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Bananamerica: 1942
... it while having a limeade. Split Decisions I'm from Chicago, and at the Dairy Queen my parents took my sister and I to sometimes ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/18/2017 - 4:17pm -

May 1942. Southington, Conn. "Dimitrios Giorgios, who came from Greece, runs a soda fountain. He wasn't here long before the country entered World War I and he joined up. A member of the American Legion, he is shown here making banana splits." Photo by Fenno Jacobs, Office of War Information. View full size. Banana SplitsIn 1942-1945, we dreamed of having a banana split. But the same price would buy seven kids a cone at 5 cents each. Trying to remember the flavorsSplits had three ice creams -- vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. But their toppings could be different depending on the region. I remember strawberry ice cream with chocolate sauce, vanilla with pineapple and chocolate ice cream with strawberry sauce. Never really cared for the bananas, though the whipped cream and the cherry were nice. My mom watched me eat it while having a limeade. Split DecisionsI'm from Chicago, and at the Dairy Queen my parents took my sister and I to sometimes for a treat, the banana splits had three scoops of vanilla ice cream, and each scoop had a different topping each; hot fudge, strawberry sauce, and pineapples. My sister would eat the scoop with hot fudge, and being the oldest, I got the two remaining scoops with the fruit toppings. That was fine by me — she got the bananas. I never did like them. Family economyIt was a big deal for us just to go out for a cone instead of having my mom dig into the large pail, ice cream smearing her forearms, to dole out individual cones at home. A banana split at an ice cream joint would have been unthinkable, an impossible expense. Pig's DelightAround 1950 an ice cream shop in my neighborhood had a banana split called Pig's Delight. It was served in a wood container shaped like a trough and upon finishing the treat you were presented with a badge saying "I was a pig -- I finished the Pig's Delight." Days gone by indeed. War Rationing?Those bananas aren't "split", they're coin-sliced, and there isn't much banana in any of those dishes. Also, that looks like marshmallow cream on top instead of whipped cream. Is that some kind of rationing version of a banana split? (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Fenno Jacobs)
Thurston Lee: 1943
... California. "Brakeman Thurston H. Lee (whose home is in Chicago) going to bed at the reading room in Barstow, California. This room has ... perhaps braking on the Chief or Super Chief out of Chicago. But if so, what‘s he doing in a bunk house---er, sorry, I mean ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/26/2012 - 9:56pm -

March 1943. Barstow, California. "Brakeman Thurston H. Lee (whose home is in Chicago) going to bed at the reading room in Barstow, California. This room has been converted from a billiard room into a dormitory at the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad yard." Medium-format safety negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. ConvertedYes, but the scoring system left in place... I *love* that 16 foot ceiling! Trying to figure out what Thurston is doing in Barstow. His apparel suggests he’s in passenger service, perhaps braking on the Chief or Super Chief out of Chicago. But if so, what‘s he doing in a bunk house---er, sorry, I mean “dormitory”---in Barstow, some 100 miles east of the westward terminus of Los Angeles? Is he in freight service, thousands of miles from home? I doubt it. Not just the scoring system...They also left the high chairs along the wall. The folding chair could sure use a little work though. Harvey House leftoversThis dormitory area was made out of part of a converted Harvey House. If you can imagine it, the outside of this building looked like this: (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
BOT: 1906
... & Root's most important commission in Kansas City. The Chicago firm won an architectural competition held for the project in 1886; the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 4:15pm -

Kansas City, Missouri, circa 1906. "Board of Trade Building." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Burnham & RootThis was Burnham & Root's most important commission in Kansas City. The Chicago firm won an architectural competition held for the project in 1886; the building was finished in 1888. The trading room was located behind the big arched windows on the top floor of the left-hand wing. Alas, like nearly all the other Burnham & Root buildings in KCMO, it was torn down - in this case, in 1968. Home sweet home60 years before my time that is. Spot the window washer. That's a lot of bricks!There's rather nice history of the building here. Needless to say, it's no longer around, having been razed in 1968. (The Gallery, DPC, Kansas City MO)
Louisville Wharfboat: 1905
... bridge which was built to carry the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis railroad (Big Four) across the Ohio River. If it is the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/07/2014 - 12:47pm -

Circa 1905. "Ohio River levee at Louisville, Kentucky." Note the "U.S. Life Saving Station." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Connected finallyThe Big 4 bridge in the background is now a pedestrian bridge connecting the 2 sides (finally). It's a great addition to downtown. Busy!There sure is a lot going on in this photo! Still afloat!The Life Saving Station(#10) is still there and is now used as the wharfboat for the historic sternwheeler Belle of Louisville. [The present Life Saving Station #10 dates from 1929. -tterrace] Ol' Reliable That Old Reliable Laundry cart in the middle looked pretty new - so I looked and found a Google Book's result that said it was Organized Aug, 4, 1904, for $3,000 and paid $3 in tax. So, the cart (or the paint job on the cart) was probably a year old or so old when the picture was taken. Railroad BridgeThe bridge in the background appears to be the "Big Four" bridge which was built to carry the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis railroad (Big Four) across the Ohio River. If it is the Big Four bridge it is the first one; the bridge became inadequate for the traffic and was replaced in the late twenties. The Big Four eventually was merged into the New York Central and railroad traffic on the bridge was ceased. In recent years the bridge has been restored to allow pedestrian and bicycle traffic to cross the river. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Louisville)
Long Train Running: 1900
... Circa 1900. "Steel viaduct over Des Moines River, Iowa -- Chicago & North Western Railway." 8x10 glass negative by William Henry ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/20/2016 - 5:23pm -

