow, I doubt this junkyard survived the WWII scrap metal drives. Death by DesignBy 1935 the new cars looked more similar to what we own today than to those shown here. I know -- we had a '35 Stude. These old models became junk -- as you can see here. PotentialIn 1935 that was an auto dump. 74 years on that place would be a Rodder's Heaven, and would make the yard owner some pretty good scratch. Doubt we'll say the same about our daily drivers decades from now. They make them better todayMost of these seem to be 1924 - 1931 models. I'm sure that many of them are here because they simply wore out. It's not true that they were built better in the old days as per the old adage "they don't make 'em like they used to." Nowadays a car is hardly broken in at 125,000 miles - in the old days, you'd be very lucky to get 60,000. Still, I'd like to have my pick of a few of these to restore or make the hot rod I never finished back in the early 60's. Hopelessly obsoleteThe driver of a 10-year-old car in 1935 had a vehicle made hopelessly obsolete by major changes in the construction of automobiles, mainly the advent of the all-steel body -- the chassis for most cars in the teens and 1920s was a wooden frame with the metal bits bolted on. Which would rot and flex over time. And then there were the roofs. General Motors introduced the all-metal roof ("Turret Top") around 1935. Up till then, the roofs on closed cars were usually painted canvas stretched tight over a wooden frame. The manufacturers had experimented with sheet metal roofs, but they tended to resonate like a drumhead at certain speeds, which made for a lot of noise and vibration. The answer was giant (and expensive) stamping machines, which made steel roofs that were slightly domed to keep their stiffness. This led in a few short years to a complete reversal in the sales market for open and closed cars. Whereas open cars with folding tops had once been the norm and closed cars with roll-up windows tended to be the more expensive models, the all-steel body enabled the masses to enjoy the advantages of the sealed passenger compartment -- roll-up windows, heated interiors, protection from rain and snow. Other changes included steel instead of wooden wheels, as well as smaller wheels and lower clearance made possible by the construction of thousands of miles of paved highway. Under the hood there were higher-compression engines made possible by the development of higher-octane gasoline, resulting in better acceleration and fuel economy. The Life SpanCars now last much longer, are safer, and more reliable. That's one of the reasons that modern car makers are having so many money woes. The average length of time a car is owned by the initial buyer is now estimated at over 9 years. People just don't see the need to replace "the old buggy" every few years like they would back in the 1950s. Joe's Auto Graveyard Other places on the web identify this photo as Joe's Auto Graveyard on Route 22. Walker Evans took this photo on November 8, 1935. Field of Dream CarsI bet there are car buffs and hot rodders out there who dream of coming upon a field like that. My Brother's Old LineWhenever WE passed an auto junkyard my brother would say that's where I took driving lessons. Field of DreamsPeople dreamed of owning those cars when they were new, and we dream of owning them now. The only time they were junk was when the picture was taken. Junks.....No, fajna sprawa....szkoda ze nie mozna bylo ich zachowac dla przyszlosci Google translation: No, the cool .... the damage that it could not be the preserve for the future. In other wordsThe first word is misspelled, it should be "nu" -- "Well, that's a fine state of affairs ... what a shame that they couldn't have been stored for posterity." Real Gold MineTo stumble upon something like that nowdays would be better than, or as good as, having a small gold mine. Just think what collectors/restorers would pay for some of those. Have a Great Day! New desktop wallpaper.Oh I love those old cars. I am a Hot Rodder period. I'm salivating right now to think what I could be doing with those cars. Especially what looks like a 1928 or 1929 Model A Roadster in the middle. Thanks for sharing these images. Boneyard CensusAfter a bit of research and zooming, some of my guesses 1928 Chevrolet Coach (2) 1923 Dodge coupe 1927 Chevrolet coupe 24-25 Buick sedan 26-27 Ford Tudor 24-25 Ford coupe (in a light color with lettering on it) 23-27 Ford Fordor sedan 23-24 Chevrolet Coach 25-26 Hudson pickup conversion 24-27 Dodge roadster (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Landscapes, Walker Evans)
Parked Tight: 1940
May 1940. Parked cars in Des Moines, Iowa. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John ... Parked I wonder how the driver got out of the cars after he parked them, or how is he planning to get in. Maybe they put ... hotel window. - Dave] Running Boards All these cars have running boards, which means that although tightly packed, a driver ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/03/2008 - 1:45am -

May 1940. Parked cars in Des Moines, Iowa. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. ZORThe Mark of Zorro w/ Tyrone Power came out in 1940, but it wasn't released until November. Besides, I would expect a slashing Z rather than the boxy typeface they used here. And, of course, no apparent room for 'The Mark of'.... Isn't the Internet a wondrous thing? And for all you film buffs out there, there is some extant gag footage (there's a phrase you don't hear every day) of Ty Power doing his trademark Z, but it's referred to on the soundtrack as 'gasp', the Mark of Zanuck! but, I digress.... Reading MaterialIn the white car second from the left, looks like there's a newspaper in the back. Wonder what the headline was. [ZOR - Dave] ParkedI wonder how the driver got out of the cars after he parked them, or how is he planning to get in. Maybe they put first the car on the right, then the next one to his left and so on. Kind of a Tetris game! SpaceIt looks like they still had about 1meter of space to open the door and go. But the way they were planning to get out of this parking must be interesting. On the other hand it looks like a parking for office or small factory workers, so probably, as they ended work at the same hour, there was no problems with driving away. [I think this was the view from John Vachon's hotel window. - Dave] Running BoardsAll these cars have running boards, which means that although tightly packed, a driver could step on the adjoining car's running board as he got into his own car. It is odd that they would be parked so closely, though. [These would have been parked by an attendant, not the owner. - Dave] Bumper CarsA couple of these are brand-new cars. The second from the left in upper row with the one chevron-shaped taillight is a 1940 Ford standard coupe (the Deluxe had two taillights). Apparently in those days the bumper was there to bump. They must have backed the cars up 'till they heard or felt contact. Parking lot?I read all the theories about the parking methods used in this "parking lot", but I think it more likely to be the parking lot of a car seller. That is the place where you, also nowadays, will find cars parked like "herrings in a barrel" (like is said in Dutch). [You don't leave hats and packages in cars for sale. It's a typical urban pay lot, familiar to anyone who lives next to a vacant patch of land in a big-city American downtown. They still park them like this today. - Dave] Washington D.C. parkingI worked in Washington during the early 70's and commuted to work in my personal car. The parking lot was behind the Old Post Office off of Pennsylvania Avenue. The attendants would start in the center and pack the other cars around it until the lot was filled. You can imagine what would happen if a person wanted to leave work early! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon)
Cars & Stripes: 1946
Dearborn, Michigan, 1946. "Ford Rouge B-Building. Cars leaving assembly line." Ansco color transparency from the Ford Motor Co. ... dim in there when the sun went down. (Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Factories) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/01/2021 - 1:52pm -

Dearborn, Michigan, 1946. "Ford Rouge B-Building. Cars leaving assembly line." Ansco color transparency from the Ford Motor Co. photographic archives. View full size. No change until 1949The 1946, 1947, and 1948 Fords all looked quite the same, except for some minor grille changes that only an expert could identify. But then came "The New Ford" for 1949, and body styles changed forever and for better. I'll take itColor and style probably meant little to returning GIs in 1946. Fords, and their low-priced competitors from Chevy and Plymouth, sold like nickel beer. For 1947, Ford changed to round parking lights and moved them down below the headlights. The grilles no longer wore red painted highlights as seen in the photo. These were running changes, not strictly linked to the model year. Before the first new carMy dad, born in 1941, has said many times over the years that the 1949 Ford was the first "new" car that he ever saw, the warmed-over 1942 model being sufficient to satisfy pent-up demand until then. Of course, I know that the 1947 Studebaker was also new, but that fact doesn't compete with childhood memory, and he was 6 then, rather than 8, which is significant. A couple of years ago, I got behind an Acura with a Bush-Quayle '88 sticker on it, and my first thought was, even though I'm a lifelong Democrat who voted for Dukakis, if I bought a vintage Acura with that sticker, I'd be inclined to keep it. My second thought was, "Wait, there's such a thing as a vintage Acura?" Yes, indeed there is. I couldn't remember what year Acuras were introduced, so I looked it up, and realized I have friends with advanced degrees who were born into a world that already had Acuras in it. The only parallel I can imagine to my own generation is that of a Studebaker being a new car. They ceased production 17 months before I was born. My first awareness of Studebakers was of Fozzie Bear driving one in the Muppet Movie. Wait, no. I had the Matchbox Lark Wagonaire a few years before the Muppet Movie came out. Totally irrelevant side note: looking at those weak bare incandescent bulbs, and the generous daylighting windows, it's not hard to see why people thought Daylight Savings Time would save energy. It makes absolutely no sense now, in this era of windowless workplaces. What's The Difference? The obvious difference between the 1946 and the '47 & '48 Ford is the location of the front parking lights; but can does anyone know how to tell a '47 from a '48. I also agree with the above poster that the 1949 Ford was the first modern car. Worst carMy dad went in the service before the United States entered the war. When he got out of the Navy in 1946 he bought a new 1946 Ford. It was the only new car he ever bought, and he told me it was the worst car he ever bought. My eyes were drawn to the incandescent lighting on that assembly line. That would be really dim in there when the sun went down. (Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Factories)
Cops at Cars Getting Coffee: 1919
... [Isinglass, celluloid, etc. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/30/2016 - 12:22pm -

