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Where I'm Coming From: 1943
January 1943. "Freight train operations on the Chicago and North Western Railroad between Chicago and Clinton, Iowa." Somewhere in Illinois between Cortland and Malta, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/24/2017 - 6:32pm -

January 1943. "Freight train operations on the Chicago and North Western Railroad between Chicago and Clinton, Iowa." Somewhere in Illinois between Cortland and Malta, en route to Clinton. Medium-format nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Romance of the RailsWhat I wouldn't give for a ride in the caboose. BarnspottingI wonder if that's the Nadig Family Farm over there on the right? Small townsTrouble with these small towns is that they all look the same, and I live right in the area where this was taken. My guess is that we see Creston in the background. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
"Yank" Cunningham and son: c. 1895
Taken in Chicago in about 1895. John Dominic "Yank" Cunningham (shown here with his son ... neighborhood on West 111th Street in the Southwest Chicago at that time. He passed away in 1907. Yank was my great aunt Rose Ann ... restaurant, hotel he ran at 11th & Sacremento in the Chicago neighborhood of Mt Greenwood at the turn of the century. Please post ... 
 
Posted by wilso127 - 07/06/2012 - 8:01am -

Taken in Chicago in about 1895. John Dominic "Yank" Cunningham (shown here with his son William) operated a tavern/restaurant in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood on West 111th Street in the Southwest Chicago at that time. He passed away in 1907. Yank was my great aunt Rose Ann Jackson's brother-in-law. "Yank" Cunningham infoI am looking for more information, especially pictures, of James Dominic "Yank" Cunningham. Specifically pictures of the saloon, restaurant, hotel he ran at 11th & Sacremento in the Chicago neighborhood of Mt Greenwood at the turn of the century. Please post below if anyone has anything. Thanks! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
City of Ottawa: 1907
... for war service in 1942, the India was brought down the Chicago River, Sanitary and Ship Canal, and the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/22/2018 - 11:21pm -

Cleveland circa 1907. "Steamer City of Ottawa entering Cuyahoga Creek." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What is supporting that bridge?Was this photo somehow manipulated or am I just not seeing the bridge/ferry landing properly? The shadows do not look correct, nor does the water beneath it. Is the dark pile which is barely visible made of steel, and all that is bearing the weight? [It's a swing bridge in the open position. -tterrace] Thanks Dave...makes perfect sense now! I hadn't considered that it was pointing 90 degrees from its normal orientation :-) (even though I have a defunct center pivot one close by) The Name GameCity of Ottawa had a pretty long life on the lakes, a nearly went further. Christened the INDIA in 1871, she joined sister ships in service known as CHINA and the JAPAN. From the annals of the Toronto Maritime Society, these were no run of the mill steamers plying the Great Lakes. "...The passenger cabin of each was a veritable palace compared to other ships then operating. The staterooms opened off a long open passageway in which the dining tables were set at mealtimes. At the forward end of the cabin was the men's smoking room, while at the after end of the passenger area the cabin opened out into a spacious and luxuriously appointed ladies' cabin, complete with grand piano. The woodwork up to the level of the clerestory was varnished, while the deckhead was painted white. Woodcarvings were in evidence everywhere. The entire cabin was fitted with carpeting and an elegant companionway led down to the main deck where the purser's office was located. As usual for the period, bathroom facilities were not provided in the staterooms but each room did boast "running water" in that reservoirs mounted over the sinks were filled daily by the stewardesses and after that gravity did the rest. The galley was located on the main deck and the food (of excellent repute) was brought to the cabin by means of a primitive lift." Ironically, while she went by City of Ottawa renaming for most of her sailing days, the ship started as INDIA and ended that way as well, while being refitted for saltwater use during WWII. She was sent down the Mississippi River to New Orleans but deemed too old and unfit, was eventually laid up along Lake Ponchartrain, where it's believed she meet her end to scrappers in 1945. Launched on June 20, 1871 at Buffalofor the Atlantic, Duluth & Pacific Company by Gibson & Craig and the King Iron Works, the India was the first of a trio of state-of-the-art iron passenger and freight vessels running between Buffalo and Duluth, the others the China and Japan. Beginning the next year and for the next decade it ran for the Lake Superior Transit Company, allied with a pool of railroad-related steamship companies and after that with the Anchor Line, part of the Pennsylvania Rail Road. Sold in 1906 to the Montreal & Lake Erie Steamship Company, reflagged Canadian, repowered, and renamed the City of Ottawa, the vessel operated as the firm's name implies. Its passenger accommodations were removed in 1913 when Canada Steamship Lines Ltd. acquired the vessel and placed it in the package freight trade between Hamilton and Montreal. Laid up in 1926, the City of Ottawa was sold back into American registry briefly in 1928 and renamed India, and the next year back into Canadian registry for the Algoma Central Railway Company and renamed Sault Ste. Marie, running between Fort William and Toronto. In 1930 it again entered American registry and reverted again to the name India, cut down to a coal barge. Requisitioned by the Maritime Commission for war service in 1942, the India was brought down the Chicago River, Sanitary and Ship Canal, and the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers for a conversion that never occurred. The India was dismantled on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain in 1945. The William L. Scott was built at Buffalo in 1890 by the Union Dry Dock Company for that city's Hand & Johnson Tug Line. It was abandoned and dismantled in 1915, probably at Erie, Pennsylvania. Swing bridge?Never was a real fan of bridges that move. Really like them sitting still and anchored. Getting A LiftFor fans and non-fans of moving bridges, the current edition at or near that same spot is a rather impressive rail lift bridge, rather than swing version. Everything's up to date in Cleveland. Tugging at your heartThe tug WILLIAM L. SCOTT, built in 1890, was steam powered and of wood construction, weighing 54 gross tons, with dimensions of 67.9 x 17.4 x 10 feet. It was dismantled in 1915 at Union Dry Dock, Buffalo Shipbuilding. I suspect the boat may have been named for Pennsylvania congressman William Lawrence Scott (1828-1891). (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Bankers' Row: 1910
... Jacksonville in this period, in something similar to the "Chicago School" style. His most graceful Jacksonville skyscraper, the even ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/17/2015 - 4:35pm -