Circa 1900. "Steel viaduct over Des Moines River, Iowa -- Chicago & North Western Railway." 8x10 glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size. The Kate Shelley High BridgeFinally a post just outside of my hometown! This is an amazing structure considering it's been around since 1901 and is still here today. I would assume this picture was taken shortly after construction. The original bridge isn't used as much today since they built a new bridge right next to it that can handle more weight. What's cool is unlike a lot of these wonderful buildings that we see on Shorpy that have been torn down to make way for new ones is that they decided that the original was worth keeping. This bridge is located just to the west of Boone, Iowa which has it's own place in history since it is the birthplace of Mamie Eisenhower. More information about this massive piece of engineering here. Every day I enjoy your pictures but this one is special thanks for all that you do, Shorpy! Double CabooseWas it typical during the period to run with two cabooses? Magnificent bridge! Double CabooseThe use of two cabooses was not the norm. Likely one was being ferried to another location for any of a variety of reasons. Woodenware?Looks like a Menosha Woodenware boxcar in front of the cabooses (cabeese). They were a WIsconsin manufacturer of wood barrels, boxes and other wood products. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads, W.H. Jackson)
The Prudential: 1956
... In contrast, the 1955 Prudential Building building in Chicago is a modern tower, the first post-WWII skyscraper in the city. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/19/2019 - 11:22am -

January 25, 1956. "Prudential Insurance Co., Newark, New Jersey. From Public Service roof." 4x5 inch acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Two spaces after periodsand one after commas is what I learned in typing class many moons ago. I took the class in summer school for some extra credit, but I'm such a physical klutz that I almost ruined my GPA. Fortunately, I finally pulled things out of the fire. Thank heavens for PC's, where you can correct your errors without using white-out. I see that my comments have the two spaces reduced to one automatically -- this results in a failure if I were to submit it to my typing teacher. Previously on Shorpy - The Prudential: 1955In contrast, the 1955 Prudential Building building in Chicago is a modern tower, the first post-WWII skyscraper in the city. Picture here: Michigan Avenue: 1962 SignsNice logo placement! Ghost imageWhat a wonderful remnant of the previous building. Shorpy SignOnce aqain, love the Shorpy roof sign, in proper perspective, no less. Cornering the marketThe building on the left was the Prudential main building , built in 1892 . The one on the right was Prudential north , built circa 1910 . Academy Street between . Both these buildings were demolished later in 1956 . The present 24 story Prudential Plaza was built on the site of Prudential Main, 751 Broad Street . It opened in 1960 . Prudential also built the Gibraltar , the Prudential Center and the new Prudential Tower . All within a half mile radius . [WHY THE SPACES IN FRONT OF YOUR COMMAS AND PERIODS? - Dave] (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner)
Working Mother: 1943
... mother of two, employed at the roundhouse as a wiper, Chicago & North Western R.R." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 4:48pm -

April 1943. Clinton, Iowa. "Mrs. Irene Bracker, mother of two, employed at the roundhouse as a wiper, Chicago & North Western R.R." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Those gogglesI knew they reminded me of someone. Mrs. Irene BrackeI like the way Delano let her go put her makeup on before he took this amazing picture. Striking resemblanceMarin Alsop, Conductor of The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: Make up or no make up...The women who stayed stateside during WW2 really helped us win the war by taking on all sorts of manufacturing jobs to help the war effort. (To them I say thanks!) I've met a lot of WW2 vets over the years, but never met one of the women who served in the labor force while their husbands were over seas. Maybe they were modest. Also, most non-railroad types will have to look up WIPER to see what they did. Not a glorious position, but important none the less. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Blizzard of 1918
East Chicago, Indiana, January, 1918. The Chicago, Lake Shore and South Bend Interurban Railroad. Volunteers and railroad ... The South Shore ran on the principal east-west street, Chicago Avenue. Along with South Bend to Chicago trains, a 3.4-mile streetcar ... 
 
Posted by Pete Miksich - 04/03/2015 - 6:52pm -

East Chicago, Indiana, January, 1918. The Chicago, Lake Shore and South Bend Interurban Railroad. Volunteers and railroad employees are trying to clear snow from a crossover located near the junction where streetcars and interurbans shared track. The South Shore ran on the principal east-west street, Chicago Avenue. Along with South Bend to Chicago trains, a 3.4-mile streetcar line to the Indiana Harbor section of town was operated, primarily for shift-change steelworkers and a connection with the Gary Railways line at Michigan and Guthrie Street. In the background, equipment can be seen hopelessly stuck on the streetcar track. It was critical to free the line, as milk and other essentials were starting to run out. (C. Edward Hedstrom Collection photo - given to me in 1985) View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Black & White: 1922
... cabs were made by the Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company of Chicago which was owned by John Hertz. The logo on the radiator looks almost ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2013 - 5:44pm -