Washington, D.C, 1919. "Police coffee." Backed by the Salvation Army's powerful message of hope and/or thrift. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Zombie Apocalypse Pssst ... in the back seat. Twins?Or at least brothers. BenefitsApparently, their plan did not include dental. Looking OutThat face in the broken rear window is creepy. Wow If I ran into that officer on the street today, I'd swear he was my brother! What? No Doughnut?I guess it's coffee and no doughnut, due to that "thrift" thing. Last Thursday, after three days of resistance broke down, I went and got two dozen at the much-too-close Winchell's, right at sunrise. When I got home, I found a sheriff's car in my driveway. I wondered that maybe a neighbor didn't like my new cabana or the feral cat I feed, but it turned out the deputy had a subpoena for me to appear as witness in an upcoming homicide trial, which I'm happy to do. After our friendly discussion, I returned to my car to get the two big boxes of doughnuts and felt positively guilty I'd not offered the deputy one or more for breakfast. I wonder if that coffee's as thrifty as mine? I save on the coffee by buying generic so I can have the doughnuts. In any event, I bet that coffee wasn't hot for very long. PeekabooI see the coffee man in the back Get Whipped Into ShapeThe photo shows the headquarters of the Salvation Army at 930 Pennsylvania Street NW. Helping to identify the location is Whipps School of Scientific Boxing next door run by William Roy Whipp (1892 - 1992). He died on the day after his 100th birthday. Whipp opened his school while the troops were demobilizing from WWI. He volunteered to teach men to fight (box) during the days before they went overseas. He received no payment for his services. He opened up his school in January, 1919 while the troops were demobilizing. By this time Whipp was a former South Atlantic light-weight champion. Since he was deaf in his right ear he was considered not fit for service. After the war he began to train soldiers to box at Fort Myers, Virginia, and in 1922 his squad of boxers won four of five titles in a single night (they didn't compete that night in the fifth weight class). His school seems to have existed from 1919 - 1922, but he remained involved in physical training nearly his whole life. There are photos of him in the Library of Congress photo collection here and here. He was also a boxing coach for the Maryland Terrapins boxing team in 1930-1931, but they did not fare well during the season. "William Whipp's career began as a trainer to the boxer Jack Dempsey in 1919, before his championship match with Jess Willard. During the 1920s and 1930s Whipp worked as a sports columnist for the Hearst newspapers and the Washington Star. During the 1950s, William Whipp hosted one of the area's first television fitness shows, as well as hosting radio health programs. After 51 years as physical director of the University Club, Whipp retired at the age of 81. At the age of 100, William Whipp died in 1992 (Washington Journal, 4 March 1992)" Source: Maryland Historic Trust document here. Here's JohnnyThe guy with his face sticking through the window in the back might want some coffee and salvation too. Coffee Police"You know why I pulled you over, don't you? You're suspected of toting Sanka into a Starbucks area. I'm just going to have a taste to be sure." SurpriseI didn’t see the face looking out the broken plastic window until I went to the full view. He kind of surprised me. Did they have plastic windows in the canvas tops of the day? [Isinglass, celluloid, etc. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Vroom: 1949
... an expensive toy and sure enough, according to the pedal cars page at austinworks.com: "The J40 sold for 27 pounds plus 6 pounds added ... company. There is a full history here . Austin J40 cars The Austin J40 is something of a British motoring institution. The ... 
 
Posted by historic52 - 12/16/2012 - 8:10am -

Young motorist in an Austin pedal car circa 1949. From a set of 35mm Kodachromes I acquired in northern New Jersey. Here is another view. View full size. BeautifulAnd, if I remember correctly, the full size Austin was just a tad larger. That is a dandy and one very lucky kid. Lucky Kid!What a beauty. Looks like the trunk lid is operational too. The tires look pneumatic, almost real car like. You can never be too carefulI see they blacked out the license plate for privacy protection. Just like the one Dad drives!Wow, that kid must have been on cloud 9 to get something like that! All metal, real tires, real paint and chrome, compare that to the all plastic, no sharp edges boring junk today. Downside is it must have weighed a ton. Any Pedal Car collectors out there who can give us a ballpark value on that car today? Beyond my folks' budgetThis looks like an expensive toy and sure enough, according to the pedal cars page at austinworks.com: "The J40 sold for 27 pounds plus 6 pounds added purchase tax, while the Pathfinder cost 20 pounds plus 5 pounds purchase tax. At the time the average working man would have to save 2 or 3 weeks full wages to buy a J40." [Prior to the 1949 devaluation of the Pound Sterling the exchange rate was approximately £1 = $4; after devaluation, £1 = $2.80. - tterrace] The J40 StoryThe J40 was manufactured in the UK by the Austin company. There is a full history here. Austin J40 carsThe Austin J40 is something of a British motoring institution. The pedal car was built at the Austin Junior Car Factory in Bargoed, South Wales. This dedicated factory began Austin pedal car production in 1949, with the plant funded by the British Government. It was run on a not-for-profit basis, purely for the employment of disabled coal miners, with 250 men assembling both the J40 pedal car, plus the racy Pathfinder, loosely based around a single-seater competition Austin Seven. Production ended in 1971. Values vary depending on condition, between 1 and 3,000 pounds sterling. WowI remember as a kid looking through JC Penney, Montgomery Ward, and Sears catalogs dreaming of owning a pedal car. Being one of seven children I knew the closest I would ever get was whatever my mind could dream about. That was in the 60's and I don't think I ever saw one this beautiful. Heck I would have easily traded away 2 of my sisters for this beauty. Wow SecondedThat kid grew up in a completely different world than what I knew. I too looked through the Sears and Wards Christmas Edition Catalogs and dreamed of having a cool pedal car. Tonka was as close as I would ever get. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Mission to the Cars: 1958
... Santa Barbara with a small but interesting selection of cars, including a speeding Rambler wagon; above it in the distance a very nice ... View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, tterrapix) ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/22/2011 - 3:41pm -

August 1958, California's Mission Santa Barbara with a small but interesting selection of cars, including a speeding Rambler wagon; above it in the distance a very nice two-tone Buick; next a spiffied-up yellow coupe, '47 Chevy is my guess; classic '56 Chevy in aqua and white, then a couple of Oldsmobiles, '54 and two-tone '56. Blurry but identifiable at right, a partially-obscured '57 Chevy and a '58 Plymouth. My brother's Ektachrome slide. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, tterrapix)
Gasolene Gospel: 1937
... In a flash, it's 1937. Thanks Shorpy! All Closed Cars What I love about these pics are the old cars in their natural surroundings. Gather a group of cars of this era today ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/13/2013 - 3:54pm -

August 1937. "Gas station and gospel mission in Cleveland, Ohio." In addition to Koolmotor "Gasolene," a long-defunct Cities Service brand, we also seem to have at least a couple of the major food groups represented here, as well as two verses from the New Testament. Photo by John Vachon. View full size. Intersection todayThe warehouse across the street is still standing, though the facade has been updated. Otherwise the intersection is quite different. View Larger Map Missing Billboard"Pray And Get Gas" English Teacher's NightmareGasolene. Kool. Thru. Towards. No wonder the kids today can't spell. Hotel Auditorium Wonderful photograph! From the web site, Cleveland Memory, regarding the Hotel Auditorium: The Hotel Auditorium is Cleveland's newest hotel in the downtown section, and is directly across from the famous Cleveland Public Auditorium. It was located at East 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue and apparently opened in 1930. Wonder what the difference was between a two dollar and a two dollar and a half room. [If the Hotel Auditorium had an auditorium, things could get super confusing. - Dave] Way Kool!!!This photo is just begging for colorizing! What a scene! And I want that panel truck! But does that second Bible verse read oddly to anyone else? I was expecting it to be "those" instead of "them." I suppose that's the King James Version of the text, which usually sounds so wonderful to my ear. Amazing Photo!Again, Shorpy whisks us away to another time and place. In a flash, it's 1937. Thanks Shorpy! All Closed CarsWhat I love about these pics are the old cars in their natural surroundings. Gather a group of cars of this era today and there will be a preponderance of open cars. Twenty-one cars in this pic and not a one of them an open car! Three times three slices of bread.Why not an even number, so you don't wind up stuck with half a sandwich. My CliffordvilleYes, I think I have found it. But with a happier ending, please. Terminal TowerPeeking over the building in the upper left corner. Bible verseIn response to Jim Page's comment, the verse sounds odd now, but remember that several of today's most popular Bible translations hadn't even been written in 1937. On a different note, I can't be the only one here who wouldn't mind paying a visit to the ice cream truck on the bottom left. Well Ethylis standing right next to the Koolmotor gas pump. Looks like their glass globes are canted toward each other and they're carrying on a conversation. Koolmotor is asking, "Is your name really Ethyl?" I love old gas stations. Looks like all the "night parking" is filled up and it's only 5 minutes to 3. Wheels "O" RollinYou've got to love those old trucks. The AuditoriumI presume the Auditorium Hotel received that name because it was located across the street from the Public Auditorium, which is part of downtown Cleveland's Group Plan designed by Daniel Burnham. The Auditorium Hotel is gone, but the site had another hotel, which is now getting a major re-work in anticipation of the reopening later this year of the downtown convention center after its own major overhaul. A corner of Public Auditorium can be seen in the upper right corner, showing the word "CONCEIVED" as part of the sentence inscribed on the building. [“A Monument Conceived as a Tribute to the Ideals of Cleveland, Builded by Her Citizens and Dedicated to Social Progress, Industrial Achievement and Civic Interests” - tterrace] The March of Time Will Now Take a Short BreakLiving for a while some 164 blocks East of this scene and nine years later, I found similar cars to be common sights during my daily wanderings. The three-year hiatus in passenger car production during WWII, coupled with delays in getting Detroit reconfigured after war production, meant that many cars of the '30s soldiered on for some time after peace broke out. I recall finding cars with "lights that stick out" preferable to more modern ones ... and I suspect that I still do. Pack 'em inI like the painted lines on the walls for spacing the night parking. Shorpy TruckShorpy truck on the left. Filled with large format glass negatives, waiting for the internet. That lounge chairThat lounge chair intrigues me. What an odd position to put a chair like that. I realise the angle and camera standing adds to the visual illusion, but to me, it remains strange placement. St. Clair and E. 9th Street in 1963Here is a photo from the Cleveland Public Library Digital Gallery. It shows a view of this block from the St. Claire Avenue side. The City Mission is still there, and the Koolmotor station is a Sohio in 1963, but a lot of the rest of the view ended up as parking lots for a while. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Cleveland, Gas Stations, John Vachon)
Cars on California: 1921
... Continuity Nearly a hundred years later, and cable cars still roll up and down California Street. Only the fare has changed. ... Yowzaa What a grand pic! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/21/2016 - 11:45am -