Jacksonville circa 1910. "Bisbee Building on Bankers' Row." The city's first sky­scraper, still standing on Forsyth Street. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Curved Dash Olds?The last car parked along the curb looks like a 1903-era Curved Dash Olds. Whoa---I'm surprised that by 1910-ish, all horse-drawn traffic is gone, (or "evidence" of it) I suppose "banker's row" is more modern, --the early motorbike is interesting. There is not much info on the Southern Mutual Aid Society. The various aid societies were usually temporary and ethnic in nature and from the looks of the fellow relaxing on the balcony this one won't be open much longer. Just an empty hulkor at least in May. I hope its being restored. I wonder what was in the cage in the front entryway. Jacksonville's First SkyscraperThe Bisbee Building was designed by Henry John Klutho and built in reinforced concrete in 1908-1909 - but it was originally only half as wide as it is today. The left-hand bay was the original portion of the building to be built. The building's owner then asked Klutho to double it in width, adding the right-hand bay. Klutho designed several important buildings in Jacksonville in this period, in something similar to the "Chicago School" style. His most graceful Jacksonville skyscraper, the even thinner Florida Life Building, was built just around the corner on Laura Street in 1911-1912. It was not yet constructed when this photograph was made. Both skyscrapers still stand, and I believe that both are still empty. (The Gallery, DPC, Florida, Jacksonville)
Liberty Avenue: 1914
... see two buildings designed by D. H. Burnham & Co. of Chicago in this view: 1) Union Station (1898-1903), the hazy square block at ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 4:37pm -

Pittsburgh circa 1914. "Liberty Avenue and skyscrapers." The Steel City grows up and up. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. 'Burgh MemoriesLast time I ran the 'Burgh Marathon, we finished down Liberty to Point Park.Who knows the town well enough to tell us if any of these buildings are still there (many details of one's surroundings blur during miles 24 to 26.2)? Once Again, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Work of Daniel Burnham!I can see two buildings designed by D. H. Burnham & Co. of Chicago in this view: 1) Union Station (1898-1903), the hazy square block at the "end" of Liberty Avenue; and 2) the Oliver Building (1908-1910), seen here from the back as a 3-part structure with two deep light courts in the right-center background. Both are still standing. Other than the peculiar Keenan Building (at left, with the dome), I cannot identify the other tall buildings. Can anyone fill in the blanks? Identity of Some BuildingsMichael R, to fill in one blank: The tall, ornate building on the far right is the former HQ of the forerunner of PNC Financial. It stood at NW corner of 5th & Wood and was torn down to build One PNC Plaza. Behind it, barely visible, is the former Farmers Bank Building, which was torn down---after a horrific 1960s renovation---for the new Lazarus department store. I am intrigued by the foreground of the photo. I am betting the photo was taken from the top of the Diamond Bank Building. You can see the shadows of letters in the photo. There is a pic of the rooftop letters on the Shorpy's web site. (The Gallery, DPC, Pittsburgh)
Milwaukee of Buffalo: 1910
... freighters. This Milwaukee was built in 1902 by the Chicago Ship Building Company. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Buffalo NY, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/09/2017 - 1:40pm -

Buffalo, New York, circa 1910. "Washburn-Crosby Co. flour mills." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Coming in or going out?When a freighter is mentioned, horizontal hatches in the main deck come to mind. I was surprised to see what appears to be vertical hatches in the sides. I would assume to make it easier to load/ unload bagged flour? Also interesting to see the secondary steering wheel exposed to the elements. WCCOWashburn-Crosby was of course the precursor of General Mills. The name lives on, in a sense, in the TV and radio stations "WCCO" in Minnesota. Package freighterThese used to be fairly common on the Great Lakes, side loaded by longshoremen/stevedores using gangplanks/ramps. The later ones loaded palletized goods via forklifts but I don't believe any survive in their original form after railroads and trucking took over their target business. Some had their side hatches welded up when converted to other uses, like the still sailing cement carrier Stephen B. Roman. Today, some types of cargo aircraft are referred to as package freighters. This Milwaukee was built in 1902 by the Chicago Ship Building Company. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Buffalo NY, DPC)
Young Models: c. 1900
... of the other. The photograph is by the Tonnesen Sisters of Chicago, c. 1900. The Tonnesen Sisters ran one of the country's first photo ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 12/04/2007 - 8:06am -