Washington, D.C., 1922. "Black & White taxis at Pan American Union." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. What make are the taxi cabs?Anybody have a guess? Interstate CommerceWere those taxis allowed to drive customers to either Maryland or Virginia? I sort of remember seeing dual Md and DC plates on autos in photos of that era. Built by the Yellow Cab Manufacturing Co.As founded by John Daniel Hertz. More on this company here... Black & White & YellowThese cabs were made by the Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company of Chicago which was owned by John Hertz. The logo on the radiator looks almost exactly like the pin shown below. Another view of the cab is shown as well. For Washington, D.C. to not require cabs to have true headlights in 1922, as compared to the cowl lights shown, seems strange. Most major municipalities, and certainly almost every state, had laws mandating required motor vehicle equipment by this time. Even worse, the cowl lights of Black & White Cab were not clear glass. Many also had the company name placed in them further reducing their ability to project light. An example of this is also shown below. John Hertz is who Hertz Rental Car is named after, and the yellow Hertz logo harkens back to the days when he owned both Hertz and Yellow Cab. The Pan American Union Building is on 17th Street NW between C Street NW and Constitution Avenue NW. It took almost two years to complete and was dedicated on April 26, 1910. Headlamps optionalNone of the cabs had expensive and unnecessary headlamps installed. After all, these are work vehicles. But the cowl lamps were electric units. Disorderly spotlightThe guy on the left doesn't have his spotlight aimed correctly. Darned useful things, have often wished my present car had one of those. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Road Trip: 1926
... roads, Dad told of an emergency trip he made with it, from Chicago to Owensboro, KY, averaging over 60 MPH. Likely impossible on today's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/14/2013 - 11:28am -

        Promoters of a proposed "national highway" that would traverse the continent via Washington from New York to Southern California. Circa 1926. "Mrs. J.A. Whitcomb (Official Car, Lee Highway Association, Cross Continent Trip, at White House)." National Photo glass negative. View full size. 1926 Pierce model 80?Those bumpers look as if they’re up to the task they were called to. I’m betting the only plastic in this beauty is the steering wheel and gearshift grip (Bakelite?). Merry Christmas to everyone at Shorpy that makes this page a reality. The work you put into it so readers like me can be regularly amazed at 3 in the morning is not lost on us. Thank-you, and a happy, prosperous new year. Pierce-ArrowRe the fender mounted headlights. Also can see the arrow on the hub cap. One of the classiest names from an era of classics! Four-wheeled magnificence What a magnificent automobile! Someone figure out what it is. Rickenbacker maybe? Pierce Arrow with those blended-in headlights? PierceThey couldn't have chosen a better car than a Pierce Arrow. It, along with Packard and Peerless were the Three "P"s of fine American cars End of an eraThese were the years in which the state highway engineers were having national conventions, to assign numbers to routes, among other things. This prospect filled the grassroots highway associations, including the Lee Highway Association, with dread. After all of their effort to assign character to each named highway, how could the state officials reduce that to a mere number? How sterile and impersonal! Get your kicks on the National Old Trails Road? Jefferson Highway revisited? My Dad, the BootleggerAround the time of this picture, or a little after, my step-father was employed as a chauffer for S. Hallack Dupont. Being a wealthy and important businessman, Mr Dupont needed to keep a well stocked bar to entertain his wealthy and important guests and business associates. Because Prohibition was the law at the time, this entailed dispatching Dad to Canada in his Pierce Arrow to acquire the supplies . There were no U.S. highways along the route Dad took. For long portions of the trip the roads were unpaved. Dad said the Pierce was a great automobile for the purpose and he never had any troubles along the way. Needless to say, he did not make this particular journey with flags flying or a sign on the door! Great automobile!My Dad had a 1920's Pierce Arrow in that era, and said it was one of the finest cars he ever owned. As TomVet mentioned the unpaved roads, Dad told of an emergency trip he made with it, from Chicago to Owensboro, KY, averaging over 60 MPH. Likely impossible on today's highways! DaveB (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Goat Cart: c. 1915
My father, William John Hager, in the Chicago area, riding in a wagon pulled by a goat. Circa 1915. View full size. ... one when dad bought a new Studebaker wagon. In a city like Chicago that wouldn't be very likely unless your dad lived in a very rural area ... 
 
Posted by hager2007 - 02/02/2010 - 9:55am -

My father, William John Hager, in the Chicago area, riding in a wagon pulled by a goat. Circa 1915. View full size. Got your goatThat is probably a Studebaker goat cart. They were sort of promotional toys made to look like the full sized farm wagons the company made through 1920. In farm areas a boy might get one when dad bought a new Studebaker wagon. In a city like Chicago that wouldn't be very likely unless your dad lived in a very rural area and had pet goats. Studebaker discontinued manufacturing horse drawn wagons after 1920, sticking only to the horseless ones that were becoming popular by those days. But the Studebaker-designed goat wagons continued to be manufactured by a toy company until World War 2. Your father probably didn't get to really ride much in that wagon. They were often owned by photographers. Both goats pulling carts, and donkeys were popular photographic props that children were posed on. The photographer came by. The animals attracted the kids, who flocked to the photographer. They posed for their pictures, to get to ride the wagon or donkey. Then the photographer hit up the children's parents to buy prints. Apparently your grandparents did. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Lake Front Depot: 1899
Milwaukee circa 1899. "Chicago & North Western Railway Station." Romanesque Revival structure on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/15/2018 - 6:59pm -