San Francisco, 1921. "California Street east from Montgomery." 8x10 nitrate negative, late of the Wyland Stanley/Marilyn Blaisdell collections. View full size. ContinuityNearly a hundred years later, and cable cars still roll up and down California Street. Only the fare has changed. [$7 for all above 4 years old; $3 for seniors, Medicare and disabled 9PM-7AM. Essentially a theme park ride now. -tterrace] California parkingStill possible on one side of the street. Car IDCole SP Bldg in the distanceGreat pic! The dark building down at end of California St. and foot of Market is the red brick Southern Pacific building built in 1916. Still very much a landmark today. The SP RR and SP-Golden Gate Ferries system is very memorable to old-timers. J. P. HammondThe Cole belonged to John Percy Hammond (1878 - 1932) who was an insurance agent working at 519 California Street at the time the photo was taken. The building where he worked was part of the insurance agency district in the city of San Francisco. In 1921 Hammond, his wife, Ruth Constance [Oppenheimer] Hammond (1892 - 1973), and his son Robert Noel Hammond (1916 - 1986), were living at 1944 Fell in San Francisco on the panhandle of Golden Gate Park. His parents, John J. and Margaret A. Hammond, both immigrated to the United States from Canada. His father was a butcher, and two of his brothers also worked at insurance companies during a portion of their careers. Hammond appears to have started out as a clerk at the insurance firm of Smedberg & Mitchell around 1897, and he later worked at the Louis J. Janes Company as an insurance agent. Around 1905 he began his own insurance firm, but details about what products he sold, or if he specialized in some area of insurance, could not be found. His office moved many times over the next 25 years, but always remained in the insurance district. After J.P. died in 1932, his wife ran the business for a period of time. Around 1940 it appears that his son Robert took over the business from his mother. The Cole shown was a 1920 Aero-Eight Tourster. The company literature said it had the following special features: Large pockets in each door; special empedimenta compartment in back of front seat; tool space under front and rear seat; leather robe rail at back of front seat; foot rest in tonneau; automatic step light, Waltham eight-day clock; wool carpet in tonneau; extra heavy linoleum-covered, metal bound toe and floor boards; natural finish walnut instrument board; and rubber step pads. Cost was $2,485 FOB Indianapolis. There was also a separate Aero-Eight Californian which was essentially the same automobile, but the top was permanently attached. The removable side curtains had glass windows built into them. This version cost $350 more than the Tourster ($2,835), but you could ask for the regular side curtains and reduce the cost to $2,760. You could have bought five Model T Fords for the same price in 1920. Pictures of both the Tourster and Californian are below. The picture of the Californian has a skewed perspective. YowzaaWhat a grand pic! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
Green Cars: 1920
... & forth between the Reo and my VW. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2012 - 12:57pm -

"Trew Motor Co. interior." Circa 1920, the Reo automobile showroom (and conservatory) in Joseph Trew's new three-story building at 14th and P Streets N.W. in Washington. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Trew BuildingA 1923 Washington Post article says this building, then described as new, was at 1509 Fourteenth Street, the site of the present Studio Theater. [Below, a 1920 article on the new building. - Dave] Ransom Eli OldsREO: Ransom Eli Olds. The Oldsmobile is also named after him. He, not Henry Ford, developed the first assembly line. Anti-theft Potted PlantsMan, they sure were nuts about ferns and palms in the teens and 20s, weren't they? They were almost as much a part of the era's style as were fringy lampshades and ugly hats on women. (The lampshades could be on lamps or women—you pick.) Reo SpeedwagonWhen I was a teenager in the 60's, my best friend's dad had a Reo Speedwagon, mid-1920s but not sure. It had a straight four, not the later six they came out with. The two things I remember about it was it had exposed rocker arms above the engine head that were lubricated by drip cups. Before starting, a rocker valve was raised that opened the valve in the glass cups which "dripped" oil onto the rocker arms every few seconds. The other thing I remember was that the traditional H pattern of most floor shifts was mirror image. 1st was at the forward right, 2nd was back right, 3rd was left forward, etc. Made for fun shifting switching back & forth between the Reo and my VW. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
The Strolling Photographer: 1975
... I hadn't thought about in years. So thanks for that. Cars on the street Cadillac, Volkswagen, Ford F-150... what? no Volvo love? ... pounds would have to include the same emission controls as cars (including catalytic converters), the big three automakers increased the ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 06/22/2019 - 8:45pm -