A portrait of two girls seated, one looking at the braided hair of the other. The photograph is by the Tonnesen Sisters of Chicago, c. 1900. The Tonnesen Sisters ran one of the country's first photo studios for the purpose of creating advertising images. They also ran one of the first professional modeling agencies. View full size. (The Gallery, Kids, Portraits)
Grant Park: 1911
Chicago circa 1911. "Grant Park, south from Art Institute." 8x10 inch dry plate ... the station at the Art Institute is in the Shorpy photo Chicago: 1901. Another look at the Art Institute from the south is this ... is the same view from June of 2017. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2014 - 5:17pm -

Chicago circa 1911. "Grant Park, south from Art Institute." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. McCormick BuildingThe big skyscraper with the giant sign is the first phase of the McCormick Building, at the northwest corner of Michigan Avenue and Van Buren Street, designed by Holabird & Roche and built 1908-1910. The addition, in the cleared space to its right, was completed in 1912. The whole building was converted to condominiums several years ago. With the exception of the small six- and seven-story buildings to the right of the McCormick Building, just about everything else you see in this view of the Michigan Avenue "Wall" is still standing. Grant Park: 2014As Michael R points out, most of the Michigan Avenue buildings from the 1911 photo still stand. The tower in the far distance at the left of the 1911 photo is Central Station (demolished 1974). The view looking north from the station at the Art Institute is in the Shorpy photo Chicago: 1901. Another look at the Art Institute from the south is this 1915 Shorpy photo. +106Below is the same view from June of 2017. (The Gallery, Chicago, DPC)
Hi-Fi 1954
... and I remember listening to WLS (I think that was it) in Chicago at night. I used that receiver right up till I went in the army in 73. ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/22/2011 - 7:20pm -

My brother's do-it-yourself hi-fi. From Top: tweeter, woofer, Webcor portable phonograph, Heathkit amplifier. One of his high school buddies assembled the Heathkit for him. He took this in the upstairs bedroom we shared until a year or so later. That's my bed on the right. Check out our cool wallpaper. View full size. HeathkitI can't begin to count how many Heathkits and Knight-Kits I built over the years. It's another lost art -- no one builds kits anymore. Electronic parts are so tiny these days you can barely see them, much less handle them. It's all done by machines. Heathkit Memories (Egads)My dad built a Heathkit television, he started in the mid/late 70's. I'm pretty sure he never really finished it. I don't wish to knock Heathkit because it never really worked, but that could be because of Dad's skills. Iit did work for a while, but not for long. At one point Dad decided it needed a remote control, so he built one. Using an incredibly long highway of that rainbow wire strip, attached to a black plastic box with a metal face. It had two buttons, using that labeling tape - ON and the other OFF. When I was 10 I thought it was pretty spiffy, really. HeathkitMy father and I built 4 Heathkit televisions and numerous other kits. With a kit that large it took a bit of determination to troubleshoot a problem but Heathkit provided good tech support and if necessary would repair/build your kit if you had problems. Shortwave radioFor one Christmas in the early 60's my folks got me a Heathkit shortwave receiver kit. This was back when FM was still unheard of I think. Dad and I spent about an hour or two each night for what seemed forever building it. We had built an oscilloscope prior to that. I don't ever recall what we used the scope for though it stayed with the family for decades and finally found a dumpster just after Dad's passing in 2000. The radio was fantastic though. We strung a 50 foot antenna across the back yard and I remember listening to WLS (I think that was it) in Chicago at night. I used that receiver right up till I went in the army in 73. [Wouldn't that be AM, not shortwave? As for FM broadcasting, there were hundreds of FM stations by the early 1950s. - Dave] (ShorpyBlog, Technology, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Goggle Glass: 1942
December 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. Workman grinding out a small part at the Chicago & North Western repair shops." Medium-format negative by Jack ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2014 - 11:58am -

December 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. Workman grinding out a small part at the Chicago & North Western repair shops." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Very chicSteampunk before it even existed. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
The Sherman: 1899
... [Booze. - Dave] From the Encyclopedia of Chicago: A second type of drinking place evolved from grocers and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/16/2018 - 5:38pm -