Milwaukee circa 1899. "Chicago & North Western Railway Station." Romanesque Revival structure on Lake Michigan completed in 1890; demolished 1968. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. PinocchioLooks like the clock tower has been telling lies. Fond memoriesIn the late '50s/early '60s, downtown Milwaukee was a fun place to be, and the CNW depot at the foot of Wisconsin Avenue was part of it. My girlfriend and I would stop in there occasionally to use the restroom or have a meal while bumming about downtown, waiting for a movie to start or just sightseeing. By 1965 trains were routed through a new depot. Milwaukee County had purchased the site in 1964, with the thought of using the land for a freeway interchange. Fortunately we were spared the folly of it all. The depot was demolished in 1968, and it was a sad sight to witness. It was her time though, being in the state of disrepair it was in. Her main lines have since surrendered to becoming bicycle and hiking trails. If I believed in ghosts I would spend endless hours looking for a ghost of a 100mph CNW 400, thundering north along the lake shore, headed for the twin cities. Demolished in 1968Was located at 901 E Wisconsin Ave, what the area looks like, today: It was a wonderful building - inside - and outIn 1968, just before this building was demolished, I found a door that had been left open, so I went inside. Probably this was true of many railway stations of that era, but the main hall was marvelous and grand, but peeling and sadly broken. Days later they began knocking it down, before I got a chance to go back into it to take some photographs. What replaced that beautiful structure is entirely forgettable, but then I haven't been back there for over a decade. I doubt that much has changed since then. OOPS! I forgot about the art museum. It's pretty good, but not 100% exactly the same location as the train station. Late adopters?The locomotive at left and the coach at right appear to still have link-and-pin couplers. The coach looks like it might have an air brake hose; the resolution is inconclusive, but why would that change not have taken place at the same time as the knuckle coupler retrofit? They have, at most, a year or so to comply with the Railroad Safety Appliance Act of 1893. The locomotive looks like a 4-4-0, and those were on their way out anyway, so that might explain the lack of change, much like the aged semiconductor manufacturing tools that I remember in 1999 being labeled as exempt from Y2k compliance. (The Gallery, DPC, Milwaukee, Railroads)
Women Wipers: 1943
May 1943. Clinton, Iowa. " Women wipers of the Chicago & North Western Railroad going out to work on an engine at the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/02/2014 - 3:33pm -

May 1943. Clinton, Iowa. "Women wipers of the Chicago & North Western Railroad going out to work on an engine at the roundhouse." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. PerspectiveThis really gives the viewer an idea of just how monstrously big that engine was! TerrificJust terrific! More Big Boys!As this shows up while Union Pacific 4014 is in transit to Cheyenne Wyoming for restoration, it would be nice to see more photos of the Big Boys in their heyday - and more of the Women Wipers too! [Click the link in the caption. - Dave] Not to diminish the size... of a steam locomotive, but the women are farther away from the front of the locomotive than it seems; a man standing beside that steam cylinder would almost be as tall as the cylinder. Steam locomotives were large indeed. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Ray Schalk: 1914
... other half of the battery for four no-hit games by various Chicago pitchers during his career. Ty Cobb thought highly of Schalk, naming ... Schalk caught a ball dropped from the top of the 462 ft. Chicago Tribune tower. 'Cause he could, I guess. Denny Gill Chugiak, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/07/2008 - 5:17pm -

White Sox catcher Ray Schalk circa 1914. View full size. National Photo Co. "Cracker" SchalkSchalk spent almost his entire career with the Pale Hose, beginning in 1912; he played just 5 games for the New York Giants in 1929 before retiring. Nicknamed "Cracker," since he resembled a cracker box when viewed from behind, he was considered to be an exceptionally skilled defensive catcher, a so-so hitter and very fast on the base paths. He "called" good games from behind the plate, apparently able to get pitchers to throw their best. Schalk was the other half of the battery for four no-hit games by various Chicago pitchers during his career. Ty Cobb thought highly of Schalk, naming him as the catcher on his (Cobb's) personal, all-time, all-star team. Schalk was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955. A feat of some notoriety took place in 1925 when Schalk caught a ball dropped from the top of the 462 ft. Chicago Tribune tower. 'Cause he could, I guess. Denny Gill Chugiak, Alaska The Other GuyHas a great nose. (The Gallery, Natl Photo, Sports)
Heavy Lifting: 1910
... five years later using a unique system developed by noted Chicago marine contractor Jacob Sensibar. The Constitution ended its career ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2014 - 9:05am -

Circa 1910. "Brown electric hoist unloading freighter Constitution at Cleveland." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. That hopper carbelongs to the Pittsburg & Lake Erie Railroad, seems they may be unloading (loading) coal. The Constitutionwas a 379-foot long barge, launched 22 April 1897 at West Superior, Wisconsin, by the American Steel Barge Company, a firm better known for the design and construction of the unique Great Lakes "whaleback." The steamer Victorious generally towed the Constitution, both owned by Cleveland's Pickands, Mather & Co. Brought back to Superior to be lengthened over seventy feet in 1905, Pickands, Mather sold the vessel to Cleveland's Pringle Barge Line in 1922, which had it converted to a self-unloading barge five years later using a unique system developed by noted Chicago marine contractor Jacob Sensibar. The Constitution ended its career primarily hauling coal from Toledo to Detroit, towed by the big Diesel tug S. M. Dean, and was dismantled at Port Colborne, Ontario, in 1968. Brown and out.The cables visible next to the tracks are probably there to move a "larry", sometimes called a "pig", a small rail car that connected to the hoppers, so that they might be moved on the wharf without the need of a locomotive. NYPANO dacksThis looks like the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio dock on Whiskey Island. This facility, but not the pictured unloaders, lasted until Conrail was formed and then were surplus due to the huge PRR (Cleveland & Pittsburgh) operation with its four massive Hullett unloaders just across the old river bed. Those Pittsburgh & Lake Erie hoppers likely brought coking coal to Cleveland, and will get a load of ore for a return to the Ohio Valley- probably near Youngstown. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cleveland, DPC, Railroads)
Johnny Evers: 1910
Chicago Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers. December 16, 1910. Gelatin silver ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 7:11pm -