August 1975. My friend snapped this Kodachrome of his wife and me strolling along the 200 block of Keller Street in Petaluma, California. I'm decked out in my 70s-style duds, including bell-bottoms, waffle stompers, whatever you call that kind of shirt, plus my Konica Autoreflex T and camera bag, she in her Petaluma tee shirt, and Keller Street in Victorians, Volkswagens, Cadillacs and Pontiacs, not to mention the ubiquitous Ford F-150 pickup. View full size. Alternate titleThe Mod Squad! A world away fromCornettville, KY. Camera bagWas that the only kind of camera bag on the market in the 70's? My dad had one that appears exactly like that from back then. I was only 1 in 1975, and sadly the selection of camera bags is not one of the things I can remember from that age. -- If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you. DragnetThe green Ford in front of the Caddy looks just like the one Friday and Gannon drove in Dragnet! A happier time, a happier place.I was living in Monterey in 1975. Mamie Shirttterance: In Northern Virginia where I grew up in the '70's, we called that type of shirt you are wearing in this picture a "Mamie Shirt", because that's something only your mother would truly love. But it was stylish back then and I must admit, I had one like that too. That shirt brings back a lot of mid-1970's memories. Stuff I hadn't thought about in years. So thanks for that. Cars on the streetCadillac, Volkswagen, Ford F-150... what? no Volvo love? [If it was a snake ... - Dave] Very cool!tterrace- I love the snapshots you share of everyday life in 20th century America! Volvo wagonNice Volvo 122 wagon in front! Still have my dad's '66 and it runs great. Truck a l'orangeThe orange truck looks like an International Travelall. I don't think they were called SUVs back then, just a truck. Oh MyMy first child was born in late 1973 so I remember these styles!!! Thanks again for the memories, tterrace! Doesn't seem that long ago, and yet...it was!!! Olde VolvosThey never die, they just get parted out. Checkin' OutLooks as if TTerrace is appreciating the lovely lady he's walking beside. But knowing his passions, one can surmise he's actually checking out the car. Waffle StompersWow, now there's a term I haven't heard for a long time; I loved wearing waffle-stompers! How did you like your Konica?I shot with a bunch of SLR's back then but didn't own one of these. Apparently their lenses were excellent. They went on to build a series for the Leica M that outperformed the out-of-sight expensive Leica glass. I get a kick out of that camera "box" too. Cheers. The green Ford...in front of the '66 Caddy is a '66 -'69 Falcon, and the Pontiac across the street is a '64 model. Small World, Isn't It?Keller Street, about three blocks north of Washington Street. While I could be wrong, I think that International Travelall belonged to the parents of a friend of mine who lived right about there. Back then it was an F-100That '71 Ford truck would have been an F-100, rather than an F-150. When in 1975 the Feds decreed that pickup trucks with a GVW under 6,000 pounds would have to include the same emission controls as cars (including catalytic converters), the big three automakers increased the GVW of their half-ton pickups to 6,050 pounds. Thus, Ford's "heavy half", the F-150, was born. The pickup in this picture is passing a '63 Pontiac. The Cadillac is a '66, and appears to be a Calais, Cadillac's "value" model. The green Ford is a Falcon 2-door sedan. And yes, I must confess, I had a whatever-you-call-it shirt like that when I was in high school, along with a couple of Qiana shirts. Ah, those were the days. Tterrace's Priceless Photos Nothing takes me back to the sixties and seventies as vividly as the photos tterrace posts here. Please, keep it up!!! Keller Street TodayWe were strolling right past the entry walk of the gray house on the right. I loved my Konica Autoreflex T. When I hauled it out about 7 years ago, I learned the mercury batteries for its exposure system were no longer available, then that the exposure system itself was non-functioning and would cost a bundle to repair. View Larger Map There has to be an algorithmthat will estimate the date of a street scene based on the ages of the vehicles shown in the photo. I mean, this is 1975, and in those days there was a particular attrition rate (low for F-100's, to be sure) and a particular mix of new vehicles sold. There has to be a way. Is that Me?Scary that I too had (and wore) one of those awful shirts in 1975, and those shoes and the bell bottoms! Ugh! My camera was a Minolta and I ran into the same old battery problem, but my son figured it out and enjoyed some black and white photos on film in this "digital" age! The blue "punch buggy" (who remembers?) has to be a 1967. I drove one for a LONG time - 18.5 years after getting it a 9 years old from my brother. The VW bug across the street - older. Those things were ubiquitous! KonicasI had a Konica around 1960, and it was a very good 35mm camera. Its only fault was a fixed, 50mm lens. At that time, Konicas were advertised as "The Lens Alone is Worth the Price." Konica CamerasI also loved my Konica SLRs. Went through four of them: a Model T, a Model T2 from 1971, T3 from 1975, and finally a compact T4 from 1980. A parade of lenses, Hexanons wide angle 28, normal 50 1.8, tele 135, tele 200. I have everything all neatly wrapped and boxed up to be found when the next archeological dig takes place here in 2525. I'm three years older than tterrace, and about a thousand miles away, but can easily relate to many of the postings. How did we get to "here" (2010) so quickly? Waffle StompersMy great-uncle owned a shoe shop. He made custom boots and shoes, and repaired all kinds of leather goods. When the waffle stomper craze came in, he made some serious bucks. Instead of buying the trendy hiking boots, many local kids would go into his shop and have their shoes and boots resoled with what he called "mud haulers." Later, irate parents would bring in their kids shoes to be resoled with more traditional soles. This caused a brief doubling of his work. OMG! Early Baby Boomers!!!I'm a later Baby Boomer myself. You were older kids. I don't know why we're even lumped together into the whole "Baby Boom" thing. The earlies (1945-1955) and laters (1956-1962) ones have NOTHING in common whatsoever. Didn't then and didn't now. Funny, huh? International TravelallI had a Travelall back in 1977 when I was 17. It was enormous! We hung a Frank Zappa poster on the right back window and a Led Zep one on the left loaded it up with St. Pauli Girl and Becks drove it from Bridgewater to Truro and promptly got it buried in the beach sand! The Wellfleet Fire Department towed it out and sent us on our merry way! Unfortunately my family was not huge into photography back then. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, tterrapix)
A Pretty Grille: 1941
... San Francisco, 1941. "Pontiacs being unloaded from freight cars." Slathered with chrome. 8x10 Eastman Kodak Safety Film negative. View full size. Last of the New Cars for Consumers I'm supposing that these are being unloaded not long ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/29/2014 - 2:28pm -

San Francisco, 1941. "Pontiacs being unloaded from freight cars." Slathered with chrome. 8x10 Eastman Kodak Safety Film negative. View full size. Last of the New Cars for ConsumersI'm supposing that these are being unloaded not long before the attack on Pearl Harbor. These represent the last model year of new cars available to consumers until World War 2 was finished. Sales of new automobiles were severely limited for the duration. [You're a year off. These are 1941 Pontiacs; 1942 was the last model year for new cars before the war. - Dave] Note that the Pontiacs are being unloaded from special end-door RR boxcars. The boxcars shown have now-obsolete features such as full-height ladders and roof walks. Examining the boxcar doors close up will reveal minor damage. Autos are still shipped extensively by rail, but the current auto carriers have three decks! Put them back in the freight carThen wait 75 years and open it again. What a time capsule that would be! Illuminating?I refer to the hood ornament which looks like clear plastic and just might have lit up at night. Barn FindReminds me of an urban legend current when I was young in Minnesota circa 1980. A boxcar (or two, or three) filled with 1949 Hudsons or '42 Chevys or (fill in dream car here) was found, lost by the railroad for decades, on a siding in Michigan or Ohio or Canada. Ah, well. Great photo. Chief Pontiac's faceDid not light up until 1949. Bryant StreetBuilding in background is the Hamm's Brewery at 1550 Bryant Street. See this photo across railroad loading docks. My guess is that the photo was taken at the former site of the Southern Pacific 16th Street freight depot, located around Treat Street between Florida and Harrison. The Shorpy photo and the one below both appear to be from around Treat Street. looking towards Florida. A 1960s track diagram for the Southern Pacific doesn't indicate a match for the freight sheds and ramp for unloading (see Zone 8 page 1). The track diagram does indicate track 828 was the "old 16th Street Freight Depot," suggesting the tracks had been rearranged before 1960. Interesting story here.The type of railroad car is an "end door" type. They were designed for carrying automobiles, or larger loads. The end doors were only on one end though, meaning that to unload, you had to move the cars around after each was emptied. Bout twenty years ago, in a small town in Georgia, they stumbled across three of these cars abandoned in an old yard. Took some working to figure out, but the cars had apparently been lost in transit to a local dealership in Savannah. Sidelined due to something wrong with the trucks (bogies the cars ride on.) The cars were just forgotten. Well, when the crews found them, they asked what to do and were told to just scrap them. Opening the doors, they found that each car held three brand new Ford Galaxies, with all of six miles on the odomoter. The owner of the company doing the demolition took two for himself, and divided the remaining cars among his crew. One of the cars sold at Barret's auto auction some years back, with the winning bid being over one million dollars. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Railroads, San Francisco)
Cars Washed and Polished: 1925
... Note what looks like demolition debris between it and the "Cars Washed and Polished" garage. Second and Mass today Currently a big ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 2:05pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1925. "Street scene, Massachusetts Avenue and 2nd Street N.W." A nice sort of ambient view of nothing in particular. If you listen very carefully you can hear a dog barking in the distance. View full size. Hark!Sounds like a Basset Hound! Could it be Cleo? Free Air!How long has it been since you've seen those words at what used to be called a "service station"? Adios car businessThe car repair business looks as if it's been abandoned for some time, and the building may be in the process of being demolished. Note what looks like demolition debris between it and the "Cars Washed and Polished" garage. Second and Mass todayCurrently a big office building on this corner. Home to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs. View Larger Map Hold on a secThe door on the car wash says keep out, and my Essex really needs a bath. Ghost TownIf this had been shot in the Southwest, you'd expect to see a tumbleweed rolling down the street. You're right, it's a filmmakers' clicheIn a college filmmaking class 35 years ago the instructor told us that adding a low volume dog-baking audio track to a "establishing shot" (like this picture) was often done to add some interest to a scene containing no action. I think they still do it. [Only on Elm Street! - Dave] Unusual Light PoleWhat does it say on the unusual lamp almost at the center of the picture? Is that a police call box or something else? [It says "Fire Alarm Box." There's another one here. - Dave] Fire alarm boxesThe D.C. system activated both a lamp and a gong at the station house to show where the alarm was. Around the turn of the century, there were 30 circuits. Call boxesFor what it's worth, several of those call boxes are still around and have now been made into street art. Clank Clank Clank Clank ClankIf I recall correctly, pulling the handle on one of those boxes wound an escapement that powered a mechanism that used telegraph/telephone wires to report to the to trigger a clanky bell at central dispatch, and that was relayed to the stations in that district. The message was a series of clanks, ie: 2 - 5 - 1 which identified the box that was pulled. Growing up in Wellesley, Mass. in the 50s, the same method was still used, except central dispatch sounded a matrix of very loud horns in the code of the box. My mom was a bored housewife at the time, and had gotten a copy of the codes (maybe they were in the front of the phone book) and would pile us into the car and drive out to see the "action". By the time I was 16 yrs old a friend of mine and I were riding around in a 60 Rambler Wagon with a half dozen antennas and radios (and an illegal red light we could slap on the roof) a driving all over the Boston area to see the "action". (The Gallery, D.C., Gas Stations, Natl Photo)
Cherokee Parts: 1936
... looks like it could easily be used on one of today's cars. Sure Beat Up This truck appears to be a 1928-29 Ford cobbled out ... does that beautiful lettering scream Jazz Age!! ? From cars to packing machines Cherokee Parts Store was at 973 Marietta Street in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 2:43pm -