Mount Clemens, Michigan, circa 1899. "Sherman House." And its Sample Room. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. 119 Years LaterNorthwest corner of Cass and Gratiot where the Sherman House used to stand. Now a Macomb County office building housing, among other things, the offices of the Friend of the Court. The Object across the streetWith the Round Globe and appears it would be colorful. Is It a fancy Barber Pole? Streetcar tracks and---dirt roads, I didn't know they coexisted. Stone TabletsThe stone tablets standing on edge in the gutters were to prevent the utility poles from being struck by wagon wheel hubs. Often you will also see many spirally wound wraps of steel wire around pole bases, or steel sheet, to similarly protect poles from damage. It must have been a real problem. Obsolete CommunicationsTwo types of obsolete communication in this picture struck me. The paperboy and Western Union bike messengers. What the heck would they be sampling? [Booze. - Dave] From the Encyclopedia of Chicago: A second type of drinking place evolved from grocers and provisioners who began to sell hard liquor in wholesale quantities. At first, their sample rooms were places where customers could taste-test the stock; long afterward, "sample room" became simply another name for saloon. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Streetcars)
Spaghetti Girls: 1921
... with timbers from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. In its early years Foulds was a major employer in Libertyville, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2012 - 11:54am -

Washington, D.C., 1921 or 1922. "Food show. Foulds Milling." The Foulds slogan: "Appetizingly Clean." View full size. National Photo Company glass negative. Appetizingly cleanIs the woman on the left wearing a hairnet? I guess you could say that adds to the cleanliness. Spaghetti GirlsJust a guess, but these women probably work for the company either as demonstrators (Home Economists?) or office help. In any case, the creepy looking guy is their boss, possibly Mr Foulds himself. Foulds MacaroniI found this about Foulds: "The factory and headquarters of Foulds Macaroni Company moved to Libertyville from Cincinnati in 1906. The structure, originally a ladder factory, was built in 1894 with timbers from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. In its early years Foulds was a major employer in Libertyville, well-known for its summer company picnics and winter Christmas parties to which the whole town was invited." For as sour as the older man looks, Mr. Foulds must not have been too bad to invite the whole town to his parties! I found a GREAT picture of the building in digitalpast.org (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Pacific Mutual: 1909
... analogous to the glazed "skin and bones" designs of the Chicago School architects of the turn of the century. I think the design is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/06/2020 - 2:23pm -

Los Angeles circa 1909. "Pacific Mutual Life & Accident Co. building, Sixth and Olive streets." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Egads!What a monstrosity! Like someone took parts from a classical architecture guide and threw them together with no concept of how they were supposed to work in proportion. Long gone, thank goodness. [Not long gone, just remodeled with a Moderne makeover in 1936. -- Dave] Not so bad after allI disagree with timotheus; the architect of this Beaux-Arts building knew how to handle the Classical orders quite well. The colossal Corinthian pilasters and columns are correct in every detail; the columns taper towards the top, as they should, while the pilasters are ramrod straight. The impressive pileup at the corner is worthy to stand comparison with the work of Michelangelo at St. Peter's or that of Ange-Jacques Gabriel at the Petit Trianon. The entablature is correctly detailed and proportioned, although the treatment of the frieze (the horizontal band with the small horizontally oriented windows) is somewhat unorthodox precisely because of those same windows. But it is certainly not beyond the pale. True, the whole thing might look better without the attic story on top, but still ... Despite the domineering presence of the large-scale Classical elements, the use of vast amounts of window wall filling out every inch of space between the columns and pilasters makes this building analogous to the glazed "skin and bones" designs of the Chicago School architects of the turn of the century. I think the design is distinctly better than the pallid Art Deco shroud that replaced this exuberant facade in the 1930s. Beautyis in the eye of the beholder.....and I really like the 1909 version a lot more! They must have had VERY spacious offices back then with such large windows, did the Detroit Publishing Company do indoor photos a la Gottscho-Schleisner, too?? Deco-ratingHere's the remodeling underway... from https://tessa.lapl.org/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/116534 (The Gallery, DPC, Los Angeles)
Harbor Springs: 1906
... Traverse Bay area in 1903. Lincoln Park Boat Line of Chicago acquired her about 1911, and she met her end on there on Morgan Shoal, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2014 - 12:13pm -

Michigan circa 1906. "Harbor Springs and Harbor Point, Little Traverse Bay." Panorama made from two 8x10 inch glass negatives. View full size. Silver SprayIt appears that Julie Andrews just missed the boat. Which, if my very limited research is worth anything - and it may very well not be - is the steamer Silver Spray of the Little Traverse Bay Ferry Line. A rare treat...I spent many a summer here. This trip to the past is an unexpected treat. So, I meandered.......as I am wont to do into Harbor Springs street view and a whole lot of what you can see on Main Street in the picture from the 3-story brick building in the middle of image all the way to JE Stein Dry Goods still exist, although many of the facades have changed. But, what kills me is that gap between buildings up there to the right of the Central Drug Store 3 building set (all of which still exist)? Nature and architects abhor a vacuum: View Larger Map Bloomer GirlUS3679, originally named Bloomer Girl was built in 1894 as an excursion vessel. Under that name, she operated between Milwaukee and Frederick Pabst's Whitefish Bay Resort. Renamed Silver Spray, she was moved to the Little Traverse Bay area in 1903. Lincoln Park Boat Line of Chicago acquired her about 1911, and she met her end on there on Morgan Shoal, July 15, 1914. (Panoramas, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Lunch With Elibia: 1943
April 1943. Clinton, Iowa. Chicago & North Western Railroad "Mrs. Elibia Siematter, employed as a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 3:31pm -