Chicago Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers. December 16, 1910. Gelatin silver print by Paul Thompson. View full size. well, where's Tinker?well, where's Tinker? Tinker to Evers to Chance These are the saddest of possible words: "Tinker to Evers to Chance." Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds, Tinker and Evers and Chance. Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble, Making a Giant hit into a double -- Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble: "Tinker to Evers to Chance." Paul Thompson's baseball portraitsThe October 2009 issue of Smithsonian magazine has an article by Harry Katz about these marvelous early baseball photos. Very little is known of Paul Thompson. His photos were used for the "gold border" baseball cards issued in 1911 by American Tobacco. Even better, more than two dozen of the original closeup photos are preserved in the Library of Congress. Five have made their way to Shorpy so far! (The Gallery, Paul Thompson, Sports)
Bathtime for Baby H
... April 1943. "Viola Sievers, one of the wipers at the Chicago & North Western roundhouse, giving a giant "H" class locomotive a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 7:41pm -

April 1943. "Viola Sievers, one of the wipers at the Chicago & North Western roundhouse, giving a giant "H" class locomotive a bath of live steam at Clinton, Iowa. Mrs. Sievers is the sole support of her mother and has a son-in-law in the Army." Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. View full size. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads, WW2)
The Sopranos: 1920
... studied with Caruso in New York. He persuaded the Chicago opera to hire her, however she developed voice problems and had to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 4:36pm -

New York circa 1920. "Viafora and Herbert." The sopranos Gina Ciaparelli-Viafora (seated) and Evelyn Herbert. G.G. Bain Collection. View full size. It must be overWhen she sings. Lots of worn pagesMust be some hard-working sopranos! Lost to the agesThis is sad, as the treasured photos they have on the walls are probably the unnamed ones I see in various flea markets selling for ten cents apiece. Name and date the backs of your photos now. Then make sure your children get them. The LadiesGina Ciaparelli-Viafora was an Italian born mezzo who was married to a sculptor named Gianni Viafora who was apparently well enough known to Giacomo Puccini that he introduced the composer on a recording made before his return to Italy in 1908. Gina appeared on a number of occasions at the Met between about 1907 and 1910 playing Mimi in La Boheme. Evelyn Herbert (1898-1975) studied with Caruso in New York. He persuaded the Chicago opera to hire her, however she developed voice problems and had to retrain. She became popular on the Broadway stage performing in operettas, most famously as Barbara Frietchie in "My Maryland" and in Oscar Hammerstein II's "New Moon." This photo may date from the period when she was retraining her voice. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Music, NYC)
Strange Fourth: 1955
... down memory lane. I just moved from Santa Rosa to Chicago and I have fond memories myself. On the sand? When I was a kid, ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 11/27/2017 - 1:29pm -

At first glance this might appear to be a photo of a boy playing with sparklers, accompanied by The Mummy. Actually, it's me with my father, who happened to turn his head during this slow exposure. We're on the Russian River beach at Guernewood, California, a couple blocks from our vacation home. Another oddity about this Ektachrome slide by my brother: he was at the height of his camera bug phase, and decided to try developing the film himself, using a Kodak home processing kit, back home in Mother's kitchen sink. I remember the scene, really a mental snapshot of him in the darkened kitchen. This shot, along with others on the roll, exhibit processing anomalies, such as the flurry of red blobs and the aura emanating from the top of my head. The event itself was tons of fun. We semi-successfully shot a rocket over the river, and I remember gleefully watching black snakes curling about on the sand. And the aroma! View full size. Happy Independence DayThanks for your post. Always look forward to your trips down memory lane. I just moved from Santa Rosa to Chicago and I have fond memories myself. On the sand?When I was a kid, we had to place the snake pellets on open, hard surface, as instructed on the box. That meant using the sidewalk or front porch, leaving large scorch marks that drove Dad into a high dudgeon. Happy accidentsAll the "mistakes" in this photo make it a beautiful image. Your dad's mummy-face is fantastic. SnakesWe did the snakes on the sidewalk during the day, on the 4th and days later until we ran out. And this is a great picture. Lifeis full of such wonderful memories and what a delight it is to share them here on Shorpy. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, July 4, tterrapix)
Hotshots: 1962
... photographer or two from either Columbus, Georgia, or Chicago. One thing we know for certain is that the camera is a Mamiyaflex. 4x5 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/26/2015 - 2:31am -

Circa 1962, a newspaper photographer or two from either Columbus, Georgia, or Chicago. One thing we know for certain is that the camera is a Mamiyaflex. 4x5 acetate negative from the Shorpy News Archive. View full size. Film size correctionThe Mamiyaflex film size is actually 2.25" x 2.25" Or it was also referred to as the 6 x 6 for the centimeter folks. [4x5 in the caption refers to the negative size of this photo, not that of the camera in the photo. -tterrace] [The kids these days think everything is a selfie! Thank you, tterrace. - Dave] I owned a later version of this same camera in the 70s, a Mamiyaflex 330. It was a great medium format camera and had actual interchangeable lenses too. Not the "screw on the front of the normal lens" kind. In addition to the normal 80mm lens I also had a wide angle and telephoto lens to increase the versatility. Edit: Sorry, read it too quickly and missed that all important period at the end of the sentence. Twin lens starThe Mamiyaflex offered alternate focal length twin-lens assemblies that could be changed without removing the roll film. An outstanding camera which was a logical step up for this twin-lens fan. First, the modest Ciroflex, then a Rolleicrord followed by a Rolleiflex and then a Yashicamat. All producing 2-1/4 X 2-1/4 negatives on 120 film. The Mamiyflex had superb optics. All but one!ManyBuicks, I hate to admit this, but I owned and loved all of those except for the Ciroflex. The Mamiya was awesome and I had three lenses for it and a bunch of other goodies. Great glass and I used that system until about 1991. I loved twin-lens cameras. All but one!ManyBuicks, I hate to admit this, but I owned and loved all of those except for the Ciroflex. The Mamiya was awesome and I had three lenses for it and a bunch of other goodies. Great glass and I used that system until about 1991. I loved twin-lens cameras. Film size?So, does the camera use 120 film? What's with the 4x5 comparison? [The Mamiyaflex the man on the left is holding uses 120 roll film. This photo of the two men was made with a camera that uses 4x5 sheet film, and this is a scan of that negative. -tterrace] Something's MissingNeither of them is wearing a hat that has a little card that says "PRESS" sticking out of it! (The Gallery, News Photo Archive)
Tastee Drinks: 1942
... at least by today's standards. At the same time in Chicago, Jap's potato chips suddenly felt the urge to change their brand name ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/18/2019 - 9:44am -