March 1936. "Auto parts shop. Atlanta, Georgia." Large-format nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Modern Day WheelThe wheel directly below the "A" and "R" of "garage" looks like it could easily be used on one of today's cars. Sure Beat UpThis truck appears to be a 1928-29 Ford cobbled out of something else. The rear of the cab isn't from a stock pickup. Really beat up for a vehicle 7-8 years old. And those Model A's were built like a tank. It's had a rough life. InvitingOh, imagine opening the place up and starting work by hanging all those car parts up. And then imagine the passing punters: "that looks nice, especially that fender there - I think I'll have them do my car right away!". Mystery MetalI can't for the life of me figure out where that large apparent body part hanging under the word "Used" would go on a car. Anyone know? [Front right fender. - Dave] Ah, OK, we're seeing it from the top, then, and it's a lot deeper than it looks here. Thanks. Greatest HitsThis photo was the inspiration for the cover art on the album "Alice Cooper's Greatest Hits." Whoa!, that font!Is it just me or does that beautiful lettering scream Jazz Age!! ? From cars to packing machinesCherokee Parts Store was at 973 Marietta Street in Atlanta. That location is now home to a packing machine company. View Larger Map re: Greatest HitsInteresting - apparently, Drew Struzan drew the "Greatest Hits" artwork with the band surrounded by iconic stars. The original included 13 stars who were still alive, which presented a problem, so they had to re-do it without those individuals. A related piece doesn't really resemble the garage in Evans' photograph, but does include the name: Quite the place back in the dayIt seems that this place was a real chick magnet at the time. Re Modern day wheelIn fact, my eyes double-took when I saw that wheel, which is not too different from the ones on my E-Class MB. And, boy, they did have a lot of merchandise to hang outside while their morning coffees were cooling, didn't they? Is that you, Jack?Probably not, but the young guy inside the garage sure looks like a young Kerouac. 'Course Kerouac lived in Massachusetts then. The young lady on the far left seems to have noticed something--maybe the guy--in spite of her disgust at having to be there at that smelly old garage while her mother gets new tires. '29 Ford roadster pickupThat's a 1928 or '29 Ford Model A roadster pickup, looking mostly original except for the wheels and the absence of its top, doors and spare tire. The fabric top was removable, but not foldable, and the car had no side windows, only side curtains that clipped onto the doors and windshield. Font NameTo JeffK: although the sign appears to be hand painted, the font that inspired the lettering is "Windsor." The sign painter did not copy the typeface with 100 per cent accuracy, but after 40 years in the graphic design business, I'd say Windsor! Just down the streetThis is just down the street where my dad (a mechanic) grew up. He probably visited the shop many times. AirwheelsThat Model A is wearing a pair of aftermarket low-pressure tires on the rear, also known as Jumbos, the tire and rim combination were offered by several tire companies and claimed improved ride and handling over the narrower high-pressure stock units. Those wheels are rarely seen on restored vehicles today because those special sizes haven't been reproduced, modern tires will fit on them so they do see some use by traditional hot-rod builders. Wheels,etc.The large part hanging under the used sign is a fender as mentioned in an earlier post. It is from a 1930/31 Ford. I would love to see under the hood. I would bet money it has a Flathead V8 in it. The front wheels are off of a 32 or later which means they have probably changed from mechanical brakes to hydraulic and the rear wheels look the GM "Artillery" wheels used on later 30's GM cars. The wheel hanging on the wall behind the woman is a stock 29/31 model A wheel. I think this may be the shops hot rod parts truck. NASCAR ConnectionAbout 13 years after this picture was taken, Cherokee Auto Parts began sponsoring Gober Sosebee in the earliest years of NASCAR. Both his #50 and #51 cars carried the name on their doors. He had 2 wins, 4 poles, and 33 top tens in a 71 race career. (The Gallery, Atlanta, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Walker Evans)
Zines & Beans: 1938
... and hot rodders alike. I'd choose it over all the cars in the lineup Rear door 1929 Ford Sedan Delivery Current prices ... that 1935 Olds still around, though we like our classic cars here as well. Salty roads in the winter have been the ruin of many a fair ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/12/2017 - 4:07pm -

November 1938. "Capitol Avenue storefronts, Omaha, Nebraska." Medium format negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Oyster stew!It's been forty years since I've made oyster stew! I'll bet mine was better, because I used oysters we picked up off the beach, at Dabob Bay, on Washington's Hood Canal the night before, and opened that day. In Nebraska, I'll bet they had to use canned! I'd even settle for canned right now, though! Hurry up!I don't know what that third car from the left is, with the 1-1813 license plate, but I want it and I want it now. I also want 45 cents worth of oyster stew, with some of them teeny little saltines and some Tabasco. And make sure that the oysters are the kind that grow in the ocean and not around Omaha, Nebraska, if you please. Top to BottomSam in 1616 and 1616½ has you covered from one end to the other. Spotted car1-1813 is a 1935 Oldsmobile top of the line sedan . Spotted Car1-1813 is a 1935 Oldsmobile L-35 touring car as seen here. No longer thereThe buildings have since been torn down. A Doubletree hotel sits in its place. Don't know if the restaurant serves oyster stew or not. FlawedThe adulation for that Oldsmobile would vanish quickly when one of its pistons blew --- - common problem for the 35s and 36s. Mine failed leaving Jackon Hole, Wyoming in 1948. Had to limp over the mountains and down into Salt Lake City where the second piston failed necessitating an engine tear-down in a parking lot. Before Parking LinesHave the feeling the 2nd car from the right, is going to be a little upset when it's time to back out. 1-1990 must have squeezed into that parking spot. Even after parking lines, he's probably still parking like that. Precursor?I favor the funky one fifth from the left, with the interesting back door. Anybody know what it is? Maybe it is my fondness for VW buses in my youth, but it looks intriguing. Travel Rule #1Don't order the seafood when the nearest ocean is 1000 miles away. Or do, but eat it with a side of Imodium. What Kind Of Oysters?As a son of The Land Of Pleasant Living I have always been leery when traveling of restaurants advertising oysters. If a restaurant isn't within 50 miles of a major oyster producing body of water I won't order them since my preference in oysters run to the Chincoteague style and not the Bull Durham variety. Precursor?The Funkymobile is a 28/29 Ford Model A Sedan Delivery. Very rare and desirable to the restorers and hot rodders alike. I'd choose it over all the cars in the lineup Rear door1929 Ford Sedan Delivery Current prices begin around $30,000 Oysters in Omaha? You betcha!Just a few blocks south of 1610 Capitol Ave (Now the Doubletree Hotel and First National Bank) lies a great seafood joint called appropriately 'Shucks' with a great oyster stew and all sorts of the succulent bivalves on the half shell - from both coasts, and even occasionally from the Choctawhatchee Bay in the Gulf. I've lived in Omaha for 31 years and vouch for the freshness of the seafood offerings here in our fair city. (Also has pretty good beefsteaks, as well!!!!) Can't say I've ever seen that 1935 Olds still around, though we like our classic cars here as well. Salty roads in the winter have been the ruin of many a fair classic, including my old '71 VW Westphaia. Shorpy and history.My son hooked me up to the Shorpy site years ago. Have just recently gotten the nerve to register and leave a comment. I really enjoy all the photos, the depression era by Dorothea Lange, And the photos of the old cars. Keep up the excellent work Dave. Shop to right?What is the shop between New Capitol Bar and Dean Lunch? I can only make out the word "Falstaff", and the objects in the window give few clues as to what they sell. [It's part of the New Capitol Bar; Falstaff is a brand of beer. -tterrace] Half-Seen Zine StoreA big bunch of people on FictionMags, an invitational Yahoo group I'm in, have been fascinated by the "zine" shop on the far left, and what the kid visible in the window is reading. Other images of magazines and especially newsstands here on Shorpy, for instance the recent 1938 Omaha newsstand, have been widely dissected. Falstaff BeerThe Falstaff brewery was south of downtown Omaha near 25th and Vinton Streets. Another Omaha local beer (also defunct) was Storz. Of course, there are numerous craft beers now brewed locally - and those have much more flavor than the old locals! Try 'Lucky Bucket' if you can find it. TrunkThe second car from the left is a 1932 Ford sedan with an aftermarket trunk mounted on an aftermarket support made by Kari-Keen or possibly Potter. Queued CarsFrom left to right: 1. 1937 Ford Tudor or Fordor (slant back) 2. 1932 Ford V8 with non-standard bumper 3. 1935 Oldsmobile L-35 4. 1936 Studebaker, likely a Dictator 5. 1929 Ford Model A Deluxe Delivery 6. 1936 Ford Deluxe Tudor Touring Sedan 7. 1933 Plymouth coupe (Business Coupe?) 8. 1937 DeSoto S3 Touring Sedan Note the partial reflections of the cars in the store windows. Bygone 'Zines DealersShortly before this photo was taken, the "Zines" store had been one of two news dealer stores of Charles C. Savage. This one, at 1618 Capitol Avenue, was being run by his daughter Hazel Lydia Savage. Two of her brothers both worked at the main family store at 1260 S. 16th in 1938. Hazel married Paul Colgrove on November 6, 1938, moved to Bandon, Oregon where she spent the rest of her life, and had a daughter, Colleen. The couple divorced in 1966. Hazel was born on September 12, 1917 in Omaha, and died January 15, 2011 in Bandon. After Hazel Savage, the store on Capitol Avenue became the business of Paul William Lehn. His last name can be partially seen in the window. He was born in Nebraska to George and Madeline Lehn in 1920. Less than a year after the photo was taken he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps on June 19, 1941. After WWII he became an accountant, and he remained in Omaha at least through the late 1950s. He died on Chrismas Day, 1971 in Los Angeles, California, but he was buried back in Omaha. Re: Error in descriptionThe information that I provided in regard to the store is easily found in the Omaha city directories from 1936, 1938, and 1940. I have attached extracts that verify the information that was provided. Perhaps Hazel's daughter was simply just never told how her mother ran a news store prior to being married, and that her uncles also were clerks in their grandfather's store. Not a traceThe street was redone sometime in the 1950s. The Edward Zorinsky Federal Building was originally completed in 1958 as a home to the US Army Corps of Engineers. It's been modified a couple of times, most recently completed as a post-9/11 security and environmental retrofit in 2008. It is an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly and sustainable building. But I'd do anything to sit in Sam's Barber Shop shown in the original image and listen to the stories drift in and out with each customer. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon, Omaha)
Early Freddy: 1902
... I'd take one look and say, Nope! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Kids, Sports) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2023 - 10:30am -