April 1943. Clinton, Iowa. Chicago & North Western Railroad "Mrs. Elibia Siematter, employed as a sweeper at the roundhouse." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. Elibia's LunchI believe she is having an old favorite of mine as a kid, a banana flip, a great taste and memory. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Grain Train: 1939
... Belt Route engine. No.475 is an 0-6-0 belonging to the Chicago Great Western Railway. It was built by Baldwin in 1916, and scrapped in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/22/2017 - 10:52am -

September 1939. "Grain elevator. Minneapolis, Minnesota." Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein, Farm Security Administration. View full size. How do they work?I mean fill the boxcar? And what is the square building on the right. I know where the grain is at but how do they move it? Engine 475Not much of 475 can be seen in the photo, and I'm not sure of the exact location, but this *may* be a Minneapolis and St Louis Consolidation locomotive (2-8-0). If so, the construction date would be somewhere around 1912. The M&StL was one of the early adopters of "dieselization," and the last steam locomotive was retired by 1951. Maybe an eagle-eyed viewer could better identify the exact location or locomotive. Of interest is the old boxcar that has been removed from its wheels and converted into a work shed of some kind. Not a 2-8-0There are no pony truck wheels visible between the footboards upon which the switchmen are posed and the cylinders. The front set of drivers are seen behind the cylinders. It's likely an 0-6-0 or 0-8-0 switcher. Corn Belt Route engine.No.475 is an 0-6-0 belonging to the Chicago Great Western Railway. It was built by Baldwin in 1916, and scrapped in 1950. The grounded double-sheathed boxcar is being used by the local track gang. Note the joint bars and other MoW paraphernalia. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Railroads)
Guys and Dolls: 1955
... the crap game scene was B.S. Pully, playing Big Julie, the Chicago Mobster, announcing to the players that they will use his dice. The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/19/2014 - 1:57pm -

July 1955. "Frank Sinatra's gambling-in-the-sewer scene from the film "Guys and Dolls." What better place to have the oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York? Photo by Maurice Terrell for Look magazine. View full size. Luck Be A LadyFunniest part of the crap game scene was B.S. Pully, playing Big Julie, the Chicago Mobster, announcing to the players that they will use his dice. The cubes had no pips (dots) on them. When they objected, he said, not to worry, he remembered where they were. Pinstripe PanacheI love Sinatra and I love the suit. You gotta admit they had style back then with a little bit of attitude mixed in for good measure. Da VenueCleanest sewer in all Manhattan. Stubby's HorseAs a very young man in a Marine uniform I saw Stubby Kaye at JFK Airport. He was talking with some fans and seemed like a jovial chap. I asked him if he still had the horse and he actually began to sing "Fugue For Tinhorns" - I got the horse right here, the name is Paul Revere And here's the guy that says that if all weather's clear Can do, can do, this guy says the horse can do If he says the horse can do, can do, can do... (The Gallery, LOOK, Movies, NYC)
The Ruby Troupers: 1953
... of the women's jail) in the original Broadway cast of "Chicago" (1975). (Kodachromes, Dance, John Vachon, LOOK) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/20/2014 - 4:19pm -

August 1953. "Jane Russell and Mary McCarty on the set of the film The French Line." Color transparency by John Vachon for the Look magazine assignment "Two Gals From Texas." View full size. Uh-unhHey, I lived in Texas for a few years and I can say for sure that those gals aren't from Texas. They're from somewhere further north, say Kansas, or even Minnesota. Jane's sidekickOthers will most likely have something to say about Jane Russell (and the two reasons why RKO chose to release this pic in 3-D) so I'll talk about her sidekick. Ms. McCarty seems about halfway through her career journey from Florabelle in Shirley Temple’s "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" (1938) to Mama Morton (matron of the women's jail) in the original Broadway cast of "Chicago" (1975). (Kodachromes, Dance, John Vachon, LOOK)
Fun Between Times: 1909
... young. You never come back. -- Carl Sandburg, "The Chicago Poems" Fun between times I think the seven boys in the picture ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2008 - 9:43pm -

January 1909. Macon, Georgia. "Doffer boys have lots of fun between times. (But get habits of irregular work.) This is the middle of the morning. Willingham Cotton Mills." Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Kids working The old days depended on alot of child labor. I think it taught them the value of a hard earned dollar early in life. And the clothes in all these pictures don't seem to be about making any fashion statements. Two things that are very different from today. Working KidsYou never come back. I say good-by when I see you going in the doors, The hopeless open doors that call and wait And take you then for -- how many cents a day? How many cents for the sleepy eyes and fingers? I say good-by because I know they tap your wrists, In the dark, in the silence, day by day, And all the blood of you drop by drop, And you are old before you are young. You never come back. -- Carl Sandburg, "The Chicago Poems" Fun between timesI think the seven boys in the picture came away with seven different lessons. I wonder how many had all ten fingers. Child labor was a horrible practice. I was a doffer on a 3-11 shift while in college in the sixties. I swapped jobs to be a doffer when I learned that the guy I replaced as a machine tender had lost his arm. It was hard work and I was full grown. Some aspects of the old days were great but a lot of the jobs were not. - Waumbec Mills, Manchester N.H. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Tower B: 1943
May 1943. Melrose Park, Ill. Chicago & North Western towerman R.W. Mayberry of Elmhurst at the Proviso ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 2:00pm -