September 1942. "New York, New York. Macy's department store at Herald Square." Acetate negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. The Billboard Above the Calvert AdIt's wartime, and everyone wants to save scrap metal to defeat the enemy, but it looks like poor Elsie the cow may be politically incorrect, at least by today's standards. At the same time in Chicago, Jap's potato chips suddenly felt the urge to change their brand name to Jay's, which it still is to this day. HeadlightsDoes the bus have wartime blackout headlights? As a kid in the '70s we'd drive by the Quincy Shipyard near Boston. One building was home to an odd lot / salvage type store that became a fairly big chain around Boston for years, now gone. What I noticed about this building and all the others was all the windows (lots of them) were painted black. My mother told me the reason, so not to be seen at night during the war. This yard worked 24/7 and closed in 1986. +64Below is the same view from April of 2006. Times changeMen all in suits. Ladies all in dresses and hats. Where did we go wrong? Million Dollar SpiteThat little mismatched building with Tastee Drinks in it was the subject of some strife. When Macy's announced it was going to build The World's Largest Store on that block, someone paid a huge sum of money for the building and refused to sell. So Macy's was built around that little building. (The Gallery, Marjory Collins, NYC, Stores & Markets)
Fenders Fixed: 1920
... LaPorte, Indiana, married Elsie Standring in 1890 in the Chicago area, and came west in 1898 to visit his brother who was a manager at a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/27/2016 - 1:55pm -

San Francisco circa 1920. "Day-Elder truck." Latest entry on the Shorpy List of Lapsed Lorries. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Brompton ApartmentsVisible in the background above the radiator, one block east of Van Ness at 1424 Polk St., the 1908 building remains, superficially altered a bit. San Francisco Sidewall AgainOn the right front, from being jammed against the curb when parked on SF's hills. The guy in the bowleris packing a .32 . Is that a pistol in your pocket? No really. Is that a pistol? Good catch on the location tterrace. Chester N. Weaver CompanyThe name of the dealer that sold the truck is on the side of the hood. This was the Chester N. Weaver Company of 1560 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco. Weaver is the man standing to the right in the photo. The photo seems to have been taken in the same block as the dealership. Weaver sold Studebaker cars, in addition to the Day-Elder trucks, and he had California Automobile Dealer license plate #1. The Studebaker dealership was the first automobile dealership in the city. Day-Elder trucks are interesting because they used worm drive instead of shaft or chain drive. Weaver personally knew John M. (J.M.) Studebaker, the last surviving of the original five Studebaker brothers, in fact hosting Studebaker in San Francisco for two weeks in 1912. Weaver was the head of the Studebaker Corporation of America, San Francisco Branch. Studebaker went to bat for Weaver when Weaver started selling automobiles on an installment contract basis in 1909. The company wasn't happy with the contracts, but Studebaker said it was okay, and the firm authorized Weaver $100,000 to continue to operate this way. Weaver was told that if this system of selling did not work out the company would not assure his continued employment. In 1913 Weaver was the first person to drive a car to the top of Lone Mountain. At the time Lone Mountain was in the Laurel Hill Cemetery, but the area was cleared of all burials in the 1930s and 1940s. The location is now the University of San Francisco. The photo below is from page 5 of The San Francisco Call and Post, December 20, 1913. Chester Neal Weaver, was born on May 5, 1868 in LaPorte, Indiana, married Elsie Standring in 1890 in the Chicago area, and came west in 1898 to visit his brother who was a manager at a Studebaker branch. On this visit he met J.M. Studebaker who discovered that Chester was an accountant. Studebaker offered him a job which Weaver accepted. By 1905 he was the Branch Manager of the Studebaker Wagon Manufacturing Company in San Francisco. In 1914 Weaver took over the Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose Studebaker franchises, and in 1918 he became the Northern California Distributor for the company. Weaver was appointed the head of the California State Advisory Commission on Motor Legislation, and he helped to draft the California Motor Vehicle Code. He also served as the Director of the Northern California Automobile Dealers' Association. Some newspaper accounts state he retired in 1931, but it appears that he never sold his interests in his dealerships. In 1933 Weaver gave up control of the San Francisco branch but retained control of the Oakland branch. In February, 1935 he purchased the Don Neher Ford and Lincoln agency in Oakland, and Weaver converted his 29th and Broadway Studebaker showroom into a Ford dealership. The transition was not too difficult since Neher's building was next to Weaver's facility. A year later he was the largest Ford dealer in California. Also in 1936 he started to sell the full line of General Electric home appliances. By December 1940 he was selling Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln-Zephyr as well as Ford trucks. The Mercury and Lincoln-Zephyr showroom moved into a new building at 30th and Broadway the same month. Weaver continued to manage his firm through WWII, but he sold his interest to his long-time partner in June 1946 for a reported $290,000. Weaver died on Christmas Eve the same year, aged 78. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
En Famille: 1941
... penny So fa ... so good My very first apartment in Chicago had that very same sofa bed, complete with the same upholstery. Didn't ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/05/2018 - 11:23am -