Circa 1902. "Entrance, Sanitarium Park, Alma, Michigan." Baseball boys, a nursemaid, Mr. F. Krueger, an electric (?) runabout! 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Photographic Co. View full size. Freddy Krueger?!?"Mr. F Krueger" LOLOLOLOL!!!! Cut Freddy some slackI've handled a number of those infernal machines in my youth, and I never looked as happy as he does here. A new paradigm at Sanitarium ParkMr. F. Kreuger is thinking, "What if someone put mower blades under that runabout? I could mow this park in no time." This Reminds MeThis brings to mind a machine along the lines of a comment here by Doug Floor Plan, guessing Mr. Kreuger's thoughts. How about steam, not electric, for a mower? I present to you the Coldwell Steam Lawn Mower & Roller (with patent dates in 1901 and 1902): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql4a_KZ8n_8 By the way, I still mow with an old reel mower, but no great ideas from me just yet. Car ID suggestion1902 White Steamer Model B Nightmare in AlmaMaybe Mr. F. Kreuger is thinking, "What if I put these mower blades on a glove?" One LookIf I had to mow all that grass with a manual hand mower, I'd take one look and say, Nope! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Kids, Sports)
Nawlins: 1903
... Holy Toledo, I count 19 cable cars on Canal Street. Business is good! [The number of cable cars in this photo is zero. These are electric streetcars. - Dave] Sharp ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:32pm -

Circa 1903. The caption for this glass negative has been misplaced -- who will be the first person to identify this city and its famous thoroughfare? UPDATE: And the answer is, as most guessers correctly guessed, Canal Street in New Orleans! 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Who Dat!Very apt posting a pic of old New Orleans here. If my Steelers can't win the Super Bowl this year, then Go Saints! Would it beNew Orleans? I think it is! Anytown, USAis New Orleans. Krower ClueLeonard Krower had a shop at 536-538 Canal Street in New Orleans. NewOrleans. Might it beCanal Street in New Orleans? Found this through google: http://www.neworleanspast.com/ads/id49.html Canal StreetCanal Street, in New Orleans. Personally, I've never been there, but searching for "Leonard Krower" shows he was a prominent jeweler in the city. New Orleans?http://files.usgwarchives.org/la/orleans/bios/p-000002.txt Never been there, don't know if it looks like it or not. Semi-wild guessMain Street in Charlottesville, Virginia. New OrleansS.E. Worms was a retailer and appears in a few court proceedings and in "History of the Jews of Louisiana." By the breadth of the street, I would guess it's Canal. I haven't found an address of Mr Worms' establishment. I do hope he renamed it at some point. "Hey, you like my Worm suit?" doesn't sound all that great. My GuessCanal Street, New Orleans. http://www.neworleanspast.com/ads/id49.html Yes, Canal St in N.O.http://www.hnoc.org/collections/gerpath/gersect5.html "Dalsheimer & Worms Notions & Gents. Furnishing Goods New York/New Orleans (Canal St.). Business form with elaborate letterhead. Acc. No. 1983.3.1." Looks Like...Canal Street, New Orleans Canal Street, New OrleansIt looks like thats Leonard Krower @ 536 Canal Street in New Orleans, LA (ad for them here: http://www.neworleanspast.com/ads/id49.html) Is this New Orleans?Canal Street. New Orleans?Leonard Krower Jewelers building was my clue. Anytown, USA, foundThis looks like New Orleans, LA., at least according to Google. S. E. Worms and Leonard Krower companies were both there in this time frame. New Orleans, LaWhat did I win? New OrleansCanal Street, New Orleans New Orleans!Looks like New Orleans, here's a pic http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt4b69p81d/?order=2&brand=calisphere Where is This?Canal Street, New Orleans Canal St. NOLALooks like Canal Street. A load of cotton seems to be in the middle of the pic. It could be ...Canal Street in New Orleans New OrleansNotions on 76 & 78 Canal Street. 19 streetcars!On Canal Street, New Orleans. Future Saints fansIt looked like a Southern city even before I saw the cotton bales. Most likely Canal Street in New Orleans. NOLA, maybe Krower Wholesale Jewelers (@ left) and the Bucklin Advertising Concern (obscured sign @ right) both appear to have been New Orleans firms. A few - not 100% convincing - Web sources put Krower at 111 Exchange Place (at Canal). My guess?Canal Street, New Orleans. Found this stereo photo from long ago ... http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt4b69p81d/?order=2&brand=calisphere Canal Street, New OrleansA Google search on '"S. E. Worms" notions' turned up this entry from Google Books on the undated (apparently late 1800s) book "New Orleans and the New South": http://books.google.com/books?id=xrY-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA107&lpg=PA107&dq=%22S... The building's 76-78 Canal Street address is helpfully noted right under a charming blue-ink drawing on page 107 of the same building seen here in the photo. And for extra credit, here is a Google Street View of roughly the same address today: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=78+Canal+Street,+New+orleans,+la... Worming That's Canal Street in New Orleans. In the foreground we have 76-78 Canal, the former home of S. Dalsheimer & Co., which was illustrated in "New Orleans and the New South," by Andrew Morrison. Mr. S.E. Worms was the resident partner, and it looks like he took over the business eventually. "The engraving which illustrates this matter hardly does justice to the premises they occupy - premises themselves indicating a house which is conspicuous by reason of the business done by it throughout the trade territory of New Orleans." Some Google-triangulating suggests..Canal Street, Mew Orleans. It could be ...Canal street New Orleans La Identified by the streetcars, cotton bales and Searcy & Pfaff printer business. Future home of the Saints! Who Dat? Saints Alive!We're apparently seeing a scene from Leonard Street in bustling New Orleans. http://books.google.com/books?id=4yrZAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=%22l... Anyone from Nawlins able to tell us if that street's been renamed? Enjoyable challengeAlthough I've never been to Louisiana, some brief research indicates that this photo is of St. Charles Street in New Orleans. A Google search of Searcy and Pfaff printers (displayed here across a 3rd-story window) led to an incredibly-informative biography of William Pfaff. http://files.usgwarchives.org/la/orleans/bios/p-000002.txt "On November 1, 1889, Mr. Pfaff, then only eighteen years of age, became associated with his brother-in-law, David J. Searcy, in the operation of a little job printing establishment occupying one room on the third floor of a building on St. Charles Street, near Gravier." Could it be? Will some true New Orleans people confirm? I think I knowBy looking at that white building with the rounded corner, about a block from the Orpheus Theater, I would say this was Canal Street in New Orleans. If that building is on Carondelet Street, that's got to be it! H.B Stevens et alA short session of Google-business-name-triangulating suggests it's Canal Street, Mew Orleans. [Funny, you're the second cat to guess Mew Orleans. - Dave] Lovely Canal StreetI believe we are looking at Canal and Camp streets. View Larger Map ShreveportHow about Shreveport, La.? According to Shelden's Jobbing Trade & City Offices (published in 1901), the firm operated at 43 Leonard St. http://books.google.com/books?id=4yrZAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=%22S... Holy Toledo, I count 19 cable carson Canal Street. Business is good! [The number of cable cars in this photo is zero. These are electric streetcars. - Dave] Sharp ShorpiansShorpsters were once described by our host as "a school of fact-checking piranhas." I saw this pic about an hour after it was posted and there were already 37 guesses and most were correct. Way to go Shorpsters! I'm in awe!All you knowledgeable people impress me! Is that the spire from Saint Louis Cathedral visible behind the building that says H.B. Stevens? Is that fellow posing?Or is the fellow in shirtsleeves and a bowler, standing on the roof of the building behind Dalsheimer's, just getting a breath of air while enjoying the view? I never fail to marvel at the lack of vertigo apparent among some of the folks caught in these frozen moments. The window washers and roof-ridge-walkers couldn't possibly have realized that they were being included in a camera shot at the time the photograph was taken. Were people that much less fearless then? The spireBased on the time (just after 9 a.m.) and the shadow, the camera is pointing almost due west. So that cannot be St. Louis, which is east of this vantage point. Streetcars and SaintsI spent Christmas in New Orleans with the girlfriend, and was surprised to find out that the city has the oldest functioning streetcar system in the country -- when other cities began giving them up in the 1930s, N.O. hung onto its. And ... GEAUX SAINTS! A lifelong dream has been realized. VantageI think this photo was shot from atop the Custom House. It is looking towards the lake. The big building in the middle still stands at Carondelet and Canal. Find the building with the storm shutters, directly to the right of the picture, towards the bottom. It is the oldest building still standing on Canal Street. It is at the downriver, lakebound corner of Canal Street and Decatur Street. It is now a Wendy's or an Arby's. Great Birthday CityThis is one of the world's great party cities. In fact, next Tuesday Kairha and I embark on a 10 day road adventure, ending up in N.O. And I recently found out that on my birthday (Tuesday, week) the entire city has gotten together to organize a huge celebration for me! With parades and everything! What a city! CaryatidsLeonard Krower has a fine set of them holding up the roof. H.B. StevensH.B. Stevens (Est. 1860) merged with Porter's on Baronne Street to become Porter Stevens in the 1970s. It is the oldest men's clothing store in New Orleans. The building in the picture was built in the early 1880s. Here's another view of the same building. http://www.porterstevens.com/ Photo Taken from Stauffer, Eshleman & Co. Wholesale HardwareWe featured this picture as our weekly photo quiz on www.forensicgenealogy.info. Diane Burkett and Arthur Hartwell, a couple of our top Quizmasters, pointed out that the Godchaux tower was close to the photographer, and that there is no break in the awnings to indicate the picture was taken on the river side of the corner of Canal and Dorsiere Sts. Diane found that Godchaux's was then located at 527 Canal (the street has since been renumbered), and that the most likely location for the photographer was from the upper stories or roof of Stauffer, Eshleman & Co., 519 Canal St. This is now the location of the Marriott. Diane consulted the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps to come up with this conclusion. www.forensicgenealogy.info/contest_294_results.html I am from New Orleans, and have featured several NO pictures in my weekly quizzes. A couple have come from Shorpy. To see them, scroll down the answer page (linked above), and look for the box in the right margin near the bottom. Colleen Fitzpatrick Quizmaster General Forensic Genealogy www.forensicgenealogy.info Yes, Canal St New Orleans towards the RiverAs most figured, this is definitely view down Canal Street in New Orleans towards the lake. Several of these buildings still exist. At least one business also still exists: Werlein's Music (they moved to the other side of Canal after this photo was taken (that building now houses the Palace Cafe restaurant), and in the 1980's moved the suburbs. Note that drays are traveling in both directions on the downtown side of the neutral ground, a situation that lasted into the early automobile days. (The Gallery, DPC, Horses, New Orleans, Streetcars)
Ithaca: 1901
... composition. The city before it was cluttered with cars is lovely. They've Got Moxie and they'd probably sell it to ... Ithaca Commons Bird's eye view . "Cars stop here" What about the wagons -- they had the right of way? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 11:05am -