May 1943. Melrose Park, Ill. Chicago & North Western towerman R.W. Mayberry of Elmhurst at the Proviso Yard. He operates a set of retarders and switches at the hump. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. Cleanest hands in the railyardLove that sweater/jacket! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Roy Nelin: 1942
... Nelin, a box packer in the Proviso Yard roundhouse of the Chicago & North Western R.R. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 2:02pm -

December 1942. Melrose Park, Illinois. Roy Nelin, a box packer in the Proviso Yard roundhouse of the Chicago & North Western R.R. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. RockwellThere's a very Norman Rockwell character in this photo. Light, texture. And what an expressive eyes! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Portraits, Railroads)
Handsome Hoya: 1925
... Claude Grigsby, "a well-built, iron-muscled lad from Chicago," according to the Washington Post. National Photo Company glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/27/2012 - 12:10pm -

Washington, D.C., 1925. "Grigsby, Georgetown." Hilltop star center Claude Grigsby, "a well-built, iron-muscled lad from Chicago," according to the Washington Post. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. My how the game has changedI checked Google to see the average size of today's college offensive linemen. Here is what I found: "For a fairly major Division I-A (FBS) team offensive tackles range in size from about 6'4" to 6'8" and about 290-350 lbs. An offensive guard (interior lineman) will range from about 6'0" to 6'5" and about 280-330 lbs. A center will be at about 6'1" to 6'4" and 280-315 lbs." Those early players may have been much smaller, but boy I bet they were TOUGH!!! How many miles could he goBefore changing the oil in his hair? Two Years LaterMr. Grigsby played center for the 1927 College Football All-America team. He was elected to the Georgetown University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1953. Tough, surebut if he faced off against a modern defensive line, there'd be nothing left but a grease spot (from his hair, of course). (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
Fast Food: 1943
... the caboose on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe between Chicago and Chillicothe." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/07/2014 - 3:19pm -

March 1943. "Conductor George E. Burton, having lunch in the caboose on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe between Chicago and Chillicothe." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Price of a loaf of breadWas 8 cents in those days and milk about 25 cents a gallon. My mother would send me to the store with my little red wagon. I think I remember the bread wrapped in printed waxed paper rather than the clear shown here. Safety FirstAround many rail lines, it's common to see the slogan "Safety First". Example: use safety pins to affix your badge to your hat. A Legend in Headgear He is wearing a cap called a Stormy Kromer. In 1903 railroad engineer Stormy Kromer was fed up with losing his ball cap every time he stuck his head out the train window. His wife Ida devised a set of ear flaps that could be cinched snug around Stormy's noggin thereby keeping his hat in place. A legend was born. The hat became a favorite with other railroad men and with hunters, lumbermen and all manner of outdoorsy types. About 10 years ago, the hat manufacturer was calling it quits when a young guy from Ironwood, Michigan bought the patterns and started making the classic Stormy. They now make vests, pants, coats and all manner of clothing for anyone who prefers to stay warm when it is cold. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Beach Style Parade: 1922
... the 1940s, she reappeared in various daily newspapers as "Chicago's Stone Woman," a reference to a disabling affliction that caused some ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/06/2018 - 10:20pm -