June 1941. "Family of Marine in their living room. They live in one of the units of the Navy defense housing project which is designed for Naval people, Marines and some civilian defense workers. San Diego, California." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Made CentsThat the coin in Mom's shoe was a wheat penny So fa ... so goodMy very first apartment in Chicago had that very same sofa bed, complete with the same upholstery. Didn't have the matching chair though. April 12 issue of Collier's"Defense on Ice" by Walter Davenport, Collier's, April 12, 1941. Sitting on top of the Life magazine. The Instagram of its DayLooks like the Life magazine at the bottom of the stack under the coffee table is the April 14 issue, which you can read here. It covered everything from the war to a Hollywood Production Code edict banning shots of "sweater girls" (with pictures of course). Long goneThe recruit training center for Marines is still in San Diego but the adjacent Navy RTC/NTC has been relegated to civilian use. Many of the old buildings are converted yet some have been removed for new homes. USS Reversal remains. Quite the trendy area now. I boot camped/schooled there for several months in 1977/78 and recently went back to find the place familiarly differentised. What is it?That object in the box on the table. The round thing with holes of different sizes. Perhaps a cigarette holder ? I don't smoke so how would I know! (The Gallery, Russell Lee)
Clinton Iowa, 1956
... remember hearing "Poor Little Fool", Rick Nelson, on WBBM, Chicago. This was in the days that WBBM was a music station. Time and Tide ... 
 
Posted by HankHardisty - 09/19/2011 - 2:14pm -

This was Clinton, Iowa, at our 3rd Street address, in 1956. I am seated in my Grandfather's lap, Dad is on the floor with a magazine, Mom is reading the paper and Grandmother is counting the hairs on George's head or has fallen asleep. My ever-present New Blue Cheer boxes are also in evidence. I cannot understand why I was fascinated by soap boxes. Maybe I will get a 4 year old to explain it to me sometime. View full size. Vel, Duz, Biz, Fab, AllSome people actually collect 1940s and '50s soap and detergent boxes. Your truly, for example. Check eBay. Somehow they have survived in storerooms and cupboards all these years, unopened and full of soap! Mid-Century furnishingThe table lamp. The coffee table. The radio. Words fail me. Well, except two: I want. Plus Our Favorite Wallpaper again. Zowie. Reading the soap boxesI wonder how many families still sit around the living room in the evening reading together? My mother's reading list for the 1950s.I see "Giant" by Edna Ferber. Wish I could make out the other titles. I'm betting there's some A.J. Cronin and Taylor Caldwell in there too. Maybe even Frank Yerby. That RadioThat white radio, I remember listening to as a child. Sometime in the early 1960s it was in my bedroom and I remember hearing "Poor Little Fool", Rick Nelson, on WBBM, Chicago. This was in the days that WBBM was a music station. Time and TideI was a boy growing up in the same era. My fetish at the time was the utterly hypnotic Tide box. (Probably would have preferred Cheer if my mother had used it.) Like you, I've often wondered why. I think it is simply the case that Procter & Gamble utilized the then-new medium of television, as well as brilliant graphic design to carpet bomb our young brains with their product mind-memes. To this day, I can't walk down the laundry aisle in a supermarket without stopping to stare for a moment at both the Tide and Cheer packaging. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Kids)
White Hall Nationals: 1896
... McFarland Later, Monte McFarland was a member of the Chicago Cubs and Charles McFarland was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. ... greatest legend of this era. He pitched for Cap Anson's Chicago Colts. Anson was a spectacular player and manager. He was also widely ... 
 
Posted by KwaKeeSirPeeNeeKu - 09/20/2011 - 11:57pm -

White Hall, IL. Top Row (L-R): Jesse Harrison, Best Rose, Judge Bowman (Score Keeper), Charles Cook, Monte McFarland 2nd Row (L-R): William Vermillion, Berry Brooks, Hugh Neece 1st Row (L-R): Harry Vosseller, Charles Stewart (Manager), Charles McFarland Later, Monte McFarland was a member of the Chicago Cubs and Charles McFarland was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. In the season of 1896, the principal rival of this team was the Carrollton team. The last game of the season was the deciding one which would determine the championship. The White Hall Nationals won this game. As a reward, the Manager, Charles Stewart, had this photograph taken and entertained players at the Bob Wasson Restaurant. View full size. 1896 Base-BallThis is the exact way all town teams were posed for pictures in this age. Every town, even tiny ones, were proud of their baseball team at that time. They were a very important part of life in that America. Such teams were extremely popular. Well-paying plum jobs were given to skilled non-locals so they would be attracted to distant teams. Larger towns, of course, had many teams. Games were very well-attended. Chappie McFarland was a very decent big league pitcher. His older brother, Monte, was much less distinguished. A town team that had two big league caliber pitchers was incredibly rare. This was one heck of a ballclub no matter who rounded out the rest of the squad. No subs here. The McFarland brothers took pitching turns, obviously. I am sure they crushed most local opponents. Monte McFarlandLaMont "Monte" McFarland has a direct link to baseball's greatest legend of this era. He pitched for Cap Anson's Chicago Colts. Anson was a spectacular player and manager. He was also widely considered responsible for the unwritten rule banning black players from pro ball. Later Monte managed for a few years in the minor leagues, mostly in Dubuque and Decatur in the old Three I League (Iowa, Indiana and Illinois). He was a baseball lifer but died rather young at age 41 from pneumonia. Having Fun Yet?They don't look like they're being "entertained" - but who cares when you have a cool name like Berry Brooks? I wish I did. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Lil Champ: 1947
... Stays Pumped Up About The Benefits Of Exercise (Chicago Tribune -- Oct. 7, 1990) Early Kubrick Stanley Kubrick was still ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/28/2017 - 7:40am -