State Street in Ithaca, N.Y., circa 1901. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Far above Cayuga's waterswith her waves of blue stands our noble alma mater glorious to view! Well not yet my alma mater, its quite interesting to see a view of Ithaca, where I'm going to be spending the next four years of my life, from over a century ago. To think Cornell was only 36 years old when this picture was taken! BTW the guy in the beanie was probably an alumnus of Cornell. Ithaca College was a tiny music conservatory until 1931. Nice perspectiveBeautiful composition. The city before it was cluttered with cars is lovely. They've Got Moxieand they'd probably sell it to you, too. Calling all KeystonesAs any silent film fan knows, the window washers, the dog, the well-dressed ladies and the unattended bicycle can only spell trouble. Throw in the barrels, the trolley tracks, plus the horse droppings, and you've got an epic scene on your hands. Rat Cap!We had to wear freshman beanies like that back in the late 1940s in Florida. BicyclesI can see at least four bicycles. The 1890's were the "Golden Age of the Bicycle," with the invention of the double-triangle frame and the pneumatic tire both less than 15 years old in 1901. North TiogaThis appears to be Ithaca Commons looking east toward North Tioga Street from Cayuga Street. Some of the buildings still look the same. Ithaca CommonsI believe this is the part of State St. that is now the Ithaca Commons, with this view looking east up the hill towards Cornell. If I'm wrong, someone correct me. Awesome photo. Ithaca CommonsBird's eye view. "Cars stop here"What about the wagons -- they had the right of way? ["Cars" meant streetcars. It was a "car stop." - Dave] Behind the TimesI'm surprised that a prosperous Northern city still had horsecars in 1901, many cities electrified their trolleys in the 1890's, if I remember correctly. I'm curious yellow....That's a scene one doesn't see anymore, a sparrow hittin' on mashed horse apples on the street. Puzzles me however, how to understand the relection of the gent on the bicycle in the window and how it relates to his actual position on the street, an optical illusion of sorts? BicyclistsWhat a great scene! One doesn't think of 1901 daily life having a lot of bicycling as primary transportation. But just look at all the bikes on the street! Comparing photosThis has to be my favorite then and now comparison of the same area. Great work. The popular priced clothiers at P. Rascover have been replaced by the hip sounding Loose Threads, but the mannequins have stayed! The woman on the right with the parasol has a 2009 counterpart in almost the exact same spot, but now with a messenger bag. Then and NowHere's a picture taken today from as near as I can get to the same spot. The conversion of State Street to the Commons back in the mid-1970's has blocked the long vista down the street, but many of the buildings are still identifiable. Click to enlarge. [Great photo. Thanks! - Dave] What's cooking?The "Now You're Cooking" building in the modern photo looks completely different from the building in that spot in the 1901 photo, and - strangely - it looks older. I like the nice curved windows at the top. Those two guysI don't like either one of those two guys walking on the right No, not at all. Foy Las Vegas Beer DogCan any Cornelians verify the legend of the dog who lived in one of the frat houses on campus and would ride a streetcar into town by himself every day to drink beer at one of the bars? My dad, btw, graduated from the university 40 years after this picture was made. Wide Angle?Seems to be a fairly wide angle shot, without the 'fish eye' type distortion at the edges of the pic. Was there something different about lenses, apertures or cameras then? [This is the "look" characteristic of just about any large view camera. - Dave] BicyclesIn addition to the buildings, the bicycles have remained a presence in Ithaca. People bike everywhere, which is somewhat incomprehensible to me in a town that has as many hills as Ithaca. What has not remained the same is the level of dress (although that is true of nearly every locale pictured on Shorpy). Still, if someone wore a suit in Ithaca, they'd probably stop traffic. The type of stores on this street has changed as well. I'm guessing Ithaca Hemp Company would not have been nearly so popular at the turn of the previous century as it is with the hippies that largely make up the town now. To R-Spice: I hope that you retain that enthusiasm for Cornell after you've been here awhile (and particularly through your first winter). Good luck! Ithaca StreetcarsIthaca streetcars seem to have been electrified from the outset. In the year 1887-88 the first track was laid, extending from the Ithaca Hotel to the railroad stations at the foot of State street. On the 1st of May, 1891, the franchises and property of the old company were transferred to the present organization, and on the 1st of June, 1892, the company purchased the franchise and property of the Brush-Swan Electric Light Company, which it still owns. That company had used electricity on the street cars under the unsatisfactory Daft system stem since January 4. 1888. The Brush-Swan system was adopted in 1891. -- "Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York" by John H. Selkreg, 1894 The Daft system apparently used a low-voltage third-rail power - which had to be a problem in snowy Ithaca. It's possible that Brush-Swan was a battery system, which would explain the lack of overhead wires. A different perspectiveI took a pic of that same spot as well: The photo was probably taken with a large-format camera that had perspective controls. It's very hard to do that with a 35mm SLR -- you would need a tilt-shift lens and there aren't any that are really wide enough. I tried to do it by stitching several photos together in Photoshop and adjust perspective, but it's not really very good. That photo, the old one, is really amazing. It was taken by a professional, to be sure! (The Gallery, DPC)
Straight Talk Express: 1915
... Road to nowhere Finally we have visual proof! Cars have been preserved http://www.clouse.org/capitol1.html "Two ... when voting or quorum calls are under way, the subway cars become reserved for members only, just as some of the elevators do. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 3:10pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1915. "Senate Subway R.R." Somewhere deep in the bowels of the Capitol. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Fashion StatementWhite hi-tops, black tights, knee-length shorts. If he let those bangs grow out a bit more he could pass as a hipster bike messenger in today's NYC. Back when it was still open to the public, I had the thrill of riding this subway back in the 70's during a family trip to D.C. which included a visit to one of our state representative's office Not TodayIf that's the Straight Talk Express I don't believe any member of congress could ride it today. 100th anniversaryhttp://thehill.com/capital-living/cover-stories/70059-exhibit-marks-100-... This year marks a century of underground subway travel through the Capitol complex, but while hitching a ride has long been a convenient way for lawmakers and staffers to stay safe and dry on the one-fifth-mile journey to the Capitol, the trip wasn’t always as comfortable as it is today. and http://world.nycsubway.org/us/washdc/capsubway.html Really cool!Does it still exist? I guessthe Edwards boy missed this train. Road to nowhereFinally we have visual proof! Cars have been preservedhttp://www.clouse.org/capitol1.html "Two subway lines serve three Senate Office Buildings and have a long history. Starting in 1909, the Senate Office Buildings were serviced by an electric bus. This was replaced in 1912 by a monorail vehicle which featured a wicker coach. This monorail, I have been told, can be seen in the movie "Advice and Consent." In 1960, this monorail was replaced by trolleys, one of which remains today and runs between the Senate side and the Russell Senate Office Building. At this time, the tunnels were apparently enlarged to accommodate the new trolleys. "The trolleys installed in 1960 still run on the shortest line that runs from the Senate side to the Russell Senate Office Building." A Fortuitous RideIn my senior year of high school, I was awarded a trip to DC with the Close Up Foundation (spring of 1982). I was in Congressman Jim Broyhill's office, who was my state representative at that time, and as he talked to me he was distracted by an unusual lighted clock on the wall. As a few of the lights changed to red, he explained that it indicated he only had a few minutes left to cast his vote on an important issue. I assumed the visit was over, but he told me to come with him. When the elevator we took opened I was shocked to see a subway system. I rode with him on the subway from the Rayburn building to the Capitol. Usually, if I tell that story to people, there is a look of disbelief, as most people usually respond they didn't know there was a subway system connecting the buildings. They think I'm fabricating some tale about this mythical transport, but as you see, it does exist. Thanks for the links that show the changes through the years. The page in the white shoesCould pass for Matt Damon. Been there, done that!When I was a kid in the 1960s we got to ride on the Senate Subway and ate at the Senate Cafeteria, dining on Senate Bean Soup. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/blogs/yeas-and-nays/Eat-like-... I had forgotten about that adventure until I saw this photo! The original version......of the Senate's Filli-Bus. PhooeyJust another example of what's good for us geese ain't good for you ganders. Still there...Those tunnels are still there and used as seen here. They have since been updated, though; when I visited as a young lad in the late '80s, I don't remember them being the same as the current version. Rode the 1970 versionRode the 1970 version with my 6th grade class as part of our Summer 1970 class trip to Washington D.C. CurvesThis is obviously not the Straight Talk Express. It is as crooked as the people who ride them. The kind of people who are "too good" to do their own walking for a short distance between two buildings. Walking must be "for the little people" Crooked subways are for the crooked ruling class. [It's not a "short distance." And the "kind of people" who use it are mostly pages and secretaries, who might travel a few miles every day on trips back and forth between the various buildings served by the system. - Dave] Which of those young men is Robert Byrd?(I know, I know, I know... he was born two years after this photo.) D.C. underground same as above.It all takes place out of sight in places not open to the constituents. Important transportsThe Senate subway and the House subway both serve the vital functions of quickly transporting Senators and Representatives (and the staffs and other personnel) from their respective office buildings to the Capitol building. Not only does it save time, but it is much safer than having to deal with crossing busy streets to get to the Capitol, and they are also protected from the elements and anyone who might want to interfere with them. Saving time in getting from the offices to the Senate and House chambers is no small consideration where voting is concerned, or quorum calls. I believe when voting or quorum calls are under way, the subway cars become reserved for members only, just as some of the elevators do. AmazingI rode the modern version back in 2007 when my government class competed in the National We the People Competiton and we were given a tour of the Senate. The current cars look like an airport shuttle mixed with a subway car. It blows my mind to think of how many people have ridden through those tunnels. Did Dr. Seuss design that?What a contraption! Hangs like a monorail, wheels on the floor like a bicycle/slot car ... yow! Remembering my '61 ChevyMost of us like to remember our old cars. We think of them as though they were our long lost buddies and we miss them. I bought my 1961 Chevy Bel-Air in 1964 while serving in the U. S. Air Force in Missouri. This was big time luxury for a young airman as that V8 engine ran as smoothly as any car I ever had. Was it a better car than those made today? No, today's cars are much better. But, I have a lot of great memories of that car and regardless of the quality of today's cars, memories from your youth spent in an old heap can't be replaced. [Great photo, but why is it posted here? - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Politics, Railroads)
Lord & Taylor: 1959
... at least three of them in this great picture! Classic cars? Badly parked. Two thoughts here, beside identifying as many cars as one can: Lord and Taylor customers like classic Detroit big iron ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/08/2021 - 1:44pm -