June 17, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Washington Advertising Club bathing beauty contest at Tidal Basin." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.         "Quintet of beauties wore the models of Lansburg & Brother, which captured first prize in the store competition." Caboose of the quintet is Miss Iola Swinnerton, First Lady of Shorpy, who took second in the individual costume contest. Read all about it here. Miss IolaIt's nice to see her again, even if only a glance. Laurels to Former Follies Girl Washington Post, June 18, 1922. CROWN ANNA NIEBEL BEACH STYLE QUEEN Judges at Tidal Basin Contest Award Costume Laurels to Former Follies Girl 5,000 WATCH AS 45 PARADE Simple Attire Wins -- Miss Swinnerton Second -- Lansburgh's Captures Store Prize         Five thousand Washington lovers of the aesthetic, artistic and beautiful -- and, incidentally, of aquatic pastimes -- crowded the Tidal Basin bathing beach yesterday afternoon to witness the annual bathing costume style show, staged under the auspices of the Washington Advertising club. Bathing costumes entered by 11 local stores were exhibited by 45 selected models.         Miss Anna Niebel, former Follies girl, who lives at 1370 Harvard street northwest, won first prize by unanimous vote of the judges. Her prize-winning costume was one of the most simple exhibited, indicating that the element of practical usefulness was taken into consideration by the judges in making the award. She represented the Sportmart [seen here, here and here]. Former Winner Takes Prize.         Miss Iola Swinnerton, 3125 Mount Pleasant street, winner of a former beauty contest at the basin, was the second choice of the judges. Her suit was one of the five entered by Lansburgh & Bros., the firm to which was awarded the cup for the best composite store exhibit.         L.E. Rubel, chairman of the Advertising club committee, in charge of the contest, presented the cups to the winners.         The entries ranged from the extreme simplicity of the one-piece type of suit with the abbreviated skirt to more elaborate creations with multitudinous frills and ruffles. A knitted toque to match the wearer's suit was one of the innovations in bathing headgear that attracted attention. Not So Much Scantiness.         Most of the suits were more extensive, so far as the amount of material used was concerned, than those exhibited in former years. A rubber suit of green and white cut on extremely loose lines set the pace for originality.         Weather conditions were ideal for the show, although it had been announced that all suits entered were of the kind that could have been worn in the rain without damage. Iola!As always, I only have eyes for Ms. Swinnerton. She is always lovely. Iola's second 15 minutes of fameAfter the roaring twenties, Iola Swinnerton's trail goes cold for a while. But in the 1940s, she reappeared in various daily newspapers as "Chicago's Stone Woman," a reference to a disabling affliction that caused some of her muscle tissue to calcify, leaving her disabled. Her 1942 marriage to Theron V. Warren, described as an organist and shipyard worker, was also covered, including photos in various papers of her repeating her vows from her wheelchair. Other than an unsuccessful petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court filed on behalf of Theron V. Warren in 1958, and his death in 1975, I could find no other clues to their fate after 1947. [According to our earlier research, Iola Taylor married Gerald Swinnerton in 1918; he deserted her in 1941. Evidently her affliction was too much for him to bear. - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Iola S., Swimming)
Northern Swing: 1938
... Museum A building from a similar housing project in Chicago, Jane Addams Homes, also built in 1938, is being turned into the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2020 - 7:04pm -

November 1938. "Public Works Administration housing project (Logan Fontenelle Homes) for Negro families. Omaha, Nebraska." Acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Focus on shoesThe still center of all the blurry action is, for me, the pair of feet in the shoes with two buckles, situated underneath the swing with two boys on it. I love all the smiling faces, but the two shiny shoes, side by side, anchor it all. Does Vachon know what he’s doing while he’s doing it, or does he sometimes look at his photos afterwards and go, “Well, I’ll be”? Repeated historyThe Logan Fontenelle Housing Project has an illuminating Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_Fontenelle_Housing_Project This part jumped out at me: "In 1969 riots erupted after an Omaha police officer fatally shot teenager Vivian Strong near the Logan Fontenelle Project. Riots began after Walter Cropper, the judge at the preliminary hearing, found the shooter, Officer James Loder, not to be criminally liable for the shooting." The site was demolished in the early 1990s, and replaced with "lower density housing," which at the time was apparently considered more humane and less prone to contribute to crime. The concept of higher density housing is now getting popular again, though. Public Housing MuseumA building from a similar housing project in Chicago, Jane Addams Homes, also built in 1938, is being turned into the National Public Housing Museum. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-03/plans-evolve-for-a-na... Bob GibsonBaseball Hall-of-Famer Bob Gibson was born in Omaha in November 1935, and lived in the Logan Fontenelle housing project. He was the youngest of seven children, so there may be one or more Gibson children in this picture. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Kids, Omaha)
Headline News: 1925
... 29, 1925, involving submarine S-48, that matches the Chicago newspaper's headline. Traveling up the New England coast from New ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 9:47am -

Washington, D.C. "Newsstand, 1925." Out-of-Town Papers, with Information Cheerfully Given. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. 400 Block of 11th Street NWThis is the same location as another shot featured on Shorpy from a much warmer season in 1921 https://www.shorpy.com/node/11170. Bandage on fingerLikely a "paper" cut. The HeadlineIn 1925, the S-boat class of U.S. Navy undersea vessels suffered a series of accidents. Among those was an episode on January 29, 1925, involving submarine S-48, that matches the Chicago newspaper's headline. Traveling up the New England coast from New London, the vessel encountered a fierce winter storm with strong gales which initially hurled the ship up on the rocks of Jaffray Point near the entrance to the Portsmouth, N.H. harbor. Not only did the gale force the sub up onto rocks, but the landing caused a chlorine leak on board that forced the crew to huddle in one end of the ship. Fortunately, a later gale and its wave refloated the sub, and pushed it into the relative safety of the harbor, where the crew could be rescued. Meanwhile, the same storm caused blizzards further down the east coast, which may account for the snow and slush in the gutter. (The Gallery, D.C.)
Snow Belt Special: 1943
... operations on the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad between Chicago and Hammond, Indiana. The train pulls out of the Chicago & North Western yard." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/17/2015 - 9:39am -