June 1947. "Bodybuilder Gene Jantzen with wife Pat and 11-month-old son Kent." Photo by Stanley Kubrick for the Look magazine assignment "Strong Man's Family." Look Photograph Collection, Library of Congress. View full size. MisunderstandingGene heard his wife say "Baby Kent needs some Pull-Ups" and this is what happened. "Body Double Take"How 73-year-old Gene Jantzen Stays Pumped Up About The Benefits Of Exercise (Chicago Tribune -- Oct. 7, 1990) Early KubrickStanley Kubrick was still 18 when he took this photo for Look, about a month shy of his 19th birthday. Pat Jantzen, who once worked as a Disney animator, is apparently still living near Bartelso, Illinois. Gene and Kent have died, Gene (Severin Eugene) in 2005 at age 88 and Kent in 1962 at 16, resulting from accidentally shooting himself with a .22 pistol. The "ideal" physiqueIt's refreshing to see once more a bodybuilder whose proportions are those of a "regular" human being, albeit writ large. Since the advent of steroids and full-time, high-tech training, most professional bodybuilders look as though their heads had been Photoshopped, at too small a scale, onto a cartoon. Thus snarks one who never bench-pressed more than 280 in his life! (The Gallery, Kids, LOOK, Stanley Kubrick)
Santa's Railyard: 1943
... by Jack Delano, taken on his Santa Fe rail trip west from Chicago in 1943. His description of this scene: "Activity in the Santa Fe R.R. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/06/2012 - 11:10pm -

March 1943. Another night shot by Jack Delano, taken on his Santa Fe rail trip west from Chicago in 1943. His description of this scene: "Activity in the Santa Fe R.R. yard, Los Angeles. Due to blackout regulations, floodlights, switch lights, locomotive headlights and lights on the bridge in background have been shaded to cast light downward. Broad streaks of light are caused by paths of locomotive headlights, thin wavy lines by lamps of switchmen working in the yard." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. View full size. I like this photo very much.I like this photo very much. Nicely executed timed photography. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Los Angeles, Railroads)
Cozy Depot: 1943
January 1943. "Freight train operations on the Chicago & North Western Railroad between Chicago and Clinton, Iowa. At the end of the trip, conductor John Wolfsmith ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/08/2014 - 10:29am -

January 1943. "Freight train operations on the Chicago & North Western Railroad between Chicago and Clinton, Iowa. At the end of the trip, conductor John Wolfsmith [last seen here] waits at the little railroad station for a suburban train to take him back home to Chicago. A welder who works at the rip tracks is trying to thaw out his frozen air hose." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Under the Hood: 1943
... be an exhibit of DeLano’s railroad photographs at the Chicago History Museum, April 5, 2014 to August 10, 2015. Gotta love a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/26/2014 - 9:59am -

June 1943. "Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Miss Frances Heisler, a garage attendant at one of the Atlantic Refining Company garages. She was formerly a clerk in the payroll department of Curtis Publishing." Our fourth visit to this gas station. Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. A cutieNo wonder postwar America had a baby boom! Would have been very pleasedto have had her test my clutch. For anyone with an interest, there will be an exhibit of DeLano’s railroad photographs at the Chicago History Museum, April 5, 2014 to August 10, 2015. Gotta love a girlWho can help rotate the tires. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Jack Delano, Philadelphia)
Product Launch: 1905
... was intended to compete for the Canada's Cup races at Chicago, but failed to qualify, losing to another Detroit boat, the Cadillac. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/05/2014 - 12:12pm -

Circa 1905. "Launching of the Detroit (Detroit Yacht Club)." 8x10 inch glass negative by Lycurgus S. Glover, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. A ChampionIn August of 1905 the yacht Detroit won the Lipton Cup in San Diego. [Steeped in history! - Dave] This Detroit boat looks so modernJust I wanted to write. Very modern boat as almost 110 years old. Very streamlined. Happy DaysQ: What are the two happiest days of a sailing man's life? A: The day he buys his own boat and the day he sells it. The precise date of this photograph isJune 4, 1901, and shows the launching of the Detroit at the yard of the Michigan Yacht & Power Company, situated just south of Jefferson Avenue on the Detroit River just east of downtown. The boat had been commissioned by a Detroit syndicate headed by Alex McLeod, shipowner, former newspaper editor, founder of the Detroit Telephone Company, and Commodore of the Detroit Yacht Club. The vessel was intended to compete for the Canada's Cup races at Chicago, but failed to qualify, losing to another Detroit boat, the Cadillac. It was sold in Spring 1904 to a San Diego syndicate, sent west by rail, underwent some modifications, and, as already indicated here, quickly became one of the premier racing yachts on the Pacific coast, but for only a brief time, as her design and ownership raised questions among Southern California's racing elite and she was banished from racing by 1906. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, DPC)
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