October 1959. "Lord & Taylor department store, Washington-Chevy Chase. View to south facade." 4x5 inch acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Mothers onlyAs a teenaged boy, there was nothing at all inside that you'd want, except they carried Boy Scout uniforms when the need for that came up, as well as Scout handbook and Scout knife. You could carry Scout knives to school in those days, indeed anywhere. A few miserable occasions came up when you had to be taken there to be fitted for another suit that you didn't want of the next larger size. Everything else was for women. Optometrist office in Lord and Taylor?Plenty of cockeyed parking here. Holy Cow. Fancy StuffThis was THE place, so far as my mother was concerned. We rarely shopped here because it was more expensive than Penny's or Sears, so when we did go, it was quite an occasion, and one for which we had to dress up. Recently the Lord and Taylor in my own area closed, and I was just thinking wistfully about the Lord and Taylor of my childhood. And here it is! Parking spacesEven with the much wider and longer parking spaces of that era, Grandma STILL couldn't get her land yacht between the lines. Or all the way into the space as the Plymouth wagon shows at bottom center I'd Really Rather Have a Rambler!There are at least three of them in this great picture! Classic cars? Badly parked.Two thoughts here, beside identifying as many cars as one can: Lord and Taylor customers like classic Detroit big iron and the fins they could get. Second thought: These are the worst parking jobs I have ever seen on Shorpy! I think only one or two are properly parked in their marked stalls. Where has my youth gone?So many of these cars take me back to my childhood in Detroit. Is that an Edsel on the left? I know they bombed in terms of popularity and sales but I never considered them to be that ugly. I wouldn't mind driving around in one today. BTW I've settled for a Honda Accord these days. [No Edsels here. - Dave] A New Design Every YearThere appears to be three Lincolns in the photo--1954, 1957, 1958--and all completely different in body and styling. It still amazes me how car designs changed so quickly in the 1950s. [Strictly speaking, that '58 convertible is a Continental Mark III, not a Lincoln. - Dave] Back in the day …..Back in the day when cars were cars! And we would wait every year for photos of what that years cars looked like. I think the first fins appeared in 1955; I was just blown away. And every car I can see was made in the USA! [The 1948 Cadillac is generally regarded as having sprouted the first fins. - Dave] February 27, 2021Last day for the whole Lord & Taylor chain. 100 to 300 HorsepowerJust as in design, the 50's saw engineering advances unlike any decade before or after to propel the the new lower, longer, wider bodies. All the brands with the exception of Oldsmobile began the decade with engines and drivetrains designed in the late 30's, then frozen in place by the war. By 1955, all makes could be optioned with a powerful V-8 and automatic transmission. By 1959, 300 horsepower was the number to achieve, exemplified by the Chrysler 300 in 1955, and Ford, Chevy and Plymouth could all be optioned with 300 horsepower V-8s. Parked fore and aft center left, they represent the gamut. The '50 Dodge is puttering around with its six cylinder and torque absorbing Fluid Drive, while the Continental Mark III has a 430 cubic inch V-8, new for 1958, with 350 horsepower and over 400 foot-pounds of torque to move its heft. So which do you want to drive home?My vote goes to that two-tone Olds hardtop between the older Lincoln and the '59 Ford. Johnnyuma - I think the supposed Edsel in the nearest row is a 1957-59 Mercury. Probably somebody here will nail down the year, model, color and VIN before the weekend's over! [The wagon at lower left is a 1958 Mercury Colony Park. - Dave] Look closely --There are at least 13 station wagons in this photograph, most of them quite distinct from each other. This is before my time but I used to see lots of wagons when I was growing up. Of course wagons are almost nonexistent now: a similar photograph today would show rows of characterless SUVs instead. Is this a Loewy L&T?We had a Lord & Taylor in Millburn, New Jersey, near Maplewood. It was very swoopy, 1950s, and white. Everything was white -- the brick, the walls, the furniture, the clientele ... Anyway, jokes aside, it was almost designed with the aura of an old steamer yacht. Raymond Loewy hired some great designers. My Voteis for the Mark III convertible. What an obnoxiously beautiful automobile that is. Strictly speakingThe AMC product between the 1956 Buick and the 1955 Caddy is a 1958 Ambassador, not a Rambler. [They wore "Rambler Ambassador" badges. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Gottscho-Schleisner, Stores & Markets)
Essex Motor Cars: 1920
... can't have lasted all too much longer. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/22/2014 - 9:49am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Washington Herald, 1210 18th Street N.W." The business next door, its products having motored off into oblivion, is now a Pei Wei. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Car IDsNear car: Chevrolet Model 490 (note 1/4 elliptic springs). This model was Chevrolet's answer to the Model T. The far car is a Scripts Scripps-Booth model B-39. Chevrolet 490 not for the faint of heartMy mother's parents owned a Chevrolet 490 back in the '20s, as did another gentleman I knew for many years. Both my grandfather and the the other man told me about the 490's infamous cone clutch (which used a leather facing). The Model T, with its planetary gear transmission and three-pedal setup, had nothing on the 490 in terms of intimidation of inexperienced drivers. 1212 in 2014Except for cosmetic changes to the storefront and the addition of some plug ugly fire escapes, 1212 remains largely unchanged: View Larger Map Given the gorgeous brass ornamentation on the current 1210, I'm thinking those apartment buildings can't have lasted all too much longer. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
« first‹ prev…3 [4]5…next ›last »
Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.