January 1943. "Freight operations on the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad between Chicago and Hammond, Indiana. The train pulls out of the Chicago & North Western yard." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. This would bethe Proviso Yard of the C & NW, located about fourteen miles directly west of the Loop between Bellwood and Stone Park. When I was a kid I'd ride my three-speed Hercules north up Westchester Boulevard and Bellwood Avenue to where the latter dead-ended at the yard. Then I'd wander around within about the largest rail yard in the region watching mammoth freight trains being assembled. Only in retrospect do I realize how dangerous that was. The IHB's main line passed by a few blocks from my home, and I clearly remember steam engines of the Milwaukee Road, which had trackage rights on the IHB, chugging away pulling freight (usually northbound) amid heavy coal smoke with screeching whistles, in the early 1950s and maybe later. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Current Events: 1942
... Alabama. On April 17, 1972 he married Donna Growney in Chicago and she preceded him in death on November 16, 1994. Survivors ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/01/2017 - 12:49am -

August 1942. Vernon County, Wisconsin. "The E.J. Saugstad family at Arrowdale, their 160-acre farm near Westby. Robert, aged sixteen, with hired man Alton Lee." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Office of War Information. View full size. Future TruckerRobert E. Saugstad, 76 years old of Antigo, Wisconsin, formerly of Antioch, Illinois and Bristol, Wisconsin, passed away Friday May 23, 2003 at Langlade Memorial Hospital, Antigo, Wisconsin. He was born November 13, 1926 in La Crosse, the son of the late Eddie and Minnie (Olson) Saugstad. He grew up on his father's farm near Westby. As a young United States Army draftee, he was stationed for a time in the Panama Canal Zone. Upon his return he spent the majority of his years as a truck driver for various companies including time as a long-haul tractor-trailer driver. He also worked as a skilled heavy crane operator for International Harvester Company near his home in Antioch, Illinois. After retiring he devoted his time to maintaining his lakeside home in Westfield, Wisconsin and spending the winter months at his condominium in Orange Beach, Alabama. On April 17, 1972 he married Donna Growney in Chicago and she preceded him in death on November 16, 1994. Survivors include his companion, Mildred Beattie of Antigo, Wisconsin; one brother, Theodore Saugstad of Marietta, Georgia; and several nieces and a nephew. Graveside services were held Tuesday, May 27, 2003 at South Bristol Cemetery, Bristol Township, Wisconsin. Visitation was Sunday evening at the Strang Funeral Home in Antioch. A life lived in WestbyAlton G. Lee (3/9/1919 - 12/16/2007), whose military enlistment record notes: Occupation: Farm hand, general farms; Marital Status: Single, without dependents, returned to live in Westby after his WWII military service. Is that a leather couch?It certainly isn't made of the usual steel wool and sandpaper blend. Hey kid, can you stand back a little?You're dripping Wildroot on Little Orphan Annie. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Arthur Rothstein)
Man of Steel: 1938
... Day to commemorate the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago! But if I understand things correctly, it was exactly that connection ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2020 - 11:16am -

        A Shorpy salute to the nation's workers on Labor Day 2020 -- July 1938. "Steel worker at rolling mill. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. It takes a pair of steady hands. The cut that this young workman is making is much more difficult than it looks. To make a cut through a thick plate as shown and not have the finished result look like a giant hacksaw takes a steady hand, the correct tip on the torch and plenty of practice. If he made the cut that is visible under his hoses he is damn good. Thank you Shorpy for the salute. Rob Ellie, Fifty years working for the man As noted,this work takes a steady hand. As one old shop guy said to me years ago: "You can see every heartbeat in the cut." Labor DayI am now a Shorpy member for more than 12½ years. And, thanks to Shorpy, I learned a lot about what happens and happened in the U.S.A. But, until now, I did not know that in the U.S. Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday in September, and not on May 1, the International Workers' Day. While May 1 even was chosen to be International Workers' Day to commemorate the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago! But if I understand things correctly, it was exactly that connection with the Haymarket affair that made the Democratic (!) President (Grover Cleveland) support the September Labor Day, because of the risks related to the May Day as a holiday. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Factories, Pittsburgh)
Park Terminal: 1943
... Illinois Railway Museum, Union, Il, about 50 miles NW of Chicago. It's the largest railway museum in the US and, April through November, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/01/2013 - 8:47am -

April 1943. "Baltimore, Maryland. Trolleys inside the Park Terminal at night." Photo by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. Timely PhotographThe last Baltimore streetcar ran on November 3, 1963. Thus, this weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the end of streetcar service in Baltimore. The Park Terminal, which was built in 1909, was the largest streetcar barn in the Baltimore system. It still stands at Druid Hill and Fulton Avenues. Some still runningRestored street cars and interurban cars are still running at the Illinois Railway Museum, Union, Il, about 50 miles NW of Chicago. It's the largest railway museum in the US and, April through November, runs at least one restored street car every weekend on a mile-long loop. This past summer about 60 electric cars ran on one day -- not just sat for viewing, but ran on tracks. The IRM is run entirely by volunteers and has over 400 cars and engines. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Marjory Collins, Streetcars)
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